Mimongo is a place in the region of Province de la Ngounie in Gabon at 1°37'12" south of the equator and 11°36'36" east of the Greenwich Prime Meridian.
68-414: Mimongo has a population of approximately 3,307 people. Facts on Mimongo: Name: Mimongo Status: Place Region: Province de la Ngounie Country: Gabon Continent: Africa Population: 3,307 Latitude/Breadth: 1°37'12"S (-1.6195200°) Longitude/Length: 11°36'36"E (11.6067500°) Time zone: Africa/Libreville (UTC +1.0) Current time: 12:10pm (Wednesday, 7 Dec 2011) Distance as
136-512: A branch in 1930. In 1940, Libreville was the central focus of the Battle of Gabon as Charles de Gaulle 's Free French forces, supported by the Royal Navy, moved to consolidate control over French Equatorial Africa. With national independence on the horizon, Léon M'ba won Libreville's first free mayoral election in 1956. Mba was later the first president of independent Gabon. The city's population
204-628: A major part of the Vichy regular forces allowed by the 1940 armistice) were merged to form the French Liberation Army , Armée française de la Libération , and all subsequent enlistments were in this combined force. In many sources, Free French describes any French individual or unit that fought against Axis forces after the June 1940 armistice. Postwar, to settle disputes over the Free French heritage,
272-598: A mixed brigade of French Troupes de marine and the Pacific island volunteers. It also included the Foreign Legion Brigades. In late September and early October 1944, both the Tirailleurs Sénégalais brigades and Pacific Islanders were replaced by brigades of troops recruited from mainland France. This was also when many new Infantry divisions (12 overall) began to be recruited from mainland France, including
340-632: A position to support a German invasion of Britain, though he feared that a direct attack on the French Navy might cause the Vichy regime to actively ally itself with the Nazis. On 3 July 1940, Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul was provided an ultimatum by the British: It is impossible for us, your comrades up to now, to allow your fine ships to fall into the power of the German enemy. We are determined to fight on until
408-531: A residential area. The city's port and train station on the Trans-Gabon Railway line to Franceville lie in Owendo , south of the main built-up area. Inland from these districts lie poorer residential areas. North-west of Equatorial Guinea is where the city stands, labeling the city as a part of north-west Gabon. In terms of the country's surrounding boundaries, north is Cameroon , east is Congo , and south-east
476-469: A symbol of the Free French. This was chosen to recall the perseverance of Joan of Arc , patron saint of France, whose symbol it had been, the province where she was born, and now partially annexed into Alsace-Lorraine by Nazi Germany , and as a response to the symbol of national-socialism , the Nazi swastika . In his general order No. 2 of 3 July 1940, Vice Admiral Émile Muselier , two days after assuming
544-623: Is also a port on the Gabon Estuary, near the Gulf of Guinea . As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inhabited by the Mpongwe people since before the French acquired the land in 1839. It was later an American Christian mission , and a slave resettlement site, before becoming the chief port of the colony of French Equatorial Africa . By the time of Gabonese independence in 1960,
612-416: Is caused by the cold Benguela Current reaching its northernmost extent and suppressing rainfall. Despite the lack of rain, Libreville remains very cloudy during this time of year. As is common with many cities with this climate, average temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures at around 29 °C (84 °F). Léon-Mba International Airport
680-515: Is one of several African cities where French is truly becoming a native language, with some local features. The city is home to a shipbuilding industry, brewing industry, and sawmills. The city exports raw materials such as wood, rubber and cocoa from the city's main port, and the deepwater port at Owendo . Gabon Airlines has its headquarters in Libreville. Prior to their dissolutions, both Air Gabon and Gabon Express were headquartered on
748-706: Is the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It also rides the shores of the South Atlantic Ocean, which is on the country's west coast for reference. Additionally, in terms of aquatic geography, the Komo River passes through the city and empties into the ocean. The Komo River also stands as a potential hydroelectric source of power for the city which could generate supportive amounts of energy and power. Several city districts provide distinct and separate benefits throughout
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#1732902880093816-485: Is the largest airport in Gabon and is located around 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of the city. National Taxis operate around the city. Each district has a colour for its taxis and Libreville's is red. The National Society of Transport ( SOGATRA ) launched new taxis that operate on a counter system in 2014. The Gabonese Transport Company operates a bus service to all districts of Libreville. The Omar Bongo University
884-549: The 2e Division Blindée and 1er Division Blindée were made up of around 75% Europeans and 25% Mahgrebians, which is why the 2e Division Blindée was selected for the Liberation of Paris . The 5e Division Blindée was almost entirely made up of white Frenchmen. Records for the Italian campaign show that both the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division and 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division were made up of 60% Mahgrebians and 40% Europeans, while
952-539: The 4th Moroccan Infantry Division was made up of 65% Mahgrebians and 35% Europeans. The three North African divisions had one brigade of North African soldiers in each division replaced with a brigade of French Forces of the Interior in January 1945. Both the 1st Free French Division and 9th Colonial Infantry Division contained a strong contingent of Tirailleurs Sénégalais brigades. The 1st Free French Division also contained
1020-618: The Empire Defense Council ( Conseil de défense de l'Empire )—later the French National Committee ( Comité national français or CNF)—formed to govern French territories in central Africa, Asia, and Oceania that had heeded the 18 June call. Initially, with the exception of French possessions in the Pacific, India , and Equatorial Africa , all the territories of the French colonial empire rejected de Gaulle 's appeal and reaffirmed their loyalty to Marshall Pétain and
1088-647: The Foreign Legion . There were also escaped Spanish Republicans, veterans of the Spanish Civil War . In August 1944, they numbered 350 men. The ethnic composition of divisions varied. The main common difference, before the period of August to November 1944, was armoured divisions and armour and support elements within infantry divisions were constituted of mainly white French soldiers and infantry elements of infantry divisions were mainly made up of colonial soldiers. Nearly all NCOs and officers were white French. Both
1156-539: The French Air Force had the means or opportunity to escape. Like all military personnel trapped on the mainland, they were functionally subject to the Pétain government: "French authorities made it clear that those who acted on their own initiative would be classed as deserters, and guards were placed to thwart efforts to get on board ships." In the summer of 1940, around a dozen pilots made it to England and volunteered for
1224-708: The French Liberation Army ( Armée française de la Libération, AFL). By June 1944, the AFL numbered more than 500,000, and the CFLN was succeeded by the Provisional Government of the French Republic ( Gouvernement Provisoire de la République française , GPRF), which was established in anticipation of the liberation of France . The AFL participated in the Normandy landings and the invasion of southern France , ultimately leading
1292-599: The French domains of Saint Helena (on 23 June at the initiative of Georges Colin, honorary consul of the domains ) and the Franco-British ruled New Hebrides condominium in the Pacific (on 20 July) answered de Gaulle 's call to arms. It was not until late August that Free France would gain significant support in French Equatorial Africa . Unlike the troops at Dunkirk or naval forces at sea, relatively few members of
1360-564: The RAF to help fight the Luftwaffe . Many more, however, made their way through long and circuitous routes to French territories overseas, eventually regrouping as the Free French Air Force . The French Navy was better able to immediately respond to de Gaulle 's call to arms. Most units initially stayed loyal to Vichy, but about 3,600 sailors operating 50 ships around the world joined with
1428-726: The Royal Navy and formed the nucleus of the Free French Naval Forces (FFNF; in French: FNFL). France's surrender found her only aircraft carrier, Béarn , en route from the United States loaded with a precious cargo of American fighter and bomber aircraft. Unwilling to return to occupied France, but likewise reluctant to join de Gaulle , Béarn instead sought harbour in Martinique , her crew showing little inclination to side with
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#17329028800931496-698: The Royal Navy and, in the North Atlantic, to the Royal Canadian Navy . Free French units also served in the Royal Air Force , Soviet Air Force , and British SAS , before larger commands were established directly under the control of the government-in-exile. On 13 July 1942, "Free France" was officially renamed Fighting France ( France combattante ) to mark the struggle against the Axis both externally and within occupied France. Exile officially ended after
1564-672: The liberation of Paris in August 1944, which ushered in the provisional government on French soil. The AFL took part in the Allied advance through France and subsequent invasion of Germany , and by end of the war totaled over 1.3 million troops—the fourth-largest Allied army in Europe. The provisional government ruled France until the establishment of the Fourth Republic in October 1946, having preempted
1632-461: The 10th Infantry Division and many Alpine Infantry Divisions. The 3rd Armoured Division was also created in May 1945 but saw no combat in the war. The Free French units in the Royal Air Force , Soviet Air Force , and British SAS were mainly composed of men from metropolitan France. Before the addition of the assemblies of Northern Africa and the loss of the runaways who fled France and went to Spain in
1700-621: The Army (dozens of women) and the Woman Service of the Naval Fleet with the Navy (9 women). Their role consisted of administering first aid to the first line of injured soldiers (often to stop bleeding) before evacuating them by stretcher to ambulances and then driving these ambulances under enemy fire to care centers several kilometers behind the lines. The following anecdote by Pierre Clostermann suggests
1768-605: The BEF, along with the 1st Canadian Division , the only remaining fully equipped formation in Britain. Contrary to what is often assumed, French morale was higher in June than May and they easily repulsed an attack in the south by Fascist Italy . A defensive line was re-established along the Somme but much of the armour was lost in Northern France; they were also crippled by shortages of aircraft,
1836-522: The British in their continued fight against the Nazis. Already obsolete at the start of the war, she would remain in Martinique for the next four years, her aircraft rusting in the tropical climate. Many of the men in the French colonies felt a special need to defend France, their distant "motherland," eventually making up two-thirds of de Gaulle 's Free French Forces. The Free French forces included men from
1904-563: The Congo River past Brazzaville, and the coastal railroad terminus site had to allow for the construction of a deep-sea port, authorities chose the site of Ponta Negra instead of Libreville as originally envisaged. Construction of the Congo–Ocean Railway began in 1921, and Libreville was surpassed by the rapid growth of Pointe-Noire , farther down the coast. Libreville received its first bank branch when Bank of West Africa (BAO) opened
1972-548: The Dutch and Belgians, while armoured units attacking through the Ardennes cut off the Franco-British strike force in Belgium. By the end of May, the British and French northern armies were trapped in a series of pockets, including Dunkirk , Calais , Boulogne , Saint-Valery-en-Caux and Lille . The Dunkirk evacuation was only made possible by the resistance of these troops, particularly
2040-511: The French Fleet now at Mers el Kebir and Oran shall act in accordance with one of the following alternatives; (a) Sail with us and continue the fight until victory against the Germans. (b) Sail with reduced crews under our control to a British port. The reduced crews would be repatriated at the earliest moment. If either of these courses is adopted by you we will restore your ships to France at
2108-776: The French Pacific Islands. Mainly coming from Tahiti, there were 550 volunteers in April 1941. They would serve through the North African campaign (including the Battle of Bir Hakeim ), the Italian Campaign and much of the Liberation of France. In November 1944, 275 remaining volunteers were repatriated and replaced with men of French Forces of the Interior to deal better with the cold weather. The Free French forces also included 5,000 non-French Europeans, mainly serving in units of
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2176-523: The French army divisions at Lille. From 27 May to 4 June, over 200,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force and 140,000 French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk. Neither side viewed this as the end of the battle; French evacuees were quickly returned to France and many fought in the June battles. After being evacuated from Dunkirk, Alan Brooke landed in Cherbourg on 2 June to reform
2244-564: The French government issued an official definition of the term. Under this "ministerial instruction of July 1953" ( instruction ministérielle du 29 juillet 1953 ), only those who served with the Allies after the Franco-German armistice in 1940 and before 1 August 1943 may correctly be called "Free French". On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany invaded France and the Low Countries , rapidly defeating
2312-454: The Vichy government. It was only progressively, often with the decisive military intervention of the Allies, that Free France took over more Vichy possessions, securing the majority of colonies by November 1942. The Free French fought both Axis and Vichy troops and served in almost every major campaign, from North Africa to Indochina. The Free French Navy operated as an auxiliary force to
2380-407: The bondage of the enemy and all our institutions have ceased to function", that it was "the clear duty" of all French servicemen to fight on. This would form the essential legal basis of de Gaulle 's government in exile , that the armistice soon to be signed with the Nazis was not merely dishonourable but illegal, and that in signing it, the French government would itself be committing treason. On
2448-671: The capital moved to Brazzaville . In 1910, Gabon became part of French Equatorial Africa ( Afrique équatoriale française , AEF). French companies were allowed to exploit the Middle Congo (modern-day Congo-Brazzaville). It soon became necessary to build a railroad that would connect Brazzaville , the terminus of the river navigation on the Congo River and the Ubangi River , with the Atlantic coast. As rapids make it impossible to navigate on
2516-566: The city as well. In terms of nightlife, the Quartier Louis sector is most renowned. One of this zone's sides includes the coast, and this heavily influences the possible activities available in the area. Commercial areas within Libreville are housed in the Mont-Bouët and Nombakélé districts, which feature several shopping centers and stations selling purchasable goods. Oloumi contains much of the city's industry, integrating production separately from
2584-451: The city was a trading post and minor administrative centre with a population of 32,000. Since 1960, Libreville has grown rapidly and now is home to one-third of the national population. Various native peoples lived in or used the area that is now Libreville before colonization, including the Mpongwé tribe. French admiral Édouard Bouët-Willaumez negotiated a trade and protection treaty with
2652-628: The country's occupation by Allied forces and secured its status as a major power. Historically, an individual became "Free French" by enlisting in the military units organised by the CFN or by employment by the civilian arm of the Committee. On 1 August 1943 after the merger of CFN and representatives of the former Vichy regime in North Africa to form the CFLN earlier in June, the FFF and the Army of Africa (constituting
2720-578: The creation of the Free French forces in the Summer 1940 and the merger with the Army of Africa in summer 1943, 73,300 men fought for Free France. This included 39,300 French (from metropolitan France and colonial settlers), 30,000 colonial soldiers (mostly from sub-Saharan Africa) and 3,800 foreigners. They were divided up as follows: Army: 50,000; Naval: 12,500; Aviation: 3,200; Communications in France: 5,700; Free French Forces committees: 1,900. General Leclerc's second armored division included two units of female volunteers: The Rochambeau Group with
2788-433: The crow flies between Mimongo and Gabon's capital Libreville is approximately 327 km (203 mi.). This Gabon location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon , located on the Gabon Estuary . Libreville occupies 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi) of the northwestern province of Estuaire . Libreville
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2856-415: The defeat of the Third Republic by Nazi Germany, Marshal Philippe Pétain led efforts to negotiate an armistice and established a German puppet state known as Vichy France . Opposed to the idea of an armistice, de Gaulle fled to Britain and from there broadcast the Appeal of 18 June ( Appel du 18 juin ) exhorting the French people to resist the Nazis and join the Free French Forces. On 27 October 1940,
2924-445: The destroyer Maillé Brézé which blew up at the Tail of the Bank . After the fall of France, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill feared that, in German or Italian hands, the ships of the French Navy would pose a grave threat to the Allies. He therefore insisted that French warships either join the Allies or else adopt neutrality in a British, French, or neutral port. Churchill was determined that French warships would not be in
2992-501: The districts that focus upon other aspects. Finally, Lalala and Batterie IV are residential and housing sectors, where much of the populace resides. Libreville features a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ) with a lengthy wet season and a short dry season . The city's wet season , which is also its autumn, winter and spring, spans about nine months (September through May), with a great deal of rain falling during these months. Its dry season (or summer) lasts from June through August, and
3060-471: The end, and if we win, as we think we shall, we shall never forget that France was our Ally, that our interests are the same as hers, and that our common enemy is Germany. Should we conquer we solemnly declare that we shall restore the greatness and territory of France. For this purpose we must make sure that the best ships of the French Navy are not used against us by the common foe. In these circumstances, His Majesty's Government have instructed me to demand that
3128-401: The fight against the Nazis : Some members of the British Cabinet had reservations about de Gaulle 's speech, fearing that such a broadcast could provoke the Pétain government into handing the French fleet over to the Nazis, but British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , despite his own concerns, agreed to the broadcast. In France, de Gaulle 's "Appeal of 18 June" ( Appel du 18 juin )
3196-435: The freed slaves were resettled on the site of Libreville (French for "Freetown") in 1849. Following the French Revolution of 1848 and establishment of the French Second Republic , the former slaves organized an election to select leaders of the new village in 1849. A former slave named Mountier was elected Mayor of Libreville. Libreville was the administrative capital of France's Congo-Gabon colony between 1888 and 1904, when
3264-464: The general headquarters in London. According to the tally of Henri Écochard, an ex-Free French Forces serviceman, there were at least 54,500 soldiers. In 2009, in his work on the Free French Forces, Jean-François Muracciole, a French historian specializing in Free France, reevaluated his count with that of Henri Écochard, while considering that Écochard's list had greatly underestimated the number of colonial combatants. According to Muracciole, between
3332-409: The grounds of Libreville International Airport . The French Army 's 6th Marine Infantry Battalion is based in the north of the city. Free France Free France ( French : France libre ) was a political entity claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic during World War II . Led by General Charles de Gaulle , Free France
3400-452: The leader of the newly established authoritarian regime known as Vichy France , the town of Vichy being the seat of government. De Gaulle was tried in absentia in Vichy France and sentenced to death for treason. He, on the other hand, regarded himself as the last remaining member of the legitimate Reynaud government and considered Pétain's assumption of power to be an unconstitutional coup d'état. Despite de Gaulle 's call to continue
3468-421: The local Mpongwé ruler, Antchoué Komé Rapontcombo (known to the French as King Denis), in 1839. American missionaries from New England established a mission in Baraka, Gabon, on what is now Libreville, in 1842. In 1846, the Brazilian slave ship L'Elizia , carrying slaves from the Congo, was captured near Loango by the French navy which was tasked with contributing to the British Blockade of Africa . Fifty-two of
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#17329028800933536-440: The opinion of many of those who decided not to join the Free French forces, when in June 1940, he explained to the exasperated British why he would not order his ships in Alexandria harbour to join de Gaulle : Equally, few Frenchmen believed that Britain could stand alone. In June 1940, Pétain and his generals told Churchill that "in three weeks, England will have her neck wrung like a chicken". Of France's far-flung empire, only
3604-520: The other hand, if Vichy was the legal French government as some such as Julian T. Jackson have argued, de Gaulle and his followers were revolutionaries, unlike the Dutch , Belgian , and other governments in exile in London. A third option might be that neither considered that a fully free, legitimate, sovereign, and independent successor state to the Third Republic existed following the Armistice, as both Free France and Vichy France refrained from making that implicit claim by studiously avoiding using
3672-423: The post of chief of the naval and air forces of the Free French, created the naval jack displaying the French colours with a red cross of Lorraine , and a cockade , which also featured the cross of Lorraine. Modern ships that share the same name as ships of the FNFL—such as Rubis and Triomphant —are entitled to fly the Free French naval jack as a mark of honour. A monument on Lyle Hill in Greenock , in
3740-443: The proposed union between France and Britain . When this plan collapsed, he resigned on 16 June and Pétain became President of the Council. De Gaulle flew to Bordeaux on the 17th but returned to London the same day when he realised Pétain had already agreed to an armistice with the Axis Powers . On 18 June 1940, General de Gaulle spoke to the French people via BBC radio , urging French soldiers, sailors and airmen to join in
3808-448: The reconquest of North Africa, when the Free French government relocated from London to Algiers . From there, the French Committee of National Liberation ( Comité français de Libération nationale , CFLN) was formed as the provisional government of all French, uniting the disparate forces that opposed the Axis and their collaborators. On 1 August 1943, Free French Forces united with the Army of Africa ( L'Armée d'Afrique ) to form
3876-408: The shape of the Cross of Lorraine combined with an anchor, was raised by subscription as a memorial to the Free French naval vessels which sailed from the Firth of Clyde to take part in the Battle of the Atlantic . It has plaques commemorating the loss of the Flower-class corvettes Alyssa and Mimosa , and of the submarine Surcouf . Locally, it is also associated with the memory of the loss of
3944-414: The spirit of the times in the Free French Forces; a commander reproaches one of Clostermann's comrades for having yellow shoes and a yellow sweater under his uniform, to which the comrade responds: "My Commander, I am a civilian who voluntarily came to fight the war that the soldiers don't want to fight!" Capitaine de corvette Thierry d'Argenlieu suggested the adoption of the Cross of Lorraine as
4012-606: The spring of 1943 (10,000 according to Jean-Noël Vincent's calculations), a report by the major state general of the Free French Forces in London from October 30, 1942 records 61,670 combatants in the Army, of which 20,200 were from colonies and 20,000 were from the Levant's special troops (non-Free French forces). In May 1943, citing the Joint Planning Staff, Jean-Louis Crémieux-Brilhac alludes to 79,600 men who constitute ground forces, including 21,500 men from special Syro-Lebanese troops, 2,000 men of color supervised by Free French Forces in northern Palestine, and 650 soldiers assigned to
4080-445: The struggle, few French forces initially pledged their support. By the end of July 1940, only about 7,000 soldiers had joined the Free French Army in England. Three-quarters of French servicemen in Britain requested repatriation. France was bitterly divided by the conflict. Frenchmen everywhere were forced to choose sides, and often deeply resented those who had made a different choice. One French admiral, René-Émile Godfroy , voiced
4148-438: The vast majority incurred when airfields were over-run, rather than air combat. On 1 June, Charles de Gaulle was promoted to brigadier general; on 5 June, Prime Minister Paul Reynaud appointed him Under Secretary of State for Defence, a junior post in the French cabinet . De Gaulle was known for his willingness to challenge accepted ideas; in 1912, he asked to be posted to Pétain 's regiment, whose maxim 'Firepower kills'
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#17329028800934216-405: The word "republic" when referring to themselves. In Vichy's case, underlying reasons were compounded by ideals of a Révolution nationale stamping out France's republican heritage. On 22 June 1940, Marshal Pétain signed an armistice with Germany , followed by a similar one with Italy on 24 June; both of these came into force on 25 June. After a parliamentary vote on 10 July, Pétain became
4284-402: Was 73 years old and like Pétain, an Anglophobe who viewed Dunkirk as another example of Britain's unreliability as an ally; de Gaulle later recounted he 'gave up hope' when the Germans renewed their attack on 8 June and demanded an immediate Armistice. De Gaulle was one of a small group of government ministers who favoured continued resistance and Reynaud sent him to London in order to negotiate
4352-414: Was established as a government-in-exile in London in June 1940 after the Fall of France to Nazi Germany . It joined the Allied nations in fighting Axis forces with the Free French Forces ( Forces françaises libres ), supported the resistance in Nazi-occupied France , known as the French Forces of the Interior , and gained strategic footholds in several French colonies in Africa . Following
4420-438: Was founded in 1970. There are several high-end international schools in Libreville, including: Among the places of worship , they are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Libreville ( Catholic Church ), Église de l'Alliance chrétienne et missionnaire du Gabon ( Alliance World Fellowship ), Assemblies of God , Evangelical Church of Gabon . There are also Muslim mosques. Libreville
4488-403: Was not widely heard that day but, together with his BBC broadcasts in subsequent days and his later communications, came to be widely remembered throughout France and its colonial empire as the voice of national honour and freedom. On 19 June, de Gaulle again broadcast to the French nation saying that in France, "all forms of authority had disappeared" and since its government had "fallen under
4556-405: Was only 32,000 at independence, but grew rapidly thereafter. It now houses one-third of the national population. From north to south, major districts of the city are the residential area Batterie IV , Quartier Louis (known for its nightlife ), Mont-Bouët and Nombakélé (busy commercial areas), Glass (the first European settlement in Gabon), Oloumi (a major industrial area) and Lalala ,
4624-419: Was then in stark contrast to the prevailing orthodoxy of Attaque à outrance . He was also a long-time advocate of the modern armoured warfare ideas applied by the Wehrmacht , and commanded the 4th Armoured Division at the Battle of Montcornet . However, he was not personally popular; significantly, none of his immediate military subordinates joined him in 1940. The new French commander Maxime Weygand
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