Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-03
Dakar Landing Party
Saved From Capture
By Priest.0fficer
White-FIugeed Group Had
Been Allowed Ashore,
Then Ordered Seized

THE following is the first de-
tailed account OF dramatic eUentS
leading up to the costly three
dGy BRUSH -Supported effort OF
Gen. Charles de Gaulle'S free
french" expectation 10 occupy
Dakar. capital of French West
Africa ana key to the South
Atlantic" The British abandoned
the naDal and air battle Sep
TENDER rs, tCith the announce
n1ent they neDer had any IN
tention of "enterinq into serious
trdrlike operations" against the
French.D
By the Associated Press.
WITH THE DE GAULLE DAKAR
EXPEDITION, Sept. 20 delayed
IN transmission). - Heroism Of a
naval officer-priest, whose white
tagged free French" landing party
touched off the battle of Dakar, pre-
vented the capture of former French
Deputies who tried to win West
Africa bloodlessly over to Gen.
Charles de Gaulles Anglo French
cause.
He was Capt. G. Thierry d'Argen-
lieu. who stood erect in a small boat
under deadly hail of machine
gun fire, even after being wounded,
and directed withdrawal of the
landing party, made up of members
of the French Parliament serving in
De Gaulle's legion.
No Effort Made to Halt Party.
Although sailors were lining the
rails of French warships and COM
merclal vessels in Dakar Port, no
effort was made at first to halt the
landing party, which flew its white
flag alongside the French tri-color.
Just as the party reached the
dock and prepared to go ashore,
however, an automobile drew up on
the quay. A young ensign with a
drawn revolver and a lieutenant
stepped out and refused to let any
members except dArgenlieu land.
The lieutenant shook hands COR
daily with d'Argenlieu, who asked
authorization for his delegation to
Lorfevre, commander of port police,
who granted permission for the en-
tire party to come ashore.
When dArgenlieu declared he was
carrying letter for Gov. Gen. Pierre
Boisson of West Africa and the adj
miral commanding the port. the
chief of police telephoned the Gov
eroOr for irctrJ1ptionc
Party Ordered Back to Sea.
The Governors answer came
eight minutes later. It's tenor was
indicated by Capt. Lorfevre who Or
dered the party to put back to sea
at once.
And if we refused?" DArgenlieu
demanded.
II would be obliged to put you
under arrest" the captain replied
He scarcely had finished speaking
when an orderly rushed up with a
written order for the immediate
arrest of the entire party.
D'Argenlieu shouted quick
warning to his officers, then leaped
into the boat himself just as it
pulled away from the quay.
Meanwhile, the. young ensign who
had greeted the party with drawn
revolver jumped aboard a small
trawler, ordered its machine guns
trained on the party.
The momentary hesitation of the
gun crew gave the De Gaulle dele
CATION time to reach the outer
limits of the harbor. where they
came under heavy fire from other
machine guns and rapid-fire can
non on the harbor moles.
Although seriously wounded in
the thigh and blood had soaked his
white uniform, D'Argenlieu stood
erect under the whitening fire, even
halting his boat to wait for sec
ond and slower one carrying men,
bers of his party.
Once the outer harbor was cleared
D'Argenlieu executed a smart 90
degree left turn and calmly headed
for the escort vessel Savorgnan de
Brazza, which stood dimly outlined
in the og-blanketed sea.
All Were Unarmed.
1t was September % when the
Savorgnan was cruising miles off
Dakar that the white-f1agged dele
CATION put out. There were two
small boats.
In the first were unarmed par
liamentary officers, in full dress Co.
lonial uniform under command of
d'Argenlieu, who is priest in civil
life. In the second were nOn-comS
and escort sailors, all unarmed.
The white flag flew forward, the
triscolor aft.
Fifteen minutes after they left the
destroyer and made for the port
the first shot of the battle to fol-
low was fired when anti-aircraft
guns on the French battleShip Rich
elieu opened up on an Allied plane
dropping a De Gaulle proclamation
calling on the Senegalese to rally
to his flag. The Richelieu, damaged
by British warships in battle OF
Oran July 8, was tied up at Dakar.
She still was not navigable, but her
guns we're working.
AS the landing party crossed anti
submarine nets at the harbor'S en-
trance, Senegalese troops were OBJ
served through glasses hurrylng to
battle stations in front of machine
guns and cannon.
What happened in the next three
DAYS now is history.