Battle of Dakar The Battle of Dakar , also known as Operation Menace , was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies of World War II to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa ( modern - day Senegal ) , which was under Vichy French control , and to install Free French Forces under General Charles de Gaulle there . Background . At the beginning of World War II , the French fleet in the Mediterranean was to have countered the Italian Navy , thereby leaving the British Royal Navy free to concentrate on the German warships in the North Sea and Atlantic . After the defeat of France and the conclusion of the armistice between France and Nazi Germany in June 1940 , there was considerable confusion as to the allegiance of the various French colonies . Some , like French Cameroun and French Equatorial Africa , joined the Free French , but others , such as French North Africa , French West Africa , Syria and French Indochina , remained under Vichy French control . The possibility that the French fleet might come under German control led the British to attack the French Fleet at Mers - el - Kebir on 3 July 1940 . While the British had eliminated a potential threat , the attack discouraged other units from joining the Free French and Allies . De Gaulle believed that he could persuade the French forces in Dakar to join the Allied cause . Much would be gained by this . Another Vichy French colony changing sides would have great political impact . Also the gold reserves of the Banque de France and the Polish government in exile were stored in Dakar ; and the port of Dakar was far superior as a naval base to Freetown , Sierra Leone , which was the only Allied port in the area . Thus , the Allies decided to send a task force to Dakar : an aircraft carrier ( ) , two battleship s ( and ) , five cruiser s , ten destroyer s , and several transports carrying 8 , 000 troops . Their orders were to negotiate with the French governor for a peaceful occupation , but if this was unsuccessful , to take the city by force . The Vichy forces present at Dakar included the unfinished battleship , one of the most advanced warships in the French fleet , then about 95 % complete . She had left Brest , France on 18 June , just before the Germans reached the port . Before the establishment of the Vichy government , , a British aircraft carrier , had been operating with the French forces in Dakar . Once the Vichy regime was in power , however , " Hermes " left port but remained on watch , and was joined by the Australian heavy cruiser . Aircraft from " Hermes " attacked the " Richelieu " and had struck her once with a torpedo . The French ship was immobilized but was still able to function as a floating gun battery . A force of three cruisers ( , , and ) and three destroyers had left Toulon in southern France for Dakar just a few days earlier . " Gloire " was slowed by mechanical troubles and was intercepted by " Australia " which ordered it to sail for Casablanca . The other two cruisers and the destroyers outran the pursuing Allied cruisers and reached Dakar safely . Three Vichy submarines and several lighter ships were also at Dakar . Battle . On September 23 , the Fleet Air Arm dropped propaganda leaflets on the city of Dakar . Then Free French aircraft flew off " Ark Royal " and landed at the airport , but their crews were immediately taken prisoner . A boat with representatives of de Gaulle entered the port , but was fired upon . At 10 : 00 , Vichy ships trying to leave the port were given warning shots from " Australia " . As the ships returned to port the coastal batteries opened fire on " Australia " . This led to an engagement between the British fleet and the batteries . In the afternoon " Australia " intercepted and fired on the Vichy destroyer , setting it on fire and causing it to be beached . Also in the afternoon , an attempt was made to set Free French troops ashore on a beach at Rufisque , to the south - east of Dakar . The attack failed due to fog and heavy fire from strongpoints defending the beach . General de Gaulle declared he did not want to " shed the blood of Frenchmen for Frenchmen " and called off the assault . During the next two days , the Allied fleet continued to attack the coastal defences and the Vichy forces continued to defend them . " Richelieu " was hit by two 15 - inch shells from " Barham " . On the second day of action , guns 7 and 8 ( in turret number 2 ) of " Richelieu " failed on the first round . The following day , the crews were switched and main turret number 1 was used . Propellant charges reconditioned from charges left by battleship " Strasbourg " in Dakar , during winter 1939 , were used but these gave a significant reduction in range and caused problems of fire control . Over the two days " Richelieu " fired a total of 24 rounds . No hits were recorded by " Richelieu " . During these engagements , two Vichy submarines ( " Persée " and " Ajax " ) were sunk , and the destroyer " L ' Audacieux " damaged . The Allied fleet also suffered damage : " Resolution " was torpedoed by the , and " Barham " was hit by two shells from the coastal defence batteries which had been manned by crew from the No 1 main turret of " Richelieu " . Two cruisers were also damaged . Overall , the Battle of Dakar did not go well for the Allies . The Vichy forces did not back down . " Resolution " was so heavily damaged she had to be towed to Cape Town . During most of this conflict , bombers of the Vichy French Air Force ( " Armée de l ' Air de Vichy " ) , based in North Africa , bombed the British base at Gibraltar . On September 24 about 50 aircraft dropped 150 bombs while on September 25 about 100 aircraft dropped 300 bombs on the harbour and dockyards . Most of the bombs missed . Some damage was caused , but few casualties were suffered . Only the British armed trawler HMT " Stella Sirius " was sunk by direct hits . Finally , the Allies withdrew , leaving Dakar and French West Africa in Vichy hands . Aftermath . The effects of the Allied failure were mostly political . De Gaulle had believed that he would be able to persuade the Vichy French at Dakar to change sides , but this turned out not to be the case , a result that damaged his standing among the Allies . Even his success in the Battle of Gabon two months later did not wholly repair this damage . English novelist Evelyn Waugh participated in the expedition as an officer in the Royal Marines . The battle has a role in his semi - autobiographical novel " Men at Arms " , which forms the first part of his Sword of Honour trilogy .