The North - Madagascar - page 553

With the beaches secured, the main British force landed and began its march upon
Antsirane. Meanwhile, the Fleet Air Arm depth-charged and torpedoed the French
warships and submarines at anchor in Diego Suarez Bay and bombed Arrachart air-
field. But the defenders were now at their posts and an intense battle for possession of
Diego Suarez began.
Some three miles to the south of Antsirane the French had built a strong defensive
lineacrosstheisthmusoftheAntsiranePeninsula.DevisedbyGeneralJoffrein1909,
it comprised a trench network and an anti-tank ditch strengthened by forts and pill-
boxes housing artillery and machine-guns. For two days the British forces assaulted
the French line without success and with mounting losses.
The breakthrough came on the evening of 6 May when a British destroyer charged
through the entrance of Diego Suarez Bay under the guns of the French batteries. The
destroyer successfully landed a body of 50 Marines onto the quay. This tiny force
stormed through the town, capturing the main barracks and the artillery headquarters.
This disruption in their rear finally broke the defenders' resolve and when the main
frontal attack was renewed the French line was overrun.
The fighting resulted in more than 1,000 casualties. The British commander sub-
mitted recommendations for more than 250 decorations, including three posthumous
Victoria Crosses.
Britain's vital route to the east had been secured - but only in the nick of time.
Barely three weeks after the capture of Antsirane, a Japanese submarine flotilla ar-
rived off the coast of Madagascar. In a daring night raid the Japanese attacked the
ships in Diego Suarez Bay, sinking one supply ship and severely damaging the flag
ship of the British expedition, the battleship Ramillies .
With the island's main naval base in British hands, it was expected that the French
GovernorGeneral,ArmandAnnet,wouldbowtotheinevitable andrelinquishcontrol
of the whole island. However, despite months of negotiations, Annet refused to sur-
render and Britain was forced to mount further military operations.
In September 1942, British and Commonwealth troops landed at Majunga and
Tamatave. Brushing aside all attempts to stop and delay them, the Allies captured
Tananarive only to find that Annet had retreated to the south of the island. But when a
South African force landed at Tulear, Annet realised that he was trapped.
The French strung out surrender negotiations until one minute after midnight on 6
November - exactly six months and one day after the start of the British attack upon
Diego Suarez. The significance of this was that French troops involved in a campaign
lastinglongerthansixmonthswereentitledtoamedalandanincreasedstatepension!
After a brief period of British Military Administration, the island was handed over
to General de Gaulle's Free French movement. The key naval base of Antsirane,
however, remained under British control until 1944.