In 1942, as World War 2 was blazing across the globe, the island of Madagascar became
the center of a high-stakes game of cat and mouse between the Axis and Allied powers.
The Vichy French-controlled territory, boasting priceless harbors and the potential to host
menacing submarines, drew the attention of both the British Empire and the Japanese.
It was a key strategic location, particularly the port of Diego-Suarez, and it had to be captured.
In a world where the tides of war turned relentlessly, an unsung battle raged on
a remote and exotic island, the likes of which had never been seen before.
Now, as hundreds of valiant soldiers approached the island aboard Royal Navy vessels,
the stage was set for an explosive encounter as the fate of the world hung in the balance.
Madagascar
After the ceasefire signed at Compiègne in June 1940,
a pro-German puppet government was established in Vichy, leaving portions of France,
including all overseas territories, effectively under Nazi control. Meanwhile,
Japan, another Axis power, had quickly gained predominance in the Indian Ocean.
By the end of 1941, Great Britain had heard of the Germans’ plans to give Madagascar, a French colony
at the time, to the Japanese. Control over this African Island would cement the Axis’ hold on some
of the most important sea routes, possibly tipping the scales of power in the region to their favor.
To prevent Japan from taking over Madagascar as a submarine base, Great Britain began to plan
an invasion of the colony. However, with their forces already stretched thin, such a mission
would be extremely risky and require a massive show of military force.
Operation Ironclad, the initial landing section of the invasion of Madagascar,
ended up being a monumental undertaking born out of necessity.
Driven by a sense of urgency, the British armed forces assembled a massive Royal
Navy task force comprising warships, troop transports, and supply vessels.
For months, top war planners studied maps and intelligence reports,
devising strategies against the more than formidable enemy for every possible scenario.
Worthy Landing Force
On May 5, 1942, following several reconnaissance missions led by the South African Air Force,
a fleet of aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and transport vessels
set sail to Madagascar. Carrying the British 29th Infantry Brigade and No. 5 Commando, with men from
Britain and other British colonies like South Africa, Rhodesia, and India, the force landed
in Courrier Bay and Ambararata Bay, a critical location on the northern end of Madagascar.
The capture of the port was expected to deny the Vichy French a crucial
base of operations and provide the Allies with a strategic foothold in the region.
As hundreds of soldiers poured out of the landing craft and waded through
chest-deep water towards the shore with guns blazing, the only thing on their minds
was to secure a beachhead. The soldiers and sailors were determined to succeed,
as the outcome of the war was at stake, but they also knew the price of victory would be high.
For the first phase of Operation Ironclad, the British were supported by naval gunfire and
air cover from their carrier-based aircraft, which helped soften up the French defenses.
The landing was initially met with resistance from the French garrison,
led by General Paul Legentilhomme, as the Vichy French had prepared well for the invasion,
fortifying their positions along the coast with machine guns, artillery, and barbed wire.
But while the British troops were initially hampered by the rugged terrain and the French
defenses, the battle ended after only two days with the Vichy troops escaping to southern
Madagascar. The British then pushed through and established a beachhead at Courrier Bay,
proceeding inland towards the capital city of Antananarivo.
The success of the initial bombardments and landings
was crucial to the operation's overall success.
What About Japan?
While the Japanese Empire saw Madagascar as a potential base of operations in the Indian Ocean,
the Imperial Japanese Navy did not directly engage in the battle for the prized island. Instead, its
involvement was initially limited to intelligence gathering and reconnaissance operations.
Even so, a minor incident with Japanese vessels occurred in African waters. On May 29,
three Japanese submarines, I-10, I-16, and I-20,
reached Antsiranana Bay nearly three weeks after the initial landings.
While the I-10's reconnaissance aircraft spotted HMS Ramillies,
a Revenge-class super-dreadnought battleship at anchor in the harbor at Diego-Suarez,
the warplane was in turn discovered by the crew of Ramillies, who changed the vessel’s berth.
To defend themselves, the I-20 and I-16 launched two midget submarines,
one of which managed to enter the harbor and fire two torpedoes under a depth-charge attack
from two corvettes. One torpedo severely damaged Ramillies, while the second sank
the 6,993-ton oil tanker British Loyalty. Even so, both ships were eventually repaired.
Meanwhile, one of the Japanese midget submarines was lost at sea,
and the crew of the other submarine beached their craft and advanced toward the pick-up point.
They then arrived at the village of Anijabe and, after buying food,
were betrayed by the locals and attacked by Royal Marines three days later.
Moving Inland
Following the initial landings of Operation Ironclad, the British
faced continued hostilities for several months in Madagascar,
as the troops tried to advance towards the south in an attempt to capture the entire island.
As the British, South African, Rhodesian, and Indian forces advanced,
they faced several challenges, including heavy rain, rugged terrain, and determined
resistance from the French, who were mainly composed of colonial troops from West Africa,
Madagascar, and French regulars. Such forces fiercely protected Madagascar using ambushes,
laying mines, and launching counter-attacks.
On July 2, an invasion force was sent to the Vichy-held island of Mayotte to try and take
control of its radio station, a high value target that was later used as a base for
British operations in the area. The capture was carried out with no significant losses.
Persevering, the Allies consolidated their position and pushed deeper into the island.
The Thick of It
One of the crucial operations within the Battle of Madagascar was Stream Line Jane,
which consisted of three separate sub-operations code-named Stream, Line, and Jane.
Stream and Jane were the amphibious landings at Majunga on September 10 and Tamatave on
September 18. Operation Line, however, was the advance from Majunga to the French capital,
Tananarive, which fell on September 23, followed by the town of Ambalavao,
from where the devoutly Vichy Governor Armand Annet escaped.
The final significant battle took place on October 18 at Andramanalina, a U-shaped valley with the
winding Mangarahara River. The Vichy troops had planned an ambush for the British forces, but
the King's African Rifles split into two columns, marched around the 'U' of the valley, met Vichy
troops in the rear, and ambushed them, causing heavy losses and leading to 800 surrenders.
Despite their initial success, the Allies faced difficulties in tracking down Governor Annet.
However, they eventually located him, and he surrendered on November 8,
1942, marking the end of the conflict.
The Battle of Madagascar was the first large-scale operation of World War 2
by the Allies, combining sea, land, and air forces. The landing at Diego-Suarez resulted
in about 500 casualties for the Allies, while subsequent operations caused over 100 losses.
Overall, the battle was a significant victory for the Allies, providing them
with a strategic base in the Indian Ocean and disrupting Axis plans for the region.
Wide Scope
In the aftermath of the battle, the Allies consolidated their position on the island and
began rebuilding and restoring order. Madagascar became a vital base of operations for the Allies,
allowing them to launch attacks on enemy targets across the region.
The Battle of Madagascar is also notable for its role in the broader war effort.
One war historian, Julian Jackson, even noted that the French had held out longer
against the Allies in Madagascar than they had against the Germans in France in 1940.
The operation was controversial, and some historians have speculated that the British may
have had ulterior motives for the invasion. One of the primary factors was that the Allied forces,
led by the British, were attacking Vichy French-controlled Madagascar,
even though France was not an official enemy at the time.
This created a delicate political situation,
as the British needed to weigh securing the island against potential Japanese
expansion with the desire to maintain positive relations with the Vichy French government.
The Allies justified their actions by claiming that the presence of Vichy French forces posed
a risk to their control over the Indian Ocean and the safety of important shipping routes.
Consequently, the Battle of Madagascar strained
relations between the British and the Free French forces, who felt they had
not been appropriately consulted in the planning and execution of the campaign.
In addition, the defeat of the Vichy French regime in Madagascar was a blow to the French
colonial Empire and helped to pave the way for the eventual independence of Madagascar in 1960.
Thank you for watching Dark Docs! Don’t hesitate to click on your
screen and explore our other Dark Documentaries channels,
where we delve into more intense battles and unique warfare technology. Also,
hit the bell icon to be notified of our newest content, which we publish regularly. Stay tuned!