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Toulon Military Port

Type   39 Navy Base
Historical Name of Location   Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Coordinates   43.119444000, 5.916389000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe military port of Toulon (French: arsenal de Toulon) had its start in 1514 when King Louis XII ordered the construction of the fort Tour Royale at Toulon on the Mediterranean coast of southern France. Many expansion efforts in the subsequent centuries, and the base in operation during the WW2 era was largely the product of 19th century and 20th century efforts. Several French warships sortied from this main naval port in the early months of the European War to patrol the high seas as well as to bombard enemy targets in northwestern Italy. After the French armistice, many of the major French warships were moored at Toulon. After what Germany perceived as a lack of French enthusiasm in defending North Africa against the Allied invasion, the Germans marched toward the port at dawn of 27 Nov 1942. While Fort Lamalgue, along with Admiral André Marquis, was captured swiftly, the French Navy was able to scuttle three battleships, seven cruisers, 15 destroyers, and a number of smaller craft, thus reducing German gain at the end of the operation to three disarmed destroyers, four damaged submarines, three civilian ships, two obsolete battleships of little military value, 27 small craft, and 40,000 tons of fuel oil. In German occupation, some of the ships were salvaged by the Germans and the Italians, while the base itself was used for German submarine operations. The Allies bombed the Toulon military port several times, causing heavy damage. After the war, it continued to serve as the principal military port of the French Navy.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Update: Mar 2014



Toulon Military Port Interactive Map

Photographs

Battleship Bretagne at Toulon, France, 1919Béarn in port at Toulon, France, 1936
See all 33 photographs of Toulon Military Port

Toulon Military Port Timeline

1 Oct 1931 Marcel-Bruno Gensoul was made the chief of the 3rd Maritime Region, based at Toulon, France.
4 Jul 1940 French battleship Strasbourg and four destroyers arrived at Toulon, France after fleeing from the Battle of Mers-el-Kébir.
4 Jul 1940 Marseillaise arrived at Toulon, France.
9 Sep 1940 French intelligence reported a possible invasion of Dakar in West Africa by General de Gaulle's forces, supported by the British. In response, French cruisers Georges Leygues, Montcalm, and Gloire, plus three destroyers, were ordered to sail from Toulon, France to reinforce Dakar.
9 Sep 1940 Montcalm departed Toulon, France.
27 Nov 1942 Germans occupied naval base at Toulon; French Navy scuttled warships to avoid German capture.
27 Nov 1942 Algérie was scuttled at Toulon, France.
27 Nov 1942 Colbert was scuttled at Toulon, France to prevent German capture.
27 Nov 1942 Foch was scuttled at Toulon, France.
27 Nov 1942 Marseillaise was scuttled by her own crew at Toulon, France.
27 Nov 1942 Jean de Vienne was scuttled at Toulon, France.
27 Nov 1942 Dupleix received extensive damage as her own crew set off demolition charges to prevent German capture as the Germans entered Toulon, France.
18 Feb 1943 Jean de Vienne was raised at Toulon, France and pressed into Italian Navy service under the new name FR.11.
18 Mar 1943 Italians began to raise the wreck of Algérie in sections at Toulon, France.
16 Apr 1943 Italians raised the wreck of Foch at Toulon, France for repair.
22 May 1943 The Italian flag was hoisted aboard captured French cruiser La Galissonnière at Toulon, France.
22 May 1943 The Italian flag was hoisted aboard captured French cruiser Jean de Vienne at Toulon, France.
3 Jul 1943 Italians raised destroyed French cruiser Dupleix at Toulon, France.
2 Sep 1943 Captured French submarine Henri Poincaré departed Toulon, France with an Italian crew.
17 Nov 1943 Foch's wreck was captured by the Germans at Toulon, France.
23 Nov 1943 FR.11 was damaged by Allied bombing at Toulon, France and sank to the bottom.
7 Mar 1944 Allied aircraft bombed the wreck of Algérie at Toulon, France, causing it to sink again; prior to the bombing the Italians had attempted to raise the wreck in sections.
18 Aug 1944 Foch's wreck was sunk at the mouth of Toulon harbor, France as a blockship.
20 Aug 1944 Blockship Foch was hit by two aerial bombs at the mouth of the Toulon harbor, France.
21 Aug 1944 French First Army enveloped Toulon, France.
27 Aug 1944 The last German troops in Toulon, France surrendered.
28 Aug 1944 FR.11 was captured by the Allies at Toulon, France.
13 Sep 1944 Cruiser Georges Leygues arrived at Toulon, France.




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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Lat/Long 43.1194, 5.9164
Toulon Military Port Photo Gallery
Battleship Bretagne at Toulon, France, 1919Béarn in port at Toulon, France, 1936
See all 33 photographs of Toulon Military Port


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