Katana VentraIP

French Somaliland in World War II

French Somaliland (officially the Côte française des Somalis, French Somali Coast), with its capital at Djibouti, was the scene of only minor skirmishing during World War II, principally between June and July 1940. After the fall of France (25 June 1940) the colony was briefly in limbo until a governor loyal to the Vichy government was installed on 25 July. It was the last French possession in Africa to remain loyal to Vichy, surrendering to Free French forces only on 26 December 1942. Pierre Nouailhetas governed the territory through most of the Vichy period. After aerial bombardment by the British, he instituted a reign of terror against Europeans and locals. Nouailhetas was eventually recalled and forced to retire. From September 1940, the colony was under an Allied blockade, and many of its inhabitants fled to neighbouring British Somaliland. After the territory's liberation, there were many governors and recovery from the deprivation of 1940–42 was only beginning when the war ended in 1945.

War with Italy and armistice[edit]

Fighting during 10–25 June[edit]

Italy's declaration of war on France and Great Britain came on 10 June 1940, and the next day Legentilhomme was named supreme commander of all Allied forces in the Somaliland theatre.[12] In French Somaliland he had a garrison of seven battalions of Senegalese and Somali infantry, three batteries of field guns, four batteries of anti-aircraft guns, a company of light tanks, four companies of militia and irregulars, two platoons of the camel corps and an assortment of aircraft.[13]


Since the Allies were outnumbered by about 40,000 to 9,000 along the Somaliland frontier,[c] no offensive actions were planned, although Legentilhomme did receive an order on 11 June to resist "to the end" (jusqu'au bout). The intention was to pin down the Italians while stoking an Ethiopian revolt.[12][14] The Italians did undertake some offensive actions beginning on 18 June. From Harrar Governorate, troops under General Guglielmo Nasi attacked the fort of Ali-Sabieh in the south and Dadda'to in the north. There were also skirmishes in the area of Dagguirou and around the lakes Abbe and Ally.[15] Near Ali-Sabieh, there was some skirmishing over the Djibouti–Addis Ababa railway.[12] In the first week of war, the Italian Navy sent the submarines Torricelli and Perla to patrol French territorial waters in the Gulf of Tadjoura in front of the ports of Djibouti, Tadjoura and Obock.[16][d] By the end of June the Italians had also occupied the border fortifications of Magdoul, Daimoli, Balambolta, Birt Eyla, Asmailo, Tewo, Abba, Alailou, Madda and Rahale.[17]

Rallying and liberation[edit]

A few defections from French Somaliland took place in 1941. Some air force pilots escaped to Aden to join the Escadrille française d'Aden under Jacques Dodelier, and Captain Edmond Magendie began training some non-commissioned officers who would become the backbone of the Bataillon de tirailleurs somalis (FR), which later fought in Europe. Some Free French sloops also took part in the blockade.[38] The Commander-in-Chief, East Africa, William Platt, codenamed the negotiations for the surrender of French Somaliland "Pentagon", because there were five sides: himself, the Vichy governor, the Free French, the British minister at Addis Ababa (Robert Howe), and the United States.[42] The American consul at Aden, Clare H. Timberlake, even bluffed the acting British governor, John Hall, into getting Frederick Hards, AOC Aden, to fly him to Djibouti to interview Nouailhetas before his dismissal. In the end the Americans apologised for this interference.[42]


Only following Operation Streamline Jane—the Allied conquest of Madagascar (September–November 1942)—and Operation Torch—the Allied landing in French Morocco and Algeria in November 1942—did one third of the Somali garrison, the first battalion of Senegalese Tirailleurs under Colonel Georges Charles Raymond Raynal, cross the border into British Somaliland and defect. This prompted the new governor, Christian Raimond Dupont, to offer the British an economic agreement without surrender, but it was rejected. He was informed that if the colony surrendered without firing a shot, the French right to it would be respected in the post-war order. On hearing this, Dupont surrendered and Colonel Raynal's troops crossed back into French Somaliland on 26 December 1942, completing its liberation.[37] The official handover took place at 10:00 p.m. on 28 December.[42]


The first governor appointed under the Free French was André Bayardelle (FR), transferred from New Caledonia in December 1942. Under Bayardelle, the Bataillon de tirailleurs somalis was recruited for service in Europe.[37] Late in 1943 he was transferred to become Governor-General of French Equatorial Africa. His replacement, Raphaël Saller (FR), took office on 13 January 1944. Shortly after he took office, a commission was created to examine those civil servants and other collaborators who had remained loyal to Vichy. In general, only their political allegiance during 1940–42 mattered, and Vichyites were dismissed from public service permanently.[37] He too was shuffled along, and began a long career in the colonial service in French West Africa. The next governor, Jean Chalvet, was replaced within a few weeks by Jean Beyries as acting governor. Djibouti began to return to normal in mid-1945 when a sufficient number of natives who had fled to neighbouring countries had returned so that the port could operate again.[43] Provisions were coming in from Ethiopia, Madagascar and French North Africa. The power plant was in poor condition and electricity functioned only intermittently, while the rail infrastructure was in disrepair and awaiting deliveries on orders placed in the United States when the war ended.[43]

(2 May 1939 – 25 July 1940), previously acting governor

Hubert Jules Deschamps

(25 July–7 August 1940)

Gaëtan Louis Élie Germain

(7 August 1940 – 21 October 1942)

Pierre Marie Élie Louis Nouailhetas

(21 October–4 December 1942)

Auguste Charles Jules Truffert

(4–26 December 1942)

Christian Raimond Dupont

(30 December 1942 – 22 June 1943)

Ange Marie Charles André Bayardelle

(13 January–1 May 1944), previously acting governor

Michel Raphaël Antoine Saller

Jean Victor Louis Joseph Chalvet

Jean Beyries

Cornil-Frerrot, Sylvain (2012). (PDF). Revue de la Fondation de la France libre. 46: 6–7.

"Le ralliement de la Côte française des Somalis à la France combattante"

Costagliola, Jacques (2005). La guerre anglo-française, 3 juillet 1940 – 11 novembre 1942: un conflit parallèle et tangent à la Seconde guerre mondiale. Coulommiers: Dualpha.

Koburger, Charles W. (1992). Naval Strategy East of Suez: The Role of Djibouti. New York: Praeger.

(1971). "Italian Fascist Claims to the Port of Jibuti, 1935–1941: An Historical Note". Ethiopia Observer. 14 (1): 26–30.

Pankhurst, Richard

Prijac, Lukian (2015). Le blocus de Djibouti: Chronique d'une guerre décalée (1935–1943). L'Hamattan.