Silhouettes of Soon-to-be-Ghosts: Representation of the Vichy Fleet, November 1942

JF Ptak Science Books  Quick Post

The resistance of France to Nazi domination and rule and to the French collaborationists in Vichy began with the fall of France. Following the 10 May-21 June 1940 Battle of France, and the 22 June 1940 Armistice which effectively gave Marshal Petain control of the southern regions of France (the Nazis keeping all of northern and western France that bordered the Channel and the Atlantic) the battle for retaking France began. One of the large moments in this struggle came on 27 November 1942 when much of the remaining French/Vichy fleet was scuttled at  Toulon (east of Marseilles).  Rather than have the navy be taken by the Germans, 77 vessels were destroyed at anchor. 

This graphic is found in the Illustrated London News for 14 November 1942 and depicts the Vichy fleet just two weeks before the scuttling action. The great majority of what is depicted here in silhouette (excepting those shown to not be at Toulon) were destroyed--silhouettes against their immediate future, the shadows of a ghost fleet.