history · 07 November 1940 · 84 years ago
Vichy French submarine Poncelet fired a torpedo at the Allied invasion fleet sailing for Libreville, French Equitorial Africa 50 miles southwest of Libreville, hitting sloop HMS Milford, but the torpedo failed to explode. Poncelet was forced to surface by Milford's depth charges, and then was damaged by bombs from two Walrus biplanes of HMS Devonshire. All but one of Poncelet's complement of 61 surrendered after scuttling the ship; commanding officer Commander de Saussine decided to go down with the ship.
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