Operation Catapult

In one of World War II's most unexpected naval strikes, Winston Churchill ordered the Royal Navy to open fire on the French fleet, killing over 1,200 of Britain's recent allies. This account dives into the drama, diplomacy, and fallout of a decision that stunned the world and defined Churchill's wartime resolve The Associated Press called the Royal Navy's July 1940 attack on the French fleet "the strangest of all naval actions in the world's history." The bombardment at Mers-el-Kébir, a small Al