Prof. Greg Jackson

The message then offers four alternatives.

One, join the fight against the Germans and Italians.

Two, sail for British ports to sit out the war.

Three, sail for the West Indies to sit out the war.

Or four, sink his own fleet.

And if the Frenchman doesn't choose one of these options immediately, then...

The British Vice Admiral clarifies, I have the orders from His Majesty's government to use whatever force may be necessary to prevent your ships from falling into German or Italian hands.

Translation, the Royal Navy will attack and destroy his fleet today.

Good God.

With the gravity of the situation sinking in, Vice Admiral Marcel Bruneau-Jeansoul tries to contact Vichy France's Admiral of the Fleet, Francois Dallin.

No dice, but he gets Francois' subordinate, who, understanding only that the British are demanding surrender, conveys that French ships in the Mediterranean will rally to his support.

Meanwhile, propriety is out the window.

For the next few hours, he and Captain Cedric Holland have a long talk aboard the Dunkirk.

But all the Vice Admiral's assurance is that his fleet was effectively being demilitarized already and would never fall into German hands or for naught.

The sun is setting.

It's too late.

Originally sailing from Gibraltar, a strike force from Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville's 27-vessel Force H begins its attack on French vessels in Mars-el-Kebir's harbor around 6 p.m.

His flagship, battlecruiser HMS Hood, along with the battleships HMS Resolution and HMS Valiant, unleash their deadly guns.

The destruction of French ships and life is nothing short of catastrophic.

A magazine on the French battleship Bretagne explodes.