How can a country come to the decision of destroying its own naval fleet? This is exactly what happened on November 27, 1942, in the harbor of Toulon, when 85 of the 173 warships making up the French fleet sunk after an attack perpetrated by the nation that built it.
The French fleet of 1942 was the fourth largest in the world, after England, the United States and Japan. Already weakened by the various attacks of the British "Catapult" operation, aimed at preventing Germany from using the French fleet to attack England. The fleet was massed in the port of Toulon after fighting against General De Gaulle in Dakar. The order to sabotage the fleet was given when Nazi Germany reached Toulon to seize the French ships it had promised not to touch.
Using testimonies from former sailors on these ships, archive footages and re-enactments, this documentary retraces day by day the events and decisions that led to the sabotage operation that destroyed a large part of the French navy arsenal.
Direction: Adila Bennedjai-Zou & Christophe Talczewski
Production: Point du Jour for France Télévisions