Battle of Madagascar

Battle of Madagascar
Part of the Indian Ocean theatre of World War II

King's African Rifles' 25 pdr battery in action near Ambositra in Madagascar against Vichy positions during Operation Stream Line Jane, September 1942.
Date5 May – 6 November 1942 (1942-05-05 – 1942-11-06)
(6 months and 1 day)
Location12°16′S 49°17′E / 12.267°S 49.283°E / -12.267; 49.283
Result Allied victory
Territorial
changes
Free French administration established in Madagascar
Belligerents

 United Kingdom

 South Africa

Naval only:
 Australia
Netherlands
Poland

 Vichy France


Naval only:
 Japan
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Robert Sturges
United Kingdom Edward Syfret
Vichy France Armand Annet
Empire of Japan Noboru Ishizaki
Strength
10,000–15,000 soldiers
6 infantry tanks
6 light tanks
2 aircraft carriers
1 seaplane carrier
2 battleships
6 light cruisers
22 destroyers
8 corvettes
1 monitor
1 minelayer
4 minesweepers
5 assault transports
over 81 aircraft[1]
Vichy France:
8,000 soldiers[2]
6 tanks
35 aircraft[3]
4 warships[4]
Japanese Navy
2 soldiers
4 submarines
2 midget submarines
1 reconnaissance aircraft[5]
Casualties and losses

107 killed
280 wounded
108 died from disease[3]
1 battleship heavily damaged
1 oil tanker sunk
8 tanks destroyed

Total:
620
152 killed
500 wounded
(does not include any casualties caused by disease)[3]
1,000 captured[6]
34 aircraft destroyed
1 midget submarine destroyed
1 midget submarine lost at sea

The Battle of Madagascar (5 May – 6 November 1942) was an Allied campaign to capture the Vichy French-controlled island Madagascar during World War II. The seizure of the island by the British was to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial Japanese Navy and to prevent the loss or impairment of the Allied shipping routes to India, Australia and Southeast Asia. It began with Operation Ironclad, the seizure of the port of Diego-Suarez (now Antsiranana) near the northern tip of the island, on 5 May 1942.[7][8]

A subsequent campaign to secure the entire island, Operation Stream Line Jane, was opened on 10 September. The Allies broke into the interior, linking up with forces on the coast and secured the island by the end of October. Fighting ceased and an armistice was granted on 6 November.[9] This was the first large-scale operation by the Allies combining sea, land and air forces. The island was placed under Free French control.[10][11]

  1. ^ Sutherland and Canwell, pp. 98–109
  2. ^ Rigge 1980, pp. 103–104.
  3. ^ a b c Wessels 1996.
  4. ^ Stapleton, Timothy J. A Military History of Africa p. 225
  5. ^ Sutherland and Canwell, p. 108
  6. ^ Winston Churchill, Prime Minister (10 November 1942). "Madagascar (Operations) HC Deb 10 November 1942 vol 383 cc2259-60". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014.
  7. ^ Rigge 1980, p. 103.
  8. ^ Grehan 2013, p. 18.
  9. ^ Thomas 1996.
  10. ^ Rigge 1980, p. 100.
  11. ^ Grehan 2013, Ch. 9.