Konstam, Angus/Turner, Graham (Illustr.) Madagascar 1942

Operation Ironclad and the Fight against Vichy France

The British invasion of Madagascar was triggered by a greatly exaggerated fear of Japanese power. France had ruled the vast island in the Indian Ocean since 1897, but in 1940 it became a colony of the pro-German Vichy regime. For most of the war, it was considered strategically insignificant, despite its natural harbor, Diego Suárez. Japan's entry into the war changed this fundamentally. Suddenly, Madagascar was a potential target for the Japanese, and Winston Churchill pressed for decisive action. Operation Ironclad began on May 5, 1942, with landings near Diego Suárez. Despite fierce resistance from the Vichy regime, the harbor was captured after three days of fighting. Following the completion of the first phase of the invasion, the subsequent three phases proceeded relatively quietly, aiming to seize the rest of the island. An armistice was signed on November 6, ending the campaign. By this time, however, the Japanese threat had largely subsided. The island was surrendered to the Free French, who ruled it until the end of the war. Naval historian Angus Konstam brings to life this largely forgotten but crucial moment of the war. With illustrations, detailed maps, and historical photographs, this book illuminates the first large-scale Allied operation of the war and sheds light on this often dramatic struggle for supremacy in the Indian Ocean.