Yesterday we reported the following comment from Mr Eames:

Apart from the RAF bombing raids that killed many French civilians in Northern France*, there was his decision to destroy the French Fleet while it was peacefully at anchor in French Algeria. This was despite the solemn, treaty-backed assurances of the Vichy government that its ships would remain uninvolved in the war with either of the protagonists, Germany or Britain.  Throughout, Germany respected this agreement, which was a key part of their peace terms with France.

Quentin Cockburn disputes this analysis thus

But I don’t think you understand I was at Mers El Kebir when the bombardment of the fleet took place. It was revenge for the attack of crabs Admiral Cunningham acquired after a night at the El Morocco….it had nothing to do with the alleged German respect for a treaty perhaps the same respect they felt was due to the treaty of Brest Litovsk, the ‘agreement’ at Munich and the Molotov Ribbentrop pact, which was discarded not through German territorial ambitions, Lebensraum and all that, but an attack of scabies sufferred by Ribbentrop after a night out with Stalin at the Tartaric Sauce, a very popular restaurant on the left bank of the Dniepr… I was also there, perhaps you should read my unpublished autobiography, “Dobies itch”, banned by the Abbott Govermment for lifting the lid on personal hygiene disasters suffered during and before the outbreak of WW2.. ( rrp. $12.95)