This week, 70 years ago, Allied Forces invaded the French Mandates of Syria and Lebanon. This was known as Operation Exporter. The Allied forces did not believe that they would face serious resistence from the French forces stationed there or their colonial Arab units. They were wrong. Actually, hostilities had begun on May 15, 1941, when the R.A.F began bombing airfields in Syria. By the time of the Allied invasion, on the morning of June 8, in addition to the bombings by the R.A.F., six Axis and one Vichy French aircraft had been shot down by the RAF, while the French had shot down two British Blenheim Bombers.
    Syria and Lebanon had become mandates of France as a result of the defeat and dismemberment of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, which had been allied with Germany during World War I.  As a result of that dismemberment, the League of Nations, in a mandate, formalized the situation on the ground, i.e., that France would control Syria and Lebanon while Great Britain would control Palestine, Jordan and Iraq.  
    The previous month Admiral Jean François Darlan, who at the time was Deputy to French leader Marshal Henri Phillipe Pétain as well as Minister of the Interior, Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the German Ambassador to France, Otto Abetz, executed what became known as the “Paris Protocols,” which granted the Germans military facilities in Syria in exchange for a reduction of the occupation costs from 20 million Reichsmarks to 15 million Reichsmarks per day, and the return of some 6800 French experts from P.O.W. camps.  As a comparison, 4.2 Reichsmarks equaled one dollar.
     Both the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica Italiana took advantage of the “Paris Protocols” to re-fuel in Syria on their way to the conflict in Iraq.  They also requested the use of Syrian Railways to send supplies to Iraqi Rebels in Mosul.
    Allied Forces, under the command of General Sir Henry Maitland “Jumbo” Wilson, numbered about 36,000 and included Australians, English, Welsh, Czechs, Free French, French Foreign Legion, Circassians, Jews, Gurkhas, Punjabis and Sikhs.
    The troops defending Syria were the 45,000 man Armée du Levant commanded by General Henri Dentz. The soldiers available to General Dentz included French, French Foreign Legion, Algerian, Lebanese, Sengalese, Morrocan, Tunisian, Mehariste, Druz, and Circassians. After the invasion began, Vichy France attempted to send reinforcements through Greece, and then by sea to Lebanon, but the circuitous route made them too late.
    The Australian Forces in Northern Palestine crossed the border into Southern Lebanon on June 8, 1941. They were assisted by guides from the Palmach. This was the elite fighting force of the Jewish Haganah.  Two of its members were future Israeli leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Moshe Dayan. It was during the invasion of Syria that Dayan lost his eye.  
    The objective of the Australians was Beirut, in Lebanon. In order to get there they had to cross the Litani River.  Assisting the defenders were the French destroyers, Guépard and Valmy.   Eventually, on June 9th, the River was crossed and the advance on Beirut continued.
    Simultaneously, the Fifth Indian Infantry Brigade, consisting of Australians, Welshmen, Gurkhas, Punjabis and Englishmen, under the command of Wilfred Louis Lloyd, crossed the Syrian border from Palestine, en route to Damascus. During the campaign, the invaders were joined by Free French Forces.
    On June 15, Sidon fell to the Australians after two days of fighting. The 6000 year old city is the third largest in Lebanon and is located on the Mediterranean coast, 25 miles south of Beirut. Today, it has a population of 200,000.
    Habforce invaded Syria from Iraq on June 21. This was a force which had been assembled to relieve the Habbanayi Royal Air Force Base, located near Lake Habbanayi, about 60 miles outside of Baghdad, which had been under siege by an Iraqi force. Its objective was the capture of the 4000 year old city of Palmyra which is located about 175 miles northeast of Damascus.
    Damascus was captured the same day.  Damascus is, and was, the capital of Syria and is considered by historians to be the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world. Currently it has an estimated population of about 1,711,000.
    On July 1, units of 10th Indian Division, commanded by William Slim, crossed into Syria, from Iraq. Two days later, these troops captured Deir-el-Zor and Palmrya surrendered to Habforce, commanded by General John G. W. Clark. Deir-el-Zor is located about 375 miles northeast of Damascus, on the Euphrates River. Today it has a population in excess of 500,000.
    On July 9, the ancient Lebanese port city of Tyre fell, Damour was captured after a three day battle, and Homs, the third largest city in Syria was taken. Tyre is located on the Mediterranean coast 50 miles south of Beirut. Founded in 2750 B.C., it currently has a population in excess of 100,000 and is the fourth largest city in Lebanon. Damour, 20 miles south of the Lebanese capital, was taken by the 7th Australian Division commanded by General Arthur S. “Tubby” Allen. Homs is located 101 miles north of Damascus on the Orontes River and currently has a population of 1,500,000.
    General Henri Dentz, despite orders to the contrary from Vichy, on July 11, sought an Armistice. His request was denied by the British, because they suspected that he was playing for time, in hopes of a German rescue. General Dentz was told to have a representative at the British outpost on the Beirut-Haifa road at 9:00 A.M. July 12, or hostilities would resume. He sent his assistant, Lt.Gen. Joseph-Antoine-Sylvain-Raoul de Verdillac. The French General was then transported to Acre in Palestine. Acre, one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in Israel, is located in the north of the country on the north side of Haifa Bay, and currently has a population of 46,000.
    The Armistice of Saint Jean d’Acre was signed on July 14th at the Sydney Smith Barracks on the outskirts of the City of Acre. It was Bastille Day! In Vichy France, it was also the “Day of National Mourning.”
    The Allies had suffered 14,052 casualties. The French had suffered between  6,352 and 8,912. The Allies had lost 27 aircraft and the French had lost one 179.  Two British Destroyers, H.M.S. Illex and H.M.S. Isis, were seriously damaged by the Luftwaffe. The RAF sank the French Destroyer, Chevalier Paul. The British Submarine, H.M.S. Parthian, sank the French Submarine, Souffleur.  
    Thirty-Seven thousand seven hundred thirty-six French soldiers were given the choice of being repatriated to France or joining the Free French. Only 5,668 men chose to join the Free French. Between August 7th and September 27th, 1941, eight convoys of four ships sailed from the Middle East to France carrying the defeated French soldiers.  
    Free French General Georges Catroux was placed in control of Syria and Lebanon.  Lebanon became an independent state on November 8, 1943, and on February 27, 1945 declared war on Germany and Japan. Syria became independent on January 1, 1944 and on February 26, 1945 declared war on Germany and Japan.  
    In January of 1945 General Dentz was tried for his collaboration with the Axis, convicted and sentenced to die. General de Gaulle commuted his sentence to life imprisonment.  However, on December 13, 1945, he died.
    This action created much consternation among the French as Frenchman fought Frenchman. It did help to keep Turkey neutral this time.

NEXT WEEK: OPERATION BATTLEAXE - ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE DESERT FOX

Mr. Wimbrow writes from Ocean City, Maryland, where he practices law representing those persons accused of criminal and traffic offenses, and those persons who have suffered a personal injury through no fault of their own.