Remember Oran! The British naval bombardment of the French Mediterranean fleet in July 1940 was prompted by strategic necessity but provoked a damaging backlash of anti-British propaganda. Following the armistice between Germany and France and the subsequent creation of the Vichy regime there was a risk that French warships would fall under German control. The British government launched 'Operation Catapult' to persuade the commander of the French naval base at Mers-el-Kebir, off the North African coast at Oran, to put his fleet beyond German reach or to scuttle the ships. The French refused these options and the subsequent British bombardment sank a cruiser and two battleships with the loss of 1,250 French sailors. Vichy France responded with strong propaganda conveying public anger at the loss of life and demonising Churchill as the instigator. The event embittered French attitudes against Britain which, only weeks before, had been an ally. The appeal of the common sailor is a device used by poster designers of other sea-faring nations where an attack on the Navy is felt to be an attack on nationhood. In this case the interest lies in the uncompromising emphasis on the French flag. Appearing just at the moment when French nationhood was in question, this poster is designed to bolster French identity with the new Vichy regime.
A drowning French sailor, head and shoulders visible above the waves, grimaces at the viewer and defiantly waves the French tricolour flag above his head. Three approaching battleships are visible on the horizon behind him. text: N'oubliez pas Oran! [Remember Oran!]
