| Battle of Plaissance | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Britain CanadaFrench Resistance |  Vichy France
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lord Tweedsmuir
| Pierre DeValle
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| Strength | |||||||
| 5,000 troops | 1,500 troops | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 44 killed 160 wounded | 101 killed 399 wounded 1,000 captured |
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The Battle of Plaissance occured in June 1940, shortly after the Fall of France. The British invaded the French colonial territory of Newfoundland after the Vichy France dictatorship of Philippe Petain declared France one of the Axis Powers. The British and Canadians took over the island, and held it even after the war, incorporating it into Canada.
Background[]
On June 14, 1940, the Germans seized the French capital of Paris after light opposition. The only real resistance they encountered in France was from the BEF, as the French troops were inexperienced and not well-led; Maurice Gamelin and Maxime Weygand were unable to keep up with the German advance. The French Third Republic was replaced by Vichy France, a puppet state of Germany headquartered at Vichy in Southern France. The French declared war on the Allied Powers, so the Allies began to lend assistance to the French Resistance in retaking all of France's overseas territories.
Battle[]
The Canadians, British, and Free French landed at the northern tip of Newfoundland, pushing inland past Vichy French troops. The French troops were inexperienced and demoralized, missing home, and many of them surrendered at the first shot. Fort Lavalle, held by 500 French troops, was overrun by the Allied troops, offering the most resistance of the invasion. After Fort Lavalle fell, the Plaissance garrison was picked off, along with Fort Paris, and the island surrendered.