Editing French submarine Surcouf (section)

===Second World War===
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict=Seizure of ''Surcouf''
| partof=[[World War II]]
| date= 3 July 1940 
| place= [[Plymouth]], [[England]], United Kingdom
| result= British capture of ''Surcouf''
| combatant1= {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
| combatant2= {{flagicon|France}} France
| commander1= 
| commander2= 
| casualties1= 3 killed
| casualties2= 1 killed
}}

In 1940, ''Surcouf'' was based in [[Cherbourg-Octeville|Cherbourg]], but in May, when the Germans invaded, she was being refitted in [[Brest, France|Brest]] following a mission in the [[Antilles]] and [[Gulf of Guinea]]. Under command of Frigate Captain Martin, unable to dive and with only one engine functioning and a jammed rudder, she limped across the [[English Channel]] and sought refuge in [[Plymouth]].

On 3 July, the British, concerned that the French Fleet would be taken over by the German ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' at the French armistice, executed [[Attack on Mers-el-Kébir#Operation Catapult|Operation Catapult]]. The [[Royal Navy]] blockaded the harbours where French warships were anchored, and delivered an ultimatum: rejoin the fight against Germany, be put out of reach of the Germans, or scuttle. Few accepted willingly; the North African fleet at [[Mers-el-Kebir]] and the [[Battle of Dakar#Background|ships based at Dakar]] (French West Africa) refused.  The French battleships in North Africa were eventually attacked and all but one sunk at their moorings by the [[Mediterranean Fleet]].

French ships lying at ports in Britain and Canada were also boarded by armed marines, sailors and soldiers, but the only serious incident took place at [[Plymouth]] aboard ''Surcouf'' on 3 July, when two Royal Navy submarine officers, [[Commander]] Denis 'Lofty' Sprague, captain of {{HMS|Thames|N71|6}}, and [[Lieutenant]] Patrick Griffiths of {{HMS|Rorqual|N74|6}},<ref name="Phoenix paperback">{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Colin|title=England's last war against France: Fighting Vichy 1940–42|date=24 June 2010|publisher=Phoenix |edition=paperback|isbn=978-0-7538-2705-5|at=Chapter 4}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1940-07JUL.htm |title=1st – 31st July 1940 |work=Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies, World War 2 |first=Don |last=Kindell |date= 12 June 2011 |editor= Gordon Smith}}</ref> and French warrant officer mechanic Yves Daniel<ref name=Netmarine-Histoire>{{citation |url=http://netmarine.net/g/bat/surcouf/histoire.htm |title=Histoire du sous-marin ''Surcouf'' |publisher=netmarine |language=fr}}</ref> were fatally wounded, and a British seaman, Albert Webb,<ref name="Phoenix paperback"/> was shot dead by the submarine's doctor.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=David |last2=Till |first2=Geoffrey |year=2004 |title=The Road to Oran: Anglo-French Naval Relations, September 1939 – July 1940 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=0-7146-5461-2 |page=182}}</ref>