Madagascar 1942: Operation Ironclad and the Fight against Vichy France (Campaign)

A highly illustrated look at Operation Ironclad and Britain's attempt to curtail any Japanese threat to the Indian Ocean. The British invasion of Madagascar was brought on by a much exaggerated fear of Japanese power.France had governed the immense island in the Indian Ocean since 1897, but in 1940, it had become a colony of pro-German Vichy France.For a majority of the war, it was considered of little strategic importance, despite the natural harbour of Diego Suarez.Japan's entry into the war changed all that. Suddenly, Madagascar was now a potential target for the Japanese and Winston Churchill insisted something must be done.Operation Ironclad began on 5 May 1942 with landings near Diego Suarez.Despite heavy Vichy resistance, the port was captured after three days of fighting.The initial invasion complete, the next three phases were relatively low-key to capture the rest of the island.On 6 November, an armistice was signed, bringing this campaign to an end.However, by then, the Japa