Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Dakar

Battle of Dakar was a battle fought on 23 September 1940 at Dakar, in what is now Senegal; it lasted 2 days. It was part of World War II, which ran from 1939 to 1945. The recorded result: Vichy French victory.

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Rangefinder of Gorée Island battery, near Dakar, Senegal
Rangefinder of Gorée Island battery, near Dakar, Senegal. gbaku, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought23 September 1940lasted 2 days
WhereDakar, Senegal14.679N, 17.421W
OutcomeVichy French victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom; Free France; AustraliaagainstVichy France; French West Africa
Part ofWorld War II1939 to 1945

Where it sits in World War II

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313 placed engagements of World War II in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date23 September 1940
to 25 September 1940
PlaceDakar, Senegal
14.679N, 17.421W
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength1 aircraft carrier; 2 battleships; 5 cruisers (1 Australian); 10 destroyers; 22+ aircraft; 180 troops1 battleship; 2 cruisers; 4 destroyers; 3 submarines; coastal emplacements; 6+ aircraft
Casualties and losses2 battleships damaged; 2 cruisers damaged; 6 torpedo planes lost1 destroyer grounded; 2 submarines sunk; 1 battleship damaged; Danish freighter MS Tacoma sunk; 100 dead; 182 wounded; 84 civilians dead; 197 civilians wounded
Commanders
  • John H. D. Cunningham
  • Charles de Gaulle
  • Pierre Boisson
Battle of DakarBattle of DakarBattle of Fandane-ThiouthiouneFrench capture of GoréeCapture of GoréeBattle of LogandèmeBattle of Fandane-ThiouthiouneBattle of LogandèmeKaolackThièsDiourbelLougaKerewan100 km14.679N, 17.421W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 4 times between 1758 and 1940.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1940

Battle of Dakar is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 10 in present-day Senegal.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q696829, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Dakar, revision 1379781190, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.