Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Gabon

Battle of Gabon was a battle fought on 7 November 1940 at Gabon; it lasted 5 days. It was part of the French West Africa in World War II. The recorded result: Free French victory.

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1e Compagnie de Chars de Combat de la France Libre during the Battle of Gabon
1e Compagnie de Chars de Combat de la France Libre during the Battle of Gabon. Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought7 November 1940lasted 5 days
WhereGabon0.390N, 9.452E
OutcomeFree French victory
BelligerentsFree France; French Chad; French Congo; French Cameroon; Naval support: United KingdomagainstVichy France; French Gabon
Part ofFrench West Africa in World War II

Record

Date7 November 1940
to 12 November 1940
PlaceGabon
0.390N, 9.452E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Territorial changeFree French Forces gain control over Gabon and the remainder of French Equatorial Africa from the Vichy regime.
StrengthFree French: 1,060 men; 1 aviso; 1 minesweeper; 1 cargo ship; Royal Navy: 1 heavy cruiser; 1 sloop1,500 men; 1 aviso; 1 submarine
Casualties and losses20–100 killed; 4 aircraft destroyedAt least 35 killed; 1 aviso destroyed; 1 submarine scuttled
Commanders
  • Marcel Têtu
Battle of GabonBattle of GabonBattle of Ukoko1936 uprising in Spanish GuineaBattle of UkokoPort-GentilLambarénéCalatravaBifoumEvinayong100 km0.390N, 9.452E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Gabon
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Gabon today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-04-20. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 18 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 0 to 118 m, 118 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 56% built-up, 32% water, 8% tree cover.

built-up: 56%water: 32%tree cover: 8%grassland: 3%built-up 56%water 32%tree cover 8%grassland 3%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 37 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 51 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Elsewhere in 1940

Battle of Gabon is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 3 in present-day Gabon.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q714684, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Gabon, revision 1379781860, 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.