Mers El Kébir

Mers El Kébir بلدية المرسى الكبير
Municipality
Commune of Mers El Kébir
Location of Mers El Kébir within Oran Province
Mers El Kébir Location of Mers El Kébir within Algeria
Coordinates:
Country	Algeria
Province	Oran
District	Aïn El Turk
Government
• PMA Seats	9
Area
• Total	10.98 km2 (4.24 sq mi)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	16,950
• Density	1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+01)
Postal code	31310
ONS code	3115

Mers El Kébir (Arabic: المرسى الكبير‎‎, “the Great Harbour”) is a port town in northwestern Algeria, located by the Mediterranean Sea near Oran, in the Oran Province. It is famous for the attack on its fleet in 1940, during the Second World War.

History

Originally a Roman port called Portus Divinus, Mers-el-Kébir became an Almohad naval arsenal in the 12th century, fell under the rulers of the Kingdom of Tlemcen in the 15th century, and eventually became a center of pirate activity around 1492. It was occupied variously by the Ottoman Turks, Portuguese and Spanish, with the Spanish (which named it Mazalquivir) capturing it in 1505 under Cardinal Cisneros. Mazalquivir was the base used to capture neighbouring Oran in 1509. The Spanish held both cities until 1708, when they were driven out by Turkish Bey Mustapha Ben Youssef (also known as Bouchelaghem). The Spanish returned in 1732 when the armada of the Duke of Montemar was victorious in the Battle of Aïn-el-Turk and again took Oran and Mazalquivir. Both cities were held until 1792, when they were sold by King Carlos IV to the Dey of Algiers.

The French occupied it in 1830, and renamed it Saint André de Mers-el-Kébir, enhancing the port in 1868 with an eponymous lighthouse, the latter was destroyed during World War II.

World War II

Main article: Attack on Mers-el-Kébir

Following the German defeat of France in 1940, part of the French fleet holed up in the port. On 3 July 1940, Force H of the British Royal Navy, led by Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville, attacked the French Navy's fleet at Mers-el-Kébir (killing more than 1,200 men) to prevent it from falling into German hands.

Old photograph of Cimetier street

Post World War II

After World War II, France used its naval base at Mers-el-Kébir to assist in atomic tests. The Évian Accords of 18 March 1962, which recognized Algerian independence, allowed France to maintain its base for 15 years; however, France withdrew five years later in 1967.

See also

• Operation Torch
• Portus Divinus

External links

• A plan of the Mers-el-Kébir anchorage is available at http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/official/adm234/adm234-317.html
• (French) Accueil Kébir
• (French) MERS EL KEBIR 1940
• Mers-el-Kebir – A Battle Between Friends by Irwin J. Kappes