Talk:Naval Battle of Casablanca

U-boats

An editor has inappropriately inserted the statement: "German U-boats also operated throughout the area during the battle." into the introductory summary paragraph of this article in front of a footnote referencing Auphan & Mordal regarding the Second Armistice at Compiègne. The listed page of Auphan & Mordal's The French Navy in World War II makes no mention of German submarines, and other references suggest this statement is misleading. Most U-boats initially operating in the area had been drawn away to attack convoy SL 125, and the initial response to pre-invasion contacts directed available U-boats into the Mediterranean rather than to the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Blair's Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted, 1942-1945 indicates U-572 and (confusingly) U-752 were effectively restricted to the perimeter of the battle area by aircraft patrols. The two U-boats successfully attacking the troopships had sailed from France and arrived after Casablanca surrendered.

I have moved the statement outside of the footnote, and requested a reference citation. I suggest more explanation within the article if this statement is to remain within the summary introduction.Thewellman (talk) 16:23, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

The reference citation provided for this statement merely recounts the sinking of three transports by U-130 on 12 November. This was one of the submarines ordered to investigate early reports of the invasion convoys on 2 November <Blair p.88> after sailing from France on 29 October <Blair p.736>. After being delayed by mechanical difficulties <Blair p.88> U-130 approached the Fedala anchorage by sailing along the Moroccan coast on the evening of 11 November <Blair p.110> (after Casablanca had surrendered) but had not operated "throughout the area during the battle."Thewellman (talk) 15:15, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

The sentence was just factually incorrect and had to be rewritten. Jean-Jacques Georges (talk) 09:51, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

nazi germany flag is wrong

if you look at the comanders you will see the german commander's flag is differnet than the countries flag. any reason?

This is the Kriegsmarine's ensign. JJ Georges (talk) 12:32, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

article picture

The picture given in the article is from the Pacific (or so it says)... can we get one that actually involves the battle?—Preceding unsigned comment added by Akiatu (talk) 06:51, 24 August 2011 (UTC)

The article includes several other images usefully illustrative of participating units and locations; but taken at different times or places. The images of Wichita and Jean Bart appear to be the only ones actually taken during the engagement, so I have substituted the latter image. I have been unable to find an image of Massachusetts firing its main battery guns at Casablanca, but the main battery was unchanged during service in the Pacific. I have temporarily retained the image to illustrate the naval artillery advantage of American forces in the engagement until such time as someone may locate a similarly illustrative image from Casablanca.Thewellman (talk) 22:03, 24 August 2011 (UTC)