Perhaps the most tragic event of 1940 was the Battle of Oran after France’s surrender to Germany. To prevent the Germans from possibly using the French fleet against England, the big guns of the British fleet were turned against the flower of the French Navy. The picture was made during the first minutes of the tragic fight. In the background, the battleship Bretagne is struck. Flame and smoke pour from the stricken ship. The battleship Provence in the foreground prepares for action in France, 1940.

Sheet: 7 1/8 x 9

Ferrotyped prints are processed in such a way that they are shiny. The print has a sensitive surface, usually thinner, because it was put through a press while still wet.

Ferrotyped prints have a sensitive surface, usually shiny and thinner, because they are put through a press while still wet. Ferrotyping makes the surface of the photograph smoother. Light does not scatter as much on a smoother surface, so this increases contrast. That makes ferrotyped images better for press photography.

This object has the following keywords:

• Battle of Oran
• Bretagne
• European Theater
• Fall of France
• Fires
• French Navy
• Germany
• Oran
• Provence
• Royal Navy
• Sinking ships
• World War II

• Image Dimensions: 5 3/4 x 8 1/2 in. (14.61 x 21.59 cm)

This object is a member of the following portfolios: