World War, SOUTHERN THEATER: Story of a Siege

For 101 days the British have be leaguered an almost forgotten inkspot on the map of Africa: French Somaliland.

For a year the colony has felt the pinch of sea blockade, but not until the British under Lieut. General Alan Gordon Cun ningham had mopped up most of Ethiopia last May was the wall around French So maliland complete. Then, after Vichy began to play hard at collaboration, the British and Free French sent an ultimatum to Governor Pierre Nouailhetas at Djibouti: surrender or starve. When the Governor refused to surrender, the British clamped down. By land British troops...

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