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The Bizerte Crisis July 1961 French paratroopers stop
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The Bizerte Crisis July 1961 French paratroopers stop
The Bizerte Crisis July 1961
French paratroopers stop and inspect a makeshift ambulance at a road block bear to the Tunisian port of Bizerte at the height of the crisis
The crisis arose after Tunisian forces surrounded and blockaded the French naval base at Bizerte in hopes of forcing France to abandon its last holdings in the country. After Tunisia warned France against any violations of Tunisian airspace, the French sent a helicopter up Tunisian troops responded by firing warning shots. In response to the blockade, 800 French paratroopers were sent in. As the paratroopers landed on the airfield, Tunisian troops sprayed them with machine gun fire. The French responded with air strikes and artillery barrages on the Tunisian roadblocks, destroying them. French tanks and armoured cars then rolled into Tunisian territory, and fired into the town of Menzel-Bourguiba, killing 27 soldiers and civilians.
The following day, the French launched a full-scale invasion of the town of Bizerte. Tanks and paratroopers penetrated into the city from the south, while marines stormed the harbour from landing craft. Tunisian soldiers, paramilitaries and hastily organised civilian volunteers engaged the French in heavy street fighting, but were overwhelmed by vastly superior French forces. The French overran the town on July 23, 1961
Terry Fincher
Daily Herald
Mirrorpix
Bizerte
Tunisia
1961 1285
Media ID 21829044
© Mirrorpix
1961 Africa Ambulance Arab Emergency Services France French Inspection Lorry Sixties Tunisia Questioning War And Conflict
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EDITORS COMMENTS
The Bizerte Crisis July 1961: A Glimpse into the Intensity of Conflict". This print captures a pivotal moment during the Bizerte Crisis in July 1961. French paratroopers can be seen halting and meticulously inspecting a makeshift ambulance at a roadblock near the Tunisian port of Bizerte, as tensions reached their peak. The crisis erupted when Tunisian forces surrounded and blockaded the French naval base in an attempt to coerce France into relinquishing its remaining territories within Tunisia. Provoked by warnings against violating Tunisian airspace, France responded with audacity, dispatching helicopters that were met with warning shots from Tunisian troops. In retaliation for this blockade, 800 French paratroopers were deployed. However, upon landing on the airfield, they faced relentless machine gun fire from Tunisian troops. In response, France unleashed devastating air strikes and artillery barrages on Tunisian roadblocks, obliterating them completely. Subsequently, French tanks and armored vehicles crossed into Tunisian territory and launched an assault on Menzel-Bourguiba town resulting in tragic casualties among both soldiers and civilians. Undeterred by these losses, France initiated a full-scale invasion of Bizerte itself. The city was besieged from multiple directions; tanks advanced through southern routes while marines stormed the harbor via landing craft. Despite fierce resistance from hastily assembled civilian volunteers alongside paramilitaries and regular soldiers alike, they proved no match for the overwhelming might of superior French forces. On July 23rd, 1961 - after days of intense street fighting - Bizerte fell under complete French control. This iconic photograph serves as a poignant reminder of those tumultuous times when nations clashed over territorial disputes amidst escalating tensions.
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