Holland left the French flagship Dunkerque as French crews went to action stations and had only just transferred into Foxhound's motorboat when the deadline expired. Force H opened fire at about 17,500 yards with aircraft spotting. The northwestern firing line helped mask some French return fire behind the harbour terrain and was intended to reduce danger to civilians and property. Within roughly three minutes a huge explosion destroyed the battleship Bretagne, followed by further blasts and smoke that obstructed direct observation. French coastal batteries returned fire, but range limited some British supporting guns. The report's minute-by-minute sequence makes clear how little time separated the end of negotiation from catastrophic violence.
Chapter · 2:25:54-2:27:14
Force H opened fire as Holland cleared the harbour
The bombardment began at long range within minutes of Holland leaving, using aircraft spotting and a firing line chosen to limit shore damage.