My immediately preceding telegram. Please tell the Prime Minister
[1] as a personal message from me how greatly I regret the fact
that it was not possible to give him earlier information of the
final stages of operations at Dakar and of the decision to bring
the operation to an end. It only became dear late this evening
that General de Gaulle's [2] objective could not be achieved
without heavy fighting in which the British forces would have to
play an important part. When the Commanders made a report to this
effect it was felt, after careful consideration, that the right
course was to withdraw the forces engaged. The Prime Minister will
appreciate that in view of the certainty that German and Vichy
agencies would at once issue a report giving a false account of
the operation, it was of the highest urgency that a statement
should be issued to die Press by His Majesty's Government in the
United Kingdom. The statement which has been issued to the Press
had therefore to be released before it was possible to inform the
Prime Minister. I feel sure that the Prime Minister will realize
that only the most exceptional and unexpected circumstances could
have prevented him from receiving the first intimation of the
result of the operation and the decision which His Majesty's
Government in the United Kingdom felt bound to take.