Why Britain attacked at Mers-el-Kebir

Was the British attack on Mers-el-Kebir justified?

British leaders considered it justified because they respected the French Navy but no longer trusted the French government to keep that fleet from German control.

British leaders regarded the French fleet as a danger because they no longer trusted the government controlling it. Communication had broken down, and the separate peace deepened that distrust. Rapid changes in French political leadership made it difficult for Britain to judge whose commitments would hold. Respect for the French Navy did not settle the issue because its government retained authority over the ships. A French fleet larger than Germany's represented a serious concern if their strengths could be combined.