Courbet and Paris escape amid changing French government orders

Courbet and Paris evacuated to Britain with thousands of French naval personnel while orders still called for continuing the war. French government instructions changed as the campaign collapsed, leaving British authorities unsure what the fleet would be ordered to do next. Respect for the French Navy survived alongside a loss of confidence in the government's assurances. Communication failures on both sides contributed to the crisis surrounding Mers-el-Kébir and French forces in British and Egyptian ports. Powerful French ships were inside important Allied harbours after their government had capitulated. Many personnel joined the Free French, helping explain why most seizures were relatively straightforward, although some caused casualties.