Moving ships, supplies and unfinished hulls

Much of the fleet was already outside France, including ships at North African and other overseas bases. The remaining vessels would need to leave with as many supplies and people as they could carry. Existing American contracts offered a continuing source of material. Floatable unfinished ships would move first, with completion in Britain justified as a way to clear French yards for servicing operational vessels. Darlan's combined offices gave him considerable freedom to arrange those movements. He would need his own route to a port before issuing the general departure signal. French overseas territories would provide destinations for a leadership committed to continuing the war. Ships and material that could not escape would have to be destroyed.