British planning could treat French and Italian strength as cancelling each other in the Mediterranean. A Royal Navy reinforcement would then give France a margin over Italy, leaving Britain to cover the North Sea and send other forces to the Far East. This allocation depended on the French fleet continuing to contain Italy. The withdrawal of French naval support left Britain facing the Italian navy and uncertainty about the allegiance of French ships. Encounters with political figures at Washington and London also influenced later judgements of their reliability.
Notable Point · 1:06:52-1:08:50
French naval support in British war planning
Plans to reinforce France against Italy helped Britain allocate ships elsewhere, making the loss of French support consequential for Mediterranean defence.