Q&A · 3:12:51-3:14:24

French warships defect to Britain in 1940

French captains who rejected the armistice would bring valuable ships directly into Free French and Allied service.

Question

What if more French naval captains defected to Britain in 1940 instead of accepting the armistice?

Short answer

Their ships would enter Free French service, with modern battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines providing immediate Allied value.

Notes

Ships whose captains take them to Britain would join the Free French and receive operational assignments according to their usefulness. Richelieu heads the proposed list of desirable arrivals, followed by modern six-inch cruisers, Algérie, Dunkerque, and Strasbourg. Smaller French submarines would be welcome in the Mediterranean. The large destroyers would also offer forces already designed with Italian opponents in mind.