An Allied force with divided authority

Operation Menace began with competing commanders and a lopsided division of resources. Admiral of the Fleet Roger Keyes had only recently taken charge of joint operations and was already contending with Churchill's far-flung schemes and the demands of Allied governments in exile. Charles de Gaulle was the nominal land-force commander, but his contingent numbered roughly 2,500 to 2,700 troops against about 6,000 British troops in one brigade alone, before supporting units were counted. He also lacked a staff organization comparable to the British headquarters working alongside the fleet command. Britain supplied most of the men, ships, and material, yet the outcome could still be described afterward as a Free French failure. The arrangement divided authority during the expedition and blurred responsibility for its defeat.