The choice of former American cutters, embarked United States troops, and American flags was deliberate. British planners hoped that emphasizing an American identity might reduce French resistance after the bitter memory of the Royal Navy's 1940 attack at Mers-el-Kebir.
Notable Point · 2:42:21-2:42:39
The American disguise used at Oran
The attacking force tried to present the harbor penetration as an American operation rather than another British attack on the French fleet.