If French forces continued the war alongside Britain, personnel attitudes could affect their assignments. Crews unwilling to fight Germany while France was occupied could instead be sent east to garrison Indochina. Older battleships would provide capital-ship strength there even if they were less suitable for demanding fleet operations. The proposed use is defensive service along the coast and in the South China Sea. More capable ships and crews prepared to fight in Europe could remain available for the Mediterranean. This is a suggested allocation within the alternate history, not a deployment that took place.
Notable Point · 1:04:47-1:06:45
Matching French crews and older battleships to an Indochina defense
An Allied French fleet counterfactual weighs crew willingness and ship capability when dividing forces between Indochina and the Mediterranean.