The Force X was a squadron of the French Navy, assembled on 29 April 1940,[1] after the outbreak of the Second World War, to deter Italy from striking in the Levantine Sea.
On 4 July 1940, a secret order from British Prime Minister Churchill, Operation Catapult, tasked the Royal Navy to destroy, neutralise or capture French naval forces.
[4] Godfroy and Cunningham having a trusting relationship, and their families being related by alliance, they engaged in negotiations and managed a compromise,[5] whereby French ships would remove fuel from their bunkers and firing mechanisms from their weapons, and the remaining crews would not attempt to escape; in return, Cunningham promised to repatriate most of the crews,[3] accepted that the ships retain their French commanding officers, and would not be scuttled.
[1] On the occasion, several officers deserted to join the Free French, such as Commander Auboyneau,[7] or Lieutenant-Commander d'Estienne d'Orves[4][8] and his companions Roger Barberot[9] and André Patou.
[11] Upon his arrival, Godfroy, suspected of favouring General Giraud over De Gaulle, was retired[4] by decree in December 1943.