Admiral François Darlan, Commander-in-Chief of the French Navy, decided that all capital ships should be concentrated in Mers El Kébir, so he instructed them to steam there. Bretagne and Provence arrived there on 27 May, where they rendezvoused with the Force de Raid, France's most modern ships, in an unsuccessful effort to deter Italy from joining the war.
The French navy's strategy involved concentrating its capital ships at Mers El Kébir to deter Italy from entering the war. This was a failed attempt, as the Force de Raid met with the Bretagne and Provence.