But disquietingly enough even two of Lecomte's three companies refused to move against the fortress of Mers-el-Kébir. To avert a tragic situation where it looked as if French troops were within an ace of firing on each other, General Pouilly, the loyal commander of Oranie, flew to Algiers for a remarkable confrontation with Challe. Knowing how Challe (who had been in his term at St Cyr) would shrink from any such danger, Pouilly put to him squarely just how close was civil war within the armed forces. … But Challe took the hint, pulling back his flying columns of paras and deciding to concentrate all on the region round Algiers. … At the same time he announced that any conscripts who wished to opt out would be freely repatriated back to France — but how? There would be no naval ships available, and soon no air transports.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 1388