Following the British Attack on Mers-el-Kébir (and elsewhere) against the French fleet on 3 July 1940, there was a state of war between Britain and Vichy France. From July 1940 until shortly after the Allied invasion of French North Africa on 8 November 1942, Laghouat was used as a "de facto" prisoner-of-war camp for British Empire and Commonwealth prisoners, mostly captured sailors and airmen. The internees at Laghouat included fifteen Canadians and seven men from the Dominion of Newfoundland, one of whom was held there for 472 days. There were also South Africans among the internees, and the Royal Navy personnel included sailors captured after the running aground of HMS "Havock" off Kelibia, Tunisia, in April 1942, and after the loss of HMS "Manchester" in August 1942.