Proposals were made to Vichy France naval leadership in French North Africa for them to continue to fight Germany along side Britain. Alternative proposals for ensuring French warships would not be available to the Axis included quarantining them in neutral ports for the remainder of the war or scuttling them. If none of these alternatives was accepted, Britain declared it would sink the French fleet itself. The proposals were not accepted. Accordingly, in July 1940, British warships of the newly formed Force H including HMS "Ark Royal" sailed from Gibraltar and attacked the French fleet at the Algerian ports of Mers-el-Kébir and Oran. In these Vichy French ports were two modern battle cruisers, two battleships and 21 other warships. Aircraft from "Ark Royal" provided reconnaissance confirming that the French Fleet was preparing to sail rather than accept Britain's terms. This aircraft also spotted from overhead to assist with naval bombardment and dropped mines to blockade the port's entrance and that at Oran. Next day, that aircraft further damaged a French battleship at Mers-el-Kebir with torpedoes. Finally, it pursued the French warships that broke out of the harbor, attacking them with torpedoes. This was the first instance of using an aircraft-launched torpedo on a capital ship at sea.