"Hood" and the aircraft carrier were ordered to Gibraltar to join Force H on 18 June where "Hood" became the flagship. Force H took part in the destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir in July 1940. Just eight days after the French surrender, the British Admiralty issued an ultimatum that the French fleet at Oran intern its ships in a British or neutral port to ensure they would not fall into Axis hands. The terms were rejected and the Royal Navy opened fire on the French ships berthed there. The results of "Hood"s fire are not known exactly, but she damaged the , which was hit by four fifteen-inch shells and was forced to beach herself. "Hood" was straddled during the engagement by "Dunkerque"; shell splinters wounded two men. "Dunkerque"s sister ship, , managed to escape from the harbour. "Hood" and several light cruisers gave chase, but gave up after two hours: "Hood" had dodged a salvo of torpedoes from a French sloop and had stripped a turbine reaching .