The British cabinet decided that even if the "Somme offensive" was carried out successfully, some units may still need to be evacuated, and ordered Admiral Ramsay to assemble a large number of vessels.
Den britiske regering besluttede at selv om "Somme offensiven" blev gennemført med succes ville der stadig være nogle enheder, som måske skulle evakueres, og gav admiral Ramsay ordre til at samle et stort antal skibe.