Following the French surrender, the French commander, Vice Admiral Godfroy, concluded an agreement with Admiral Andrew Cunningham to demilitarize and intern the French ships in Alexandria; this included Lorraine, four cruisers, and three destroyers. In December 1942, the ship's crew decided to join the Allies in the Free French Naval Forces, and so Lorraine was placed back into service. On 3 July 1943, the ship left Suez and sailed around Africa to Dakar, stopping in Cape Town on the way. After arriving on 12 October, she was used briefly as a training ship; on 2 December, Lorraine was sent to Oran for refitting. The work included removing the aircraft facilities and installing a large number of anti-aircraft guns, including eight guns, fourteen guns, and twenty-five guns. Radar equipment was also installed on the ship.
