Posted on 07/22/2019 9:08:15 AM PDT by NRx
The French navy has located one of its submarines that disappeared more than 50 years ago with 52 crew on board.
La Minerve was discovered on the seabed in the Mediterranean off the port of Toulon.
Its a success, a relief and a technical feat, Florence Parly, the defence minister, tweeted. I am thinking of the families who have waited for so long for this moment.
La Minerve was on a military exercise when it disappeared in January 1968. Repeated searches have failed to find the vessel until now.
Under pressure from relatives of crew members, a fresh search was launched at the beginning of this year using the latest hi-tech equipment to map and model tides and currents in the Mediterranean. Data from the time of the accident was also re-examined. This included seismic reports that suggested the submarine probably imploded as it dropped to the bottom of the sea.
A senior French naval officer told Agence France-Presse the submarine was discovered by a boat belonging to the private US company Ocean Infinity. It announced it had found La Minerve at a depth of 2,370 metres, 27 miles (45km) from Toulon, which is home to a French naval base.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Memory eternal.
ping
Rest In Peace.
On the hard
More at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_submarine_Minerve_(S647)
Minerve was a dieselelectric submarine in the French Navy. The vessel was one of nine of the Daphné class. In January 1968, Minerve was lost with all hands while returning to her home port of Toulon. Her wreckage has been found, the French Navy announced on 22 July 2019
I notice the inverts at The Guardian cannot abide to write, see, or imagine the enormous, powerful, terrifying spectre of that which they will never be:
Men.
1968 was a tragic year for submariners. In addition to this loss US lost Scorpio, Israil lost Dakar and Russia lost K-129. 319 lost crew total. This is the last boat to be found. Sailors rest you oars.
"The cause of the accident that led to the submarine sinking in just four minutes has never been established.Hmmm. They knew it took 4 minutes to sink, but didn't raise the alarm until the next day?
...
Initial reports suggested the submarine may have had rudder problems before sinking. It was engaged in an exercise with a military aircraft when it disappeared at about 7.55am. The alarm was raised when it failed to return to its base the following day."
Minerve sank two days after the submarine INS Dakar of the Israeli Navy disappeared in the eastern Mediterranean between Crete and Cyprus. Two other submarines were lost to unknown causes in the same year; the Soviet submarine K-129 and the American USS Scorpion.
wiki
Having served on submarines in the Med. I can say it’s a wonder more boats are not lost. It is very crowded with subs from every country that has them operating in what is essentially a small area......had close calls during my time operating there. Would do it again, though.
Submariners are a whole different type of people................
It didn’t disappear, it SANK. RIP.
The article mentions a seismic report suggesting an implosion. Perhaps that provides a time index that wasn't available until the first investigation began.
27 MILES, and 50 years ago, are their any survivors? /s
27 miles down is well beyond “crush depth”
I hope it brings closure to the families...Rest in Peace...
27 miles from Toulouse, 1.45 miles down.
27 miles from Toulon, 1.47 miles down.
Good point! That makes sense and is probably it.
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