Bookmark
Major Types
Ship Class
Ship
Aircraft Model
Unit
Gun Model
Turret Model
Torpedo Model
Rocket Launcher Model
Sensor
Anti Submarine Mounting
Date Time
Country
Activity
Person
Posting
Enterprise
Ship Production Batch
Treaty
Tension
Decoration
Place
Document
ref:Flix000001 2008 48 002
Related Types
Activities Involve
Related Pages
Standard View
|
With Similar Names
Person
Le Pivain
Body Type
Person
Citizen Of
Country
France
Involved In
Activity
1940 07 03 0100 Surface Action Battle Of Mers El Kebir, Algeria
as
Personal Involvement
N
Rank
Captain
Command
Unit Involvement
FS Bretagne - 1940 07 03 0100 Surface Action Battle Of Mers El Kebir, Algeria
Details
Email Contribution:
My grand father Louis Collinet was not the Captain of the Dunkerque in battle of Mers el Kebir (1940 07 03), but Captain of the Strasbourg. The Strasbourg was the only ship, which escaped to Toulon harbor. The grand Mother of Louis Collinet was english and he had british education. When the English naval forces came on the morning of 1940 07 03, he discretly prepared the machine of the ship and gave the order to cut the main anchor chains of Strasbourg and to fix small cable to prepare the escape. When the ship gone away my grand father refused to make fire on the Hood besause he considered that English navy was still 'allies' !
Email Contribution:
From: Jean Marie Piquet
Subject: French cruiser Strasbourg in the battle of Mers-El Kebir
The story told by the grandson of the Strasbourg's commandant was reported to me differently by the then officer in charge of Gun-control of the battleship that day, while she was cruising at full speed towards Toulon, hunted by a force of destroyers and the HOOD.:
This officer reported to the commandant that due to sunset, the British ships would be in unfavourable conditions to signt the ship and that an opportunity existed to steer 90 degrees unseen and hit the HOOD by the flank, over the heads of the destroyers.
Answer from the commandant was "There has been enough casualties for today!"
Years later, after retirements, they both met for a dinner in my father's home and he confessed that he was one of the few French officers to know that British battleships were equipped with the first generation of radars which allowed them to track enemy units even in the dark. He thus could not explain his decision to forge ahead instead of taking a brave but foolish stand.
Postings
0
Relevance
Commissioned Officer
More below, scroll to see
