FS Commandant Teste

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Related Types	Activities Involve
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Ship	FS Commandant Teste


Operated By Country	France
Unit Type	Ship
Ship Class	FRA Commandant Teste
Ship Type	Aircraft Carrier

Involved In Activity	1940 07 03 0100 Surface Action Battle Of Mers El Kebir, Algeria
as	N
Commanded By	Lemaire
Rank	Captain
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.
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Units
	Operated By Country
	France

Ships
	Built By Shipbuilder	Laid Down YMD	Launch YMD	Commissioned YMD	Final YMD	On Slip	Fitting Out	Total Building	Life Year
	Forges Et Chantiers De La Gironde	1927 May 01	1929 Apr 12	1932 Jan 01	1950 May 01	712day	994day	1 706day	18.33yr

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