View source for French submarine Minerve (S647)

{{short description|Daphné-class patrol submarine, lost 1968}}
{{Other ships|French ship Minerve}}
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{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Minerve a bergen 1962.jpg
|Ship caption=''Minerve'' in [[Bergen]] (Norway) in 1962
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=France
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|France|naval}}
|Ship name= ''Minerve''
|Ship namesake=[[Minerva]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Chantiers Dubigeon]], [[Nantes]]
|Ship original cost=
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|Ship laid down=May 1958
|Ship launched=31 May 1961
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|Ship commissioned=10 June 1964
|Ship decommissioned=
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|Ship homeport=[[Toulon]]
|Ship identification=S647
|Ship motto=
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|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=Lost with a crew of 52 on 27 January 1968 in the [[Gulf of Lion]]; wreckage discovered on 21 July 2019
|Ship notes=
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}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=<ref name=roche>{{cite web |url= http://www.netmarine.net/bat/smarins/minerve/caracter.htm |title=Sous-marin Minerve : Caractéristiques principales |first=Jean-Michel |last=Roche |work=netmarine.net |year=2012 |access-date=6 February 2013|language=fr}}</ref>
|Ship class={{sclass|Daphné|submarine}}
|Ship displacement=*{{Convert|860|t|LT|0|lk=on}} surfaced
* {{Convert|1038|t|LT|0}} submerged
|Ship length= {{Convert|57.75|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{Convert|6.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
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|Ship draught=
|Ship depth={{Convert|5.25|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
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|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=* 2 × {{Convert|450|kW|0|abbr=on}} SEMT Pielstick-Jeumont-Schneider Type 12 diesel engines
* 2 × {{Convert|1000|hp|0|abbr=on}} electric motors
* 2 shafts
|Ship speed=*{{Convert|12|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
* {{Convert|8|kn}} snorkeling
* {{Convert|15|kn}} submerged
|Ship range={{Convert|10000|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{Convert|7|kn}} surfaced
|Ship endurance=30 days
|Ship test depth={{Convert|300|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship complement=*6 officers
* 24 non-commissioned officers
* 20 sailors
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|Ship sensors=*DRUA 31 radar
* DUUA 2B sonar
* DSUV 2 passive sonar
* DUUX acoustic telemeter
|Ship EW=ARUR 10B radar detector
|Ship armament=* 12 × {{Convert|550|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s (8 bow, 4 stern)
* 12 × torpedoes or missiles
|Ship armour=
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}}
|}

'''''Minerve''''' was a [[diesel–electric transmission|diesel–electric]] [[submarine]] in the [[French Navy]], launched in 1961. The vessel was one of 11 of the {{sclass|Daphné|submarine|4}}. In January 1968, ''Minerve'' was lost with all hands in bad weather while returning to her home port of [[Toulon]].

''Minerve'' sank two days after the submarine {{Ship|INS|Dakar}} of the [[Israeli Navy]] disappeared in the eastern [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] between [[Crete]] and [[Cyprus]]. ''Minerve'' was one of four submarines lost to unknown causes in 1968 along with the {{ship|Soviet submarine|K-129|1960|6}}, the American {{USS|Scorpion|SSN-589|6}}, and Israeli submarine {{Ship|INS|Dakar}}. After more than 50 years missing, the location of the wreck was discovered in 2019, {{convert|45|km|nmi mi}} south of Toulon.<ref name="BBC220719">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49068823|title=French Minerve submarine is found after disappearing in 1968|publisher=BBC News|date=22 July 2019|access-date=22 July 2019}}</ref>

==Description==
The ''Daphné'' class comprised second-class submarines, intermediate between the larger, ocean-going submarines of the [[French Narval-class submarine|''Narval'' class]] and the small, specialised, antisubmarine vessels of the {{sclass|Aréthuse|submarine|4}}. The design was a development of the ''Aréthuse'' class, and required to keep the low noise levels and high manoeuvrability of the smaller submarines, while also keeping a small crew and being easy to maintain.<ref name="conways47p121">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Chumbley|1995|p=121}}</ref>

''Minerve'' had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|57.8|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|6.8|m|ft|abbr=on}} and a [[Draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|5.25|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Displacement was {{convert|869|LT|t|abbr=on|order=flip}} surfaced and {{convert|1043|LT|t|order=flip|abbr=on}} submerged.<ref name="conways47p121"/> The submarine had [[Diesel–electric transmission|diesel-electric propulsion]], with two 12-cylinder SEMP Pielstick [[diesel engine]]s rated at a total of {{convert|1300|bhp|kW|abbr=on}} and one electric motor, rated at {{convert|1600|shp|kW|abbr=on}}, which drove two propeller shafts, giving a speed of {{convert|13.5|kn|abbr=on}} on the surface and {{convert|16|kn|abbr=on}} submerged.<ref name="conways47p121"/><ref name="jfs92p91">{{Harvnb|Blackman|1962|p=91}}</ref> The ship's machinery and equipment were modular to ease maintenance. Her range was {{convert|4500|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|5|kn|abbr=on}}.<ref name="conways47p121"/> The submarine was designed to dive to a depth of {{convert|300|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="cf86p121">{{Harvnb|Couhat|Baker|1986|p=121}}</ref>

''Minerve'' was fitted with 12 {{convert|550|mm|adj=on|in|abbr=on|1}} [[torpedo tube]]s, with eight in the [[bow (ship)|bow]] and four in the [[stern]]. No reload torpedoes were carried.<ref name="conways47p121"/> The ship had a crew of 45, composed of six officers and 39 enlisted.<ref name="conways47p121"/><ref name="jfs92p91"/>

==Service history==
''Minerve'' was ordered under the 1957 French Naval Estimates,<ref name="jfs92p91"/> [[Keel laying|laid down]] in May 1958 at the [[Chantiers Dubigeon]] shipyard in [[Nantes]], and launched on 31 May 1961.<ref name="conways47p121"/> After a [[shakedown cruise]] to [[Londonderry Port]], [[Bergen]], and [[Gothenburg]] in November 1962, the submarine sailed from [[Cherbourg]] to Toulon, arriving on 22 December 1962. She was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the 1st Submarine Squadron on 10 June 1964. ''Minerve'' operated solely in the Mediterranean Sea. She was refitted at Missiessy Quay, Toulon, in 1967.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.netmarine.net/bat/smarins/minerve/index.htm |title=Sous-marin ''Minerve'' |first=Jean-Michel |last=Roche |work=netmarine.net |year=2012 |access-date=6 February 2013|language=fr}}</ref>

==Loss==
On 27 January 1968, at 07:55 [[Central European Time|CET]], ''Minerve'' was travelling just beneath the surface of the [[Gulf of Lion]] using her [[submarine snorkel|snorkel]], roughly {{Convert|25|nmi|lk=in}} from her base in Toulon, when she advised an accompanying [[Bréguet 1150 Atlantic|Bréguet Atlantic]] aircraft that she would be at her [[Berth (moorings)|berth]] in about an hour. This proved to be the last time the boat and her crew of six officers and 46 enlistees made contact. She disappeared in waters between {{Convert|1000|and|2000|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep.<ref name="disparitionssousmarins">{{cite web|url=http://s.m.minerve.free.fr/circons.html|title=La tragédie de la Minerve|access-date=22 September 2013|website=s.m.minerve.free.fr|language=fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927163558/http://s.m.minerve.free.fr/circons.html|archive-date=27 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Commander]] Philipe Bouillot later said that ''Minerve''{{'}}s new captain, ''[[Lieutenant de vaisseau]]'' André Fauve, had spent 7,000 hours submerged over four years on submarines of the same class and never had a problem. The only factor known that could have caused her to sink was the weather, which was extremely bad at the time of her loss.<ref name="disparitionssousmarins"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://hervefauve.wixsite.com/270168minerve|title=The disappearance of Minerve|website=hervefauve.wixsite.com|date= 21 July 2019|access-date=12 January 2018|language=en}}</ref>

The French Navy launched a search for the missing submarine, mobilizing numerous ships, including the aircraft carrier {{Ship|French aircraft carrier|Clemenceau||2}} and the submersible {{ship|SP-350|Denise}} under the supervision of [[Jacques Cousteau]], but found nothing, and the operation was called off on 2 February 1968.<ref name ="netmarine"/> The search for ''Minerve'', under the name ''Operation Reminer'', continued into 1969 and used the submersible ''[[Archimède]]'' with the U.S. survey ship {{USNS|Mizar|T-AGOR-11|6}}.<ref name ="netmarine">{{cite web |url= http://www.netmarine.net/bat/smarins/minerve/histoire.htm |title=Historique du sous-marin ''Minerve'' |first=Jean-Michel |last=Roche |work=netmarine.net |year=2012 |access-date=6 February 2013|language=fr}}</ref>

==Struggle of the families for the truth==
During the years that followed, the families fought to find out what could have happened. The French Navy did not release any information on the possible causes of the sinking. The file was classified as {{lang|fr|[[Classified information#France|Secret Défense]]}}, which means no one could have access to it for 50 years.

After having requested access to the file many times, always refused, Christophe Agnus, son of one of the missing officers, obtained in 2007, at the invitation of [[Nicolas Sarkozy]], an exemption to consult the archives. He discovered nothing. Other families obtained this right, and then suspected the Navy of concealing elements compromising it.

In 2018, the son of the last commander of the ''Minerve'', Hervé Fauve, addressed the President of the French Republic, [[Emmanuel Macron]], to request an early lifting of the defence secrecy on the ''Minerve'' file. The file has been kept in the archives since 1977, and its declassification should not take place until 50 years after the most recent piece of the file, dated 1970, i.e. in 2020. There was a risk that an automatic renewal of the file would extend this secrecy by 10 years, i.e. 2030 or more. He argued that the file is 'empty' according to those who have consulted it, that no similar submarine is still in use, that it does not contain any element contrary to the security of the state and above all that the families live in hope of this lifting of defence secrecy on the file.

This request was examined, and the Official Journal of 16 June 2018 announced the declassification of the archives concerning the disappearance of the ''Minerve''.

== Relaunch of the search for the wreck ==
On 14 October 2018, the French newspaper ''Var-Matin'' published an article in which it informed that, on the initiative of Fauve, eighteen of the families of the 52 sailors of the ''Minerve'' had sent an open letter to various elected representatives of the Toulon harbour to request the resumption of the search for the wreck of the submarine. The submarine was the only missing Western submarine that had not been found since the [[end of World War II in Europe|end of World War II]].

Following this publication Fauve succeeded in mobilising all the families of the crew, active and retired sailors and the French media to support this request. On 5 February 2019, the Minister of the Armed Forces announced a resumption of the search 50 years after the last campaign.

The [[French government]] started a new search for ''Minerve'' on 4 July 2019 in deep waters about {{convert|45|km|abbr=on}} south of Toulon.<ref>{{cite news|last=Andrésy|first=Diane |url= http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/a-la-recherche-de-la-minerve-tombeau-de-52-sous-mariniers-14-07-2019-8116224.php |title= A la recherche de "La Minerve", tombeau de 52 sous-mariniers|trans-title=In search of "La Minerve", tomb of 52 submariners |work= Le Parisien |language=fr |date= 14 July 2019 |access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> The discovery of the location of the wreck was made on 21 July 2019<ref name="BBC220719" /> by the company [[Ocean Infinity]] using the search ship {{ship||Seabed Constructor}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/22/french-submarine-minerve-found-50-years-after-disappearance|work=The Guardian|title=French submarine found 50 years after disappearance |first=Kim|last=Willsher|date=22 July 2019|access-date=17 September 2019}}</ref>

The wreck was found at a depth of {{convert|2350|m|ft|abbr=on}}, broken into three main pieces scattered over {{convert|300|m|ft|abbr=on}} along the seabed. Although ''Minerve''{{'}}s [[sail (submarine)|sail]] was destroyed, identifying the wreckage was possible, as the letters "MINE" and "S" (from ''Minerve'' and S647, respectively) were still readable on the hull.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Guibert|first= Nathalie |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2019/07/22/le-sous-marin-la-minerve-disparu-en-1968-a-ete-retrouve-au-large-de-toulon_5492027_3224.html|title=La " Minerve ", le sous-marin disparu il y a cinquante ans, a été retrouvé au large de Toulon|date=22 July 2019|access-date=2019-07-22|language=fr |work= Le Monde}}</ref>

==Memorial==
[[File:S647 Minerve Dive 020120 V Vescovo and Admiral Jean-Louis Barbier.jpg|thumb|Admiral Jean-Louis Barbier and [[Victor Vescovo]] on ''Minerve'' dive 1 February 2020]]On the day of her discovery, 22 July 2019, [[Squadron Vice-Admiral]] Charles-Henri du Ché, responsible for the search, declared that the remains of the submarine would be left untouched and would become a maritime sanctuary. A ceremony is to be held in the location where ''Minerve'' vanished with the relatives of the submariners in attendance.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/politique/defense/l-epave-du-sous-marin-la-minerve-ne-sera-pas-remontee-c-est-un-sanctuaire-maritime-6454877|title=L'épave du sous-marin La Minerve ne sera pas remontée : " c'est un sanctuaire maritime "|date=22 July 2019|work=Ouest-France|language=fr|access-date=23 July 2019}}</ref>

In December 2019, [[Victor Vescovo]] proposed to Fauve a dive on the wreck of the Minerve with his two-seat deep-submersible ''Limiting Factor''. The Department of Underwater Archaeological Research ([[DRASSM]]), under the administration of the Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for the study and protection of France's submerged heritage, organized dives on the ''Minerve'' wreck.

[[File:Minerve Sail 020120 Dive VVescovo.jpg|thumb|Partial name visible on sail, February 2020]]On the first dive, 1 February 2020, Vescovo dived with retired French Rear Admiral Jean-Louis Barbier, who was contacted by Fauve, to gather new information on the cause of the loss.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Founder of the Five Deeps Expedition Launches New 2020 Voyage |url=https://www.hydro-international.com/content/news/founder-of-the-five-deeps-expedition-launches-new-2020-voyage-2|access-date=2020-08-12 |website=www.hydro-international.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first1=Diane |last1=Par |quote=à 10h49 résy Le 4 février 2020 |date=2020-02-04 |title=Une plaque posée sur l'épave du sous-marin la Minerve, dans le Var |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/archives/une-plaque-posee-sur-l-epave-du-sous-marin-la-minerve-dans-le-var-04-02-2020-8252166.php |access-date=2020-08-12 |website=leparisien.fr |language=fr-FR}}</ref>
On the second dive, 2 February, Vescovo piloted while Fauve sat in the second seat. At the bottom they placed a granite memorial plaque on a section of ''Minerve''{{'}}s hull at a depth of over {{convert|2,370|m}} – to a recording of "[[La Marseillaise]]". Vescovo later stated, "As a former naval officer, I was very honored to partner with our French allies…"<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-03|title=Minerve : nouvelles plongées et plaque commémorative posée sur l'épave |url=https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/minerve-nouvelles-plongees-et-plaque-commemorative-posee-sur-lepave |access-date=2020-08-12|website=Mer et Marine|language=fr}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of submarines of France]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last=Blackman|first=Raymond V. B.| title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1962–63|year=1962|publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd|location=London}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Couhat |editor1-first=Jean Labayle |editor2-last=Baker |editor2-first=A. D. III |title=Combat Fleets of the World 1986/87: Their Ships, Aircraft and Armament |year=1986 |location=Annapolis, Maryland, USA|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=0853688605}}
* {{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Chumbley|editor2-first=Stephen|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995|year=1995|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1557501327}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{cite web |url= https://hervefauve.wixsite.com/270168minerve |title=Disappearance of the Minerve |publisher= Hervé Fauve Wixsite |language=en |access-date=1 January 2018}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.britishpathe.com/video/submarine-minerve-lost-in-mediterranean |title=Submarine Minerve Lost In Mediterranean |work=[[British Pathé]]}}

{{Daphné class submarines}}
{{1968 shipwrecks}}

{{coord missing|Mediterranean}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minerve (S647)}}
[[Category:1961 ships]]
[[Category:Daphné-class submarines of the French Navy]]
[[Category:January 1968 events in Europe]]
[[Category:Lost submarines of France]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1968]]
[[Category:Ships built by Chantiers Dubigeon]]
[[Category:Ships built in France]]
[[Category:Warships lost with all hands]]
[[Category:Submarines lost with all hands]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea]]