The "PROSUBMISS" alert is triggered on the night of January 27 to 28, 1968
In Toulon, attempts have been unsuccessful to contact the submarine on several occasions since 8:00 a.m. This unusual silence does not worry anyone, even if it is surprising. The Minerve was under no obligation to make contact again.
The Minerve was due to return to its home port no later than 9:00 p.m. on January 27.
Everyone expected the ship to dock relatively early in the afternoon. It is assumed that this late return was due to the zeal of the new captain.
8:00 p.m. - LV VINOT, the Squadron's watch officer, asks the Cepet semaphore station if he has had radio contact with the MINERVE. The response is negative.
8:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m. - LV VINOT deals with the incarceration of a sailor.
11:30 p.m. - The LV VINOT resumes contact with Cepet and Six-Fours. Still no response from the submarine.
January 28
01:00 - LV VINOT informs CF GELAS, acting commander.
02:05 - CF GELAS informs CV EMEURY, squadron commander, on mission in Paris.
02:15 - the CV EMEURY gives the order to trigger the Alert by transmitting the message PROBSUBMISS 280239Z (missing submarine) from COSOUMED.
PROSUBMISS message triggering the alert
02:30-04:00– The Minister for the Armed Forces Mr. Pierre Messmer is awakened and warned. The latter then telephoned directly to the President of the Republic, General de Gaulle to inform him of the disappearance of the submarine.
03:34- Beginning of the ATLANTIC mission in the area.
03:35- Order to the group: CASSARD - LE BEARNAIS - AGENAIS - ENJOUE - FRONDEUR - ADROIT - ALERT to go to 270
03:45 - Order to CASSARD to proceed to sector 65 at 25 knots.
03:50- Receipt of the message designating ALFL0MED (Admiral Commanding the Mediterranean Flotilla) as commander of the search force.
03:51- Order ENJOUE to take command of the Fast Escorts and the Coastal Escorts and to make their way to sector 65 at the best speed possible
.
04:05- Order to the BEARNAIS and the AGENAIS to proceed towards sector 65 at the maximum speed allowed, on 2 boilers.
04:43- Order to the escorts to keep the exercise links and to ensure certain watches: SS2 UHF - 243 ME.
05h06 - Received message from MARINE TOULON alerting MARINE PARIS.
05:23- Order to the VENUS submarines and the ARIANE:
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respectively reach the center of sector 65 and position 169 CAP SICIE 5.5.
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ensure TUUM monitoring and microphone monitoring.
05:25- Reception of information concerning the last position of MINERVE: 163 CAP SICIE 23, 270735 A (circle of uncertainty: 5 nautical miles).
05:31- Guidelines to Escorts for searches:
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enhanced visual monitoring.
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signaling of any demonstration.
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littering is prohibited.
05:35 - Orders to Escorts:
constitution of 2 groups allocation of search areas (visual and SONAR):
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CASSARD - BEARNAIS - AGENAIS.
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ENJOUE - FRONDEUR .- ALERTE - ADROIT
06:05- Start of research in sector 65 by CASSARD.
06:33- Arrival of BEARNAIS and AGENAIS in sector 65.
07:00- Beginning of the search by coastal escorts, on the edge of sector 65.
08:44 - Identification of a large oil stain on the surface.
11:05 a.m. - Sending the PROSUBSUNK message(sunken submarine)
Message PROSUBSUNK sunken submarine