The "PROSUBMISS" alert is triggered on the night of January 27 to 28, 1968
La Minerve was due to return to its home port on January 27 at 9:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.- The LV VINOT, guard officer of the Squadron asks the semaphore of Cepet if he had a radio contact with the MINERVE. Negative response.
8:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m.- the LV VINOT deals with the incarceration of a sailor.
11:30 p.m.- LV VINOT resumes contact with Cepet and Six-Fours. Still no response from the sub.
January 28
01:00- LV VINOT warns CF GELAS, acting commander.
02:05- CF GELAS warns CV EMEURY, squadron commander, on mission in Paris.
02:15 - CV EMEURY gives the order to trigger the Alert by sending the message PROBSUBMISS 280239Z (missing submarine) by 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 "UG" 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 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 - THE BEARNAIS - THE AGENAIS.
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L'ENJOUE - LE FRONDEUR .- L'ALERT - L'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