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The disappearance of the Minerva seen by the media day by day

Document

The impact of the drama in the media was considerable. All the press reported on it and followed the day-to-day progress of the search operations. even as   the Navy had little hope left.

Many remember the journalist Léon Zitrone who opened the television news listing the number of hours of oxygen still available  on board the submarine in the event that it would be stranded on the bottom.  ​

The themes of the press articles were the following (all in French):

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  • Sunday January 28:Announcement of the drama by AFP, announcement on television - To click HERE

  • Monday 29 january:The press announces the tragedy
    It describes the conditions of the drama and  examines the fate of various members of the crew - to click HERE

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Article de Paris Jour 29 01 68

  • Tuesday, January 30:Detail of search operations 
    Publication of the list of missing persons - Announcement of Commander Cousteau's participation in search operations - to click HERE

Dépêche AFP annonçant la particoipation du commandant Cousteau

  • Wednesday January 31:The participation of Commander Cousteau
    Diving on a wreck - Details of further research  - to click HERE​

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Le commandant Cousteau après sa plongée pour retrouver la Minerve

 

  • Thursday February 1 : The end of hopes
    There is no more hope, the oxygen reserves are exhausted - to click HERE

Porte-avion Clemenceau

  • Friday, February 2:Research is stopped
      - Ceremony with wreath throwing at sea - to click HERE
    ​

  • Some television reports from 1968 - to click HERE

Message de l'amiral Storelli annonçant la fin des recherches
They listened to the media

Testimonials

Armelle ROUSSEL

"I remember Léon Zitrone grimly counting down on TV the hours that supposedly remained for the crew to live without thinking about the anguish he was inflicting on us."

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Marie-Odile PICHOT

"I remember the TV commentary by Léon Zitrone, hour after hour, giving hope for a happy ending. We didn't believe it, though, but maybe... you never know... They also emphasized the young age of the commander, implying a lack of experience."

 

Other current topics are

At the end of January 1968 the other current topics are:

  • The disappearance of an Israeli submarine, the Dakar in the Mediterranean (it will be found in 1999)

  • 5 nations rugby tournament - France-Ireland on January 27 (France was going to achieve the first grand slam in its history)

  • Inauguration JO Grenoble (we talk about the future performances of Jean-Claude Killy)

  • The Vietnam War - Viet Cong offensive against the Americans.

  • In China Mao Zedong  decides to put an end to the turbulence of the Cultural Revolution which he himself started two years earlier.

  • Clashes in Nanterre, Daniel Cohn Bendit is talked about for the first time.

  • France evacuates the Mers el Kébir military base, the last French military presence in Algeria

  • Death of Japanese painter Foujita

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Affiche officielle JO Grenoble en 1968

​​The report on the Minerva from Paris Match in February 1968 ClickHERE

Paris Match
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