Jean de Laborde
Encyclopedia
Jean de Laborde was a French
admiral, famous for the scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
.
As a vice-admiral, Laborde was chief of the First Squadron, organised around the battleship Strasbourg
.
After the Fall of France and the rise of Vichy France
, Laborde supported the regime, and was made chief of the High sea fleet by Philippe Pétain
, who counted on using Laborde's dislike of Darlan to make the Fleet easier to manage. The High sea fleet was composed of 38 modern units and amounting to a quarter of the total French fleet.
Very antagonistic to the British and to Charles de Gaulle
, Laborde promoted a project to re-take Chad
. When the Allies invaded the French colonies of North Africa in Operation Torch
, he suggested that the French fleet should sail and attack the Allies in retaliation ; this proposal was sharply turned down by Gabriel Auphan
.
On the 27 November 1942, Laborde ordered the scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
to prevent his ships from falling in German, Italian or British hands.
At the Liberation, during the "Épuration légale
", Laborde was sentenced to death by the Haute cour de justice for treason and for failing to save the fleet by allowing it to defect to the Allies. His sentence was converted to life sentence; he obtained a grace on the 9 June 1947.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
admiral, famous for the scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
The French fleet in Toulon was scuttled on 27 November 1942 on the order of the Admiralty of Vichy France to avoid capture by Nazi German forces during Operation Lila of the Case Anton takeover of Vichy France.- Context :...
.
As a vice-admiral, Laborde was chief of the First Squadron, organised around the battleship Strasbourg
French battleship Strasbourg
The Strasbourg was a more heavily armoured Dunkerque-class battleship of the French Navy, labeled as a "fast battleship". Faster than full battleships, but not as heavily armed or armoured as them, they were designed to counter the threat of the German "pocket battleships" - the Deutschland-class...
.
After the Fall of France and the rise of Vichy France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
, Laborde supported the regime, and was made chief of the High sea fleet by Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
, who counted on using Laborde's dislike of Darlan to make the Fleet easier to manage. The High sea fleet was composed of 38 modern units and amounting to a quarter of the total French fleet.
Very antagonistic to the British and to Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, Laborde promoted a project to re-take Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
. When the Allies invaded the French colonies of North Africa in Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, he suggested that the French fleet should sail and attack the Allies in retaliation ; this proposal was sharply turned down by Gabriel Auphan
Gabriel Auphan
Gabriel Paul Auphan was a French admiral, chief of cabinet of Admiral Darlan under Vichy France and later Secrétaire d'État à la marine of Vichy.- Early career :...
.
On the 27 November 1942, Laborde ordered the scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
The French fleet in Toulon was scuttled on 27 November 1942 on the order of the Admiralty of Vichy France to avoid capture by Nazi German forces during Operation Lila of the Case Anton takeover of Vichy France.- Context :...
to prevent his ships from falling in German, Italian or British hands.
At the Liberation, during the "Épuration légale
Épuration légale
The Épuration légale was the wave of official trials that followed the Liberation of France and the fall of the Vichy Regime...
", Laborde was sentenced to death by the Haute cour de justice for treason and for failing to save the fleet by allowing it to defect to the Allies. His sentence was converted to life sentence; he obtained a grace on the 9 June 1947.