Before the tragedy
On January 17, Lieutenant André FAUVE took command of the submarine MINERVE.
When he took command, he had more than 7,000 hours of diving on various submarines of the same type. He knows this type of building well.
From 17 to 26 training of the new Commander by LV MERLO, squadron training officer.
This course at sea includes, as usual, exercises in:
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Retakes
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Bar damage
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Immersion changes with ±20 degree trim
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battery fire
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Failure of the 37 Kva converter group
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men overboard
There is only one minor incident due to a slight spillage from a box of purges at the tip, in the compartmentpropulsion, 250 meters deep. Without waiting for a complete investigation, the immediate report "Leakage in the propulsion compartment" is made to the officer on watch who immediately takes the measures provided for in such a case and aims to surface as quickly as possible: rapid ascent to 30 meters with both engines AV 6 and trim + 25 degrees.
In fact, strictly speaking, there was no leak (due to a rupture of the hull, a leak at a seal), but a simple spillage of an inner box with a thick hull from which presence of water where there should not have been.
The regulatory emergency procedure is correctly carried out from start to finish for a fairly minor problem.