Jean de Laborde
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2014) |
comte Jean de Laborde Legion of Honor | |
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Birth name | Jean Joseph Jules Noël de Laborde |
Nickname(s) | Comte Jean |
Born | Chantilly, France | 29 November 1878
Died | 30 July 1977 Castillon-la-Bataille | (aged 98)
Allegiance | French Third Republic Vichy France |
Service/ | French Navy |
Years of service | 1897–1943 |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held |
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Battles/wars |
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Awards |
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Spouse(s) | Rose Marie Saldo |
Jean de Laborde (French pronunciation:
Education
Jean de Laborde entered Naval school in 1895 with the title of "Count", which remained his nickname during his career.[1]
Military career
World War I and prior
After graduating, de Laborde was posted to the Far East in 1897 where he served first as
Between the wars
A pioneer of
From 1937–1940 he was a member of the Superior Naval Council (Conseil supérieur de la Marine). In 1938 he earned his fifth star, becoming Full Admiral. From 1938–1939 he served as inspector general of naval forces, and was involved in various naval consultative commissions under the French Third Republic.[1]
World War II
German invasion of France
In 1939 and 1940 he served as commander-in-chief of naval forces of the West, and was known as "Admiral West". By this time, he had earned numerous medals, including the highly prestigious
Scuttling of the Fleet
Pétain counted on the rivalry between de Laborde and
As a vice-admiral, Laborde was chief of the First Squadron, organised around the
Very antagonistic to the British and to Charles de Gaulle, Laborde promoted a project to re-take Chad[citation needed]. 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.[citation needed]
Amidst intrigue, attempted deals and changing loyalties, following invasion of North Africa by the Allies on 7 November 1942, Darlan made a deal with the Allies, ordering French troops to join the allies, which they did[citation needed]. Pétain stripped Darlan of his office and ordered resistance in North Africa, but was ignored. In response, Nazi troops occupied the free zone, but paused outside Toulon, the base where most of the remaining French ships were moored. On 11 November, Darlan responded by ordering Laborde join him with the fleet in North Africa[citation needed]. Auphan, who had succeeded Darlan as head of the navy, also privately urged him to join the Allies. Laborde rejected the appeals, insisting that he would only do so on a direct order from Petain.[citation needed]
On 27 November 1942 Laborde ordered the
After Liberation, during the Épuration légale, Laborde was sentenced to death by the Haute Cour de Justice (France) [fr] for treason and for failing to save the fleet by allowing it to defect to the Allies. His sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, and he was pardoned in 1951.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e Rouxel, Jean-Christophe. "Officiers célèbres -Jean de Laborde" [Famous Officers- Jean de Laborde] (in French). Archived from the original on 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- ^ La suite des temps : (1939-1958) par le duc de Brissac, 1974.