Monument aux Marins du Pluviôse
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Monument aux Marins du Pluviôse
Avenue Raymond Poincaré - 62100 CALAIS
At the beginning of the 2th century, the port of Calais housed a submarine base in its newly built Carnot basin. Three submarines, Germinal, Ventôse, and Pluviose, were based there. The latter two were conducting diving exercises offshore on May 26, 1910. During its ascent, the Pluviose was struck by the passenger ship Pas de Calais, which was returning to the port of Calais. The submarine was breached and sank, flooding in. Rescue efforts were futile; there were no survivors. It was a national tragedy, widely reported in the Parisian press. The salvage operations were difficult. On June 10, the wreck was towed back to the port of Calais. The bodies of the 27 submariners were identified. The funeral took place at Notre Dame Cathedral in Calais on June 22, attended by Armand Fallières, President of the Republic. In Calais, it was quickly decided to erect a monument to the victims of this maritime disaster. The creation of the work was entrusted to the sculptor Emile Guillaume, and it was inaugurated in 1913. This statue escaped the melting down of bronze monuments during the Occupation. The fact that the monument pays tribute to sailors lost at sea strongly influenced this decision. It should be noted that one must approach the monument closely to understand its meaning. One can clearly see an angel plunging an arm into the sinking submarine. This angel gathers the souls of the unfortunate victims.
