Diving off Corsica and Being Caught in an ‘‘Avalanche’’
Before our FAMOUS cruises took place on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, another series
of training dives were scheduled off the coast of Corsica in October 1972 in order
to test more equipment and give more experience to the divers. The Archimède
was always towed to the diving sites by the French Navy ship Marcel Le BIHAN.
This ship was originally a German vessel given to France at the end of World War
II. It was a ‘‘tender’’ supply ship and had been used to follow and supply
hydroplanes in high seas. It was designed with a flat keel, so it rode low, near sea
level, and it had a large back deck with plenty of empty space. After being used
during the war in Indochina (Viet-Nam), the Marcel Le BIHAN was painted white
and was assigned to tow the Archimède. Its port of call was Toulon.
Copper plates with lettering in German still remained on the toilette doors and
also on the bridge to describe the various equipment. On October 3, 1972, the day
after than my 37th birthday, the MARCEL LE BIHAN left Toulon. After the first
three dives, we had to return to Toulon in order to get some special oil (myoline)
that was necessary for the submersible. Jean-Louis Cheminée and Jim Heirztler
from Woods Hole (head of the FAMOUS project from the U.S. side) made the first
three dives. In all, seven dives were made around the Corsican continental slope
near the port of Calvi at depths between 1,160 and 2,700 m. These dives were
designed to test the transponder navigation network and to improve rock-sampling
techniques with the Archmède’s mechanical arms. Two dives (C-5 and C-7) were
made at the limit of the continental slope and the abyssal plain.
It was during one of my dives, C-5, that two scientists were first allowed to dive
together inside the bathyscaphe. This was the first and last time that two scientists
dove together, although this is a common procedure for the U.S. submersible
Alvin. The persons responsible for the French submersible team were against
having a second scientist on board because they believed that an engineer and a
pilot were more adapted and useful for the job. In addition, it was argued that
training a new pilot would be more effective during real dives, which is another
reason why only one scientist at a time has been allowed to dive to the ocean floor
after dive C-5 off Corsica.
We left the bay of Calvi on Saturday, October 21, 1972. The weather conditions
were poor and the sea state was too high for diving, so Captain de Froberville
decided not to dive that day, and we had to wait until the next morning. The goal
of the dive was to test the maneuverability of the Archimède for the job of collecting the three moored bottom transponders. On October 22, two scientists (Jean
Francheteau and I) along with the pilot (Gilbert Harismendy) were scheduled to
make dive C-5. We put on our yellow, fireproof suits and went down into the
zodiac inflatable boat to be taken to the Archimède where two engineers were
getting the submersible ready for the event. We descended into the airlock and
entered the sphere at 9:30 AM. Captain Harismendy was ready and waiting to dive.
At 10:28 AM we started to sink, which is normal when the bathyscaphe dives.
We reached the edge of the continental slope at approximately 2,500 m depth and
178
7 Oceanic Spreading Ridges and Sea Floor Creation
Before our FAMOUS cruises took place on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, another series
of training dives were scheduled off the coast of Corsica in October 1972 in order
to test more equipment and give more experience to the divers. The Archimède
was always towed to the diving sites by the French Navy ship Marcel Le BIHAN.
This ship was originally a German vessel given to France at the end of World War
II. It was a ‘‘tender’’ supply ship and had been used to follow and supply
hydroplanes in high seas. It was designed with a flat keel, so it rode low, near sea
level, and it had a large back deck with plenty of empty space. After being used
during the war in Indochina (Viet-Nam), the Marcel Le BIHAN was painted white
and was assigned to tow the Archimède. Its port of call was Toulon.
Copper plates with lettering in German still remained on the toilette doors and
also on the bridge to describe the various equipment. On October 3, 1972, the day
after than my 37th birthday, the MARCEL LE BIHAN left Toulon. After the first
three dives, we had to return to Toulon in order to get some special oil (myoline)
that was necessary for the submersible. Jean-Louis Cheminée and Jim Heirztler
from Woods Hole (head of the FAMOUS project from the U.S. side) made the first
three dives. In all, seven dives were made around the Corsican continental slope
near the port of Calvi at depths between 1,160 and 2,700 m. These dives were
designed to test the transponder navigation network and to improve rock-sampling
techniques with the Archmède’s mechanical arms. Two dives (C-5 and C-7) were
made at the limit of the continental slope and the abyssal plain.
It was during one of my dives, C-5, that two scientists were first allowed to dive
together inside the bathyscaphe. This was the first and last time that two scientists
dove together, although this is a common procedure for the U.S. submersible
Alvin. The persons responsible for the French submersible team were against
having a second scientist on board because they believed that an engineer and a
pilot were more adapted and useful for the job. In addition, it was argued that
training a new pilot would be more effective during real dives, which is another
reason why only one scientist at a time has been allowed to dive to the ocean floor
after dive C-5 off Corsica.
We left the bay of Calvi on Saturday, October 21, 1972. The weather conditions
were poor and the sea state was too high for diving, so Captain de Froberville
decided not to dive that day, and we had to wait until the next morning. The goal
of the dive was to test the maneuverability of the Archimède for the job of collecting the three moored bottom transponders. On October 22, two scientists (Jean
Francheteau and I) along with the pilot (Gilbert Harismendy) were scheduled to
make dive C-5. We put on our yellow, fireproof suits and went down into the
zodiac inflatable boat to be taken to the Archimède where two engineers were
getting the submersible ready for the event. We descended into the airlock and
entered the sphere at 9:30 AM. Captain Harismendy was ready and waiting to dive.
At 10:28 AM we started to sink, which is normal when the bathyscaphe dives.
We reached the edge of the continental slope at approximately 2,500 m depth and
178
7 Oceanic Spreading Ridges and Sea Floor Creation