franz. Schlachtschiff von 1917 gefunden

[bgire]

Hallo All,

Danton's wreck had been found one year ago during preliminary exploration by the pipeline company. At that time, location had been kept secret.
The reason? IMO : the company then didn't want archaeological action to interfere with their schedule. Latter, they made it public as their pipeline had to be rerouted to pass the wreck.

About naming after French personalities :
During the years 1873-1914, i.e. between the defeat against the German Empire and WWI, French politics was overwhelmed by strong nationalist (anti-German) feeling.
This was the time when the fledgling Third Republic emerged from the defeat, the collapse of Napoleon II's empire and another tentative to bring back the Kingdom. The Republic won by a majority of ONE vote at the parliament in 1873 and during the following years the new government  decided to "create" a strong "French" national and republican feeling by the -not truly historical- revival of past French symbols.
For example, the ancient Gaul tribe chief Vercingétorix got by this time the "honour" to become the symbol of the (French) resistance to the (Roman... = German) invader. So was Jeanne d'Arc at the same period.
The Navy acted accordingly in giving names of famous French people to new ships : kings (Henri IV), revolutionary men (Marat, Danton, etc. to enhance the role of the Republic), famous people (Voltaire, Diderot, Jeanne d'Arc, etc.), new republican mottoes (République, Patrie, Liberté, Démocratie, Justice, Vérité)
This was a break from earlier name giving practice for the sake of period political propaganda.

Latter the Navy reverted to traditional naming after famous Sea people from the Past (Suffren, Duquesne, Primauguet, Jean Bart, De Grasse), Navy related politicians (Richelieu, Georges Leygues), provinces (Lorraine, Provence, Algérie), and traditional old Navy names (Triomphant, Terrible, Vengeur, Indomptable, etc.)

Bruno

[Ritchie]

Warum hatte der Dampfer denn so viele Passagiere an Bord?

Das waren Besatzungsmitglieder anderer in der Ägäis stationierter Kriegsschiffe. Es war wohl Routine, dass Urlauber und neu kommandierte Soldaten mitfuhren.

[Urs Heßling]

Hallo, Bruno,

when the fledgling Third Republic emerged from the defeat, the collapse of Napoleon II's empire

sorry  for [typical German  ] "bean counting"  : Napoleon III

Greetings, Urs

[bgire]

Ooops... I mixed Napoleon III with his 2d Empire...