DE GRASSE vogue sur les 4 océans – DE GRASSE sailing above the 4 oceans

A six meters long silk painting covering more than 200 years of ships story raising the name of the

famous provencal sailor Admiral De Grasse. This creation tries to present the most important ships, civil or military

which actively work to conserve the memory of his courage, determination and fidelity to obtain the peace.

1°)Admiral de Grasse (1722-1788).  He and his fleet had been stationed in the West Indies for most of the war. Finally, in 1781, he sailed to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. After a naval battle with Admiral Thomas Graves in September of 1781, de Grasse controlled the Chesapeake. This was vital. Without de Grasse's naval blockade of the Chesapeake Bay and Yorktown River, Cornwallis could have easily evaded the combined Franco-American troops. De Grasse had participated at the liberation and independence of the United States.

2°)  The French Lines Paquebot” De Grasse” (1924-1962) travelling essentially between Le Havre and New-York, les Antilles.

A lot of artists enjoyed this boat wellknown for its French atmosphere, the good taste of its cooking and the reputation of its crew, BBardot, St Exupéry, Calder meet there his wife…

3°) The French Croiseur “De Grasse” (1937- 1974) based a long time in the atoll of Mururoa for the nuclear tests.

4°) The American US Navy “Comte De Grasse”, spruance class destroyer (1978 – 1998), the only military boat with a foreign name.

5°) The French Fregate anti-missiles “De Grasse” (1975) still in activity, most of the time in the Indian ocean

Around the 20 of September, each year, with the commemoration of Admiral De Grasse,

the city of Grasse memorises the friendship between

the United States and  the France. It was a wonderfull occasion to inaugurate

the painting, which will be presented in October to the city during a book manifestation “Lire en Fête”

and will find definitively its place in the Musée de la Marine in Grasse, “The Memorial Admiral De Grasse” 

En attendant les personnalités au Palais des Congrès de Grasse …	The Mayor of Grasse JP. Leleux congratulating the Captain de Larminat, Commandant  of De Grasse. Behind the President of Memorial De Grasse Comte Bruno deydier De Pierrefeu, member of the french society of the Cincinnatis.
De D à G: JP Leleux, maire de Grasse, Le Président du Mémorial De Grasse Comte Bruno deydier De Pierrefeu, membre de la  société des Cincinnatis de France, Le Vice-Amiral, Préfet Maritime de la Méditerranée Jean Tandonnet, Le capitaine Crignola, Commandant le Dupleix, Le capitaine Vincent de Larminat, Commandant le De Grasse.	From L to R : Avery Glize-Kane, President of Navy-Ligue Admiral Hauler from the 6th US Fleet based in Mediterranean, Vice-Admiral, Prefect Maritim of Mediterranean  Jean Tandonnet, Captain Vincent de Larminat, Commanding officer of De Grasse, Captain Crignola, Commanding officer of Dupleix.
De D à G: Le président du Mémorial De Grasse Comte Bruno deydier De Pierrefeu, membre de la  société des Cincinnatis de France, L’Amiral Hauler de la 6^ème flotte américaine basée en Méditerranée, Le Vice-Amiral, Préfet Maritime de la Méditerranée Jean Tandonnet, Le Consul Général des Etats-Unis d’Amérique, Philip J. Breeden.

Radio RCF Cote d'azur 96.8FM: De Grasse vogue sur les 4 Oceans
Un entretien de Denis Jaubert avec Isabelle Chemin et le conteur provencal Emile Cheval
octobre 2006

Partners:

Ville de Grasse, Musée de la Marine « Mémorial Amiral De Grasse » .