1. Jean-Pierre Esteva was a French naval officer who served in the First and Second World Wars.
11 Facts About Jean-Pierre Esteva
1. 2.
In 1920, he was a professor at the in Toulon, in 1927, captain, Jean-Pierre Esteva decided to follow a pioneering path in the nascent naval aviation, an original choice for an officer of this rank.
3.
Jean-Pierre Esteva left for the Far East where he was commander-in-chief of the naval forces.
4.
Jean-Pierre Esteva commanded several naval units where he hoisted his flag aboard the light cruiser Lamotte-Picquet.
5.
Jean-Pierre Esteva's stay in the Pacific led him to regularly visit the British bases of Hong Kong and Singapore as well as to fully appreciate the rise in power of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
6.
In November 1942, when the Allies launched Operation Torch, Jean-Pierre Esteva was still stationed there.
7.
Jean-Pierre Esteva allowed the Germans to take over several French bases in Tunisia, with intact fuel stocks.
8.
In May 1943, as Allied troops occupied Tunisia, Jean-Pierre Esteva was repatriated to France by the Germans.
9.
Jean-Pierre Esteva was nonetheless found guilty of treason on 15 March 1945.
10.
Jean-Pierre Esteva died a few months later and was interred in Reims.
11.
Jean-Pierre Esteva was decorated with the Order of the Francisque.