In the 20th century were most of the European navies once or even several times harassed by mutiny similarly the French. On 3 November was at Brest the first court martial to judge the 2 quartermasters and 24 sailors of the cruiser Guichen (1) which were accused of mutiny while she was anchored off Itea on 26 June. She arrived on 25 June at this anchorage serving as a transport with a detachment of 444 men on board which were landed there. In the morning of the 26th started a lively commotion on board ending the refusal of ¾ of the crew to day anything what was ordered. Her commanding officer ordered to bring all arms and ammunition to a safe place. The tug Gloria was send with a detachment of 30 Senegalese which had the most difficulty to come on board. The commanding officer placed at several strategically points on board guards armed with rifles with the bayonet put on. Twenty mutineers went freely to the commanding officer, three others were arrested and brought on board of the tug and brought to a prison on land. Later were more arrested. It were mostly young men with being just for a few years in naval service and among them were 21 volunteers. They were accused of unarmed revolt. The sea cook Fragne admitted that he possessed some editions of an anarchistic magazine.
Note
1. The Guichen was a protected cruiser laid down at the hard of the Soc. de la Loire, St. Nazaire, France in October 1895, launched in October 1897, completed 2 years later and finally stricken in 1922. With a displacement of 8,151 tons were her dimensions 436’4” (between perpendiculars) x 54’9” x 24’7” (maximum) or 133,00 x 16,96 x 7,49 metres. Her original armament consisted of 2-6.4”guns, 6-5.5” guns, 10-3pdr, 5-1pdr and 2-18” torpedo tubes. The vertical triple expansions engines and 36 boilers provided 25,000 ihp allowing a speed of 23,5 knots while she had a maximum coal capacity of 1,960 tons. Her crew numbered 625 men. Building costs were 611,945 British pound. Was designed to be used as commerce raider.
