Jean de Laborde

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comte Jean de Laborde Legion of Honor
Birth name	Jean Joseph Jules Noël de Laborde
Nickname(s)	Comte Jean
Born	(1878-11-29)29 November 1878 Chantilly, France
Died	30 July 1977(1977-07-30) (aged 98) Castillon-la-Bataille
Allegiance	French Third Republic  Vichy France
Service / branch	French Navy
Years of service	1897–1943
Rank	Admiral
Commands	Chief of Naval Aviation Béarn aircraft carrier Toulon maritime sector Commander-in-chief 4th maritime region Commander-in-chief Atlantic squadron Commander-in-chief western maritime forces Chief of Forces de Haute Mer
Battles / wars	Boxer Rebellion World War I World War II Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
Awards	Legion of Honor (stripped) Médaille militaire (stripped) Croix de guerre 1914-1918 Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (France) Ordre du Mérite Maritime 1901 China expedition commemorative medal Morocco commemorative medal (1909) Colonial Medal Distinguished Service Medal (U.S.) Order of Ouissam Alaouite Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Order of Glory (Tunisia)
Spouse(s)	Rose Marie Saldo

Jean de Laborde (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ də labɔʁd]; 29 November 1878 – 30 July 1977) was a French admiral who had a long career starting at the end of the 19th century and extending to World War II after which he was convicted of treason and sentenced to death. A pioneer of naval aviation in France, he captained the first French aircraft carrier, earned many awards, and held many top posts. He is most well known for his final military act, the scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon, after he refused to allow Germany to seize his fleet or to order his fleet to join the Allies during the German occupation of Vichy France in World War II, which left his prestige in ruins and led to his arrest and conviction for treason.