The warship Guichen, rescuer of the Armenians of Musa Ler

The photograph shows the French warship Guichen, which rescued the Armenians of Musa Ler (Musa Dagh). The French caption on the postcard identifies the ship as the cruiser Guichen, and the upper corners show portraits of two men.

In July 1915, during the Armenian Genocide, the majority of the Armenians did not obey the Ottoman authorities' deportation order. Facing the approaching Ottoman troops, they all climbed to the very summit of Musa Ler, led by the fedayis Yagubyan and Movses Ter-Galustyan. Having fortified the slopes, the Armenians heroically repelled Turkish attacks for 53 days.

Eventually the warship Guichen, part of the 3rd French squadron, spotted a flag hung on the sheer slope facing the sea, and soon three more French and English ships noticed it. By order of the squadron commander, Admiral Louis Dartige du Fournet, 4,048 surviving Armenians, whose ammunition and provisions were almost exhausted, were rescued.