Bernard Dubourdieu (28 April 1773 – 13 March 1811) was a French

rear-admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarded ...

who led the allied French-Venetian forces at the Battle of Lissa in 1811, during which he was killed.

Life

A native of

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...

, Dubourdieu started sailing on a merchantman at 16, before joining the Navy in 1792. He quickly rose to ensign aboard the ''Entreprenant''. He transferred to the frigate ''Topaze'' the next year in Latouche-Tréville's squadron. Captured at Toulon by the British and transferred to

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, he escaped to

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

. Promoted to ''enseigne de vaisseau'', Dubourdieu sailed on the corvette ''Gaieté''. ''Gaieté'' was captured and Dubourdieu was imprisoned again until 1799. Captured a third time in Alexandria in 1800, he was exchanged and promoted to ''lieutenant de vaisseau''. In 1805, he was made a ''capitaine de frégate''. In 1807, he took command of the frigate ''

Pénélope ''Pénélope'' is an opera in three acts by the French composer Gabriel Fauré. The libretto, by René Fauchois is based on Homer's ''Odyssey''. It was first performed at the Salle Garnier, Monte Carlo on 4 March 1913. The piece is dedicated to ...

'' and captured thirteen British merchantmen. In the

action of 27 February 1809 The action of 27 February 1809 was a minor naval engagement during the French Revolutionary Wars. Two 44-gun frigates, ''Pénélope'' and ''Pauline'', sortied from Toulon harbour to chase a British frigate, HMS ''Proserpine'', which was conduc ...

, along with the frigate ''Pauline'', he captured blockading Toulon. On 23 October 1810, he raided Lissa and captured six ships in the harbour. He was then tasked to capture the island and establish a base there. Promoted to ''contre-amiral'', Dubourdieu set sail with six frigates. In the ensuing Battle of Lissa, the French were routed and Dubourdieu was killed.

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External links

* 1773 births 1811 deaths People from Bayonne French Navy admirals French military personnel killed in the Napoleonic Wars French naval commanders of the Napoleonic Wars {{France-mil-bio-stub