Charles-Auguste Levassor de La Touche-Tréville (1712–1788) was a French Navy officer.

Career

Levassor de La Touche-Tréville enlisted in the Navy in 1730, rising to Ensign in 1734 and to Lieutenant in 1748.Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.426 On 11 March 1756, La Touche-Tréville commanded the 30-gun frigate ''Zéphir''. She sailed in consort with the 74-gun ''Prudent'', under Chevalier d'Aubigny, and the 34-gun frigate ''Atalante'', under Count du Chaffault. The division met the 74-gun HMS ''Warwick''; in the ensuing chase and Action of 11 March 1756, ''Warwick'' was captured.Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.427 On a journey from France to Martinique, La Touche-Tréville, while escorting a 22-sail convoy, captured two British merchantmen and a privateer. The convoy and the prizes safely reached Martinique. He was promoted to Captain in 1757. He commanded the 64-gun ''Dragon'' in Conflans' fleet and took part in the

Battle of Quiberon Bay The Battle of Quiberon Bay (known as ''Bataille des Cardinaux'' in French) was a decisive naval engagement during the Seven Years' War. It was fought on 20 November 1759 between the Royal Navy and the French Navy in Quiberon Bay, off the coast ...

.Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.428 In October 1760, La Touche-Tréville commanded the pram ''Louise'' and harassed the British squadron blockading

Île-d'Aix Île-d'Aix () is a commune and an island in the Charente-Maritime department, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Poitou-Charentes), off the west coast of France. It occupies the territory of the small Isle of Aix (''île d'Aix''), in the ...

. His nephew Louis-René served aboard. In late 1760, La Touche-Tréville transferred to the 74-gun ''Intrépide''. He proposed a plan to free the mouth of the Charente River from the British blockade and executed it by attacking it with prams. The success of the plan allowed the fleet to sail to Martinique, in a desperate attempt to relieve it, but it arrived after the Invasion of Martinique. La Touche-Tréville was promoted to ''chef d'escadre'' in 1776. In peacetime, he distinguished himself with elaborate training campaigns for the fleet. At the outbreak of the American War of Independence, La Touche-Tréville took command of the 74-gun ''Neptune'' which, in consort with Beausset's 74-gun ''Glorieux'', captured the British privateer ''Hercules''Guérin (p.429) writes her name as ''Hercule'', probably translating her name into French.Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.429 Promoted to ''Lieutenant Général des Armées navales'', La Touche-Tréville was appointed to command the light squadron of the Franco-Spanish fleet in 1779, under Admirals Orvilliers and Córdova. Scouting in front of the combined fleet, his screen captured a British warshipGuérin (p.429) names her as the 64-gun ''Junon''; as no HMS ''Juno'' or HMS ''Junon'' mounted 64 guns in this period, this is a mistake. 64-gun HMS ''Ardent'' was captured going down the Channel on August 17, 1779, and added to the French navy under the same name (recaptured at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782). In 1780, La Touche-Tréville successfully evaded detection by British squadrons and landed 6000 men at Rhodes Island. La Touche-Tréville replaced his brother Louis-Charles as commander of the naval forces of

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...

. He died in 1788.

Sources and references

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Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Latouche Treville 1712 births 1788 deaths French Navy admirals French military personnel of the American Revolutionary War