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 Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

, ''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.Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.428 In October 1760, La Touche-Tréville commanded the

pram Pram or PRAM may refer to: a bulbous growth on senior canines, varying in size, usually benign and painless. If it bursts, it will ooze pus and blood. Places * Pram, Austria, a municipality in the district of Grieskirchen in the Austrian state of ...

''Louise'' and harassed the British squadron blockading Île-d'Aix. 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 The Charente (; oc, Charanta ) is a long river in southwestern France. Its source is in the Haute-Vienne ''département'' at Chéronnac, a small village near Rochechouart. It flows through the departments of Haute-Vienne, Charente, Vienne ...

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 The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, 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 Orvilliers () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Georges Pompidou, President of France from 1969 to his death in 1974, is buried in the local cemetery. See also *Communes of the Yveline ...

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

Notes

References

Bibliography

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