Jean-François de Sabran, comte de La Clue (known as "La Clue-Sabran"; 30 September 1696 – 4 October 1764) was a French naval officer best known for his command of the French fleet in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

Seven Years War

He was appointed ''chef d'escadre'' (the lowest level of general officer in the French Navy) on 25 September 1755. After attempting to sail to the relief of

Louisbourg Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. History The harbour had been used by European mariners since at least the 1590s, when it was known as English Port and Havre à l'An ...

in 1758, he was trapped in the neutral Spanish harbour of Cartagena. Following the Battle of Cartagena, La Clue returned to Toulon, abandoning his attempt to relieve Louisbourg. In 1759, as part of a French plan to invade the British Isles, La Clue sailed from Toulon hoping to escape through the

Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. The two continents are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers, 8.9 miles) at its narrowest point. Fe ...

and join with the other main French fleet at Brest. He was caught by a patrolling British fleet under

Edward Boscawen Admiral of the Blue Edward Boscawen, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC (19 August 171110 January 1761) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He is known principally for his various naval commands during the 18th century and the engagements ...

and defeated at the Battle of Lagos off

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. The battle, along with the

Battle of Quiberon Bay The Battle of Quiberon Bay (known as the ''Bataille des Cardinaux'' by the 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 ...

later in the year, ended any immediate chance of a successful French invasion. Following the conclusion of the war, La Clue-Sabran retired from the Navy in 1764 with the rank of ''lieutenant-général des armées navales''. He died later the same year.

Bibliography

* McLynn, Frank. ''1759: The Year Britain Became Master of the World''. Pimlico, 2005. * Rodger, N. A. M.. ''Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649–1815''. Penguin Books, 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:La Clue-Sabran, Jean-Francois de 1696 births 1764 deaths French military personnel of the Seven Years' War French Navy admirals