Pierre André de Suffren
Admiral comte Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren (17 July 1729 – Paris, 8 December 1788), Château de Saint-Cannat) was a French Navy officer and admiral. Beginning his career during the War of the Austrian Succession, he fought in the Seven Years' War, where he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Lagos. Promoted to captain in 1772, he was one of the aids of Admiral d'Estaing during the Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, notably taking part in the Siege of Savannah.
Pierre André de Suffren | |
|---|---|
Bust of Suffren by Jean-Antoine Houdon | |
| Nickname(s) | Jupiter |
| Born | 17 July 1729 Château de Saint-Cannat, France |
| Died | 8 December 1788 (aged 59) Paris, France |
| Buried | Ashes defiled in 1793 by the Revolutionaries |
| Allegiance | Sovereign Military Order of Malta Kingdom of France |
| Service/ | French Navy |
| Years of service | 1743–1784 |
| Rank | Vice-admiral in the French Navy General of the Galley of Malta |
| Unit | Indian Ocean squadron |
| Battles/wars | War of the Austrian Succession: |
| Awards | Order of the Holy Spirit Order of Saint-John of Jérusalem |
Suffren was then appointed to serve in the Indian Ocean under Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves, but assumed command himself at his death. Leading a 15-ship squadron, he fought five intense and evenly matched battles for control of the sea against Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes. Through these battles, Suffren managed to secure French dominance of the seas in Indian waters until the conclusion of the war at the Treaty of Paris. At his return, he was promoted to vice-admiral. He died shortly before he was to take command of the Brest squadron of the French fleet.