François Joseph Paul de Grasse
French admiral / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, Marquis of Grasse-Tilly SMOM (13 September 1722 – 11 January 1788) was a career French officer who achieved the rank of admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781 in the last year of the American Revolutionary War. It led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown and helped gain the rebels' victory.
François Joseph Paul de Grasse | |
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Nickname(s) | Comte de Grasse |
Born | (1722-09-13)13 September 1722 Le Bar-sur-Loup, Provence, France |
Died | 11 January 1788(1788-01-11) (aged 65) Tilly, Île-de-France, France |
Buried | |
Allegiance | Order of Saint John (1734–1741) Kingdom of France (1741–1784) |
Service/ | French Navy |
Years of service | 1734–1784 |
Rank | Lieutenant général des armées navales |
Battles/wars | |
Signature |
After this action, de Grasse returned with his fleet to the Caribbean. In 1782 British Admiral Rodney decisively defeated and captured de Grasse at the Battle of the Saintes. De Grasse was widely criticised for his loss in that battle. On his return to France in 1784, he blamed his captains for the defeat. A court martial exonerated all of his captains, effectively ending his naval career.