Pierre André de Suffren
Pierre André de Suffren | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Suffren during his service in the Maltese Navy | |
| Nickname(s) | Jupiter, Satan |
| Born | 17 July 1729 Saint-Cannat, France |
| Died | 8 December 1788 (aged 59) Paris, France |
| Buried | Ashes defiled in 1793 by French revolutionaries |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of France Hospitaller Malta |
| Branch | French Navy Maltese Navy |
| Years of service | 1743–1784 |
| Rank | Vice admiral (France) General of the Galleys (Malta) |
| Unit | Indian Ocean squadron |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Order of the Holy Spirit Order of Saint-John of Jérusalem |
Vice-Admiral Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren (17 July 1729 – 8 December 1788) was a French naval officer. Beginning his career during the War of the Austrian Succession, he briefly served in the Maltese Navy before fighting in the Seven Years' War, where Suffren was taken prisoner by the British at the Battle of Lagos. Promoted to captain in 1772, he served under Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing during the naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, taking part in the siege of Savannah in 1779.
Suffren was subsequently appointed to serve in the Indian Ocean under Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves, but assumed command himself after d'Estienne's death. Leading a large fleet, he fought five intense and evenly matched battles for command of the sea against British Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes. Through these battles, Suffren managed to secure French dominance of the Indian Ocean until the conclusion of the war at the Treaty of Paris, although this did not lead to any permanent gains. After his return to France, he was promoted to the rank of vice admiral, and died shortly before he was to take command of the Brest squadron of the Ponant Fleet.