Jean Baptiste Christy de La Pallière

Jean Baptiste Christy de La Pallière (6 May 1719, in Saint-Malo – 8 September 1787, in Inzinzac-Lochrist)^[1]^[2] was a French Navy officer. He notably he captained the 74-gun Orient at the Battle of Sadras on 17 February 1782, ^[3] at the Battle of Providien on 12 April 1782, ^[4] at the Battle of Negapatam on 6 July 1782, ^[5] and at the Battle of Trincomalee from 25 August to 3 September 1782. ^[6]

Biography

Christy de La Pallière started sailing with the French East India Company in 1732, under his cousin Mahé de La Bourdonnais.^[1] During the War of the Austrian Succession, he commanded a 40-gun armed East Indiaman in a squadron under Guy François de Kersaint. He took part in the first French expedition to Cochinchina. By 1756, he had risen to the rank of Commander.^[1]

In 1778, at the outbreak of the Anglo-French War, he was promoted to Captain for a mission to the Indian Ocean, and appointed to the 64-gun Sévère.^[7] On 27 March 1779, Sévère departed with the transports Hercule and Trois-Amis. The squadron called the Cape in late June, and departed for the last leg of the journey on 13 July, arriving at Port-Louis on 9 August 1779, after a scurvy-plagued voyage.^[7]

After Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves died, on 9 February 1782, Suffren promoted La Pallière to the command of his ship, the 74-gun Orient.^[8] La Pallière captained her at the Battle of Sadras on 17 February 1782, ^[3] at the Battle of Providien on 12 April 1782, ^[4] and at the Battle of Negapatam on 6 July 1782, ^[5] and at the Battle of Trincomalee from 25 August to 3 September 1782. ^[6]

On 8 September 1782, Orient ran aground at Pointe de Sale, near Trincomalee, and she became a total loss.^[9] La Pallière was incapacitated by an attack of gout and had left his son, Ensign Jean Anne Christy de La Pallière, in charge. Ensign La Pallière was dismissed from the Navy,^[10] although he was later reinstated, retiring in July 1816 with the honorary rank of contre-amiral.

Notes

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c "Jean François Edmond CHRISTY DE LA PALLIÈRE". Parcours de vie dans la Royale. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
^ Roussel & Forrer (2019), p. 121.
^ ^a ^b Cunat (1852), p. 111.
^ ^a ^b Cunat (1852), p. 128.
^ ^a ^b Cunat (1852), p. 169.
^ ^a ^b Cunat (1852), p. 217.
^ ^a ^b Cunat (1852), p. 73.
^ Cunat (1852), p. 104.
^ Roche (2005), p. 335.
^ Cunat (1852), p. 380.

References

Cunat, Charles (1852). Histoire du Bailli de Suffren. Rennes: A. Marteville et Lefas. pp. 447.
Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
Roussel, Claude-Youenn; Forrer, Claude (2019). Tromeling et Suffren, un conflit entre marins. Kronos. ISBN 978-2-917232-88-0.