Captain Claude Touffet (Quillebeuf, 17 June 1767 - Battle of Cape Ortegal, aboard the ''Dugay-Trouin'', 4 November 1805) was a French Navy officer.

Biography

Born to a family of sailors, Touffet started sailing in the merchant Navy before joined the Navy as an auxiliary ensign in 1792. He served on the 74-gun ''Téméraire'', the frigate ''Junon'', the 74 ''Aquilon'' and the ''Généreux'' in Brueys' fleet. On ''Généreux'', Touffet took part in the

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, escaping to Courfu. In March, ''Généreux'' set sail to escort a convoy bound for Corfu, but her captain, Commodore

Louis-Jean-Nicolas Lejoille Louis-Jean-Nicolas Lejoille (Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, 11 November 1759 – Brindisi, 9 April 1799 Hennequin, ''Biographie maritime'') was a French Navy officer and captain. Career Born to a family of sailors, Lejoille started sailing at seven a ...

, decided to attack Brindisi on the way. He was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, and Touffet, taking over, forced the city to surrender after a two-hour gunnery battle. He was consecutively promoted to captain. He later served as first officer on ''Patriote'', and took part in the Battle of Algeciras Bay on ''Indomptable'', again taking over command after his captain was killed. After the battle, he was maintained as captain of ''Indomptable'' and promoted. In 1802, he commanded the ''Héros'' and, from 1805, the ''Dugay-Trouin'' in Vice Admiral

Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley Vice-Admiral Count Pierre Étienne René Marie Dumanoir Le Pelley (2 August 1770 in Granville – 7 July 1829 in Paris) was a French Navy officer, best known for commanding the vanguard of the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. His conduct d ...

's squadron. He took part in the Battle of Cape Finisterre, and in the

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. He managed to escape the battle, but fell upon Admiral Sir

Richard Strachan Sir Richard John Strachan, 6th Baronet GCB (27 October 1760 – 3 February 1828) was a British officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of admiral. Sir Dicky, as his friends r ...

's squadron on 4 November 1805, leading to the Battle of Cape Ortegal. Touffet was killed during the fight, while ''Dugay-Trouin'' lost 150 men.

Sources and references

* ''Dictionnaire des capitaines de vaisseau de Napoléon'', Danielle & Bernard Quintin, SPM, 2003, {{DEFAULTSORT:Touffet, Claude French Navy officers 1767 births 1805 deaths