Francois de grasse biography

French Navy officer and nobleman (–)

François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, Marquis of Grasse-Tilly, KM (13 September – 11 January ) was a French Navy officer and nobleman.

He is best known for his strategically decisive victory over the British while in command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake in in the last year of the American Revolutionary War. It directly led to the Franco-American victory at the siege of Yorktown and helped secure the independence of the United States.

After this action, de Grasse returned with his fleet to the Caribbean. In , a British fleet under Admiral George Rodney defeated and captured de Grasse at the Battle of the Saintes. De Grasse was widely criticised for his defeat in the battle.

Francois de grasse biography wikipedia

On his return to France in , he blamed his captains for the defeat. A court-martial exonerated all of his captains, effectively ending his naval career.

Early life

François-Joseph de Grasse was born and raise