Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon
Encyclopedia
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
– June 6, 1730 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
), was a Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
during the reign of Louis XIV and Louis XV.
He was the seventh son of Louis de Coëtlogon, vicomte de Méjusseaume (d.1657), counsellor to the King in the Parlement of Brittany, and Louise Le Meneust de Brétigny. He enjoyed an excellent education in Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, and joined a military academy, where he graduated in 1668.
He served the major part of his career under the comte de Tourville
Anne Hilarion de Tourville
Anne Hilarion de Costentin, comte de Tourville was a French naval commander who served under King Louis XIV. He was made Marshal of France in 1693.-Military career:...
. In June 1672 he fought in the Battle of Solebay
Battle of Solebay
The naval Battle of Solebay took place on 28 May Old Style, 7 June New Style 1672 and was the first naval battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War.-The battle:...
on Tourville's ship under vice-admiral d'Estrées
Jean II d'Estrées
Jean II d'Estrées, , was a Marshal of France, and an important naval commander of Louis XIV.Jean d'Estrées was born in a noble family from Picardie...
. He also distinguished himself in the battles of Schooneveld
Battle of Schooneveld
The Battles of Schooneveld were two naval battles of the Franco-Dutch War, fought off the coast of the Netherlands on 7 June and 14 June 1673 between an allied Anglo-French fleet commanded by Prince Rupert of the Rhine, and the fleet of the United Provinces, commanded by Michiel de Ruyter.The...
in June 1673, and Texel
Battle of Texel
The naval Battle of Texel or Battle of Kijkduin took place on 21 August 1673 between the Dutch and the combined English and French fleets and was the last major battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, which was itself part of the Franco-Dutch War , during which Louis XIV of France invaded the...
in August.
On January 26 1675, at just 29 years old, he was made captain of his own ship. He fought with Tourville around Sicily and was wounded in the Battle of Agosta
Battle of Agosta
The naval Battle of Augusta took place on 22 April 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War and was fought between a French fleet of 29 man-of-war, five frigates and eight fireships under Abraham Duquesne and a Dutch-Spanish fleet of 27 plus five fireships with Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral-General Michiel de...
where De Ruyter
Michiel de Ruyter
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter is the most famous and one of the most skilled admirals in Dutch history. De Ruyter is most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century. He fought the English and French and scored several major victories against them, the best known probably...
was mortally wounded.
In 1680, Coëtlogon studied theology and considered entering the church. Although he returned to the sea, he was profoundly changed by this spiritual experience, and led an austere, celibate life. In 1683, he commanded various ships, first around Denmark, then in North Africa. In 1688 he took part in the bombardment of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
under Jean II d'Estrées
Jean II d'Estrées
Jean II d'Estrées, , was a Marshal of France, and an important naval commander of Louis XIV.Jean d'Estrées was born in a noble family from Picardie...
.
During the Nine Years' War, he was part of Château-Renault
François Louis de Rousselet, Marquis de Châteaurenault
François Louis de Rousselet, marquis de Châteaurenault was a French vice-admiral, maréchal, and nobleman....
's fleet which landed French troops in Ireland, and fought in the Battle of Bantry Bay
Battle of Bantry Bay
The Battle of Bantry Bay was a naval engagement fought on 11 May 1689 during the Nine Years' War. The Allied fleet was commanded by Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington; the French fleet by François Louis de Rousselet, Marquis de Châteaurenault...
on May 11 1689; on November 1 he was promoted to squadron leader. During the Battle of Beachy Head
Battle of Beachy Head (1690)
The Battle of Beachy Head was a naval engagement fought on 10 July 1690 during the Nine Years' War. The battle was the greatest French tactical naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents during the war...
in July 1690, he commanded a division of the van under Tourville, destroying several Dutch ships. He also participated in the Battle of La Hogue (1692), and the Battle of Lagos
Battle of Lagos (1693)
The Battle of Lagos was a sea battle during the Nine Years' War on 1693-06-27 , when a French fleet under Tourville defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet under George Rooke...
(1693) where, with eight ships, he hunted down and captured five Dutch ships under the guns of the Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
forts. In November 1693, he participated in the defence of Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
against the English. On February 1 1694, he was made a knight in the Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
.
In May 1701, Coëtlogon was promoted to lieutenant general, and given the title of marquis, which he would never use. The following year, during the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, he was sent to the Americas with five ships in service of Spain to protect the Spanish colonies, remaining at length in Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
. However, Coëtlogon was most famous for winning the Battle of Cap de la Roque
Battle of Cap de la Roque
The Battle of Cap de la Roque was a naval battle that took place on May 22, 1703 between a Dutch convoy protected by captain Roemer Vlack and a French squadron under Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, during the War of the Spanish Succession....
off Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
on May 22 1703. On board the Vainqueur, Coëtlogon, with four other ships Le Monarque, L'Éole, L'Orgueilleux and La Couronne, he defeated five Dutch ships: Muydenberg, Roosendaël, Rotterdam, Rescherner, and Gasterlandt. But the victory was not complete, and the Dutch convoy escaped.
His last battle was the Battle of Vélez-Málaga on August 24 1704. He then became Naval Commander in Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
and received many decorations. The last four years of his life he lived in a Jesuit order. On June 1 1730, he was finally made Marshal of France, six days before his death.
Several ships were named after Coëtlogon, especially a frigate which was active during the Boshin war
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
(1868–1869) in Japan, and later an armoured cruiser.