Pierre César Charles de Sercey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre César Charles de Sercey
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| Born | 1753 near Autin |
| Died | 1836 Paris |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of France, First French Republic |
| Service/ |
French Navy |
| Years of service | 1766-1803 |
| Rank | vice-admiral |
| Commands held | Indian Ocean squadron |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War, French Revolutionary Wars |
| Awards | Légion d'Honneur, Order of Saint Louis, Peer of France |
Pierre César Charles de Sercey (born 1753, died 1836) was a brave French admiral. He is famous for leading French naval ships in the Indian Ocean between 1796 and 1800. His name is even carved on the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris!
Contents
A French Admiral's Life
Early Adventures at Sea
Pierre de Sercey came from an old noble family. He became an orphan when he was very young. At just 13 years old, in 1766, he started his life at sea. He joined the ship Légère before it sailed to the Antilles.
He then traveled in the Indian Ocean from 1767 to 1769. In 1770, he joined the gardes-marine (a kind of naval cadet) on Mauritius.
He served on the ship Gros Ventre during Kerguelen's expeditions from 1772 to 1774. During one trip, a big storm separated the Gros Ventre from the main ship, Fortune. Everyone thought the Gros Ventre was lost. But after a very tough journey, it managed to sail all the way back to France by itself!
Fighting in the American Revolutionary War
In 1777, Sercey became an ensign, which is a junior officer rank. He served on the frigate Belle Poule in the English Channel. Later, he was on the Triton in 1779.
He commanded a small ship called the cutter Sans Pareil. He fought in battles near Dominica in April and May 1780. He was captured by British ships but was quickly exchanged for another prisoner.
Next, he commanded the cutter Serpent. He helped capture Pensacola in May 1781. He then became a lieutenant and was second-in-command of the frigate Nymphe in 1782. He fought in several battles, including the capture of HMS Argo in February 1783. During that battle, Sercey took command of the Nymphe when its captain was killed.
From 1787 to 1792, he served in the Antilles. He commanded the frigate Ariel and then the frigate Surveillante.
Leading in the Indian Ocean
In 1792, Sercey was promoted to captain. In January 1793, he became a contre-amiral (a type of admiral). He was sent to Saint Domingue to lead a group of ships. However, because he came from a noble family, people suspected him during the Reign of Terror in France. He was arrested.
Luckily, he got his rank back under the new French government, the French Directory. He was then given command of a group of four frigates. These ships sailed from Rochefort to bring supplies and officials to Mauritius.
He captured several ships on his way to the Indian Ocean. Once there, other French ships already in the area also came under his command. He now had a small fleet. It included the corvette Brûle Gueule and seven frigates. These frigates had very skilled captains, like:
- Forte
- Prudente
- Régénérée
- Vertu
- Seine
- Cybèle
- Preneuse
Sercey's forces were much smaller than the British Royal Navy in the area. The British had 10 large battleships and 10 frigates. Also, Mauritius did not offer much help. The people there were worried about a rebellion. They refused to follow the new law from Paris that would end slavery. This made it hard for Sercey to get supplies or repair his ships.
To make up for his small force, Sercey kept his ships at sea all the time. He also captured many merchant ships, including those from the East India Company. He sold these captured ships to get money for supplies. He had orders to avoid big battles. This sometimes made him seem cautious. For example, in the action of 8 September 1796, his frigates damaged two large British battleships. But Sercey chose not to attack further and capture them.
He also avoided a group of slow, heavy merchant ships in the Bali Strait. These ships tricked Sercey into thinking they were warships by forming a battle line. This trick made the British commander, James Farquharson, famous.
The End of Sercey's Fleet
By 1798, Sercey's ships were getting old and worn out. They had to return to France for repairs one by one. This meant he lost Vertu, Régénérée, and Seine.
While Sercey was away, the governor of Mauritius took two of his best frigates, Forte and Prudente. The governor used them as privateer ships with inexperienced captains. Because of this, both ships were captured by the British in early 1799.
This left Sercey with only the frigate Preneuse and the corvette Brûle Gueule. This was too small a force for such a large ocean area. He tried to get help from Spanish naval forces nearby. He moved his base to Surabaya to be closer to the Spanish base in Manila. However, he could not form a strong alliance. The Spanish captains did not want to work with the French. Any joint operations they tried failed.
Sercey returned to Mauritius with his last two ships. For three weeks, he fought off two British battleships and two frigates that were blocking the island. This was called the second battle of the Black River. But in December 1799, the Preneuse was finally destroyed by the British in Mauritius's Tombeau bay. This marked the end of Sercey's fleet and his campaign in the Indian Ocean.
Later Life and Honors
Sercey did not return to France until 1802. The naval minister, Denis Decrès, blamed him for what happened to his fleet in the Indian Ocean. Disgusted, Sercey went back to Mauritius. He married there and became a planter. He played an important role in defending the island when the British captured it in 1810.
He finally returned to France. In 1814, he was made a vice-admiral. In 1832, he became a Peer of France, a high honor.
Awards and Recognitions
Pierre de Sercey received many important awards and titles:
- Grand cross of the Légion d'Honneur (a very high French award)
- Grand cross of the Ordre de Saint Louis (another important French order)
- Marquis (a noble title)
- Gentilhomme honoraire de la Chambre (an honorary court position)
- Order of Cincinnatus (an American award for officers who served in the Revolutionary War)
- Peer of France (a member of the French nobility with special rights)
