Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves
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| Died | 9 February 1782 Chennai |
| Occupation | Naval officer |
| Rank | Chef d'escadre |
Jean-Baptiste Barthélémy Thomas, comte d’Orves (1727 – February 9, 1782) was a French Navy officer. He became a high-ranking officer, known as a flag officer. He died aboard the ship Orient near Madras.
Contents
Thomas d'Estienne d'Orves was born into the Estienne Family. This was a noble family from a region in France called Provence. He chose a career in the navy.
Key Battles and Commands
Estienne d'Orves was involved in important naval battles. In 1778, he was the captain of the ship Actif. This ship had 74 guns. He led it during the Battle of Ushant on July 27, 1778.
Later in 1778, Estienne d'Orves took command of the 80-gun ship Orient. He held the rank of captain at this time. On December 28, he left Brest, France. His mission was to send more help to the French colony of Isle de France. This was during the Anglo-French War.
Leading French Forces
When the previous French commander in the Indian Ocean, François-Jean-Baptiste l'Ollivier de Tronjoli, returned to France, Estienne d'Orves took over. He became the new leader of the French forces in that area.
Estienne d'Orves led his group of warships, called a squadron, near the Coromandel Coast in India. However, his health started to get worse. In April 1781, he gave command of his division to another officer, Tromelin. He also gave command of the Orient to his First Officer, Bolle.
Final Mission and Death
On October 25, 1781, more French ships arrived at Isle de France. These reinforcements were led by Suffren. Estienne d'Orves then decided to plan an attack against British interests in India.
On December 7, 1781, Estienne d'Orves left Isle de France. He had 11 ships, 3 frigates, and 3 corvettes. He first planned to attack Trincomalee. However, he changed his mind and decided to attack Madras instead. In the days that followed, his health got much worse. He was too sick to lead, so he gave command to Suffren. Estienne d'Orves passed away on February 9, 1782. This was just a few days before the Battle of Sadras.
