Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon

Lieutenant général des armées navales Alain-Emmanuel de Coëtlogon (4 December 1646 – 6 June 1730) was a French Navy officer who served in the Franco-Dutch War, Nine Years' War and War of the Spanish Succession.

Life

He was born at Rennes, the seventh son of Louis de Coëtlogon, vicomte de Méjusseaume (d.1657), counsellor to the King in the Parlement of Rennes, and Louise Le Meneust de Bréquigny. He enjoyed an excellent education in Rennes, and joined a military academy, where he graduated in 1668. He served the major part of his career under the comte de Tourville. In June 1672 he fought in the Battle of Solebay on Tourville's ship under vice-admiral d'Estrées. He also distinguished himself in the battles of Schooneveld in June 1673, and Texel in August.

On 26 January 1675, at just 29 years old, he was made captain of his own ship. He fought with Tourville around Sicily and was wounded while in command of the Éclatant at the Battle of Agosta where De Ruyter 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 under Jean II d'Estrées.

His last battle was the Battle of Vélez-Málaga on 24 August 1704, commanding the 90-gun Tonnant. He then became Naval Commander in Brest and received many decorations. The last four years of his life he lived in a Jesuit order. On 1 June 1730 he was finally made Marshal of France, six days before his death in Paris. Several ships were named after Coëtlogon, especially a frigate which was active during the Boshin war (1868–1869) in Japan, and later an armoured cruiser.