Antonio de Escaño

Lieutenant-General Antonio de Escaño y García de Cáceres (1750 – 12 July 1814) was a Spanish Navy officer and politician. He served in several naval battles including the Battle of Trafalgar. He was Spain's Minister of the Navy and a member of the Council of Regency. A Spanish Navy school named for him states: "He is regarded as one of the best naval tacticians of the 18th century. An enlightened man, he devoted himself to the study of shipbuilding and other academic disciplines such as chemistry, botany and history, of which he was an academic."

Biography

Early career

Escaño became a midshipman at the age of 17 and took part in almost every major Spanish naval operation of his time. These included the 1782 Battle of Cape Spartel,