thumb|Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte.Count
Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte (born
1 November 1720 in
Rennes; died
10 June 1791 in
Brest) was a
French admiral.
Aged fifteen, he joined the navy as a midshipman and served in
Morocco, the
Baltic Sea, the
Caribbean Islands and in
India. Noted for his strategic skills, he was called to
Paris in 1775 to help the Secretary of State prepare the order to reorganise the Navy. In 1778, as a Squadron Commander, he took part in the
Battle of Ouessant on the
Saint-Esprit, and then cruised the English seas. During one month, he captured thirteen ships.
During the
American Revolutionary War, Picquet de la Motte distinguished himself as a member of
Admiral d'Estaing's squadron in
Martinique and during the
Battle of Grenada and the
Siege of Savannah.
On 18 December 1779, he attacked a British squadron under the command of Admiral
Hyde Parker that was attempting to blockade a French convoy; such was the success of his action, named the "
Combat de la Martinique", that Hyde Parker sent him a letter of congratulation:
In 1781, as commander of a nine-vessel squadron that included three
frigates, Picquet de la Motte intercepted the fleet of Admiral
Rodney en route from
St. Eustatius Saint-Eustache. Twenty-six British ships were captured along with Rodney's plunder in the amount of 5 million sterling. Soon afterwards he was promoted to Lieutenant General of the Naval Armies.
Picquet de la Motte died in 1791, after fifty-two years of service. Four vessels of the
French Navy have been named in his honour, the most recent being the first-rank frigate
Lamotte-Picquet.
See also
