Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery (1757, Allons, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Allons, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Allons is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...

 – 1798, Allons) was a French naval officer

Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...

. He distinguished himself in the French Navy in the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

. From 1781 until 1785 he served in the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

 under Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez

Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez

Admiral comte Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren , French admiral, was the third son of the marquis de Saint Tropez, head of a family of nobles of Provence which claimed to have emigrated from Lucca in the 14th century...

. In 1793 he was promoted to Captain, but was relieved during the French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

 due to his noble background. He was reinstated in 1794 and given the rank of Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...

.

He commanded a squadron of 6 vessels and three frigates based in Toulon

Toulon

Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....

. After passing through Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...

, his squadron captured a convoy

Action of 7 October 1795

The Action of 7 October 1795 was a naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars during which a French squadron led by Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery captured a large British convoy of thirty-one merchant vessels...

 of trading vessels (around thirty vessels) close to Cadiz. In 1795, he carried out a raid on Saint-Domingue and captured another enemy convoy. His squadron then carried out raids

Newfoundland expedition

The Newfoundland expedition was a series of fleet manoeuvres and amphibious landings in the coasts of Newfoundland, Labrador and Saint Pierre and Miquelon carried out by the combined French and Spanish fleets during the French Revolutionary Wars...

on the Canadian coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. His squadron also bombarded and destroyed English fisheries in the area. He died in Allons in 1798.