Pierre Jean Van Stabel
Encyclopedia
Pierre Jean Van Stabel was a French
naval officer and admiral, famous for his role in the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2.
Van Stabel was born to a family of sailors and started a career on privateer
s and merchantmen. A ship-owner
gave him his first command in 1769.
, entangled in the Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War
, recruited personnel from the merchant navy. Vanstabel enroled and was given the rank of lieutenant de frégate. Specialised in convoy escort, Van Stabel took command of the privateer Dunkerquoise, and later of the Rohan-Soubise.
On 23 January 1782, at Demerara
, the Rohan-Soubise fought against the 16-gun HMS Rodney. Van Stabel had his throat pierced by two bullets; he survived the wound, returned to his station and captured the British ship; the wound would compromise his health for the rest of his life. The prowess earned him recognition by Louis XVI personally, and he was awarded a sword of honour.
He later commanded the privateer Robecq.
. In the following months, he captured a 17-ship British convoy and was promoted to contre-amiral.
Van Stabel was given command of a squadron comprising 6 74-guns, 3 frigate and 3 corvettes, and tasked with escorting a 127-ship convoy from Chesapeake
to France. The pursuit of the convoy of the Royal Navy
was the focus of the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
which culminated with the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2. The convoy eventually reached Brest
unharmed on 13 June, without losing any ship, and actually enlarged by a number of prizes.
In Winter 1794-1795, Van Stabel took part in the Croisière du Grand Hiver
, under Villaret Joyeuse
. Later in 1795, he escorted another convoy to Ostend
.
In 1795, he was given command of the naval forces in the North Sea
, but his poor health forced him to resign. He died in Dunkirk on 30 March 1797.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
naval officer and admiral, famous for his role in the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2.
Van Stabel was born to a family of sailors and started a career on privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s and merchantmen. A ship-owner
Ship-owner
A shipowner is the owner of a merchant vessel . In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, usually for delivering cargo at a certain freight rate, either as a per freight rate or based on hire...
gave him his first command in 1769.
American Revolutionary War
In 1778, the French NavyFrench Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, entangled in the Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War
Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War
The naval operations of the American Revolutionary War , divide themselves naturally into two periods...
, recruited personnel from the merchant navy. Vanstabel enroled and was given the rank of lieutenant de frégate. Specialised in convoy escort, Van Stabel took command of the privateer Dunkerquoise, and later of the Rohan-Soubise.
On 23 January 1782, at Demerara
Demerara
Demerara was a region in South America in what is now Guyana that was colonised by the Dutch in 1611. The British invaded and captured the area in 1796...
, the Rohan-Soubise fought against the 16-gun HMS Rodney. Van Stabel had his throat pierced by two bullets; he survived the wound, returned to his station and captured the British ship; the wound would compromise his health for the rest of his life. The prowess earned him recognition by Louis XVI personally, and he was awarded a sword of honour.
He later commanded the privateer Robecq.
French Revolution
In 1790, Van Stabel was enseigne de vaisseau. In January 1793, he rose directly to capitaine de vaisseau and was awarded command of the TigreFrench ship Tigre (1793)
Tigre was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.Her first captain was Pierre Jean Van Stabel. When Van Stabel was promoted, she became the flagship of his 6-ship squadron. She notably fought in 1793 to rescue the Sémillante, along with the Jean Bart.Under Jacques Bedout, she took part in...
. In the following months, he captured a 17-ship British convoy and was promoted to contre-amiral.
Van Stabel was given command of a squadron comprising 6 74-guns, 3 frigate and 3 corvettes, and tasked with escorting a 127-ship convoy from Chesapeake
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
to France. The pursuit of the convoy of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
was the focus of the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
Atlantic campaign of May 1794
The Atlantic campaign of May 1794 was a series of operations conducted by the British Royal Navy's Channel Fleet against the French Navy's Atlantic Fleet, with the aim of preventing the passage of a strategically important French grain convoy travelling from the United States to France...
which culminated with the Bataille du 13 prairial an 2. The convoy eventually reached Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
unharmed on 13 June, without losing any ship, and actually enlarged by a number of prizes.
In Winter 1794-1795, Van Stabel took part in the Croisière du Grand Hiver
Croisière du Grand Hiver
The Croisière du Grand Hiver was a French attempt to organise a winter naval campaign in the wake of the Glorious First of June.-Context:...
, under Villaret Joyeuse
Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse
Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was a French admiral.-Early career:Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was born in Auch, in the heart of Gascony. The Villaret de Joyeuse family figured among the minor nobility from Languedoc...
. Later in 1795, he escorted another convoy to Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
.
In 1795, he was given command of the naval forces in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, but his poor health forced him to resign. He died in Dunkirk on 30 March 1797.