Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin

Emmanuel Hamelin

Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin (born October 13, 1768 in Honfleur , † April 23, 1839 in Paris ) was a French admiral , best known for his service to France during the Mauritius campaign .

Early years

At the age of 17, Hamelin was hired on a merchant ship that belonged to his uncle. In 1786 he was part of the crew of a merchant ship that sailed to the Angolan coast. In 1787 he was a helmsman.

Formerly naval service

In 1792 Hamelin was drafted into the French revolutionary government. He first went to the marine infantry, in 1793 Hamelin became an ensign at sea on the frigate La Prosperine . During this time a Dutch frigate and part of the convoy protected by it was captured. In August 1795 Hamelin became a lieutenant at sea . He also served at La Minerve in the years that followed . From November 21, 1796 he was in command of La Révolution , then he commanded La Fraternité , three months later La Précieuse . Shortly thereafter, he became first officer on Le Formidable .

Expedition trip

From October 1, 1800 to June 23, 1803, Hamelin commanded the Le Naturaliste in the South Seas. The expedition carried out the mapping of the coast of Australia and New Guinea . After returning home, Hamelin was used again in the naval service for the invasion of England.

Mauritius campaign

See main article: Mauritius Campaign .

In July 1806, Hamelin took command of the frigate La Vénus . In 1808 he sailed with this and three other frigates to Mauritius . He led this squadron as a commodore . In March 1809 he set out with a small squadron in the Bay of Bengal to wage a trade war. In addition to La Vénus , the frigate Manche , the brig L'Entreprenant and the schooner La Créole sailed with him. The trade war was initially successful, on the return journey to Mauritius he even managed to capture three British East Indiamans. He was too late for the naval battle of Grand Port ; he only reached Grand Port a few days later. On September 17, 1810 he temporarily succeeded in capturing the HMS Cexlon , a British 32-gun frigate with the 40-gun frigate Venus , but on the same day he was defeated by the 38-gun frigate HMS Boadicea and had to face the Venus surrendered.

Return to France

Hamelin was celebrated when he returned to France in February 1811. He was introduced to Napoléon , who accepted him into the Legion of Honor and made him baron and rear admiral .

Retirement

From 1818 to 1822 he served in Toulon . In 1833 he was given responsibility for naval cartography . He retired shortly afterwards. He died in Paris in 1839.

Honors

His name is entered on the triumphal arch in Paris in the 2nd column.

Note

Even though Hamelin appears in Patrick O'Brian's novel Secret Mission Mauritius , he survived the encounter with HMS Boadicea , while he is killed in battle in the novel.

literature

• Charles Mullié , Biographies des Célébrites Militaire des Armées de terre et de mer de 1789-1850. Paris 1851.