Latouche-Tréville Louis-René — French Admiral
STUB — Added to Research Queue 2026-05-05
Discovered via: Villeneuve Pierre-Charles — French Admiral See RESEARCH_QUEUE for priority.
What We Know So Far
- Born 3 June 1745, Rochefort; died 19 August 1804, Toulon (illness aboard his flagship).
- French vice-admiral; commander of the Toulon fleet 1803–04 — Napoleon’s preferred admiral for the invasion plan.
- Fought the Royal Navy at the Action of 24 June 1803 off Boulogne and again on 13 August 1803, briefly humiliating Nelson’s blockading squadron.
- His death from illness at Toulon left Napoleon to appoint Villeneuve Pierre-Charles — French Admiral in his place — a fateful substitution.
- Generally rated as the most aggressive and capable French admiral of the Napoleonic period.
Research Needed
- American war service and Caribbean career
- Detailed account of the 1803 actions against Nelson
- What the 1805 campaign might have looked like under his command
- Cause of death — letter trail and Decrès’s reaction