Pierre-Claude Haudeneau de Breugnon (Brest, 3 August 1717 — Paris, 6 September 1792) was a French Navy officer.[1]
Breugnon was born to the family of Marie Pauline Oriot de Coatamour and of Chef d'escadre Charles-Joseph Haudeneau de Breugnon.[2] Breugnon joined the Navy as a Garde-Marine in 1733.[3]
In 1746, he captained the 12-gun corvette Palme, on which he fought a British privateer off Calais.[4] That same year, he was given command of the 22-gun frigate Dursley Galley, which he sailed between Brest and Port-Louis, Isle de France.[4][5]
He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1751.[3] In 1756, he commanded the 32-gun frigate Sirène, in the squadron under Beaussier de l'Isle, bound for Louisbourg and Quebec.[6] In 1758, he commanded the 64-gun Bizarre at Quebec and Port-Louis.[7]
He was promoted to Captain in 1757.[3] In 1761, he commanded the 74-gun Diadème, making voyages between Saint-Domingue and Brest.[8] The year after, he captained Protée.[8] In 1765, he had command of the 32-gun frigate Licorne,[9] and took part in the Larache expedition.[1]
He was promoted to Chef d'escadre in 1767.[3] That same year, he conducted a mission to Morocco with the 64-gun Union, ferrying diplomats to negotiate peace.[10]From 1772 to 1775, he commanded the fleet at Brest.[3] In 1774, he was involved in the inquiry into the fire that had destroyed Mars at Isle de France (Mauritius) the year before.[11]
He was promoted to Lieutenant-général in on 1 March 1779.[12] Between 1779 and 1784, he was commanding officer for the forces in Lorient.[3] At the same time, Breugnon commanded a division in the fleet under Estaing, with his flag on the 80-gun Tonnant[13][14] and Bruyères as his flag captain.[15] He took part in the Battle of Rhode Island on 29 August 1778, in the Battle of Grenada on 6 July 1779,[16] and during the Siege of Savannah.[3] He then went to Saint-Domingue for health reasons,[3] and was replaced with Barras.[17]
In 1781, Breugnon commanded a division again, with his flag on the 116-gun Royal Louis,[18][19] and with also the 110-gun Bretagne, the 32-gun frigate Concorde, and the 10-gun corvette Curieuse. The division departed Brest on 2 September and arrived at Cadiz on 1 October to make its junction with the fleet under Estaing.[20]
In October 1782, Breugnon was president of a court-martial investigating Captain Sillans for the loss of the 74-gun Pégase at the Battle of Ushant on 21 April. Sillans was cashiered and expelled from the Navy.[21]The year after, Breugnon presided the inquiry held in Lorient to investigate the events of the Battle of the Saintes.[3]He was promoted to Vice-amiral in 1792.[3][22]
Breugnon was murdered during the September Massacres in 1792.[1]
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