François Joseph Paul de Grasse

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François Joseph Paul de Grasse (1722-1788), also known as, Comte de Grasse and later Marquis de Grasse-Tilly, was a French admiral who commanded the French fleet that decisively assisted the colonial forces, under George Washington, at the Battle of Yorktown.

Born at Bar-sur-Loup, in the present département of the Alpes-Maritime, he was commissioned an ensign of the Knights Hospitaller. and, in 1740, he entered the French Navy.

He first assisted in the Napoleonic Wars as a commander of a division, at the First Battle of Ushant from July 23 to 27, 1778. Joining the command of Count d'Estaing in the Caribbean in 1779, and played a major role himself in the battles of Dominica and Saint Lucia during 1780 and of Tobago during 1781. He was involved in capturing of Grenada and in the Battle of Martinique against Lord Rodney.

After Martinique, he sailed from Saint-Dominique. De Grasse landed the 3,000 French soldiers in Virginia to reinforce Washington. Next, he defeated the British fleet in the Battle of the Chesapeake in September 1781, and blockaded the coast until the surrender at Yorktown.

He was less fortunate at the Battle of St. Kitts, where he was defeated by Admiral Hood. Shortly afterwards, in April 1782, he was defeated and captured Admiral Lord Rodney at the Battle of the Saintes. Returning to France, he was acquitted by a court-martial in 1784.

Several ships of the United States Navy have been named in his honor, most recently USS Comte de Grasse (DD-974), a decommissioned destroyer of the Spruance-class.