French Naval Officer. He was a leading commander in the Battle of the Nile. Born in Vescovato, Corsica, he joined France's Naval Guards at age 16 and was promoted to captain in 1793. During the French Revolution he was a moderate member of the Jacobins and voted to spare the life of King Louis XVI. Following the Reign of Terror he helped reorganize the Navy, returning to its service as a division commander in 1798. Casabianca was immediately appointed captain of the 118-gun flagship L'Orient, which carried Napoleon to his invasion of Egypt in a fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Francois-Paul Brueys. While Napoleon and his army advanced on Alexandria, the French anchored their ships in a defensive position at Abu Qir Bay, near the mouth of the Nile. There, at dusk on August 1, they were sighted by a British fleet under Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson. Brueys and Casabianca, believing the British would not risk a night battle in shallow waters, were slow to react and may even have planned to escape; but Nelson attacked, and the L'Orient was the first to be bombarded. The ship caught fire and at 10pm its powder magazine exploded, raining debris and bodies over a two-mile radius. Casabianca, Brueys, and 900 of the ship's 1080-man crew perished. Also among the dead was Casbianca's 12 year-old son, Giocante. Although the Battle of the Nile was a fatal blow to Napoleon's ambitions in Egypt, in France and especially in Corsica Casabianca was hailed as a hero, and a legend grew that either the captain or his son blew up the L'Orient to prevent its capture by the British. Several vessels of the French Navy, including a nuclear submarine, have been named for him.
French Naval Officer. He was a leading commander in the Battle of the Nile. Born in Vescovato, Corsica, he joined France's Naval Guards at age 16 and was promoted to captain in 1793. During the French Revolution he was a moderate member of the Jacobins and voted to spare the life of King Louis XVI. Following the Reign of Terror he helped reorganize the Navy, returning to its service as a division commander in 1798. Casabianca was immediately appointed captain of the 118-gun flagship L'Orient, which carried Napoleon to his invasion of Egypt in a fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Francois-Paul Brueys. While Napoleon and his army advanced on Alexandria, the French anchored their ships in a defensive position at Abu Qir Bay, near the mouth of the Nile. There, at dusk on August 1, they were sighted by a British fleet under Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson. Brueys and Casabianca, believing the British would not risk a night battle in shallow waters, were slow to react and may even have planned to escape; but Nelson attacked, and the L'Orient was the first to be bombarded. The ship caught fire and at 10pm its powder magazine exploded, raining debris and bodies over a two-mile radius. Casabianca, Brueys, and 900 of the ship's 1080-man crew perished. Also among the dead was Casbianca's 12 year-old son, Giocante. Although the Battle of the Nile was a fatal blow to Napoleon's ambitions in Egypt, in France and especially in Corsica Casabianca was hailed as a hero, and a legend grew that either the captain or his son blew up the L'Orient to prevent its capture by the British. Several vessels of the French Navy, including a nuclear submarine, have been named for him.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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