Anne Hilarion de Tourville
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Image:Tourville.jpg Image:Tourville-musee-marine.jpg Anne Hilarion de Contentin, comte de Tourville (1642–1701) was a French naval commander who served under King Louis XIV.
Aged 17, a Knight of Malta, he fought his first naval fight on a frigate of the Order of Malta.
At 25 he joined the French Royal Navy, and started an active career, fighting the 1673 campaign on the Sans-Pareil, at the taking of Agosta where he was in command of the Syrene, and later in command of the Sceptre.
He served under Abraham Duquesne during the campaigns of 1676, and became a commander in 1690 during the War of the Grand Alliance. He put his flag on the Soleil-Royal, where it would stay until the battle of La Hougue in 1692. At the Battle of Beachy Head (Victoire de Béveziers), he defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet, sinking and capturing 15 enemy ships.
On the 29 May 1692, at Barfleur he inflicted heavy losses to a 97-ship strong English and Dutch fleet, with only 45 ship, and forced them to retreat; however, he himself suffered heavy losses after the battle when fire ships attacked the French ships of the line immobilised for repairs in Cherbourg.
On the 27 June 1693, he defeated 59 English ships commanded by George Rooke in 1693 at Cape St. Vincent near Lagos Bay in Portugal, during the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.
Tourville retired after the Peace of Ryswick and died in Paris on the 23 May 1701, regarded as a hero.