Emmanuel Halgan

Emmanuel Halgan (Donges, 31 December 1771 - Paris, 20 April 1852) was a French Navy officer and admiral.

Born to the family of a bailiff, Halgan joined the French Royal Navy aged 16. He then served as a lieutenant and first officer on merchantmen.

After rejoining the Navy, he served aboard the brig Curieux, captured by a British frigate in 1793. Halgan was taken prisoner. Upon his return to France, he served on the Terrible and on a number of other ships.

In 1798, Halgan received command of the brig Aréthuse. The next year, Aréthuse was dismasted and captured by a 74-gun, off Portugal.

In 1800, Halgan was tasked with commissioning the Clorinde, and then served as first officer on Clorinde as she was sent to Santo Domingo.

Upon his return to France, Halgan received command of the brig Épervier, with ensign Jérôme Bonaparte under his orders.

In Martinique, Halgan took command of the 20-gun Berceau. He sailed to France, and in 1803, sailed to the Indian Ocean to warn of the outbreak of the War of the Third Coalition. At Mauritius, he joined up with Linois' squadron, engaging in commerce raiding. He captured the 1500-ton Countess of Sutherland and, on 3 December, destroyed outposts at Pullo-Bay, along with Motard's Sémillante.

Sailing towards the Sea of China, Halgan persuaded Linois to sail through the Gaspar Strait, of which he had studied recent maps. The French squadron then met a 26-ship convoy of the Honourable East India Company, leading to the Battle of Pulo Aura.

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