Jean Jacques Étienne Lucas
| Jean Jacques Étienne Lucas | |
|---|---|
Lucas, by Antoine Maurin
|
|
| Born | 28 April 1764 Marennes, France |
| Died | 6 November 1819 (aged 55) Brest, France |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of France French First Republic First French Empire
|
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | American War of Independence |
| Awards | Commandeur of the Legion of Honour |
Jean Jacques Étienne Lucas (28 April 1764 – 6 November 1819) was a French Navy officer, famous for his role in the Battle of Trafalgar.
Born in Marennes, he joined the French Navy at the age of 14. From 1779 to 1782 he sailed on the Hermione. During this period, he fought at the battle off Cape Breton (21 July 1781), part of the American Revolutionary War.
He is primarily remembered for his role in the Battle of Trafalgar. By 1805, Lucas was a capitaine de vaisseau, the French title for captain. He commanded the French ship of the line Redoutable.
On 21 October 1805, at Trafalgar, Redoutable was located just off the port side of the Bucentaure, flagship of Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve. As a result of this positioning, Lucas and his crew found themselves between the two columns of British ships commanded by Nelson and in the heat of battle from very early on in the conflict. They engaged HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship, and through use of heavy artillery they came astern of Victory and sought to board her.
The battle aboard Victory was bloody, costing both sides many lives and ultimately resulting in stalemate. Admiral Nelson himself was mortally wounded by a musket shot fired from atop one of the masts of the Redoutable, but before the boarding was successful, HMS Temeraire intervened and opened fire on the starboard side of Redoutable, resulting in the deaths of over two hundred French marines.
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