Pierre César Charles de Sercey

Pierre César Charles de Sercey
Born	1753 near Autin
Died	1836 Paris
Allegiance	Kingdom of France, First French Republic
Service/branch	French Navy
Years of service	1766-1803
Rank	vice-admiral
Commands held	Indian Ocean squadron
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War, French Revolutionary Wars

Pierre César Charles de Sercey (near Autin, 1753 - Paris, 1836) was a French admiral, most notable for commanding French naval forces in the Indian Ocean from 1796 to 1800. His name is engraved on the Arc de triomphe.

From an old noble family but orphaned very young, he embarked on the Légère aged 13 in 1766, before it sailed for the Antilles. He then voyaged in the Indian Ocean from 1767 to 1769, entering the gardes-marine in 1770 on Mauritius.

He served on the scow Gros Ventre in Kerguelen's expeditions (1772–1774). Separated from the expedition's flagship Fortune by a storm, the Gros Ventre was considered lost with all hands, but after a difficult voyage it managed to make it back to France on its own. Kerguelen was accused (probably justly) of having abandoned the Gros Ventre when the latter was in difficulties and of being uninterested in its survival.

Rising to ensign in 1777, he served on the frigate Belle Poule in the English Channel then on the Triton in Orvilliers's fleet in 1779. He commanded the cutter Sans Pareil in Guichen's fleet and fought in the battles over Dominica in April and May 1780. Captured by HMS Phoenix and two frigates, he quickly became the subject of a prisoner exchange and next commanded the cutter Serpent in the capture of Pensacola (May 1781). Then, having risen to lieutenant de vaisseau, he became second officer of the frigate Nymphe in 1782 and was thus in several battles, notably the capture of HMS Argo in February 1783 (in which battle Sercey took over command of the Nymphe when her captain was killed). He then campaigned in the Antilles from 1787 to 1792, commanding the frigate Ariel then the frigate Surveillante.

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