Richard Kempenfelt
| Richard Kempenfelt | |
|---|---|
Portrait as a Rear Admiral
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| Born | 1718 Westminster, London, England |
| Died | 29 August 1782 Spithead, England |
| Occupation | Royal Navy admiral |
Richard Kempenfelt (1718 – 29 August 1782) was a British rear-admiral who gained a reputation as a naval innovator. He is best known for his victory against the French at the Second Battle of Ushant and for his death when the HMS Royal George accidentally sank at Portsmouth the following year.
He was born at Westminster. His father, a Swede, is said to have been in the service of James II, and subsequently to have entered the British army.
Richard Kempenfelt joined the navy, was commissioned a lieutenant in January 1741. He saw service in the West Indies, taking part in the capture of Portobelo during the War of Jenkins' Ear. In 1746 he returned to Britain, and from then to 1780, when he was made rear-admiral, he saw active service in the East Indies with Sir George Pocock and in various quarters of the world.
In 1779, he was made Chief of Staff or Captain of the Fleet under Admiral Sir Charles Hardy on the HMS Victory which was to lead a hastily assembled fleet to oppose an invasion of England set to begin with the destruction of the Portsmouth naval base by the French and Spanish Armada of 1779.
In 1781 he won the Battle of Ushant, with a vastly inferior force, defeating the French fleet under De Guichen and capturing 20 ships.
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Wikipedia