See Casabianca (disambiguation) for other meanings
Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca (Vescovato (Corsica)
7 February 1762 - Abukir
1 August 1798) was a
French Navy officer.
He attended the military school in June
1775 and joined the Naval Guards in July
1778. He was made an ensign (
enseigne de vaisseau) in November
1781 and served on the
Terrible and the
Zélé in the fleet of
Admiral De Grasse, taking part in the fights of
Fort-Royal (
29 April 1781), Chesapeake (5th of September) and
Saint-Christophe (January
1782). He was promoted to lieutenant (
lieutenant de vaisseau) in March
1786. In September [1792]], he was elected deputy for
Corsica at the Convention, and promoted to captain (
capitaine de vaisseau) in January
1793. He was a
Jacobin, but rather moderate, notably voting in favour of keeping
Louis XVI in prison. During the
Directory period, he worked at re-organising the Navy, and joined back in
1798. Made a division commander, he served in the expedition to Egypt as flag officer to Admiral
Brueys.
He died at the
Battle of Aboukir Bay on the
L'Orient, the principal ship of the fleet which carried
Napoleon Bonaparte and his army to
Egypt. English cannon fire set his ship ablaze and further shooting prevented any firefighting. At around 11 o'clock, the ship's powder magazines exploded. The blast was so great it was felt 15 miles away in Alexandria. His 12-year-old son, Giocante, was also killed.