Early career Chadeau de la Clocheterie entered the French naval service in 1754, at the age of thirteen, as an
élève de la marine. He became an
ensign in 1757 and served in the
Seven Years' War (1756–1763). On 2 November 1758 he was made a prisoner of war at the capture of the
Belliqueux, returning to France in April 1759. In 1768 he was stationed at Mauritius. There he met the botanist
Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, who described him as "a young man, with a dashing figure, very modest, who hardly spoke and was devoted to his duties". In 1775 he was made a Knight of the
Order of Saint Louis.
Belle Poule As Lieutenant commanding the frigate
Belle Poule, La Clocheterie fought the
action of 17 June 1778 against
HMS Arethusa, the
casus belli that precipitated the French entry into the American Revolutionary War. Despite suffering heavy casualties,
Belle Poule heavily damaged
Arethusa before being towed to safety through the coastal shallows of Brittany. La Clocheterie was received at the French court by Louis XVI and promoted to captain. He was given command of
Triton, a 64-gun
ship of the line. According to a widely circulated anecdote, the king informed him of his new commission during a game of piquet, taking him to task for his infidelity to his ship, and when de la Clocheterie expressed surprise saying "You are sure to abandon the Belle Poule to be captain of a ship with 64 guns." Not only the engagement, but also La Clocheterie's reception at court and his reward were reported in British, French, Spanish, German, Swiss, and Dutch reviews of current affairs of the year 1778.
Subsequent career Captain de la Clocheterie became commander of
Jason in early 1780, and fought at the
Battle of Cape Henry and the
Battle of Saint Kitts, particularly distinguishing himself in the former engagement. He died in 1782, in the
Battle of the Saintes, commanding
Hercule. ==Citations==