Memorial Duperré La Rochelle

There is a statue for Guy Victor Duperré in La Rochelle.
The bronze statue is the work of the sculptors Pierre and Emile Hébert and designed by Thiébaut. It was made from the bronze cannons of the Dey of Algiers.
The inauguration took place on October 17, 1869.

The statue depicts Guy Victor, Baron Duperré (1775-1846), admiral and then Minister of the Navy and the Colonies, holding a telescope in one hand and a sword in the other, in front of a sea anchor. The statue, overlooking the city, turns its back on the sea.
The two bas-reliefs on the pedestal represent the embarkation of Duperré as a pilot, at the age of sixteen, on board the Henri IV, the other the admiral receiving a sword of honor given to him by La Rochelle after the conquest of Algiers.

Guy Victor Duperré (1775 - 1846) was a French admiral.
In 1808 he commanded the frigate Sirène and led a troop convoy to Martinique. He is known for commanding French naval forces in the Mauritius campaign of 1809-11 and triumphing at the Battle of Grand Port, where he was wounded.
From 1812 to 1814, Duperré commanded Italian and French naval forces in the Mediterranean and Adriatic. In 1814 he defended Venice against Austria.
In 1818 he commanded the squadron that blockaded Cádiz during the war that restored Ferdinand VII of Spain to the throne.
In 1830 he commanded the naval units of the expeditionary force that carried out the invasion of Algiers.
In March 1831 he was promoted to admiral and appointed head of the Board of the Admiralty. He also became Minister of the Navy three times.
In 1843 he retired for health reasons.
Duperré received a state funeral and was interred in the Dôme des Invalides.
His name is carved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Koos Winkelman