He gave his name to France's giant submarine

As general, Napoleon Bonaparte may have been the greatest military genius of his time. On the water, however, he had little luck. His expedition to Egypt was already ill-fated because the Royal Navy destroyed his fleet at Abukir in 1799. Six years later, to finally eliminate England, he massed his army for the invasion of England. But the destruction of the Franco-Spanish fleet by Horatio Nelson in October 1805 at Trafalgar doomed the enterprise to failure. The continental blockade, which was supposed to bring the English economy to its knees, also proved to be a non-starter.

The failure of the major maritime plans makes one forget that French warships were able to achieve notable successes. Many are associated with the name of Robert Surcouf (1773 to 1827). Because the man from the old pirate port of Saint-Malo turned the privateering war against British ships into a highly successful business model that not only earned him a considerable fortune, but also a title of count.

The son from an old family of seafarers and shipowners brought with him the necessary stable smell and a broken school education. Since he was repelled by the attempt by Jesuits to arrange one for him, Surcouf signed on for the first time on a merchant ship at the age of 13, according to other sources as a 15-year-old. What is certain is that he so impressed the captain of the "Aurore" that he quickly rose in the pecking order of the sailors.

But it wasn't just nautical talent that fueled Surcouf's career, it was also a sound business acumen. He quickly learned which goods made which profits and what the relationship between effort and risk and return was. This was especially true of a commodity that had since acquired a reputation for immorality: slaves. As the plantations of the French islands in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean continued to demand masses of slave labourers, the ships on which Surcouf served carried many of these unfortunates. This was even more true after the government outlawed the slave trade.

In this business, Surcouf concentrated entirely on the routes in the Indian Ocean, which he obviously got to know like the back of his hand. When the undeclared war of privateering between French and English ships in the course of the First Coalition War against revolutionary France from 1793 turned into a major war, he received lucrative orders from both local authorities and private individuals, which enabled him to work as a corsair on the hunt for booty walk.

Above all, the large ships of the English East India Company were coveted targets for pirates. Although they were significantly larger and more heavily armed than the fast and agile ships of their opponents. But their valuable cargoes to and from India were worth the risk of attack. Surcouf agreed to wear it, although French authorities refused to issue a letter of marque. Perhaps the ship he had to offer wasn't very trustworthy. The "Emilie" had a crew of just 30 men, weighed 180 tons and carried only four six-pounder guns.

But Surcouf quickly worked his way up the ranks. Among the freighters that fell into his trap was the brig "Cartier" in 1796. Not only was it larger than the "Emilie", but it also carried a pilot flag, which allowed potential prey to be approached without suspicion. With this trick, Surcouf was able to muster a veritable British East Indiaman with the "Triton". Apparently, its crew had not recognized the supposed pilot ship as a danger and had crawled below deck to doze off in the midday heat.

But Surcouf had reckoned without the authorities. Because he had won his numerous prizes without a letter of marque, the "Triton" was confiscated and the payment of prize winnings blocked. He then went to France, filed a lawsuit and won. Now he was in a position to acquire a competitive ship. In addition, they were willing to issue a letter of marque to the already famous naval hero.

Now Surcouf has finally become a successful (and wealthy) entrepreneur. His feat came off Bengal on October 7, 1800 with the "Confiance," a 490-ton vessel armed with 18 eight-pounder guns and two carronades, large-caliber but light guns used at close range. With them he approached the British "Kent", again disguised as a pilot.

The ship of the East India Company was superior to the "Confiance" in almost every respect - at 820 tons, the "Kent" was significantly larger and had 20 twelve-pounders, six six-pounders and a crew of almost 180 men. But since corsairs seldom took on such large ships, weapons for close combat such as carronades, muskets and pistols were lacking, as the naval historian Thomas Siebe points out. The "Kent" was also significantly slower than the "Confiance", the crew had little combat experience, and their freedom of movement was also restricted by 200 passengers on board.

So Surcouf could afford to scout the enemy from a distance and analyze their weaknesses. He then feigned a retreat in order to turn quickly and attack the "Kent" from the stern. Since their captain had already been fatally hit, the defense remained confused, so that the Frenchman with a good 120 men was able to board the British within a short time.

"It was not a daring attack, but a carefully prepared and initiated action, in the boarding phase perhaps even a masterpiece of control art," says Thomas Siebe. The dialogue between Surcouf and a British officer became famous: "You French fight for the money, we English for the sake of honour", Surcouf is said to have reproached him. "Everyone fights for what they don't have," was the reply.

Surcouf now had enough money. He retired to Saint-Malo, married and from then on had captains work for him with their ships. As First Consul, Napoleon Bonaparte made him a member of the Legion of Honor and, in 1809, made him a Count after he went on another privateering war. With around 50 prizes, he is considered the most successful corsair in the privateering war that was fought in the Indian Ocean until Napoleon's fall.

Surcouf retired to Saint-Malo, where he met a civil death in 1827, as “a gem of the blossoming species of freelancer who devoted himself to his profession in a civilized manner” (Thomas Siebe). Various ships in the French Navy, including a famous giant submarine, later bore his name.

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