Perrée went to sea at twelve in his father's merchant vessel and accumulated more than twenty years of commercial experience before entering naval service. Revolutionary France enlisted him as an acting ensign in 1793 because the fleet urgently needed officers. Within months he commanded a frigate squadron and fought Nelson's Agamemnon in the inconclusive action of 22 October 1793. His career joined the transferable skill of the merchant marine with the extraordinary promotion pressures created by the French Navy's institutional losses.
Notable Point · 41:15-43:07
Perrée rises from merchant service to French flag command
Revolutionary France drew Jean-Baptiste Perrée's merchant experience into a navy short of trained leaders and promoted him with exceptional speed.