Émile Paul Amable Guépratte

Infobox Military Person
name=Émile Paul Aimable Guépratte
lived=30 August 1856 — 21 November 1939


caption=
nickname="Point d'honneur" ("question of honour")
Fire-eater (by the British)
placeofbirth=Granville
placeofdeath=Brest
allegiance=France
branch=navy|FRA
serviceyears=1874 — 1918
rank=vice-admiral
unit=
commands=
battles=Battle of Gallipoli
awards=Legion of Honour

Order of St. George
White Eagle
relations=
laterwork=

Émile Paul Aimable Guépratte (30 August 1856 – 21 November 1939) was a French admiral.

Guépratte was born in Granville to a family of naval officers. He studied at the "Lycée impérial" in Brest from 1868, and joined the École Navale on 1 October 1871.

He was made an officer on 5 October 1874, and promoted to "Enseigne de vaisseau" on 1st December 1877. He served in Tunisia aboard the "Marengo". He studied torpedo operations and served on the "Amiral Duperré" as a torpedo expert before receiving his first command in 1889.

In 1891, he was second officer of the "Forfait". He went on to command the gunboat "Caronade" in Indochina, the anti-submarine defences of Brest, a destroyer and the cruiser "Foudre", rising in rank to "capitaine de vaisseau".

In 1905, Guépratte took command of the "Jeanne d'Arc". In 1909, he commanded the "Edgar Quinet", ferrying President Armand Fallières.

Guépratte was promoted to contre-amiral on 2 September 1912. At the outbreak of the First World War, he led a squadron of old battleships in the Mediterranean. He was sent to the Dardanelles to back the British Mediterranean Fleet of Admiral Sackville Carden.

On the 3 November 1914, the "Suffren", "Vérité", "Indomitable" and "Indefatigable" started shelling the forts defending the strait, initiating the Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign.

The main attack took place on 18 March, Guépratte leading the forwards squadron. The fleet was taken into a well-prepared minefield, under fire from coastal artillery. The "Agamemnon" , "Inflexible" and "Bouvet" were sunk; the French flagship "Suffren" was seriously damaged, as well as the "Gaulois". Nevertheless, admiral John de Robeck lauded the spirit of the French line.

Guépratte took part in the naval part of the later joint operation with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, deploring the lack of first-class French units in the theater. He was eventually promoted to vice-admiral on 10 October 1915, allegedly to bring him away from combat operations, where he was deemed impetuous, to a safer area of activity.

Guépratte was retired on 30 August 1918 and took up a career as a politician. He was elected to the National Assembly of France on 16 November 1919 on a left-wing list. He specialised in parlimentary affairs of the Navy. He retired from political life in 1924. He died in Brest in 1939.

Honours

Guépratte's tomb is in Les Invalides, where French military heroes are buried.

* Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (12 December 1924)
* Cross of the Order of St. George (28 December 1916)
* Grand ribbon of the White Eagle (Serbian order, 2 September 1917)