François-Gilles Montfort (French pronunciation:[fʁɑ̃swaʒilmɔ̃fɔʁ];Saint-Malo, 16 January 1769 -Marseille, 25 March 1826[1][2][3]) was a French naval officer.
In 1803lieutenant de vaisseau François-Gilles Montfort was captain of the gunbrigVenteux. On 27 June boats fromHMSLoire capturedVenteux at theÎle de Batz, where she was sheltering under the guns of shore batteries. The British boarded her, and though outnumbered, in a fierce 10-minute struggle succeeded in taking her over. British casualties were six men wounded, one seriously and two mortally. French casualties were three men killed, one of them her second captain.Venteux also had Montfort, her four remaining officers, and eight seamen wounded.[4]
As captain of the 44-gun frigatePauline, Montfort took part in theaction of 27 February 1809.
In 1811, Montfort was put in charge of a frigate squadron comprisingPauline,Pomone andPersanne, with his flag onPauline. The ships were to ferry artillery equipment fromCorfu toTrieste. The squadron met with a British squadron underMurray Maxwell, resulting in theaction of 29 November 1811 in whichPomone andPersanne were captured. Montfort faced court-martial for the loss of the two ships under his command. For his failure to support these ships, his conduct was deemed cowardly, and he was relieved of command.[5]
