COMMANDER // 1821–1885
Juan Bautista Topete
Lifespan
1821 – 1885
Active service 1866 — 2 battles across 1 war; first command at age 45.
Profile
Juan Bautista Topete y Carballo was a Spanish Navy officer and politician. He was born in San Andrés Tuxtla, Mexico. His father and grandfather were also Spanish admirals. He entered the navy at the age of seventeen, cut out a Carlist vessel in 1839, and became a midshipman at twenty-two, obtaining the cross of naval merit for saving the life of a sailor in 1841 and became a lieutenant in 1845. He served on the West Indian station for three years, and was engaged in repressing the slave trade before he was promoted frigate captain in 1857. He was promoted chief of staff to the fleet during the Moroccan War, 1859, after which he received the crosses of Saint Ferdinad and Saint Hermenegild.
Battles (2)
1866
1866