Augustin Boué de Lapeyrère

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Augustin Boué de Lapeyrère (1852-1924) was a French admiral during World War I. He was a strong proponent of naval reform, and is comparable to Admiral Jackie Fisher of the British Royal Navy.

Lapeyrere served as Minister of Marine, a political position, from 1909 until 1911. While in this position he championed the production of large shipping vessels. Consciously deferring the production of submarines and Anti-submarine warships in favor of larger vessels.

Upon retiring from his the office of Minister of Marine, Lapeyrere was appointed Commander-in-Chief of France's Mediterranean forces in anticipation of capital sea battles in the Mediterranean between the allies and the navies of Italy and Austria-Hungry. However, these large battles did not materialize in, and fighting in the Mediterranean remained limited to raids by submarines and light craft mounted by the navy of Austria-Hungry. (Italy remaining neutral until joining the allies in 1915, and hence posing no threat to France.) Lapeyrere thus found his main duty as commander-in-chief to be policing the sea lanes to protect allied shipping.

On October 10, 1915 Lapeyrere suddenly resigned without any public explanation. Lapeyene lived until 1924, when he died at the age of 72.