Arthur Cochrane (Royal Navy officer)

Sir Arthur Cochrane
Born 24 September 1824
Died 20 August 1905 (aged 80)
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service 1839 - 1886
Rank Admiral
Commands held HMS Horatio
HMS Niger
HMS Warrior
HMS Cumberland
Pacific Station
Battles/wars Oriental Crisis
Crimean War
Second Opium War
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Admiral Sir Arthur Auckland Leopold Pedro Cochrane KCB (24 September 1824 20 August 1905) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station.

Naval career

Born the third son of the tenth Earl of Dundonald, Cochrane joined the Royal Navy in 1839.[1] He fought at Acre where he was wounded during the Oriental Crisis in 1840[2] and then served in the Baltic Sea during the Crimean War[1] where he devised a method of towing torpedos to their target using kites in 1855.[3]

Promoted to Captain in 1854, he was given command of HMS Horatio at Sheerness and then of HMS Niger in which he took part in the destruction of the Chinese Fleet in October 1856 during the Second Opium War.[2] He later commanded HMS Warrior and then HMS Cumberland.[1] He was appointed Superintendent of Sheerness dockyard in 1869 and Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station in 1873.[1] He retired in 1886.[4] In retirement he was involved in managing the Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company.[4]

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Charles Hillyar
Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station
18731876
Succeeded by
George Hancock