page_title: Louis Charles Georges Jules Lafont
section_title: Captain and admiral (1859–77)
hierarchical_section_title: Louis Charles Georges Jules Lafont / Captain and admiral (1859–77)
caption_attribution_description: The aviso Clorinde (1845)
context_page_description: Louis Charles Georges Jules Lafont was a French naval officer who was Governor of Cochinchina from 1877 to 1879.
  He joined the navy at the age of sixteen, rose steadily through the ranks, and served in Vietnam, the Philippines, West Africa, the Crimea, the Baltic, the Indian Ocean, China and East Africa.
  During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 he was given command of land troops.
  After returning from Cochinchina he held various senior naval commands, including commander in chief of the training squadron from 1885 to 1886.
context_section_description: Lafont was promoted to capitaine de frégate (frigate captain) on 19 November 1859.
  He returned to France, where he was assigned to the Hydrographic Committee.
  On 24 July 1860 he married Marie Goffart (1837–1903) in Valenciennes.
  Their children included Charles (1861–1956), Elisabeth Suzanne (1862–1946), Anne (1866–1954) and Marguerite (1871–1947).
  In January 1862 Lafont was again aide-de-camp of Admiral Rigault de Genouilly, commander of the training squadron. on the Bretagne, then on the Ville de Paris. 
  In April 1863 he took command of the aviso  Caton. 
  He was second in command of the imperial yacht Aigle in July 1865.
  On 6 April 1867 he was promoted to capitaine de vaisseau (ship captain).
  From 1868 to 1870 Lafont commanded the ironclad Héroïne in the training squadron, flagship of Albert Gicquel des Touches.
  During the Franco-Prussian War in July 1870 Lafont took command of the Armid in the Baltic during the blockade of the Prussian coast.
  In October 1870 he was assigned to the army as brigadier general in command of the subdivision of Aube.
  He fought at Nogent-sur-Seine, and in November was given command of Ille-et-Vilaine.
  He was made Commander of the Legion of Honour on 2 July 1871.
  In May 1871 Lafont was a member of the Marine Works Council.
  In June 1873 he commanded the frigate Clorinde on the east coast of Africa.
  He was promoted to contre-amiral (rear admiral) on 3 August 1875.
  He was made Major General of the 1st maritime district in Cherbourg.
  In July 1876 he was President of the High Committee on Underwater Defenses.
caption: Steam frigate Clorinde
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