Antoine René Thévenard (1766 – 1 August 1798, on the Aquilon, in Aboukir[1]) was a French Navy officer.
In early 1793, he captained the frigate Insurgente with the rank of Lieutenant, and escorted a convoy from Nantes to Brest.
[4] He took part in the action of 21 October 1794, where a squadron under Sir Edward Pellew captured Révolutionnaire.
[5] He was then tasked with leading a division in the Kattegat and the North Sea,[6][7] his flag on Brave and with the frigates Spartiate and Proserpine, under Villemadrin and Daugier respectively.
Early in the battle he used the spring on his anchor cable to angle his broadside into a raking position across the bow of Nelson's flagship, HMS Vanguard, which consequently suffered over 100 casualties, including Nelson, wounded by a piece of shot in the forehead.