Carlos Jouanne

Carlos Jouanne de la Motte du Portail (9 April 1879 – 15 March 1945) was a Chilean naval officer who served as Director General of the Chilean Navy in 1932.

Biography

Jouanne was born in Valparaíso on 9 April 1879. He entered the Naval Academy in 1893 and graduated as a midshipman in 1897. During the early years of his career, he served aboard several vessels of the Chilean Navy and participated in training and hydrographic missions. In 1918, he commanded the cruiser Ministro Zenteno, conducting hydrographic surveys in the Beagle Channel.

In 1920, Jouanne was appointed Chilean naval attaché in the United Kingdom. During his assignment, he participated in the development of Chilean naval aviation, including the recruitment of British instructors and the acquisition of aircraft. After returning to Chile in 1923, he held several senior commands, including command of the cruiser O'Higgins and the Directorate of Maritime Territory. He was promoted to rear admiral in May 1927 and retired from active service the following month.

Jouanne returned to active service on 3 March 1932, when President Juan Esteban Montero appointed him Director General of the Navy during a period of considerable political instability in Chile. He remained head of the institution through the political upheavals of 1932 and was promoted to vice admiral on 30 September. He retired permanently from the Navy on 24 October 1932.

Jouanne was married to Juanita Bustos Muñoz, with whom he had seven children. He died at his home in Viña del Mar on 15 March 1945, aged 65.