The Croisière de Bruix (or Bruix' expedition of 1799) was a naval campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars. Planned and commanded by French Vice-Admiral Étienne Eustache Bruix, the operation was an attempt to restore French control of the Mediterranean Sea, lost at the Battle of the Nile in August 1798. Taking command of the French Atlantic Fleet based at Brest, Bruix mustered one of the largest and best trained French fleets to take to sea during the war. Brest was under close blockade by the British Channel Fleet, but Bruix arranged for misleading intelligence regarding an impending invasion of Ireland to fall into British hands, which drew the blockade fleet under Lord Bridport away to the north.[1] On 25 April 1799 the French fleet of 25 ships of the line sailed into the Atlantic unopposed, sighted the following day by the frigate HMS Nymphe. Reports reached Bridport soon afterwards, but he remained on station off Ireland, anticipating a French attack.[2]
With his route clear, Bruix sailed southwest. On 30 April the fleet passed the Spanish naval base of Ferrol, anticipating a union with the Spanish squadron stationed there, but the Spanish had already sailed and the two forces missed one another.[3] The first British opposition to Bruix advance came on 4 May, when he found the British Mediterranean fleet under Vice-Admiral Lord Keith arrayed between his force and the principal Spanish fleet base of Cádiz. This prevented the Spanish and French fleets from joining together, Bruix instead taking advantage of the prevailing winds to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar unopposed.[4] Keith set off in pursuit, gathering his forces off Port Mahon on Menorca while the French fleet made for Toulon and the main Spanish fleet, which had followed the French and British through the Straits, reached Cartagena.[5] As Bruix resupplied and convoyed reinforcements to the embattled French armies in Northern Italy, Keith remained on station off Cartagena. His operation was hindered by a confused command structure: Keith was only acting commander of the Mediterranean Fleet while Earl St Vincent remained on shore at Gibraltar and Port Mahon, with only such brief sojourns with the fleet as his failing health permitted.[6] Keith and St. Vincent issued contradictory orders throughout the campaign, Keith intent on pursuing the French while St. Vincent was preoccupied with the threat from the Spanish.[7] This problem was compounded by the behaviour of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, commander in the Eastern Mediterranean and subordinate to Keith and St. Vincent. Nelson, embroiled in the complex politics of the Kingdom of Naples and increasingly under the influence of his lover Emma, Lady Hamilton, repeatedly refused direct orders to participate in the campaign.[8]
In early June Keith's fleet investigated Toulon but found the French absent, although a French frigate squadron was intercepted and captured off the port.[9] Turning west, Keith sailed to Genoa but again found that the French had departed ahead of the British, Bruix successfully uniting with the Spanish off Cartagena on 22 June and sailing on 24 June with a fleet of more than 40 ships of the line; at the time the largest naval force in the world.[10] Turning southwest, the combined fleet sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar on 7 July intending to return to Brest. Keith remained off Menorca for sometime, resupplying his ships and repeatedly ordering Nelson to take over protection of the island base, orders which Nelson completely disregarded.[11] Keith's fleet was joined during this period by reinforcements sent from the Channel Fleet under Sir Charles Cotton and Cuthbert Collingwood, but it did not follow the allies through the Straits until 29 July, 22 days behind Bruix.[12] For the next two weeks, Keith chased the Bruix northwards towards the French coast, the British fleet gaining on the French day by day, arriving off Brest on 14 August to discover that Bruix and the combined fleet had arrived safely in the harbour only the day before.[13]
Although Bruix did manage to affect the union of the main French and Spanish battle fleets, the campaign was inconclusive. The strategic situation in European waters remained unchanged; by mid-August 1799 the Royal Navy still controlled the Mediterranean unopposed, free to plan and implement the seizure of French territories in the region without impediment.[14] In Northern European waters the huge allied fleet at Brest presented a considerable threat but remained under blockade by the Channel Fleet. With the exception of a series of fruitless expeditions in 1801 there were no further major French or Spanish operations at sea before the Peace of Amiens brought the war to a temporary close in 1801.[15]
Allied fleets edit
| French Atlantic Fleet | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Notes | ||||||
| Océan | First rate | 120 | Vice-amiral Étienne Eustache Bruix Captain Alain-Adélaïde-Marie de Bruillac |
With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Invincible | First rate | 110 | Commodore Louis Lhéritier | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Terrible | First rate | 110 | Commodore Yves Haouen | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Républicain | First rate | 110 | Captain Charles Berrenger | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Indomptable | Third rate | 80 | Captain Chambon | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Formidable | Third rate | 80 | Commodore Pierre-Julien Thréouart | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Jemmapes | Third rate | 74 | Captain Julien Cosmao | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Mont Blanc | Third rate | 74 | Captain Esprit-Tranquille Maistral | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Tyrannicide | Third rate | 74 | Captain Zacharie Allemand | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Batave | Third rate | 74 | Captain François Henri Eugène Daugier | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Constitution | Third rate | 74 | Captain Julien Le Ray | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Duquesne | Third rate | 74 | Captain Pierre-Maurice-Julien Quérangal | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Fougueux | Third rate | 74 | Captain Pierre-Marie Bescont | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Zélé | Third rate | 74 | Captain Dufoy | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Redoutable | Third rate | 74 | Captain Pierre-Augustin Moncousu | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Wattignies | Third rate | 74 | Captain Antoine Louis de Gourdon | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Tourville | Third rate | 74 | Captain Jean-Baptiste Henry | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Cisalpin | Third rate | 74 | Captain Mathieu-Charles Bergevin | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Jean Bart | Third rate | 74 | Captain François-Jacques Meynne | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Gaulois | Third rate | 74 | Captain Gabriel Siméon | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Convention | Third rate | 74 | Captain Charles-Hélène Le Bozec | Delayed leaving Brest, joined the fleet on 26 April. Remained during campaign until 13 August. | ||||||
| Révolution | Third rate | 74 | Captain Pierre-Nicolas Rolland | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Jean-Jacques Rousseau | Third rate | 74 | Captain Julien-Gabriel Bigot de la Robillardière | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Dix-Août | Third rate | 74 | Captain Jacques Bergeret | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | ||||||
| Censeur | Third rate | 74 | Captain Antoine-Jean-Baptiste Faye | With the fleet 25 April. Detached to Cadiz on 4 May in sinking condition. Exchanged on 12 July for Spanish ship San Sebastian but never sailed again. | ||||||
| Alliance | Third rate | 74 | Captain Antoine-Jean-Baptiste Faye | Former Spanish ship San Sebastian exchanged for unseaworthy Censeur at Cadiz on 12 June. | ||||||
| Romaine | Fifth rate | 44 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| Créole | Fifth rate | 40 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| Bravoure | Fifth rate | 40 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| Cocarde | Fifth rate | 36 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| Fraternité | Fifth rate | 36 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| Fidèle | Fifth rate | 32 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August. Armed en flute | |||||||
| Berceau | Corvette | 20 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| Tactique | Corvette | 20 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| Biche | Aviso | 8 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| Découverte | Aviso | 8 | With the fleet 25 April – 13 August | |||||||
| During the campaign several contre-amirals accompanied the fleet but did not have designated flagships, moving as required. They were Jean-Louis Delmotte, Jacques Bedout, Jean-François Courand, Alain-Joseph Dordelin and Charles Linois. Two ships of the line were damaged in a collision around 12 June and remained at Toulon for repairs, rejoining the fleet on 9 July, but they are not named in the sources. | ||||||||||
| Sources: James, pp. 254–268; Quintin | ||||||||||
| Spanish Fleet | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Notes | ||||||
| Conception | First rate | 112 | Teniente-General José de Mazzaredo Brigadier Antonio de Escaño Capitán Francisco Uriarte |
With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| Mexicano | First rate | 112 | Jefe de escuadra Domingo de Nava Capitán José Gardoqui |
With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May, four men killed. Detached at Cadiz on 21 July. | ||||||
| Santa Ana | First rate | 112 | Teniente-General Domingo Grandallana Brigadier Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros |
With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Detached at Cadiz on 21 July after badly damaged in grounding. | ||||||
| Conde de Regla | First rate | 112 | Jefe de escuadra Antonio de Córdova Brigadier José de Escaño |
With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| Principe de Asturias | First rate | 112 | Teniente-General Federico Gravina Brigadier Juan Vicente Yañez |
With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| Reina Luisa | First rate | 112 | Joined Spanish fleet at Cartagena after 17 May under command of Domingo de Nava. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | |||||||
| Neptuno | Third rate | 80 | Jefe de escuadra Juan Villavicencio Capitán Bernardo Muñoz |
With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| Bahama | Third rate | 74 | Capitán José Aramburu | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| Conquistador | Third rate | 74 | Capitán Cosme Churruca | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| Oriente | Third rate | 74 | Brigadier Nicolás Estrada | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May. Detached at Cartagena and crew transferred to Guerrero. | ||||||
| Guerrero | Third rate | 74 | With the Spanish fleet after 17 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | |||||||
| Infante don Pelayo | Third rate | 74 | Capitán Cayetano Valdés | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| San Francisco de Asis | Third rate | 74 | Brigadier José de Goicoechea | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| San Francisco de Paulo | Third rate | 74 | Capitán Agustín Figueroa | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| San Joaquin | Third rate | 74 | Capitán Marcelo Espínola | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| San Pablo | Third rate | 74 | Brigadier Luis Vallabriga | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| San Telmo | Third rate | 74 | Capitán Juan José Martínez | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| Soberano | Third rate | 74 | Capitán Rafael Villavicencio | With the Spanish fleet 14 May. Badly damaged in storm on 17 May. Reached Brest with combined fleet 13 August. | ||||||
| Atocha | Frigate | 40 | Capitán Ignacio Olaeta | |||||||
| Perla | Frigate | 34 | Capitán Francisco Moyuna | |||||||
| Carmen | Frigate | 34 | Capitán Manuel Bustillos | |||||||
| Santa Matilde | Frigate | 40 | Capitán José González | Detached at Cartagena, 17 May. | ||||||
| Vigilante | Brig | 12 | Teniente José de Córdoba | |||||||
| Descubridor | Brig | 12 | Teniente Juan Coronado | |||||||
| Vivo | Brig | 12 | Teniente Juan Deslobes | |||||||
| Sources: James, pp. 254–268; Férnandez Duro, pp. 188–190 | ||||||||||
edit
| Mediterranean Fleet | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Notes | ||||||
| HMS Ville de Paris | First rate | 112 | Captain Walter Bathurst | Flagship of Admiral Earl St Vincent between 10 May and 2 June when he retired sick. Detached from fleet to Port Mahon 2 – 15 June. | ||||||
| HMS Queen Charlotte | First rate | 100 | Vice-Admiral Lord Keith Captain John Irwin |
Joined fleet on 30 May as flagship of Rear-Admiral Whitshed. Became Keith's flagship on 13 June. | ||||||
| HMS Barfleur | Second rate | 98 | Rear-Admiral James Hawkins-Whitshed Captain George Barker |
Flagship of Lord Keith at start of campaign. Made Whitshed's flagship on 13 June. | ||||||
| HMS Prince George | Second rate | 98 | Rear-Admiral Sir William Parker Captain William Bowen |
|||||||
| HMS London | Second rate | 98 | Captain John Child Purvis | |||||||
| HMS Princess Royal | Second rate | 98 | Captain John Dixon | |||||||
| HMS Namur | Second rate | 90 | Captain William Luke | |||||||
| HMS Foudroyant | Third rate | 80 | Captain William Brown | Detached on 30 May to reinforce squadron at Palermo. | ||||||
| HMS Gibraltar | Third rate | 80 | Captain William Kelly | |||||||
| HMS Montagu | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Knight | Engaged inshore off Toulon on 3 June. | ||||||
| HMS Northumberland | Third rate | 74 | Captain George Martin | Detached on 30 May to reinforce squadron at Palermo. | ||||||
| HMS Marlborough | Third rate | 74 | Captain Thomas Sotheby | |||||||
| HMS Warrior | Third rate | 74 | Captain Charles Tyler | |||||||
| HMS Hector | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Elphinstone | |||||||
| HMS Defence | Third rate | 74 | Captain Lord Henry Paulet | |||||||
| HMS Majestic | Third rate | 74 | Captain Robert Cuthbert | Detached on 30 May to reinforce squadron at Palermo. | ||||||
| HMS Edgar | Third rate | 74 | Rear-Admiral Thomas Frederick Captain John McDougall |
On detached service at Tétouan. Joined fleet at Gibraltar on 10 May. Badly damaged in storm of 17 May, repaired at Port Mahon and rejoined fleet 22 May. | ||||||
| HMS Leviathan | Third rate | 74 | Rear-Admiral John Thomas Duckworth Captain Henry Digby |
Flagship of Menorca squadron. Joined fleet on 20 May. Detached on 30 May to reinforce squadron at Palermo. | ||||||
| HMS Centaur | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Markham | Menorca squadron, joined fleet on 20 May. Engaged inshore off Toulon on 3 June. Captured Perrée's squadron on 19 June near Toulon. | ||||||
| HMS Bellerophon | Third rate | 74 | Captain Henry D'Esterre Darby | Menorca squadron, joined fleet on 20 May. Detached on 8 June to reinforce squadron at Palermo. | ||||||
| HMS Powerful | Third rate | 74 | Captain William O'Bryen Drury | Menorca squadron, joined fleet on 20 May. Detached on 8 June to reinforce squadron at Palermo. | ||||||
| HMS Captain | Third rate | 74 | Captain Sir Richard Strachan | Joined fleet on 30 May with Rear-Admiral Whitshed's squadron. Captured Perrée's squadron on 19 June near Toulon. | ||||||
| HMS Defiance | Third rate | 74 | Captain Thomas Revell Shivers | Joined fleet on 30 May with Rear-Admiral Whitshed's squadron. | ||||||
| HMS Bellona | Third rate | 74 | Captain Sir Thomas Thompson | Joined fleet on 30 May with Rear-Admiral Whitshed's squadron. Captured Perrée's squadron on 19 June near Toulon. | ||||||
| HMS Repulse | Third rate | 74 | Captain James Alms | Joined fleet on 30 May with Rear-Admiral Whitshed's squadron. | ||||||
| HMS Success | Fifth rate | 32 | Captain Shuldham Peard | Joined off Cadiz on 3 May. | ||||||
| HMS Emerald | Fifth rate | 36 | Captain Thomas Waller | Joined in the Mediterranean. Captured Perrée's squadron on 19 June near Toulon. | ||||||
| HMS Santa Teresa | Fifth rate | 36 | Captain George Barker | Joined in the Mediterranean. Captured Perrée's squadron on 19 June near Toulon. | ||||||
| HMS Ethalion | Fifth rate | 38 | Captain George Countess | Joined in the Mediterranean. | ||||||
| HMS Stag | Fifth rate | 32 | Captain Joseph Sydney Yorke | Joined on 8 August. | ||||||
| Sources: James, pp. 254–268 | ||||||||||
| Cotton and Collingwood's reinforcement | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Notes | ||||||
| HMS Prince | Second rate | 98 | Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Cotton Captain Samuel Sutton |
Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Formidable | Second rate | 98 | Captain Edward Thornbrough | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS St George | Second rate | 98 | Captain Sampson Edwards | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Neptune | Second rate | 98 | Captain James Vashon | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Glory | Second rate | 98 | Captain Thomas Wells | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Triumph | Third rate | 74 | Rear-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood Captain Thomas Larcom |
Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Dragon | Third rate | 74 | Captain George Campbell | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Impetueux | Third rate | 74 | Captain Sir Edward Pellew | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Terrible | Third rate | 74 | Captain Jonathon Faulknor | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Superb | Third rate | 74 | Captain John Sutton | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Pompee | Third rate | 74 | Captain Charles Stirling | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| HMS Canada | Third rate | 74 | Captain Michael de Courcy | Detached from Channel Fleet. Joined Keith's fleet off Menorca on 7 July. | ||||||
| Sources: James, pp. 254–268 | ||||||||||
Notes edit
References edit
- Adkins, Roy & Lesley (2006). The War for All the Oceans. Abacus. ISBN 978-0-349-11916-8.
- Clowes, William Laird (1997) [1900]. The Royal Navy, A History from the Earliest Times to 1900, Volume IV. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-013-2.
- Férnandez Duro, Cesáreo (1902). Armada Española desde la Union de los Reinos de Castilla y Aragón, Toma VIII. Madrid: Instituto de Historia y Cultura Naval.
- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (2001) [1996]. Fleet Battle and Blockade. Caxton Editions. ISBN 978-1-84067-363-0.
- James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 2, 1797–1799. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-906-9.
- Mostert, Noel (2007). The Line upon a Wind: The Greatest War Fought at Sea Under Sail 1793 – 1815. Vintage Books. ISBN 978-0-7126-0927-2.
- Quintin, Danielle; Quintin, Bernard (2003). Dictionnaire des capitaines de Vaisseau de Napoléon (in French). S.P.M. ISBN 2-901952-42-9.
- Rodger, N.A.M. (2004). The Command of the Ocean. Allan Lane. ISBN 0-7139-9411-8.