Order of battle in the French expedition to Ireland explained

The Expédition d'Irlande was a French attempt to invade Ireland in December 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars. Encouraged by representatives of the Society of United Irishmen, an Irish republican organisation, the French Directory decided that the best strategy for eliminating Britain from the war was to invade Ireland, then under British control.[1] It was hoped that a substantial invasion in the summer of 1796 would encourage a widespread uprising among the Irish population and force the British to abandon Ireland, providing a major strategic and propaganda coup for the French Republic and a staging point for a subsequent invasion of Britain.[2] Assigned to lead the operation was General Lazare Hoche, the Republic's most successful military commander, who was provided with a significant body of troops and the services of the entire French Atlantic fleet.[3] [A]

Preparation for the invasion was slow throughout the autumn, and it was not until December that the force was ready to leave Brest. The delay was principally the result of poor organisation and discipline within the French Navy, and preparations were only completed once the commander at Brest, Vice-amiral Villaret de Joyeuse, had been replaced with Vice-amiral Morard de Galles and Hoche given direct command of discipline within the fleet.[4] Departing Brest on 15 December, the French invasion fleet was almost immediately scattered: a combination of bad weather, inexperience at sea and the depredations of British frigates dispersing the force and destroying one ship of the line.[5] As separate ships and small squadrons made their way independently to the rendezvous point off Mizen Head, the flagship frigate Fraternité was chased deep into the Atlantic by a British frigate and took more than a week to return to Ireland. In that time the rest of the fleet, buffeted by the worst winter storms since 1708, broke up off the landing beaches in Bantry Bay, the weather too fierce to allow any amphibious landings.[6]

By the last week of December 1796 the fleet was in full retreat, having failed to land a single soldier in Ireland.[7] Several ships were wrecked or foundered in heavy seas, and a British frigate squadron based at Cork managed to seize a number of lone frigates and transports during the first two weeks of January.[8] The main British fleet, although ordered to intercept the invasion force, made little progress and did not arrive in the Western Approaches until 13 January, by which time all except three French ships had been accounted for.[9] Two, including the flagship Fraternité, were chased by the British fleet, eventually reaching safety at Rochefort. The third, the ship of the line Droits de l'Homme, was intercepted by two British frigates led by Captain Sir Edward Pellew and destroyed in a running action that cost the lives of over 1,000 Frenchmen.[10]

In total, French losses were 12 ships captured or destroyed and over 2,000 men drowned.[8] The Brest fleet was so badly damaged by the operation that they launched no major operations during 1797 and were unable to respond when the British fleet was paralysed by the Spithead Mutiny a few months later.[11] A second French attempt to invade Ireland was launched in the summer of 1798, in response to the Irish Rebellion, but this too ended in disaster: all of the men landed were captured a few weeks later at the Battle of Ballinamuck. A third and final invasion effort was defeated and destroyed by a British squadron at the Battle of Tory Island in October 1798.[12]

Order of battle

Ships of the line
- valign="top"width=15%; align= center Shipwidth=5%; align= center Gunswidth=25%; align= center Commanderwidth=30%; align= center Notes
align= left Indomptablealign= center 80align= left Commodore Jacques Bedoutalign= left Returned to Brest on 1 January.
align= left Droits de l'Hommealign= center 74align= left Commodore Jean-Baptiste Raymond de Lacrossealign= left Wrecked on 14 January 1797 in action with and . Over 1,000 men drowned.
align= left Constitutionalign= center 74align= left Commodore Louis L'Hériteralign= left Returned to Brest on 11 January.
align= left Pegasealign= center 74align= left Contre-amiral Joseph de Richery
Commodore Clement Laronier		align= left Returned to Brest on 11 January.
align= left Nestoralign= center 74align= left Commodore Charles Linoisalign= left Returned to Brest on 13 January.
align= left Révolutionalign= center 74align= left Commodore Pierre Dumanoir le Pelleyalign= left Returned to Rochefort on 13 January.
align= left Fougueuxalign= center 74align= left Commodore Esprit-Tranquille Maistralalign= left Returned to Brest on 1 January.
align= left Trajanalign= center 74align= left Commodore Julien Le Rayalign= left Returned to Brest on 11 January.
align= left Muciusalign= center 74align= left Commodore Pierre Quérangalalign= left Returned to Brest on 1 January.
align= left Tourvillealign= center 74align= left Captain Jean-Baptiste Henryalign= left Returned to Brest on 13 January.
align= left Plutonalign= center 74align= left Captain Jean-Marie Lebrunalign= left Returned to Brest on 11 January.
align= left Éolealign= center 74align= left Captain Joseph-Pierre-André Malinalign= left Returned to Brest on 13 January.
align= left Wattigniesalign= center 74align= left Captain Henri-Alexandre Thévenardalign= left Returned to Brest on 11 January.
align= left Cassardalign= center 74align= left Captain Dufayalign= left Returned to Brest on 13 January.
align= left Redoutablealign= center 74align= left Captain Pierre-Augustin Moncousualign= left Returned to Brest on 1 January.
align= left Patriotealign= center 74align= left Captain La Farguealign= left Returned to Brest on 1 January.
align= left Séduisantalign= center 74align= left Commodore Jean-Baptiste Henryalign= left Wrecked on 16 December 1796 on the Stevenant Rock near Brest. 680 men drowned.
Source: James, pp. 4–5, Clowes, p. 298
Frigates
- valign="top"width=15%; align= center Shipwidth=5%; align= center Gunswidth=25%; align= center Commanderwidth=30%; align= center Notes
align= left Scévolaalign= center 44align= left captain Le Bozecalign= left Scuttled after storm damage on 30 December 1796.
align= left Impatientealign= center 40align= left align= left Wrecked on 30 December 1796 near Crookhaven. Nearly 550 men drowned.
align= left Romainealign= center 40align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Immortalitéalign= center 40align= left Flagship of Contre-amiral François Joseph Bouvetalign= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Tartualign= center 40align= left align= left Captured on 30 December 1796 by HMS Polyphemus.
align= left Bellonealign= center 32align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Bravourealign= center 40align= left align= left Returned to Lorient.
align= left Charentealign= center 36align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Cocardealign= center 40align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Fraternitéalign= center 32align= left Flagship of Vice-amiral Morard de Gallesalign= left Returned to Rochefort on 13 January.
align= left Résoluealign= center 32align= left Flagship of Contre-amiral Joseph Marie Niellyalign= left Badly damaged in collision with Indomptable. Returned to Brest on 13 January.
align= left Sirènealign= center 36align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Surveillantealign= center 32align= left align= left Wrecked in Bantry Bay on 30 December 1797.
Source: James, pp. 4–5, Clowes, p. 298
Corvettes
- valign="top"width=15%; align= center Shipwidth=5%; align= center Gunswidth=25%; align= center Commanderwidth=30%; align= center Notes
align= left Affronteuralign= center 16align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Vautouralign= center 16align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Atalantealign= center 20align= left align= left Captured on 10 January 1797 by HMS Phoebe.
align= left Voltigeuralign= center 16align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Mutinealign= center 14align= left align= left Captured on 29 May 1797 at Santa Cruz.
align= left Renardalign= center 16align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
Source: James, pp. 4–5, Clowes, p. 298
Transports
- valign="top"width=15%; align= center Shipwidth=5%; align= center Gunswidth=25%; align= center Commanderwidth=30%; align= center Notes
align= left Nicodèmealign= center align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
align= left Justinealign= center align= left align= left Disarmed frigate. Captured on 30 December 1796 by HMS Polyphemus.
align= left Fille Uniquealign= center align= left align= left Sank in the Bay of Biscay on 6 January 1797.
align= left Ville de Lorientalign= center align= left align= left Disarmed frigate. Captured on 7 January 1797 by HMS Unicorn, HMS Doris and HMS Druid.
align= left Suffrenalign= center align= left align= left Disarmed frigate. Captured on 30 December 1796 by HMS Jason, recaptured by Tartu and captured again and destroyed on 8 January 1797 by HMS Daedalus.
align= left Allègrealign= center align= left align= left Captured on 12 January 1797 by HMS Spitfire.
align= left Expérimentalign= center align= left align= left Returned to Brest.
Source: James, pp. 4–5, Clowes, p. 298

Notes

A. Sources vary on the exact number of French troops that eventually participated in the campaign. Pakenham gives 12,000,[13] Clowes, James, Woodman and Henderson suggest 18,000 (although James quotes estimates between 16,200 and 25,000),[3] [14] [15] [16] while Regan and Come indicate approximately 20,000,[2] although Come comments that they were of low quality.[17]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Come, p. 181
  2. Regan, p. 88
  3. James, p. 5
  4. Come, p. 184
  5. Woodman, p. 85
  6. Henderson, p. 22
  7. Pakenham, p. 18
  8. Clowes, p. 304
  9. James, p. 10
  10. James, p. 19
  11. Clowes, p. 305
  12. Gardiner, p. 114
  13. Pakenham, p. 23
  14. Clowes, p. 297
  15. Henderson, p. 20
  16. Woodman, p. 83
  17. Come, p. 185

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