CHAPTER XI

.

THE ATLANTIC, 1796-1801.—THE BREST BLOCKADES.—THE FRENCH EXPEDITIONS AGAINST IRELAND.

The French resolution to depend upon commerce-destroying 335

Consequent effect upon naval war and upon the control of the sea 336

Resulting dispositions of French and British navies 337

Inefficient character of the blockade of Brest 338

Conditions of the maritime problem before Great Britain stated 339

Measures proper to be adopted 340

Mutual relations of the elements of a defensive system 341

Two aspects under which the military value of Brest should be considered 342

Description of the port and its surroundings 342

Strategic importance of the winds 344

Anchorages available to the British fleets as bases of operations against Brest 344

Theory of the Brest blockade 345

Fitness of the British bases relative to this theory 345

Policies of St. Vincent, Howe, and Bridport 346

Causes leading to the Irish expedition of 1796 347

Preparations for the expedition 348

Hoche appointed to command it 349

Villaret Joyeuse appointed to command the fleet 349

His distaste for the enterprise 349

He is superseded by Morard de Galles 350

Inefficiency of the French navy at this time 350

Departure of the expedition 351

Its dispersal on the night of starting 353

Reunion of the greater part of the ships 354

Absence of the two commanders-in-chief 354

The expedition reaches the coast of Ireland 355

Mishaps in Bantry Bay 356

The ships return to France 357

Shipwreck of the "Droits de l'Homme" 358

Misfortunes of the ship carrying Hoche and Morard 359

Inefficiency of the British dispositions against invasion 360

Analysis of these dispositions 361

Consequent impunity of the French 367

St. Vincent succeeds, in 1800, to the command of the Channel fleet 368

His strategic management of the general operations 369

His tactical dispositions to maintain the watch of the port 371

Dependence of the admiralty upon the commander-in-chief 373

St. Vincent's provisions in case of the blockade being forced 374

Decisive effects of the system introduced by him 375

Paralysis of Brest under this watch 376

Napoleon in consequence adopts Antwerp as his chief dockyard 377

Purposed expedition against Ireland from the Texel 378

Naval battle of Camperdown 378

Death of Hoche 378

The expeditions of 1798 against Ireland 379

Cessation of the attempts upon Ireland 380

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

VOLUME I.

MAPS AND BATTLE PLANS.

PAGE

I. Manœuvres of May 29, 1794, Figures 1 and 2 129

II. Manœuvres of May 29, 1794, Fig. 3 131

III. Battle of June 1, 1794 137

IV. Map of Northern Italy 195

V. Battle of Cape St. Vincent 223

VI. Map of the Mediterranean 257

VII. Coast Map, Alexandria to the Nile 263

VIII. Battle of the Nile 266

IX. Map of English Channel and North Sea 335

X. Map of Brest and its Approaches 342

THE

INFLUENCE OF SEA POWER

UPON THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION AND EMPIRE.

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