A French expedition to Ireland was launched in December 1796 during the War of the First Coalition. Encouraged by representatives of the Society of United Irishmen, an Irish republican organisation, the French Directory decided that the best strategy for knocking Britain out of the war was to invade British-ruled Ireland.Come, p. 181 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.Regan, p. 88 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.James, p. 5[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.Come, p. 184 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.Woodman, p. 85 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.Henderson, p. 22

By the last week of December 1796 the fleet was in full retreat, having failed to land a single soldier in Ireland.Pakenham, p. 18 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.Clowes, p. 304 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.James, p. 10 Two, including the flagship Fraternité, were chased by the British fleet, eventually reaching safety at Rochefort. The third, the ship of the line , 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.James, p. 19

In total, French losses were 12 ships captured or destroyed and over 2,000 men drowned. 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.Clowes, p. 305 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.Gardiner, p. 114

Order of battle Ships of the line Ship Guns Commander Notes 80 Commodore Jacques Bedout Returned to Brest on 1 January. 74 Commodore Jean-Baptiste Raymond de Lacrosse Wrecked on 14 January 1797 in action with and . 253 of her crew were killed or wounded and a further 400-900 drowned. 74 Commodore Louis Lhéritier Returned to Brest on 11 January. 74 Counter-admiral Joseph de RicheryCommodore Clement Laronier Returned to Brest on 11 January. 74 Commodore Charles Linois Returned to Brest on 13 January. Révolution 74 Commodore Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley Returned to Rochefort on 13 January. 74 Commodore Esprit-Tranquille Maistral Returned to Brest on 1 January. 74 Commodore Julien Le Ray Returned to Brest on 11 January. Mucius 74 Commodore Pierre Quérangal Returned to Brest on 1 January. 74 Ship-of-the-line Captain Jean-Baptiste Henry Returned to Brest on 13 January. 74 Ship-of-the-line Captain Jean-Marie Lebrun Returned to Brest on 11 January. 74 Ship-of-the-line Captain Joseph-Pierre-André Malin Returned to Brest on 13 January. 74 Ship-of-the-line Captain Henri-Alexandre Thévenard Returned to Brest on 11 January. 74 Ship-of-the-line Captain Dufay Returned to Brest on 13 January. 74 Ship-of-the-line Captain Pierre-Augustin Moncousu Returned to Brest on 1 January. 74 Ship-of-the-line Captain La Fargue Returned to Brest on 1 January. 74 Commodore Jean-Baptiste Henry Wrecked on 16 December 1796 on the Stevenant Rock near Brest; between 530 and 1,150 men drowned.Source: James, pp. 4–5, Clowes, p. 298

Frigates Ship Guns Commander Notes 44 Frigate Captain Le Bozec Scuttled after storm damage on 30 December 1796. 40 Wrecked on 30 December 1796 near Crookhaven; 420 of her crew drowned. 40 Returned to Brest. 40 Flagship of Contre-amiral François Joseph Bouvet Returned to Brest. Tartu 40 Captured on 30 December 1796 by . 32 Returned to Brest. 40 Returned to Lorient. 36 Returned to Brest. 40 Returned to Brest. Fraternité 32 Flagship of Vice-amiral Morard de Galles Returned to Rochefort on 13 January. 32 Flagship of Contre-amiral Joseph Marie Nielly Badly damaged in collision with Indomptable. Returned to Brest on 13 January. Sirène 36 Returned to Brest. 32 Scuttled in Bantry Bay on 30 December 1796.Source: James, pp. 4–5, Clowes, p. 298

Corvettes Ship Guns Commander Notes 16 Returned to Brest. 16 Returned to Brest. 20 Captured on 10 January 1797 by . 16 Returned to Brest. 14 Captured on 29 May 1797 at Santa Cruz. 16 Returned to Brest.Source: James, pp. 4–5, Clowes, p. 298

Transports Ship Guns Commander Notes Returned to Brest. Disarmed frigate. Captured on 30 December 1796 by . Sank in the Bay of Biscay on 6 January 1797. Disarmed frigate. Captured on 7 January 1797 by , and . Disarmed frigate. Captured on 30 December 1796 by , recaptured by Tartu and captured again and destroyed on 8 January 1797 by . Captured on 12 January 1797 by . 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,Pakenham, p. 23 Clowes, James, Woodman and Henderson suggest 18,000 (although James quotes estimates between 16,200 and 25,000),Clowes, p. 297Henderson, p. 20Woodman, p. 83 while Regan and Come indicate approximately 20,000, although Come comments that they were of low quality.Come, p. 185

References

Bibliography

Rev. ed.