Battle of Groix

The battles naval of Groix opposes to broad Groix, the June 23rd 1795 (5 messidor year III in the revolutionary calendar), the fleets Frenchwoman and British, without marked exit. Nevertheless, this British victory allowed the Débarquement of the emigrants Quiberon.

Preamble

A 18 and 19 meadow (year III, 6 and June 7th 1795) division of the French squadron made up of three vessels the Nestor , Dedicated the and the Impetuous and of 6 or 7 frigates had been driven out under Belle-Île. The June 8th in the morning, a returning convoy of Bordeaux was approached by English division, the frigates which escorted it fought and managed to save the major part of it; the English took only seven commercial vessels, four being taken refuge under the battery of Kerdonis to Belle-Île. An English shaven vessel came for taking there, the battery drew above with teeth and nail without managing to set fire to it, but it forced it to give up its intention; on the other hand, it sent a broadside to the battery but it passed over the body of guard. At this time, English division had disappeared.

Skirmish

Approximately the 27 meadow (June 15th) a French squadron, made up of a vessel with 3 bridges, eight ship of the lines and twelve frigates appeared and joined the division which was under Belle-Île; they disappeared the 30 (June 18th) to go to seek English division.

Combat of the June 21st, 22nd and 23rd

The English were ordered by Lord Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport, vice-admiral, who had left the port of Portsmouth to go to seek the French fleet left Brest, and which delivered the combat of the June 21st, 22nd and 23rd to him. Sir John Warren, admiral English, who had his house on board Pomone , directed in particular the operations of the first unloading of emigrants come from England, and contributed to the catch of the Fort of Penthièvre.

A British squadron of fourteen ship of the lines, under the command of the Admiral Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport, on Royal HMS George , takes in hunting the squadron, made up of twelve , ship of the lines Vice-amiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse off the island of Groix.

The June 22nd, a French squadron met English division; this one flees with the sight of French who continued it; already four of the French vessels had united it and begun the combat; a frigate which étoit with the discovery saw and announced approximately 70 veils; the Joyeuse vice-admiral who orders the squadron made signal of rallying; the winds were contrary; to return they were obliged to waver; on these entrefaites it came a blow from wind of the North-East which démâta one of the French vessels ( Alexander , taken on the English one year ago). This accident arrived in the presence of squadron English made up of twenty-three ship of the lines, which, joined to driven out division, made a squadron of twenty-eight vessels including ten to three bridges, that followed approximately 50 buildings of transport; as soon as the winds had changed, the French squadron returned to all sails, the English continued it in the same way.

June 23rd, 1795

The 5 messidor (June 23rd), the two squadrons appeared with the sight of Groix at 4 o'clock in the morning, at 5 a.m. and half they were both to 4 miles of ground, it was there that the combat started. French always carried on their road all while fighting; they were with one half-league of the western point of the island, when fire took by accident with the French vessel Formidable the . It was obliged of jetter to low its drowning and mizzenmast its powders; an English vessel obliged it to bring its house. One moment after Alexander and the Tiger , two other French vessels, were cut and taken.

The confrontation lasts two hours and forty minutes and makes it possible to the British to capture three French vessels, which will not prevent Bridport from being criticized in the Navy not to have gained a more decisive victory.

The English stopped with one mile of the first battery of the island of Groix so that it did not have any share with the business. The French squadron entered, left in the roads Lorient, left in that the Port Freedom and left in that Larmor, the English squadron amarina its catches and spent the night to one mile and half of the western point of the island; three frigates and a ship of the line went to the point of the east. As they travelled, a French frigate wanted to leave but they drove out it and forced it to return. The first frigate sent approximately 30 balls to him, but it was not with range; they spent the night to one hour and half of the point of the east; the convoy had remained with approximately four miles in the south; it spent the night there. According to these provisions of the English, all the garrison spent the night to the bivouac, it was the day of the Midsummer's Day (June 24th); all the bonfires were finished at six hours and half; at ten hours the frigates which were with the point of the east made signals; at once it appeared fires on the coast since the Baie of Pouldu until Quiberon;

Assessment

The assessment is heavy for the French fleet: 670 died and three ships taken. The English squadron counts 31 killed. In France, a board of inquiry was named and raised of their functions the captains not having followed the orders of the Villaret vice-admiral.

In connection with the naval action of Groix of the June 23rd 1795 the sailors and soldiers taken on the vessels Formidable Alexandre , and Tigre remained in the English prisons until their release in 1797.

List vessels

Only the vessels marked by a star really took part in the battle.

British: ordered by Alexander Hood

Royal HMS George (William Domett) *
HMS Queen Charlotte (Andrew Snape Douglas) *
HMS Queen (William Bedford)
HMS London (Edward Griffith)
HMS Prince off Wales (John Bazely)
HMS Prince (Charles Powell Hamilton)
HMS Barfleur (1768) (James Richard Dacres)
HMS Prince George (William Edge)
HMS Without Similar (William Browell) *
HMS Valiant (Christopher Parker)
HMS Orion (1787) (James Saumarez) *
Irresistible HMS (Richard Grindall) *
HMS Russel (Thomas Larcom) *
HMS Colossus (1787) (John Monkton) *

French: ordered by Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse

the People *
the Alexandre (François-Charles Guillemet) - Captured (English building previously captured by French) *
the Human rights (Sébire-Beauchêne)
Formidable the (Charles Alexandre Leon Durand de Linois) - Capturé*
the Impetuous (Giot-Labrier)
Jean Bart (Legouardun)
Mucius (Larreguy) *
Nestor *
Frightening the *
the Tiger (Jacques Bedout) - Capturé*
Wattigny (Donat) *
Dedicated the (Aved Magnac)

See too

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