48-466: (Redirected from French Invasions ) French invasion may refer to: Category:Invasions by France Category:Invasions of France See also [ edit ] Invasion of Isle de France , 1810 British invasion of what is now called Mauritius Invasion of Southern France (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
96-506: A full admiral on 4 June 1814. He was also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on the restructuring of the orders of knighthood, on 2 January 1815. He died in 1824 after ten years' retirement, and his title was inherited by his only son Sir Lyndsey James Bertie, 2nd Bt., then a lieutenant in the 12th Regiment of Dragoons . Although sources do explicitly state that his son succeeded to
144-618: A list of all the vessels captured, military and civilian, on 15 February 1811. The British also seized 209 heavy cannon. The British recaptured the East Indiamen Ceylon , Charlton and United Kingdom , which the French were using as prison ships. Among the hundreds of prisoners released were the survivors of the Battle of Grand Port and the crews and passengers from the Indiamen captured over
192-497: A series of minor engagements, culminating in the capture of the island's capital Port Napoleon and the surrender of Charles Decaen , the French governor. The surrender eliminated the last French territory in the Indian Ocean and among the military equipment captured were five French Navy frigates and 209 heavy cannon . Isle de France was retained by Britain at the end of the war under the name of Mauritius and remained part of
240-518: A subordinate officer just days before the capture of the French island of Mauritius and taking credit for the victory. Despite these controversies, Bertie was rewarded for his service with a baronetcy and the Order of the Bath , retiring in 1813 to his country estate at Donnington, Berkshire . Albemarle Bertie was born at Swinstead in Lincolnshire in 1755, the natural son of Lord Albemarle Bertie,
288-592: The 12th Foot , 14th Foot , 19th Foot , 22nd Foot , 33rd Foot , 56th Foot , 59th Foot , 69th Foot , 84th Foot , 87th Foot , 89th Foot and one troop of the 25th Light Dragoons, commanded by General John Abercromby and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Keating . Also attached was a naval brigade of volunteer sailors and Royal Marines under Captain William Augustus Montagu . Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet Admiral Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet , KCB (20 January 1755 – 24 February 1824)
336-636: The Atlantic campaign of May 1794 and the culminating Glorious First of June . Howe omitted Bertie from his dispatches of the battle and Bertie was not awarded a commemorative medal like many of the other captains. His failure to close with the French fleet was later cited against him. For the next ten years Bertie remained with the Channel Fleet on uneventful blockade duty, serving under Sir John Borlase Warren and commanding Thunderer , Renown , Windsor and Malta on this duty. On 23 April 1804, Bertie
384-567: The Bombay Army arrived, followed on 6 November by the Madras Army . On Rodriguez the invasion plans were finalised, HMS Staunch sent to reconnoitre the northern coastline of Isle de France to seek a suitable beach. Command of the landing and the naval support role was given to Captain Philip Beaver , who had a reputation as an expert in amphibious operations . Keating was placed in command of
432-478: The British Empire until 1968. The operation was the culmination of two years of conflict over the island and the neighbouring Île Bourbon between frigate squadrons commanded by Josias Rowley and Jacques Hamelin . Hamelin repeatedly raided British trade convoys and Rowley responded with amphibious assaults on French harbours, but neither had gained ascendancy by the time Rowley sent most of his force to attack
480-546: The 1780s, marrying Emma Heywood, daughter of James Modyford Heywood of Maristow House in Devon on 1 July 1783, and having four children: Lyndsey James, Catherine Brownlow, Emma and Louisa Frances. His wife Emma predeceased him, dying in March 1805. He briefly commanded the frigate Nymphe between October and December 1787. In 1790 at the Spanish armament , Bertie gained command of
528-449: The British force were unhappy with the terms of the surrender, the British commanders were relieved to have the invasion complete before the hurricane season began later in the month. The danger to the 70 ships in the British fleet from such a storm was serious and it was vitally important that they be in a safe harbour when the hurricane season began. The surrender of Isle de France marked
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#1732844671178576-443: The French front while a second attack by Madras sepoys outflanked the French line and disrupted it, allowing a successful frontal assault. With their defences breached the French fell back and on 2 December Decaen proposed a ceasefire, which was accepted. The following day Decaen surrendered, although with guarantees that he and the garrison would be repatriated and allowed to retain their personal arms and standards. Although some in
624-399: The French garrison was repatriated, the invaders captured six French frigates ( Manche , Astrée , Bellone and Minerve , Iphigénie and Néréide ) and several smaller warships (the corvette Victor , the brig Entreprenant , the aviso Lutin and schooner-aviso Mouche n°23 ) in the various harbours of Isle de France, as well as 24 merchant ships. Lloyd's List published
672-738: The French naval commander was a serious blow to the squadron on Isle de France, which was also beset by supply problems resulting from a lack of naval stores and food supplies. Unable to make the lengthy cruises needed to disrupt the Indian Ocean trade routes, they were forced to remain in harbour as Rowley was heavily reinforced during September and October 1810, and eventually the senior naval officer, Captain Jean Dornal de Guy , had his four frigates, Manche , Astrée , Bellone and Minerve , moored in Port-Louis and their crew disembarked to reinforce
720-412: The advance along the coast. The army's orders were to seize Port Napoleon and capture Governor Charles Decaen , action which, it was hoped, would be sufficient to force the surrender of the entire island. Subsequent landings would be made to the west of the capital if French resistance was stronger than expected. On 15 October, Bertie arrived at Rodriguez with his squadron from Cape Town. On 3 November,
768-527: The bay. The ensuing Battle of Grand Port was a disaster for the British, as two frigates were wrecked on the reefs and two others captured with their entire crews: only the very seriously wounded, including Captain Nesbit Willoughby , were repatriated to Île Bourbon. With his squadron reduced to a single frigate, Rowley sent urgent messages to the British bases at Madras and Cape Town requesting reinforcements. The naval authorities responded by sending
816-491: The bridge, allowing Keating to rapidly cross and threaten Port Napoleon. At Grand Baie, the remainder of the invasion force were coming ashore, so that the entire army had landed by midday, although Abercromby himself elected to stay with Beaver on HMS Nisus and follow the advance from offshore. On 1 December, Vandermaesen made a stand before Port Napoleon, defending the entrance to the town with his available regular troops and some small cannon. Keating attacked him, engaging
864-502: The brother of Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven and Brownlow Bertie, 5th Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven , by Mary Coleback and much of his childhood is undocumented. It is not clear when he entered the Navy, although he was gazetted lieutenant in December 1777 aged 22, quite a bit older than most of his contemporaries. Within a year of promotion, Bertie had witnessed combat on
912-466: The capital, which he placed under the command of General Edmé-Martin Vandermaesen . On 22 November 1810, all the British troops and ships were assembled and Bertie ordered the squadron to rendezvous off Grand Baie, which was reached early on 29 November despite adverse winds. The vanguard landed unopposed, their landing craft supported by ship's boats carrying cannon , supplemented by the firepower of
960-473: The face of an attack by British regulars. He also bolstered his forces by attempting to recruit volunteers from among the hundreds of prisoners of war held in the island's prisons (a principal cause of the food shortages on Isle de France). Over 500 volunteers agreed to join his army, the majority of them Irishmen , who were promised French assistance in obtaining Ireland's independence from British rule . Altogether, Decaen could muster 1,300 regulars to defend
1008-512: The fighting had already been concluded by Admiral William O'Bryen Drury before Bertie's arrival and Drury was furious at Bertie's behaviour, writing several strong letters to the Admiralty in protest. Bertie returned to Britain in 1811 and endured a brief political storm over his actions at Mauritius, which had been criticised by his fellow senior officer on the island, Lord Minto . Angered, Bertie requested court martial to defend his conduct but
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#17328446711781056-421: The final British operation of the campaign and the capture of the last French territory east of Africa. The island was restored to its pre-1715 name of Mauritius and the towns renamed under Decaen (such as Port Napoleon) were restored to their pre- Revolutionary names. Governor Robert Townsend Farquhar of Île Bourbon was placed in administrative control of the island, Île Bourbon taken over by Keating. Although
1104-472: The forces they had available to join Rowley at Rodriguez. The first two frigates to arrive, HMS Africaine and HMS Ceylon were both attacked while sailing alone and captured by Hamelin's squadron, which was now blockading Île Bourbon. Rowley was able to recapture both ships within hours of their loss, and was also able to seize Hamelin and his flagship Vénus at the action of 18 September 1810 . The loss of
1152-473: The fort as they left. During the morning of 30 November, Keating pushed southwards to the River Tombeau which overlooked Port Napoleon, his front units skirmishing with French defenders across the river, during which Decaen himself was lightly wounded by a musket ball. The bridge over the river had been held by a force of militia, but they fell back before the British advance and failed to properly demolish
1200-517: The frigate Latona before progressing to captain of a ship of the line , Edgar in 1792, in which he assisted at the capture of the French privateer Le Général Dumourier , and her prize St. Iago , having on board more than two million dollars, besides valuable cargo worth between two and three hundred thousand pounds. The following year he took command of Thunderer in Lord Howe 's Channel Fleet. With Thunderer and Howe, Bertie participated in
1248-438: The garrison of the town. The invasion of Isle de France, although prompted by the defeat at Grand Port, had been the ultimate intention of Rowley's squadron since its creation in 1809 and had been planned carefully both on a strategic level by Bertie at Cape Town and Lord Minto at Madras and on a tactical level by Rowley and his British Army counterpart Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Sheehy Keating on Rodriguez. The soldiers of
1296-526: The heavily guarded convoys of East Indiamen . The French recognised the economic importance of these convoys but until 1808 failed to provide sufficient forces to disrupt the Indian trade. Late in 1808, it was decided to send a strong frigate squadron to the Ocean under the command of Jacques Hamelin to augment the forces available on the island bases of Île Bonaparte and Isle de France and raid British shipping in
1344-471: The invasion force were to consist of British and Indian troops, and led by General John Abercromby (although they were also accompanied by Rear-Admiral William O'Bryen Drury , whom Bertie ordered to return to Madras before the invasion) while the naval forces to protect and support the invasion force were to be provided by Bertie from the Cape of Good Hope. These forces were to gather at Rodriguez in preparation for
1392-422: The invasion. The landings themselves were planned by Rowley and Keating, who relied on Willoughby's intimate knowledge of the coastline of Isle de France and a series of careful surveys of the reefs that surrounded the island to select a landing site. The chosen point was at Grand Baie , on the northwestern coastline approximately 12 miles (19 km) north of the island's capital Port Napoleon . The intention
1440-607: The islands and prepare for invasion attempts once the required forces could be spared. During 1809 and the spring of 1810, Rowley maintained the blockade and launched a series of small raids, the largest being at Saint Paul on Île Bonaparte in September 1809. By July 1810, Rowley had developed sufficient forces at his island base on Rodriguez to successfully invade and capture Île Bonaparte, which he restored to its former name of "Île Bourbon". In August, Rowley attempted to extend his blockade of Isle de France by seizing small islands off
1488-417: The journey from France to the Indian Ocean was a long one. Discovering that the island was in British hands, Roquebert attempted to return to France but was chased by the frigates stationed on Mauritius and captured at the action of 20 May 1811 . Only Clorinde escaped the British pursuit. The British Army troops attached to the force included sepoys and garrison artillery from Madras and soldiers from
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1536-582: The larger French Junon on 11 September 1778. Following his exchange and appearance as a witness, Bertie spent two years without a ship, due to the shortage of available positions for young officers during the American Revolutionary War. On 21 March 1782, after a change of government, Bertie was reinstated and made captain of the 24-gun frigate Crocodile stationed in the Channel, serving in her until June. He remained on half-pay throughout
1584-413: The larger ships offshore. Although there was some disruption in the early stages of the attack caused by adverse weather conditions, by 21:00 the entire vanguard and naval brigades were ashore. The landing had been effected with just two casualties, both men who died of natural causes. Keating took command of the vanguard and advanced on Fort Malartic, the garrison retreating before his troops and blowing up
1632-453: The main ports that could control the passage of shipping through the coral reefs that surround the island. The first operation was to capture Île de la Passe off Grand Port , which was successfully secured on 13 August. Shortly afterwards a French squadron forced passage into the harbour, and Captain Samuel Pym ordered the four frigates of the blockade squadron to attack the ships anchored in
1680-503: The next two months until they were sufficient for a successful invasion, which was led by the recently arrived Admiral Albemarle Bertie . The Indian Ocean had been an important strategic region for British trade since the first British trading posts were developed in India . By the Napoleonic Wars , millions of pounds worth of goods crossed the ocean's trade routes every year, mostly in
1728-524: The port of Grand Port on Isle de France in August 1810. At the ensuing battle at Grand Port the British squadron was destroyed and Hamelin began to blockade Rowley on Île Bourbon. As British reinforcements were urgently dispatched, several actions were fought between recently arrived British ships and the more numerous French forces. At the last of these on 18 September 1810 , Hamelin was defeated and captured by Rowley. This allowed Rowley to build his forces over
1776-503: The previous year. Among the French prisoners, were discovered 12 deserters from the British Army or Royal Navy (at least 40 successfully passed as Frenchmen and were repatriated to France). These 12 were put on trial on their return to Britain: two were later hanged and five transported . Rewards were forthcoming, particularly for Bertie, who was made a baronet . This created a scandal when Admiral Drury accused Bertie of taking credit for
1824-480: The region. Hamelin was an able commander and between May 1809 and July 1810 his ships captured seven East Indiamen and a large number of small merchant ships and warships. The British response to Hamelin's deployment was provided by Admiral Bertie, who collected a squadron of ships from those available at the Cape of Good Hope and placed them under the command of Commodore Rowley. Bertie gave Rowley instructions to blockade
1872-508: The repeating frigate Fox at the First Battle of Ushant , a brief and inconclusive action which resulted in a court martial for Admiral Hugh Palliser , a court martial at which Commander Bertie (as he by then was), was called on to give evidence in 1779. The intervening two years had been highly eventful, Bertie spending most of it as a prisoner of war in France after Fox had been taken by
1920-506: The title French invasion . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=French_invasion&oldid=942393238 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Invasion of Isle de France The Invasion of Isle de France
1968-548: The vanguard of the land force, with Captain William Augustus Montagu commanding the naval brigade, and Abercromby in overall charge. Rowley would remain offshore in HMS Boadicea , as would Bertie, who took Africaine as his flagship. The French response to the impending British invasion was to mobilise the island's 10,000-strong militia. Despite their large numbers, this force was untrained and poorly armed and motivated. Decaen himself recognised that they would be unreliable in
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2016-451: The work of others (principally Drury himself). Mauritius, unlike Île Bourbon, remained in British hands after the end of the war in 1814 and was retained as part of the British Empire until granted independence in 1968. Although there were no further British operations in the region, the Mauritius campaign was not quite over. When news of the victory at Grand Port had reached France, there
2064-509: Was a complicated but successful British amphibious operation in the Indian Ocean , launched in November 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars . During the operation, a substantial military force was landed by the Royal Navy at Grand Baie , on the French colony of Isle de France (now Mauritius ). Marching inland against weak French opposition, the British force was able to overwhelm the defenders in
2112-552: Was a long-serving and at the time controversial officer of the Royal Navy who saw extensive service in his career, but also courted controversy with several of his actions. Bertie won recognition for unsuccessfully defending his ship against superior odds in the American Revolutionary War . He was later criticised however for failing to close with the enemy at the Glorious First of June and later for pulling rank on
2160-550: Was firmly refused by the Admiralty, which did not wish for another scandal. A change of government the following year changed the political situation however and Bertie was returned to favour and presented with a baronetcy on 8 December 1812 as reward for the capture of Mauritius, Drury having died in the meantime. Retiring to his country estate at Donnington in Berkshire , Bertie continued to be promoted post-retirement, becoming
2208-431: Was pressure to resupply and reinforce the victorious squadron under Hamelin and a small squadron commanded by Commodore François Roquebert was ordered to sail for Isle de France. This squadron included three frigates: Renommée , Clorinde and Néréide and carried extensive stores to repair and rearm Hamelin's frigates. It was not until February 1811 that Roquebert's squadron departed from Brest for Mauritius, and
2256-406: Was promoted to rear-admiral, climbing the ranks over the next three years until he was senior enough to become admiral in charge of the Cape of Good Hope Station off South Africa , being promoted to vice-admiral on 28 April 1808. He served off South Africa for the next two years, suddenly sailing in late 1810 to take over the operations to invade Mauritius and seize it from the French. Most of
2304-444: Was to prepare an elite force of 1,555 men formed from the grenadier and light companies of the regiments attached to the invasion. This vanguard would storm ashore and advance rapidly towards the capital closely supported by a naval brigade and Royal Marines units, followed by the main body of the army of 5,293 soldiers. The entire force would have logistical assistance and artillery support from Royal Navy ships that would shadow
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