Croisière du Grand Hiver

The Croisière du Grand Hiver (French "Campaign of the Great Winter") was a French attempt to organise a winter naval campaign in the wake of the Glorious First of June.

Context

The Glorious First of June had ended on a strategic success for the French Navy, but on the tactical level, the fleet had suffered its greatest loss since the Battle of La Hogue.

The National Convention ordered the fleet to attempt a sortie during the Winter of 1794-1795, in an attempt to catch the Royal Navy off guard, contest its dominance over the seas and damage British commerce.

The plan was to have the 35-ship fleet of Brest sail to the Bay of Biscay. A six-ship and three-frigate strong squadron would be sent to Guadeloupe, and another, under Admiral Renaudin, to Toulon. The main fleet would then sail back to Brest. The fleet, under Admiral Villaret Joyeuse, departed on 24 December 1794.

Trouble began when Républicain (110 guns) ran aground at the exit of Brest harbour, with the loss of 10 men. Her crew abandoned ship, and the wreck was destroyed in a tempest a few days later. Two more ships, Téméraire and Nestor, sustained damage and had to sail back to harbour on 31 December.

Three British frigates, HMS Diamond, HMS Flora and HMS Arethusa were dispatched on 2 January to investigate. HMS Diamond, raised a French flag when challenged by the fleet, which allowed her to sail on. Later, she met the Nestor, and her commander, captain William Sidney Smith, speaking perfect French, managed to talk with the officers of the Nestor, and acquire significant insights of the French intentions. HMS Diamond sailed into Brest harbour on the 3rd to confirm.

Over the next few days, several ships sustained critical damage, from the sea and out of utter disrepair. Neptune's hull started to leak, and she ran aground to avoid sinking, with the loss of 50 crewmen. On 29 January, Neuf Thermidor sank; the next day, Scipion and Superbe sank, and Convention lost her rudder and had to be towed to Lorient.

The fleet captured around 70 British merchantmen during its mission, at the loss of three ships and severe damage to others. The Renaudin squadron had to delay its mission to reach Toulon in order support the rest of the fleet, whose units returned to Brest between 28 January and 3 February. Renaudin eventually departed for Toulon on 22 February and arrived safely on 2 April.

Overall, the campaign is considered as naval disaster because of the heavy losses, sustained without intervention of the Royal Navy, and especially since damaged ships could not easily be repaired with the endemic shortage of material in French arsenals. The French Navy effectively ceased to contest the British naval superiority from this point.

External links

• Naval Database
• La guerre sur mer pendant la révolution et l'empire. Episode XV