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Chapter 14: 1758 part 10
The Mediterranean Campaign
The British Fleet had concentrated its efforts in blockading the Atlantic French ports, while much of the rest of the fleet was in North America supporting the siege of Louisburg and subsequently planned invasion of New France. This left the Mediterranean and Gibraltar fleets to blockade the French Mediterranean ports which Admiral Osborn was finding to be difficult to achieve. Many of the ships that had been damaged during the Battle of Malaga in January were still in need of repairs, and he did not feel he had enough strength to fully blockade Toulon. He concluded his best hope was to continue to keep the French trapped in the Mediterranean. He had made two attempts to blockade Toulon but was driven back, however his captains had at least been able to report some worrying news. The French were rebuilding old harbor hulk ships or building new ships in their Mediterranean dockyards. (some OTL ships and TTL Louis XVI’s rebuild requests)
La Clue had also been keeping well aware of British movements through the Mediterranean and adopted a new strategy given the conditions he was faced with, the destruction of British trade to the Levant and North Africa. He concluded that either Britain would sacrifice this trade, or they would pull ships off the Atlantic blockades to strengthen the Gibraltar fleet and confront him in the Mediterranean, or Osborn would try to protect the convoys and provide him an opportunity to attack the British in the open sea. La clue even convinced the Marine Royale to purchase the French East Indian company frigate the Chimere (30) at a discount since it was presently stuck in the Mediterranean and unlikely to reach India anytime soon.
During the spring and summer; numerous small British Levant company trade ships were captured or sunk, prompting London to order Osborn to do something about it. Yet Parliament was unwilling to divert forces from the Atlantic blockades or the North American campaigns. His hands tied, Osborn could only consolidate and strengthen the escorts of the Levant convoys, while still keeping the Gibraltar fleet strong to prevent any French attempt at escape through the straits.
Battle of Malta
On July 31st, La Clue found was he was looking for as a French fleet came across a British trade convoy recently scattered by a storm near the Island of Malta.
British Fleet: (8)
4 Ships of the Line: St. George (90), Culloden (74), St. Albans (60), Preston (50)
4 Frigates: Roebuck (44), Ambushcade (40), Emerald (28), Lyme (28)
12 Merchant ships.
Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, led the British squadron in their escort, from the St. George. After the storm he regrouped with the Lyme and one third of the merchant ships.
La Clue, leading the French fleet came across the scattered British, finding the Culloden, St. Albans, Preston, Ambushcade, Emerald and half the merchant ships had regrouped, and moved into attack. Though they attempted to flee, with storm damage, and vastly outnumbered, the British soon found themselves in a volley.
In short order the French had disabled the Culloden and St. Albans, and nearly put the Preston under the waves, while the merchant ships tried to flee, but several were caught by the French frigates who also exchanged broadsides with the Ambushcade and Emerald. As Hervey approached upon finding the rest of the fleet it was too late. The Culloden and St. Albans had already struck their colors, and the battle among the frigates was faring just as badly. Hervey stayed long enough to fire long range shots at the French when they spotted him, making them pause long enough for a couple of Levant company merchant ships to make it to his small squadron before they all fled.
La Clue sent four of his ships of the line after the St. George, while the rest of his fleet gathered or chased down the numerous British prizes. Hervey would elude his French pursuers for several days, but lost the Lyme and a merchant ship off the North African coast in the process. The French finally gave up pursuit as their quarry neared Gibraltar.
The French fleet would later find two more Levant merchant ships as well as the Roebuck over the next seven days, and capture them.
Battle Results:
British Forces: Culloden, St. Albans, Roebuck, Ambushcade, Emerald to French Capture. Preston sunk due to damage during return to Toulon. 8 of the Levant company merchant ships presumed sunk or captured. Lyme foundered near Tunis. The St. George and 4 trade ships were the only ones to make it back to Gibraltar.
French Forces: Moderate Damage to 3 ships. Minimal damage to rest of fleet.
Decisive French Victory.
After the battle, La Clue negotiated with the Knights of Malta to make port and repair, unloading nearly a third of the Levant cargo in exchange. A rather informal treaty was made as well, regarding future sales of captured goods and denial of British trade ships to the island, before the French returned home to Toulon.
Paris was very pleased and the Navy’s morale was quite uplifted upon hearing news of the Victory. The Ambushcade and Emerald had originally been French ships as well, so their repatriation was seen as a good sign.
By the end of the year, British trade in the Mediterranean would come to a stand- still. This would also prompt a dissolving of the Levant Trading company, who had already been on the decline, the following year. France would also aim to supplant British trade to the Ottoman Empire and attempt to ease tensions between the Ottomans and Austria, as a new Treaty of Versailles was likely to come up toward the end of the year.
The capturing of the ships and the foreseen strengthening of the French Mediterranean fleet however left out one crucial factor. France was running low on trained sailors. To mitigate this, Paris would have to turn to recruitment of more as well as obtainment from other sources, including from their allies Austria and from Naples and Sicily via diplomacy between Choiseul and Charles III.
The Indian Theater:
Battle of Negapatam
In India, British forces and fleets continued to engage against French forces and fleet in a contest over control of influence in the Indian subcontinent. After having had time to repair and refit since the battle of Cuddalore, the British led by Vice Admiral George Pocock would face off again against Comte d’Ache and the French fleet of the Carnactic coast near Negapatam.
British Fleet: HMS Yarmouth (64), Cumberland (66), Tiger (60), Salisbury (50), theFrigates Mary Galley (44), Queensborough (24)
French Fleet: Zodiaque (74), Venguer (64), Duc d’Orleans (54), Le Saint Louis (54), Conde (50), the Frigates Philibert (40), Balaine (32)
The British fleet had caught the Philibert lagging behind and had moved to intercept and capture, crippling her in the process. However the French Fleet moved in to protect her and managed to fight off the British enough for Pocock to pull back. The Philibert though would not make it back to port and sank after all surviving hands had been evacuated. Aside from this loss, the battle was mostly indecisive, but Pocock marked it as a victory due to the sinking of a French ship.
Battle Results:
British Fleet: Moderate damage to 4 ships.
French Fleet: Loss of Philibert (40), moderate damage to 3 ships, light damage to 2 ships.