d'Anville's Armada

First thoughts posted on AH. Hope you all will be patient with me, I haven't learned AH alphabet yet.

I haven't seen anything that relates to the 7 Years War / French and Indian War / Carnatic War.

I am working with a POD wherein d'Anville's Armada departs from France in a timely manner, thus avoiding the storms and calms that beset it in OTL, arriving at Chebucto intact and relatively fresh.

Although d'Anville still dies shortly after landing, the French re-take Louisbourg and Annapolis Royal and harass the coast from Massachusetts to the Chesapeake.

I think the result could have been a French victory in America, thus weakening Britain and perhaps leading to the defeat of Prussia on the continent.

I don't think this is a WANK and hope it is not ASB (please define for this poor illiterate).

Thoughts are appreciated.:)
 
OK,

No one bit on the first post, but see below and tell me if I am doing this right. I still need to address a the taking of Canso I know.

I'd really love some input. Comments etc, all criticism is ultimately constructive.

Timeline: d’Anville’s Armada

1745
· July – Townsend's squadron of 11 warships and 1 battalion of Royal Marines (800 men) leaves Louisbourg for England


· Autumn/Winter - In order to accomplish the plan to re-take Louisbourg and Port Royal (Annapolis Royal) and drive the English out of Acadia, preparations of a massive force of ships and men begins in France. The Basic Plan was as follows:
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Sea and Land forces from France, the West Indies and Quebec assemble at Chebucto
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Re-take Louisbourg
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Re-take Port Annapolis
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Troops consolidate holdings in Acadia expelling the English
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Fleet to harass the English colonies by disrupting shipping, bombarding Boston and New York
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Continue to the West Indies and take certain British plantations


· Command of the expedition is given to Admiral Jean Baptiste Louis Frederic De La Rochefoucauld, Duc d’Anville.
1746
· Winter/Spring - Preparations continue in France
· In response to instructions from Paris, Jean-Baptiste Nicholas Roch de Ramezay, a senior officer in Quebec raises a detachment of Canadians and Indians and sails down the St Lawrence, landing at Baie Verte on the eastern shore of the Isthmus of Chignecto. Among other things, he is to:
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Coordinate activities between the Micmac allies and the Acadian population
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Insure that supplies and pilots are at Chebucto to assist the Fleet


· Britain learns that France is assembling a large amphibious force due to their preparations, but is not able to determine the exact goals:
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Landings along the English coast were a possibility
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]An invasion of Scotland or Ireland could be in the works
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Re-take Louisbourg perhaps
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]An attack on other colonial centers
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Action in the West Indies


· Apprehension in the colonies grows because the British fleet is not in American waters to protect them.
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Fear that the French Fleet would travel along the coast bombarding the ports of New England one after another
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Fear that the French would land troops along the coast and sack the colonies


· Fears are particularly intense in Boston and New York, where panic reigns in the streets.


· May – June – Nearly all the New England forces under the command of William Pepperell in Louisbourg return home, having been in Louisbourg since April 4th 1745.
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Out of 4,200 men they had lost 1,200, mostly to disease.
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]They brought their cannon and mortars back to New England with them


· April 9th - l’Aurore one of the advance ships, departs from Brest.


· April 30th – le Castor, the second advance ship departs Brest.


· May 2nd – d’Anville’s fleet, having been gathered in secret along the French coast, sets sail for Chebucto


· By the end of May, de Ramezay arrives at Chebucto with 600 Quebecois and Micmac allies as wellas additional supplies.


· By late May, the advance ships are patrolling the waters near Chebucto.



· June 12th – d’Anville arrives at Chebucto with 3 ships of the line and a few transports.


· June 15th - A ship detached from the British squadron operating off Brest arrives at Louisbourg with a dispatch advising Admiral Townsend that a French fleet may be headed for Louisbourg.


· June 16th - Townsend sends a message to Boston noting that " certain advice that a strong squadron of the enemy's men of war, frigates and fire ships with transports (on board which are a great number of troops) actually sailed from Brest 2 May, designed for great Britain, Ireland or Louisbourg.


· June 18th –
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]d’Anville, dies at Chebucto, probably from a stroke.
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Vice Admiral Constantine Louis d’Estournelle, 2nd in command, arrives with 4 additional ships of the line.


· June 19th –
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]D’Anville is buried on Isle Racket in Chebucto harbor
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Expedition officers gather in the main cabin of Trident for a “war council” Attendees include d’Estournelle, Jacques Pierre Taffanel Marquis de la Jonquiere (the newly appointed Governor General of New France, and an accomplished naval officer, who had arrived in company with d’Anville) and de Ramezay. The Kings orders are read.


· June – Further preparations are made:
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]d’Estournelle orders that the fleet be brought close in to shore in the western basin of Chebucto harbor and the troops disembarked
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Food is brought overland by ox cart from Minas and Pizquid (30 to 40 miles away)


· June 26th - Captain Hubert de Brienne de Conflans arrives at Chebucto with the French West Indies squadron of 4 ships of the line; Le Terrible, Le Neptune, L'Alcyon and La Gloire. d’Estournelle’s fleet now consists of:
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]11 ships of the Line (d’Anville’s fleet)
§ Trident (64 guns)
§ Argent (64)
§ Mars (64)
§ Alcide (64)
§ Northumberland (60)
§ Léopard (60)
§ Renommée (60)
§ Carillon (60)
§ Tigre 60)
§ Diamant (50)
§ Borée (50)
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]4 ships of the line from the West Indies Squadron
§ Le Terrible (74)
§ Le Neptune (74)
§ L'Alcyon (50-58)
§ La Gloire (44-50)
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]3 frigates
§ Mégère (30)
§ Argonaute (26)
§ Prince of Orange (26) [sent en flûte, with most of it’s armament in the hull to accommodate more cargo]
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Various sloops fireships etc.


· July 14th – d’Estournelle departs for Isle Royale and Louisbourg with the majority of the fleet:
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Approximately 20 ships
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]More than 5,000naval officers and crew
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]750 marines
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]the Pontieu Infantry Regiment of over 1,400 men and officers.


· July 16th – Jonquiere and Conflans make for Port Royal with:
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]The West Indies Squadron
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]8 additional ships
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]over 2,500 naval personnel
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Col de Prugne and nearly 700 troops of the Fontenay-le-Comte battalion


· Around this time, de Ramezay also heads overland to Port Royal with:
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]most of the Canadian and Micmac force
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Approximately 670 men from the Saumur battalion, under the command of Col d’Autrechaux
·
 
Welcome! This seems like a promising POD. I can't find any information about our POD, though. What was your source? The dates you have are from the War of the Austrian Succession. I'm assuming you know the period, based on the sheer amount of info in your post. I don't know much about this war, mostly that Prussia took Silesia. I don't know anything about the North American theater. Seems like a good start, though. Please continue!
 
Welcome! This seems like a promising POD. I can't find any information about our POD, though. What was your source? The dates you have are from the War of the Austrian Succession. I'm assuming you know the period, based on the sheer amount of info in your post. I don't know much about this war, mostly that Prussia took Silesia. I don't know anything about the North American theater. Seems like a good start, though. Please continue!

Thanks for your comments.

I started out by wondering how the world would have looked had France not lost Canada, and discovered how involved the French and Indian War , as we call it, was in the direction history took. My family background reaches back to the very early days of Quebec so I have a personal tie to these events, Ancestors were there. I have no particular agenda here since I think the ultimate end result would be:
No USA
No Canada
A fragmented North America
Germany would unite at a later date under different leadership (and the implications that has on WWI and WWII)
A completely different French Revolution
The pace of technological advancement would be different.
The POD is the departure of the fleet from France. The preparation and management of the fitting out was totally botched in OTL. Corruption, poor logistical planning and more, delayed the fleet so long that they actually consumed a large portion of their supplies before leaving port. The delay caused them to encounter severe storms and calms on the crossing. They arrived in Nova Scotia so late that not only had their advance ships (which were supposed to meet them) given up and returned to France (in fact they were already in port) but the forces under de Ramezay had also headed back to Quebec. There was very little time left for the campaign and the d'Anville's forces had been decimated by disease during the crossing.

So I am instilling a greater sense of responsibility and urgency in the contractors and management of the provisioning and fitting out of this fleet, enabling it to sail at a more propitious moment.

My primary sources are:
History of Nova Scotia, http://www.blupete.com/Hist/NovaScotiaBk1/Part5/Ch02.htm

The Seven Years War timeline at http://ns1763.ca/remem/7yw-timeline-w.html

Anatomy of a Naval Disaster: the 1746 French naval expedition to North America by James S. Pritchard
While this does pre-date the treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle, had this expedition succeeded Britain could have certainly been weakened in North America and France strengthened. Circumstances that led to the Massacre at Jumonville Glen in May of 1754 could change, possibly delaying the start of the French and Indian War. (Some scholars would mark this event as the real start of the 7 Years War, courtesy of George Washington who commanded the English forces) The interests, strengths, focus and deployment of power in the 7 years War would likely have been different and I think resulted in a different outcome.

The Wars of this period all blur together. I have barely even thought about what happens in the Carnatic War in India as a result of this.

I'm learning this period as I go along, perhaps not the best way to produce an AH but it certainly makes the learning more fun.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll keep going...
 
Wait- I'm still somewhat confused. The dates in the TL so far are from the War of the Austrian Succcession, 1740-1748. This war was known as King George's War in the Americas. This is not from the Seven Years' War, or the French and Indian War as it was known in the Americas. No significant territorial changes came about as a result of this war, as far as I know. Louisbourg was taken by British colonial forces, then exchanged for Madras at the end of the war. If you have the French retake Louisbourg before the war ends, then there will be no need to exchange it for Madras, which probably has a lot of butterflies for India. To get a French victory in the Seven Years' War, you would have to significantly alter basic French strategy at this time, which was to concentrate most of their forces in Europe and trade European gains for colonial losses at the end of the war. Whatever this expedition in King George's War gains for France, it will still likely be lost because of French strategy. Unless you can significantly increase the population of New France between the two wars as a result of this POD , get the troops in this expedition to stay in America, or destroy British naval supremacy, these gains will still be lost in the next war. Unless this expedition can take all of British America (very unlikely), this expedition will not matter very much. Sorry to be so negative, but these are the facts.
 
Wait- I'm still somewhat confused. The dates in the TL so far are from the War of the Austrian Succession, 1740-1748. This war was known as King George's War in the Americas. This is not from the Seven Years' War, or the French and Indian War as it was known in the Americas. No significant territorial changes came about as a result of this war, as far as I know. Louisbourg was taken by British colonial forces, then exchanged for Madras at the end of the war. If you have the French retake Louisbourg before the war ends, then there will be no need to exchange it for Madras, which probably has a lot of butterflies for India. To get a French victory in the Seven Years' War, you would have to significantly alter basic French strategy at this time, which was to concentrate most of their forces in Europe and trade European gains for colonial losses at the end of the war. Whatever this expedition in King George's War gains for France, it will still likely be lost because of French strategy. Unless you can significantly increase the population of New France between the two wars as a result of this POD , get the troops in this expedition to stay in America, or destroy British naval supremacy, these gains will still be lost in the next war. Unless this expedition can take all of British America (very unlikely), this expedition will not matter very much. Sorry to be so negative, but these are the facts.

You are not confused. This was part of King Georges War. There were no major changes to territory in OTL as well. Sorry for not being more clear about that.

The French were highly incensed at the taking of Louisbourg by, what to them was, a bunch of colonial fishermen. Louisbourg was the third largest port in North America at this time. It’s location, controlling the entrance to the Gulf of St Lawrence and giving quick access to the fishing grounds of the Grand Banks was highly strategic. It had been insanely expensive to build and there was much royal prestige built into it’s walls. This was not a give and take, but a take back. They were seeking gains in NA in this case, not to trade, but to keep. Consider the expenses involved to build and garrison Louisbourg. The King said he expected to see it’s walls rising over the western horizon because it cost so much.

Louis orders were to re-take Louisbourg and Annapolis Royal (Port Royal) which would effectively drive the English out of Acadia. There would only be scattered concentrations such as Canso, which the French had destroyed 2 years earlier I believe. He also wanted the fleet to lay waste to the coast and ports of the British colonies and then take action in the Indies. The goal was, I believe, to consolidate and expand holding in NA, reduce English capabilities and damage their economy. Weaken Britain in the New World.

I know that Louisbourg was exchanged for Madras later, but that is OTL…The need and opportunity for exchange has not yet arisen in 1746. Perhaps the English will take Martinique and the French will exchange Madras for Martinique (I know, What will they have to exchange Canada for in 1763). As I noted in my earlier post, I haven’t even begun to think about the Carnatic War and what happens in India. Yes, I realize that it may look like there will be butterflies migrating from the Himalayas to Ceylon, but I don’t think that the POD of this AH was determined by a butterfly.

The direction I am going in this AH does involve increased French colonization and increased French military presence. It is a change in Strategy that is more in keeping with the initial goals of the expedition. It does require that the French discover that there is greater value to holding on to their American possessions than in following the old path. They learn something from the English (That may be a big butterfly. If the consensus is that it is, I have learned my lesson).

The French will not take all of NA, I agree with you that they cannot. They will achieve a stalemate of sorts. Remember that the French had a geographical advantage and a strategy based on strong land forts. Their frontier was defended not only by the forts, but by league upon league of wilderness. They also had a better relationship with most of the indigenous nations, therefore more allies. The British had neglected their forts and installations for some time. Throughout most of this war and the next in North America, they relied on colonials to do much of the heavy lifting. They also had a long and exposed coast rich with cities, ports and farms.

I know…Facts are facts…but after the POD, don’t they turn into potentialities? What happens after d’Anvilles expedition will be influenced, to a greater or lesser degree, by the results of the expedition. This includes national strategic interests as well as political, military, economic and diplomatic influence on the world stage.

I don’t think that a successful expedition by d’Anville’s Armada would be a butterfly and I still think it could be a world changer.

Thanks for your thoughts; they caused me to think about what I am doing here. I am open to being proven wrong or being shown another way. If this AH is going to be a dismal failure as I proceed, I will try to be better on the next one.



PLEASE keep giving me feedback.
 
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