Action of 10th Aug. 1746

Posted by Albert Parker on Friday 9th of October 2020 18:21

Unfortunately, there is no edit function for old comments, so . . .
Conflans had *not* left /Alcion/ in the West Indies; she had separated from the squadron off Nova Scotia (where all 4 ships were supposed to rendezvous with the fleet of Lieutenant-General the marquis d'Anville, a disastrous story in itself) in a fog on the night of October 11-12/22-23, and had then proceeded independently to France.

Posted by Albert Parker on Tuesday 6th of October 2020 17:06

A year later . . .
According to Captain Lingen's journal (ADM 51/1082), /Severn/ struck on *October 18, 1746* (October 29 in the Gregorian calendar), as mentioned in last year's message. The convoy had been followed by Conflans and his ships for two days: Lingen had recorded "three Strange ships to the SE" at 11 AM on October 16, "to all Appearance the same ships" that came up with the convoy on October 18.
French officers:
TERRIBLE: Capitaine de vaisseau Hubert de Brienne, comte de Conflans (commodore)
NEPTUNE: Capitaine de vaisseau Frémont or Fromont de Villeneuve [spelling varies; individual name not available]
GLOIRE: Capitaine de vaisseau Jean-Antoine de Charry, marquis des Goutes [or so I think; there's a lot of confusion between a couple of des Goutes]
Conflans had left in the West Indies:
ALCYON or ALCION, 50 (Toulon, 1726; 24 × 18, 22 × 8, 4 × 4), Lieutenant de vaisseau Paul François Dominique Nicolas de Chauvereau (wounded in the action with Capt. Cornelius Mitchell's squadron on August 5/16, 1746).
FURTHER NOTE: The British thought that /Neptune/ was a 74. The error was reasonable: the 70s (26 × 26, 28 × 18, 16 × 8) of the 1720s had for a time been increased to 74s by the addition of 4 × 4 on the poop deck. The main batteries of several of /Neptune/'s contemporaries had been reduced to 24-pounders in the 1740s, and this reduction is likely for /Neptune/ since she was carrying only *68* guns in 1746, according to Conflans, "Relation du combat donne le 16e aoust 1746," Archives nationales, Marine, B4-59, folio 170). She was carried in French navy lists as a 36-pounder 74 through her loss at the battle of October 14/25, 1747, but this appears to have been a bureaucratic convention, not an accurate count of guns actually carried at sea.

Posted by Cy on Friday 18th of October 2019 08:54

Thanks Albert
Don't suppose you know the missing French captain's names do you?

Posted by Albert Parker on Friday 18th of October 2019 06:33

Conflans' squadron also included /Alcyon/, 50, and /Gloire/, 46. /Alcion/ had parted company in a fog on September 2/13, but /Gloire/ was still with /Terrible/ and /Neptune/ on Oct. 18/29. However, because of a heavy sea, she was not able to keep up with the pursuit, or even to capture any of the merchantmen from the convoy that /Severn/ and /Woolwich/ were escorting. /Terrible/, which did most of the fighting, was to windward of /Severn/ and could not use her main battery 36-pounders. Conflans observed that as a result, "the force was about equal on both sides." Taking account of the heavier weight of the French pound (by about 8%), /Terrible/ had a broadside of 361 English pounds avoirdupois, compare to /Severn/'s 315, or about 15% heavier. When /Severn/ finally struck, Conflans left /Neptune/ to take possession and went in pursuit of /Woolwich/, "but the time he had lost in the action [with /Severn/] gave too much head start to [/Woolwich/] for the /Terrible/ to come up with her before night." /Neptune/ took two ships of the convoy. (Source: "Escadre de M. de Conflans, Antilles et côtes de l'Amerique nord," Nov. 1746, Archives nationales, Marine, Sou-serie B4, vol. 59, folio 166 reverse). /Woolwich/ eventually put in at Lisbon (/London Magazne/, Nov. 1746, p. 590).