Allemand's escape from Lorient

Part of the French Revolutionary Wars

Date	9 March 1812 – 29 March 1812
Location	Lorient - Brest
Result	French success

Belligerents

France

Great Britain

Commanders and leaders

Admiral Zacharie Allemand

Admiral John Gore

Strength

4 ships of the line
4 frigates
2 corvettes

4 squadrons

Casualties and losses

Allemand's escape from Lorient was an episode of the naval operations of the French Navy in 1812. A number of French, warships trapped in Lorient by the British blockade, managed to take to the sea under Zacharie Allemand and sail to Brest. British squadrons sailed in pursuit, but were unable to force the French fleet into action.

By 1812, the Royal Navy enjoyed an overwhelming superiority over its French counterpart, which was mostly blockaded in its own ports. The French squadrons were adequately provided with fine warships, but since Willaumez' expedition of 1809, they were confined in the purely passive role of fleet in being, and scarcely left harbour. Furthermore, a variety of incidents had dispersed ships in secondary harbours over the coasts of France, weakening the squadrons.

In 1812, Admiral Zacharie Allemand was appointed by the government to gather the scattered ships into the principal harbour of Brest. Allemand went to Lorient, which was blockaded by British cruisers patrolling off Groix. The British forces there, commanded by John Gore, amounted to four ships of the line, four frigates, and a number of corvettes: the 80-gun HMS Tonnant (flagship); Northumberland under Henry Hotham; HMS Colossus under Thomas Alexander; and HMS Bulwark under Thomas Browne.

Allemand decided to wait and carefully choose the opportunity to make a sortie. He spent five months in Lorient waiting for the ideal moment.

In the dead of the night of 8 to 9 March, Allemand, his flag on Eylau, sailed with four ships of the line and two corvettes. In addition to his flagship, Allemand's squadron comprised the 74-gun Golymin, Marengo and Vétéran, and the corvettes Diligente and Echo. In the early afternoon, Tonnant detached from the British squadron to reconnoitre the port of Lorient, and found it devoid of warships, except for one two-decker. The next day, Tonnant returned to Lorient and confirmed that Allemand had escaped. Gore returned to his squadron to gather his forces and organise a chase.

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Wikipedia