|
The Battle of Saint Cast was a military engagement during the Seven Years' War on the French coast between British naval and land expeditionary forces and French coastal defence forces. Fought September 11, 1758, it was won by the French. During the Seven Years' War, Britain mounted numerous amphibious expeditions against France and French possessions around the world. In 1758 a number of expeditions, then called ''Descents'', were made against the northern coast of France. The military objectives of the descents were to capture and destroy French ports, divert French land forces from Germany, suppress privateers and spread panic and confusion in France. The battle of Saint Cast was the final engagement of a descent in force that ended in disaster for the British. ==Background== The expedition contained sizable naval and land forces.〔Robert Beatson, ''Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783'', London, 1804, Appendix pp.170, 176, 191, 193, returns for the year show that 10,000 men is over 20% of Britain's land forces and nearly the size of the Louisbourg expedition mounted that same year. Detailed lists of ships and regiments and commanders are given pp.191–193. Montagu Burrows ''Life of Edward, Lord Hawke'', London, 1883, p. 356 states there were "19,000 troops (including 6,000 marines) that formed the invading force." If the Hawke account is accurate then the size of this land force is equal to that of Louisbourg and represents 25% of Britain's total land forces in 1758.〕 The naval forces were two squadrons consisting of: Admiral Anson's 22 ships of the line with 9 frigates crewed by 15,500 men〔Robert Beatson, ''Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783'', London, 1804, Vol. III, p.201〕 and Commodore Howe's 1 ship of the line of 64 guns, 4 of 50 guns, 10 frigates, 5 sloops, 2 fire-ships, 2 bomb ketches,〔Barrow, Sir John,''The Life of George, Lord Anson'', London, 1889, p.309.〕 6,000 sailors, 6,000 marines, 100 transports, 20 tenders, 10 store-ships and 10 cutters with crews totaling some 5,000 merchant seamen. The land forces were four infantry brigades consisting of: the Guards Brigade made up of the 1st battalions of the 1st, Coldstream and 3rd Foot Guards and three brigades made up of the 5th, 24th, 30th, 33rd, 34th, 36th, 38th,〔''An Authentic Account of our last attempt on the Coast of France by an Officer who miraculously escaped being cut to pieces, by Swimming to a Boat at a considerable distance from the shore.'', London, 1758. Appendix lists casualties to the 38th Foot.〕 67th, 68th and 72nd〔Most British regiments consisted of one battalion on campaign, interesting to note that the 67th, 68th and 72nd Regiments are all initially the second battalions of the 20th, 23rd (present at the first descent), and 33rd Regiments, respectively, renumbered at this time. Additionally the 34th's second battalion is the 73rd, and the 36th's is the 74th, not on this expedition. The Guards regiments all have second and third battalions elsewhere.〕 Regiments of Foot, as well as an artillery train of 60 cannon with 400 artillerymen〔Duncan, Major Francis.''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery'', London, 1879, Vol. 1, p.190〕 and a few hundred Light Dragoon cavalry, totaling over 10,000 soldiers.〔Beatson, Robert. ''Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783'', Vol. II p. 165, Gives 14,000 for the 5 brigades at Isle of Wight at the start of the expedition, one brigade was sent to the continent before St. Cast.〕 Britain’s naval forces were under the command of Admiral Lord Anson, seconded by Commodore Howe. Britain’s land forces were commanded by Lieutenant-General Thomas Bligh. Against this the French had numerous garrison troops and militia spread thinly over the northern coast of France that would have to be concentrated at whichever place the British landed.〔''Revue anglo-française'', Tome Quatrième, Poitiers, 1836, p. 46.〕 Initially the expedition met with considerable success capturing the port of Cherbourg. The British destroyed the port, the docks and the ships harbored there, carrying off or destroying considerable war material and goods.〔Robert Beatson, ''Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783'', London, 1804, Appendix p.194, gives a minutely detailed inventory of the booty taken at Cherbourg which stands in stark contrast with the lack of detail about British losses prevalent throughout British sources.〕 French troops from various places began moving on Cherbourg and the British expedition re-embarked to move against Saint Malo on September 5 but it was found to be too well defended. The weather now turned against the British as well and it was decided it would be safer to re-embark the land forces further west in the bay of Saint Cast near the small village of Saint Cast and the towns of Le Guildo and Matignon. The fleet sailed ahead while the army marched overland on September 7, engaging in skirmishes on the 7th, 8th and 9th. On September 10 the Coldstream Guards were sent ahead to Saint Cast to collect provisions and convoy them back to the army. Lieutenant-General Bligh with the army camped at Matignon some 3 miles from Saint Cast.〔Beatson, Robert. ''Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783'', Vol. II p. 179.〕 During this time Richelieu, duc d’Aiguillon, military commander of Brittany, had gathered some 12〔Robert Beatson, ''Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783'', London, 1804, Vol. II, p.179, Beatson gives slightly different numbers.〕 regular line infantry battalions, including the Regiments of Royal Vaisseaux, Volontaire Étranger, Bourbon, Bresse, Quercy, Penthièvre and Marmande, from the garrison of Saint Malo a brigade of the Regiments of Fontenay-le-Comte, Brie and Boulonnais; six squadrons of cavalry, some companies of coastal militia, and several artillery batteries. The French army amounting to 8,000 or 9,000 men, under the field command of Marquis d'Aubigné, was fast marching on Saint Cast from Brest by way of the town of Lamballe and from the town of Dinan.〔''Revue anglo-française'', Tome Quatrième, Poitiers, 1836, p. 46.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of Saint Cast」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|