Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse - Battles of Prairial

Battles of Prairial

In the summer of 1794, Villaret sailed with 23 ships-of-the-line and 16 frigates to protect a 117-ship convoy of grain from the United States. In protecting the convoy, Villaret-Joyeuse was forced to engage a 25-ship British fleet in the Battles of Prairial, of which the British referred to the main engagement as the Glorious First of June. Although defeated, he rallied his remaining ships and rescued five ships that had surrendered, and the grain convoy reached Brest unmolested.

Supported by Saint-André, Villaret-Joyeuse kept his command despite the defeat. He blamed the defeat on the conduct of several of his captains who had failed to fulfil their duties. In September 1794, Villaret-Joyeuse was promoted to vice-amiral. In December, the Committee of Public Safety ordered him to attack British commerce in the Croisière du Grand Hiver. Although the cruise did lead to the capture of a number of British merchant ships, the French fleet was battered by storms in which several ships were sunk and all the surviving ships suffered heavy damage.

In June 1795, he sailed with nine ships to relieve a small squadron near Belle Île. During the First Battle of Île de Groix, Villaret-Joyeuse chased away the small British squadron blockading Belle Île. Unable to bring them to battle, Villaret attempted to return to Brest, but contrary winds forced him towards Lorient. Close to Lorient, Villaret-Joyeuse was discovered by British admiral Alexander Hood's fleet, guarding the expedition to Quiberon. During Second Battle of Ile de Groix, several of Villaret's ships disobeyed his orders and sailed away, abandoning three ships to the British.

In 1796, Villaret-Joyeuse resigned in protest against the state of the Navy and in opposition to the Directory's plan to invade Ireland, instead of campaigning in the Indian Ocean.