Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:02:28-2:03:01

Did Rodney's raid end the 1759 invasion threat?

A viewer asks whether Rodney's attack on the Le Havre barges had already removed any realistic danger of invasion.

Amphibious WarfareBattle Of Quiberon BayFrench Invasion Of BritainGeorge Brydges RodneyRoyal Navy
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Question

Did Rodney's raid on the Le Havre barges end the danger of a French invasion in 1759?

Short answer

No. The Le Havre force was damaged, but roughly half of the invasion barges remained at Quiberon Bay and still posed a threat if they escaped.

Notes

The invasion remained a serious fear despite the damage at Le Havre. Rodney had struck one concentration of landing craft, but roughly the other half of the barges remained at Quiberon Bay. If those transports escaped with the French fleet's help, Britain still faced a major problem. Quiberon Bay remained strategically important even after an earlier British raid on the invasion preparations.