French unreadiness began with Britain's seizure of French merchant shipping before the formal declaration of war, followed by wartime captures, a typhus epidemic, desertion, and failures to pay sailors taken into naval service. By May 1759, Brest was short about 3,500 petty officers and able seamen. The final muster combined 7,100 professional seamen with 1,500 marines, 1,700 soldiers, and 2,700 coast guards, so nominal strength concealed a shortage of trained crews. Experienced sailors from other squadrons were offered bonuses to transfer. Aboard Orient the shortage was so severe that officers had to handle the sails while leaving Brest.
Chapter · 10:29-12:07
Blockade, manpower, and fleet readiness
Disease, capture, desertion, and unpaid service left the Brest fleet critically short of trained seamen and forced Conflans to fill ships with improvised crews.