In February 1760, a French privateer force landed 1,317 troops at Carrickfergus and defeated a garrison of only 72 men after its ammunition ran out. The attackers took provisions and water before re-embarking. Three British frigates under Captain Elliot intercepted the returning ships and captured the entire expedition. The British lost four dead and 15 injured, while the French lost 300, including their captain. The raid exposed how poorly prepared a vulnerable landing point could be even after months of invasion alarms. Yet it came four months after Quiberon Bay, too late to draw British resources away from the main war as French planners had hoped.
Notable Point · 8:31-10:25
The Carrickfergus raid after the strategic moment had passed
A French landing at Carrickfergus defeated a thin garrison and exposed local vulnerability, but it came four months after Quiberon Bay and ended with the expedition captured on its return voyage.