Napoleon wins Waterloo

[ghappy1000]

How about this as a French navy order of battle?
3 Commerce de Paris class ships of the line.
13 Ocean class ships of the line.
12 Bucentaure and 1 Tonnant class ships.
1 captured ship [HMS Hannibal].
50 Temeraire and Pluton class ships.
15 24 pounder frigates.
45 18 pounder frigates.
Other smaller vessels.

For Britain,
20 1st and 2nd rate ships of 90 and more guns.
12 2nd rate ships of 80-88 guns [including 4 French prizes and HMS Christian VII].
80 3rd rate ships mostly of 74 guns [including 5 prizes from France and HMS Norge].
20 frigates of 50-64 guns.
100 other frigates of 12 and 18 pounder guns [including approximately 30 French prizes, 2 from US Navy, HMS Imperieuse from Spain, 1 purchased from East India Company and 5 from Denmark plus one from the Dutch or Spanish if serviceable like Santa Margarita].

 

[lucaswillen05]

Why would Davout abolish the Iberian monarchies instead of just tying them to the Bonapartes? He's opening a can of worms there. It's much worse than Napoleon putting his brother in the Spanish throne.

France needs more allies against the Quadruple Alliance, not unstable neighbors.

France intervened in support of the Liberals. The Monarchies have made themselves deeply unpopular, hence the 1820 Revolutions. If Davout tried to link Spain and Portugal to he Bonapartes (appointing a new King from the House of Bonaparte) he would be making the same mistake Napoleon made at the start of the Peninsular War n 1808 (when his brother Joseph was made King of Spain) The Liberals are at least relatively popular and they are at least Spanish or Portuguese. This could actually be quite a clever move by Davout as it makes the new governments beholden to France as allies.

The Royalist supporters are still going to be a problem and they might well try to get an insurgency going and that will be supported by the Quadruple Alliance including Britain. If the war lasts long enough that can become a factor

 

[lucaswillen05]

How about this as a French navy order of battle?
3 Commerce de Paris class ships of the line.
13 Ocean class ships of the line.
12 Bucentaure and 1 Tonnant class ships.
1 captured ship [HMS Hannibal].
50 Temeraire and Pluton class ships.
15 24 pounder frigates.
45 18 pounder frigates.
Other smaller vessels.

For Britain,
20 1st and 2nd rate ships of 90 and more guns.
12 2nd rate ships of 80-88 guns [including 4 French prizes and HMS Christian VII].
80 3rd rate ships mostly of 74 guns [including 5 prizes from France and HMS Norge].
20 frigates of 50-64 guns.
100 other frigates of 12 and 18 pounder guns [including approximately 30 French prizes, 2 from US Navy, HMS Imperieuse from Spain, 1 purchased from East India Company and 5 from Denmark plus one from the Dutch or Spanish if serviceable like Santa Margarita].

Sounds good. Thanks

 

[Sextus Munatius Piso]

France intervened in support of the Liberals. The Monarchies have made themselves deeply unpopular, hence the 1820 Revolutions. If Davout tried to link Spain and Portugal to he Bonapartes (appointing a new King from the House of Bonaparte) he would be making the same mistake Napoleon made at the start of the Peninsular War n 1808 (when his brother Joseph was made King of Spain) The Liberals are at least relatively popular and they are at least Spanish or Portuguese. This could actually be quite a clever move by Davout as it makes the new governments beholden to France as allies.

The Royalist supporters are still going to be a problem and they might well try to get an insurgency going and that will be supported by the Quadruple Alliance including Britain. If the war lasts long enough that can become a factor

Remember what happened when France founded a republic decades ago? The same thing is guaranteed to happen in Spain/Portugal, if not worse.

Changing the monarchs (that is pliable to France, of course) is enough to solve the problem. Republicans are only a minority in the Spanish liberals, and will continue to be such unless their king is a combination of Carlos II and Fernando VII.

 

[lucaswillen05]

The War of the Quadruple Alliance/8th Coalition - the War at Sea May - July 1823

British and French Fleets at the outbreak of war

French navy order of battle

3 Commerce de Paris class ships of the line.
13 Ocean class ships of the line.
12 Bucentaure and 1 Tonnant class ships.
1 captured ship [HMS Hannibal].
50 Temeraire and Pluton class ships.
15 24 pounder frigates.
45 18 pounder frigates.
Other smaller vessels.

Britain,

20 1st and 2nd rate ships of 90 and more guns.
12 2nd rate ships of 80-88 guns [including 4 French prizes and HMS Christian VII].
80 3rd rate ships mostly of 74 guns [including 5 prizes from France and HMS Norge].
20 frigates of 50-64 guns.
100 other frigates of 12 and 18 pounder guns [including approximately 30 French prizes, 2 from US Navy, HMS Imperieuse from Spain, 1 purchased from East India Company. There were a number of Dutch, French and Spanish vessels that had been captured during the Napoleonic wars but in 1823 these were hulks being used as prison ships and therefore unfit for service.

English Channel, Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Peninsular West Coast

During the early weeks of the war he Royal Navy quickly swept the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay of French shipping. No major actions were fought although there were several frigate actions. By the end of June the French ports along the Channel Coast and in the Bay of Biscay were blockaded.

A small French Squadron had been at sea at the outbreak of hostilities with orders to support the French Invasion of Spain. This they did until destroyed by the Royal Navy at the Battle of Peniche on 18 May as the French tried to interfere in the evacuation of Beresford's army from Portugal. This action was in fact the first major naval action of the war with the entire French force being destroyed or captured at the nd of the action. Subsequent to the Battle of Peniche the Royal Navy blockaded Spain's Northern coastal ports as well as the Portuguese coastline

Western Mediterranean

During the opening months of the war the naval campaign in the Western Mediterranean was highly active although no major actions were fought. The British Admiralty felt however that it was more important to secure Home Waters first and then the approaches to them and so the Mediterranean was regarded as a secondary theater during the opening phases of the war.

Several minor naval actions were fought during this time although two major operations, the occupations of Sardina and Corsica were succesfuly conducted in June 1823 with little serious opposition from the French. However, a French Squadron under the command of Read Admiral Henri de Rigny had managed to evade the Royal Navy and was now somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean being hunted by a British Squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Edward Codrington. This would lead to the most important naval action of the War of the Quadruple Alliance, the Battle of Navarino.

 

[lucaswillen05]

The Treaty of Istanbul July 1 1823

Seeing the early French victories in Spain the Turks, in return for French support in suppressing the rebel Greeks signed a treaty of alliance with Napoleon II and declared war on the Quadruple Alliance. The duplicitous Mehemet Ali agreed to expel his British advisers as infidels and to support Turkey, committing the Egyptian Fleet and an expeditionary force to Greece to suppress the Greek rebels. Egypt also declared war on the Quadruple Alliance. These diplomatic developments opened up a new front in he War of the Quadruple Alliance as the conflict was becoming known although there were those who referred to the conflict as the War of the 8th Coalition.

Most Historians however see the War of the Quadruple Alliance as a separate conflict from the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars given that Napoleon Bonaparte had died in 1821 and the eight years of relative peace after the Waterloo Campaign 1815 which is therefore regarded as the last of the Napoleonic Wars

 

[ghappy1000]

Battle of Peniche
Even before the formal declaration of war on Britain, the French dispatched a frigate squadron under command of Pierre Bouvet consisting of the frigates Cybele, Victoire [o.t.l. Duchesse of Berry], Thestis, Astree and Armide with the flagship Clorinde to intercept reinforcements for the Spanish coast with the French Atlantic Fleet in close support. By 16 May, the frigate squadron was off Lisbon and reported the presence of the British and Portuguese fleets evacuating. After raiding some troop ships, it fled at night to report the presence of the evacuating fleet to the French Atlantic Fleet, which gave the order to intercept the convoy.

On 17 May 1823, the British and French fleets met and fought a low intensity engagement despite their respective sizes, with HMS Royal Oak sunk in the battle by explosion and HMS Bellerophon wrecked in the aftermath after being totally dismasted. In the aftermath, the French fleet launched a general pursuit of the British fleet, only to be defeated by shore artillery and the mobilised British fleet. The French lost 5 ships of the line, but as all of them [Jemmapes, Courageux, Ulm, Lys and Ocean] were built before 1810, the losses of them didn't seem serious at the moment. The separate frigate squadron was sent to salvage the lost ships, but faced the Royal Navy's Lisbon frigate squadron. In the ensuring battle, the Royal Navy heavily damaged all frigates that they had to surrender, but 3 of them sank before reaching Britain and the flagship was broken for scrap after being surveyed as a prototype. The British lost a frigate built on the lines of French frigate President and the formerly French ship Malta to sinking. Despite the losses, Britain's morale was boosted by French losses in the battle.

 

[lucaswillen05]

Battle of Peniche
Even before the formal declaration of war on Britain, the French dispatched a frigate squadron under command of Pierre Bouvet consisting of the frigates Cybele, Victoire [o.t.l. Duchesse of Berry], Thestis, Astree and Armide with the flagship Clorinde to intercept reinforcements for the Spanish coast with the French Atlantic Fleet in close support. By 16 May, the frigate squadron was off Lisbon and reported the presence of the British and Portuguese fleets evacuating. After raiding some troop ships, it fled at night to report the presence of the evacuating fleet to the French Atlantic Fleet, which gave the order to intercept the convoy.

On 17 May 1823, the British and French fleets met and fought a low intensity engagement despite their respective sizes, with HMS Royal Oak sunk in the battle by explosion and HMS Bellerophon wrecked in the aftermath after being totally dismasted. In the aftermath, the French fleet launched a general pursuit of the British fleet, only to be defeated by shore artillery and the mobilised British fleet. The French lost 5 ships of the line, but as all of them [Jemmapes, Courageux, Ulm, Lys and Ocean] were built before 1810, the losses of them didn't seem serious at the moment. The separate frigate squadron was sent to salvage the lost ships, but faced the Royal Navy's Lisbon frigate squadron. In the ensuring battle, the Royal Navy heavily damaged all frigates that they had to surrender, but 3 of them sank before reaching Britain and the flagship was broken for scrap after being surveyed as a prototype. The British lost a frigate built on the lines of French frigate President and the formerly French ship Malta to sinking. Despite the losses, Britain's morale was boosted by French losses in the battle.

Thanks for the account although next time please run it by me first - this is my timeline

 

[lucaswillen05]

The Navarino Campaign July - Mid August 1823

On he declaration of war the Ottoman Turks with the support of a squadron from Egypt and a French squadron under the command of Admiral de Ruvigny wee ordered to concentrate their forces and escort an Ottoman Army to Navarino Bay, a large natural harbour in the South West Pellopenese region of Greece The Ottomman and Egyptian contingents came under the overall command of Ibrahim Pasha The intention was to crush the Greek Rebels before the Russian Army could intervene.

The task of intercepting and destroying the Ottoman/Egyptian/French fleet was given to Vice Admiral Sir Edward Codrington, a veteran of Trafalgar. The Russians promised to support Codrington with a squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Hayden

A large Ottoman-Egyptian fleet, left Alexandria on 5 July 1823 and joined other Ottoman units at Navarino on 8 August In response, Codrington arrived with his squadron off Navarino on 12 August. Codrington reconnoitered the Turkish and French positions, then withdrew to the nearby British-controlled Ionian island of Zakynthos to await the arrival of the promised Russian fleet, leaving a frigate off Navarino to keep watch on the Ottoman fleet.

 

[lucaswillen05]

Battle of Navarino August 20 1823 Forces

While Codrington was awaiting Hayden the Ottoman fleet unloaded a 60000 man army, 80 guns and stores at Navarino Bay covered by Admiral de Ruvigny's squadron. The Ottoman's also established a shore battery in Navarino fort. Much of the Ottoman fleet consisted of corvettes and brigs of little combat value though they did have seven double deck frigates. The Egyptian contingent was large and well equipped under the effective command of a French adviser Captain J.M. Letellier and French officers effectively captained all the Egyptian ships. While the disembarkation of the land forces was in progress the Egyptian contingent conducted intensive gunnery practice. De Ruvigny's squadron consisted of one Commerce de Paris ship of the line l'Empereur Napoleon as flagship, one Ocean Class. 2 Tremair Class. 1 Pluton class and three frigates..

Codrington's ten ship squadron consisted of the one Cornopus Class (his flagship HMS Asia which had been due for launch in 1824 but construction had been speeded up given the looming threat of war in Europe, Most of the other British ships were Fame Class ships of the Line (HMS Albion, HMS Illustrious, HMS York, HMS Sultan) and frigates (3 double decked, 2 single decked) Two days prior to the battle Codrngton was joined by the Russian squadron of ten frigates

On the night of 18 August the Ottomans attempted a fire ship raid on the quadruple Alliance fleet anchorage off the island of Zakynthos Thanks to the alertness of British watch crews the raid was a failure and had no effect.

On the morning of 19 August Codrington and Hayden decided to attack the Franco/Ottoman fleet at Navarino Bay at dawn the following day. The coming battle, as matters turned out, was to be a second Trafalgar

 

[ghappy1000]

Frigate Actions of the War of the 8th Coalition [to supplement this timeline].

Action of 1 June 1823
This action saw frigates Arethuse and Sultane damage HMS Eurotas moderately before being chased off by British reinforcements.

Action of 18 June 1823
After a series of raids conducted by French frigate raiders against British shipping that were inconclusive, HMS Seine came across a flotilla of its Pallas class sister ships and a 24 pounder flagship under the French flag. The French frigates attempted to isolate Seine, with its previous French officers recognizing its appearance on the French ships. Immediately, HMS Venus, Melampus, Maidstone, Pallas, and Fisgard proceeded to intercept the flotilla by tracing signals fired by Seine, although devastated in hull, without 2 masts and about to be recaptured. In the attempt by the French ships to engage the arriving British frigates, the French frigate flagship [Surveillante] was dismasted and forced to surrender despite heavy damage to Melampus and half hearted support from the French frigates, which fled upon seeing Pallas and Fisgard come to the battle. In the escape attempt, the damaged Sultane [new frigate named after the frigate captured in 1814] was isolated and captured as well.

Overall, the loss of another 24 pounder frigate to capture [it would be repaired for British service by 1825] was encouraging to the Royal Navy, especially with the loss of Seine to water ingress after a collision while under tow and running aground off Cornwall to prevent sinking, although the decision to abandon Seine was controversial. HMS Melampus was quickly repaired despite devastating damage to the hull and the subsequent loss of all its masts [after one shot away] due to 24 pounder gun damage. The French frigate division's escape attempt on the sight of 2 extra British frigates and some signals made by them was also controversial, and had it been not for this, Melampus and Venus would have been captured after heavy damage according to a court martial. [Seine was in a sinking condition, but its loss after heavy damage wasn't made aware until 1824 in France.]
[French frigates involved are all of the Pallas class apart for the Surveillante and named Etoile [named after another frigate lost in 1814], Arethuse, Erigone, Prosperine and Sultane respectively].

Action of 15 August 1823
The French frigates Antigione, Rubis and Cleopatre were sent to interdict shipping off the Bay of Biscay and returned after cruising.
Action of 31 August 1823
In this action, the French frigate Magicienne duelled with HMS Africaine and sank the latter off Bermuda, but not without heavy damage that it was captured while returning to France. A court martial later blamed the age of the ship and better French gunnery for the Africaine's loss.

 

[lucaswillen05]

20 August 1823 Battle of Navarino

Shortly after dawn on 20 August the Anglo Russian Fleet under the command of Admiral Codrington mounted a surprise attack on the Ottoman fleet at Navarino Bay using a plan remarkably similar to that of Lord Nelson at Aboukir Bay. The French squadron under Admiral De Ruvigny was absent at the start of the action having been requested by Ibrahim Pasha, the Turkish commander to search for and screen against the Quadruple Alliance Fleet to the South West. Sadly for De Ruvigny he missed Quadruple Alliance Fleet during the night as was determined by his late Court Martial.To his credit De Ruvigny did sail to the sound of the guns.

Despite heavy fire from the shore battery in Navarino Fort the British and Russian squadrons mounted a coordinated pincer attack on the Turkish and Egyptian vessels at anchor in the bay. Although he Turkish and Egyptian crews were unprepared for action and taken by surprise they put up a gallant fight. However they were completely outmatched by the British and Russian crews in training and equipment.

By the time De Ruvigny arrived on the scene shortly before midday much of the Turkish fleet had been taken or destroyed. Nevertheless De Ruvigny courageously attacked anyway, hoping to take advantage of the confused situation in Navarino Bay to trap and destroy the Quadruple Alliance Fleet in the bay, just as had happened to the Ottoman Fleet in the morning engagement.

However this crisis was dealt with by Codrington#s professionalism and tactical brilliance as well as the highly trained sailing and gunnery skills of the Royal Navy. his gained vital time for the Russian Squadron to intervene. By 5PM the entire French squadron had struck their colours. De Ruvigny would spend the rest of the war as a British Prisoner as would Captain Letellier. Ibrahim pash was killed on the deck of his flagship.Codrington himself was lightly wounded on the deck of his flagship HMS Asia which, because of its' role in the battle would become almost as famous as HMS Victory. Allied casualties were given by Codrington as 181 killed, 480 wounded Quadruple Alliance losses were by no means light. A number of their ships were severely damaged: the Russian ships Azov, Gangut and Iezekiil were disabled. The three British ships of the line had to be sent back to the United Kingdom for repairs. In fact, given the rough handling all the ships of the line had endured and the danger from exploding Ottoman vessels, it was miraculous that not a single Allied vessel was sunk. Codrington himself survived his wound to be hailed as a Second Nelson. His statue stands opposite that of Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square.

Nevertheless the Quadruple Alliance had won a decisive naval victory comparable in effect to Trafalgar. After Navarino Bay the French never mounted a major naval challenge to the Quadruple Alliance for the rest of the war although there were minor ctions against blockade breakers.

As it turned out Navarino Bay was also the last naval battle involving only sailing ships During the 1830s and 1840s the invention of he steam ship would revolutionize naval warfare. However the Ottomans had successfully landed their army in Greece and this would result in a hard fought land campaign the Balkans. There would also be a hard fought Russo- Turkish campaign in the Caucasus. The war against Turkey however would keep Russia out of the war in Western Europe. Though Navarino was tactically a decisive defeat for the French it was a strategic failure for the Quadruple Alliance considering the war as a whole. As will be seen the Quadruple Alliance would miss the addition of the Russian Army which might otherwise have made a huge difference in the main theater of the War in Western Europe

 

[lucaswillen05]

The Morea Expedition September - October 1823

Following the shattering Quadruple Alliance naval victory at Navarino the British and Russian navies, with help from the small Austrian navy imposed an effective naval blockade on Turkey, Egypt and the coastline of the Turkish held parts of Greece. Joint British and Russian land operations also began to be implemented.

On 11 September a British expeditionary force composed of three infantry brigades and a small cavalry brigade was landed in the Gulf of Koroni establlishing a base camp near Petadi under a General Mason. Over the next few weeks Mason's force, in conjunction with Greek rebel units captured a number of Ottoman forts ncluding the strategicaly important Morea Castle which was taken in a bloody night assault reminiscent of Badajoz and Ciudad Rodrigo in 1812. However, with a strong Ottoman army in the vicinity of Navarino that fortress was, as yet securely held by the Turks, Meanwhile of course Russian armies conducted important operations in the Balkans and the Caucasus regions which would be decisive in determining the Russo Turkish part of the War of the Quadruple Alliance

 

[lucaswillen05]

The Russo Turkish War in 1823 Russian War Plans

Tsar Alexander I gave command of overall operations against Turkey to Grand Duke Nicholas (later Nicholas I with military operations actually conducted by the Napoleonic Veteran Prince Peter Wittgenstein.

There were two theaters of operations. The main effort would be made in the Balkans under the personal command of Prince Wittgenstein. An army of 100000 men would ove into Wallachia and Romania, cross the Danube into modern day Roumania. It would there capture the Ottoman fortresses of Schumala, Varna and Sillistra with the support of the Black Sea Fleet under Admiral Aleksei Greig. Eventually it would advance unto Greece in order to link up with General Mason's British expeditionary force. Meanwhile Admiral Hayden's squadron would continue to co-ordinate with Codrington in the blockade of the Greek coast. The next phase would involve completing the liberation of Greece and a final push on Istanbul t restore that city to Greek rule

A secodary offensive was to be mounted n the Caucasus region under another Napoleonic veteran. Ivan Pakevch with 30000 men. Te numbers were so small on thi front due to concerns about possible Persian involvement on the side of Turkey. In the Caucasus the main objective for the Russians was to tie down as many Turkish forces as possible and to capture th fortresses on the eastern costine of he Black Sea

Turkish War Plans

The Turks under the command of Resid Mehmed Pasha would, assisted by hundreds of French military advisers would fight a defensive war. Although, after several years of reform and "Westernization" the Turks were still not capable of meeting a real Western army like the Russians on an open field

 

[Zulfurium]

Who is Alexander II? Is he a son of Alexander I? Or do you mean Alexander I in this case? I am sorta confused Otherwise lots of interesting developments.

 

[ghappy1000]

Mediterranean Campaign of December 1823 and winter 1824
In the aftermath of the defeat of Navarino, the French Mediterranean Fleet sortied to defeat the British Mediterranean Fleet. The news of the defeat were brought by the flagship of the French Navarino Squadron, which rose up and returned to France after capture and being the only ship to successfully do so from the defeated Ottoman-French fleet. The Quadruple Alliance fleet at Navarino was escorted by smaller British, Russian, Greek and Austrian ships to Malta for repairs while the Austrian fleet was summoned for assistance with any Ottoman and French ships afloat before resuming the blockade on the Ottoman coast, the Greeks taking possession of the smaller Ottoman ships and 2 frigates.

The French Mediterranean fleet prepared a large naval offensive against the Quadruple Alliance fleet by linking the fleet at Toulon with the Spanish and Portuguese fleets. After readying, the 'cruise of Hamelin [the commander of the French Mediterranean Fleet]' began on 28 December 1823 and the French Mediterranean Fleet rendezvoused with the Spanish squadron of 10 ships of the line and frigates combined before entering the Atlantic for the new year. Then, the Spanish and Portuguese fleets in Cadiz and Lisbon respectively joined the French. Rumours about French invasions of colonies and Britain kept the British fleets returning to Britain in chaos but without losses. The French Mediterranean Fleet then returned to the Mediterranean, picking up the Barbary States' fleets on the way and invading Malta on 21-25 January, but failing with bombardment alone.

In the aftermath, the Royal Navy was alerted. An attempt by the French Atlantic Fleet to break out in support was chased away by the Royal Navy's Channel Fleet, the French sailing back to Brest instead. Afterwards, the Royal Navy's Spanish blockade squadrons sailed to meet the Mediterranean Fleet while the French returned to Toulon. In the aftermath, the French laid up 5 damaged ships of the line and 3 frigates in port.

The Second Cruise of Hamelin
The next attempt to sortie took place on 15 March 1824. Pursued by the Royal Navy, the French Mediterranean Fleet sailed to Constantinople, with diversionary operations to tie up ships in Malta and Egypt. Reinforced, the British and Austrian Mediterranean Fleets and the Second Russian Mediterranean Squadron defeated the Spanish and Portuguese Fleets that were detached decisively, sinking or capturing 12 frigates and 8 ships of the line for one ship of the line and frigate lost respectively by the Quadruple Alliance. Also, 2 Spanish ships of the line were sunk before reaching port. However, the damage inflicted and escort duties sent 5 British ships of the line and several frigates temporarily home.

After chasing away the blockade squadron off the Dardanelles, the French and Ottoman combined fleet defeated the Russian Black Sea Squadron on a cruise. The French Mediterranean Fleet then attempted a breakout with the Ottomans with a convoy, but off the Dardanelles, it was defeated. With the British reserve fleet committed to routing the Ottomans, the French Navy retreated in disorder after the Ottoman defeat, leaving 2 1st rate Ocean class ships, 2 Bucentaure class ships, the former HMS Hannibal and 4 Temeraire class ships to be captured or sunk besides much of the Ottoman Navy for minimal British losses on 21 June 1824. This became the last major sea battle purely involving sailing ships due to the introduction of the steam ship. Vice Admiral Hamelin became a prisoner, his battered flagship [Montebello] towed by one of his former Indian Ocean frigates [HMS Pomone] to Malta.
[Note: Hamelin should be replaced with Duprerre, he was senior to the former o.t.l. after 1815.]

 

[lucaswillen05]

Who is Alexander II? Is he a son of Alexander I? Or do you mean Alexander I in this case? I am sorta confused Otherwise lots of interesting developments.

Typo. Alexander I. Tanks for letting me know about the typo which has now been corrected

Mediterranean Campaign of December 1823 and winter 1824
In the aftermath of the defeat of Navarino, the French Mediterranean Fleet sortied to defeat the British Mediterranean Fleet. The news of the defeat were brought by the flagship of the French Navarino Squadron, which rose up and returned to France after capture and being the only ship to successfully do so from the defeated Ottoman-French fleet. The Quadruple Alliance fleet at Navarino was escorted by smaller British, Russian, Greek and Austrian ships to Malta for repairs while the Austrian fleet was summoned for assistance with any Ottoman and French ships afloat before resuming the blockade on the Ottoman coast, the Greeks taking possession of the smaller Ottoman ships and 2 frigates.

The French Mediterranean fleet prepared a large naval offensive against the Quadruple Alliance fleet by linking the fleet at Toulon with the Spanish and Portuguese fleets. After readying, the 'cruise of Hamelin [the commander of the French Mediterranean Fleet]' began on 28 December 1823 and the French Mediterranean Fleet rendezvoused with the Spanish squadron of 10 ships of the line and frigates combined before entering the Atlantic for the new year. Then, the Spanish and Portuguese fleets in Cadiz and Lisbon respectively joined the French. Rumours about French invasions of colonies and Britain kept the British fleets returning to Britain in chaos but without losses. The French Mediterranean Fleet then returned to the Mediterranean, picking up the Barbary States' fleets on the way and invading Malta on 21-25 January, but failing with bombardment alone.

In the aftermath, the Royal Navy was alerted. An attempt by the French Atlantic Fleet to break out in support was chased away by the Royal Navy's Channel Fleet, the French sailing back to Brest instead. Afterwards, the Royal Navy's Spanish blockade squadrons sailed to meet the Mediterranean Fleet while the French returned to Toulon. In the aftermath, the French laid up 5 damaged ships of the line and 3 frigates in port.

The Second Cruise of Hamelin
The next attempt to sortie took place on 15 March 1824. Pursued by the Royal Navy, the French Mediterranean Fleet sailed to Constantinople, with diversionary operations to tie up ships in Malta and Egypt. Reinforced, the British and Austrian Mediterranean Fleets and the Second Russian Mediterranean Squadron defeated the Spanish and Portuguese Fleets that were detached decisively, sinking or capturing 12 frigates and 8 ships of the line for one ship of the line and frigate lost respectively by the Quadruple Alliance. Also, 2 Spanish ships of the line were sunk before reaching port. However, the damage inflicted and escort duties sent 5 British ships of the line and several frigates temporarily home.

After chasing away the blockade squadron off the Dardanelles, the French and Ottoman combined fleet defeated the Russian Black Sea Squadron on a cruise. The French Mediterranean Fleet then attempted a breakout with the Ottomans with a convoy, but off the Dardanelles, it was defeated. With the British reserve fleet committed to routing the Ottomans, the French Navy retreated in disorder after the Ottoman defeat, leaving 2 1st rate Ocean class ships, 2 Bucentaure class ships, the former HMS Hannibal and 4 Temeraire class ships to be captured or sunk besides much of the Ottoman Navy for minimal British losses on 21 June 1824. This became the last major sea battle purely involving sailing ships due to the introduction of the steam ship. Vice Admiral Hamelin became a prisoner, his battered flagship [Montebello] towed by one of his former Indian Ocean frigates [HMS Pomone] to Malta.
[Note: Hamelin should be replaced with Duprerre, he was senior to the former o.t.l. after 1815.]

This is NOT an official update. I have asked Ghappy to contact me with any updates he would like to add. Alternatively he may make his suggestions on the thread. This is MY timeline and his thread has been written without any consultation whatsoever with me. This despite a Private Message to me.

Ghappy I had hoped that my PM to you would have sent you, thus avoiding the need to embarrass you in public the message You DO NOT update someone else's timeline without having the courtesy to contact them first. Updaing somebody else's timeline without consulting or asking permison is extremely rude and you MUST desist from doing so.

Suggestion and discussion are of course perfectly acceptable.I know you are interested in the naval aspect of the war and you are welcome to make suggestons regarding the future course of the war. However, you have no idea of how I plan to develop th timeline nor of the timescales involved. For all you know the war might be over and a peace treaty signed by the end of 1823.

To everyone else Ghappy's most recent post was without permission or consultation with me, It is therefore to be ignored.

 

[lucaswillen05]

The Russian Campaign in the Caucasus September - December 1823

he Russian Army of the Caucasus under the command of Ivan Peskevich advanced int the Caucasus with 300000 men. The Russian advanced guard easily defeated a Turkish army of 28000 at the Battle of Akhaltsikh on 18 September, On October 1 the Turkish fortess of Kars was stormed in a bloody night escalade, Three weeks later on October 21 the garrison of Akhalkahvi attempted to flee the fortress when the garrison commander panicked and attempted to flee the fortress only to be intercepted and annihilated two days later at the Battle of Borjomi Gorge. On the Black Sea Coast the Russians captured Anapa on 18 October and Poti on 21 October. By the end of the month the Russians had effective control of the entire Caucasus Region including the Pashylik of Bayazid.

The Turkish debacle in the Caucasus resulted in the replacement of the local commander Khios Pasha with Salih Pasha and his deputy Hakki Pasha in early December 20000 raw recruits came with the new commanders for a planned invasion of Anatolia in the spring of 1824

 

[chris N]

One Needs to remember that the European powers are in bad shape . They have all run out of money and there is a massive amount of distrust between the Austrians and the Prussians. The so called allies came very close to going to war with one another over Saxony. In Russia the Czar is under pressure to wash his hands of the whole mess and withdraw. France has by now seen the celebration of a massive victory over the allies. And remember all of the troops that had surrendered in 1814 would have returned to France. That includes a lot of veteran French soldiers who had held cites and fortresses in Germany. There are a lot of soldiers in the allied armies which had fought only months before for the French. Many of them were not happy to be under Prussian colors. It is very likely that Napoleon has gained the Belgian troops from the Netherlands Army. Also the Danes would probably withdraw from the war as they were treated poorly by the Powers and really sympathize with the French Emperor.
If Britain exits the war then the money is gone and no nation has the funds to keep paying the troops.
As for Britain not having conscription no but it did have the press gangs which were used to man the nay and it was just as brutal as conscription. Anyone who made the mistake of taking the King's shilling found himself in the Army.

 

[chris N]

I would suggest that if France were to get involved in North Africa the most logical place would be Algeria. I would also say that it is a wise move for the French not to choice the King or Queen of Spain. That way the French would not be considered invaders attempting to impose someone on the Spanish people and resulting in British intervention backfiring on the British. The French might also adopt Robert Fulton's ideas becoming a steam powered Navy.