Hubert de Brienne, Comte de Conflans
Encyclopedia
Hubert de Brienne, Comte de Conflans (1690, Paris - 27 January 1777, Paris) was a French naval commander.
and the following year entered the Gardes de la Marine
school at Brest
. He then served in the War of the Spanish Succession
under Duquesne-Guitton
(from 1708 to 1709) and Duguay-Trouin
(1710), in which he received his baptism of fire, taking part in the capture of an English vessel then a Portuguese merchantman.
In 1712, he was made ensign
and participated in several anti-piratical operations in the Caribbean
and on the Moroccan
coast. In 1721, he was sent on a mission to Constantinople then in 1723 he cruised along the coast of Saint-Domingue
and took part in the repression of the troubles there.
and from 1733 to 1734 commanded a flotilla charged with guarding the transport of men and munitions to Cayenne
and Martinique
. That same year, he was promoted to captain, and served again under Duguay Trouin then under the marquis d'Antin during the War of the Polish Succession
.
In 1741, he commanded the gardes de la Marine school at Brest, where he had begun his career. Eventually, he was put in command of the Content and captured the English vessel Northumberland
on 8 May 1744. On board the Terrible he escorted Atlantic convoys and in 1746 took the Severn.
In 1747, he was made governor-general of Saint-Domingue, but on the voyage to take up the post his vessel was attached by the English and he was wounded and captured. He was not freed until 1748, in the treaty of Aix la Chapelle
, on which he was made "chef d'escadre
", a role he held up to 1751. In 1752 he became lieutenant général of the navy.
in reward for his service.
and the marshal of Belle-Isle, and named "le Grand Dessein de débarquement". Command of the expeditionary force was given to Emmanuel-Armand de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon
. Relations between Conflans and Aiguillon were far from cordial and, in effect, Conflans disagreed with the conduct of the campaign by his superiors and informed the king that he was anxious to avoid battle with the British fleet under Admiral Hawke. The fleet was mustered in the gulf of Morbihan
, and it was there that Conflans had to start his escort duties. Nevertheless, he had to annihilate the division of commodore Robert Duff which had crossed into the area. Finally, Hawke momentarily relaxed his blockade of Brest in order to avoid a storm and Conflans got out of Brest on November 14.
Opposing currents diverted the marshal from his initial route and Conflans did not sight Belle Isle
until the 20th. Meanwhile Hawke had been warned of Conflans's departure and moved to block his path. On November 20, on a restless sea, Conflans sighted Duff's division fleeing and gave the order to attack it, but as victory seemed in Conflans's hands, Hawke's fleet sighted Conflans's. Duff then put about so that Conflans turn aside to chase him, thus allowing Hawke to bring his fleet into line of battle and begin pursuing the French fleet. Conflans decided to sail into Quiberon Bay
, little known to the English, and engage Hawke there, even though Hawke had caught up with Conflans just as the French fleet began entering the bay. Hawke nevertheless joined battle and destroyed two French vessels and forced two others to strike their colours. Conflans moved to the safety of a ship in his rear, but night soon put a temporary end to the battle.
During the night, Conflans's flagship
, the Soleil Royal
ran aground, without his knowing, within only a few cable length
s of the English fleet. When dawn rose, he realized the danger that awaited him and sailed across the Croisic to embark on the French vessel Héros
. He then burned his flagship after evacuating it.
, Conflans would not only have to explain his defeat but also his burning of his flagship. His choice to engage in the bay of Quiberon was criticized, because it reckoned without the audacity of Hawke. The reasons for his decision to abandon his vessel remain obscure. He was reproached for it at the time.
Disgraced, he passed his last years in Paris where he died in 1777. His post of vice admiral of the Ponant would be given to the prince of Bauffremont, his subaltern at Quiberon Bay.
Early life
The son of Henri Jacob marquis de Conflans and Marie du Bouchet, at 15 he was made a knight of the Order of Saint LazarusOrder of Saint Lazarus
This article concerns the order of knighthood named after Saint Lazarus. For other uses of the name Lazarus, see Lazarus .The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is an order of chivalry which originated in a leper hospital founded by the Knights Hospitaller in 1098 by the...
and the following year entered the Gardes de la Marine
Gardes de la Marine
In France, under the Ancien Régime, the Gardes de la Marine , or Gardes-Marine were young gentlemen picked and maintained by the king in his harbours to learn the navy service, and to train to be officers. They were organized in companies, divided up between the harbors of Brest, Toulon, and...
school at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. He then served in the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
under Duquesne-Guitton
Abraham Duquesne-Guitton
Captain, later Admiral, Abraham de Bellebat de Duquesne-Guitton, also spelled Duquesne-Guiton , was a French naval commander....
(from 1708 to 1709) and Duguay-Trouin
René Duguay-Trouin
René Trouin, Sieur du Gué, usually called René Duguay-Trouin, was a famous French corsair of Saint-Malo. He had a brilliant privateering and naval career and eventually became "Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies of the King" , and a Commander in the Order of Saint-Louis...
(1710), in which he received his baptism of fire, taking part in the capture of an English vessel then a Portuguese merchantman.
In 1712, he was made ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
and participated in several anti-piratical operations in the Caribbean
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
and on the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
coast. In 1721, he was sent on a mission to Constantinople then in 1723 he cruised along the coast of Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue
The labour for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 African slaves . Between 1764 and 1771, the average annual importation of slaves varied between 10,000-15,000; by 1786 it was about 28,000, and from 1787 onward, the colony received more than 40,000 slaves a year...
and took part in the repression of the troubles there.
First commands and governor-general of Saint-Dominique
He was made lieutenant in 1727 and carried out two campaigns in the Mediterranean. Then, in 1731, he served as lieutenant of the gardes de la Marine at Rochefort. The following year he was made knight of the order of Saint LouisOrder of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
and from 1733 to 1734 commanded a flotilla charged with guarding the transport of men and munitions to Cayenne
Cayenne
Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city's motto is "Ferit Aurum Industria" which means "Work brings wealth"...
and Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
. That same year, he was promoted to captain, and served again under Duguay Trouin then under the marquis d'Antin during the War of the Polish Succession
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession was a major European war for princes' possessions sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II, King of Poland that other European powers widened in pursuit of their own national interests...
.
In 1741, he commanded the gardes de la Marine school at Brest, where he had begun his career. Eventually, he was put in command of the Content and captured the English vessel Northumberland
HMS Northumberland (1705)
HMS Northumberland was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Deptford Dockyard and launched in 1705.She was rebuilt twice during her career, firstly at Woolwich Dockyard, where she was reconstructed according to the 1719 Establishment and relaunched on 13 July 1721...
on 8 May 1744. On board the Terrible he escorted Atlantic convoys and in 1746 took the Severn.
In 1747, he was made governor-general of Saint-Domingue, but on the voyage to take up the post his vessel was attached by the English and he was wounded and captured. He was not freed until 1748, in the treaty of Aix la Chapelle
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748 ended the War of the Austrian Succession following a congress assembled at the Imperial Free City of Aachen—Aix-la-Chapelle in French—in the west of the Holy Roman Empire, on 24 April 1748...
, on which he was made "chef d'escadre
Chef d'escadre
In the ancien Régime French Navy, the rank of chef d'escadre was equivalent to the present-day rank of rear admiral. It was replaced in 1791 by the rank of "contre-amiral" ....
", a role he held up to 1751. In 1752 he became lieutenant général of the navy.
Seven Years' War and the battle of Quiberon Bay
In 1756 he received the rank of vice-admiral of the Ponant (roughly, the Atlantic fleet). In 1758, King Louis XV made him a Marshal of FranceMarshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
in reward for his service.
Planned invasion
In 1759, he was put in charge with landing troops in Scotland for an invasion of England organised by Louis XV, Nicolas René BerryerNicolas René Berryer
Nicolas René Berryer, comte de La Ferrière Nicolas René Berryer, comte de La Ferrière Nicolas René Berryer, comte de La Ferrière (4 March 1703, Paris - 15 August 1762, Versailles was a French magistrate and politician. He is best known for his service as Minister of Marine during the Seven Years...
and the marshal of Belle-Isle, and named "le Grand Dessein de débarquement". Command of the expeditionary force was given to Emmanuel-Armand de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon
Emmanuel-Armand de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon
Emmanuel-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon was a French soldier and statesman and a nephew of Louis François Armand du Plessis, duc de Richelieu. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs under Louis XV.-Early life:Before the death of his father, he was known at court...
. Relations between Conflans and Aiguillon were far from cordial and, in effect, Conflans disagreed with the conduct of the campaign by his superiors and informed the king that he was anxious to avoid battle with the British fleet under Admiral Hawke. The fleet was mustered in the gulf of Morbihan
Gulf of Morbihan
The Gulf of Morbihan is a natural harbour on the coast of the Département of Morbihan in the south of Brittany, France. This English name is taken from the French version: le golfe du Morbihan...
, and it was there that Conflans had to start his escort duties. Nevertheless, he had to annihilate the division of commodore Robert Duff which had crossed into the area. Finally, Hawke momentarily relaxed his blockade of Brest in order to avoid a storm and Conflans got out of Brest on November 14.
Opposing currents diverted the marshal from his initial route and Conflans did not sight Belle Isle
Belle Isle
- Places :In Canada* Belle Isle , an island and strait In England, UK* Belle Isle, an area of Leeds, West Yorkshire* Belle Isle , an island in Lake District, Cumbria...
until the 20th. Meanwhile Hawke had been warned of Conflans's departure and moved to block his path. On November 20, on a restless sea, Conflans sighted Duff's division fleeing and gave the order to attack it, but as victory seemed in Conflans's hands, Hawke's fleet sighted Conflans's. Duff then put about so that Conflans turn aside to chase him, thus allowing Hawke to bring his fleet into line of battle and begin pursuing the French fleet. Conflans decided to sail into Quiberon Bay
Quiberon Bay
The Baie de Quiberon is an area of sheltered water on the south coast of Brittany. The bay is in the Morbihan département.-Geography:The bay is roughly triangular in shape, open to the south with the Gulf of Morbihan to the north-east and the narrow peninsular of Presqu'île de Quiberon providing...
, little known to the English, and engage Hawke there, even though Hawke had caught up with Conflans just as the French fleet began entering the bay. Hawke nevertheless joined battle and destroyed two French vessels and forced two others to strike their colours. Conflans moved to the safety of a ship in his rear, but night soon put a temporary end to the battle.
During the night, Conflans's flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, the Soleil Royal
French ship Soleil-Royal (1749)
The Soleil-Royal was a ship in the French navy, the third ship of that name. She was Brienne's flagship at the battle of Quiberon Bay, where she ran aground and was burnt to prevent her capture....
ran aground, without his knowing, within only a few cable length
Cable length
A cable length or cable's length is a nautical unit of measure equal to one tenth of a nautical mile or 100 fathoms, or sometimes 120 fathoms. The unit is named after the length of a ship's anchor cable in the age of sail...
s of the English fleet. When dawn rose, he realized the danger that awaited him and sailed across the Croisic to embark on the French vessel Héros
French ship Héros (1750)
The Héros was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Joseph Chapelle at Brest and launched in 1752In 1755, the Héros, under captain de Kermabon, took part in the Canadian campaign in the Bullion de Montlouet squadron....
. He then burned his flagship after evacuating it.
Aftermath and final years
On his return to BrestBrest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, Conflans would not only have to explain his defeat but also his burning of his flagship. His choice to engage in the bay of Quiberon was criticized, because it reckoned without the audacity of Hawke. The reasons for his decision to abandon his vessel remain obscure. He was reproached for it at the time.
Disgraced, he passed his last years in Paris where he died in 1777. His post of vice admiral of the Ponant would be given to the prince of Bauffremont, his subaltern at Quiberon Bay.