Planned French invasion of Britain (1744)

French invasion of Great Britain (1744)
Part of the War of the Austrian Succession and the Jacobite risings

Maurice de Saxe, Maurice Quentin de La Tour
DateJanuary - March 1744
Location
English Channel
Result French failure
Belligerents
 Great Britain
 Dutch Republic		 Jacobites
 France
Commanders and leaders
George Wade
John Norris		 Maurice de Saxe
Jacques Bousquest
Strength
7,000 regulars 6-15,000 regulars
Casualties and losses
Unknown 12 transports lost

An invasion of Great Britain was planned by France in 1744 shortly after the declaration of war between them as part of the War of the Austrian Succession. A large invasion force was prepared and put to sea from Dunkirk in February 1744, only to be partly wrecked and driven back into harbour by violent storms.[1] Deciding that circumstances were not favourable to an invasion, the French government suspended the attempt, and deployed their forces elsewhere.[2]

The failure of the 1744 invasion attempt played a major role in the planning of the next French attempt to invade Britain, in 1759, which also proved unsuccessful.

  1. ^ Longmate p.144
  2. ^ Rodger p.244