page_title: Raid on Lorient
section_title: British preparations
hierarchical_section_title: Raid on Lorient / Background / Origin of the British plan / British preparations
caption_attribution_description: English: Vauban Tower, Camaret-sur-Mer Français&#160;: Tour Vauban, Camaret-sur-Mer Deutsch: Vauban Turm, Camaret-sur-Mer Español: Torre Vauban, Camaret-sur-Mer
context_page_description: The Raid on Lorient was a British amphibious operation in the region around the town of Lorient from 29 September to 10 October 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was planned as an attempt to force the French to withdraw their forces from Flanders to reinforce their own coast. At the same time, as Lorient was used by the French East India Company as a base and supply depot, its destruction would serve British objectives in the East Indies.
  Around 4500 British soldiers were embarked, but the ships carrying them had to wait off the Lorient coast several days, allowing the town to organise its defences and call in reinforcements from other towns in the region. The British troops only arrived in the outskirts of the town on 3 October and negotiations for the town's surrender were ended on by the bombardment of 5–7 October. On 7 October the British force was ordered to retreat. The British engineers' incompetence and losses to disease and fatigue forced the commander to stop his offensive.
context_section_description: British tactics had evolved since the War of the League of Augsburg. Instead of bombarding ports and raiding the coast of Brittany as it had done during that conflict, Britain shifted more and more to larger amphibious operations such as the 1694 Battle of Camaret.
  Vice admiral Richard Lestock was court-martialled due to his implication in the defeat at the Battle of Toulon and appointed to head the British fleet for the new operation in Brittany in February 1744. He had at his disposal 16 ships of the line, 8 frigates and 43 transport ships. Shortly before the expedition's departure the historian and philosopher David Hume became secretary to James St Clair, in command of the land offensive. St Clair's force was made up of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment, the 5th Battalion of the Highlanders Regiment, the 3rd Battalion of Bragg's Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of Harrisson's Regiment, the 4th Battalion of Richbell's Regiment, part of some battalions from Frampton's Regiment and some companies of marines, numbering a total of 4,500 men.
  The commanders were doubtful as to whether Brittany was the best target for the raid, preferring Normandy. Brittany was not well known to the British - St Clair could not acquire a map of the region and had to use a small-scale map of France instead, whilst Lestock knew nothing about the town's defences. The landing force was also unable to acquire horses. The fleet left Plymouth on 26 September and passed Ushant without being intercepted by the French.
caption: The Battle of Camaret served as a model for later British amphibious operations against Brittany.
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