Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/80

66 would, by attacking the coast, now in one part, now in another, and keeping all parts in continual alarms, necessarily detain a very considerable part of their forces at home, and thus make a powerful diversion, whilst it was pursuing what ought to be the grand perpetual object of all our operations, the destruction of the French maritime power.

The latter opinion prevailed; but it was however so far modified by the arguments on the other side, that after some time a few regiments were sent into Germany, as we have before related. These and better reasons, no doubt, determined the operations on the coast of France; but whilst the necessary preparations were making, their destination was kept an inviolable secret; and now, as they had the year before, inspired France with no little terror. Two squadrons, by the latter end of May, were in readiness for sailing. The greater under Lord Anson, the smaller under Commodore Howe, which last was designed to convoy the transports, and to savour the landing and re-imbarkment. The land forces consisted of sixteen battalions, and nine troops of light horse; they were commanded by the late Duke of Marlborough. They sailed from Portsmouth; but as soon as the fleet set sail, the squadron of my Lord Anson separated from the rest, and bore off to the Bay of Biscay, in order to spread the alarm more widely, and to observe the French squadron in Brest. The other part of the fleet, which was commanded by Commodore Howe, with the transports, arrived without any accident in Cancalle Bay, at a small distance from the city of St. Malo. Here the troops landed without opposition, and having fortified a post near Cancalle, (a post by nature well fitted for defence) for the security of their retreat, they marched in two columns to St. Maloes. When the army arrived there it was soon visible that the town, strongly situated on a peninsula, communicating with the main land only by a long and narrow causeway, was by no means a proper object of a coup de main; and though, for want of outworks, it was ill qualified to sustain a regular siege; yet our forces were, for want of strength and artillery sufficient, altogether as ill qualified for such an operation. They were therefore contented with setting fire to about an hundred fail of shipping, many or them privateers, which lay under the cannon of the town, and to several magazines filled with naval stores. The damage was very considerable; yet, what is to be remarked, the enemy did not fire a single shot on the detachment employed in this service. Having nothing more to do on this side, they retired to Cancalle; and reimbarked with as little opposition as they met with at landing; the land and sea commanders having made all the dispositions with great judgment.

Before the fleet returned, they reconnoitred the town of Granville on the coast of Normandy; but finding that a large body of troops were encamped in the neighbourhood, they made no attempt there. From thence they moved towards Cherbourg, and made the proper dispositions for landing near that place; but a hard gale blowing in to the shore, and the transports beginning to fall