Larache expedition
Encyclopedia
The Larache expedition occurred in June 1765 when French Navy troops attacked the Moroccan city of Larache
following a bombardment of Salé
and Rabat
. It is an example of the sporadic failure of Western arms against local forces in colonial campaigns.
After the end of the Seven Year's War, France turned its attention to the Barbary corsairs
, especially those of Morocco
, who had taken advantage of the conflict to attack Western shipping.
A French squadron was led by Duchaffault de Besné, comprising a 52-gun ship Utile and 15 frigates, xebecs and galliots. The 30-gun Héroine was commanded by Captain De Grasse
. The xebec Singe was under the command of Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez
. It arrived in front of Larache on 26 June 1765, after a successful bombardment of Salé between 2 and 11 June.
Larache was bombarded successfully on the 27th and 28th, and the city was evacuated. Some small boats of the French squadron under Captain Latouche Beauregard sailed up the Lixa river, in an attempt to set fire to some Moroccan ships. This force was encircled by the Moroccans. Seven small boats were captured, while nine were able to return to the squadron. 200 French sailors were killed, and 48 were captured and enslaved
. One of the captives, Bidé de Maurville, who remained in captivity for two years, wrote in 1775 an account of the expedition, in Relation de l'affaire de Larache.
The captured men are said to have participated in the construction of the city of Essaouira
, which was being designed by Theodore Cornut
for the ruler of Morocco, Mohammed ben Abdallah.
The fleet was unable to recover the prisoners or to inflict retribution on Moroccan forces. This was a low point for the French Navy, after the Seven Years War, and before the revival of the French fleet at the end of the 18th century.
The defeat at Larache led to a truce and a treaty between France and Morocco in 1767, with terms which were nevertheless favourable to French trade.
Larache
Larache is an important harbour town in the region Tanger-Tétouan in northern Morocco. It was founded in the 7th century when a group of Muslim soldiers from Arabia extended their camp at Lixus onto the south bank of the Loukkos River.In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from Asilah and Tangier drove...
following a bombardment of Salé
Salé
Salé is a city in north-western Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town...
and Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
. It is an example of the sporadic failure of Western arms against local forces in colonial campaigns.
After the end of the Seven Year's War, France turned its attention to the Barbary corsairs
Barbary corsairs
The Barbary Corsairs, sometimes called Ottoman Corsairs or Barbary Pirates, were pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers. This area was known in Europe as the Barbary Coast, a term derived from the name of its Berber...
, especially those of Morocco
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...
, who had taken advantage of the conflict to attack Western shipping.
A French squadron was led by Duchaffault de Besné, comprising a 52-gun ship Utile and 15 frigates, xebecs and galliots. The 30-gun Héroine was commanded by Captain De Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
. The xebec Singe was under the command of Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez
Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez
Admiral comte Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren , French admiral, was the third son of the marquis de Saint Tropez, head of a family of nobles of Provence which claimed to have emigrated from Lucca in the 14th century...
. It arrived in front of Larache on 26 June 1765, after a successful bombardment of Salé between 2 and 11 June.
Larache was bombarded successfully on the 27th and 28th, and the city was evacuated. Some small boats of the French squadron under Captain Latouche Beauregard sailed up the Lixa river, in an attempt to set fire to some Moroccan ships. This force was encircled by the Moroccans. Seven small boats were captured, while nine were able to return to the squadron. 200 French sailors were killed, and 48 were captured and enslaved
Enslaved
Enslaved may refer to:* Slavery, the socio-economic condition of being owned and worked by and for someone else* Bottom , people playing the 'slave' part in BDSM* Enslaved , a progressive black metal band from Haugesund, Norway...
. One of the captives, Bidé de Maurville, who remained in captivity for two years, wrote in 1775 an account of the expedition, in Relation de l'affaire de Larache.
The captured men are said to have participated in the construction of the city of Essaouira
Essaouira
Mogador redirects here, for the hamlet in Surrey see Mogador, Surrey.Essaouira is a city in the western Moroccan economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, on the Atlantic coast. Since the 16th century, the city has also been known by its Portuguese name of Mogador or Mogadore...
, which was being designed by Theodore Cornut
Théodore Cornut
Théodore Cornut, also Cornout, was a French mathematician and military architect of the 18th century, born in Avignon, who worked for the King of Morocco....
for the ruler of Morocco, Mohammed ben Abdallah.
The fleet was unable to recover the prisoners or to inflict retribution on Moroccan forces. This was a low point for the French Navy, after the Seven Years War, and before the revival of the French fleet at the end of the 18th century.
The defeat at Larache led to a truce and a treaty between France and Morocco in 1767, with terms which were nevertheless favourable to French trade.