El ataque a Le Havre fue un bombardeo naval de dos días de duración del puerto francés de Le Havre a principios de julio de 1759 por las fuerzas de la Royal Navy al mando del contraalmirante George Rodney durante la Guerra de los Siete Años , que logró su objetivo de destruir muchos de los Allí se reúnen barcazas de invasión para la planeada invasión francesa de Gran Bretaña . [1]
En el verano de 1759, los planes de invasión del duque de Choiseul estaban en marcha con intensos preparativos navales a lo largo de los puertos franceses en el Atlántico y en el canal: Brest , Le Havre, Rochefort y Toulon . Las tropas se reunieron en varios puntos principalmente en Dunkerque , Saint-Omer , Ostende , Lille y Vannes . [2] Choiseul había decidido que Le Havre sería la base principal para el ataque del Príncipe de Soubise en Inglaterra, ya que estaba sobre el Sena y el movimiento de tropas era mucho más fácil que cualquier otro puerto francés. [2]
Los británicos habían recibido información de que los franceses tenían varios barcos de fondo plano preparados en Le Havre con el fin de desembarcar tropas. [3]
El escuadrón Almirante Rodney fue destacado a principios de julio con un pequeño escuadrón y zarpó de Spithead el 2 de julio, llegando frente a Le Havre .
Rodney's squadron consisted of the 60-gun ship of the line Achilles as flagship, four 50-gun ships, five frigates, a sloop, and six bomb ketches and anchored there placing the bomb vessels in the narrow channel of the river leading to Honfleur. The next day the attack commenced on the flat-bottomed boats and supplies which had been collected there. Over 3000 shells were fired at the principal targets – the magazines, batteries and the boats as well as into the town for fifty consecutive hours.[3] Rodney, with some of his frigates, remained off the port for the rest of the year, and captured numerous prizes.[4]
The bombardment did immense damage, while Rodney's fleet received little harm in return.[1] A numerous body of French troops came down to the shore and under the cover of entrenchments and batteries kept up an active fire upon the assailants. The town was set on fire in several places and burned with great fury while the inhabitants fled.[3]
The success of the venture, however, lured the British commanders into a false sense of security, making them believe it had been a greater setback than it had. The French intended to capitalise on this, but scaled back their initial plans instead.[5]
In summer 1759, the French Toulon fleet sailed out through the Straits of Gibraltar but was caught and defeated by a British fleet at the Battle of Lagos in August. In November of that year, the French Brest Squadron was handily defeated at the Battle of Quiberon Bay. With these two defeats combined – the invasion plans received a crippling blow.[4]
The victory helped contribute to what became known as the Annus Mirabilis in Great Britain.