Chapter 773: Farewell, Toulon
"The Admiralty has decided to allocate the battleships Conqueror and Spartan Guard, along with eight additional fourth- and fifth-rate warships, to the Mediterranean Fleet…
"You must ensure absolute control over the Mediterranean…"
Lord Hood took a deep breath and closed the document.
Over the past month, eleven merchant ships had been sunk or captured by the French fleet.
Yet, despite the fact that the French Mediterranean Fleet was supposedly blockaded in Toulon, only a few frigates were harassing British shipping in the region—but even so, his escort squadrons had been completely unable to stop the slaughter.
He picked up another report.
It contained detailed accounts of recent attacks on British merchant ships, submitted by the escorting warships.
It was clear now that the French had equipped themselves with a new type of exceptionally fast frigate, posing a serious challenge to Britain's escort operations in the Mediterranean.
Fortunately, the Admiralty had sent reinforcements.
Once these new ships were in place, the Mediterranean Fleet would consist of 33 third-rate or higher ships of the line, 40 fourth- and fifth-rate warships, and nearly 70 frigates.
In contrast, the French fleet in Marseille had only 17 primary warships and 21 fourth- and fifth-rate ships. Even if they were joined by the Spanish Mediterranean Fleet, which had 9 primary warships and 12 fourth- and fifth-rate vessels, their combined strength was still far inferior to the British.
Historically, at this point in time, the French-Spanish combined fleet had a similar number of warships to the British, if not slightly more.
However, in this alternate timeline, Joseph had been limiting the construction of large warships in the French navy for years. As a result, France now had significantly fewer sailing warships than in real history.
Of course, France had compensated for this with an entirely different advantage: 23 Mediterranean Light-class steam frigates and 7 state-of-the-art Tunisian-class 32-gun steam cruisers.
And it was precisely these steam-powered warships that had been throwing the Mediterranean into complete chaos.
Footsteps approached from outside the cabin. Lord Hood tucked the Admiralty's document into his pocket and instructed the guards at the door:
—"Send them in."
—"Yes, Admiral."
A moment later, six or seven senior officers of the British Mediterranean Fleet filed in. Seeing that their commander had arrived ahead of them, they couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding.
Lord Hood gestured for them to take their seats and got straight to the point:
—"The repeated attacks on our merchant ships have drawn serious attention from the Admiralty. It's clear that we need to adjust our strategy."
Rear Admiral Collingwood suggested:
—"Admiral, most of these French frigates are operating out of the port of Bizerte in Tunisia. We could deploy marines to attack the port or at least blockade the French ships inside."
Captain Horatio Nelson immediately shook his head:
—"I don't think that's the best course of action.
"Based on our intelligence, these French frigates are extremely fast. They could easily relocate to another port—Tripoli or Ajaccio, for example—before we even reach Bizerte."
Rear Admiral Hotham agreed:
—"These light warships are indeed difficult to track. That's why our focus should remain on providing effective convoy protection." He turned to Lord Hood and continued, "Admiral, I believe we don't need so many warships stationed around Toulon. We could reassign some of our third-rate ships, alongside a substantial number of cruisers, to form a powerful escort fleet—one that would make French light warships think twice before approaching."
Third-rate ships were heavily armed and well-armored. Even if frigates fired upon them, their cannons would struggle to penetrate their hulls. In naval combat, third-rates were considered a core strategic force.
Lord Hood nodded slightly. The Admiralty had just assigned him two additional battleships and eight fourth- and fifth-rate ships. He had enough resources to form a strong escort fleet.
However, this strategy would also mean that British merchant ships would have to concentrate their departures in coordinated convoys, so the escort fleets could protect them effectively.
As he hesitated, an officer knocked on the door and handed him a dispatch.
—"Admiral, one of our ships was attacked three days ago in the Barbary waters."
Lord Hood unfolded the report, his face immediately darkening.
—"Golden Elm was sunk?!"
The report detailed how Hicks's escort squadron had been ambushed—not only losing three merchant ships but, more alarmingly, the Golden Elm, a fifth-rate Royal Navy cruiser, had been destroyed.
This was the first British warship lost in the conflict. And it was a fifth-rate warship!
Lord Hood continued reading. Due to a lack of witnesses, no one knew exactly how the Golden Elm had been sunk. The only clue was that three high-speed French frigates had been seen attacking the merchant ships before the disaster.
Once the other officers finished reading the report, they all frowned deeply.
Rear Admiral Hotham speculated:
—"Perhaps a French ship of the line slipped through our blockade… or was it the Spanish fleet?"
Lord Hood's expression remained cold.
—"Regardless, we must retaliate."
Captain Nelson pondered for a moment and then said:
—"Admiral, our main fleet needs to be actively patrolling the Mediterranean. That way, we can both guard against surprise attacks and, when the opportunity arises, wipe out their raiding squadrons."
Lord Hood furrowed his brows.
—"And what about the French fleet in Toulon?"
Nelson smiled.
—"Perhaps we need to lure them out of their anchorage first."
Rear Admiral Collingwood instinctively asked:
—"What kind of opportunity are you referring to?"
—"An opportunity to annihilate the French main fleet."
Southeastern France, Toulon
Napoleon handed the latest war report from the General Staff to Major Victor and let out a soft sigh.
—"The Crown Prince has crushed the Austrians at Wavre."
He then gazed toward the invisible Cardipona Pass and murmured:
—"And yet, it's been half a month, and Beaulieu still hasn't crossed the Alps."
Once Napoleon realized Beaulieu intended to attack Toulon, he had pulled his forces back, preparing to strike once the Austrians crossed the mountain pass.
But Austrian logistics were painfully slow. Even now, they had yet to enter French territory.
Victor smiled.
—"If we had attacked Nice directly back then, we might already be in Albenga."
Napoleon shook his head.
—"That would have forced us into a decisive battle with the main forces of Sardinia and Beaulieu. Our supply lines would have had to stretch across the Cardipona Pass."
—"That's true. So all we can do now is remain patient—"
Before Victor could finish, a Corsican cavalryman galloped toward them, saluted Napoleon, and reported:
—"Commander, an Austrian corps has appeared on the western side of the pass—around 4,000 men."
Napoleon's eyes lit up.
—"They've finally arrived! Order the Murat Corps to attack according to plan."
—"Yes, Commander!"
Victor was slightly surprised.
—"But didn't you say we should wait until the Austrians had fully entered Toulon before launching our offensive? Won't attacking now alert them?"
Napoleon smiled faintly.
—"No. This will only make Beaulieu more confident in attacking Toulon."
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