Invasion of Martinique (1762) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids British expedition against Martinique
Part of the Seven Years' War
The Capture of Martinique, 11 February 1762 by Dominic Serres
Date 5 January – 12 February 1762 Location Martinique, West Indies 14°40′N 61°00′W / 14.66°N 61°W / 14.66; -61 Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain British America	France
Commanders and leaders
Robert Monckton George Rodney	Francis V of Beauharnais
Strength
8,000 regulars and militia	1,200 regulars 7,000 militia 4,000 hired privateers

The British expedition against Martinique was a military operation that happened in early 1762. It was a big part of the Seven Years' War, a huge global conflict. During this expedition, British forces sailed to the Caribbean island of Martinique and fought to take control of it from the French.

Preparing for Battle

After the British took over the nearby island of Dominica, the French on Martinique knew they might be next. So, they started getting ready to defend their island. The French had about 1,200 regular soldiers, 7,000 local militia (citizen soldiers), and 4,000 hired privateers (private ships allowed to attack enemy ships). Martinique also had mountains, which made it naturally easier to defend.

British Support

Other British islands in the Caribbean helped out. Antigua sent some of its old soldiers and a group of enslaved people. Barbados gathered 500 enslaved people and 500 white men. Barbados was also the meeting point for the British forces.

The first British troops arrived in Carlisle Bay from Belle-Isle, Newfoundland. More soldiers, including the main army from America, arrived on December 24, 1761. This large force was led by Brigadier Robert Monckton and sailed with Admiral Rodney's fleet. In total, Monckton had about 8,000 soldiers ready for the invasion.

The Invasion Begins

Portrait of Robert Monckton at Martinique by Benjamin West (National Army Museum)

On January 5, 1762, the British ships set sail towards Martinique. Two days later, the British landed some troops in Les Anses-d'Arlet bay. They tried to march towards the capital, Fort-Royal, but the roads were too difficult for their cannons. So, they had to get back on their ships.

On January 16, the entire British army landed safely at Case Navire, north of Fort-Royal's harbor. The path to Fort-Royal was blocked by deep valleys and hills. The French had built strong defenses called redoubts and placed cannons on a hill called Morne Tortenson. The British had to set up their own cannons to fight back before they could move forward.

Taking Morne Tortenson

By January 24, the British cannons were ready. At dawn, they launched a big attack on the French defenses at Morne Tortenson. Some British troops went around the French defenses from the side. This plan worked perfectly! The British quickly captured the French positions by the sea. They then fought their way through, taking one French post after another. By 9:00 AM, they had captured all of Morne Tortenson, including its cannons and trenches.

The French soldiers were very confused and retreated. Some went to Fort-Royal, and others went to Morne Grenier, an even higher hill. At the same time, two other British brigades attacked French posts north of Morne Tortenson. Despite the very steep ground, they managed to push the French back to Morne Grenier. The British lost 33 officers and 350 men who were either killed or wounded in this battle.

Capturing Morne Grenier

On January 25, Monckton started preparing to attack Fort-Royal. However, the French kept firing from Morne Grenier, so he decided to attack that hill first. On the afternoon of January 27, the French at Morne Grenier suddenly attacked the British troops. During this attack, one French group left its side open to the British Highlanders, who quickly defeated them. The other two French groups then gave up and ran back to Morne Grenier, with the British chasing them.

The British soldiers chased the French down into a valley and then climbed up Morne Grenier. They used "every path, road, and passage where men could run, walk, or creep." They kept fighting until they had cleared every French soldier off the hill and captured all their defenses and cannons. Monckton sent more troops to help. By 1:00 AM on January 28, Morne Grenier was completely under British control. This victory cost the British just over 100 men killed or wounded. After this, new British cannons were set up very close to Fort-Royal's main fort.

On February 3, Fort-Royal surrendered. By February 12, the rest of the island of Martinique was also under British control.

What Happened Next

After taking Martinique, Monckton sent groups of soldiers to the nearby islands of Saint Lucia, Grenada, and Saint Vincent. These islands were captured without any fighting between February 26 and March 3. Monckton was also planning to capture Tobago, but then he received new orders. His troops were needed for a big attack on Havana, Cuba.

Martinique was given back to France after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, which officially ended the Seven Years' War.

See also

• France in the Seven Years War
• Great Britain in the Seven Years War

Sources

• British expedition against Martinique

This article was originally based on material from [1], which is licensed under the GFDL.

Images for kids

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  Rodney's Fleet Bombarding Martinique, 16 February 1762 by Dominic Serres

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  British Attack on the Citadel of Martinique, January 1762 also by Serres