Larache expedition
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The Expedition of Larache occurred in June 1765 when French Navy troops attempted to invade the Moroccan city of
Larache Larache ( ar, العرايش, al-'Araysh) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast, where the Loukkos River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Larache is one of the most important cities of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. Many ...
following a bombardment of
Salé Salé ( ar, سلا, salā, ; ber, ⵙⵍⴰ, sla) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Founded in about 1030 by the Banu Ifran ...
and
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
.Note to ''The History and Description of Africa and of the Notable Things Therein'' Leo Africanus, p.616
/ref> It is an example of the sporadic failure of Western arms against local forces in colonial campaigns.


Background

After the end of the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, France turned its attention to the
Barbary corsairs The Barbary pirates, or Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Salé, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli. This area was known i ...
, especially those of
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, who had taken advantage of the conflict to attack European shipping. The city of
Larache Larache ( ar, العرايش, al-'Araysh) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast, where the Loukkos River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Larache is one of the most important cities of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. Many ...
had already experienced a siege in 1689 which ended with the capture of the city by the Moroccans commanded by the Moroccan sultan
Ismail ibn Sharif Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif ( ar, مولاي إسماعيل بن الشريف), born around 1645 in Sijilmassa and died on 22 March 1727 at Meknes, was a Sultan of Morocco from 1672–1727, as the second ruler of the Alaouite dynasty. He was the sev ...
. The Spaniards had been present in the city since 1610 but this offensive made it possible to drive them out without forgetting that several other cities were taken over during the same period including
Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...
and
Mehdya Mehdya ( ar-at, المهدية, al-Mahdiyā), also Mehdia or Mehedya, is a town in Kénitra Province, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Morocco. Previously called al-Ma'mura, it was known as São João da Mamora under 16th century Portuguese occupation, or as ...
. Just before the bombardment, the same squadron that took part in the bombardment of Larache launched a raid on
Salé Salé ( ar, سلا, salā, ; ber, ⵙⵍⴰ, sla) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Founded in about 1030 by the Banu Ifran ...
because their corsairs were taking a lot of the French merchant ships. The raid started on 31 May 1765 when Louis-Charles de Besné anchored his ship in front of
Salé Salé ( ar, سلا, salā, ; ber, ⵙⵍⴰ, sla) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Founded in about 1030 by the Banu Ifran ...
and bombarded the city from 2 June to 11 June, but the bombs could not reach the privateers and therefore the French began their journey to
Mehdya Mehdya ( ar-at, المهدية, al-Mahdiyā), also Mehdia or Mehedya, is a town in Kénitra Province, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Morocco. Previously called al-Ma'mura, it was known as São João da Mamora under 16th century Portuguese occupation, or as ...
on 17 June. Because there was only one building in the port, Duchaffault decided to bomb another place. On 21 June, the French set off towards
Larache Larache ( ar, العرايش, al-'Araysh) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast, where the Loukkos River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Larache is one of the most important cities of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. Many ...
. The bombardment of Salé occurred because France and Morocco had been negotiating peace for several years, of which there were several preliminary negotiations and proposals on both sides. But as the proposals of the sultan of Morocco were chimerical and difficulties followed one another. The French decided to cancel the negotiations for the moment since the Moroccan corsairs were putting a lot of hold on French trade.


Expedition


Beginning of the expedition

A French squadron was led by Duchaffault de Besné, comprising a 52-gun ship ''Utile'' and 15
frigates A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
,
xebecs A xebec ( or ), also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. Xebecs had a long overhanging bowsprit and aft-set mizzen mast. The term can also refer to a small, fast vessel of the sixteenth to nineteenth ...
and
galliots A galiot, galliot or galiote, was a small galley boat propelled by sail or oars. There are three different types of naval galiots that sailed on different seas. A ''galiote'' was a type of French flat-bottom river boat or barge and also a flat- ...
.''Admiral de Grasse and American independence'' by Charles A. Lewis, Charles Lee Lewis p.41''ff''
/ref> 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 Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
. On 25 June 1765, the French arrived in front of
Larache Larache ( ar, العرايش, al-'Araysh) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast, where the Loukkos River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Larache is one of the most important cities of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. Many ...
at around three in the afternoon. Several Moroccan ships were in the port, including a fully armed one at the entrance to the river. The French force were very well positioned and could destroy the ship. It was decided that the destruction of the ship would take place in the evening. A few ships were sent to attack a fortified castle as a diversion while the rest of the fleet attempted to enter the port, but due to heavy seas and conditions, the attack was postponed until the next day.On 26 June 1765, the French squadron succeeded in destroying Moroccan fortifications and batteries which could not retaliate. The French succeeded in entering the river and setting fire to a Moroccan ship which was in the port. On the night of 26 June to 27 June 1765, after launching two expeditions in which Larache was bombarded, Duchaffault decided to detach eight longboats to set fire to a Moroccan vessel which was at the entrance to the river. The expedition was a semi-failure since the French succeeded in setting fire to the ship approached without opposition, only one man was injured during the operation. When the longboats rejoined the vessels, the French saw that the Moroccans quickly stopped the fire and that the operation was unnecessary. According to Maurville, the French forces were ready to make another attempt but the lack of water in the river made it impossible to get the ships through. The tide was also one of the factors that helped repel the attempt.


Defeat of the French

All the officers seeing Duchaffault's situation, they suggested that he should carry out a new expedition in broad daylight. However, the general did not want to decide anything without having consulted the captains of the other ships of his squadron. In the morning of June 27, he signals to all the commanders of the other ships to go on board. After having consulted them, he learned that all had the same idea of a new expedition. He then ordered the captain of each ship to join his board and arm the rowboats and canoes and to be ready for the signal that will be given to join the rowboats of his ship. He also asks the captains to set sail as close as possible to the entrance of the port, while Duchaffault's vessel does the same. Thus the frigates, the bombers and the chébecs begin to bombard the town of Larache until noon, they stop at lunch time, then start again from two hours. At four o'clock, Duchaffault gave the order to give the signal to the boats and canoes to come on board, they went there immediately. Latouche de Beauregard was in charge of the expedition. Duchaffault also named the longboats which will participate in the destruction of the buildings which were in the port and formed other divisions intended to provide support. The new operation began, the longboats arrived on the bar, and during the trip in the river pass, several forts were bombarded. As the longboats continued to advance, several Moroccans vessels hidden behind the rocks that line the entrance and interior of the river revealed themselves. The French troops then opened fire on the Moroccan troops. After being approached, the Moroccan ships encircled the French. Seven French boats were captured, while nine were able to return to the squadron. 200 troops were killed, and 48 were captured. According to Lewis, 300 troops were lost. 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''.


Aftermath

The operation ended in a French failure with 200 of their men killed and 49 captured while the Moroccans only lost 30. According to Lewis, 300 French were lost. The captured men are said to have participated in the construction of the city of
Essaouira Essaouira ( ; ar, الصويرة, aṣ-Ṣawīra; shi, ⵜⴰⵚⵚⵓⵔⵜ, Taṣṣort, formerly ''Amegdul''), known until the 1960s as Mogador, is a port city in the western Moroccan region of Marakesh-Safi, on the Atlantic coast. It ha ...
, which was being designed by
Theodore Cornut Theodore may refer to: Places * Theodore, Alabama, United States * Theodore, Australian Capital Territory * Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia * Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada * Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Saskatche ...
for the sultan of Morocco,
Mohammed ben Abdallah ''Sidi'' Mohammed ben Abdallah ''al-Khatib'' ( ar, سيدي محمد بن عبد الله الخطيب), known as Mohammed III ( ar, محمد الثالث), born in 1710 in Fes and died on 9 April 1790 in Meknes, was the Sultan of Morocco from 175 ...
. 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.


See also

*
France–Morocco relations France–Morocco relations are bilateral relations between Morocco and France. They are part of the France–Africa relations. First exchanges (8th century) Following the invasion of Spain from the coast of Morocco by the Umayyad Commander Tari ...
*
Siege of Larache (1689) The siege of Larache, in 1689, was undertaken by an army of Morocco under 'Alawid sultan Ismail bin Sharif against the Spanish forces of Charles II, who had ruled the city for almost 80 years since its cession in 1610. After three months of sie ...
*
Mohammed ben Abdallah ''Sidi'' Mohammed ben Abdallah ''al-Khatib'' ( ar, سيدي محمد بن عبد الله الخطيب), known as Mohammed III ( ar, محمد الثالث), born in 1710 in Fes and died on 9 April 1790 in Meknes, was the Sultan of Morocco from 175 ...


References

Notes References Bibliography * * * * {{French colonial campaigns 18th century in Morocco France–Morocco military relations 1765 in Africa Conflicts in 1765 Military operations involving France Larache