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> >>I think we will have to wait for domi. > >in 1998 i was involved in a public animation around >"napoleon in egypt" >i taked the aboukir part with 1 hour public speech >and i made a small game (more a board game than a real >wargame) >to make feel inside the age of sails area >all the stuff with some battle maps is available if >someone need it >but it is in french of course > > >now for the real datas about the crew;-) >most of them are from Michele BATTESTI "Aboukir 1798" >Economica editor 1997 >i think that M. Battesti checked all the scarces >available archives >NB:Michele is a woman but with Remy MONAQUE one a the >few french modern naval historian working on battles >(and not only on economical and social matters...) > >by the way this is an english links about french >sources and bruey before the battle ><a rel=nofollow target=_blank >href="http://digital.library.okstate.edu/oas/oas_pdf/v5 >0/p169_175.pdf">http://digital.library.okstate.edu/oas/ >oas_pdf/v50/p169_175.pdf</a> > > >** for the ships >3 were in a very bad state >guerrier(1753) and peuple souverain(1757), too old, >were not in comission for 2 years >the conquerant from 1746 was kept in toulon has a >floating store. fearing the hull dismantle while firing >he got only (18 pounder in first deck, 12 pounder on >the second deck) > >mercure was bad, making some water >heureux should have had a careenage > >the 8 other vessels were fine and new except they were >lacking spares and equipment > >they were 280 transports and 50 escorters (vessels, >fregates, chebecs...) 16000 sailors >moving 34000 troops, 1200 horses, 50 000 tonnes >equipment... >what a nightmare ;-) > > >** for the leaders >bruey was more a political and a courtisan than a >fighting sailor >he think off himself as a useful second, not as a CinC >he was condescend against his captains > >he never made a choice between fighting under sail or >at anchor >even where nelson was at the bay mouth there was a war >concil arguing about the fighting method > >having done no choice >- i does nothing to strengthen his ships for a running >fight by taking crew from the many transports, taking >spares from other ships >- i does nothing to fight at anchor by sounding the >bay, moving the ships closer under support fire >the shore battery had been tried and brueys knowed it >was too far away >there was no training for the crew who lack many >sailor skills >he didn't use his many fregates to scan the sea > >2/3 of the officers where coming from trade and didn't >know the military part of their job >the squadron sleep 2 months between sun and disentry, >men and officers grumbling but none doing anything >there was a food and water shortage. Most off the food >was give away to the army and the water sources being >too few > >but there was bad spirit too, the frigate justice >argued she could not cruise away by lack of food >but she managed to join malta after the battle without >food replenishment > >a special mention for du chayla and du petit-thouards >skilled fighters > >** the crew >as everithing in wood was put afloat it was the same >for the men >the sailor moral was low (never paid...) with lot off >run away desertion >crew were raised from army tranfer (infantry and >artillery brigade) >from press gang... but it was not enough >ships were about 20% under regulation when they leaved >toulon in may >some more men were raised from malta and corfou but >600 amid the best were send to the nil flotilla >they were sicks and various detachments... >late june the army send 100 men by vessel and 50 by >fregate, (the worst of course) >but before the battle ships were about 30-35% under >regulation > >below the crew from toulon in may (the only recorded >numbers...) >but they had 550-650 "traversing-troops" more on board >guerrier 620 >conquerant 200 >spartiate 550 >aquilon 600 >peuple souverain 600 >franklin 650 >orient 850 >tonnant 730 >heureux 600 >mercure 450 >guillaume tell 800 >genereux 600 >timoleon 500 >F-serieuse 270 >F-artemise 180 >F-diane 200 >F-justice 220 > > >** the anchor >lachadenede, a young officer, made a proposal to move >the anchorage in a far stronger position some weeks >before the battle >but, near the bay bottom, it will have slow the "take >off speed" for the squadron >still wondering about the fight (sail or anchor..) >bruey did nothing to move >bruey thought his van was strong under the small >island and feared for his rear >so the best ships where in the rear and their crew >strenghened from the van ships >there was a plan to take reinforcement from alexandria >(20 km) in case of attack but nelson didn't give the >time >600 men came from alexandria in the morning and sailed >with villeneuve escape > >many men were off board in the morning (food-water >task...) but not number about how much >and how much backed inboard before the battle (some >should have not so willing...) > >some numbers before the battle >timoleon lack 200 men and probably the same for >others, maybe more >tonnant had only 400 men but got 150 more from serieuse >others fregates and small ships send reinforcement too >but without accounting... > >orient had no men on the open deck gun's and only a >few off the 12 pounders in the third deck had crew > >but we can guess more >we know the british made 3300 prisonners including >1000 wounded >these prisonners were probably from the 7 first >vessels as Tonnant, Mercure, Heureux, Timoléon went to >shore and the men could have escape >but some wounded prisonners could have been made on >the shored hull Mercure, Heureux > >most off the historian said orient lost 800+ men but i >disagree >when he explode he was under evacuation order i rather >guess 500-600+ > >maurice loir in his aboulir book in 1900 guessed for >1451 killed and 1479 wounded > >below the french lost from M. Battesti >? ?? ??? for guess or unknow > >guerrier 200 k+w ? >conquerant 130 k 90 w >spartiate 65 k 150 w >aquilon 87 k 123 w >peuple souverain 95 k 150 w >franklin 400 k+w ? >orient 800 ??? >tonnant 110 k 150 w >heureux 19 k 53 w >mercure 105 k 148 w >guillaume tell >genereux >timoleon ?? >F-serieuse ?? >F-artemise ?? >F-diane >F-justice > >?? 8000 french sailors >??1700 killed 1500 wounded > > >i hope this will help

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