The Re-Establishment of the British Navy on Lake Erie, 1814-1834
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25071/2561-5467.1236Keywords:
British North America, Royal Navy, naval establishment, Great Lakes, Lake Erie, Grand River, War of 1812Abstract
At the conclusion of the War of 1812 the British navy needed to establish a new naval yard on the upper Great Lakes. Penetanguishene became the site for the main establishment, but its isolated location off of Georgian Bay necessitated a naval depot on Lake Erie where the British squadron was anticipated to spend much of its time. This paper examines the selection process resulting in choosing the mouth of the Grand River as the best location from among a less than optimum set of options for the naval dockyard. Elements such as depth of water, the ease of entering the space, what shelter from weather the land provided, the ease of fortifying the area, location of the navy yard along the shore and the site for ship building had to be considered. The convenience of the supporting supply line and its accessibility to enemy incursions were two further points in the decision-making exercise. The life of the naval establishment from conception through its closing in 1834 is described in light of British economic, military defence decisions, and British-American diplomatic agreements.
À la fin de la guerre de 1812, la marine britannique devait établir un nouveau chantier naval sur la partie supérieure des Grands Lacs. Penetanguishene est devenu le site du principal établissement, mais son emplacement isolé au large de la baie Georgienne a nécessité un dépôt naval sur le lac Érié où l’escadron britannique devait passer la majeure partie de son temps. Cet article examine le processus de selection qui a abouti au choix de l’embouchure de la rivière Grand comme meilleur emplacement parmi un ensemble d’options loin d’être optimales pour le chantier naval. Des éléments tels que la profondeur de l’eau, la facilité d’accès à l’espace, l’abri offert par le terrain contre les intempéries, la facilité de fortification de la zone, l’emplacement du chantier naval le long du rivage et le site de construction navale devaient être pris en compte. La commodité de la ligne de ravitaillement de soutien et son accessibilité aux incursions ennemies étaient deux autres points de l’exercice de prise de décision. La vie de l’établissement naval, depuis sa conception jusqu’à sa fermeture en 1834, est décrite à la lumière des decisions britanniques en matière de défense économique, militaire et des accords diplomatiques anglo-américains.
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