Editing War of the Austrian Succession (section)

===Northern waters===
The French scheme to invade Britain was arranged in combination with the [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]] leaders, and soldiers were to be transported from [[Dunkirk]]. In February 1744, a French fleet of twenty sail of the line entered the [[English Channel]] under [[Jacques Aymar de Roquefeuil et du Bousquet|Jacques Aymar, comte de Roquefeuil]], before the British force under Admiral [[John Norris (Royal Navy officer)|John Norris]] was ready to oppose him. But the French force was ill-equipped, the admiral was nervous, his mind dwelt on all the misfortunes which might possibly happen, and the weather was bad. De Roquefeuil came up almost as far as [[The Downs (ship anchorage)|The Downs]], where he learnt that Sir John Norris was at hand with twenty-five sail of the line, and thereupon precipitately retreated. The military expedition prepared at Dunkirk to cross under cover of De Roquefeuil's fleet naturally did not start. The utter weakness of the French at sea, due to long neglect of the fleet and the bankrupt state of the treasury, was shown during the Jacobite rising of 1745, when France made no attempt to profit by the distress of the British government.{{sfn|Hannay|1911|p=44}}

The Dutch, having by this time joined Great Britain, made a serious addition to the naval power opposed to France, though the Dutch Republic was compelled by the necessity for maintaining an army in Flanders to play a very subordinate part at sea. Not being stimulated by formidable attack, and having immediate interests both at home and in Germany, the British government was slow to make use of its latest naval strength. Spain, which could do nothing of an offensive character, was almost neglected. During 1745 the [[New England]] expedition which took Louisburg (30 April{{snd}}16 June) was covered by a British naval force, but little else was accomplished by the naval efforts of any of the belligerents.{{sfn|Hannay|1911|p=44}}

In 1746, a British combined naval and military expedition to the coast of France—the first of a long series of similar ventures which in the end were derided as "breaking windows with guineas"—was carried out during August and October. The aim was the capture of the [[French Indies Company|French East India Company]]'s dockyard at [[Lorient]], but it was not attained.<ref>Harding</ref>{{sfn|Hannay|1911|p=44}}

From 1747 until the close of the war in October 1748, the naval policy of the British government, without reaching a high level, was more energetic and coherent. A closer watch was kept on the French coast, and effectual means were taken to intercept communication between France and her American possessions. In the spring information was obtained that an important convoy for the East and West [[Indies]] was to sail from [[Lorient]].{{sfn|Hannay|1911|p=44}} The convoy was intercepted by Anson on 3 May, and in the [[First Battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)|First Battle of Cape Finisterre]], British admiral George Anson's fourteen ships of the line wiped out the French escort of six ships of the line and three armed Indiamen, although in the meantime the merchant ships escaped.

On 14 October, another French convoy, protected by a strong squadron, was intercepted by a well-appointed and well-directed squadron of superior numbers—the squadrons were respectively eight French and fourteen British—in the [[Bay of Biscay]]. In the [[Second Battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)|Second Battle of Cape Finisterre]] which followed, the French admiral, [[Henri-François des Herbiers, Marquis de l'Estenduère]], succeeded in covering the escape of most of the merchant ships, but [[Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke|Hawke]]'s British squadron took six of his warships. Most of the merchantmen were later intercepted and captured in the West Indies. This disaster convinced the French government of its helplessness at sea, and it made no further effort.{{sfn|Hannay|1911|p=44}}