[1] By decree of 28 January 1794, the Naval artillery and infantry regiments were abolished and absorbed into battalions of the National Volunteers, which were to provide the sea-soldiers for the ships of the Republic.

This measure was applied gradually during 1794, but appears to have achieved little beyond a certain amount of chaos as infantrymen who had never been to sea were suddenly told to be naval gunners, while the sea-soldiers resented the abolition of their corps.

The uniform of the sailors was a dark blue coat and breeches with dark blue lapels, cuffs, and shoulder straps piped with red; red waistcoat, collar, cuff flaps, and turnbacks piped with white; the turnbacks also had white anchors.

This time, however, the flotilla was not disbanded and its better gunboats were used for coastal service, escorting convoys of small commercial vessels along the Channel.

While this figure was probably never reached, it shows a considerable increase in strength since 1808 and Napoleon's determination to rebuild the French Imperial Navy.

[5] The majority of the crews and rebuilt ships never sailed out of their harbours to break the Royal Navy's blockade of French ports, as the fleet was still not strong enough for significant actions.

Following the exile of Napoleon the new government of Louis XVIII disbanded the High Seas Crews and went back to the old ways.

None of the crews were in action during the Hundred Days, except for minor incidents such as the 9th Naval Regiment's retaking of Fort-la-Latte from Royalists near Saint-Malo.

[1] Naval gunners participated in several actions, but some in Toulon rallied to the Royalist/Federalist cause following the occupation of that port by the British in August 1793.

The Toulon arsenal was set on fire by the retreating British, but the 'Royalist' naval gunners extinguished the flames, an action which saved the lives of many of them when they surrendered to the victorious French Republican forces.

At the Brest Arsenal, the naval artillerymen were sent to serve as infantry during the Vendée Revolt, replacing them on the ships was the 'National Volunteers' who knew nothing of artillery – an outstanding example of the typical mismanagement of the French Republicans.

There was also a dark blue paletot, linen pantaloons, and an undress cap for fatigue duties, and 'all artillery and infantry drills'.

The organisation of the apprentice gunners was further defined in a decree of 14 May 1797, with each squad having 152 men, who were trained by the Non-Commissioned Officers of the Naval Artillery demi-brigades.

The apprentice gunners were given a blue paletot piped with scarlet with a red fall collar piped white; blue waistcoat and breeches; yellow metal buttons; black leather cap with a brass badge stamped to the arms of the Republic; grey undress paletot and long trousers.

Their instructors, or maîtres, were also given a distinctive uniform: dark blue coat and turnbacks, no lapels, red cuffs and collar, brass Naval Artillery buttons; dark blue waistcoat and breeches; plain bicorne hat with a yellow cockade loop.

There was also an acute shortage of sailors so that, during the unlucky Expedition to Ireland in December 1796, the naval artillerymen made up half of the crews on ships which would probably have been lost to heavy seas without their assistance.

[7] By 23 September 1800, the Army of the Orient's Naval Artillery had a strength of five companies and a staff, for a total of 213 officers and men.

[8] By 21 January 1801, the naval artillery comprised a staff and give companies with a strength of 15 officers and 280 men.

Others took part in General Charles Leclerc's 1802 expedition to Saint-Domingue and saw action against the troops of Toussaint Louverture in February and March.

On 8 May 1802, the naval artillery was serving under General Jean Boudet's division, and comprised 1,300 officers and men.

In July another naval artillery detachment was formed for General Antoine Richepanse's expedition to Guadeloupe.

[11] The first years of the corps were made painful by the naval defeats at Trafalgar in 1805 and San Domingo in 1806, but the bravery of these sea soldiers was never in doubt and they carried on, sometimes cheered by a small victory for instance, naval artilleryman Lt. Heudes receiving the Legion of Honour for his outstanding conduct during the Piémontaise's capture of the Warren Hastings in the Indian Ocean on 21 June 1806.

Officers of the naval artillery were detached to various duties–usually to battalions of workers (bataillons des équipiges) with the Grande Armée in Austria during the 1809 campaign, Spain from 1810, and Russia in 1812–but a few were also sent to Java in the Dutch East Indies during 1810.

[11] Following the loss of most of his army in the snows of Russia, Napoleon sought to raise a new Grande Armée, and his attention turned to the veteran troops of the four regiments of naval artillery.

After some initial adjustments for troops which had been used to a sedentary artillery service, the 'Naval Division' became an outstanding infantry formation.

[11] At the Battle of Lützen, the Naval Division held the right of the army, formed in squares, and repulsed seven enemy cavalry charges, causing heavy casualties, particularly to the Prussian Guard Hussar Regiment.

Facing three large allied field armies, the French retreated until they reached Leipzig, where a massive three-day battle was fought.

The French had to retreat, but the naval artillery of VI Corps won outstanding praise from Marshal Marmont for their 'heroic conduct' under withering fire.

The apprentice-cannoneers had a plain blue paletot and a leather cap with a brass plate bearing 'the attributes of the artillery'.

This was the same uniform as the National Gendarmes (Gendarmerie Nationale) except for the white metal b buttons, which were stamped with an anchor and 'Gendarmerie Maritime'.