BATTLE OF BEACHY HEAD - JULY 10th 1690
On June 21st , Anne Hilarion Constentin de Tourville took the command of the combined Brest and Mediterranean fleets totalling 75 ships of the line and 23 fireships and sailed on 23rd June into the Channel . By 30st June, the French were off the cape Lizard. Admiral Torrington of the Royal Navy sailed too, however he was convinced the French would be stronger : much of the Royal Navy had been diverted to protect their maritime commerce from privateers, and the Allied fleet now only had 57 English and Dutch ships of the line, totalling 4,173 guns, to Tourville's fleet of 4,600 guns.
On 10th July, off Beachy Head , Admiral Torrington advanced towards the French in line of battle commanded by Admiral Tourville. He placed the Dutch white squadron with 21 ships – commanded by Cornelis Evertsen in the van. Torrington himself was in the centre red squadron; the rear blue squadron, commanded by Vice-Admiral Ralph Delaval comprised both English and Dutch ships.
Tourville divided his force into the customary three squadrons, with white and blue, white, and blue pennants respectively. Tourville, aboard the Soleil Royal a 104-gun ship of the line commanded the centre squadron.The blue squadron in the French fleet was commanded by Chateaul-Renault , Admiral D'Estrées commanded the rear white and blue squadron.
At about 08 a.m. the Dutch and English fleets , being to windward, ran down together in line abreast, elongated in order to cover the whole French fleet and prevent doubling at either end. The Dutch squadron bore down on the leading French squadron to engage on a parallel course, but left the leading division of Château-Renault's squadron without opponent .
The French admiral wasn't going to wait for the Dutch admiral to correct his mistake and cut across Evertsen's path . Doubling on the Dutch squadron he was able to inflict heavy losses.
Vice Admiral Ashby of the red squadron failed to help the Dutch , as his ships were under fire from the Marquis de la Villette's division . When Admiral Torrington brought the remainder of the red squadron into action, he found difficulty in getting close enough of the French line and came no closer than twice gunshot range.Admiral Tourville, finding himself with few adversaries in the centre, find himself able to push forward , further strengthening the French attack .The Dutch were now opposed by the whole of Château-Renault's squadron, and the van and centre divisions of Tourville's squadron.
Delaval's blue squadron fought a desperate battle with d'Estrées in the rear. Evertsen , however, was forced to withdraw. The Dutch had maintained the unequal contest with very little assistance from the rest of the English fleet and he left two Dutch ships sunk, two shattered and dismasted vessel captured, and many badly damaged. Outmatched, Admiral Torrington try to end the battle late in the afternoon . In taking advantage of the tide , he believed to be able to escape and gain the safety of the Thames . Then , the one-sided destruction of the English fleet began as Admiral Tourville ordered a general chase . Dispersed and completely outgunned by their opponents , the ships already badly damaged were burnt by their crews to avoid capture . If Torrington's flagship was one of the few ships lucky enough to avoid capture , Vice Admiral Delaval hadn't that chance and was forced to surrender .
Without losing a ship , Tourville had managed to destroy or capture more than 40 ships of the Dutch and English fleet . More , Admiral Torrington hadn't had the time to remove the navigation buoys of the Thames .
The defeat of Beachy Head had given the possibility for the French to invade England . Worse for the English side , Admiral Tourville realised this immediatly and dispatched a messenger immediatly to Versailles , asking for troops to attack Southern England ...
On June 21st , Anne Hilarion Constentin de Tourville took the command of the combined Brest and Mediterranean fleets totalling 75 ships of the line and 23 fireships and sailed on 23rd June into the Channel . By 30st June, the French were off the cape Lizard. Admiral Torrington of the Royal Navy sailed too, however he was convinced the French would be stronger : much of the Royal Navy had been diverted to protect their maritime commerce from privateers, and the Allied fleet now only had 57 English and Dutch ships of the line, totalling 4,173 guns, to Tourville's fleet of 4,600 guns.
On 10th July, off Beachy Head , Admiral Torrington advanced towards the French in line of battle commanded by Admiral Tourville. He placed the Dutch white squadron with 21 ships – commanded by Cornelis Evertsen in the van. Torrington himself was in the centre red squadron; the rear blue squadron, commanded by Vice-Admiral Ralph Delaval comprised both English and Dutch ships.
Tourville divided his force into the customary three squadrons, with white and blue, white, and blue pennants respectively. Tourville, aboard the Soleil Royal a 104-gun ship of the line commanded the centre squadron.The blue squadron in the French fleet was commanded by Chateaul-Renault , Admiral D'Estrées commanded the rear white and blue squadron.
At about 08 a.m. the Dutch and English fleets , being to windward, ran down together in line abreast, elongated in order to cover the whole French fleet and prevent doubling at either end. The Dutch squadron bore down on the leading French squadron to engage on a parallel course, but left the leading division of Château-Renault's squadron without opponent .
The French admiral wasn't going to wait for the Dutch admiral to correct his mistake and cut across Evertsen's path . Doubling on the Dutch squadron he was able to inflict heavy losses.
Vice Admiral Ashby of the red squadron failed to help the Dutch , as his ships were under fire from the Marquis de la Villette's division . When Admiral Torrington brought the remainder of the red squadron into action, he found difficulty in getting close enough of the French line and came no closer than twice gunshot range.Admiral Tourville, finding himself with few adversaries in the centre, find himself able to push forward , further strengthening the French attack .The Dutch were now opposed by the whole of Château-Renault's squadron, and the van and centre divisions of Tourville's squadron.
Delaval's blue squadron fought a desperate battle with d'Estrées in the rear. Evertsen , however, was forced to withdraw. The Dutch had maintained the unequal contest with very little assistance from the rest of the English fleet and he left two Dutch ships sunk, two shattered and dismasted vessel captured, and many badly damaged. Outmatched, Admiral Torrington try to end the battle late in the afternoon . In taking advantage of the tide , he believed to be able to escape and gain the safety of the Thames . Then , the one-sided destruction of the English fleet began as Admiral Tourville ordered a general chase . Dispersed and completely outgunned by their opponents , the ships already badly damaged were burnt by their crews to avoid capture . If Torrington's flagship was one of the few ships lucky enough to avoid capture , Vice Admiral Delaval hadn't that chance and was forced to surrender .
Without losing a ship , Tourville had managed to destroy or capture more than 40 ships of the Dutch and English fleet . More , Admiral Torrington hadn't had the time to remove the navigation buoys of the Thames .
The defeat of Beachy Head had given the possibility for the French to invade England . Worse for the English side , Admiral Tourville realised this immediatly and dispatched a messenger immediatly to Versailles , asking for troops to attack Southern England ...