Battle of the course Béveziers

The battles of the course Béveziers or Beachy Head (for the English) opposes a French fleet to a fleet anglo-Dutchwoman the July 10th 1690. It is an episode of the Guerre of the league of Augsburg.

Context

In March 1689 Jacques II of England, accompanied by the French troops, sails for Ireland, hoping to rejoin the catholics with his cause, and to regain its throne. Louis XIV of France, well readily gave its support for the deposed king, because the prospects for a war to Ireland, would divert part of armies of William of Orange of the theater of the war which makes, at this time, rage in Flandres.

The May 6th 1689, a French fleet of 24 men-of-war and ships of transport, ordered by Châteaurenault leaves Brest to convoy the assistance of France with Jacques II. However, the presence of the English admiral, Arthur Herbert (to be known soon like lord of Torrington), makes the unloading impossible to Kinsale, and forces the French admiral to anchor his fleet in the Baie of Bantry, the May 10th. The next morning, the squadron of Herbert, made up of 19 linerships approach of the French. Apprehending the situation perfectly, Châteaurenault is not let encircle in bay, and leads the English in open sea, where he faces them during four hours. The Bataille of bay of Bantry is not decisive. The two fleets undergo little damage, but the operation with license the unloading of the troops and their provisioning. The French fleet returns to Brest the May 18th

The Anglo-Dutchman also gained a certain success. The August 10th 1689, the admiral George Rooke transports troops of England to Northern Ireland to break the head office of Londonderry. Later, it unloads the forces of the marshal Schomberg close to Carrickfergus and manages to keep communications open between England and Ireland. However, when the Secretary of State Daniel Finch of Nottingham and the admiral Edouard Russell work out the plans of the following year, the power of the naval forces is always in favor of France.

The large one of the English fleet is posted in the Manche, under the orders of Torrington, but a considerable part of this fleet under the orders of Vice-Admiral Henry Killigrew is in the occupied Mediterranean, as hopes for it Nottingham to be tempted to neutralize the French squadron of Toulon. The allies have also a small squadron under the orders of the vice-admiral Cloudesley Shovell in Irish Sea, but well too small to stop the French, if they decide to take the command of the area. Instead of that the Louis XIV directs his navy against Torrington in the Manche.

The next month, the French fleet of the count of Tourville, is joined with Brest, by the squadron of Toulon which managed to get rid of Killigrew to broad of Cadiz.

While the French fleet is inactive with Brest, the English gather an army on the Western coast of England. The June 21st, William of Orange embarks his forces with Chester on board 280 ships of transport. The June 24th, it unloads with Carrickfergus with 15.000 men.

Be a prelude to

Tourville, which now orders the combined fleets of the Flotte of the West and of the Flotte of Raising Brest the June 23rd leaves. The June 30th, it is with broad of the Cape Lizard. While the English fleet leaves the island of Wight where, the ten days the last days, it has accepted reinforcements of other English ships, and a Dutch squadron ordered by Cornelis Evertsen. But most of the royal navy was diverted to protect their maritime trade against the Corsaire S, the allied fleet counts finally only 57 linerships, adding up 4.153 guns, while the fleet of Tourville counts 4.600 of them.

The July 5th Torrington sees the French, and evaluates their forces with almost 80 linerships. Marie II, and its the Council of new the , hastens to take measures for the defense of the country. Carmarthen recommends the combat, just as Nottingham and Russell, which are persuaded that the French are not as strong as the pessimist admiral Torrington brought it back, and than only, the defeatism or treason can explain this report/ratio. Devonshire, however, is even more dissatisfied: “It is my duty, Madam, to say to your majesty exactly what I think on a question of this importance; and I think that Lord Torrington is not a man in whom to make confidence for the destiny of three kingdoms. ”

Torrington announces its intention to make retirement in front of the superiority of the French fleet, but the order to fight reached the admiral the July 9th, while it is with broad of the course Bévéziers. It has of another option to only obey.

Involved forces

Each camp aligns a naval army . By tradition, and imitation of an army on ground, it is divided into 3 bodies. These bodies are indicated avant-garde , body of battle (or center ) and rear-guard . Each body corresponds to a squadron. To recognize them, each one raises a house to its color. Among French, one finds white for the center, blue for the rear-guard, white and blue for the avant-garde. Among English, one finds red for the center, blue for the rear-guard and white for the avant-garde.

Each squadron is then divided into divisions, of 3 vessels at least. A naval army thus must, in theory, to gather 27 ship of the lines or more.

French, under the command of the Vice-admiral Anne Hilarion de Tourville. align 75 ship of the lines, 6 frigates and 5 scathing attacks. That is to say 4 600 guns and 28 000 sailors. The rear-guard, under the orders of the Vice-admiral of Estrées, is of 23 vessels; the center, under the orders of Tourville, 25 vessels, and avant-garde, of Châteaurenault, 22 vessels. Tourville is on the Royal Sun , in the middle of the body of battle. This ship is a three-decker, bored with 120 guns. But for reasons of stability, it carries from there, for this countryside, only 98.

The English, under the orders of the Vice-admiral Arthur Herbert de Torrington, align an about sixty vessels including 22 Dutch. That is to say 4 153 guns and 19 000 sailors. The avant-garde is made up of the Dutchmen, under the orders of Cornelis Evertsen, that is to say 22 ship of the lines but only 6 of 70 guns or more. The center, under Herbert, 21 vessels including 15 of 70 guns or more. Lastly, the rear-guard, under the orders of Ralph Delaval, includes/understands 13 vessels including 9 of 70 guns or more. Herbert is also in the middle of the squadron of the center, on the Royal-Sovereign , 100 guns.

If the two armies are compared, the forces seem balanced enough. Thus, the avant-gardes have each one 22 vessels and of approximately 1 312 with 1 374 guns. Bodies of battle, 25 vessels against 21 and 1 568 against 1 510 guns. The most marked difference is in the blue squadrons, the rear-guard. The French align 23 vessels against 13 and 1 390 guns against 912.

To have an idea of what these armies represent, in line of battle, and admitting that the ships are spaced of a encablure each one, it is a line of more than 10 nautical miles which is covered… and which must be ordered.

The battle

The next day, July 10th, the two fleets advance on line. The Dutchmen, who constitute the avant-garde, are made encircle by the French avant-garde. The English support them only mollement.

During several hours the Dutchmen support an unequal combat with the tiny assistance of the remainder of the allied fleet. With long, Evertsen, which lost many officers, of which its second is forced withdraws itself. Two Dutch ships ran, another broken and démâté, reduced to the state of hull, is captured, much are seriously damaged.

DaN S the semi day, during the inversion of the tide, the French are pulled by the currents, while their adversaries took the precaution to wet their anchors and out of are carried guns.

The Anglo-Dutchmen lost 17 vessels. The French whose fleet is almost intact, are victorious. But the victory is far from being decisive. When the tide is reversed again towards 21:00, the allies go up their anchors. Tourville continues it but instead of ordering hunting, it maintained the line of battle, bringing back the speed of the fleet to that of the slower ships. Much and as private individuals Seignelay, estimates then, that the allied fleet could be destroyed if Tourville had been more undertaking.

Torrington manages to gain the refuge of the the Thames. As soon as it is in safety in the river, it orders to remove all the buoys of navigation, making its continuation too dangerous.

Consequences

The defeat of the course Bévésiers causes panic in England. Tourville provisoitrement has in hand the command of the English Channel. Consequently one does not include/understand that he did not seek to prevent William of Orange returning from Ireland and from unloading his army in England, to be opposed to the 6.000 regular troops and to the militia gathered in haste by Marlborough.

In England, in the atmosphere of paranoia which reigns then, nobody allots the defeat to the orders given. Nottingham shows Torrington of treason, and nobody disputes his interpretation: “I cannot express you,” written William of Orange with the Large-boarder Anthonie Heinsius, “as I am afflicted following the disaster with the fleet. I am all the more deeply affected that I was informed that my boats correctly did not support those of your fields, and left them in the embarrassment. . Torrington was sent to the Tour of London to wait to be translated to the council of war of Chatham, but with the astonishment of Guillaume and his ministers - and the relief of the English sailors who regarded it as one sacrificed political - the court discharged it. It had however never again of command, and when it tried to regain its seat with the House of Lords, Guillaume refused to see it and drew aside it.

This battle is regarded as being more the great victory of the marine of the Sun king. But at the same time, the troops sent in Ireland are beaten with the Bataille of Boyne.

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