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Battle of Beachy Head (1690)

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Battle of Beachy Head
Part of the War of the Grand Alliance

Battle of Beachy Head
Steel engraving by Jean Antoine Theodore Gudin.
Date10 July 1690[1]
Location
Off Beachy Head, English Channel
Result French victory
Belligerents
France England
Dutch Republic
Commanders and leaders
Comte de Tourville
Château-Renault
Victor-Marie d'Estrées		 Earl of Torrington
Cornelis Evertsen
Ralph Delaval
Strength
75 ships[2] 59 ships
Casualties and losses
No ships lost 6 ships[3]

The Battle of Beachy Head – known in France as the Bataille de Béveziers or Bataille du cap Béveziers – was a naval engagement fought on 10 July 1690 during the War of the Grand Alliance. The Allied fleet was commanded by Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington; the French fleet was commanded by Anne Hilarion, Comte de Tourville.

The Battle of Beachy Head was the greatest French tactical naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents.[4] The Allies lost six ships during the battle, whereas the French did not lose a single vessel; but although control of the English Channel temporarily fell into French hands, Tourville failed to pursue the Allied fleet which managed to escape to the river Thames.

Background

In March 1689 King James II, accompanied by French troops, sailed for Ireland from France hoping to rally Catholic support in his attempts to regain his English throne. King Louis XIV aided James for two reasons: firstly, Louis fervently believed in the Stuart king’s God-ordained right to the English throne; secondly, and primarily, the war in Ireland would divert King William and his forces away from the theatre in Flanders.[5]

On 6 May 1689, a French fleet of 24 warships (plus transports), commanded by Château-Renault, departed from Brest to ferry over supplies and French troops to assist James' struggle. However, the presence of the English Admiral, Arthur Herbert (soon to be known as Lord Torrington), had made offloading at Kinsale impossible, therefore forcing Château-Renault on 10 May, to anchor his fleet in Bantry Bay. The following morning, Herbert’s squadron of 19 ships of the line approached the French, but Château-Renault, enjoying the weather gauge, managed to drive Torrington out of the bay and into the open sea.[5] The four-hour battle was somewhat inconclusive – little damage occurred to either fleet – but the French action had enabled the transports to unload their supplies.[6] The French fleet returned to Brest on 18 May.

The Allies also enjoyed some success. On 10 August 1689, Admiral Rooke had been able to transport troops from England to northern Ireland to break the siege of Londonderry; later, he landed Marshal Schomberg's forces near Carrickfergus and was able to keep open communications between England and Ireland.[7] However, when William’s naval advisors, secretary-of-state the Earl of Nottingham and Admiral Russell made their plans for the following year, the disparity of naval forces was still in France’s favour.

The main fleet under Torrington was stationed in the English Channel, but a substantial part of the fleet was in the Mediterranean under Vice-Admiral Henry Killigrew which Nottingham hoped would neutralize the French Toulon squadron. The Allies also had a small squadron under Rear-Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell in the Irish Sea, (although it was much too small to stop the French controlling the Irish Sea if they chose to do so). However, the French decided not to use their fleet as a subsidiary to the Irish campaign; instead King Louis directed his navy against Torrington in the Channel.[7] Although 6,000 French troops under the command of Comte de Lauzun were successfully ferried across to Ireland to aid James on 17 March, the French fleet under the Comte de Tourville returned to Brest on 1 May where, later that month, it was joined by the Toulon squadron which had managed to evade Killigrew off Cadiz.[8]

While the French fleet remained inactive at Brest, the English gathered an army on their west coast. On 21 June, King William embarked his forces at Chester on board 280 transports, escorted by only six men-of-war.[7] On the 24 June, unmolested by the French fleet, William landed in Carrickfergus with 15,000 men for his Irish campaign. James' chief lieutenant in Ireland, the Earl of Tyrconnel later wrote on 26 June – "The want of a squadron of French men-of-war in St George's Channel has been our ruin. . ."[9]

Prelude

Admiral Tourville by Delacroix Eugène.

Tourville, now commanding the combined Brest and Mediterranean fleets totalling 75 ships of the line and 23 fireships, sailed from Brest on 23 June into the Channel; by 30 June, the French were off the Lizard. Meanwhile the English Fleet lay off the Isle of Wight where, for the next ten days, it was reinforced with other English ships, and a Dutch squadron commanded by Cornelis Evertsen.[7] Because much of the Royal Navy had been diverted to protect their maritime commerce from privateers, the Allied fleet now only had 57 English and Dutch ships of the line, totalling 4,153 guns, whereas Tourville’s fleet comprised 4,600 guns.[10]

On 5 July Torrington sighted the French fleet, calculating their strength at almost 80 ships of the line. Queen Mary, and her ‘Council of Nine,’ hastened to take measures for the defence of the country. Carmarthen thought that it was advisable to fight; as did Nottingham and Russell, who were unconvinced that the French were as strong as Torrington reported, and only the admiral's pessimism, defeatism or treachery could account for his reports.[8] Devonshire, however, was still unsatisfied – "It is my duty, Madam," he said, "to tell Your Majesty exactly what I think on a matter of this importance; and I think that my Lord Torrington is not a man to be trusted with the fate of three kingdoms."[11]

With the odds unfavourable, Torrington announced his intention of retreating before the superior French fleet to the Straits of Dover, believing the loss of the 'fleet in being' would strategically be too great.[12] The orders to fight however were despatched, reaching the admiral on 9 July while he was off Beachy Head. Torrington called a council of war with his flag-officers, which concluded that they had no option but to obey.[13]

Battle of Beachy Head, 10 July 1690. Tourville had won a clear victory but failed to capitalise on his success.

Battle

The following day on 10 July, off Beachy Head near Eastbourne, Torrington advanced towards the French in line of battle. He placed the Dutch white squadron – 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.

The French Admiral divided his force into the customary three squadrons – white and blue, white, and blue pennants respectively. Tourville, aboard the Soleil Royal, commanded the centre, white squadron.[14] The blue squadron in the French van was commanded by Château-Renault; Victor-Marie d'Estrées commanded the rear white and blue squadron.

The allies, being to windward, bore down together in line abreast. The van bore the heaviest of the injuries and fighting whilst Torrington in the centre, keeping his ships at long range, failed to attack with the necessary vigour.[7] Admiral Tourville therefore, finding himself with few adversaries in the centre, pushed forward his own leading ships which Torrington’s dispositions had left without opponents. These ships further strengthened the French attack in the van, inflicting on the Dutch a terrible pounding.[12] During many hours the Dutch van maintained the unequal contest with very little assistance from any other part of the Allied fleet. At length however, Evertsen, having lost his second-in-command and many other officers, was forced to draw off, leaving two Dutch ships sunk, one shattered and dismasted hull captured, and many badly damaged.[15] Overmatched, Torrington ended the battle at about midday by taking advantage of the tide and the drop in wind;[7] while his ships dropped anchor, the French – who were not equally alert – were carried off by the current, out of cannon range.[12]

The battle was a complete success for the French, but it was far from decisive. When the tide changed at 21:00, the Allies weighed anchor. Tourville pursued, but instead of ordering a general chase, he maintained the line-of-battle, reducing the speed of the fleet to that of the slower ships.[7] It was thought by many, especially French ministers such as Seignelay, that if Tourville had been more enterprising, the allied fleet might have been destroyed.[11] However, Torrington managed to gain the refuge of the Thames; as soon as he was in the safety of the river, he ordered all the navigation buoys removed, making any attempt to follow him too dangerous.[11]

Aftermath

The defeat of Beachy Head caused panic in England. Tourville had temporary command of the English Channel; it seemed that the French could at the same time prevent William from returning from Ireland across the Irish Sea and, land an invading army in England.[16] To oppose the threatened invasion, 6,000 regular troops, together with the hastily organised militia, were prepared by the Earl of Marlborough for the country's defence.

In the prevailing atmosphere of paranoia, no one attributed the defeat to mistaken orders or overwhelming odds.[15] Nottingham accused Torrington of treachery, informing William on 13 July – "In plain terms. . . Torrington deserted the Dutch so shamefully that the whole squadron had been lost if some of our ships had not rescued them." Nottingham was anxious to shift blame, but no one disputed his interpretation.[15] "I cannot express to you," wrote William to the Grand Pensionary Anthonie Heinsius in the Dutch Republic, "how distressed I am at the disasters of the fleet; I am so much the more deeply affected as I have been informed that my ships did not properly support those of the Estates, and left them in the lurch.[17] Torrington was sent to the Tower of London to await a Court Martial at Chatham, but to the outrage and astonishment of William and his ministers – and the delight of the English seamen who regarded him as a political sacrifice to the Dutch – the court acquitted him. Torrington took up his seat in the House of Lords, but William refused to see him and dismissed him from the service.[11]

The day after Beachy Head, 11 July 1690, William decisively defeated Louis' ally, King James, at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. James fled to France, but appeals to Louis for an invasion of England were not heeded.[18] Marquis de Seignelay, who had succeeded his father Colbert as naval minister, had not planned for an invasion and had thought no further than Beachy Head, writing to Tourville before the engagement – “. . . I shall be content if you will let me know as soon as possible after the battle your thoughts on the employment of the fleet for the rest of the campaign.”[19]

Tourville anchored off Le Havre to refit and land his sick, giving the English squadrons time to rally to the main fleet while the dockyards turned out new vessels. But although French raiders managed the symbolic burning of Teignmouth in July, by the end of August the Allies had 90 vessels cruising the Channel, and French control came to and end.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ All dates in the article are New Style (unless otherwise stated). The Old Style calendar as used in England differed by ten days. Thus, the Battle of the Boyne is 11 July N.S or 1 July O.S.
  2. ^ Dupuy: The Collins Encyclopaedia of Military History 4th ed, p.598
  3. ^ Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p.215: Other severely damaged ships were later destroyed by Torrington.
  4. ^ Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p.83
  5. ^ a b Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p.203
  6. ^ Dupuy: The Collins Encyclopaedia of Military History 4th ed, p.598
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Mahan: The Influence of Sea Power on History, 1660-1783, Chpt.4
  8. ^ a b Roger: The Command of the Ocean, p.145
  9. ^ Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p.215: Lynn states the Irish Sea and not the English Channel, should have been the true linchpin of French strategy for 1690.
  10. ^ Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p.214
  11. ^ a b c d Macauley: The History Of England: Volume 3, Chpt.XV
  12. ^ a b c d Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p.215
  13. ^ Roger: The Command of the Ocean, p.145. The minutes of the council no longer exist, and we do not know for sure how Torrington meant to fight. It is also unclear whether Evertsen correctly understood Torrington's intentions.
  14. ^ Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p.214: Together with the Royal Louis, the Soleil Royal was the largest ship built during the reign of King Louis, rating at 120 guns and 2,400 tons.
  15. ^ a b c Roger: The Command of the Ocean, p.146
  16. ^ Churchill: A History of the English-Speaking Peoples: Age of Revolution, p.9
  17. ^ Guizot: A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times, Volume V
  18. ^ Chandler: Marlborough as Military Commander p.35
  19. ^ Roger: The Command of the Ocean, p.147

References

  • Chandler, David G. Marlborough as Military Commander. Spellmount Ltd, 2003. ISBN 1-86227-195-X
  • Churchill, Winston. A History of the English-Speaking Peoples: Age of Revolution. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, (2002). ISBN 0-304-36393-6
  • Dupuy, R. E & Dupuy, T. N. The Collins Encyclopaedia of Military History 4th ed. HarperCollins Publishers, (1995). ISBN 0062700561
  • Guizot, Francois P. G. A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times, Volume V. [1]
  • Lynn, John A. The French wars 1667–1714: The Sun King at War. Osprey Publishing, (2002). ISBN 1-84176-361-6
  • Lynn, John A. The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714. Longman, ISBN 0-582-05629-2
  • Macauley, Thomas. The History Of England: Volume 3. [2]
  • Mahan, Alfred Thayer. The Influence of Sea Power on History, 1660–1783. [3]
  • Roger N.A.M. The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain 1649–1815, Penguin Group, (2006). ISBN 0-141-02690-1
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