Battle at The Lizard

The naval Battle of the Lizard (French: Combat du Cap Lézard) took place on 21 October 1707 during the War of the Spanish Succession near Lizard Point, Cornwall between two French squadrons under René Duguay-Trouin and Claude de Forbin and an English convoy protected by a squadron under Commodore Richard Edwards.[3]

Not to be confused with Battle off Lizard Point.

Battle at the Lizard
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession

Battle at The Lizard, Jean Antoine Théodore de Gudin
Date21 October 1707
Location
Off Lizard Point, Atlantic Ocean
near 49.9535°N 5.2096°W / 49.9535; -5.2096
Result French victory
Belligerents
 France  Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
René Duguay-Trouin
Claude de Forbin		 Richard Edwards
Strength
12 warships 5 warships
130 merchant ships
Casualties and losses
300 killed and wounded[1]
No ships lost[2]		 800 killed and wounded[1]
1,500 captured[1]
1 warship destroyed
3 warships captured
15 merchant ships captured

Duguay-Trouin and Forbin were two of the most successful French naval commanders and they caused much damage to the allied merchant fleet.

Battle

On 20 October 1707 a large merchant fleet consisting of 80 to 130 English ships left Plymouth for Portugal with supplies for the war in Spain. There were five escorting English ships under command of Commodore Edwards.

The next day near Lizard Point they were spotted by 2 French squadrons of 6 ships each. Technically Forbin was the senior French officer, but Duguay-Trouin was the more aggressive, and his ships led the attack and suffered most of the damage, after Forbin had discovered the British convoy.

This battle was almost a complete victory for the French; the 80-gun Cumberland and the 50-gun ships Chester and Ruby were taken, but Royal Oak escaped into Kinsale with a few merchantmen. The 80-gun Devonshire defended herself for several hours against seven French ships until she caught fire and blew up, only three men escaping out of 500.[4]

There is no unanimity on the number of merchant ships captured. French sources speak of 60 ships out of 80, some British of none at all. The fact that René Duguay-Trouin and Claude de Forbin quarrelled for many years about which of the two squadrons had the biggest role in the victory, points to a considerable number of ships captured. Probably the truth is somewhere in between: Polak in "Bibliographie maritime française" speaks of 15 merchant ships captured.

Order of battle

Britain (Edwards)
Ship Guns Commander Notes
Cumberland 80 Commodore Richard Edwards Surrendered to Lys
Devonshire 80 Captain John Watkins † Exploded, two survivors
Royal Oak 76 Captain Baron Wylde Escaped to Kinsale
Chester 50 Captain John Balchen Surrendered to Jason
Ruby 50 Captain the Hon. Peregrine Bertie Surrendered to Amazone

France (Forbin)
Ship Guns Commander Notes
Mars 54 Rear-Admiral Claude de Forbin
Blackwall 54 Captain Jean Alexandre de Tourouvre Lost bowsprit in collision with Devonshire
Salisbury 52 Captain Kerlo de l'Isle
Protée 48 Captain the Comte de Illiers
Jersey 46 Captain François Cornil Bart
Griffon 44 Captain the Comte de Nangis
Dauphine 44 Captain the Comte de Roquefeuil
Fidèle 44 Captain Hennequin
Dryade 32 Captain Joris van Crombrugghe

France (Duguay-Trouin)
Ship Guns Commander Notes
Lys 72 Captain René Duguay-Trouin
Achille 64 Captain the Chevalier de Beauharnois Lost bowsprit in collision with Royal Oak
Poopdeck destroyed in cartridge explosion
Jason 54 Captain the Chevalier de Coursérac
Maure 50 Captain Thomas Auguste Moinerie-Miniac
Amazone 40 Lieutenant Joseph de Nesmond de Brie
Gloire 38 Captain the Chevalier de La Jaille Lost bowsprit in collision with Lys

Notes
  1. Bodart 1908, p. 157.
  2. Grant 2017, p. 398.
  3. Allen p. 103
  4. "Devonshire". Pastscape. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2013.

References
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