The Battle at 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 a British convoy protected by a squadron under Commodore Richard Edwards. Duguay-Trouin and Forbin were two of the most successful French naval commanders and they caused much damage to the British merchant fleet.

Battle

On 20 October 1707 a large merchant fleet consisting of 80 to 130 British merchantmen left Plymouth for Portugal with supplies for the war in Spain. The fleet was escorted by a squadron of five ships of the line under Commodore Richard 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-guns 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.

There is no unanimity on the number of merchantmen captured. French sources speak of 60 ships out of 80, some British sources speak 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 merchantmen captured.

Order of battle

Britain (Edwards)

HMS Devonshire exploding during the battle
The Battle of the Lily and the Glory against the Cumberland (Louis-Philippe Crépin, 1827)
ShipGunsCommanderNotes
Cumberland80Commodore Richard EdwardsSurrendered to Lys
Devonshire80Captain John Watkins †Exploded, three survivors
Royal Oak76Captain Baron WyldeEscaped to Kinsale
Chester50Captain John BalchenSurrendered to Jason
Ruby50Captain the Hon. Peregrine BertieSurrendered to Amazone

France (Forbin)

ShipGunsCommanderNotes
Mars54Rear-Admiral Claude de Forbin
Blackwall54Captain Jean Alexandre de TourouvreLost bowsprit in collision with Devonshire
Salisbury52Captain Kerlo de l'Isle
Protée48Captain the Comte de Illiers
Jersey46Captain François Cornil Bart
Griffon44Captain the Comte de Nangis
Dauphine44Captain the Comte de Roquefeuil
Fidèle44Captain Hennequin
Dryade32Captain Joris van Crombrugghe

France (Duguay-Trouin)

ShipGunsCommanderNotes
Lys72Captain René Duguay-Trouin
Achille64Captain the Chevalier de BeauharnoisLost bowsprit in collision with Royal Oak Poopdeck destroyed in cartridge explosion
Jason54Captain the Chevalier de Coursérac
Maure50Captain Thomas Auguste Moinerie-Miniac
Amazone40Lieutenant Joseph de Nesmond de Brie[fr]
Gloire38Captain the Chevalier de La JailleLost bowsprit in collision with Lys

Notes

  • Allen, Joseph. Battles of the British Navy: from A.D. 1000 to 1840. Bell & Daldy publishing (1872) ASIN: B00087UD9S
  • Bodart, Gaston (1908). .
  • Grant, R. G. (2017). . Chartwell Books. ISBN 978-0785835530.

External links

  • (in English)