Second battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Second battle of Cape Finisterre
partof=the War of the Austrian Succession


caption=
date=25 October 1747
place=Off Cape Finisterre
result=Decisive British victory
combatant1=flagicon|United Kingdom|1606 Great Britain
combatant2=flagicon|France|restauration [George Ripley, Charles Anderson Dana, "The American Cyclopaedia", New York, 1874, p. 250, "...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis...". * [http://www.anyflag.com/history/fleur23.htm] The original Banner of France was strewn with fleurs-de-lis. * [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgdisplaylargemeta.cfm?strucID=585779&imageID=1236061&parent_id=585395&word=&s=&notword=&d=&c=&f=&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&lword=&lfield=&num=0&imgs=12&total=98&pos=1&snum=] :on the reverse of this plate it says: "Le pavillon royal était véritablement le drapeau national au dix-huitième siecle...Vue du chateau d'arrière d'un vaisseau de guerre de haut rang portant le pavillon royal (blanc, avec les armes de France)." [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Flag] from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica: "The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III., the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour."] France
commander1=Admiral Sir Edward Hawke
commander2=Admiral Desherbiers de l'Etenduère
strength1=14 ships of the line
strength2=8 ships of the line, assorted merchantmen
casualties1=No ships lost
casualties2=6 ships of the line capturedThe Second Battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval battle which took place on 25 October 1747 (14 October 1747 in the Julian calendar then in use in Britain) during the War of the Austrian Succession, in the Bay of Biscay off Cape Finisterre in northwest Spain between a well-appointed British fleet of fourteen ships of the line commanded by Admiral Sir Edward Hawke and a French convoy, protected by a squadron of eight French ships of the line commanded by Admiral Desherbiers de l'Etenduère, which it intercepted. It was a decisive British victory, and put an end to French naval operations for the remainder of the war.

It was a convoy action similar to the First Battle of Cape Finisterre, 14 May 1747.

The French made a very gallant resistance, and the fine quality of their ships enabled them to counteract to some extent the superior numbers of the British. The British gradually overhauled the French ships and captured them. The Comte de Vaudreuil in "Intrépide", first in the French line, turned back to help his admiral, allowing both ships to escape, but all the others were captured.

While the warships were engaged, the French merchant vessels, with the protection of "Castor" 26 and "Content" 64, which Desherbiers could spare, continued on their way to the West Indies. Most of them were, however, intercepted and captured in those waters.

This disaster convinced the French government of its helplessness at sea, and it made no further efforts to fight convoys through the British blockade.

Ships involved:

Britain (Edward Hawke)

"Devonshire" 64/66 (flag)
"Kent" 74
"Edinburgh" 70
"Yarmouth" 64
"Monmouth" 64
"Princess Louisa" 60
"Windsor" 60
"Lion" 60
"Tilbury" 60
"Nottingham" 60
"Defiance" 60
"Eagle" 60
"Gloucester" 50
"Portland" 50
some frigates
"Weazel" (sloop)??

France (des Herbieres de l'Etenduère)

"Intrépide" 74 (Comte de Vaudreuil)
"Trident" 64 (Marquis d'Amblimont) - Captured
"Terrible" 74 (Comte du Guay) - Captured
"Tonnant" 80 (flag)
"Monarque" 74 (de la Bédoyère) - Captured
"Severn" 50/56 (du Rouret de Saint-Estève) - Captured
"Fougueux" 64 (du Vignau) - Captured
"Neptune" 70/74 - Captured
"Castor" 26
"Content" 64
convoy of 252 ships

ee also

* Battle of Cape Finisterre for other battles of this name.

References

Bibliography

* "A History of the French Navy" (1973)