Battle of Beachy Head (1690) Totally Explained

Everything about Battle Of Beachy Head 1690 totally explained

off Beachy Head, English Channel |result=French victory |combatant1= Kingdom of France |combatant2= Kingdom of England
Dutch Republic |commander1=Comte de Tourville
Château-Renault
Victor-Marie d'Estrées |commander2=Earl of Torrington
Cornelis Evertsen
Ralph Delaval |strength1= 75 ships |strength2= 56 ships |casualties1=No ships lost |casualties2=11 ships |}}
The Battle of Beachy Head (also know as Battle of Bévéziers) was a naval engagement fought on 10 July 1690 during the Nine Years' War. The battle was the greatest French tactical naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents during the war. The Allies lost some 11 ships in total (sources vary), whereas the French didn't lose a single vessel; but although control of the English Channel temporarily fell into French hands, Admiral Tourville failed to pursue the Allied fleet with sufficient ardour, and it managed to escape to the river Thames.
Tourville was heavily criticised for not following up his victory and was relieved of his command. Admiral Torrington – who had advised against engaging the superior French fleet but had been overruled by Queen Mary and her ministers – was court-martialled for his performance during the battle. Although he was acquitted, King William dismissed him from the service.

Background

King James II was campaigning in Ireland as a first step to regaining his throne following his deposition after the ‘Glorious Revolution’. In August 1689 Marshall Schomberg had been sent from England to bolster the forces loyal to King William, but his army had stalled through the winter of 1689-90, suffering from sickness and desertion. As early as January 1690 it was clear to William that he'd have to personally sail to Ireland, with substantial reinforcements, in order to salvage the situation.
The main Allied fleet under Admiral Torrington was stationed in the English Channel; a substantial part of the fleet was in the Mediterranean under Vice-Admiral Henry Killigrew, which the Earl of Nottingham, William's Secretary of State and chosen naval advisor, hoped would neutralize the French Toulon squadron. Sir Cloudesley Shovell remained in the Irish Sea, but his squadron was much too small to stop the French controlling these waters if they chose to do so. However, the French decided not to use their fleet as a subsidiary to the Irish campaign; King Louis XIV instead directed his navy against Torrington in the Channel. Although 6,000 French troops under the command of the 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 and there remained inactive during May and June whilst the grand fleet was assembling.
This French inaction had provided William with the opportunity he desired. On 21 June, William embarked his forces at Chester on board 280 transports, escorted by only six men-of-war commanded by Shovell.

Prelude

After evading Killigrew off Cadiz, Château-Renault’s Toulon squadron joined Tourville’s fleet on 21 June. Tourville, now commanding the combined Brest and Mediterranean fleets totalling 75 ships of the line and 23 fireships, sailed on 23 June into the Channel; by 30 June, the French were off the Lizard. Torrington sailed from the Nore already convinced the French would be stronger – much of the Royal Navy had been diverted to protect their maritime commerce from privateers, and the Allied fleet now only had 56 English and Dutch ships of the line, totalling 4,153 guns, to Tourville’s fleet of 4,600 guns. Torrington’s fleet reached the Isle of Wight and was joined by a Dutch squadron under the command of Cornelis Evertsen. On 5 July, Torrington sighted the French fleet, calculating their strength at almost 80 ships of the line. Unable to proceed to the westward to link up with Shovell and Killigrew (who was on his way home), 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.
In William's absence, Queen Mary and her advisors – the '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 Admiral 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. Countersigned by Nottingham, the orders reached the admiral on 9 July whilst he was off Beachy Head. Torrington realised that not to give battle was to be guilty of direct disobedience; to give battle was, in his judgment, to incur serious risk of defeat. He called a council of war with his flag-officers, who concluded that they'd no option but to obey.

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 with 21 ships – 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. The blue squadron in the French van was commanded by Château-Renault; Victor-Marie d'Estrées commanded the rear white and blue squadron. In each fleet the squadron commanders were in the centre of their respective squadrons, and the division flag officers in the centre of their divisions. At about 08:00 the Allies, being to windward, ran down together in line abreast, elongated in order to cover the whole French fleet and prevent doubling at either end. The Dutch squadron bore down on the leading French squadron to engage on a parallel course, but left the leading division of Château-Renault's squadron unmarked – "a notable blunder," wrote the French admiral. This division cut across the path of Evertsen and, doubling on the Dutch squadron, was able to inflict heavy losses.
   Vice Admiral Ashby of the red squadron tried to help the Dutch, but the Marquis de Villette succeeded in tacking ahead, placing them between two fires. When Torrington brought the remainder of the red squadron into action, he found difficulty in getting close enough because of the sag in the French line, and came no closer than twice gunshot range. Diarist John Evelyn wrote – "The whole nation now exceedingly alarmed by the French fleet braving our coast even to the very Thames mouth;" a fear compounded by news from the Continent of French victory at the Battle of Fleurus on 1 July. 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 overwhelming odds.
   There was, however, some good news for the Allies. The day after Beachy Head, 11 July 1690 (N.S), 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. The Marquis de Seignelay, who had succeeded his father Colbert as naval minister, hadn't planned for an invasion and had thought no further than Beachy Head, writing to Tourville before the engagement – " ... I'll be content if you'll let me know as soon as possible after the battle your thoughts on the employment of the fleet for the rest of the campaign."
   Tourville anchored off Le Havre to refit and land his sick. The French had failed to exploit their success. To the fury of Louis and Seignelay, the sum of Tourville’s victory was the symbolic and futile burning of the English coastal town of Teignmouth in July, and he was relieved of command. The English squadrons now rallied to the main fleet. By the end of August the Allies had 90 vessels cruising the Channel – temporary French control had come to and end. 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 on 12 December (O.S). Torrington was temporarily replaced by a triumvirate of Sir Henry Killigrew, John Ashby and Sir Richard Haddock; these were in turn replaced by Admiral Russell as sole commander of the English fleet.

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