The First Battle of Cape Finisterre (14 May 1747in the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandr ...

then in use in Britain this was 3 May 1747) was waged during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

. It refers to the attack by 14

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colum ...

under Admiral George Anson against a French 30-ship

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

commanded by Admiral de la Jonquière. The French were attempting to protect their merchant ships by using warships with them. The British captured 4

, 2

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

s, and 7 merchantmen, in a five-hour battle in the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

off Cape Finisterre in northwest

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. One French frigate, one

French East India Company The French East India Company (french: Compagnie française pour le commerce des Indes orientales) was a colonial commercial enterprise, founded on 1 September 1664 to compete with the English (later British) and Dutch trading companies in the ...

warship, and the other merchantmen escaped.

Events

Prelude

France needed to keep shipping lanes open in order to maintain her overseas empire. To this end she assembled merchantmen into convoys protected by warships. Anson on and Rear-Admiral

Sir Peter Warren Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Warren, KB (10 March 1703 – 29 July 1752) was an Anglo-Irish naval officer and politician who sat in the British House of Commons representing the constituency of Westminster from 1747 to 1752. Warren is best known fo ...

on had sailed from

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

on 9 April to intercept French shipping. When a large convoy was sighted, Anson made the signal to form line of battle. Rear-Admiral Warren, suspecting the enemy to be manoeuvring to promote the escape of the convoy, bore down and communicated his opinion to the admiral; the latter threw out a signal for a general chase.

Battle

under a press of sail, was the first to come up to the rearmost French ship, which she attacked severely, and two other ships dropped astern to her support. The action became general when three more British ships, including ''Devonshire'', came up. The French, though much inferior in numbers, fought till seven in the evening, when all but two of their ships were taken, as well as nine East India merchantmen. The French lost 700 men killed and wounded, and the British 520. Over £300,000 was found on board the ships of war, which were turned into British ships. François de Grasse, later the famous Comte, was wounded in this first battle. He was taken prisoner among the crew and officers on ''La Gloire,'' which was captured. Bataille du cap Ortegal mai 1747 panorama du combat

Bataille du cap Ortegal mai 1747 panorama du combat

Aftermath

Following his victory, Anson was raised to the peerage. The French assembled another, much bigger, convoy which set sail in October. After

Edward Hawke Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, KB, PC (21 February 1705 – 17 October 1781), of Scarthingwell Hall in the parish of Towton, near Tadcaster, Yorkshire, was a Royal Navy officer. As captain of the third-rate , he took part in the Battle of ...

's defeat of this fleet in the

Second Battle of Cape Finisterre The second battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval encounter fought during the War of the Austrian Succession on 25 October 1747 (N.S.). A British fleet of fourteen ships of the line commanded by Rear-Admiral Edward Hawke intercepted a Frenc ...

, the French naval operations were ended for the rest of the war. According to American historian William Williamson's 1832 account, the battle was a

"most severe blow to the French interests in America. Besides immense property taken, there were found on board … numerous articles designed for the
Acadians The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the des ...
and Indians".

File:Chevalier de Saint-George.jpg, Chevalier de Saint-George of ''Invincible'' surrenders his sword to Admiral Anson after the battle File:Invincible 74 canons capture en 1747 au cap Ortegal.jpg, Print of ''Invincible'' captured after the battle

Order of battle

Britain

France

Notes

References

* * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cape Finisterre, Battle of (1747) Conflicts in 1747 Naval battles of the War of the Austrian Succession Naval battles involving Great Britain Naval battles involving France Battles in Galicia (Spain) 1747 in Europe