Action at Cherbourg (1692)

The action at Cherbourg was fought on 21 and 22 May Old Style (1st and 2 June New Style) 1692 as part of the aftermath of the Battle of Barfleur which had just been fought on 19 May (Old Style) 1692.

Background

During the pursuit of the French fleet after the battle of Barfleur, three of the most badly damaged French ships, the ''Soleil Royal'' (of 104 guns), ''Admirable'' (90 guns), and ''Triomphant'' (76 guns), accompanied by two frigates, of 24 and 20 guns, and a fireship, sought a safe haven at Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. They were beached outside the town, as there was no suitable harbour for them. Russell detailed Delaval, his vice-admiral, to attack and destroy them.
Delaval took station off Cherbourg, and so many of the English fleet joined him that his command became unwieldy. Retaining just eleven of the ships with him, mostly the smaller 3rd and 4th Rates, he dispatched the rest, a further sixteen, to join Russell in pursuit of Tourville and the main body of the French fleet.

Action

Transferring from his flagship, ''Royal Sovereign'' of 100 guns to the handier ''St Albans'' of 50 guns, Delaval mounted his first attack on the morning of 21 May.
The French had made serious efforts to protect the ships; they were beached with their masts seaward, to create an obstacle for the attackers, their guns were manned, and they were overlooked by shore batteries, ''Soleil Royal'' under the battery at Fosse du Galet, the other two further east under the guns of two coastal towers

First attack

Sending ships ahead to take soundings Delaval moved in on the morning of the 21st with ''St Albans'' and ''Ruby'' 50 to bombard the ships and the fort, but the French return fire was so fierce that after an hour and a half he was forced to retreat.

Second attack

On the morning of the 22nd Delaval tried again, sending the 50-gun ''St Albans'' and ''Advice'' to bombard the ''Admirable'', while he himself, (now in ''Grafton'' of 70 guns), attacked the others, supported by ''Monk'' of 60 guns and a group of other 3rd and 4th Rates. However, ''Monk'' and her consorts had insufficient depth in the low tide to get in close, and were forced to retire.

Third and final attack

At one o'clock that afternoon, at high water, Delaval made a third attempt, this time using his fireships with boarding parties in boats. ''Soleil Royal'' was hit by fireship ''Blaze'', her captain (Thomas Heath) bringing her within pistol-shot before firing and abandoning her, while ''Triomphant'' was burned by fireship ''Wolf'', whose captain (James Greenway) laid her alongside before igniting her. However, the third fireship, ''Hound'', was set alight by gunfire and burned before she reached ''Admirable'', so Delaval led his boats in and boarded her. Beaujeu, her captain, and her crew were forced to abandon her, but about 40 of her crew, mostly wounded, were taken prisoner; the ship was burned, together with the two frigates and the fireship that were with her.

Conclusion

Delaval had achieved a clear success with few casualties, and at later that afternoon set off to rejoin the fleet at La Hogue.

Ships

English :
11 ships of the line, plus auxiliaries

''St Albans'' 50, ''Grafton'' 70, ''Burford'' 70, ''Advice'' 50, ''Monk'' 60,''Ruby'' 50.

French :
3 ships of the line, plus auxiliaries

''Soleil Royal'' 104, ''Admirable'' 90, ''Triomphant'' 76.

Sources

* Aubrey P: ''The Defeat of James Stuart's Armada 1692'' (1979). {{ISBN, 0-7185-1168-9 .

Cherbourg
Cherbourg
1692 in France
History of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Military history of Normandy