Battle of Beachy Head (1690)
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- For other uses, see Battle of Beachy Head.
| Battle of Beachy Head | |||||||
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| Part of the War of the Grand Alliance | |||||||
 17th-century print of the Battle of Beachy Head. |
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| Combatants | |||||||
| France | England Dutch Republic |
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| Commanders | |||||||
| Anne Hilarion de Tourville | Earl of Torrington | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 75 ships | 56 ships | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 311 dead 811 wounded |
7 ships lost | ||||||
| War of the Grand Alliance |
|---|
| Walcourt – Fleurus – Beachy Head – Staffarda – Cuneo – Leuze – Barfleur-La Hogue – 1st Namur – Steenkirk – Landen – Marsaglia – Charleroi – Torroella – 2nd Namur – Barcelona |
The naval Battle of Beachy Head or Bataille de Bévezier (French) took place on 10 July 1690 near Beachy Head, a promontory near Eastbourne, on the coast of East Sussex, England in the War of the Grand Alliance; The battle was fought between an Anglo-Dutch fleet under the Earl of Torrington with 56 vessels of which 22 Dutch formed the van under Cornelis Evertsen. Vice Admiral Sir Ralph Delavall commanded the 12-ship strong rear, and a French fleet under the Comte Anne Hilarion de Tourville Chateau-Renault (van) and De Estrèes (rear) with seventy ships of the line and five frigates in ten kilometre lines with the largest in the middle.
Although the French won, they failed to exploit their victory over the damaged opponent to deal a decisive blow to Anglo-Dutch seapower. Torrington, meanwhile, was court-martialed for failing to support the Dutch and retreating but, arguing that his action prevented an invasion, was acquitted.
Those fleets were to fight again at the Battle of La Hougue.
[edit] References
- Warnsinck, JCM De Vloot van de Koning-Stadhouder, 1689–1690. Amsterdam, 1934
