A British naval victory that cut French colonial supply lines during the War of the Austrian Succession, capturing six French warships.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 October 1747
- British ships of the line
- 14 ships
- French ships of the line
- 8 ships
- French warships captured
- 6 ships
- French seamen captured
- 4000 men
- Merchant ships in French convoy
- 250 ships
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A large French convoy of 250 merchant ships, escorted by eight ships of the line under Vice Admiral Herbiers, set out from the Basque Roads bound for the West Indies. A British fleet of fourteen ships of the line under Rear-Admiral Edward Hawke intercepted the convoy, triggering a confrontation.
Herbiers ordered the merchant vessels to scatter and formed his warships into a line of battle to draw the British away. Hawke advanced and enveloped the rear of the French line, bringing superior numbers against each French vessel in turn. Six French warships were captured along with 4,000 seamen, while only seven of the 250 merchant ships were taken.
The British victory severed French communications with their overseas colonies, cutting off supply and reinforcement. The War of the Austrian Succession ended the following year; under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, France recovered its captured colonial possessions in exchange for withdrawing from territorial gains in the Austrian Netherlands.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Rear-Admiral Edward Hawke.
Side B
1 belligerent
Vice Admiral Henri-François des Herbiers.