The First Battle of Cape Finisterre (14 May 1747in the Julian calendar then in use in Britain this was 3 May 1747) was waged during the War of the Austrian Succession. It refers to the attack by 14 British ships of the line under Admiral George Anson against a French 30-ship convoy commanded by Admiral de la Jonquière. The French were attempting to protect their merchant ships by using warships with them. The British captured 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates, and 7 merchantmen, in a five-hour battle in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Finisterre in northwest Spain. One French frigate, one French East India Company 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 on had sailed from 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 Gloire, which was captured.
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's defeat of this fleet in the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre, 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 and Indians".
Order of battle Britain Vice-Admiral Anson's fleetShipGunsCommanderNotesPrince George90Vice-Admiral George AnsonCaptain John BentleyNot engagedDevonshire66Rear-Admiral Peter WarrenCaptain Temple WestNamur74Captain Hon. Edward BoscawenMonmouth64Captain Henry HarrisonNot engagedPrince Frederick64Captain Harry NorrisNot engagedYarmouth64Captain Piercy BrettPrincess Louisa60Captain Charles WatsonNot engagedNottingham60Captain Philip de SaumarezNot engagedDefiance60Captain Thomas GrenvillePembroke60Captain Thomas FincherWindsor60Captain Thomas HanwayCenturion50Captain Peter DenisFalkland50Captain Blumfield BarradallNot engagedBristol50Captain Hon. William MontaguAmbuscade40Captain John MontaguNot engagedFalcon10Commander Richard GwynnNot engagedVulcan8Commander William PettigrewFireship, not engaged
France Chef d'escadre de la Jonquière's fleetShipGunsCommanderNotesDiamant 30Captain CapturedPhilibert30Captain Jacques Lars de LescouetFrench East India Company ship, capturedVigilant20Captain Pierre Bourau de VauneulonFEIC ship, capturedChiméne36Unknown captainFEIC shipRubis52Captain MacartyEn flute, capturedJason50Captain BeccartCapturedSérieux64Chef d'escadre the Marquis de la JonquièreCaptain CapturedInvincible74Captain CapturedApollon30Captain NoëlFEIC ship, capturedThétis22Captain MassonFEIC ship, capturedModeste18Captain ThiercelinFEIC ship, capturedGloire40Captain de SaliezCapturedEmeraude40Captain Not in line of battleDartmouth18Unknown captainNot in line of battle, captured
See also Second Battle of Cape Finisterre Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805)
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