The Battle at The Lizard () took place on 21 October 1707 during the War of the Spanish Succession near Lizard Point, Cornwall between two French squadrons under René Duguay-Trouin and Claude de Forbin and a British convoy protected by a squadron under Commodore Richard Edwards.Allen p. 103 Duguay-Trouin and Forbin were two of the most successful French naval commanders and they caused much damage to the British merchant fleet.
Battle
On 20 October 1707 a large merchant fleet consisting of 80 to 130 British merchantmen left Plymouth for Portugal with supplies for the war in Spain. The fleet was escorted by a squadron of five ships of the line under Commodore Richard Edwards. The next day near Lizard Point they were spotted by 2 French squadrons of 6 ships each. Technically Forbin was the senior French officer, but Duguay-Trouin was the more aggressive, and his ships led the attack and suffered most of the damage, after Forbin had discovered the British convoy.
This battle was almost a complete victory for the French; the 80-gun Cumberland and the 50-guns Chester and Ruby were taken, but Royal Oak escaped into Kinsale with a few merchantmen. The 80-gun Devonshire defended herself for several hours against seven French ships until she caught fire and blew up, only three men escaping out of 500.
There is no unanimity on the number of merchantmen captured. French sources speak of 60 ships out of 80, some British sources speak of none at all. The fact that René Duguay-Trouin and Claude de Forbin quarrelled for many years about which of the two squadrons had the biggest role in the victory, points to a considerable number of ships captured. Probably the truth is somewhere in between: Polak in "Bibliographie maritime française" speaks of 15 merchantmen captured.
Order of battle
Britain (Edwards)
ShipGunsCommanderNotesCumberland80Commodore Richard EdwardsSurrendered to LysDevonshire80Captain John WatkinsExploded, three survivorsRoyal Oak76Captain Baron WyldeEscaped to KinsaleChester50Captain John BalchenSurrendered to JasonRuby50Captain the Hon. Peregrine BertieSurrendered to Amazone
France (Forbin) ShipGunsCommanderNotesMars54Rear-Admiral Claude de ForbinBlackwall54Captain Jean Alexandre de TourouvreLost bowsprit in collision with DevonshireSalisbury52Captain Kerlo de l'IsleProtée48Captain the Comte de IlliersJersey46Captain François Cornil BartGriffon44Captain the Comte de NangisDauphine44Captain the Comte de RoquefeuilFidèle44Captain HennequinDryade32Captain Joris van Crombrugghe
France (Duguay-Trouin) ShipGunsCommanderNotesLys72Captain René Duguay-TrouinAchille64Captain the Chevalier de BeauharnoisLost bowsprit in collision with Royal OakPoopdeck destroyed in cartridge explosionJason54Captain the Chevalier de CourséracMaure50Captain Thomas Auguste Moinerie-MiniacAmazone40Lieutenant Gloire38Captain the Chevalier de La JailleLost bowsprit in collision with Lys
Notes
References Allen, Joseph. Battles of the British Navy: from A.D. 1000 to 1840. Bell & Daldy publishing (1872) ASIN: B00087UD9S
External links Jean et Michèle Polak: "Bibliographie maritime française" Commission Française d'Histoire Militaire HMS Chester HMS Devonshire