Action of 2 May 1707
Encyclopedia
The Action of 2 May 1707, also known as Beachy Head, was a naval battle of the War of the Spanish Succession
in which a French
squadron under Claude de Forbin
, intercepted a large British convoy escorted by three ships of the line, under Commodore Baron Wylde. The Action began when 3 French ships, the Grifon, Blackoal and Dauphine, grappled the HMS Hampton Court
, killing her captain, George Clements, and taking her. Claude Forbin's 60-gun Mars next attacked the HMS Grafton
and, when joined by the French ships Blackoal and Fidèle, killed his Captain Edward Acton, and took her too. The convoy was scattered and the last British escort, the HMS Royal Oak
, badly hit and with 12 feet of water in her wells, managed to escape by running ashore near Dungeness, from where she was carried the next day into the Downs.
The French took 21 sail of merchant ships, besides two 70-gun Ships of the line, and carried them all into Dunkirk.
6 Privateers
55 Merchant ships
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
in which a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
squadron under Claude de Forbin
Claude de Forbin
Claude, chevalier, then count de Forbin-Gardanne was a French naval commander. In 1685-1688 he was on a diplomatic mission to Siam...
, intercepted a large British convoy escorted by three ships of the line, under Commodore Baron Wylde. The Action began when 3 French ships, the Grifon, Blackoal and Dauphine, grappled the HMS Hampton Court
HMS Hampton Court (1678)
HMS Hampton Court was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard in 1678.She underwent a rebuild in 1701 at Blackwall Yard, remaining a 70-gun third rate...
, killing her captain, George Clements, and taking her. Claude Forbin's 60-gun Mars next attacked the HMS Grafton
HMS Grafton (1679)
HMS Grafton was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Woolwich Dockyard in 1679.Grafton underwent a rebuild at Rotherhithe in 1700, remaining as a 70-gun third rate. She was captured by the french during the Action of 2 May 1707....
and, when joined by the French ships Blackoal and Fidèle, killed his Captain Edward Acton, and took her too. The convoy was scattered and the last British escort, the HMS Royal Oak
HMS Royal Oak (1674)
HMS Royal Oak was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Jonas Shish at Deptford and launched in 1674. She was one of only three Royal Navy ships to be equipped with the Rupertinoe naval gun...
, badly hit and with 12 feet of water in her wells, managed to escape by running ashore near Dungeness, from where she was carried the next day into the Downs.
The French took 21 sail of merchant ships, besides two 70-gun Ships of the line, and carried them all into Dunkirk.
Action
On the 1st of May a large outward-bound convoy for the West Indies, under the protection of three ships of the line, sailed from the Downs and being six leagues to the westward of Beachy, they fell in with the French squadron from Dunkirk, commanded by Claude de Forbin. This squadron consisted of 7 sail of the line and 6 privateers. The Action began when 3 French ships, the Grifon, Blackwall and Dauphine, grappled the HMS Hampton Court, killing her captain, Clements, took her. Commodore Wyld took five of his largest merchant ships into his line and boldly met the attack of the French ships. For twoand a half hours a heavy fire was kept up on both sides; The Hampton Court fought desperately and was obliged to surrender. Claude Forbin's 60-gun Mars next attacked the HMS Grafton and when joined by the French ships Blackwall and Fidele, captured her after a warm dispute of half an hour. Wyld's HMS Royal Oak, having eleven feet water in her hold, managed to escape with great loss by running ashore, from where she was carried into the Downs.France
- Mars 60 Capitaine chevalier de Forbin.
- Duphine 56 - de Roquefeuil
- Fidèle 56 - Baron d'Arey.
- Blackoal 54 - De Tourouvre
- Salisbury 50 - Chevalier de Vezins.
- Griffon 50 - Chevalir de nangis
- Protée 50 - Comte d'Illiers.
6 Privateers
Britain
- HMS Royal OakHMS Royal Oak (1674)HMS Royal Oak was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Jonas Shish at Deptford and launched in 1674. She was one of only three Royal Navy ships to be equipped with the Rupertinoe naval gun...
76 - Commodore Baron Wylde, Escaped. - HMS Hampton CourtHMS Hampton Court (1678)HMS Hampton Court was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard in 1678.She underwent a rebuild in 1701 at Blackwall Yard, remaining a 70-gun third rate...
70 - Captain George Clements, Captured. - HMS GraftonHMS Grafton (1679)HMS Grafton was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Woolwich Dockyard in 1679.Grafton underwent a rebuild at Rotherhithe in 1700, remaining as a 70-gun third rate. She was captured by the french during the Action of 2 May 1707....
70 - Captain Edward Acton , Captured.
55 Merchant ships