Battle of Cap-Français
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Cap-Français was a naval engagement during the Seven Years' War
fought between French
and British
forces outside the harbour of Cap-Français, Saint-Domingue
(present-day Cap-Haïtien
, Haiti
) on 21 October 1757.
The British force, consisting of three ships of the line under Commodore
Arthur Forrest
had been sent to cruise off Saint-Domingue in the hope of intercepting a French merchant convoy bound for France, but found that the convoy's escort, under Guy François de Coetnempren, comte de Kersaint, had been heavily reinforced. The French came out to drive the British away, whereupon the British ships attacked them. Fighting against a substantially superior force, the British inflicted considerable damage on their opponents, but were in turn badly damaged, and after several hours the French broke away and returned to port. The British squadron also returned to port to carry out repairs, and the French convoy left the following month.
Though the battle was tactically indecisive, the British officers involved became popular heroes for their daring in fighting against heavy odds. The young nephew of one of the officers present, who was in time to also embark on a naval career, was Horatio Nelson
. Nelson considered the date of the battle a good omen, when 48 years to the day later, he faced a French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar
.
under Commodore
Arthur Forrest
, that had been sent from Jamaica
by Rear-Admiral Thomas Cotes to intercept a homeward-bound French convoy. The British squadron was made up of two 60-gun ships; , flying Forrest's broad pennant, and , under Captain Maurice Suckling
. With them was the 64-gun HMS Edinburgh
, under Captain William Langdon. The squadron arrived off Cap-Français in the morning of 21 October, expecting to find the convoy.
The French convoy's escort, under Guy François de Coetnempren, comte de Kersaint had recently been reinforced, and by the time of the British arrival, consisted of four ships of the line and three large frigates. Possessing the superior force, Kersaint promptly put to sea as the British arrived, intent on catching the smaller force. Kersaint flew his flag aboard the 70-gun Intrépide, and was accompanied by the 70-gun Sceptre under Captain Clavel, the 64-gun Opiniatre under Captain Mollieu, the 50-gun Greenwich
under Captain Foucault, the 44-gun frigate Outarde and the 32-gun frigates Sauvage and Licorne.
of Augusta, whereupon Forrest stated 'Well, gentleman, you see that they are come out to engage us.' Suckling replied 'I think it would be a pity to disappoint them', to which Langdon agreed. Forrest then closed the discussion by saying 'very well, go onboard your ships again', which Langdon and Suckling proceeded to do, the conference having lasted just half a minute.
The British then formed up in line ahead, and notwithstanding the heavy French superiority, steered for them. Suckling in Dreadnought formed the van, with Forrest in Augusta in the centre, and Langdon in Edinburgh in the rear. The fighting began at 3.20 pm, and lasted for two and a half hours, until Kersaint signalled one of his frigates to towed his damaged flagship, Intrépide, out of the line. In doing so the French line fell into confusion, with Intrépide, Superbe and Greenwich falling aboard each other, and were heavily cannonaded by Augusta and Edinburgh until they were able to untangle themselves.
The other French ships gradually broke away from the action and moved off. The British were in no condition to follow, having suffered casualties of 23 killed and 89 wounded, with the ships having had their masts and rigging cut to pieces. Dreadnought had lost her main and mizzen topmasts, and unable to chase the French, the British squadron retired to Jamaica to carry out repairs. Kersaint, who had been wounded in the battle, returned to Cap-Français to carry out repairs, and then sailed for France with the convoy in November. The French casualties in the action were estimated at between 500 and 600 killed and wounded, with Opiniatre having been dismasted, while Greenwich had been left in a very leaky condition. Killed and wounded on the British ships amounted to the first lieutenant and eight men killed, and twenty-nine wounded on Augusta, nine killed and thirty wounded on Dreadnought, and five killed and thirty wounded on Edinburgh.
declared '...the credit of the action rested with Forrest and his companions, who had not hesitated to attack a very superior force, and had fought it without disadvantage.' Kersaint suffered a greater misfortune just off the French coast as he approached his destination, when he became caught in a storm, which caused Opiniatre, Greenwich and Outarde to run aground and be wrecked. The loss of the Greenwich on 1 January 1758 marked the end of a brief career for the French. Greenwich had been a former British ship, which had been captured by a French squadron under Commodore Joseph de Bauffremont
on 18 March 1757, while sailing off Saint-Domingue under Captain Robert Roddam
. Roddam had been chased for two days until being run down and captured by the 74-gun Diadème
, and the 64-gun Éveillé.
The memory of the battle, and the perception of British heroism persisted during the eighteenth century. Maurice Suckling's nephew, Horatio Nelson
knew of his uncle's exploits, and 48 years later to the day, on the morning of 21 October 1805, was heard to remark by 's surgeon, William Beatty, 'that "the 21st of October was the happiest day in the year among his family"; but did not assign the reason of this. His Lordship had previously entertained a strong presentiment that this would prove the auspicious day, and had several times said to Captain Hardy and Doctor Scott
... "The 21st of October will be our day."' 21 October was the date of Nelson's victory, and death, at the Battle of Trafalgar
.
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
fought between French
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
and British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
forces outside the harbour of Cap-Français, Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue
The labour for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 African slaves . Between 1764 and 1771, the average annual importation of slaves varied between 10,000-15,000; by 1786 it was about 28,000, and from 1787 onward, the colony received more than 40,000 slaves a year...
(present-day Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
) on 21 October 1757.
The British force, consisting of three ships of the line under Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Arthur Forrest
Arthur Forrest (Royal Navy officer)
Arthur Forrest was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War, rising to the rank of captain and the post of commodore.-Early life:...
had been sent to cruise off Saint-Domingue in the hope of intercepting a French merchant convoy bound for France, but found that the convoy's escort, under Guy François de Coetnempren, comte de Kersaint, had been heavily reinforced. The French came out to drive the British away, whereupon the British ships attacked them. Fighting against a substantially superior force, the British inflicted considerable damage on their opponents, but were in turn badly damaged, and after several hours the French broke away and returned to port. The British squadron also returned to port to carry out repairs, and the French convoy left the following month.
Though the battle was tactically indecisive, the British officers involved became popular heroes for their daring in fighting against heavy odds. The young nephew of one of the officers present, who was in time to also embark on a naval career, was Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
. Nelson considered the date of the battle a good omen, when 48 years to the day later, he faced a French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.
Prelude
The British forces consisted of a detached squadron of three ships of the lineShip of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
under Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Arthur Forrest
Arthur Forrest (Royal Navy officer)
Arthur Forrest was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War, rising to the rank of captain and the post of commodore.-Early life:...
, that had been sent from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
by Rear-Admiral Thomas Cotes to intercept a homeward-bound French convoy. The British squadron was made up of two 60-gun ships; , flying Forrest's broad pennant, and , under Captain Maurice Suckling
Maurice Suckling
Captain Maurice Suckling was a Royal Navy officer who was instrumental in the training of his nephew, Horatio Nelson.-Seven Years War:...
. With them was the 64-gun HMS Edinburgh
HMS Warspite (1666)
HMS Warspite was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1666 at Blackwall Yard. This second Warspite was one of the five ships designed to carry more provisions and lower deck guns higher above the water than French and Dutch equivalents...
, under Captain William Langdon. The squadron arrived off Cap-Français in the morning of 21 October, expecting to find the convoy.
The French convoy's escort, under Guy François de Coetnempren, comte de Kersaint had recently been reinforced, and by the time of the British arrival, consisted of four ships of the line and three large frigates. Possessing the superior force, Kersaint promptly put to sea as the British arrived, intent on catching the smaller force. Kersaint flew his flag aboard the 70-gun Intrépide, and was accompanied by the 70-gun Sceptre under Captain Clavel, the 64-gun Opiniatre under Captain Mollieu, the 50-gun Greenwich
HMS Greenwich (1747)
HMS Greenwich was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built during the War of the Austrian Succession, and went on to see action in the Seven Years' War, during which she was captured by the French and taken into their service under the same name...
under Captain Foucault, the 44-gun frigate Outarde and the 32-gun frigates Sauvage and Licorne.
Battle
Finding the French escort to be substantially larger than anticipated, and that it was manoeuvring to intercept them, Forrest called his captains together for a conference aboard his ship. The three captains met on the quarterdeckQuarterdeck
The quarterdeck is that part of a warship designated by the commanding officer for official and ceremonial functions. In port, the quarterdeck is the most important place on the ship, and is the central control point for all its major activities. Underway, its importance diminishes as control of...
of Augusta, whereupon Forrest stated 'Well, gentleman, you see that they are come out to engage us.' Suckling replied 'I think it would be a pity to disappoint them', to which Langdon agreed. Forrest then closed the discussion by saying 'very well, go onboard your ships again', which Langdon and Suckling proceeded to do, the conference having lasted just half a minute.
The British then formed up in line ahead, and notwithstanding the heavy French superiority, steered for them. Suckling in Dreadnought formed the van, with Forrest in Augusta in the centre, and Langdon in Edinburgh in the rear. The fighting began at 3.20 pm, and lasted for two and a half hours, until Kersaint signalled one of his frigates to towed his damaged flagship, Intrépide, out of the line. In doing so the French line fell into confusion, with Intrépide, Superbe and Greenwich falling aboard each other, and were heavily cannonaded by Augusta and Edinburgh until they were able to untangle themselves.
The other French ships gradually broke away from the action and moved off. The British were in no condition to follow, having suffered casualties of 23 killed and 89 wounded, with the ships having had their masts and rigging cut to pieces. Dreadnought had lost her main and mizzen topmasts, and unable to chase the French, the British squadron retired to Jamaica to carry out repairs. Kersaint, who had been wounded in the battle, returned to Cap-Français to carry out repairs, and then sailed for France with the convoy in November. The French casualties in the action were estimated at between 500 and 600 killed and wounded, with Opiniatre having been dismasted, while Greenwich had been left in a very leaky condition. Killed and wounded on the British ships amounted to the first lieutenant and eight men killed, and twenty-nine wounded on Augusta, nine killed and thirty wounded on Dreadnought, and five killed and thirty wounded on Edinburgh.
Aftermath
The battle had been indecisive, with Kersaint able to conduct his convoy to France unmolested, once his ships had been repaired. Nonetheless the British captains were praised for their courage and tenacity in engaging a superior force. Naval historian John Knox LaughtonJohn Knox Laughton
Sir John Knox Laughton Kt was a British naval historian and arguably the first to argue for the importance of the subject as an independent field of study...
declared '...the credit of the action rested with Forrest and his companions, who had not hesitated to attack a very superior force, and had fought it without disadvantage.' Kersaint suffered a greater misfortune just off the French coast as he approached his destination, when he became caught in a storm, which caused Opiniatre, Greenwich and Outarde to run aground and be wrecked. The loss of the Greenwich on 1 January 1758 marked the end of a brief career for the French. Greenwich had been a former British ship, which had been captured by a French squadron under Commodore Joseph de Bauffremont
Joseph de Bauffremont
Joseph de Bauffremont, Prince of Listenois , was a member of the Bauffremont family, and a French Navy officer under Louis XIV. He was a commander in the Seven Year's War...
on 18 March 1757, while sailing off Saint-Domingue under Captain Robert Roddam
Robert Roddam
Robert Roddam was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, and the American War of Independence...
. Roddam had been chased for two days until being run down and captured by the 74-gun Diadème
French ship Diadème (1756)
The Diadème was the lead ship of the Diadème class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.On 17 March 1757, along with the 64-gun Éveillé, she captured HMS Greenwich, commanded by Captain Robert Roddam, off Saint-Domingue....
, and the 64-gun Éveillé.
The memory of the battle, and the perception of British heroism persisted during the eighteenth century. Maurice Suckling's nephew, Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
knew of his uncle's exploits, and 48 years later to the day, on the morning of 21 October 1805, was heard to remark by 's surgeon, William Beatty, 'that "the 21st of October was the happiest day in the year among his family"; but did not assign the reason of this. His Lordship had previously entertained a strong presentiment that this would prove the auspicious day, and had several times said to Captain Hardy and Doctor Scott
Alexander John Scott
Reverend Dr. Alexander John Scott was a chaplain who served in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He served as Horatio Nelson's personal chaplain at the Battle of Trafalgar, and had previously served as his private secretary...
... "The 21st of October will be our day."' 21 October was the date of Nelson's victory, and death, at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.