Second battle of Cape Finisterre

25th October 1747

Information was received in England that France was collecting in Basque Road a huge convoy for the West Indies, and that a squadron of men-of-war had sailed from Brest to pick it up and escort it to its destination. Thereupon a squadron, under Hawke, was despatched from Plymouth to intercept it. It left Plymouth Sound on August 9th. The French left Isle d'Aix on October 6th; and, on October 14th at 7 A.M., were sighted in lat. 47 49' N. and long. 1 2' W., off Finisterre. Hawke made signal to chase, but at 8 A.M., seeing the enemy's ships to be very numerous, many of them being large, he, as a measure of prudence, formed a line of battle ahead. There were in fact no fewer than 252 merchantmen with the French squadron. Commodore de L'Etenduere, who at first mistook the British for part of his own convoy, no sooner discovered his mistake than he ordered the merchantmen to make the best of their way under the care of the Content, 64, and himself also formed a line of battle ahead. These manoeuvres informed Hawke as to the nature of the force before him, and induced him to haul down the signal for the line and to again make that for a general chase, following it half-an-hour later with the signal to engage. A running fight resulted.

	The British Fleet of Edward Hawke
	Ship's Name	Guns	Commander	Notes
	Devonshire	66	John Moore	flagship
	Kent	74	Thomas Fox
	Edinburgh	70	Thomas Cotes
	Yarmouth	64	Charles Saunders
	Monmouth	64	Henry Harrison
	Princess Louisa	60	Charles Watson
	Windsor	60	Thomas Hanway
	Lion	60	Arthur Scott
	Tilbury	60	Robert Harland
	Nottingham	60	Philip de Saumarez
	Defiance	60	John Bentley
	Eagle	60	George Brydge Rodney
	Gloucester	50	Phillip Durrell
	Portland	50	Charles Stevens
	Weazle	16
	The French Fleet of Herbieres de l'Etenduère
	Ship's Name	Guns	Commander	Notes
	Intrepid	74	Comte de Vaudreuil
	Trident	64	Marquis d'Amblimont
	Terrible	74	Comte du Guay
	Tonnant	80	Duchaffault	flagship
	Monarque	74	de la Bedoyere
	Severn	56	du Rouret de Saint-Esteve
	Fougueux	64	du Vignau
	Neptune	74	Fromentieres
	Vessels escorting the Convoy
	Ship's Name	Guns	Commander	Notes
	Castor	26	d'Ossonville
	Content	64

Description of the action

The French behaved with great spirit but were over-powered by sheer weight of numbers. They had in line but eight ships and of these six were taken. .Towards night the Intrepide and Tonnant, finding that the day was lost, set all sail with a view to escaping. Their intention was perceived by the Yarmouth, Nottingham and Eagle, which, at the instance of Captain Saunders of the Yarmouth, and on their own responsibility, followed. These ships engaged the fugitives for an hour, in the course of which Captain Saumarez of the Nottingham fell. The two French ships, though very badly damaged, succeeded in getting into Brest. At dark Hawke brought his ships to; and in the morning, at a council of war, it was decided, in view of the mauled condition of the British squadron, not to pursue the convoy. The Weazel, sloop, was, however, despatched to the West Indies, to apprise Commodore Pocock of the approach of the French; and thanks to this precaution, many of their ships were ultimately taken.

The French loss in the action was about 6OO killed and wounded, among the former being Captain de Fromentieres of the Neptune. The British lost 154 killed, including Captain Saumarez, and 558 wounded. As nearly all the vessels captured had been dismasted, it took some time to refit them; but on October 31st, Hawke had the satisfaction of carrying them and his squadron into Portsmouth. A little later he was made a K.B. for his services. All the prizes, except the Neptune, were purchased into the Royal Navy.

Hawke in his despatch had occasion to complain of Captain Thomas Fox of the Kent, who, in the action, when ordered by signal to make sail ahead after the Tonnant and to engage her, had failed to obey. Captain Fox was consequently tried by court-martial at Portsmouth on November 25th upon the charge that " he did not come properly into the fight, nor do his utmost to distress and damage the enemy, nor assist his Majesty's ships which did." Fox's personal courage was not impeached; and there is no doubt that his failure to obey orders was chiefly due to the faulty system of signals then in use. Both his first lieutenant and his master mistook the signal for close action for one to proceed to the assistance of the Admiral; and he acted accordingly. The trial lasted until December 22nd, when the court came to the conclusion that " he had been guilty of backing his mizzen-top-sail and leaving the Tonnant, contrary to the 10th and 11th Articles of War." He was acquitted of cowardice, but, because he had paid too much regard to the advice of his officers, contrary to his own better judgment, he was sentenced to be dismissed from the command of the Kent. Captain Fox, whose post-captain's commission dated from August 6th, 1737, and who always had been a good officer, was never again employed, but was superannuated as a Rear-Admiral in 1749. He died in 1763.

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