Battle of Beachy Head (1690)

Battle of Beachy Head
Part of the Nine Years' War
Battle of Beachy Head Steel engraving by Jean Antoine Théodore de Gudin.
Date 10 July 1690 Location off Beachy Head, English Channel 50°44′15″N 0°14′52″E / 50.73743°N 0.24768°E / 50.73743; 0.24768 Result French victory
Belligerents
France	England  Dutch Republic
Commanders and leaders
Comte de Tourville Château-Renault Victor-Marie d'Estrées	Earl of Torrington Cornelis Evertsen Ralph Delaval
Strength
75 ships	56 ships
Casualties and losses
No ships lost	7-11 ships

The Battle of Beachy Head (Fr. Battle of Bévéziers) was a naval engagement fought on 10 July 1690 during the Nine Years' War. The battle was the greatest French tactical naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents during the war. The Dutch lost six ships of the line in total (sources vary), as well as three fireships, and their English allies also lost one ship of the line, whereas the French did not lose a single vessel. Although control of the English Channel temporarily fell into French hands, Admiral Tourville failed to pursue the Allied fleet with sufficient ardour, allowing it to escape to the river Thames.

Tourville was heavily criticised for not following up his victory and was relieved of his command. English admiral Torrington – who had advised against engaging the superior French fleet but had been overruled by Queen Mary and her ministers – was court-martialled for his performance during the battle. Although he was acquitted, King William dismissed him from the service.

King James II was campaigning in Ireland as a first step in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to regain the throne following his deposition after the Glorious Revolution. In August 1689 Marshall Schomberg had been sent from England to bolster the forces loyal to King William, but after capturing Carrickfergus his army had stalled through the winter of 1689–90, suffering from sickness and desertion. As early as January 1690 it was clear to William that he would have to sail personally to Ireland, with substantial reinforcements, in order to salvage the situation.

The main Allied fleet under Admiral Torrington was stationed in the English Channel; a substantial part of the fleet was in the Mediterranean under Vice Admiral Henry Killigrew, which the Earl of Nottingham, William's Secretary of State and chosen naval advisor, hoped would neutralize the French Toulon squadron. Sir Cloudesley Shovell remained in the Irish Sea, but his squadron was much too small to stop the French controlling these waters if they chose to do so. However, the French decided not to use their fleet as a subsidiary to the Irish campaign; King Louis XIV instead directed his navy against Torrington in the Channel. Although 6,000 French troops under the command of the Comte de Lauzun were successfully ferried across to Ireland to aid James on 17 March, the French fleet under the Comte de Tourville returned to Brest on 1 May and there remained inactive during May and June whilst the grand fleet was assembling.

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