Action of 2 May 1707

Action of 2 May 1707

Action of 2 May 1707
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date 2–3 May 1707 Location off Beachy Head Result French victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Claude de Forbin	Commodore Baron Wylde
Strength
7 Ships of the line 6 Privateers	3 Ships of the line 52 Merchantmen
Casualties and losses
Light	2 Ships of the line captured 21 merchantmen captured

The Action of 2 May 1707 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.

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 two hours and a half 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 bold, managed to escape with great loss by running ashore, near the English Coast, from where she was carried into the Downs.

Order of battle

France

6 Privateers

Britain

55 Merchant ships

Notes

References

• Haws, Duncan; Hurst, Alexander Anthony (1985). The Maritime History of the World: A Chronological Survey of Maritime Events from 5,000 B.C. Until the Present Day. Vol I. ISBN 978-0903662109.
• Allen, Joseph. Battles of the British Navy: from A.D. 1000 to 1840 Bell & Daldy publishing, ASIN B00087UD9S
• (French)Troude, O. Batailles navales de la France, Vol. I.

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