Battle of Toulon (1744)

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Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military conflict

The Battle of ToulonTemplate:Efn took place on 21 and 22 February 1744 NSTemplate:Efn near the French Mediterranean port of Toulon. Although France was not yet at war with Britain, ships from their Levant Fleet supported an attempt by a Spanish force trapped in Toulon to break through the British Mediterranean Fleet.

The initial engagement on 21 February was indecisive, and the British continued their pursuit until midday on 22nd before their commander, Admiral Thomas Mathews, called off the chase. With several of his ships in need of repair, he withdrew to Menorca, which meant the British Royal Navy temporarily lost control of the waters around Italy and allowed the Spanish to take the offensive against Savoy.Template:Sfn

In his report, Mathews blamed his subordinate Richard Lestock for the failure to secure victory, and the issue was hotly debated in Parliament. At the subsequent court-martial, Mathews was held responsible and dismissed from the navy in June 1747, while Lestock's political connections meant he was cleared of all charges.Template:Sfn Another seven captains were removed from command for failing to engage the enemy and the investigation led to changes that required individual captains to be far more aggressive.

Background

British commander, Admiral Thomas Mathews, whose poor relationship with his subordinate Richard Lestock affected the battle

The immediate cause of the War of the Austrian Succession was the death in 1740 of Emperor Charles VI, last male Habsburg. This left his eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, as heir to the Habsburg monarchy,Template:Efn whose laws excluded women from the succession. The 1713 Pragmatic Sanction waived this and allowed her to inherit, but this was challenged by Charles Albert of Bavaria, the closest male heir.Template:Sfn

While the House of Habsburg was the largest single component of the Holy Roman Empire, its pre-eminent position was challenged by rivals like Bavaria, Saxony and Prussia. With the help of France, these states turned a dynastic dispute into a European conflict and in January 1742 Charles of Bavaria became the first non-Habsburg Emperor in nearly 300 years. He was opposed by Maria Theresa and the so-called Pragmatic Allies, which in addition to Austria included Britain, Hanover and the Dutch Republic.Template:Sfn

Although French and British troops fought against each other at Dettingen in June 1743, the two kingdoms were not yet formally at war. In contrast, Spain and Britain had been fighting the War of Jenkins' Ear since 1739, primarily in Spanish America, but also in the Mediterranean, where in 1742 a Spanish squadron led by Juan José Navarro took refuge in the French naval base of Toulon and were prevented from leaving by the British Mediterranean Fleet under Admiral Thomas Mathews. In the 1743 Treaty of Fontainebleau, Louis XV of France and his uncle Philip V of Spain, agreed to a joint invasion of Britain and by late January 1744, more than 12,000 French troops and transports had been assembled at Dunkirk.Template:Sfn

In an attempt to divert British naval resources from the invasion route, Navarro was ordered to force his way out of Toulon and make for the Atlantic, supported by the French Levant Fleet under Claude Bruyère. Their opponent, Thomas Mathews, had entered the Royal Navy in 1690 and enjoyed a solid if unspectacular career before being appointed Commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean in 1742. He had a poor relationship with his deputy Richard Lestock, a fact recognised by both officers who had each separately requested that Lestock be reassigned, a request ignored by the Admiralty. The tension between the two men meant Mathews failed to properly discuss tactics with his subordinate prior to the battle, a factor which partially contributed to the later confusion over orders.Template:Sfn

Battle

British fireship Template:HMS, aflame and sinking short of her intended target, the Spanish flagship Real Felipe

On 21 February 1744, the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of twenty-seven ships of the line and three frigates put to sea with Mathews in pursuit. The British ships were generally larger and more heavily armed than their opponents, carrying over 25% more cannons overall.Template:Sfn Both fleets adopted the traditional formation of vanguard, centre and rear, with Navarro and the Spanish ships in front, followed by two French squadrons.Template:Sfn On the British side, Mathews led the van, William Rowley the centre, and Lestock the rear.Template:Sfn

Light winds made manoeuvring difficult and caused the two fleets to become spread out but around 11:30 early in the evening of 21 February, the fleets began to approach each other and prepare for battle, with Mathews signalling his ships to form line of battle.<ref name="DNB45">Template:Cite book</ref> Since the line had not been properly formed as night fell, Mathews hoisted the signal to come to or halt by turning into the wind, intending his ships to first finish forming the line.<ref name="DNB45"/> The van and centre squadrons complied with this instruction, but the rear under Lestock obeyed the order to halt immediately, without having formed the line.<ref name="DNB45"/>

By daybreak on 23 February, the rear of the British fleet was separated by a considerable distance from the van and centre.<ref name="DNB45"/> Mathews signalled Lestock to make more sail, reluctant to start the attack with his ships still disorganised, but the slowness of his response caused the Franco-Spanish force to start to slip away to the south.<ref name="DNB45"/> Mathews feared they would escape him and pass through the Strait of Gibraltar to join the French force gathered at Brest for the planned invasion of Britain.<ref name="DNB45"/>

Knowing his duty was to attack, Mathews hoisted the signal to engage the enemy aboard his flagship Template:HMS, and at 1:00 pm left the line to attack the Spanish rear, followed by Captain James Cornewall aboard Template:HMS.<ref name="DNB45"/> His earlier signal to form line of battle was still flying, causing confusion among his subordinates. Some followed Mathews, but others were either uncertain which orders to follow, or in Lestock's case, allegedly unwilling to do so.Template:Sfn

Outnumbered and largely unsupported, Namur and Marlborough successfully engaged their opposite numbers, but suffered considerable damage.<ref name="DNB45"/> At the rear of the ships being attacked, five more Spanish ships followed, at some distance due to the slow speed of the one ahead: Brillante, San Fernando, Halcon, Soberbio and Santa Isabel. There was some exchange of fire between these and the lead ships of the British rear. Most of Lestock's ships in the rear remained inactive during the battle.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The main action was being fought around Real Felipe, Navarro's flagship. Marlborough purposefully crossed the Spanish line, but suffered such severe damage that she was deemed to be on the verge of sinking. The Hercules, astern of the Real Felipe, vigorously fought off three British ships. The Constante, immediately ahead of the flagship, repelled the attack of a British ship-of-the-line, which was promptly replaced by two more, with which she continued to fight for nearly three hours.<ref name=":0" />

The French ships came about at 5:00 pm to aid the Spanish, a manoeuvre interpreted by some of the British commanders as an attempt to double the British line and surround them.<ref name="DNB45"/> The Spanish, still on the defensive, neglected to capture the defenceless Marlborough, though they did retake the Poder, which had previously surrendered to the British.<ref name="DNB45"/> The Franco-Spanish fleet then resumed their flight to the southwest, and it was not until 23 February that the British were able to regroup and resume the pursuit. They caught up with the enemy fleet again, which was hampered by towing damaged ships, and the unmanoeuvrable Poder was abandoned and scuttled by the French. By now the British had closed to within a few miles of the enemy fleet, but Mathews again signalled for the fleet to come to. The following day, 24 February, the Franco-Spanish fleet was almost out of sight, and Mathews returned to Hyères and sailed from there to Port Mahon, where he arrived in early March.<ref name="DNB45"/>

Aftermath

Naval officers attending the 1746 court martial; note the crowds gathered to attend the proceedings, a mark of the level of public interest

While the battle was tactically inconclusive, Mathews' withdrawal to Menorca temporarily lifted the British blockade of the Franco-Spanish army in Northern Italy, allowing them to take the offensive.Template:Sfn However, it also led to recriminations among their opponents, with the Spanish viewing the battle as a near victory undone by the poor performance of the French. Navarro was given the title Marqués de la VictoriaTemplate:Efn by Philip V of Spain, who insisted de la Bruyère be removed from command. The animosity generated by these actions minimised future co-operation between the Spanish and French. Navarro and his ships spent the rest of war trapped in Cartagena by Rowley, who succeeded Mathews as commander in the Mediterranean.Template:Sfn

France declared war on Britain and Hanover in March, then invaded the Austrian Netherlands in May.Template:Sfn These consequences were blamed on the alleged failure of the British fleet to defeat an inferior opponent, although modern historians argue they had been agreed in October 1743 and were unaffected by Toulon.Template:Sfn Parliament demanded a public enquiry, and at the subsequent court-martial, seven captains were cashiered for failing to do their "utmost" to engage the enemy as required by the Articles of War, another two were acquitted, while one died before trial.Template:EfnTemplate:Sfn

Richard Lestock, whose acquittal was widely criticised and led to changes in the "Fighting Instructions"

Mathews was also court-martialled on charges of having brought the fleet into action in a disorganised manner and failing to attack the enemy when the conditions were advantageous. Although his personal courage was not in question, he was found guilty of failing to comply with the official "Fighting Instructions" which required him to engage in "Line of battle", and dismissed from the navy in June 1747. Despite ignoring his commander's orders, Lestock was acquitted because in doing so he followed the precise letter of the instructions and was promoted Admiral of the Blue, although he died shortly afterwards in December 1746.Template:Sfn

The judgements were unpopular with the public, a contemporary declaring "The nation could not be persuaded...Lestock should be pardoned for not fighting, and Mathews cashiered for fighting".Template:Sfn His acquittal was largely due to political connections,Template:Sfn and Parliament responded in 1749 by enhancing the autonomy of the naval courts. At the same time, Article XII of the "Fighting Instructions" was amended to be far more specific in the penalty for not engaging the enemy,Template:Efn a change that later resulted in the execution of Admiral Byng.Template:Sfn

Order of battle

Franco-Spanish

Franco-Spanish fleet<ref name=allen/>
Ship Rate Guns Commander Notes
Van
Borée Third-rate 64 Captain Marqueu
Toulouse Fourth-rate 60 Captain Dárton
Tigre Fourth-rate 50 Captain Saurin
Éole Third-rate 64 Captain Template:Ill
Alcyon Fourth-rate 56 Captain Lancel
Duc D'Orléans Third-rate 68 Captain Dornés
Espoir Third-rate 74 Captain D'Hericourt (Ensign of Gavaret)
Centre
Trident Third-rate 64 Captain Caylus
Heureux Fourth-rate 60 Captain Gramier
Aquilon Fourth-rate 60 Captain Louis-Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil
Solide Third-rate 64 Captain Chateauneuf
Diamant Fourth-rate 50 Captain Claude Louis d'Espinchal, Marquis de Massiac
Ferme Third-rate 70 Captain Gorgues
Terrible Third-rate 74 Vice-Admiral Claude-Élisée de Court de La Bruyère
Captain Jacques-Pierre de Taffanel de la Jonquière, Marquis de la Jonquière
Saint Esprit Third-rate 68 Captain Poison
Sérieux Third-rate 64 Captain Template:Ill
Rear
Oriente Fourth-rate 60 Captain Template:Ill
América Fourth-rate 60 Captain Aníbal Petrucci
Neptuno Fourth-rate 60 Captain Enrique OlivaresTemplate:KIA
Poder Fourth-rate 60 Captain Rodrigo de Urrutia y de la Rosa Template:POW Captured by the British
Recaptured and scuttled by the French
Constante Third-rate 70 Captain Template:IllTemplate:KIA Badly damaged and taken under tow
Real Felipe First-rate 110 Admiral Juan José Navarro
Captain Nicolas GeraldinoTemplate:KIA 		Badly damaged and taken under tow
Hércules Third-rate 64 Captain Cosme Álvarez
Brillante Fourth-rate 60 Captain Blas Clemente de Barreda y Campuzano
Halcón Fourth-rate 60 Captain José Rentería
San Fernando Third-rate 64 Captain Nicolas de la Rosa, Count de Vega Florida
Soberbio Fourth-rate 50 Captain Juan Valdés
Santa Isabel Third-rate 80 Captain Ignacio Dauteville

4 frigates<ref name="Schomberg, I. pp. 36">Schomberg, I., Naval Chronology, App. 36, London, 1802</ref>
4 fire ships<ref name="Schomberg, I. pp. 36"/>

British

British Fleet<ref name=allen>Battles of the British Navy by Joseph Allen, Vol. I, p. 150. and Schomberg, I., Naval Chronology, App. 36, London, 1802</ref>
Ship Rate Guns Commander Notes
Van
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain James Lloyd
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain William Dilkes Dilkes court-martialled and dismissed, later restored
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain Rowland Frogmore Frogmore died before being court-martialledTemplate:Sfn
Template:HMS Second-rate 90 Rear-Admiral William Rowley
Captain Meyrick de L'Angle 		Damaged; 25 killed, 20 woundedTemplate:Sfn
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain Henry Osborn
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain Edward Hawke 17 members of the prize crew taken prisoner when the French recaptured the PoderTemplate:Sfn
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain Thomas Cooper
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain Hon. George Townshend
Template:HMS Fifth-rate 40 Captain John Watkins
Template:HMS Sixth-rate 20 Captain William Marsh
Centre
Template:HMS Fourth-rate 60 Captain Charles Watson
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain Edmund Williams Williams court-martialled and dismissed
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain Robert Pett Damaged; 8 killed, 20 woundedTemplate:Sfn
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain George Slater
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain Hon. John Forbes Damaged; 12 killed, 25 woundedTemplate:Sfn
Template:HMS Second-rate 90 Captain James CornewallTemplate:KIA Badly damaged; 53 killed, 138 woundedTemplate:Sfn
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain George Burrish Burrish court-martialled and dismissed
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain Richard Norris Norris court-martialled and dismissed
Template:HMS Third-rate 60 Captain John Ambrose Ambrose court-martialled and suspended for a year
Template:HMS (Flagship) Second-rate 90 Admiral Thomas Mathews
Captain John RussellTemplate:KIA 		Damaged; 8 killed, 20 woundedTemplate:Sfn
HMS Dursley Galley Sixth-rate 20 Captain Giles Vanbrugh
HMS Anne Galley<ref>Ships of the Royal Navy:The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy J. Colledge, Ben Warlow p. 17</ref> Fire ship 8 Commander James MackieTemplate:KIA Blew up, 25 killedTemplate:Sfn
HMS Sutherland Hospital ship 18 Lieutenant Lord Colville
Rear
Template:HMS Fourth-rate 50 Captain Peter Osborne
Template:HMS Fourth-rate 50 Captain Henry Godsalve
Template:HMS Third-rate 60 Captain Charles Wager Purvis
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain George Berkeley
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain Charles Drummond
Template:HMS Second-rate 90 Vice-Admiral Richard Lestock
Captain George Stepney
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain John Gascoigne
Template:HMS Third-rate 80 Captain Robert Long
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain John Towry
Template:HMS Third-rate 70 Captain Joshua Lingen
Template:HMS Third-rate 60 Captain John Lovatt
Template:HMS Fourth-rate 50 Captain Harry Powlett
Template:HMS Third-rate 60 Captain Temple West
Template:HMS Fire ship 8 Commander Moses Peadle

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

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Sources

Further reading

  • Browning, Reed. The War of the Austrian Succession. Alan Sutton, 1994.
  • Rodger N. A. M. Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649–1815. Penguin Books, 2006.
  • Roskill, Stephen Wentworth: H.M.S. Warspite: the story of a famous battleship. Collins, 1957.
  • Waldegrave Head, Frederick: The fallen Stuarts. Issue 12 of Cambridge historical essays. Prince consort prize essays. Cambridge University Press, 1901.
  • White, Henry: History of Great Britain and Ireland. Oxford University, 1868.
  • Williams Damer Power, John: Bristol privateers and ships of war. J. W. Arrowsmith Ltd., 1930.
  • Garner Thomas, Peter: Politics in eighteenth-century Wales. University of Wales Press, 1998. Template:ISBN
  • Crofts, Cecil H.: Britain on and Beyond the Sea – Being a Handbook to the Navy League Map of the World. Read Books, 2008. Template:ISBN
  • Willis, Sam: Fighting at sea in the eighteenth century: the art of sailing warfare. Boydell Press, 2008. Template:ISBN

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