Action at Barfleur

This article is about deals in detail with the action on 19 May 1692. For an overview of the battle, its background and aftermath, see Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue. For other uses, see Barfleur (disambiguation).

Battle of Barfleur
Part of the War of the Grand Alliance

Battle of Barfleur 1692, French flagship Soleil Royal is shown in the center (by Ludolf Bakhuizen)
Date19 May (OS) (29 May (NS)), 1692
Location
near Cherbourg peninsula, France
49°41′18″N 1°13′16″W / 49.6884721°N 1.2212066175°W / 49.6884721; -1.2212066175
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
 France[1]  England
 United Provinces
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of France Anne Hilarion de Tourville Kingdom of England Edward Russell
Strength
44 ships of the line
plus auxiliaries
20,000 crewmen		 82 ships of the line
plus auxiliaries
40,000 crewmen
Casualties and losses
No ships lost;
Many damaged
1,700 killed or wounded[2]		 No ships lost;
Many damaged
2,000 killed (including 2 admirals)
3,000 wounded[2]

The action at Barfleur was part of the battle of Barfleur-La Hougue during the War of the Grand Alliance. A French fleet under Anne Hilarion de Tourville was seeking to cover an invasion of England by a French army to restore James II to the throne, but was intercepted by an Anglo-Dutch fleet under Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford on 19 May Old Style (29 May New Style) 1692.[3]

  1. ^
    • "...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis..." (Ripley & Dana 1879, p. 250).
    • On the reverse of this plate it says: "Le pavillon royal était véritablement le drapeau national au dix-huitième siecle...Vue du chateau d'arrière d'un vaisseau de guerre de haut rang portant le pavillon royal (blanc, avec les armes de France)" (Vinkhuijzen collection 2011).
    • "The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III., the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour" (Chisholm 1911, p. 460).
  2. ^ a b Castex 2004.
  3. ^ Ask Biography.