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Action of January 7 1741

7th January 1741
Part of : War of the Austrian Succession (1740/12/16 - 1748/10/18)
Next action : Action of 12th April 1742 12.4.1742

 

Great Britain (Royal Navy) -
Aubrey BeauclerkBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1727-1733

 
British Division,
Aubrey BeauclerkBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1727-1733
Ship NameCommanderNotes
Prince Frederick (70) 1740-1784
British 70 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Aubrey BeauclerkBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1727-1733
Squadron Flagship
Orford (70) 1713-1745
British 70 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Lord Augustus FitzroyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1735-1741
Dunkirk (60) 1734-1749
British 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
Thomas CooperBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1712-1746
Weymouth (60) 1736-1745
British 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
Charles KnowlesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1718-1770
Rippon (60) 1735-1751
British 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
Thomas JolleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1706-1740
Augusta (60) 1736-1765
British 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
Charles DennisonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1710-1742
 

Royaume de France (Marine Royale) -

 
French Division,
Ship NameCommanderNotes
L'Ardent (64) 1723-1746
French 64 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Squadron Flagship
Le Mercure (60) 1696-1746
French 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
Le Diamant (50) 1733-1747
French 50 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
Chevalier de PiosinFrench
Naval Sailor
Service 1741
Constantin Louis d'EstourmelFrench
Naval Sailor
Service 1707-1747
 

Notes on Action


Descriptionref:631

"On January 18, 1741, a division of four ships carrying the king's flag, Ardent (74 C.), Mercury (56 c), captain of the Herbiers of Etanduère, Diamond (50 c.), Captain the Chevalier de Piosin, La Parfaite (44 c.), Captain d'Estourmelles, cruised under the orders of the Chevalier d'Epinay, in the vicinity of Cape Tiburon, southwest of Saint-Domingue . A squadron of six large English vessels, - two of seventy-four canons, three of sixty-four, one of fifty, - is reported around six in the morning. On the one hand, two hundred and fourteen guns; on the other, three hundred and eighty Ten . D'Epinay, who was heading for Les Cayes, does not change his course: he confines himself to assembling his little squadron under his command.

"An English vessel approaches one of our ships. A short dialogue is exchanged with the megaphone." Where does this ship come from? - Of France. - Where is the ship going? - At the sea. "Angais continues on his own:" We want to talk to you. You don't answer? You say nothing? ". Thereupon, a sudden cannonade sieves the Diamant with projectiles. D'Epinay retaliates; despite the disproportion of forces, he stands up to his disloyal enemies. The Chevalier de Roquefeuil, officer aboard the Diamant, wrote of this fight: "We were all determined to defend ourselves and perish rather than surrender. Never have we fought with so much fury! ".
(...) "One might think that the slogan of the English navy in this year 1741 was to run over our ships, to try to destroy them and, in the event of failure to put this abortive attack on the account of a confusion ... "

see: G. LACOUR-GAYET, La Marine de la France under the reign of Louis XV, Paris, Plon, 1910, 581 pages; pp. 136-140. (Prometheus)


Description
Rear-Admiral Sir Challoner Ogle, with a large reinforcement for Vernon and the army intended to attack Havana or Cartagena was passing south of Hispaniola on January 7/18, 1741, he encountered four SOL under French colors that he thought were Spanish masquerading as French. He detached six SOL under Captain Lord Aubrey Beauclerk to chase them. The British came up with the French after dark. The leading ship hailed the French, received an unsatisfactory answer, opened fire, and a desultory night action continued for about half an hour after Capt. Charles Knowles convinced Beauclerk that the strangers were indeed French, and therefore neutral.

Sources


IDNameAuthorType
ref:631Geneanet Web Site
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