Battle at the Lizard

21 October 1707, Off the Lizard, Cornwall

French victory; three escorts captured and one blown up

Commodore Richard Edwards was escorting a large convoy carrying troops and supplies from Plymouth to Portugal with five ships when two French squadrons, under the privateer captains René Duguay-Trouin from Brest and Claude de Forbin from Dunkirk, came on it off the Lizard. Edwards formed his escorts to cover the convoy's escape and the French attacked them. Cumberland was boarded and taken, Chester and Ruby were captured, and Devonshire, after fighting off several French ships for hours, caught fire and blew up with almost all her crew. Only Royal Oak got away. Most of the convoy escaped.

Royal Navy

5+ ships, 4 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS Cumberland Also known as Príncipe de Asturias As the British Cumberland; Commodore Richard Edwards	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Captured
HMS Devonshire Blew up; three survivors	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Sunk
HMS Royal Oak Escaped to Kinsale	Ship of the line Third rate, 76 guns	Escaped

Ship

Type

Outcome

HMS Cumberland

Also known as Príncipe de Asturias

As the British Cumberland; Commodore Richard Edwards

Ship of the line

Third rate, 70 guns

Captured

HMS Devonshire

Blew up; three survivors

Ship of the line

Third rate, 80 guns

Sunk

HMS Royal Oak

Escaped to Kinsale

Ship of the line

Third rate, 76 guns

Escaped

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Fifty-gun ships Chester and Ruby, both taken.	2	2
Merchant ships of the convoy Estimates of those taken range from none to sixty; about fifteen is the usual figure.	80–130	?

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Fifty-gun ships

Chester and Ruby, both taken.

Merchant ships of the convoy

Estimates of those taken range from none to sixty; about fifteen is the usual figure.

80–130

French Navy

6+ ships, none lost

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Duguay-Trouin's squadron Lys, Achille, Jason, Maure, Amazone and Gloire.	6	0
Forbin's squadron Mars, Blackwall, Salisbury, Protée, Jersey, Griffon and others; several were captured British ships.	About 9	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Duguay-Trouin's squadron

Lys, Achille, Jason, Maure, Amazone and Gloire.

Forbin's squadron

Mars, Blackwall, Salisbury, Protée, Jersey, Griffon and others; several were captured British ships.

About 9

Map

Forbin and Duguay-Trouin join forces October 1707
The Portugal convoy sails from Plymouth October 1707