The Battle of Cap de la Roque was a naval battle that took place on 22 May 1703 between a Dutch

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

protected by captain Roemer Vlack and a French

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

under

Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon Alain-Emmanuel de Coëtlogon (4 December 1646 – 6 June 1730) was a Marshal of France during the reign of Louis XIV and Louis XV. He was born at Rennes, the seventh son of Louis de Coëtlogon, vicomte de Méjusseaume (d.1657), counsellor to the ...

, during the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

. During this war the French and Spanish fleet could not face the English and Dutch in an open sea battle and therefore had switched to privateering. The allies were thus forced to protect their merchant convoys. On May 21, 1703 a large merchant fleet consisting of about 110 English and Dutch ships transporting mainly salt, but also wine and sugar, left Lisbon for England. There were five escorting Dutch ships: the ships of the line ''Muiderberg'' (50), ''Gaesterland'' (46) and ''Schermer'' (44) and the frigates ''Rotterdam'' (34) and ''Rozendaal'' (36), under the command of Captain Roemer Vlacq on board the ''Muiderberg''. The next day near

Cabo da Roca Cabo da Roca () or Cape Roca is a cape which forms the westernmost point of the Sintra Mountain Range, of mainland Portugal, of continental Europe, and of the Eurasian landmass. It is situated in the municipality of Sintra, near Azóia, in th ...

(fr: Cap de la Roque) they encountered the squadron of Coëtlogon composed of five larger warships : ''Vainqueur'' (84), ''Monarque'' (90), ''Éole'' (64), ''Orgueilleux'' (90) and ''Couronne'' (76). Vlacq, after signalling the merchantmen to save themselves, lined up his ships to protect the fleet and engaged the French. The Dutch fought valiantly but the French were too strong and ship after ship had to capitulate. Vlack and the ''Muiderberg'' fought on until half of the crew was dead or wounded. Vlack lost an arm and part of his shoulder, but he only surrendered when the main mast came down and the ship was on the point of sinking. The survivors were evacuated and what was left of the ''Muiderberg'' was burnt and sank. Thanks to the sacrifice of Vlacq, the convoy got away intact, meaning this Dutch defeat had little impact on the cause of the Grand Alliance. Vlacq, his men and the four surviving Dutch warships were taken as prizes to

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, were Vlacq died of his wounds on July 17, 1703. The Dutch ships were added into the French Navy.

Alternative name

This battle is sometimes called "The Battle of the Bay of Biscay", but this is geographical not correct, as Cabo da Roca is situated in the southern part of Portugal.

External links

Zeegevecht in de Golf van Biskaje (Dutch)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cap De La Roque 1703, Battle Of Battle of Cap de la Roque Naval battles of the War of the Spanish Succession Naval battles involving the Dutch Republic Naval battles involving France 1703 in Europe