Action at La Hogue ( 1692 ) The action at La Hogue occurred during the pursuit of the French fleet after the Battle of Barfleur on 19 May Old Style ( 29 May ( New Style ) ) , 1692 , during the Nine Years ' War . The pursuing English fleet , under the command of Admiral of the Fleet Edward Russell , 1st Earl of Orford , destroyed a number of French ships that had been beached near the port of Saint - Vaast - la - Hougue . Background . Tourville ’ s fleet of badly damaged ships was swept by wind and tide down the coast of the Cotentin peninsula , pursued by an English fleet under Russell . Three of the most badly damaged ships were beached at Cherbourg , where they were attacked and destroyed by an English squadron under Vice Admiral of the Red Sir Ralph Delaval . The remaining ten French ships , with Tourville and four of his flag officers , were swept down the coast , to be beached on the evening of 21 May ( OS ) outside the small port of Saint - Vaast - la - Hougue . Action . Situation 21 May 1692 . This was the place where the French had assembled an army , under the command of James II , and fleet of transports , for the invasion of England . Tourville ’ s force joined two of the ships that had retired from the battle with Nesmond , ( " Bourbon " 68 and " Saint - Louis " 64 ) which had been beached at la Hougue the day before . The ships were put ashore in two groups on the wide beaches on either side of the town . On the north beach , between the town and the small tidal island of Tatihou , lay " Ambitieux " 96 guns , ( flagship of Villette Mursay and Tourville ) , " Merveillieux " 90 ( d ’ Amfreville ) , " Foudroyant " 84 ( Relingue ) , and " Magnifique " 86 ( Coetlogon ) . With them was the smaller " St Philippe " 84 , and , further out on the shore of Tatihou , the " Terrible " 80 . These ships were covered by shore batteries at the Fort d ’ Islet , on Tatihou , ( 44 guns in total ) and on platforms set up by the army on the north shore . On the south beach , under the eyes of James and his army at Morsalines , were the " Bourbon " 68 , and " St Louis " 64 , from Nesmond ’ s division , and " Fier " 80 , " Tonnant " 80 , " Gaillard " 68 , and " Fort " 60 , which came in with Tourville . These were covered by the 68 guns of Fort St Vaast , and artillery on gun platforms along the shore . Also , in a small harbour known as the port of La Hougue , which was behind the town of St Vaast and under the guns of the fort , was the fleet of transports prepared for the invasion . The fleet was also protected by a fleet of 200 boats , and 3 oared galleys mounting 12 guns each , though an offer by James to station troops on the ships to guard against boarding was not taken up . Preparations 22 May . The English fleet , under Russell , started to arrive on the evening of 21 May ; the rest of the fleet joined during the night and over the next two days . Russell immediately organized an inshore squadron under the Rear Admiral of the Red , Sir Cloudesley Shovell , to attack the French positions , but Shovell later collapsed from wounds received at Barfleur , and had to be replaced by Rear Admiral George Rooke , while the waters around St Vaast and La Hougue had to be sounded , which took up most of the 22nd , so the assault did not start until the following day . Russell also used the 22nd to organize the 3rd and 4th rates of his command to form a blockade line close inshore , while the bigger 1st and 2nd rates were set to organize boats and boarding crews . Danby was keen to take part in the action , and appealed first to Shovell , and later to Rooke , to do so . In the assault he was given command of the boat parties that went close inshore . First Action 23 May . At 6am on the 23 , the ships of the inshore squadron were ordered to attack the ships on the north beach . After a preliminary bombardment the boats were despatched , and about 8 . 30 am one of the fireships grappled the " Terrible " , which was in a more exposed position . Finding her deserted the fireship captain refrained from igniting his ship , but boarded " Terrible " and started fires with what material was to hand ; for this he was much commended in saving his charge for a better occasion . Meanwhile the boats closed with the other ships . They were accompanied by another fireship , which drew the fire from the French batteries ; the supporting ships countered , sweeping the French gun platforms , which were too exposed to continue . One boat , from the " Eagle " , grounded on the shore , and was attacked by French cavalry ; in a highly unusual encounter , one of the troopers was pulled down by a sailor using a boathook , before the boat was re - floated . Resistance melted away as the attack was pressed , and the English sailors were able to board and fire the remaining great ships . Second Action 24 May . The second action opened at 5am on the 24 when Rooke again sent in his boats , to attack the six great ships on the south beach . Supported by gunfire from " Deptford " and " Crown " , and with close support from " Charles " and " Greyhound " , both under oars , the English sailors were able to board and fire all six ships . The French seamen , and the troops ashore , were demoralized by this point , and had abandoned the ships with little resistance in the face of the determined English assault . This episode was seen by James II , who had been watching from his camp at Marsaline ; he was moved to remark , with the lack of tact for which he was notorious , “ Only my English tars could have done such a deed ” . Third Action 24 May . Rooke now saw an opportunity to follow up the success with an attack , at high water , on the transports in La Hougue harbour . The boats , led by Rooke , and with two fireships in tow , entered the harbour on the flooding tide , despite gunfire from both the fort and the ships . Both fireships grounded in the shallows below the fort , and had to be burned without result , but a number of ships in the harbour were boarded and set alight , mostly transports , but also a 4th or 5th rate warship and a hulk . Several other of the transports were captured , and carried away when the boats retreated on the ebb , but most of the transports were too far up the harbour to be boarded , and escaped serious damage . Conclusion . This marked the end of the action , which had been a complete success for the allied fleet ; 12 French ships of the line and a number of smaller ships had been destroyed , with minimal English casualties . The action also dashed any hope that James or Louis might have had to mount an invasion that year . Ships . English : < br > : Perhaps 30 ships of the line , of which < br > The Inshore Squadron : 14 ships of the line plus auxiliaries " Eagle " 70 , " Chester " 50 , " Greenwich " 54 , " Swiftsure " 70 , " Kent " 70 , " Oxford " 54 , " Cambridge " 70 , < br > " Deptford " 50 , " Woolwich " 54 , " Crown " 50 , " Dreadnought " 64 , " Stirling Castle " 70 , " Warspite " 70 , " Berwick " 70 , " Resolution " 70 . French : < br > 12 ships of the line , plus auxiliaries . " Bourbon " 68 , " St Louis " 64 , " Gaillard " 68 , " Terrible " 80 , " Merveilleux " 90 , " Tonnant " 80 , " Foudroyant " 84 , < br > " Fort " 60 , " Ambiteiux " 96 , " St Philippe " 84 , < br > " Magnifique " 86 , " Fie " r 80 , < br >