Action of 31 January 1748

The Action of 31 January 1748 was a minor naval battle of the War of Austrian Succession between two British Royal naval ships and a French naval ship of the line. The battle ended with the capture of the French ship of the line Le Magnanime.[1]

Action of 31 January 1748
Part of the War of the Austrian Succession

A portrait of Robert Harland, Heins Dirck
Date31 January 1748
Location
Off Ushant
Result British victory
Belligerents
 Great Britain  France
Commanders and leaders
Robert Harland Marquis d'Albert
Strength
2 Ships of the line 1 ship of the line
Casualties and losses
16 killed & 22 wounded[1] 45 killed & 105 wounded
530 captured[2]

In January 1748, Le Magnanime left Brest for the East Indies. She was partially dismasted in a storm off the coast of Ushant and while limping back to Brest, she was spotted by a British fleet under Edward Hawke.[2]

All sail was immediately made; HMS Nottingham under Captain Robert Harland having at 1 am closed with the chase commenced the action and a running fight of six hours duration ensued. The rear admiral having observed the size of the ship sent the sixty gun ship HMS Portland under Captain Stevens to proceed to the Nottingham's assistance.[1] By the time the Portland had arrived up the French ship which proved to be the Magnanime a large class 74 gun ship commanded by the Marquis d'Albert after receiving a few shot from the Portland was forced to strike [3]

By the time the Portland had arrived up the French ship which proved to be the Magnanime a large class 74 gun ship commanded by the Marquis d'Albert after receiving a few shot from the Portland was forced to strike. The Magnanime out of a crew of 686 men had 45 killed and 105 wounded; Nottingham had 16 killed and 18 wounded while Portland, catching up and joining the fight an hour later, had only 4 wounded.[2]

Magnanime being a new ship of less than four years old was added to the British navy under the same name.[4]

References
Citations
  1. Allen, Joseph (1852). Battles of the British navy, Volume 1. Henry G. Bohn. p. 157.
  2. "Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review, Volume 18". The Gentleman's Magazine: 136. March 1748.
  3. Heald, Henrietta (editor) (1992). Chronicle of Britain. Hampshire, England: Chronicle Communications Ltd. p. 704. ISBN 1-872031-35-8.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. Winfield 2007, p. 57.
Bibliography
  • Allen, Joseph (1852). Battles of the British Navy, Volume 1. Bohn's illustrated library. ASIN B009ZMMQ56.
  • Clowes, William Laird (2003). The Royal Navy: v. 4: A History - From the Earliest Times to 1900. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1861760128.
  • Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.
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