Ludolph Bachuizen "Battle of Vigo"
The aged King Louis XIV lost interest in merry festivities, artsy balls and masquerades. His next and last favorite and secret wife, who went down in history as the Marquise de Maintenon, was distinguished by her modesty, piety and intelligence. They spent a lot of time together talking about politics, history and philosophy. The once stormy Versailles became quiet, became more modest and stricter. And it was from what. The Sun King has tempered his love appetites, which cannot be said about political ones.
The XVIII century France met the imperceptibly approaching autumn like a bright, brilliant summer flower. It was still shining and shimmering in the sun, but signs of wilting were already visible to an attentive gaze. Continuous wars, in which Louis embodied his ambitions with varying degrees of success, drained the country. Money, which seems to have been quite enough not so long ago, and it was enough for magnificent palaces and austere fortresses, for unbridled masquerades and new battalions, for marshals' swords adorned with diamonds and even more expensive necklaces of mistresses - this money suddenly disappeared. The treasury showed the bottom. It was in such a depressing situation that Louis decided to play the Spanish game. The 18th century has come. His exquisite lace will soon be splattered with blood, and his magnificent and stately wigs will smell like gunpowder.
Inheritance disputes
On November 1, 1700, one of the closest neighbors of Louis XIV, the Spanish king Charles II, died. The fruit of an incestuous marriage, suffering from an impressive list of various congenital diseases, the unfortunate monarch left behind no direct heirs. Charles's will was constantly changing and correcting, depending on which party prevailed at court. In the final version, the throne was inherited by the grandson of Louis XIV Philip of Anjou, albeit with reservations. The whole question was that each side reads such sub-clauses and nuances in its own way. Louis was not at all averse to decorating the finale of his reign with a jackpot in the form of a huge Spanish Empire. Needless to say, a number of other European states had some objections to such dreams. First of all, in Austria, which had its own contender for the throne, Archduke Charles. Thanks to the prospective conflict, France's old rivals, England and the Netherlands, were going to resolve their problems, external and internal. Wilhelm III wanted war almost more than the Austrians: the results of the war of the Augsburg League were in many ways completely unsatisfactory, since the end of this bloody conflict was the tasteless status quo. As a result, the last in the dynastic discussions, as expected, was a bronze, copper or steel argument. Depending on the variety and country of origin. Soon the roads of the rich Duchy of Milan, which was part of a long list of Spanish possessions, were covered with dust from the columns of Eugene of Savoy's battalions. The participants of both opposing coalitions, bowing politely, willingly drew their swords and began to sort things out. The War of the Spanish Succession began.
The outbreak of the war found the French fleet in a very dull state. By the persistent efforts of the naval minister Louis Pontchartrain, his funding was reduced from year to year. At the same time occupying the rather onerous post of head of the kingdom's finance, this innovator and lover of fresh views has consistently advocated the need for a transition from a regular fleet to large-scale privateering. That is, there was a very dangerous temptation to throw off the burden of the state from the shoulders of the maintenance of expensive naval forces, shipyards, warehouses, arsenals and educational institutions and to leave the conduct of war at sea in the hands of private capital. In the upcoming military conflict, the French were going to make the main bet on the raiders. Obviously, there was no room for simple doubt in the minds of the guardians of such "improvement" among the chests with plundered gold circling in a mad round dance. After all, the budget of France's main ally, Spain, was based precisely on sea communications that needed to be protected. And this should have been done precisely by a regular linear fleet, and not by numerous, but relatively weakly armed privateers. The concept of destroying the maximum number of enemy merchant ships was in itself not bad, but only in conjunction with the full-fledged struggle of a strong, regular fleet for supremacy at sea. The French decided to take a more tempting path. The War of the Spanish Succession has become an arena for fierce convoy battles, not inferior in intensity to, perhaps, even the most striking episodes of the Battle of the Atlantic.
François Louis Roussel, Marquis de Chateau-Renaud, Vice Admiral
In 1699, shortly before the war, Jerome Pontchartrain, who had reached the required age, took over the post of Minister of the Navy instead of his father. On May 28, 1701, at the age of 58, Admiral Comte de Tourville, perhaps the best naval commander of the kingdom at that time, died. This event was perhaps the most sad for France's maritime policy. Tourville was a supporter of the classical seizure of the sea by routing the enemy's fleet. After his death, the privateer party gained additional strength at court. At the head of the fleet was the 23-year-old admiral of France, Count of Toulouse, bastard of Louis. This naval commander was awarded the highest naval rank at the age of five, and at 18 he also became a Marshal of France. Being four years younger than the minister of the sea, he was in a very tense relationship with him, which did not give orderliness to affairs in the naval sphere.
The Marquis de Château-Renaud was appointed commander of the main forces of the Atlantic Fleet. By the start of the war, France's naval forces were still impressive. They consisted of 107 ships of the line, 36 frigates, 10 large fire ships and almost 80 ships of smaller classes. The main forces - 64 battleships - were still based in Brest. A significant squadron was in Toulon, a number of ships were in the West Indies.
The state of France's main rival at sea, England, was by no means brilliant. By the end of the Augsburg League war, it was declared an insolvent partner by the major banking houses of Europe. The island nation was in fact in default. Government spending as part of the "austerity" policy was constantly reduced, and by 1701, only half of the British ships of the line were able to go to sea. However, despite financial troubles, Royal Navy was impressive. The Red Cross of St. George flew over 131 ships of the line, 48 frigates, 10 fire ships, 10 sloops and over 90 ships of other classes. Due to very low-quality funding, most of this armada was not ready. The naval forces of the Netherlands were not as numerous as those of the ally. Opportunities for quantitative and qualitative growth were limited by the need to maintain a 100,000-strong army. By the beginning of the war, the Dutch fleet consisted of 83 battleships, 15 frigates, 3 flutes and 10 fire-ships.
"Incopeso", or What Easy Money Turns a Country Into
Of all the great powers - participants in the war, Spain, a huge colonial empire, whose possessions were located on four continents, was in the most unfavorable position. The state in which the once powerful state found itself after the 35-year reign of the sick king can be characterized by the merciless word "decline". The greedy struggle of the court groups for influence, the colossal corruption of the bureaucracy, hunger and impoverishment among the population were accompanied by the impoverishment of the treasury, the degradation of trade and production. The once mighty army and navy were nothing more than a shadow of a bygone splendor. For too long, Spain has lived off the almost uncontrolled exploitation of the conquered rich colonies in America. Streams of gold and other precious trophies that poured into the kingdom and were greeted with enthusiasm, brought not prosperity, but misfortune. Swollen with wealth, Spain preferred to order and buy the best abroad: handicrafts, weapons, luxury goods - the means allowed. Merchants of neighboring states profited from trade with Spain - generous hidalgo paid generously. Own production was inexorably shrinking and waning. Why develop it when you can buy the very best? In the end, the flows of gold, as expected, began to decline, the actions of the English, French and Dutch corsairs took on rampant proportions. The proud victors of the Moors were left with a devastated treasury, a ruined economy, inexorably lagging behind the increasingly powerful predatory neighbors.
By the end of the 17th century, only the mercilessly exploited silver mines in South America remained the main source of state funding. In the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors invaded the Inca Empire and discovered large deposits of silver in the Andes. Their development allowed Spain to exist comfortably for a long time. By the beginning of the 18th century, the deposits were depleted, but there were simply no other major sources of income. The main difficulty was the delivery of the extracted resources by sea directly to Spain. There were too many people who wanted to familiarize themselves with the contents of the holds of the galleons hurrying to the shores of the Iberian Peninsula. For greater safety, it was decided to abandon the use of single ships for such a delicate mission, and the Spaniards began to send once a year a large and well-guarded convoy, which was supposed to export resources and treasures from the South American colonies to the metropolis. This convoy had several unofficial names. The Spaniards called it "la Flota de Oro", or "golden fleet", remembering the times when the holds of their ships were filled to overflowing with the treasures of the Incas and Aztecs. The French, making allowance for the changed circumstances and the nature of the cargo, are the "silver convoy". Of course, not all the cargo of the "silver convoys" consisted of silver. It also included valuable varieties of wood, jewelry, gold - though not in such quantities as before.
The 1702 convoy was of strategic importance not only for Spain (for her, due to extreme decline, every convoy was strategic), but also for her ally France. The delivery of silver would provide the possibility of giving the Spanish army more or less combat-ready form. In addition, the purchase of food and other supplies needed for the war would be greatly facilitated. The Spaniards, not having the necessary forces, appealed to their French allies with a request to ensure the protection of the convoy. The previous convoy of 1701 was very small and consisted of only 7 transport ships. This was not enough for the gaping budget. In 1702, exactly by the beginning of the war, as many as 20 ships were being prepared for dispatch. The most dangerous part of the route, of course, was the Caribbean and the Atlantic, which were teeming with an international brotherhood of knights of fortune. Louis willingly agreed to help, but for a "moderate" payment of 2 million 260 thousand pesos - the French also needed money. The proud hidalgo winced, but agreed. To direct the operation, they requested Tourville himself, but due to the death of the latter, the Marquis de Chateau-Renaud was appointed commander of the escort forces. The British, through their numerous agents and other paid well-wishers, knew about the upcoming campaign and, of course, decided to play this risky game. After all, the significance of the "silver convoy" for the Bourbon bloc could hardly be overestimated.
His Majesty's collectors
On August 29, 1701, Chateau-Renault left Brest together with 15 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 5 fire-ships and headed for Cadiz. Learning of this, the British sent Admiral John Benbow with 35 battleships on September 12 in pursuit. He was tasked with following the French to the coast of Spain, observing their actions, and in case of loss of contact with the fastest ten ships, move to the West Indies, sending the remaining 25 battleships back. Benbow had to try to get to the "silver convoy" before Chateau Renault - the war had not yet been officially declared, but the situation had already escalated to the limit. On the tenth of October Benbow reached the Azores, where he learned that the French had already arrived in Spain. As instructed, he divided his forces and headed for the waters of the Caribbean. Meanwhile, the concentration of the French fleet was taking place in Cadiz. The naval department was very worried about the appearance of Benbow, and it, not knowing that he had significantly reduced his forces, decided to strengthen the Château-Renault squadron at the expense of the Mediterranean grouping. On November 1, 1701, 14 battleships of Vice Admiral d'Estre joined him. Soon the West Indies squadron left Spain and headed for the shores of America.
At the beginning of 1702, Château-Renaud reached the target area. On April 9, a squadron of 29 battleships entered Havana. Finding French ships in tropical waters was not very easy: the crews were mowed down by diseases, and there was a lack of high-quality provisions. While the Spaniards were busy forming their convoy, Château-Renaud maneuvered his forces between the large ports of the Caribbean, fearing that the ports might be attacked. The place of creation of the strategic caravan was the Mexican Veracruz. On June 11, the Spanish ships finally left for Havana, where an escort in the person of Chateau Renault was already waiting for them. After organizational measures, loading provisions and fresh water on July 24, 1702, the "silver convoy" set off for the metropolis. It actually consisted of 18 heavy galleons under the general command of Admiral Don Manuel de Velasco. The total value of the cargo, which was based on South American silver, was 13 million 600 thousand pesos. Only three galleons had more or less significant weapons, so the Spaniards had to rely on the protection of the allies. Chateau Renault, after sending several ships to Brest, whose crews suffered the most from diseases, had 18 battleships, 2 frigates, 2 corvettes, 4 fire-ships to protect the convoy.
Such a well-guarded prey was too tough for the local pirate fraternity, and they could only dreamily swallow their saliva. Having safely reached the Azores at the end of the summer of 1702, the Allies made a stop, deciding where to go next. The fact is that the Spaniards heard rumors about an English squadron waiting for them off the coast of Spain. At the council of war, Chateau-Renault suggested going to Brest, which was a very well-defended base where it was possible to replenish crews and carry out repairs. If necessary, it was possible to hide from the enemy there. Such a thought caused a storm of indignation among Velasco, who had clear instructions to deliver the goods only to Spanish ports. Despite allied relations, the suspicious hidalgo seriously feared that the French would simply master the treasures they had obtained with such difficulty. In the end, they decided to go to Vigo, a port in northwestern Spain. Having reached its shores, the Allies received news that quite recently a large (about 50 ships) Anglo-Dutch squadron under the command of Admiral George Ruka attacked Cadiz, but failed and went in search of the "silver convoy". Chateau Renaud was faced with a choice: to go to El Ferrol, well protected by coastal batteries, or to continue on to the previously outlined Vigo. The admiral did not change his decision. In his opinion, Vigo, having a narrow passage to the roadstead, was easier to defend by blocking it with booms and coastal batteries. The main argument was that it was closer to Vigo. On September 22, the Spanish galleons reached their designated target, hiding in this port. French ships anchored at the entrance to the bay, protecting the approaches. The first part of the task was completed - the treasures reached Spain.
GOP stop! The hand came up from around the corner
Upon arrival at the port, the Franco-Spanish command immediately began to strengthen the site of the "silver convoy" anchorage. The garrison of Vigo was strengthened, the two old watchtowers Rande and Corbeiro at the entrance to the bay began to hastily put in order and install cannons removed from Spanish ships on them. At the same time, a boom was set up, which was supposed to interfere with the unhindered entry into the harbor. What to do, having spent colossal funds on magnificent palaces, villas and other various luxury and tinsel, the Spaniards did not bother with coastal defense. Now it was necessary to make up for everything literally by assault methods.
On September 27, the long-awaited unloading of galleons began, which was watched by Admiral Chateau-Renault and members of the merchant guild of Seville. At least 500 cargo carts were urgently pulled to Vigo. Local peasants were paid without stingy - a ducat per league, which attracted "truckers" even from other provinces. By October 14, the unloading, carried out at a high rate, was completed. On the galleons there was only cargo unaccounted for in the ship's documentation, or, to put it simply, smuggling. Theft, bribery and their attendant occupations flourished in the colonies, far from the big bosses, no less than in the metropolis. In total, according to the inventory of the commission that monitored the process of getting rid of the cargo, 3,650 boxes of silver were delivered to the shore, which coincided with the inventory of Don Velasco, made when loading in Veracruz. It is difficult to say now how much the clerks in Mexico or Spain were “wrong”.
On October 18, Spanish agents reported that John Ruka's Anglo-Dutch fleet, still prowling like a hungry wolf across the Atlantic, had finally split up. Some of the ships went to India, the other to the bases - to spend the winter in England. The allies calmed down, the level of combat readiness at forts and coastal batteries was reduced. Even the booms were raised. As it turned out later, the information turned out to be fundamentally incorrect - such information must always be double-checked. It was during these days, through the much more efficiently working British intelligence, that Rook received information that such a tasty prize in the form of a "silver convoy" was in Vigo. The leak came from a talkative Spanish priest who said a lot to a generous stranger in one of the Portuguese taverns. The Spaniards and French were in good-natured relaxation when numerous sails appeared on the horizon on October 20. Rook approached Vigo. His squadron consisted of 30 British and 20 Dutch ships of the line. To an additional misfortune for the defenders on board the battleships and the transports attached to them, Rook also had an amphibious corps of 13 thousand soldiers under the command of the Earl of Ormond. The Dutch compound was commanded by Admiral van der Goes, a subordinate of Ruk.
The Franco-Spanish forces were significantly inferior to the enemy. They had only 17 ships of the line and 18 galleons. Among the battleships there was not a single 90-100-gun one, for they were sent to Brest from the West Indies. The galleons were even less useful in battle - all of them in total had only 178 guns, with the largest caliber being 18-foot. On 22 October, maneuvering, the Anglo-Dutch fleet anchored in Vigo's sight. Heavy Spanish guns from the forts of Castro and San Sebastian opened fire, but soon stopped - Rook was out of reach. In the evening of the same day, a military council was held on the flagship Royal Soverin, which decided on a plan of action. Initially, it was planned to capture the old watchtowers (Rande and Corbeiro) by the landing forces, while the fleet, in the meantime, would try to force the booms and attack the French battleships.
The scheme of the battle in Vigo Bay
On October 23, at 10 am, 4,000 British soldiers were disembarked near the Rande Tower. They had several light weapons with them. The garrison of the fortification, consisting of 200 French sailors, put up the most stubborn resistance, but in the end the tower was taken by storm. The commander of the British vanguard, Vice Admiral Hopson, who was holding the flag on the battleship Torbay, directed his ships towards the obstacle. Soon they managed to break it, opening the entrance to the bay. Approaching close range to the French battleships, the British opened heavy fire. Their opponents offered desperate resistance, but the British fire superiority was overwhelming. Soon, many of the Chateau Renault ships were engulfed in fires, some lost their spars. The French fire began to weaken. Seeing that the position of the squadron was practically hopeless, and in order to prevent the enemy from capturing the ships entrusted to him, the Marquis of Chateau Renault and Don Velasco decided to destroy them. The crews were ordered to set fire to their battleships and galleons and leave them. Over the bay of Vigo, fire and smoke rose, which finished off the galleons who managed to avoid tropical storms, the sharp boarding sabers of pirates, the cannonballs of English and Dutch privateers.
The British were hungry for booty, so their boarding parties were able to land and capture six French and one Spanish ships, which were in such poor condition that they had to be destroyed. In the meantime, the main forces of the Anglo-Dutch fleet entered the Vigo Bay, landing troops. Vigo himself was a fortified city, and he did not dare to storm its hands. Instead, the "enlightened sailors" frolicked enough in the vicinity, for example, they robbed the monastery of San Felipe in the vicinity of Vigo, robbed clean. For four days, the British and Dutch were plundering any property available for this, however, to their great disappointment, the riches promised by the agents were not found on the burned and flooded Spanish and French ships. They only managed to get hold of a certain amount of precious smuggling: silver coins, dishes and jewelry. The Vigo garrison did not interfere with what was happening.
Having ruined everything possible, in the best traditions of the craftsmen of the craft of gentlemen of fortune - Drake or Reilly - on October 30, Rook left Vigo, taking away a rather modest booty (given the estimated size of the jackpot), which was estimated at only 400 thousand pesos. The Battle of Vigo Bay cost the Anglo-Dutch forces about 800 men. The losses of the French and Spaniards were significantly greater - 2000 killed and drowned. The most painful loss was the death of the Spanish transport fleet, with the help of which the state was actually financed. It was necessary to build new ships, for there were no more suitable ones. Such was the unhappy result of the reign of the last Spanish Habsburg. The destruction of the Château Renault squadron was a serious defeat at sea, but France still had ships and admirals available.
And when you are two steps away from a heap of fabulous riches …
Sixpence Silver Coin Minted in Commemoration of the British Victory in Vigo Bay
A very stormy hearing about the results of the Ruka squadron raid took place in the English parliament. Why not make some noise to the gentlemen in wigs, many of whom were shareholders of this campaign - 400 thousand pesos at the then exchange rate were equal to "modest" 150 thousand pounds, and the amount of funds spent for organizing the expedition amounted to a full 600 thousand pounds. The Lords were not particularly pleased with the destruction of a large enemy ship group, the devastation of his port. The main question, angrily bursting out of the wide open noble throats, was "Why so little ?!" In the end, the parliamentary scandal was hushed up, rightly believing that the winners are not judged, and the victory was on the face. In honor of the Battle of Vigo Bay, at the direction of Queen Anne, a special golden guinea was minted with the image of burning Spanish galleons.
The delivery of cargo from South American mines was of great importance for Spain and France - with the proceeds, the Spaniards were able to equip an impressive land army, which became a good help for the battalions of Louis XIV. Treasures from the Spanish galleons gave rise to a lot of rumors, legends and rumors. Despite the fact that information about the unloading of the precious contents of the holds was not a special secret, almost immediately lovers of treasure hunting began a persistent search for the allegedly lost treasures. Say, not everyone unloaded, missed something - clever guys with a conspiratorial look showed suspicious-looking maps and copies of cargo declarations, hinting that for a small fee "golden chests will be yours." Even the famous Jules Verne added fuel to the fire, describing the treasures of the Bay of Vigo in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea as the foundation of the wealth of the legendary Captain Nemo. Passions subsided relatively recently, when meticulous researchers finally proved that the ships resting at the bottom do not hide any treasures.
The War of the Spanish Succession was gaining momentum - the French soon made up for the losses in the ships of the line and thirsted for revenge. Their opponents, the British and the Dutch, did not sit idly by either. The sails of the new European war, which would stretch for more than ten years, were filled with the wind of profit and dynastic claims.
