Naval Battle of Saint-Mathieu
Italian Wars (Franco-English naval conflict) · Off Saint-Mathieu, English Channel (France)
Summary
Bloody naval battle off Pointe Saint-Mathieu, where French and English fleets clash with heavy losses on both sides. The battle is considered a tactical French victory.
Historical context
On 10 August 1512, off Pointe Saint-Mathieu, a 22-ship Franco-Breton fleet faced 25 English ships under Sir Edward Howard during the War of the League of Cambrai. It is probably the first documented battle in which a ship used broadside fire.
Tactics
On 10 August 1512, Hervé de Portzmoguer's Cordelière boarded the English Regent under Thomas Knyvett; the two ships, linked by grappling hooks, caught fire when the Cordelière exploded, dragging the Regent to the bottom. Close-quarters fighting and use of gunpowder caused heavy losses: around 1,250 Bretons and at least 1,000 English perished in the engagement.
Consequences
Despite the simultaneous loss of the Cordelière and the Regent, the battle is presented in France as a heroic tactical victory. In the following two days, Howard burned 27 ships and captured five others between the Iroise Sea and the Channel, but the Franco-Breton fleet took refuge at Brest.