Battle of the Solent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of the Solent |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Italian War of 1542–46 | |||||||
 The "Cowdray engraving" of the battle, 1778 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 England |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Claude d'Annebault | John Dudley | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 175 ships | 12,000 soldiers in 80 ships | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| No ships lost | about 400 lost in sinking of "Mary Rose" | ||||||
The Battle of the Solent was a big naval fight. It happened on July 18 and 19, 1545. This battle was part of the Italian Wars. It was fought between the ships of Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England. The battle took place in the Solent, a strait of water. This area is between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in England. This was one of the few major sea battles fought by King Henry VIII's navy. The battle did not have a clear winner. It is most famous for the sinking of the English warship, the Mary Rose.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In 1545, France decided to invade England. They gathered a huge fleet of over 200 ships. These ships carried about 30,000 soldiers. This French fleet was even bigger than the famous Spanish Armada that came 43 years later.
England's King Henry VIII had a smaller force. He had about 80 ships and 12,000 soldiers.
The French invasion started with some bad luck. Their main ship, the Carraquon, caught fire and was destroyed. This happened on July 6 while it was still docked. Admiral Claude d'Annebault had to move to another ship, La Maistresse. But then La Maistresse ran aground as the fleet left. They quickly fixed the leaks. After that, the French fleet sailed across the English Channel. They entered the Solent and landed troops on the Isle of Wight.
The Battle Begins
On July 18, the English ships sailed out of Portsmouth. They started fighting the French ships from a distance. Not much damage was done to either side at first. The French ship La Maistresse was almost sinking because of its earlier damage. Admiral d'Annebault had to switch ships again. But La Maistresse was saved.
That night, King Henry VIII had dinner. He ate aboard the Great Harry. This was the main ship of Admiral John Dudley.
The Mary Rose Sinks
The next day, July 19, the weather was calm. The French used their smaller, faster ships called galleys. These galleys were good at moving in calm water. They attacked the English ships, which were not moving much.
Later in the day, a breeze started to blow. The English ship Mary Rose began to move forward. This ship was the main vessel of Vice Admiral George Carew. Suddenly, the Mary Rose began to sink. Almost all of its crew, about 400 sailors, were lost. Only about 35 to 40 people survived.
No one knows the exact reason why the Mary Rose sank. People at the time thought the crew might have forgotten to close the lower gunports. These are openings for cannons. If they were open, water could have rushed in when the ship tilted in the breeze. One person with the French fleet thought the galleys had sunk it. But other reports from that time do not support this idea. There is also no physical proof of it.
After the Mary Rose sank, the wind died down again. But Admiral Dudley used the tides and currents. He moved his fleet into a better position. This helped to break up the formation of the larger French ships.
After the Fighting
The French invasion of the Isle of Wight was stopped. The French troops tried to land in different places. But they did not go far inland or join up. There were many casualties on both sides. This happened at the Battle of Bonchurch. The French troops at Sandown quickly left. They lost their commanders in an attack on a new fort. Those who landed at Bembridge were also surprised and attacked.
On July 22, the French Admiral d'Annebault gave up the invasion. His ships were leaking, and many of his crew were sick. He also could not get new supplies. He called back the French troops, and his fleet left.
The next day, the French landed 1,500 troops near Seaford. This town is about 40 miles (64 km) to the east. They tried to rob a nearby village. But local fighters, led by Nicholas Pelham, pushed them back. After this, d'Annebault returned to France.
Images for kids
-
The "Cowdray engraving" of the battle, 1778
