Henri de Sourdis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Most Reverend Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis |
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| Bordeaux | |
Henri de Sourdis, ca 1638-1642
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| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Bordeaux |
| In Office | 1629-1645 |
| Predecessor | François de Sourdis |
| Successor | Henri de Bethune |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 19 March 1623 by François de Sourdis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 February 1593 |
| Died | 18 June 1645 (aged 52) Auteuil, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Denomination | Catholicism |
Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis was a French naval commander and a leader in the Catholic Church. He was born on February 20, 1593, and passed away on June 18, 1645.
Like many church leaders of his time, de Sourdis was also a military man. He fought in the Thirty Years' War. In 1628, he was in charge of the artillery during the Siege of La Rochelle. The next year, in 1629, Henri became the Archbishop of Bordeaux. He took over this important role from his brother, François de Sourdis.
Contents
In 1635, France's chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, declared war on Spain. Spain's navy moved quickly and took over the Lérins Islands in September 1635.
Challenges in Command
In 1635, Henri, Count of Harcourt, was given a large French fleet. His mission was to drive the Spanish out of the Lérins Islands. At first, the French navy faced a problem. Officers sometimes argued about who was in charge. They often only obeyed those from a higher social class.
Cardinal Richelieu knew that a strong navy needed experienced officers who worked together. He hoped that an experienced captain, Philippe des Gouttes, would advise de Sourdis. De Sourdis would then help lead the fleet. However, arguments between officers stopped the fleet from working well in 1636.
First Attacks and Successes
In February 1637, de Sourdis attacked Oristano in Sardinia. The goal was to trade Oristano for the Lérins Islands. This attack failed, but the officers and crews learned a lot.
In March 1637, d'Harcourt attacked the Lérins Islands. After tough fighting, the French took Sainte-Marguerite. They captured Saint-Honorat shortly after.
Leading the Atlantic Fleet
Richelieu learned that having a divided command was a mistake. So, de Sourdis was put in sole command of the Atlantic squadrons. His next order was to capture Fuenterrabia.
Battle of Guétaria
De Sourdis surprised the Spanish fleet and began a blockade. He split his fleet into three groups. He left one group to keep the blockade. Another group scouted for any approaching Spanish ships. De Sourdis kept his own squadron ready as a reserve.
When the Spanish fleet appeared, he joined the scouting group to attack them. The Spanish admiral had lined up his ships in shallow water. This made it hard for many French ships to attack at once. De Sourdis's large flagship, L'Europe, could not enter the shallow waters.
Six of the French ships, led by Montigny, attacked the Spanish line. They used the wind and waves to their advantage. When French fireships were sent in, the Spanish ships panicked. The French navy won a complete victory. They destroyed the Spanish fleet and lost only 40 French sailors.
After Fuenterrabia
The land attack on Fuenterrabia (Siege of Fuenterrabía (1638)) was not pushed hard enough. The French might have thought the town would surrender once the sea relief failed. De Sourdis returned to his blockade. He landed his marines, but it was too late to make a difference. The French fleet had to rescue the remaining French forces.
After this, political arguments started again. De Sourdis tried to blame the defeat on one of his generals, Bernard de Nogaret de La Valette d'Épernon.
Later Commands and Retirement
In 1639, de Sourdis commanded a powerful fleet of 37 ships. He was ordered to attack a Spanish fleet in La Coruña. But the Spanish were in a very strong defensive position, so the attack was called off.
In 1640, de Sourdis was moved to command in the Mediterranean Sea. However, he found few chances for battle there.
Battles of Tarragona
In 1641, de Sourdis was ordered to help the French attack on Tarragona. He was to blockade the port. He did not agree with the plan. He thought it would be better to conquer Rousillon first. However, he followed his orders and completed the blockade.
He stopped the first attempt to relieve Tarragona (Naval Battle of Tarragona (July 1641)). He destroyed or captured Spanish supply ships. The Spanish then gathered another large fleet. De Sourdis wanted to attack this fleet while it was forming. But he was overruled by a council of war.
As a result, he was attacked by a force more than twice the size of his own. The French fought well, but this time the Spanish supply ships were able to reach the town. Many of de Sourdis's ships were badly damaged. He had to return to Toulon for repairs (Battle of Tarragona (August 1641)).
After this, Cardinal Richelieu did not support him. De Sourdis fell out of favor and retired to his church duties in Bordeaux. He died there in 1645.
Even though he was not a sailor by profession, Henri de Sourdis had a great understanding of naval strategy. He faced challenges from political arguments and councils of war that were not as bold as he was. Despite this, his captains believed in him. Fourteen of them even protested to Richelieu when de Sourdis was removed from command.
See also
In Spanish: Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis para niños
