View source for Anse de Sablettes

'''Anse de Sablettes''' is a fortified bay near [[Toulon]] in [[France]], immediately to the south of the port entrance. It was the site of the '''Battle of Sablettes''', a 1759 battle of the [[Seven Years' War]].

==Course==
In mid-May 1759, [[Edward Boscawen]] was found on Brodrick off Toulon and took over his command of the [[British forces]], blockading Toulon and [[Marseille]] and ensuring the safety of [[Gibraltar]]. Along with continuing the blockade with his 13 ships of the line and two [[fourth-rate|50-gun]] ships, Boscawen placed his 12 [[cruiser]]s at strategic points and on [[convoy]] escort duty. Three months later, the [[French forces]] had retired into the inner roadstead, covered by the guns of Toulon's fortress, but still thought that such a large British force could not be solely meant for a blockade and must mean a landing was imminent - aware of this by captured letters, Boscawen encouraged this impression by threatening attacks on various points.

On 7 June, two French [[frigate]]s attempting to breach the blockade from outside were forced to anchor in the Anse de Sablettes. Despite the nine French batteries covering the bay, Boscawen sent in {{HMS|Culloden|1747|6}}, {{HMS|Conqueror|1758|6}} and {{HMS|Jersey|1736|6}} to sink the frigates. They failed to do so and, heavily damaged (the ''Culloden'' had to go to Gibraltar to refit), withdrew after an hour under the batteries' guns.

==External links==
*[https://archive.org/stream/englandinsevenye00corbuoft/englandinsevenye00corbuoft_djvu.txt Julian S. Corbett, ''England in the Seven Years' War: A Study in Combined Strategy'', 1907]

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[[Category:Military history of Toulon]]
[[Category:Landforms of Var (department)]]
[[Category:Bays of Metropolitan France]]
[[Category:Landforms of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Seven Years' War involving France]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Seven Years' War involving Great Britain]]