Historedia
EuropeEvent

Battle of Saint-Mathieu

When
1512
Where
Near Brest, France
Episodes
3

On 10 August 1512, the English fleet under Sir Edward Howard engaged a Franco-Breton fleet near Brest. The battle resulted in the destruction of both navies' flagship vessels, Regent and Marie-la-Cordelière, through a massive explosion aboard the latter ship.

Episodes

  1. August 1512 · Near Brest, FranceFleet Assembly and Approach

    English and Franco-Breton fleets assembled and moved toward each other near Brest in August 1512.

  2. 10 August 1512 · Near Brest, FranceFlagship Confrontation

    The English Regent and French Marie-la-Cordelière engaged in close combat while other ships retreated or supported.

  3. 10 August 1512 · Near Brest, FranceExplosion and Destruction

    Marie-la-Cordelière exploded, destroying both it and the English flagship Regent during the battle.

Background and detail

Strategic Context. Following the outbreak of war with France in April 1512, King Henry VIII appointed Edward Howard to command a fleet tasked with controlling the sea between Brest and the Thames estuary. By August, a combined French and Breton fleet had assembled at Brest, prompting Howard to move in for an attack.

Naval Engagement. The English fleet of 25 ships confronted the Franco-Breton fleet of 22 ships near Brest. The engagement featured the largest vessels of both navies, the 600-ton Regent and the 1,000-ton Marie-la-Cordelière. French and Breton ships initially cut their anchors to retreat, but Marie-la-Cordelière and Petite Louise remained to cover the withdrawal.

Destruction of Flagships. During close combat, the deck of Regent was covered in blood when Marie-la-Cordelière suddenly exploded, destroying both principal ships. In the aftermath, the English fleet captured or destroyed thirty-two French vessels and recovered valuable anchors before returning to England.

People involved

Sources

  1. Battle of Saint-Mathieu Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.