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Admiral Hawke

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Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, KB, PC  was a Royal Navy officer. As captain of the third-rate HMS Berwick he took part in the Battle of Toulon in February 1744 during the War of the Austrian Succession. He also captured six ships of a French squadron in the Bay of Biscay in the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre in October 1747.

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Hawke went on to achieve a victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in November 1759 during the Seven Years’ War, preventing a French invasion of Britain. Although he had effectively put the French channel fleet out of action for the remainder of the war, Hawke was disappointed he had not secured a more comprehensive victory asserting that had he had two more hours of daylight the whole enemy fleet would have been taken.

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Hawke developed the concept of a Western Squadron, keeping an almost continuous blockade of the French coast throughout the war. This continued to starve French ports of commerce, further weakening France’s economy.

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Hawke served as First Lord of the Admiralty for five years between 1766 and 1771. He was successful in bringing the navy’s spending under control and also oversaw the mobilisation of the navy during the Falklands Crisis in 1770.

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Source: Wikipedia

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Portrait of British Admiral Edward Hawke,

1st Baron Hawke (1705-1781)

Image: RMG/Wikipedia • Believed to be in the Public Domain (Age - Copyright expired)