Background
During the pursuit of the French fleet after the battle of Barfleur, three of the most badly damaged French ships, the Soleil Royal (of 104 guns), Admirable (90 guns), and Triomphant (76 guns), accompanied by two frigates, of 24 and 20 guns, and a fireship, sought a safe haven at Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. They were beached outside the town, as there was no suitable harbour for them. Russell detailed Delaval, his vice-admiral, to attack and destroy them. Delaval took station off Cherbourg, and so many of the English fleet joined him that his command became unwieldy. Retaining just eleven of the ships with him, mostly the smaller 3rd and 4th Rates, he dispatched the rest, a further sixteen, to join Russell in pursuit of Tourville and the main body of the French fleet.
Action
Transferring from his flagship, Royal Sovereign of 100 guns to the handier St Albans of 50 guns, Delaval mounted his first attack on the morning of 21 May. The French had made serious efforts to protect the ships; they were beached with their masts seaward, to create an obstacle for the attackers, their guns were manned, and they were overlooked by shore batteries, Soleil Royal under the battery at Fosse du Galet, the other two further east under the guns of two coastal towers
First attack
Sending ships ahead to take soundings Delaval moved in on the morning of the 21st with St Albans and Ruby 50 to bombard the ships and the fort, but the French return fire was so fierce that after an hour and a half he was forced to retreat.
Second attack
On the morning of the 22nd Delaval tried again, sending the 50-gun St Albans and Advice to bombard the Admirable, while he himself, (now in Grafton of 70 guns), attacked the others, supported by Monk of 60 guns and a group of other 3rd and 4th Rates. However, Monk and her consorts had insufficient depth in the low tide to get in close, and were forced to retire.
Third and final attack
At one o'clock that afternoon, at high water, Delaval made a third attempt, this time using his fireships with boarding parties in boats. Soleil Royal was hit by fireship Blaze, her captain (Thomas Heath) bringing her within pistol-shot before firing and abandoning her, while Triomphant was burned by fireship Wolf, whose captain (James Greenway) laid her alongside before igniting her. However, the third fireship, Hound, was set alight by gunfire and burned before she reached Admirable, so Delaval led his boats in and boarded her. Beaujeu, her captain, and her crew were forced to abandon her, but about 40 of her crew, mostly wounded, were taken prisoner; the ship was burned, together with the two frigates and the fireship that were with her.
Ships
English :
11 ships of the line, plus auxiliaries
St Albans 50, Grafton 70, Burford 70, Advice 50, Monk 60,Ruby 50.
French :
3 ships of the line, plus auxiliaries
Soleil Royal 104, Admirable 90, Triomphant 76.
Six ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS St Albans after the English city and ducal family of St Albans:
A fire ship or fireship is a large wooden vessel set on fire to be used against enemy ships during a ramming attack or similar maneuver. Fireships were used to great effect against wooden ships throughout naval military history up until the advent of metal-hulled ships; they could also serve a considerable function in shock and awe strategies to harm the morale of enemy crews. Ships used for fireship tactics were sometimes surplus, obsolete or purpose-build vessels filled with gunpowder or other combustibles, but could also be improvised from active warships purposefully set on fire during engagements, such as if a vessel expended its munitions or had some other reason to be abandoned in battle.
The Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue took place during the Nine Years' War, between 19 May O.S. and 4 June O.S. 1692. The first was fought near Barfleur on 19 May O.S., with later actions occurring between 20 May O.S. and 4 June O.S. at Cherbourg and Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue in Normandy, France.
Anne-Hilarion de Costentin, Comte de Tourville was a French Navy officer and nobleman who served under King Louis XIV. Born in Paris, he was made a Marshal of France in 1693. Tourville is considered by some as one of the most talented naval officers in French military history.
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Soleil Royal was a French 104-gun ship of the line, flagship of Admiral Tourville.
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Admiral Sir Ralph Delaval was an English Royal Navy officer. He was a member of a junior branch of the Delaval family of Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. Delaval was born at Dissington Hall, Ponteland, an estate he ultimately inherited and sold to Edward Collingwood of Byker in 1673. He enlisted in the navy at a young age and progressed under the patronage of the Duke of York to become captain of the third-rate ship of the line HMS York.
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England 
Dutch Republic 
France 
Ralph Delaval 
Anne Tourville