Battle of Algeciras Bay

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Battle of Algeciras Bay
Part of the Napoleonic Wars

HMS Hannibal (left foreground) lies aground and dismasted at the Battle of Algeciras Bay.
Date 8 & 12 July, 1801
Location near Gibraltar and Spain
Result 1st: Franco-Spanish victory
2nd: British victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom Flag of France French Consulate
Flag of Spain Kingdom of Spain
Commanders
Flag of the United Kingdom Admiral Sir James Saumarez Flag of France Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois
Strength
United Kingdom: 7 ships of the line and 2 others French Consulate: 3 ships of the line and 1 other,

Kingdom of Spain: 5 ships of the line, assorted gunboats
Casualties and losses
138 dead,
340 wounded
1 ship captured		 2000 killed, wounded or captured
2 ships destroyed
1 ship captured
v • d • e
War of the Second Coalition
v • d • e
Naval Battles of the

French Revolutionary Wars
May 1794 – Ushant – Genoa – Groix – Hyères – Camperdown – St Vincent – Nile – Tory Island – Copenhagen – Algeciras

The Battle of Algeciras Bay refers to two separate battles in July 1801 between an allied French-Spanish fleet and the British near Gibraltar. In the first battle, an attack by the larger British fleet was driven off with one ship of the line being captured by the French. In the second battle, the British pursued the Franco-Spanish fleet, destroying two Spanish ships and capturing one French ship.

Contents

[edit] Algeciras Bay

The battle began in July 1801, when the French Admiral Linois brought his three ships of the line and one frigate into Algeciras after finding Cadiz blockaded. The harbour at Algeciras was protected by no less than four Spanish forts, and was considered safe despite its proximity to Gibraltar. The British observed these movements from Gibraltar, and decided to move quickly to try to neutralize this threat. On July 8, a fleet under Admiral Sir James Saumarez sailed across Algeciras Bay from Gibraltar, intending to attack the French ships.

The British fleet consisted of six ships of the line (Saumarez had a seventh ship of the line, Superb, but she and her accompanying brig Pasley were absent; Saumarez dispatched his sole frigate - the Thames - to recall her, but they did not return in time.

Saumarez's six ships attacked the French ships and Spanish forts, but were hampered by a lack of wind and numerous shoals in the harbour. The French squadron, with aid from the forts and Spanish gunboats, held its own and drove off the larger British force, although the French ships were purposely grounded to avoid capture. Saumarez lost the 74-gun Hannibal, which ran aground and was captured by the French, and the rest of the British squadron suffered various degrees of damage. The British lost 121 killed and 240 wounded, the French 306 killed (including Captains Laindet Lalonde and Moncousu) and 280 wounded.

Both sides retired to their respective sides of the bay, and over the next four days repaired their battle damage as best they could. The Pompée could not be repaired in the time available, and the Caesar was only repaired in time due to constant day-and-night work. The French refloated their ships and prepared them for sea.

The British squadron consisted of:

  • Caesar 80 (flag of Rear-Adm. Saumarez, with Captain Jahleel Brenton)
  • Pompee 74 (Captain Charles Stirling)
  • Spencer 74 (Captain Henry d'Esterre Darby)
  • Venerable 74 (Captain Samuel Hood)
  • Hannibal 74 (Captain Solomon Ferris)
  • Audacious 74 (Captain Shuldham Peard)

The French squadron consisted of:

  • Le Formidable 80 (flag of Rear-Adm. Linois, with Captain Laindet Lalonde)
  • L'Indomptable 80 (Captain Moncousu)
  • Le Desaix 74 (Captain Christi-Pailliere)
  • La Muiron 40 (Captain Martinencq)

[edit] The Gut of Gibraltar

On July 12, the French squadron, which had been reinforced meanwhile by five Spanish ships of the line and another French ship of the line, left Algeciras for Cadiz, and was pursued by Saumarez. During the pursuit, the Franco-Spanish allies showed their ships to be faster, partly due to the extensive damage the British had received during the first stage of the battle.

However, HMS Superb, which was not present for the first part of the battle and was thus undamaged, was given leave by Saumarez to pursue and attack the allied fleet at will. After night had fallen, the 74-gun Superb sailed between the San Hermenegildo and Real Carlos, first-rate ships of 112 guns, and attacked them both. Superb then proceeded up the Franco-Spanish line, but between the darkness and the smoke from the firing, the Spanish did not realize that she had left. Real Carlos and San Hermenegildo furiously fired on one another, resulting in the loss of both ships. The Superb then attacked and captured the French St. Antoine. The French Formidable, at the rear of the French line, fought 4 to 1 to protect her fleet. The British lost 17 killed and 100 wounded; the allies, 2,000 - including some 1,700 killed when the Real Carlos and San Hermenegildo blew up. The French Ship-of-Line St. Antoine was captured by the British squadron.

The British squadron now consisted of:

  • Caesar 80 (flag of Rear-Adm. Saumarez, with Captain Jahleel Brenton)
  • Venerable 74 (Captain Samuel Hood)
  • Superb 74 (Captain Richard Goodwin Keats)
  • Spencer 74 (Captain Henry d'Esterre Darby)
  • Audacious 74 (Captain Shuldham Peard)
  • Thames 32 (frigate - Capt. Aiskew Paffard Hollis)
  • Calpe 14 (polacre - Cmdr. George Heneage Lawrence Dundas)
  • Louisa 8 (armed brig - Lieutenant Francis Truscott)

The French element of the Franco-Spanish squadron now consisted of:

The Spanish element of the Franco-Spanish squadron consisted of:

  • Real Carlos 112 (Captain Don J. Esquerra)
  • San Hermenegildo 112 (Captain Don J. Emparran)
  • San Fernando 94 (Captain Don J. Malina)
  • Argonauta 80 (Captain Don. J. Herrera)
  • San Agustín 74 (Captain Don. R. Topete)
  • San Sabina 44 (frigate carrying the flag of both Vice-Adm. Moreno and Rear-Adm. Linois)

[edit] References

Rif Winfield, British Warships in tha Age of Sail, 1793 - 1817, Chatham Publishing (2005)

[edit] In Literature

The battle is described in the novel Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian, from the viewpoint of Jack Aubrey, the book's protagonist. Aubrey views the first part of the battle from on board the Desaix, a French 74 which had earlier captured him, and the second from the Rock of Gibraltar.

The battle is also described in the novel Touch and Go, by C. North Parkinson. The main character is Commander Richard Delancey, Commanding Officer of HMS Merlin, an 18 gun sloop. Parkinson places the Merlin and the Calpe in this phase of the battle. During the action at Algeciras the, Merlin sails in support of the British fleet, distracting Spanish gunboats and picking up survivors from the wrecked Hannibal. Later, Delancey volunteers as acting sailing master aboard the Caesar and witnesses the battle in the Gut of Gibraltar.

[edit] External links