Battle of Cape St. Vincent 16 January 1780 marks the Battle of Cape St. Vincent at the southern Coast of Portugal during the American Revolution when Admiral Sir George Rodney’s 18 British ships-of-the-line and 6 frigates defeated Admiral Don Juan de Lángara’s 9 Spanish ships-of-the-line and 2 frigates.
One of Spain’s priorities upon its entry into the American War of Independence in 1779 was recovering Gibraltar, which had been taken by Great Britain in 1704. The Spanish plan was to retake Gibraltar by blockading and starving out its garrison, which included troops from Britain.
Map of the Bay of Gibraltar where the positions of the Spanish and British forts and batteries are indicated.
Rodney’s squadron escorted supply ships to relieve Gibraltar’s siege. Lángara sailed north to stop him. He saw Rodney on the 16th of January and formed a line-of-battle.
He retreated, seeing the British outnumbered his forces 2-1.
Rodney, confined by illness to his bunk, ordered his fleet to pursue at 14:00. His ships’ copper hulls made them faster. He sailed on Lángara’s lee side, preventing the Spanish from opening their lower gun ports.
Battle began at 16:00.
3 ships engaged 74-gun Santo Domingo, at the back of Lángara’s line. At 16:40, it exploded, killing all but 1 of the crew. 74-gun HMS Bedford captured 74-gun Princessa (next in Lángara’s line) at 17:30.
Dusk fell at 18:00. The chase continued.
At 19:30, 74-gun HMS Defense engaged Lángara’s flagship, 80-gun Fenix. During the hour-long fight, 3 passing British ships broadsided Fenix. After losing his mainmast, a wounded Lángara surrendered. At 21:15, 74-gun HMS Montagu engaged 74-gun Diligente. Diligente would lose her main mast and surrender.
At 23:00, 74-gun HMS Cumberland captured 74-gun San Eugenio after dis-masting her. 2 British ships captured the 64-gun San Julián at 01:00.
The 74-gun Monarca almost escaped after destroying 74-gun HMS Alcide’s topmast. 32-gun HMS Apollo pursued her, slowing her down. At 02:00, Rodney’s flagship, 90-gun HMS Sandwich, caught up and fired a broadside. Monarca surrendered. 2 ships couldn’t be boarded immediately.
Bienfaisant’s crew had smallpox. Instead of infecting Lángara’s crew, Captain MacBride accepted his parole. San Eugenio couldn’t be boarded until daylight due to rough seas.
At daybreak, Rodney saw he was dangerously close to a lee shore.
Rodney wrote that 2 ships, San Julián & San Eugenio, became beached and destroyed.
Spanish history claims the British prize crews put their prisoners to work. The prisoners retook the ships & escaped. Rodney lost 32 dead, 102 wounded.
Lángara lost 600 dead when Santo Domingo exploded. He also lost 2,500 dead, wounded or captive from the 4 ships Rodney captured and an unknown number from San Julián & San Eugenio.
Battle Of Red Bank
Rodney’s supply convoy reached Gibraltar on 19 January. Rodney arrived several days later. The supplies allowed Gibraltar’s defenders to fight on. Lángara was released on parole & promoted to Lt. General. Rodney won great praise for his victory. Gibraltar’s siege ended in February of 1783.
In conclusion, the battle is often referred to as the Moonlight Battle, due to the unusual nature of the battle’s timing, most naval battles in the Age of Sail took place during daylight.
Battle of Cape St. Vincent Written by Garrett Anderson
