Battle of Cape Passaro
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The naval Battle of Cape Passaro (or Passero) took place on 11 August 1718 near Cape Passero, the south-east point of Sicily, when a British fleet under Admiral George Byng defeated a Spanish fleet of twenty-six men-of-war, two fireships, four bomb vessels, seven galleys and several other ships with stores and provisions under Admiral José Antonio de Gaztañeta. It's to note that at the time, there was no war declared between Spain and Britain; the Spanish fleet was sailing scattered, and the sight of the British ships wasn't perceived as a danger. The Spanish fleet split into 2; the smaller ships made for the coast while the others engaged the British ships as they came up. Canterbury was detached along with Argyle, Burford and 4 other ships to chase the first group and captured most of them. The captured Spanish ships were laid up in Minorca. In 1731 the British offered to return them but they were found to be rotten and broken up.
Ships involved:
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[edit] Britain (George Byng)
Barfleur 90 (flag, first captain George Saunders, Richard Lestock)
Shrewsbury 80 (Vice-Admiral Charles Cornwall)
Dorsetshire 80 (Rear-Admiral George Delavall)
Breda 70 (Barrow Harris)
Burford 70 (Charles Vanbrugh)
Essex 70 (Richard Rowzier)
Grafton 70 (Nicholas Haddock)
Kent 70 (Thomas Mathews)
Orford 70 (Edward Falkingham)
Royal Oak 70 (Thomas Kempthorne)
Montagu 60 (Thomas Beverley)
Superbe 60 (Streynsham Master)
Rupert 56/60 (Arthur Field)
Rochester 50 (Joseph Winder)
Argyle 50 (Conningsby Norbury)
Canterbury (George Walton)
Captain (Archibald Hamilton)
Total: 1-90, 2-80, 8-70, 7-60, 2-50, 2-24 gun
[edit] Spain (José Antonio de Gaztañeta)
(Real) San Felipe 70/74?/80 (flag) - Captured, blew up while being towed
Principe de Asturias 70 (Rear-Admiral Chacon) - Captured by Breda and Captain
San Luis 60 (Rear-Admiral Guavara)
San Carlos 60 (Prince de Chalay) - Captured by Kent
Real Mazi 60 - Captured
San Fernando 60
Santa Isabel(la)/San Isabel 60 - Captured by Dorsetshire
Santa Rosa 56/64? - Captured by Orford
San Isidro 46?/50 - Captured
Volante 40/46 - Captured by Montagu and Rupert
Aguila - Captured
Esperanza - Captured
Juno - Captured by Essex
Sorpresa - Captured
Total: 2-70, 7-60, 4-50, 3-40, 2-30, 3-26, 1-14 gun, 13 other
[edit] Additional links
[edit] References
- Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy (1988)
- Pattee Byng's Journal 1718-1720 (1950)
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