Battle of Cape Passaro

Battle of Cape Passaro
Part of the War of the Quadruple Alliance

The Battle of Cape Passaro, 11 August 1718 by Richard Paton (oil on canvas, 1767)
Date 11 August 1718
Location Cape Passaro, Sicily
Result Decisive British victory
Belligerents
 Great Britain Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
Sir George Byng Antonio de Gaztañeta
Fernando Chacón
Strength
22 ships of the line and 6 others 18 frigates, merchants and ships of the line and 27 others
Casualties and losses
minor 13 ships taken and 3 burnt

The Battle of Cape Passaro (or Passero) was the defeat of a Spanish fleet under Admirals Antonio de Gaztañeta and Fernando Chacón by a British fleet under Admiral George Byng, near Cape Passero, Sicily, on 11 August 1718, four months before the War of the Quadruple Alliance was formally declared.

Contents

Background

Tensions between Spain and Britain were high. On 2 August 1718 the Quadruple Alliance by the Holy Roman Empire, Kingdom of France, Kingdom of Great Britain and the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, demanding the Spanish withdraw its invading forces from Sicily and Sardinia. The British fleet had landed a small Austrian army near Messina, which began besieging that city which was controlled by the Spanish.

Battle

The Spanish fleet consisted of twenty-six men-of-war, two fireships, four bomb vessels, seven galleys and several other ships with stores and provisions. It was sailing scattered, and the sight of the British ships wasn't initially perceived as any danger, as they were unaware of the Quadruple Alliance's ultimatum. The Spanish fleet split into two - the smaller ships made for the coast, while the larger ships engaged the British as they came up. HMS Canterbury, under George Walton was detached along with HMS Argyll, HMS Burford and four other ships to chase the first group and captured most of them. These captured Spanish warships were afterwards laid up in Minorca.

Aftermath

Four months later on 17 December 1718, France, Britain and Austria declared war on Spain, starting the War of the Quadruple Alliance. The Netherlands joined them later, declaring war on Spain in August 1719.

Thwarted from Spanish interference, the besieging Austrian army captured Messina the next year, and destroyed the remaining Spanish ships in the harbour. These events combined to eventually forced the Spanish king to accept the terms of the Quadruple Alliance in 1720.

Byng was rewarded handsomely for this victory by King George I of Great Britain, and given full power to negotiate with the various princes and states of Italy, on behalf of the English crown. On his return to England in 1721, he was made Rear-Admiral of Great Britain, a member of the Privy Council, and ennobled as Baron Byng of Southill and 1st Viscount Torrington, in Devon.

Of the ships captured in this battle, the Principe de Asturias had formerly been the British 80-gun ship Cumberland, captured by the French in 1707 and later sold to Spain; after the Battle of Cape Passaro, she was sold to Austria. In 1731 the British offered to return the other captured ships lain up in Minorca, but they were found to be rotten and were broken up instead.

Ships involved

Britain (Sir George Byng)

Total was 1 of 90 guns, 2 of 80 guns, 9 of 70 guns, 7 of 60 guns, 2 of 50 guns, 1 of 44 guns. The British fleet also comprised 6 smaller vessels - the fireships Garland (Samuel Atkins) and Griffin (Humphrey Orme), the storeship Success (Francis Knighton), the hospital ship Looe (Timothy Splaine), the bomb-ketch Basilisk (John Hubbard) and an un-named bomb tender.

Spain (Vice-Admiral Don José Antonio de Gaztañeta)

Total was one 74-gun, 1 70-gun, 8 60-gun, 4 50gun, 3 40-gun, 2 30-gun, 3 26-gun, 1-14 gun and 13 other ships

Sources