Battle of Málaga (1704)

Battle of Málaga
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession

The Battle of Malaga by Isaac Sailmaker. Oil on canvas, 1704.
Date24 August 1704
Locationnear Málaga, Spain
36°42′15″N 4°22′10″W / 36.704293°N 4.369526°W / 36.704293; -4.369526Coordinates: 36°42′15″N 4°22′10″W / 36.704293°N 4.369526°W / 36.704293; -4.369526
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
 France
Spain Bourbon Spain		  England
 United Provinces
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of France Comte de Toulouse
Kingdom of France Victor-Marie d'Estrées		 Kingdom of England George Rooke
Strength
51 ships of the line
6 frigates
6 fireships
28 galleys
(3,577 guns)
24,275 men[1]		 53 ships of the line
6 frigates
7 fireships
2 bombships
(3,614 guns)
22,543 men[1]
Casualties and losses
3,239 killed or wounded[1] 2,718[1]
787 killed
1,931 wounded

The Battle of Málaga (or Vélez-Málaga) was the largest naval battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. It took place on 24 August 1704, south of Málaga, Spain.

The battle

Less than a week after the Capture of Gibraltar, Admiral George Rooke received intelligence that a French fleet under the command of Toulouse and d'Estrées was approaching Gibraltar. Leaving half his marines to defend the newly won prize, Rooke immediately set off with his combined Anglo-Dutch fleet to engage the French.

The outcome of the action that followed, the Battle of Vélez-Málaga, was indecisive. Not a single vessel was sunk or captured on either side but the mutual battering left many ships barely seaworthy and casualties on both sides were high. As the French and the British approached each other two days later, on 26 August, they finally decided not to engage each other. Considering the British had a significant number of casualties and highly damaged ships, particularly their masts, the French mistakenly interpreted the British fleet's prudence as an overall victory. Byng's squadron, having expended so much ammunition in the previous bombardment of Gibraltar, was obliged to quit the line.

The French had returned to Toulon claiming victory. The reality was, however, that by retreating to Toulon the French turned what had been a tactical stalemate into an Anglo-Dutch strategic victory, because after the Battle of Vélez-Málaga the French Navy never again emerged from Toulon in full strength.[2]

Ships involved

England/Netherlands (George Rooke)

(90-gunners and above were 3-deckers)

Vanguard

Centre

Rear

The rear division comprised the Dutch element of the Anglo-Dutch fleet.

Others

Total

3614 guns, 22543 men


France (Toulouse)

Vanguard

Centre

Rear

Others

Total

3577 guns, 24275 men

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Clodfelter 2017, p. 70.
  2. ↑ Richard Harding, Seapower and Naval Warfare, 1650-1830, (Taylor & Francis, 1999), 119.

References

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