Naval Battles
The fleets that decided the great sea battles.
Some were fought by a few galleys within sight of the shore, some by fleets that stretched beyond the horizon, and a few were decided before the smoke of the first broadside had cleared.
Naval Battles gathers 2,188 of them, from the Hittite fleet off Cyprus in the thirteenth century BC to the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in 2026. For each battle we give when and where it was fought, who fought it, the ships that took part, what happened, how it ended and why it is remembered.
Marea can build any of the ships that fought in these battles, as she was on the day, with the maximum detail the records permit. Many of these battles cost thousands of lives, and we build their ships with that in mind.
This database was put together by Ai Refloat™, Marea’s own artificial intelligence, from naval histories, museums, official records and encyclopaedias in many languages. Ai Refloat is still young & like any teenager, it can be a little volatile and unpredictable at times, but above all, it is learning fast. So this list may well contain mistakes and we welcome the input of everyone who knows these battles better than we do.
Have you spotted a mistake, or is a battle missing? Tell us which battle and what to correct, and we will amend it accordingly. Tell us here
The battles
The Ancient World · Hittite Wars
Battles of Alashiya Fleet battle
1275 BC to 1205 BC · Off the coast of Alashiya (Cyprus)
Fought between Hittite Empire against the Kingdom of Alashiya
Commanders Hittite kings (Hittite Empire); unknown (Alashiya)
Result Hittite victory
A series of two naval engagements and one joint land and naval operation between the Hittite navy and army and the navy and army of the Kingdom of Alashiya, on Cyprus. They took place at some point between 1275 BC and 1205 BC off the coast of the island.
Why it is remembered They are among the earliest recorded naval engagements in the eastern Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Wars between Egypt and the Sea Peoples during the Late Bronze Age collapse
Battle of the Delta Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Nile Delta
Between 1179 and 1175 BC · Eastern Nile Delta, Egypt
Fought between New Kingdom of Egypt against the Sea Peoples
Commanders Ramesses III (Egypt); unknown (Sea Peoples)
Forces Unknown on both sides
Losses Egypt: unknown. Sea Peoples: many killed and captured.
Result Egyptian victory
The pharaoh Ramesses III repelled a major sea invasion by the Sea Peoples. The fighting took place on the shores of the eastern Nile Delta and on the Syrian border of the Egyptian Empire, although the precise locations are unknown.
Why it is remembered The battle is recorded on the walls of the mortuary temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu.
Sources differ One account gives circa 1175 BC; another account gives between 1179 and 1175 BC.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World
Battle of Alalia Fleet battle
Between 540 BC and 535 BC · Off Alalia (now Aléria), Corsica
Fought between Phocaean Greeks against the Etruscans and Carthage
Forces 60 Phocaean penteconters against around 120 Etruscan and Carthaginian ships
Losses Phocaeans: almost 40 penteconters lost, and the rams of the surviving ships badly damaged. Etruscans and Carthaginians: unknown.
Result Greek victory
Phocaean Greeks emigrating to the western Mediterranean and their colony at Alalia met a combined Punic and Etruscan fleet twice their size off Corsica. The Greeks won, but lost about two thirds of their ships.
Why it is remembered Herodotus called it a cadmean victory, one that ruined the victor. The Greeks afterwards evacuated Corsica, which passed to the Etruscans, while Sardinia came under Carthaginian influence.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Ionian Revolt
Battle of Salamis in Cyprus (497 BC) Fleet battle
497 BC · Salamis, Cyprus, on land and at sea
Fought between Ionian Greeks and Cypriot rebels against the Persian Empire
Commanders Onesilus (Cypriots); Artybius (Persia)
Losses Onesilus and Artybius were both killed, along with Aristocyprus, ruler of Soli.
Result Greek victory at sea, Persian victory on land; the Cypriot revolt was crushed
During the Ionian Revolt every city on Cyprus except Amathus rose against Persia, led by Onesilus of Salamis. When a large Persian fleet and army under Artybius approached, the Ionians sent a fleet to fight the Phoenician ships at sea while the Cypriots met the Persians on land. The Greeks won at sea, but the Persians won on land; Artybius was killed by Onesilus, who was himself killed in the rout.
Why it is remembered The battle decided the Cypriot part of the Ionian Revolt: soon afterwards every city on the island was again under Persian rule.
Sources Wikipedia (RU)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Ionian Revolt
Battle of Lade Fleet battle
Also known as Naumachia tes Lades
494 BC · Near the island of Lade, off Miletus (modern Turkey)
Fought between Ionian cities and Lesbos against the Achaemenid Persian Empire
Commanders Dionysios (Ionians); Datis (Persia)
Forces 353 Ionian ships against 600 Persian ships (Herodotus)
Losses Ionians: 246 ships. Persians: 57 ships.
Result Decisive Persian victory
An allied fleet of the Ionian cities, joined by the Lesbians, met the fleet of Darius the Great near the island of Lade off Miletus. The Persians won a decisive victory.
Why it is remembered The defeat all but ended the Ionian Revolt against Persian rule.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Second Persian invasion of Greece
Battle of Artemisium Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Artemision
21 to 23 July 480 BC · Straits of Artemisium, off the north coast of Euboea, Greece
Fought between Allied Greek city-states (Athens, Sparta, Corinth and others) against the Achaemenid Persian Empire
Commanders Themistocles, Eurybiades, Adeimantus (Greeks); Achaemenes, Ariabignes, Artemisia I, Damasithymus (Persia)
Forces 271 Greek ships with 4,065 marines and 46,070 oarsmen against 1,207 Persian ships with 36,210 marines and 205,190 oarsmen
Losses Greeks: 100 ships lost. Persians: 400 ships lost, many of them in storms.
Result Persian victory; the Greek fleet withdrew to Salamis
A three day series of naval engagements fought at the same time as the land battle at Thermopylae. Before the battle a gale off Magnesia sank around a third of the Persian fleet, and a detachment of 200 ships sent round Euboea was wrecked in another storm. After two days of smaller actions the fleets fought all day with roughly equal losses, which the smaller Greek fleet could not afford. On hearing of the defeat at Thermopylae the Greeks withdrew to Salamis.
Why it is remembered With Thermopylae it was the first stand against Xerxes' invasion, and it preceded the Greek victory at Salamis later that year.
Sources differ One account dates the battle 21 to 23 July 480 BC; another account says August or September 480 BC.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Second Persian invasion of Greece
Battle of Salamis Fleet battle
26 or 27 September 480 BC · Straits between the Greek mainland and the island of Salamis, Saronic Gulf, near Athens
Fought between Allied Greek city-states (Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Aegina and others) against the Achaemenid Persian Empire
Commanders Themistocles, Eurybiades (Greeks); Xerxes I, Artemisia I of Caria, Tetramnestos, Achaemenes, Ariabignes (killed), Damasithymos (killed) (Persia)
Forces 371 to 378 Greek ships against about 900 to 1,207 Persian ships in ancient accounts (modern estimates 400 to 800)
Losses Greeks: 40 ships. Persians: 300 ships.
Result Greek victory
After Thermopylae and Artemisium the Greek fleet withdrew to Salamis. Themistocles persuaded the allies to fight, and a message sent to Xerxes drew the Persian fleet into the straits, where it tried to block both entrances. In the cramped water the Persian numbers became a hindrance as ships lost order, and the Greek fleet formed in line and defeated them.
Why it is remembered It was arguably the largest naval battle of the ancient world and the turning point of the invasion: Xerxes withdrew to Asia with much of his army, and from then on the Greek cities took the offensive.
Sources differ Size of the Persian fleet: ancient sources give about 900 to 1,207 ships, modern estimates 400 to 800.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: The Department of History, United States Military Academy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World
Battle of Cumae (474 BC) Fleet battle
474 BC · Off Cumae, in the Bay of Naples, Italy
Fought between Syracuse and Cumae, with Greek cities of southern Italy, against the Etruscans
Commanders Hiero I of Syracuse (Greeks); Etruscan kings (Etruscans)
Result Greek victory
The Etruscans raised a fleet to attack the Greek city of Cumae directly. Cumae called on Hiero I of Syracuse, who allied with naval forces from the Greek cities of southern Italy, and the combined fleet met and defeated the Etruscans off Cumae.
Why it is remembered The Etruscans lost much of their political influence and their naval supremacy in Italy. Syracuse dedicated a captured Etruscan helmet at Olympia, later found by German excavators, and Pindar honoured the battle in his first Pythian Ode.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: «ВЭС». (СПб; 1913 год)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Wars of the Delian League (Greco-Persian Wars)
Battle of the Eurymedon Fleet battle
469 or 466 BC · Mouth of the Eurymedon River (now the Köprüçay), Pamphylia, Antalya, Turkey
Fought between Delian League led by Athens against the Achaemenid Persian Empire
Commanders Cimon (Delian League); Tithraustes, Pherendatis (killed) (Persia)
Forces 200 Greek ships against 200 to 350 Persian ships
Losses Greeks: unknown. Persians: 200 ships destroyed, many prisoners taken.
Result Greek victory
Hearing that Persia was gathering an army and fleet near the Eurymedon, Cimon sailed with 200 triremes and attacked first. He routed the Persian fleet in the river mouth, most of whose crews ran their ships ashore and fled to the army. Cimon then landed his marines, routed the Persian army, took the camp and destroyed 200 beached triremes.
Why it is remembered The double victory on water and land prevented further Persian campaigning in the Aegean until at least 451 BC.
Sources differ The date is given as either 469 or 466 BC.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · First Peloponnesian War
Battle of Aegina Landing or siege
Summer 458 BC to spring 457 BC · Aegina, Saronic Gulf, Greece
Fought between Athens against Aegina, aided by Corinth and the Peloponnesian League
Commanders Leocrates (Athens)
Forces Up to 80 Aeginetan ships (modern estimate) and 300 Peloponnesian hoplites against a large Athenian fleet
Losses Aegina: 70 ships captured.
Result Athenian victory; Aegina became a tributary state of the Delian League
Outnumbered but with new triremes and skilled crews, the Aeginetans gave battle to an Athenian fleet under Leocrates. The Athenians won and captured 70 Aeginetan ships, then landed and besieged the city. Peloponnesian reinforcements and a Corinthian diversion against Megara failed, and Aegina surrendered after nine months.
Why it is remembered Aegina had to pull down its walls, hand over its remaining fleet and pay Athens an annual tribute of 30 talents.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Greco-Persian Wars
Battle of Salamis in Cyprus (450 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Salamine de Chypre
450 BC · Salamis, Cyprus
Fought between Delian League against the Achaemenid Persian Empire
Result Greek victory
The Delian League and the Persian Empire fought a decisive battle at Salamis in Cyprus, won by the Greek triremes.
Why it is remembered It ended Persian plans for expansion into the Aegean and led to the Peace of Callias in 449 BC.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
The Ancient World · War between Corinth and Corcyra
Battle of Actium (435 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle near Leukimme (Lefkimi); Bitwa koło przylądka Aktion
435 BC · Southern entrance of the Corfu Strait; the exact site is uncertain
Fought between Corcyra against Corinth
Forces 80 Corcyraean triremes (40 more stayed to blockade Epidamnos) against 75 Corinthian triremes and about 2,000 hoplites
Losses Corinth: 15 triremes and many men captured. Corcyra: unknown.
Result Corcyraean victory; Epidamnos surrendered the same day
A fleet battle of triremes between Corcyra and Corinth near the southern entrance of the Corfu Strait. Corcyra won, sinking or taking 15 Corinthian ships, and Epidamnos surrendered the same day. Corinthian prisoners were held as hostages; captives from other cities were killed or sold into slavery, depending on the source.
Why it is remembered Corinth then sought help from Sparta and was refused, while Corcyra made a defensive alliance with Athens, which led to the Battle of Sybota and so towards the Peloponnesian War.
Sources differ Corinthian strength: 75 triremes, or 70 according to Diodorus. Location: Lazenby places it near Lefkimi at the southern tip of Corfu; Green places Cape Aktion on the mainland opposite Lefkimi. Aftermath: one account has Corcyra raiding the coasts of Corinth's allies, another a stalemate.
Sources Wikipedia (PL)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Prelude to the Peloponnesian War
Battle of Sybota Fleet battle
433 BC · Off Corcyra (Corfu), near the Sybota islands
Fought between Corcyra and Athens against Corinth
Commanders Mikiades, Aisimides, Eurybatos (Corcyra); Lakedaimonios, Diotimos, Proteas (Athens); Xenokleides (Corinth)
Forces 110 Corcyraean and 10 Athenian ships against 150 Corinthian ships
Losses Corcyra and Athens: 70 ships destroyed, over 1,000 captured, many killed. Corinth: 30 ships destroyed, many killed.
Result Indecisive
A Corcyraean fleet supported by a small Athenian squadron fought a larger Corinthian fleet off Corcyra. Both sides suffered heavily and neither gained a decisive result.
Why it is remembered It was one of the immediate causes of the Peloponnesian War.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Naupactus Fleet battle
429 BC · Off Naupactus, Gulf of Corinth, Greece
Fought between Athens against Corinth and Sparta
Commanders Phormio (Athens); Cnemus, Brasidas, Timokrates (killed), Lykophron, Machaon, Isokrates, Agatharchidas (Peloponnesians)
Forces 20 Athenian ships against 77 Peloponnesian ships
Losses Athens: 1 ship captured (nine were driven ashore, all but one recovered). Peloponnesians: at least 1 ship sunk, 6 captured.
Result Athenian victory
A week after Rhium the Peloponnesians feinted towards the Athenian base at Naupactus, forcing Phormio to shadow them along the shore. They attacked suddenly, drove nine Athenian ships ashore and chased the rest. At the harbour entrance the last Athenian ship circled an anchored merchantman and rammed and sank her leading pursuer, the Peloponnesians fell into confusion, and the Athenians routed them.
Why it is remembered The unexpected victory preserved Athenian naval dominance, kept Naupactus secure and ended Sparta's attempt to take the offensive in the north west.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: «ВЭС». (СПб; 1914 год)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Rhium Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Chalcis; Battle of Patras
429 BC · Mouth of the Corinthian Gulf, near present-day Rio, Greece
Fought between Athens against Sparta and Corinth
Commanders Phormio (Athens); Machaon, Isokrates, Agatharchidas (Peloponnesians)
Forces 20 Athenian triremes against 47 Peloponnesian triremes, some used as transports
Losses Athens: none. Peloponnesians: 12 ships captured, with most of their crews.
Result Athenian victory
A Peloponnesian fleet tried to cross the Gulf of Patras to support an offensive against Acarnania. Many of its ships were fitted as transports, and they formed a defensive circle. Phormio sailed round them, driving them closer together until their oars fouled and ships collided, then attacked and routed them.
Why it is remembered It is a classic example of a small, well handled trireme fleet defeating a larger one through seamanship.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Corcyra (427 BC) Fleet battle
427 BC · Waters off Corcyra (Corfu)
Fought between Corcyra, aided by an Athenian squadron, against a Peloponnesian fleet under Spartan command
Result Peloponnesian advantage; the Corcyraeans were saved from full defeat by the Athenian commander
The battle grew out of a civil war in Corcyra between a democratic faction backing Athens and an oligarchic faction backing Corinth and Sparta, with both powers taking part. In the fighting off the island the Peloponnesian ships had the upper hand, and only the resourcefulness of the Athenian squadron's commander prevented a complete Corcyraean defeat.
Why it is remembered It was part of the Corcyraean civil war, in which Athens and Sparta intervened directly.
Sources he.wikipedia.org
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Pylos Landing or siege
425 BC · Pylos peninsula, Bay of Navarino, Messenia, Greece
Fought between Athens against Sparta
Commanders Demosthenes (Athens); Thrasymelidas, Brasidas (Sparta)
Forces 50 Athenian ships, 90 hoplites and about 540 light troops against 60 Spartan ships (43 triremes in the initial assault) and a large army
Losses Athens: 8 ships. Sparta: 18 ships; 420 hoplites cut off on Sphacteria.
Result Athenian victory
Driven ashore by a storm, an Athenian force fortified Pylos and left a small garrison under Demosthenes. The Spartans attacked from land and sea, but the defenders held for a day and a half. When the Athenian fleet of 50 triremes arrived, it found the harbour entrances unblocked, caught the Spartans unprepared and defeated their fleet, trapping 420 hoplites on Sphacteria. Under the armistice that followed, the Spartan fleet was handed to Athens and never returned.
Why it is remembered The trapped hoplites, 120 of them Spartiates, were later captured at Sphacteria, a heavy blow to Spartan prestige. Pylos remained an Athenian base for raids and a refuge for helots.
Sources differ Spartan fleet: 43 triremes in one account, 60 ships in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Captain Blood at de.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Abydos Fleet battle
November 411 BC · Near Abydos, Hellespont (modern Nara Burnu, Çanakkale, Turkey)
Fought between Athens against Sparta and allies
Commanders Thrasybulus, Thrasyllus, Alcibiades (Athens); Mindarus (Sparta)
Forces 74 Athenian ships, joined by 18 under Alcibiades, against 97 Spartan and allied ships
Losses Athens: minimal. Sparta: 30 ships.
Result Athenian victory
Mindarus brought the Spartan fleet out to rescue a small allied squadron driven ashore at Dardanus and was attacked by Thrasybulus. The fight was even for a long time, until Alcibiades arrived towards evening with reinforcements. The Peloponnesians fled to their base at Abydos, losing heavily on the way.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Cynossema Fleet battle
Also known as Kynos sema
411 BC · Off Cynossema, Thracian Chersonese, Hellespont (modern Kilitbahir, Çanakkale, Turkey)
Fought between Athens and allies against Sparta and allies
Commanders Thrasyllus, Thrasybulus (Athens); Mindarus (Sparta)
Forces 76 Athenian ships against 86 Spartan ships
Losses Athens: 15 ships. Sparta: 21 ships.
Result Athenian victory
An Athenian fleet, at first thrown on the defensive by a larger Spartan fleet in the Hellespont, recovered to win a narrow victory.
Why it is remembered It came when Athens' democracy had been replaced by an oligarchy and a defeat could have ended the war. The restored Athenian fleet went on to win at Abydos and Cyzicus.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Eretria Fleet battle
September 411 BC · Off the coast of Euboea, Greece
Fought between Sparta against Athens
Commanders Hegesandridas (Sparta); unknown (Athens)
Forces 42 Spartan ships against 36 Athenian ships
Losses Athens: 22 ships. Sparta: minimal.
Result Spartan victory
A Spartan fleet under Hegesandridas defeated an Athenian fleet off Eretria on Euboea, taking or destroying 22 of its 36 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Syme Fleet battle
411 BC · Off the island of Syme, south eastern Aegean
Fought between Sparta against Athens
Commanders Astyochus (Sparta); Charminus (Athens)
Forces At least 27 Spartan ships against about 20 Athenian ships
Losses Sparta: 3 ships. Athens: 6 ships.
Result Spartan victory
Charminus, warned by the Melians, waited at Syme for the Spartan fleet of Astyochus. The fleets met in a storm with poor visibility; Charminus attacked the Spartan left wing, the only part he could see, and sank three ships. The rest of the Spartan fleet then arrived and surrounded him, and he withdrew to Halicarnassus after losing six ships.
Why it is remembered It followed the new alliance between Sparta and Persia.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Cyzicus Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kyzikos
May or June 410 BC · Near Cyzicus, Sea of Marmara (modern Turkey)
Fought between Athens against Sparta and the Achaemenid Persian Empire
Commanders Alcibiades, Thrasybulus, Theramenes, Chaereas (Athens); Mindarus (killed), Hippocrates, Clearchus, Hermocrates, Pharnabazus (Sparta and Persia)
Forces 86 Athenian triremes against 60 to 80 Spartan triremes
Losses Athens: minimal. Sparta: the entire fleet.
Result Athenian victory
An Athenian fleet under Alcibiades, Thrasybulus and Theramenes routed and destroyed the Spartan fleet of Mindarus near Cyzicus. Mindarus was killed.
Why it is remembered Athens recovered a number of Hellespontine cities over the following year, and Sparta offered peace, which Athens rejected.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Sicilian Wars
Siege of Akragas (406 BC) Landing or siege
April to December 406 BC · Akragas (Agrigento), Sicily
Fought between Carthage against Akragas and Syracuse
Commanders Hannibal Mago, Himilco (Carthage); Daphnaeus, Dexippus (Greeks)
Forces 60,000 Carthaginians, 120 triremes and 1,000 transports against 35,000 Greeks, 40 triremes and a supply convoy
Losses Carthage: 6,000 killed, 15 triremes lost; Hannibal and many soldiers died of plague. Greeks: 8 triremes sunk, the supply convoy captured, the population massacred.
Result Carthaginian victory; Akragas sacked
A Carthaginian army under Hannibal Mago besieged Akragas for eight months in retaliation for Greek raids on Punic colonies. A Syracusan relief army defeated part of the besiegers and cut their supply lines, and plague killed Hannibal. His successor Himilco then used the Carthaginian fleet to capture a Greek supply convoy, which left the city facing starvation. The Sicilian Greek detachment and then most of the population left, and Himilco took and sacked the city.
Why it is remembered The capture of the supply convoy at sea decided the siege of one of the great Greek cities of Sicily.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Maglorbd (talk), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Arginusae Fleet battle
406 BC · Arginusae Islands, east of Lesbos (modern Dikili, İzmir, Turkey)
Fought between Athens against Sparta
Commanders Eight strategoi: Aristocrates, Aristogenes, Diomedon, Erasinides, Lysias, Pericles the Younger, Protomachus, Thrasyllus (Athens); Callicratidas (killed) (Sparta)
Forces 155 Athenian ships against 120 Spartan ships
Losses Athens: 25 ships disabled or sunk, and a great number of sailors drowned when a storm stopped the rescue. Sparta: 70 ships.
Result Athenian victory
To relieve Conon at Mytilene, Athens raised a scratch fleet of mostly new ships with inexperienced crews. Its commanders used new and unorthodox tactics and defeated the Spartans under Callicratidas, who was killed. A storm then prevented the rescue of crews from the 25 lost Athenian triremes.
Why it is remembered Athens tried and executed six of the eight generals for the failure to rescue the survivors. Slaves and metics who fought may have been granted citizenship.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: A. du Sein (colors added), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Mytilene (406 BC) Fleet battle
406 BC · Mytilene harbour, Lesbos
Fought between Sparta against Athens
Commanders Callicratidas (Sparta); Conon (Athens)
Forces 170 Spartan ships against 70 Athenian ships
Losses Athens: 30 ships in the battle, then 10 more ships of a relief squadron captured, and one blockade runner taken.
Result Spartan victory
Callicratidas caught Conon's fleet of seventy ships at sea and chased it into Mytilene harbour, where Conon lost thirty ships. Conon beached the other forty and was blockaded by sea and surrounded on land. One of two ships he sent to run the blockade escaped and carried the news to Athens.
Why it is remembered Athens sent a new fleet to relieve Conon, which led to the Battle of Arginusae.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Published by Guillaume Rouillé, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Notium Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Ephesus
406 BC · Near Ephesus and Notium (modern İzmir Province, Turkey)
Fought between Sparta against Athens
Commanders Lysander (Sparta); Antiochus (killed) (Athens)
Forces 90 Spartan ships against 80 Athenian ships
Losses Sparta: none. Athens: 22 ships (15 captured, 7 sunk).
Result Spartan victory
Alcibiades left his helmsman Antiochus in command of the Athenian fleet blockading Ephesus. Against orders, Antiochus tried to lure the Spartans out with a small decoy force, and Lysander defeated him.
Why it is remembered The small defeat brought about the downfall of Alcibiades and established Lysander as a commander who could beat Athens at sea.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Published by Guillaume Rouillé, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Peloponnesian War
Battle of Aegospotami Fleet battle
405 BC · Aegospotami, Hellespont (Çanakkale Province, Turkey)
Fought between Sparta, Corinth and the Peloponnesian League against Athens and the Delian League
Commanders Lysander, Aracus, Cleomedes of Samos (Sparta); Conon, Philocles, Adeimantus (Athens)
Forces 170 Spartan ships against 180 Athenian ships and 36,000 men
Losses Sparta: minimal. Athens: 160 ships; 3,000 sailors executed.
Result Spartan victory
A Spartan fleet under Lysander destroyed the Athenian navy in the Hellespont in the last major battle of the war.
Why it is remembered Without control of the sea Athens could not import grain or hold its empire; the city was besieged and surrendered, ending the Peloponnesian War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Published by Guillaume Rouillé, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Sicilian Wars
Battle of Catana (397 BC) Fleet battle
Summer 397 BC · Off Catana (Catania), Sicily
Fought between Carthage against Syracuse and the Sicilian Greeks
Commanders Mago (Carthage); Leptines of Syracuse (Greeks)
Forces 200 Carthaginian triremes and 300 transports against 180 Greek ships, mostly quinqueremes
Losses Greeks: 100 ships sunk or captured, 20,000 sailors drowned or captured. Carthage: light.
Result Carthaginian victory
The Greek fleet under Leptines, brother of Dionysius I, engaged the Carthaginian fleet under Mago near Catana. The Carthaginian army was away inland, detouring round the erupting Mount Etna, while the Greek army stood near the city. The Carthaginian fleet crushed the Greeks.
Why it is remembered The defeat opened the way to the Carthaginian siege of Syracuse later that year.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Corinthian War
Battle of Cnidus Fleet battle
394 BC · Off Cnidus, Aegean Sea (modern Yazıköy, Muğla, Turkey)
Fought between Achaemenid Persian Empire against Sparta
Commanders Pharnabazus, Conon (Persia); Peisander (killed) (Sparta)
Forces 90 Persian triremes against 85 Spartan triremes
Losses Persia: minimal. Sparta: the entire fleet.
Result Achaemenid victory
A fleet under the joint command of the satrap Pharnabazus and the former Athenian admiral Conon destroyed the Spartan fleet of the inexperienced Peisander, who was killed.
Why it is remembered It ended Sparta's brief bid for naval supremacy and strengthened the coalition resisting Spartan hegemony.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World
Battle of Pharos Fleet battle
384 to 383 BC · Off the island of Pharos (Hvar), Adriatic Sea
Fought between Syracusan Greeks against the Liburnians
Commanders Dionysius I of Syracuse (Greeks); unknown (Liburnians)
Forces 10,000 Liburnian men in 300 liburna ships; Greek strength unknown
Losses Liburnians: more than 5,000 killed and 2,000 prisoners. Greeks: unknown.
Result Greek victory; the siege of Pharos was lifted
The Liburnians of Zadar led a coalition of the eastern Adriatic coast against the Greek colonists and sailed with 300 ships to besiege the new Greek colony of Pharos on Hvar. The Syracusan fleet of Dionysius I was alerted and attacked the siege fleet.
Why it is remembered The victory let the Greeks continue colonising the southern Adriatic coast in relative safety.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Boeotian War
Battle of Naxos Fleet battle
376 BC · Off Naxos, Cyclades
Fought between Athens against Sparta
Commanders Chabrias, Phocion (Athens); unknown (Sparta)
Result Athenian victory
The new Athenian fleet of Chabrias decisively defeated the Spartans. The victory was decided by Phocion's action on the left wing.
Why it is remembered It began the recovery of Athenian hegemony in the Aegean after the loss of the Peloponnesian War.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Boeotian War
Battle of Alyzia Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Alyzeia; Battaglia di Alizia
375 or 374 BC · Off Alyzia, near the island of Leucas, Ionian Sea
Fought between Athens against Sparta
Commanders Timotheus (Athens); Nicolochus (Sparta)
Result Athenian victory
The Athenian fleet under Timotheus defeated the Spartan fleet of Nicolochus off Alyzia, near Leucas.
Why it is remembered From then on the Spartans had no fleet worth the name.
Sources differ The Italian account gives 375/374 BC; the English account on Naxos gives 374 BC.
Sources Wikipedia (IT) · Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Social War (357 to 355 BC)
Battle of Embata Fleet battle
Autumn 356 BC · Off Chios, Greece
Fought between Chios against Athens
Commanders Chares, Iphicrates, Timotheos (Athens)
Forces 120 Athenian vessels against 100 Chian triremes
Result Chian victory
A naval battle near Chios in which the Chians defeated an Athenian fleet led by Chares.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Lamian War
Battle of Amorgos Fleet battle
May or June 322 BC · Amorgos, Cyclades, Greece
Fought between Macedonia against Athens
Commanders Cleitus the White (Macedonia); Euetion (Athens)
Forces 240 Macedonian warships against 170 Athenian warships
Losses The Athenians seem to have suffered few losses.
Result Macedonian victory
The Macedonian navy under Cleitus the White defeated the Athenian navy under Euetion. Few details are known, but it was a clear Athenian defeat.
Why it is remembered Regarded as the decisive naval battle of the Lamian War, it marked the end of Athenian sea power and political independence.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Lamian War
Battle of the Echinades (322 BC) Fleet battle
Spring or summer 322 BC · Echinades islands, or off the Malian Gulf
Fought between Macedonia against Athens
Commanders Cleitus the White (Macedonia); Euetion (Athens)
Result Macedonian victory
One of the naval battles of the Lamian War, fought between the Macedonian navy under Cleitus the White and the Athenian navy, and won by Macedonia.
Sources differ The location is given as either the Echinades islands or the Malian Gulf.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Second War of the Diadochi
Battle of Byzantium (317 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Byzantion
317 BC · Near Byzantium (modern Istanbul, Turkey)
Fought between Antigonus and the enemies of Polyperchon against the supporters of Polyperchon
Commanders Antigonus Monophthalmus, Nicanor (Antigonids); Cleitus the White (executed) (Polyperchon's side)
Forces First battle: more than 100 Antigonid ships (Diodorus) or 130 (Polyaenus), against a slightly larger fleet. Second battle: 60 Antigonid ships at sea with a large force of archers, slingers and peltasts on land, against Cleitus's entire army and fleet.
Losses Antigonids: unknown. Cleitus: his entire force captured or killed.
Result Antigonid victory
Antigonus and Cleitus the White fought over two days near Byzantium. After a first naval clash, Antigonus attacked again from the sea with 60 ships while light troops attacked from the land, and Cleitus's whole force was captured or killed.
Why it is remembered It was described as a stunning Antigonid victory, and it freed Antigonus to cross to Europe.
Sources differ Antigonid strength in the first battle: more than 100 ships according to Diodorus, 130 according to Polyaenus.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Second War of the Diadochi
Battle of Rhosus Other action
Also known as Bytva pry Rossosi
About 317 BC · Rhosus, Gulf of Issus, eastern Cilicia
Fought between Antigonus I Monophthalmus against Eumenes, supporting the regent Polyperchon
Commanders Antigonus (Antigonids); Sosigenes (Eumenes' fleet)
Result Antigonid victory: Eumenes' Phoenician crews mutinied and went over to Antigonus
Eumenes had Phoenician cities build him a fleet, gathered at Rhosus in autumn 318 BC and loaded with money from Alexander's Cilician treasury. After beating Polyperchon's fleet at Byzantium, Antigonus sent his fleet, decorated with trophies and enemy rams, openly past the harbours of Asia Minor. When it approached Rhosus the Phoenician crews mutinied, plundered the treasure and went over to Antigonus. Eumenes' admiral Sosigenes was ashore watching the weather from the cliffs.
Why it is remembered Eumenes gave up his plans to fight for Europe and the coastal satrapies and marched east.
Sources Wikipedia (UK)
Image: Bibi Saint-Pol, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Wars of the Diadochi
Battle of Salamis (306 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Salamis in Cyprus (306 BC)
306 BC · Off Salamis, Cyprus
Fought between Antigonids against Ptolemaic Egypt
Commanders Demetrius Poliorcetes, Medius (Antigonids); Ptolemy I, Menelaus (captured) (Ptolemaics)
Forces About 180 Antigonid warships (30 of them Athenian) against 140 warships and 200 transports under Ptolemy, plus 60 warships under Menelaus
Losses Antigonids: 20 warships damaged. Ptolemaics: 80 warships lost, 40 warships and 100 transports captured; Menelaus' force surrendered.
Result Antigonid victory; Cyprus captured
Demetrius invaded Ptolemaic Cyprus, defeated Ptolemy's brother Menelaus and besieged him in Salamis. Ptolemy came in person with a large relief fleet, hoping to trap Demetrius between his own ships and a sortie by Menelaus. Demetrius left only a small force to block Menelaus and threw the rest against Ptolemy, destroying or capturing much of his fleet and army.
Why it is remembered After the victory Antigonus took the royal title, and most of the other Diadochi soon did the same; the battle placed the Antigonids in a position of supremacy in the Hellenistic world.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Heysham Overend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Wars of the Diadochi
Battle of Corcyra (298 or 297 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Korkyra; Bytva pry Kerkiri
298 or 297 BC · Off Corcyra (Corfu), western Greece
Fought between Agathocles of Syracuse against Cassander of Macedonia
Commanders Agathocles (Syracuse); Cassander (Macedonia)
Losses Macedonia: all its ships burned.
Result Syracusan victory
Cassander's fleet sailed round Greece and ferried his army across the strait to Corcyra, which was besieged by land and sea. The island called on Agathocles, who arrived with his fleet and attacked Cassander's ships at once. After a hard fight the Sicilians won completely and burned every enemy ship, leaving the Macedonian army ashore in a desperate position.
Why it is remembered Agathocles then let Cassander leave in return for recognising his rule over Corcyra, which he later gave as a dowry when his daughter Lanassa married Pyrrhus of Epirus.
Sources Wikipedia (UK)
The Ancient World · Sicilian Wars and Pyrrhic War
Battle of the Strait of Messina (276 BC) Fleet battle
276 BC · Strait of Messina
Fought between Carthage against Epirus
Commanders Unknown (Carthage); Pyrrhus of Epirus (Epirus)
Forces Carthaginian strength unknown, against 110 decked warships and hundreds of transports under Pyrrhus
Losses Epirus: 70 warships sunk and 28 damaged. Carthage: unknown.
Result Carthaginian victory
Pyrrhus, returning from Sicily to Italy after Roman successes against his Italian allies, was ferrying his troops to Rhegium when the Carthaginian navy attacked. It sank 70 of his ships and damaged 28, and the survivors, 12 warships and the transports, reached Locri.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Chremonidean War or the Syrian Wars
Battle of Cos Fleet battle
About 261 BC, or as late as 255 BC · Off Kos, Dodecanese
Fought between Antigonid Macedonia against Ptolemaic Egypt
Commanders Antigonus II Gonatas (Macedonia); possibly Patroclus, admiral of Ptolemy II (Egypt)
Result Macedonian victory
An Antigonid fleet led by Antigonus II Gonatas defeated a Ptolemaic fleet, possibly under Patroclus. Antigonus afterwards dedicated his flagship to Apollo.
Why it is remembered Modern scholars propose it as one of three battles that may have been the occasion for the Nike of Samothrace. It has been widely held to have damaged Ptolemaic control of the Aegean, though this is contested.
Sources differ The date falls between 262 and 256 BC: Hammond gives 255 BC, but 261 BC is now increasingly preferred.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of the Lipari Islands Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Lipara
260 BC · Lipara harbour, Aeolian Islands, Sicily
Fought between Carthage against the Roman Republic
Commanders Boödes, Hannibal Gisco (Carthage); Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina (captured) (Rome)
Forces 20 Carthaginian ships against 17 Roman ships
Losses Carthage: none. Rome: all 17 ships captured, with their commander.
Result Carthaginian victory
The consul Scipio impetuously took the advance squadron of Rome's new fleet to Lipara, where 20 Carthaginian ships under Boödes surprised him in the harbour. The inexperienced Romans lost all 17 ships and Scipio was taken.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval encounter of the Punic Wars and the first battle fought by Roman warships. Scipio was ransomed and known afterwards as Asina, Latin for female donkey.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jon Platek, Besvo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of Mylae Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Milazzo; Battaglia di capo Milazzo
260 BC · Off Mylae (Milazzo), Sicily
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Result Roman victory
A naval battle of the First Punic War off Mylae in Sicily, in which Rome defeated the experienced Carthaginian fleet.
Why it is remembered It was Rome's first naval victory over Carthage.
Sources Wikipedia (IT)
Image: John Steeple Davis (illustrator), No known copyright restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of the Point of Italy Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de la pointe d'Italie
260 BC, a few days before Mylae · Off the point of Italy, near the Strait of Messina
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Commanders Unknown (Rome); Hannibal Gisco (Carthage)
Forces 50 Carthaginian galleys; Roman strength not recorded
Losses Carthage: most of the 50 galleys sunk or captured.
Result Roman victory
Polybius records that Hannibal Gisco, having destroyed a first Roman squadron at Lipara, took fifty galleys to scout a new Roman fleet. He was surprised off the point of Italy, most of his ships were sunk or captured, and he escaped with difficulty. Polybius gives no Roman commanders, numbers or tactics.
Why it is remembered It may have been Rome's first naval victory, a few days before Mylae, which is traditionally given that title.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Probably the Second Syrian War
Battle of Ephesus (about 258 BC) Fleet battle
About 259 or 258 BC (disputed) · Off Ephesus, Asia Minor
Fought between Rhodes against Ptolemaic Egypt
Commanders Agathostratus (Rhodes); Chremonides (Ptolemaic Egypt)
Result Rhodian victory
The Rhodian fleet under Agathostratus defeated a Ptolemaic fleet under the Athenian admiral Chremonides near Ephesus. The battle is known only from a brief mention by Polyaenus.
Why it is remembered With Cos and Andros, it helped break Ptolemaic sea power in the Aegean in favour of Macedonia and Rhodes.
Sources differ Most scholars date it to about 259 or 258 BC during the Second Syrian War; others have proposed 245 to 242 BC in the Third Syrian War. Modern research places it between about 261 and 246 BC.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of Sulci Fleet battle
258 BC · Off Sulci, Sardinia
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Commanders Gaius Sulpicius Paterculus (Rome); Hannibal Gisco (Carthage)
Losses Carthage: most of the fleet sunk, the rest abandoned on land.
Result Roman victory
The consul Sulpicius Paterculus defeated the Carthaginian fleet off Sulci. Most of the Carthaginian ships were sunk and the rest abandoned ashore, and Hannibal Gisco was crucified or stoned to death by his mutinous army.
Why it is remembered The loss of ships stopped Carthage mounting major operations against Rome from Sardinia, although the Roman attempt to take the island failed.
Sources differ Hannibal Gisco's death is given as either crucifixion or stoning.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of Tyndaris Fleet battle
257 BC · Between Tyndaris (Tindari) and the Aeolian Islands, Sicily
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Commanders Gaius Atilius Regulus (Rome); Hamilcar (Carthage)
Forces Unknown on both sides
Losses Rome: 9 ships sunk. Carthage: 18 ships, 8 sunk and 10 captured.
Result Roman victory
A Roman fleet under Atilius Regulus fought a Carthaginian fleet under Hamilcar in the waters off Tyndaris, which Hiero II of Syracuse had allowed Carthage to use as a base. Rome won.
Why it is remembered Tyndaris afterwards fell to Rome.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of Cape Ecnomus Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Eknomos
256 BC · Off Cape Ecnomus, southern Sicily
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Commanders Marcus Atilius Regulus, Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus (Rome); Hamilcar, Hanno (Carthage)
Forces 330 Roman warships with 138,600 to 140,000 crew and marines against 350 Carthaginian ships with 147,000 to 150,000
Losses Rome: 24 ships sunk, 10,000 men killed. Carthage: 30 ships sunk, 64 captured, 30,000 to 40,000 men killed or captured.
Result Roman victory
A Roman fleet carrying about 26,000 legionaries to invade Africa was intercepted off southern Sicily by every warship Carthage could muster. The Carthaginians took the initiative and the battle broke into three separate fights, where they hoped their ship handling would prevail. After a long and confused day the Carthaginians were decisively beaten.
Why it is remembered With about 680 warships and up to 290,000 men, it was arguably the largest battle of ancient history and possibly the largest naval battle ever by number of combatants. It opened the way for the Roman invasion of Africa.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of Cape Bon (255 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Seeschlacht bei Kap Bon; Battle of Cape Hermaeum
255 BC · Off the north coast of Africa, near Cape Bon
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Forces About 370 Roman ships against about 200 Carthaginian ships
Losses Rome: insignificant. Carthage: 114 ships captured and 16 sunk. On the way back about 300 of the roughly 370 Roman ships and about 100,000 men were lost in a storm.
Result Decisive Roman victory
A Roman fleet defeated a Carthaginian fleet off the north African coast, capturing 114 ships and sinking 16. Most of the Roman fleet was lost in a storm on the voyage home.
Sources differ Roman strength: about 370 ships in the German account, 390 warships in the English account on the Roman withdrawal from Africa. Storm losses: about 300 ships (German) against 384 warships and 300 transports (English).
Sources Wikipedia (DE) · Wikipedia
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of Drepana Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Drepanum
249 BC · Off Drepana (modern Trapani), western Sicily
Fought between Carthage against the Roman Republic
Commanders Adherbal (Carthage); Publius Claudius Pulcher (Rome)
Forces 100 to 130 Carthaginian ships against at least 123 Roman ships
Losses Carthage: none recorded. Rome: 93 ships captured, an unknown number sunk, 20,000 men killed or captured.
Result Carthaginian victory
Claudius Pulcher, blockading Lilybaeum, sailed by night to surprise the Carthaginian fleet in Drepana harbour, but his ships became scattered in the dark. Adherbal led his fleet out to sea before it could be trapped and counter-attacked, pinning the Romans against the shore. After a day of fighting the more manoeuvrable Carthaginian ships with better trained crews won heavily.
Why it is remembered It was Carthage's greatest naval victory of the war; Rome did not put a substantial fleet to sea again for seven years.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Vercingetorix~commonswiki, CC BY-SA 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of Phintias Fleet battle
249 BC · Off Phintias (modern Licata), southern Sicily
Fought between Carthage against the Roman Republic
Commanders Carthalo (Carthage); Lucius Junius Pullus (Rome)
Forces 120 Carthaginian warships against 120 Roman warships and 800 transports
Losses Carthage: none. Rome: 17 ships sunk and 13 damaged in the battle; all but 2 ships destroyed in the storm that followed.
Result Carthaginian victory
The Carthaginian fleet intercepted the Roman fleet off Phintias and forced it to take shelter. Carthalo, warned by his pilots of a coming storm, withdrew east to avoid it. The Romans took no precautions, and the storm destroyed their fleet except for two ships.
Why it is remembered Carthage raided the coasts of Roman Italy until 243 BC, and Rome made no major naval effort until 242 BC.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Third Syrian War
Battle of Andros (246 BC) Fleet battle
246 or 245 BC · Off Andros, Cyclades
Fought between Antigonid Macedonia against the Ptolemaic Kingdom
Commanders Antigonus II Gonatas (Macedonia); probably Sophron of Ephesus, with Ptolemy Andromachou (Ptolemaic Egypt)
Forces The Egyptian fleet was numerically superior
Losses Egypt: Ptolemy Andromachou lost his ship and crew and barely escaped to Ephesus.
Result Antigonid victory
An obscure battle in which a smaller Macedonian fleet under Antigonus II Gonatas defeated a larger Egyptian fleet. The Egyptian captain Ptolemy Andromachou, a half-brother of the pharaoh, lost his ship and crew.
Why it is remembered Ptolemy III Euergetes lost control of the League of the Islanders to Antigonus Gonatas.
Sources differ The date is uncertain; 246 or 245 BC is generally accepted.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Henryhartley, translation: Ttzavaras, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · First Punic War
Battle of the Aegates Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Aegates Islands; Battle of the Egadi Islands
10 March 241 BC · Among the Aegates (Egadi) Islands, off western Sicily
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Commanders Gaius Lutatius Catulus, Quintus Valerius Falto (Rome); Hanno (Carthage)
Forces About 200 Roman quinqueremes against about 250 Carthaginian quinqueremes
Losses Rome: 30 quinqueremes sunk, 50 damaged. Carthage: 50 quinqueremes sunk, 70 captured, 10,000 men captured.
Result Roman victory; Treaty of Lutatius
Rome, almost bankrupt, borrowed money to build a fleet and extended its blockade of the Carthaginian strongholds in western Sicily to the sea. A larger Carthaginian fleet, laden with supplies and short of marines, tried to run in to Sicily and was intercepted. In a hard fight the better trained Romans defeated the undermanned Carthaginians.
Why it is remembered It was the final and deciding battle of the 23 year First Punic War: Carthage sued for peace, gave up Sicily and paid heavy reparations, and Rome became the leading military power in the western Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Illyrian Wars
Battle of Paxos Fleet battle
Spring 229 BC · Off the island of Paxos, Ionian Sea
Fought between Kingdom of Illyria and Acarnania against Corcyra, the Achaean League and the Aetolian League
Commanders Teuta (Illyria); Margos of Keryneia (killed) (Achaeans)
Forces The Illyrian fleet and 7 Acarnanian ships against 10 Achaean ships
Losses Greeks: 4 triremes taken and a quinquereme sunk.
Result Illyrian victory; an Illyrian garrison was installed on Corcyra
The battle followed Queen Teuta's siege of Corcyra. Polybius describes a cunning stratagem by the Illyrian fleet, which took four triremes and sank a quinquereme while the rest of the Greek ships escaped.
Why it is remembered Corcyra received an Illyrian garrison under one of Teuta's commanders.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Second Punic War
Battle of Lilybaeum (218 BC) Fleet battle
Summer 218 BC · Near Lilybaeum (Marsala), Sicily
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Commanders Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, praetor of Sicily (Rome); unknown (Carthage)
Forces 20 Roman quinqueremes and triremes against 35 Carthaginian quinqueremes
Losses Carthage: 7 ships captured. Rome: unknown.
Result Roman victory
Carthage sent 35 quinqueremes to raid Sicily, beginning with Lilybaeum. Warned by Hiero of Syracuse, the Romans intercepted them with 20 ships and captured several.
Why it is remembered It was the first clash between the Roman and Carthaginian navies in the Second Punic War.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Second Punic War
Battle of the Ebro River Fleet battle
Spring 217 BC · Mouth of the Ebro, present-day Catalonia, Spain
Fought between Roman Republic and Massalia against Carthage
Commanders Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus (Rome); Himilco (Carthage)
Forces 35 Roman ships (the main account gives 35 quinqueremes and 20 triremes) against about 40 Carthaginian quinqueremes
Losses Carthage: 29 quinqueremes, 4 sunk and 25 captured. Rome: unknown.
Result Roman victory
Hasdrubal Barca launched a joint land and sea expedition to destroy the Roman base north of the Ebro. The Roman ships surprised the Carthaginian squadron near the river mouth and defeated it completely.
Why it is remembered Carthage lost control of the seas around Iberia, and the victory encouraged some Iberian tribes under Carthaginian rule to rebel.
Sources differ Roman strength: 35 ships in one account, 35 quinqueremes and 20 triremes in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Second Punic War
Battle of Sapriportis Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Sapriporte
210 BC · About 15 miles off Tarentum (Taranto), Italy
Fought between Tarentum, allied with Carthage, against the Roman Republic
Commanders Democrates (Tarentum); Decimus Quinctius (Rome)
Forces 20 ships on each side
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result Tarentine victory
The Tarentine fleet, allied with Carthage, got the better of a Roman fleet of equal size off Tarentum.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Second Punic War
Battle of Carteia (206 BC) Single-ship action
206 BC · Near Carteia, Bay of Gibraltar, southern Spain
Fought between Roman Republic against Carthage
Commanders Gaius Laelius (Rome); Adherbal (Carthage)
Forces 1 Roman quinquereme and 7 triremes against 1 Carthaginian quinquereme and 8 triremes
Result Roman victory
A small naval action near Carteia in which the Roman squadron of Gaius Laelius defeated the Carthaginian squadron of Adherbal.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Cretan War
Battle of Chios (201 BC) Fleet battle
201 BC · Off Chios, Aegean Sea
Fought between Rhodes, Pergamum, Byzantium and Cyzicus against Macedon
Commanders Attalus I, Theophiliscus of Rhodes (died of wounds) (allies); Philip V of Macedon (Macedon)
Forces About 100 allied ships against about 200 Macedonian ships
Losses Macedon: 92 ships sunk, 7 captured, 9,000 dead, 2,000 captured. Rhodes: 3 ships sunk, 60 dead. Pergamum: 3 ships sunk, 2 captured, 70 dead.
Result Victory for Rhodes and its allies
Macedon and its pirate and Cretan allies had been attacking Rhodian shipping since 205 BC. The fleets of Pergamum, Byzantium and Cyzicus joined the Rhodians and defeated Philip's fleet off Chios.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Cretan War
Battle of Lade (201 BC) Fleet battle
201 BC · Strait between Lade and Miletus (modern Turkey)
Fought between Macedon against Rhodes
Commanders Philip V of Macedon (Macedon); Cleonaeus of Rhodes (Rhodes)
Result Macedonian victory
Continuing the fighting after Chios, Philip's fleet attacked the Rhodian fleet as it sailed through the strait between Lade and Miletus, defeated it and forced it back to Rhodes.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Roman Seleucid War
Battle of Corycus Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kissos
September 191 BC · Off Corycus, Ionia (modern Turkey)
Fought between Roman Republic, Pergamon and Carthage against the Seleucid Empire
Commanders Gaius Livius Salinator, Eumenes II (allies); Polyxenidas (Seleucids)
Forces 81 Roman quinqueremes, 24 Roman apertae, 24 Pergamene triremes and 26 Pergamene apertae against 70 decked ships and 100 to 130 apertae
Losses Allies: 1 ship seized. Seleucids: 13 ships seized, 10 sunk.
Result Roman and Pergamene victory
Polyxenidas attacked the allied fleet off Corycus. The Roman squadron manoeuvred seaward, cancelling the Seleucid numerical advantage, then grappled and boarded the Seleucid ships, overwhelming their smaller crews with marines. Polyxenidas withdrew after losing 23 warships.
Why it is remembered The allies could then blockade the rest of the Seleucid fleet in Ephesus.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Internet Archive Book Images, No known restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Roman Seleucid War
Battle of the Eurymedon (190 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Side
August 190 BC · Off Side, at the mouth of the Eurymedon River (Antalya, Turkey)
Fought between Rhodes against the Seleucid Empire
Commanders Eudamus, Pamphilidas, Charikleitos (Rhodes); Hannibal, Apollonius (Seleucids)
Forces 38 Rhodian ships against 47 Seleucid ships
Losses Rhodes: 10 ships damaged. Seleucids: 1 ship seized, 20 damaged.
Result Rhodian victory
Hannibal, serving the Seleucid king, attacked the Rhodian fleet lying in the mouth of the Eurymedon. After some initial confusion the Rhodians carried out the diekplous manoeuvre against the Seleucid seaward wing, and half of the Seleucid ships were badly damaged and withdrew.
Why it is remembered Hannibal kept most of his fleet but could not reinforce the Seleucid ships at Ephesus, which left them isolated and let Rome proceed with its invasion of Seleucid Asia Minor.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Fratelli Alinari, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Roman Seleucid War
Battle of Myonessus Fleet battle
September 190 BC · Off Myonessus, between Myonessus and the Corycus peninsula (modern Turkey)
Fought between Roman Republic and Rhodes against the Seleucid Empire
Commanders Lucius Aemilius Regillus, Eudamus (Rome and Rhodes); Polyxenidas (Seleucids)
Forces 58 Roman and 22 Rhodian ships against 89 Seleucid ships
Losses Rome and Rhodes: 2 ships sunk, 1 captured. Seleucids: 29 ships sunk, 13 captured.
Result Roman and Rhodian victory
Polyxenidas attacked as the allied fleet was putting to sea. The Romans and Rhodians held the first assault and formed line, then Eudamus took the Rhodian squadron to the Roman right, blocked a Seleucid attempt at encirclement and overpowered the seaward wing. Polyxenidas withdrew, having lost half his fleet.
Why it is remembered It secured Roman control of the Aegean and opened the way to the invasion of Seleucid Asia Minor.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Roman Seleucid War
Battle of Panormus (190 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Panhormus; Bytva u Panormi
Spring 190 BC · Harbour of Panormus, north east Samos, near Cape Palinurus
Fought between Seleucid Empire against Rhodes, an ally of Rome
Commanders Polyxenidas, Nikandros (Seleucids); Pausistratus (killed) (Rhodes)
Forces 70 Seleucid ships; the Rhodian strength at Panormus is not given (the Rhodians had arrived in Ionia with 36 ships)
Losses Rhodes: many ships lost or captured; Pausistratus killed. Seven ships escaped.
Result Seleucid victory
Polyxenidas, an exiled Rhodian serving Antiochus III, deceived Pausistratus with a secret offer to betray the Seleucid fleet, while quietly readying 70 ships at Ephesus. He sailed to Samos and landed troops under Nikandros behind the Rhodian camp, forcing Pausistratus to break out of the harbour in disorder. Pausistratus' flagship was rammed by three quinqueremes and he was killed; seven ships, two of them from Cos, escaped by carrying iron fire braziers on their bows.
Why it is remembered The Romans abandoned their operations in the Hellespont and moved south to blockade Polyxenidas again at Ephesus.
Sources Wikipedia (UK)
Image: Auguste Giraudon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Third Punic War
Battle of Lake Tunis Landing or siege
27 July 149 BC · Lake of Tunis, Tunisia
Fought between Carthage against the Roman Republic
Commanders Himilco Phameas (Carthage); Lucius Marcius Censorinus, Manius Manilius, Scipio Aemilianus (Rome)
Forces More than 6,000 Roman troops and more than 200 ships; Carthaginian strength unknown
Losses Rome: 800 killed and 135 ships. Carthage: unknown, light.
Result Carthaginian victory
A series of engagements in which the consuls Manilius and Censorinus, leading separate forces, made several failed attempts to breach the walls of Carthage. The Carthaginians then sent fire ships against the Roman fleet and destroyed most of it.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Third Punic War
Battle of the Port of Carthage Fleet battle
Summer 147 BC · Outside the port of Carthage, Gulf of Tunis, Tunisia
Fought between Carthage against the Roman Republic
Commanders Hasdrubal the Boetharch (Carthage); Scipio Aemilianus, Lucius Hostilius Mancinus (Rome)
Forces 50 Carthaginian triremes and some smaller vessels; Roman strength unknown
Losses Carthage: some smaller vessels sunk. Rome: heavy casualties.
Result Carthaginian victory, but the Roman blockade was not broken
During the siege of Carthage the Carthaginians found an unwatched way to the sea and put their fleet out to engage the Roman blockaders. They repulsed the Roman attacks at first, then turned back for port, with their smaller ships covering the harbour entrance and forcing the Romans into shallow water. Most Carthaginian ships were back in port by dawn.
Why it is remembered The Carthaginian success was not enough to break the Roman blockade of the besieged city.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · First Mithridatic War
Battle of Tenedos (86 BC) Fleet battle
86 BC · Near the island of Tenedos (modern Bozcaada, Çanakkale, Turkey)
Fought between Roman Republic and allies against the Kingdom of Pontus
Commanders Lucius Licinius Lucullus (Rome); Neoptolemus (Pontus)
Result Roman victory
After two smaller naval actions, Lucullus found the main Pontic fleet near Tenedos. He sailed in a ship commanded by the experienced Rhodian Damagoras, who steered straight for Neoptolemus and evaded his attempt to ram head on, and Lucullus went on to defeat the Pontic fleet.
Why it is remembered It ended Pontic naval supremacy in the Aegean and allowed Rome to begin ferrying its army into Asia Minor.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Third Mithridatic War
Battle of Chalcedon (74 BC) Landing or siege
74 BC · Chalcedon (modern Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey)
Fought between Kingdom of Pontus against the Roman Republic
Commanders Mithridates VI (Pontus); Marcus Aurelius Cotta (Rome)
Forces 136,000 to 162,000 Pontic men and 400 ships against an unknown number of Romans and 64 ships
Losses Pontus: 730 killed. Rome: 7,000 to 13,300 killed, 4,500 captured, and all 64 ships (4 burned, 60 captured).
Result Pontic victory
In the first major clash of the Third Mithridatic War, Mithridates defeated the consul Cotta near Chalcedon on both land and sea.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Third Mithridatic War
Battle of Neae Raid
Also known as Bitwa morska pod Neae
74 BC · Islet of Neae, Aegean Sea, between Lemnos and Skyros
Fought between Roman Republic against Pontus and its Greek allies
Commanders Lucullus (Rome); Marcus Marius, Alexander, Dionysius (Pontus)
Forces 32 Pontic ships
Losses Pontus: many killed and the fleet destroyed; Marius executed, Dionysius took poison, Alexander kept for Lucullus' triumph.
Result Roman victory
After beating an enemy squadron near the Harbour of the Achaeans, Lucullus surprised the Pontic Aegean fleet with all 32 ships drawn up on the beach of Neae. When the enemy refused to come out, he sailed round the island, landed infantry and drove them onto their ships. Unwilling to put to sea, they rowed along the shore under missiles from land and sea until they broke and fled.
Why it is remembered The destruction of the fleet gave Rome control of the Aegean and opened the way for Lucullus' land offensive into Bithynia and Pontus.
Sources differ The Polish account dates it to 74 BC; the English account on the Battle of Lemnos, fought against the same Pontic commanders, gives 73 BC.
Sources Wikipedia (PL)
The Ancient World · Third Mithridatic War
Battle of Lemnos (73 BC) Fleet battle
73 BC · Lemnos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Roman Republic against Pontus
Commanders Lucius Licinius Lucullus (Rome); Marcus Marius (or Varius), Alexander the Paphlagonian, Dionysius the eunuch (Pontus)
Result Roman victory
A Roman fleet under Lucullus defeated a Mithridatic fleet at Lemnos. The main accounts are by Appian, Cicero and Memnon, and they differ on the details.
Why it is remembered It was a decisive event of the Third Mithridatic War.
Sources differ Appian, Cicero and Memnon disagree on the specifics.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: edited by M.Minderhoud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Pompey's campaign against the pirates
Battle of Korakesion Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Coracaesium
67 BC · Off Korakesion (modern Alanya, Antalya, Turkey)
Fought between Roman Republic against the Cilician pirates
Commanders Pompey (Rome); unknown (pirates)
Forces 200 Roman ships against about 1,000 pirate ships (Roman claims; Plutarch's figure for the pirates is almost certainly exaggerated)
Losses Pirates: 3,000 surrendered. Rome: unknown.
Result Roman victory
The pirates were beaten in the opening naval engagement. Florus says it was not hard fought, as most of them soon saw they were outclassed and surrendered. The rest retreated ashore and were besieged in Coracaesium until they gave up.
Why it is remembered Plutarch describes it as the key battle in Pompey's clearing of the Mediterranean of pirates.
Sources differ Pirate fleet: about 1,000 ships according to Plutarch, a figure considered almost certainly exaggerated.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Gunnar Bach Pedersen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Gallic Wars
Battle of Morbihan Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Quiberon Bay (56 BC)
Summer 56 BC · Off the coast of Brittany, likely near Quiberon Bay, France
Fought between Roman Republic against the Veneti
Commanders Julius Caesar, Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus (Rome)
Forces 220 Venetic ships; Roman strength unknown
Losses Veneti: almost all ships destroyed or captured. Rome: light.
Result Decisive Roman victory
A Roman fleet sent by Julius Caesar fought the fleet of the Gallic Veneti off Brittany and destroyed or captured nearly all of it.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Caesar's Civil War
Siege of Massilia Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Marseille (49 BC)
19 April to 6 September 49 BC · Massilia (Marseille) and the western Mediterranean
Fought between Supporters of Julius Caesar against the city of Massilia and supporters of Pompey
Commanders Gaius Trebonius (siege), Decimus Brutus (naval blockade) (Caesarians); Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (Massilia)
Forces About 15,000 Caesarian legionaries (three legions) and 12 to 22 ships, against about 8,000 Massiliot militia and 17 to 34 ships
Losses Caesarians: 1,100 killed. Massilia and Pompeians: 4,000 killed.
Result Caesarian victory; Massilia annexed by Rome
Gaius Trebonius besieged Massilia by land while Decimus Brutus, Caesar's naval expert, blockaded it by sea. Brutus fought two naval engagements, the first against 17 Massiliot ships and the second against 34, including Nasidius's Pompeian relief squadron, and his fleet grew from 12 ships to 22. The city surrendered in September.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Edward Stanford Ltd., London, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Caesar's Civil War (Siege of Massilia)
Battle of Tauroento Fleet battle
31 July 49 BC · Off Tauroento, near Massilia (Marseille), France
Fought between Caesarians against the Pompeians and the city of Massilia
Commanders Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus (Caesarians); Lucius Nasidius, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (Pompeians and Massilia)
Forces 18 Caesarian ships against 34 (17 Pompeian and 17 Massiliot)
Losses Massilia: 5 ships sunk and 4 captured. Caesarians: unknown.
Result Caesarian victory
After an earlier victory outside Massilia, Brutus' Caesarian fleet met the Massiliot fleet and a Pompeian relief fleet under Nasidius. Although heavily outnumbered, the Caesarians won.
Why it is remembered The siege of Massilia could continue, and the city eventually surrendered.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Caesar's Civil War
Battle of Tauris Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Tauris
March 47 BC · Off Tauris (likely modern Šipan, Croatia), Dalmatian coast
Fought between Caesarians against Pompeians
Commanders Publius Vatinius (Caesarians); Marcus Octavius (wounded) (Pompeians)
Losses Pompeians: 1 quinquereme destroyed; 2 triremes, 8 biremes, 8 two-banked galleys and other small ships captured. Caesarians: none.
Result Caesarian victory
A Caesarian fleet under Publius Vatinius defeated the Pompeian fleet of Marcus Octavius off the coast of Dalmatia.
Sources Wikipedia (ES) · Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Caesar's Civil War
Battle of Carteia (46 BC) Single-ship action
46 BC · Carteia, Bay of Gibraltar, southern Spain
Fought between Caesarians against Pompeians
Commanders Gaius Didius (Caesarians); Publius Attius Varus (Pompeians)
Forces A small fleet on each side
Losses Light on both sides
Result Caesarian victory
A minor naval battle late in the civil war, won by Caesar's legate Gaius Didius against the Pompeian Attius Varus.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Caesar's Civil War
Battle of Hippo Regius Fleet battle
46 BC · Off Hippo Regius (Annaba, Algeria)
Fought between Caesarians and Mauretania against the Optimates
Commanders Publius Sittius (Caesarians); Metellus Scipio, Lucius Manlius Torquatus, Publius Damasippus, Plaetorius Rustianus (Optimates)
Losses Optimates: very high; Scipio killed himself and the other senators were killed. Caesarians: low.
Result Caesarian victory
Metellus Scipio and several leading senators of the Optimate faction were fleeing by sea after the defeat at Thapsus when their fleet was intercepted and destroyed by Publius Sittius, a mercenary commander serving Caesar's ally King Bocchus of Mauretania. Scipio took his own life and the other senators were killed.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Liberators' civil war
Battle of Cape Myndus Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Myndos; Bitwa koło przylądka Mindos
43 BC · Off Cape Myndus (Myndos), Caria, Asia Minor
Fought between Roman fleet of Gaius Cassius against Rhodes
Commanders Gaius Cassius Longinus (Romans); unknown (Rhodes)
Forces 80 Roman ships against 33 Rhodian ships
Losses Rhodes: 3 ships captured with their crews, 2 sunk. Cassius: none lost, some damaged.
Result Victory for Cassius
After taking Laodicea, Cassius turned on Rhodes, which favoured his opponents. The Rhodian fleet sailed out to stop him and fought hard, its light ships faster than Cassius's heavy quinqueremes, but the larger Roman fleet surrounded it. The surviving Rhodian ships escaped to Rhodes, damaged.
Why it is remembered Cassius then attacked Rhodes and took the city after a short siege, and the eastern part of the Roman world came under Cassius and Marcus Brutus.
Sources differ The Polish account dates it to 43 BC; the French account on the Battle of Rhodes, which follows it, gives 42 BC.
Sources Wikipedia (PL) · Wikipédia (FR)
The Ancient World · Liberators' civil war
Battle of the Ionian Sea (42 BC) Convoy battle
Also known as Bitwa na Morzu Jońskim
42 BC · Ionian Sea, between Brundisium and Dyrrachium
Fought between Republican fleet against the triumvirs' fleet
Commanders Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, Staius Murcus (Republicans); Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus (triumvirs)
Forces 130 Republican warships against more than 20 warships and 100 transports carrying two legions, 2,000 bodyguards and cavalry
Losses Triumvirs: many soldiers killed, including veterans, and 17 triremes captured with their crews.
Result Republican victory
While the armies fought at Philippi, Calvinus sailed from Brundisium for Dyrrachium with reinforcements. Ahenobarbus and Murcus intercepted him in the Ionian Sea, surrounded part of the transports and destroyed them one after another with burning missiles. Many men saved themselves by swimming ashore on wreckage; Calvinus escaped back to Brundisium.
Sources Wikipedia (PL)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Liberators' civil war
Battle of Rhodes (42 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille navale de Rhodes
42 BC · Off Rhodes
Fought between Roman fleet of Gaius Cassius against Rhodes
Commanders Gaius Cassius Longinus (Romans); unknown (Rhodes)
Forces 80 Roman ships; Rhodian strength not given
Losses Rhodes: 2 ships lost, then the whole fleet surrendered.
Result Victory for Cassius; Rhodes capitulated
Fresh from his hard won victory at Myndus, Cassius sailed against Rhodes. The Rhodian fleet came out to meet him, was surrounded, and surrendered after losing two ships.
Why it is remembered Rhodes, unprepared for a siege, capitulated shortly afterwards.
Sources differ The French account gives 42 BC; the Polish account on the preceding Battle of Myndus gives 43 BC.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Sicilian revolt (Roman civil wars)
Battle of Cumae (38 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Cuma (38 a.C.)
38 BC · Off Cumae, Italy
Fought between Octavian against Sextus Pompey
Commanders Gaius Calvisius Sabinus (Octavian); Menecrates (Sextus Pompey)
Result Victory for Octavian
Calvisius Sabinus was bringing a fleet from Etruria to join Octavian when he fought Menecrates' ships near Cumae. The delay meant he reached the Strait of Messina only near the end of the battle there, by which time Octavian had been defeated.
Sources Wikipedia (IT)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Sicilian revolt (Roman civil wars)
Battle of the Strait of Messina (38 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Bitwa morska w Cieśninie Mesyńskiej
38 BC · Strait of Messina, off Messana
Fought between Sextus Pompey against Octavian
Commanders Sextus Pompey, Demochares (Pompeians); Octavian, Cornificius, Calvisius Sabinus, Menodorus (Octavian)
Losses Octavian: almost half his fleet. Sextus Pompey: a few ships.
Result Pompeian victory
As soon as Octavian's fleet came in sight, Sextus attacked and pushed it towards the rocks, where many ships were wrecked and Octavian had to go ashore. Cornificius counter-attacked and even took Demochares' ship. The arrival of Calvisius Sabinus and Menodorus from Cumae saved Octavian from complete defeat; Sextus withdrew and nightfall ended the battle.
Sources Wikipedia (PL)
The Ancient World · Sicilian revolt (war between Sextus Pompey and the Second Triumvirate)
Battle of Mylae (36 BC) Fleet battle
Also known as Seeschlacht von Mylae
11 August 36 BC · Off Mylae (Milazzo), northern Sicily
Fought between Second Triumvirate against the Pompeians
Commanders Agrippa (Second Triumvirate); Papias (Pompeians)
Losses Triumvirate: 5 ships. Pompeians: 30 ships.
Result Second Triumvirate victory
Agrippa's fleet defeated the Pompeian fleet of Sextus Pompey, led by Papias, off Mylae.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Sicilian revolt
Battle of Naulochus Fleet battle
3 September 36 BC · Off Naulochus, north east Sicily
Fought between Octavian against the Pompeians
Commanders Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (Octavian); Sextus Pompey (Pompeians)
Forces 300 ships on each side
Losses Octavian: 3 ships. Pompeians: 28 ships sunk, 17 fled, the rest captured.
Result Victory for Octavian
Agrippa, Octavian's admiral, defeated the fleet of Sextus Pompey off Naulochus.
Why it is remembered It ended Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Sicilian revolt (Roman civil wars)
Battle of Tauromenium Fleet battle
Also known as Bitwa morska pod Tauromenium
36 BC · Off Tauromenium (Taormina), Sicily
Fought between Sextus Pompey against Octavian
Commanders Sextus Pompey (Pompeians); Octavian, Quintus Cornificius (Octavian)
Losses Octavian: a large part of his fleet burned, most of the crews of the burned ships killed, many survivors captured.
Result Pompeian victory
After leaving Mylae, Sextus Pompey's fleet sailed to Tauromenium, where Octavian and Cornificius were operating. Octavian, caught by surprise, put to sea to escape, but was overtaken and fought all day. Much of his fleet was burned and the rest fled to Italy; Octavian escaped in a small boat, and Cornificius marched overland to join Agrippa at Tyndaris.
Sources Wikipedia (PL)
The Ancient World · War of Actium (final war of the Roman Republic)
Battle of Actium Fleet battle
2 September 31 BC · Ionian Sea, near the promontory of Actium, Greece
Fought between Octavian against Mark Antony and Ptolemaic Egypt
Commanders Octavian, Marcus Agrippa, Lucius Arruntius, Marcus Lurius (Octavian); Mark Antony, Gaius Sosius, Lucius Gellius, Cleopatra (Antony and Egypt)
Forces 250 to 400 galleys, 16,000 infantry on board and 3,000 archers, against 250 to 500 larger galleys, 30 to 50 transports, 20,000 to 70,000 infantry on board and 2,000 archers
Losses Octavian: about 2,500 killed. Antony and Cleopatra: over 5,000 killed and 250 ships sunk or captured.
Result Victory for Octavian
Agrippa cut Antony's communications with Egypt, trapping his army and fleet at Actium by land and sea, and parts of Antony's army deserted. Antony's fleet sailed out through the straits to break the blockade and was routed by Octavian's smaller, more manoeuvrable ships. Antony escaped with the help of Cleopatra's squadron waiting nearby.
Why it is remembered Octavian went on to defeat Antony at Alexandria in 30 BC, after which Antony and Cleopatra took their own lives. As Augustus he consolidated his power, and historians see the outcome as the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Sources differ Fleet sizes vary in the sources: 250 to 400 galleys for Octavian, 250 to 500 for Antony; the main account gives 400 and 500 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Roman conquest of Raetia and the Alps
Battle of Lake Constance Fleet battle
Also known as Lacus Brigantinus; Seeschlacht auf dem Bodensee
Spring 15 BC · Lake Constance
Fought between Roman Empire against Celtic tribes
Commanders Tiberius (Rome)
Forces 10,000 Roman legionaries
Result Roman victory
A small naval battle on Lake Constance between Roman forces under Tiberius and Celtic tribes, won by Rome.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Wars at the end of the Han dynasty
Battle of Jiangxia Fleet battle
Spring of 208 · Mouth of the Mian River (Miankou), Jiangxia Commandery, present-day eastern Hubei, China
Fought between Sun Quan against Liu Biao
Commanders Zhou Yu, Lü Meng, Ling Tong and Dong Xi (Sun Quan); Huang Zu, Chen Jiu and Zhang Shuo, all killed (Liu Biao)
Forces Sun Quan: 25,000. Huang Zu: over 30,000, with two large mengchong ships anchored across the river
Losses Huang Zu's side: 30,000, with tens of thousands captured; his fleet was destroyed
Result Decisive victory for Sun Quan; Huang Zu was killed
Huang Zu stayed behind the walls of Jiangxia and had his admiral Chen Jiu anchor two large ox-hide covered mengchong ships across the river, while archers and men on a cliff above shot at and stoned approaching vessels. Ling Tong killed the vanguard commander Zhang Shuo in a surprise attack, but Zhou Yu's ships were held up for hours. Ling Tong and Dong Xi then led 100 armoured volunteers who broke the links between the two mengchong, Lü Meng killed Chen Jiu, and Huang Zu's fleet was destroyed. Jiangxia was captured and its population massacred, and Huang Zu was caught and killed as he fled.
Why it is remembered It was the last of a series of engagements between Sun Quan and Liu Biao's general Huang Zu; Huang Zu's head was offered at the temple of Sun Quan's father.
Sources differ One account gives 30,000 losses without clearly assigning them; another account speaks of tens of thousands of captives.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Wars at the end of the Han dynasty
Battle of Red Cliffs Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Chibi (赤壁之戰)
Winter 208 to 209 · Yangtze River, China; the exact site is disputed, most widely placed near Chibi City, Hubei
Fought between Allied forces of Sun Quan, Liu Bei and Liu Qi against Cao Cao
Commanders Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Liu Bei, with Lu Su and Gan Ning (allies); Cao Cao
Forces About 50,000 allied marines (30,000 of Sun Quan and 20,000 of Liu Bei) against an army Cao Cao claimed at 800,000 and Zhou Yu estimated at 220,000 to 240,000
Losses Allies: unknown. Cao Cao: heavy, with many men and horses burned or drowned and more lost in the retreat along the Huarong road.
Result Allied victory
Cao Cao's fleet on the Yangtze was chained stem to stern, possibly to ease seasickness among his northern crews. Huang Gai sent a false offer of surrender and then came on with a squadron of mengchong doujian warships turned into fire ships, loaded with kindling, dry reeds and oil. Driven by a south easterly wind, they set Cao Cao's fleet ablaze, and his army retreated through marshland with further heavy losses.
Why it is remembered It stopped Cao Cao from crossing south of the Yangtze and laid the ground for the states of Shu Han and Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period. It is a central episode of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and of John Woo's 2008 film Red Cliff.
Sources differ Cao Cao's strength: 800,000 by his own claim, 220,000 to 240,000 or about 230,000 by Zhou Yu's estimate. Number of fire ships: several tens in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, ten in the Zizhi Tongjian. Date given as winter 208 and as 208 to 209. The site is disputed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Civil wars of the Tetrarchy
Battle of the Hellespont (324) Fleet battle
July 324 · The Hellespont (Dardanelles), Turkey
Fought between Constantine I against Licinius
Commanders Crispus (Constantine); Abantus or Amandus (Licinius)
Forces 200 Constantinian ships against 350 Licinian ships
Result Constantinian victory
Two separate naval clashes in the Hellespont between a Constantinian fleet under Crispus, eldest son of Constantine I, and a larger fleet under Licinius' admiral. Despite being outnumbered, Crispus won a very complete victory.
Sources Wikipedia
The Ancient World · Wars between the Western Roman Empire and the Vandals
Battle of Corsica Fleet battle
456 · Corsica
Fought between Western Roman Empire against the Vandals
Commanders Ricimer (Western Roman Empire); unknown (Vandals)
Forces 60 Vandal ships; Roman strength unknown
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result Roman victory
A Vandal fleet of 60 ships sailed from Carthage, threatening Gaul and Italy. Defeated at Agrigentum by Ricimer, commander of the forces in Italy acting for Emperor Avitus, the Vandals sailed on to Corsica, where Ricimer attacked and defeated them again.
Why it is remembered Ricimer returned to Italy as a hero, then turned against Avitus and defeated him at Placentia.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Ancient World · Wars of Majorian (Roman Germanic wars)
Battle of Cartagena (461) Raid
Also known as Battle of Elche
13 May 460 or 461 · Portus Ilicitanus (today Santa Pola), Bay of Alicante, Spain
Fought between Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans against the Western Roman Empire
Forces 300 Roman ships; Vandal strength unknown
Result Victory for the Vandals and Alans
A Vandal force captured the ships of Emperor Majorian at Portus Ilicitanus, the port of Elche, on the coast of the province of Carthaginensis. A contemporary chronicle records that in that year ships were captured by the Vandals at Elche near Cartagena.
Sources differ The year is given as either 460 or 461. Despite the name, the battle was fought at Santa Pola, not at Cartagena.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexandre Vigo, Roxanna, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ancient World · Vandalic War (461 to 468)
Battle of Cape Bon (468) Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of the Mercury Promontory
468 · Off the Mercury Promontory (Cape Bon), Tunisia
Fought between Vandal and Alan Kingdom against the Western and Eastern Roman Empires
Commanders Gaiseric (Vandals); Basiliscus, Marcellinus, Heraclius of Edessa (Romans)
Forces 1,113 Roman ships and over 50,000 men; Vandal strength unknown
Losses Romans: over 100 ships sunk and about 10,000 soldiers and sailors killed. Vandals: unknown.
Result Vandal and Alan victory
A joint expedition of the Western and Eastern Empires under Basiliscus, one of the largest amphibious operations of antiquity, tried to land near Carthage. Using a favourable wind, the Vandals sent fire ships into the Roman fleet and threw it into disorder, then followed up and sank more than 100 ships. The fleet was left too scattered to land its troops, and the expedition failed.
Why it is remembered It is considered to have ended the Western Roman Empire's chances of survival, since without Africa's resources the West could not keep an army strong enough to beat its enemies.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Gothic War (535 to 554)
Battle of Sena Gallica Fleet battle
Autumn 551 · Off Sena Gallica (Senigallia), Adriatic coast of Italy
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Ostrogothic Kingdom
Commanders John, Valerian (Byzantines); Indulf, Gibal (captured) (Ostrogoths)
Forces 50 Byzantine warships against 47 Gothic warships
Losses Goths: 36 ships lost, the rest burned afterwards. Byzantines: unknown.
Result Byzantine victory
King Totila had built a fleet and was besieging Ancon by land and sea. The Byzantine generals Valerian and John the Sanguinary gathered a fleet and sailed to relieve it. With fleets of similar size, the Goths gave battle, but the experienced Byzantine crews kept formation while the Gothic fleet fell into disorder.
Why it is remembered It was a turning point of the Gothic War: the Goths abandoned the siege of Ancon and their attempt to deny the seas to Byzantium.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of the Masts Fleet battle
Also known as Maʿrakat Dhat al-Sawari; Battle of Phoenix
654 or 655 · Off Phoenix on the Lycian coast (modern Finike, Turkey)
Fought between Rashidun Caliphate against the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Muʿawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, Abu al-Aʿwar, Abd Allah ibn Saʿd (Caliphate); Emperor Constans II (Byzantium)
Forces 200 Arab ships against 500 Byzantine ships (1,000 according to Theophanes)
Losses Caliphate: heavy. Byzantium: almost all its ships.
Result Rashidun victory
The fleet of Muʿawiya, governor of Syria, under his admiral Abu al-Aʿwar, met a much larger Byzantine fleet led by Emperor Constans II off the Lycian coast and destroyed it.
Why it is remembered It was part of Muʿawiya's first campaign to reach Constantinople and is considered the first decisive conflict of Islam at sea.
Sources differ Byzantine fleet: 500 ships, or 1,000 according to Theophanes. Date: 654 or 655.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Goguryeo Tang War
Battle of Baekgang Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Baekgang-gu; Battle of Hakusukinoe (Japan); Battle of Baijiangkou (China)
27 to 28 August 663 (lunar calendar); 4 to 5 October 663 (Julian calendar) · Baengma River (Baek River), lower Geum River, Korea
Fought between Tang China and Silla against Yamato Japan, the Paekche restoration forces and Tamna
Commanders Su Dingfang (Tang); Abe no Hirafu, Echi no Takutsu (killed), Buyeo Pung (Yamato and Paekche)
Forces 13,000 Tang troops and 170 Tang ships, with Silla cavalry, against 42,000 Yamato troops and 800 Yamato ships with Paekche and Tamna forces
Losses Yamato and Paekche: 400 ships, 10,000 troops and 1,000 horses. Tang and Silla: unknown, but much lighter.
Result Decisive victory for Tang and Silla
Yamato Japan sent a large fleet and army to support the movement to restore the kingdom of Paekche. It met the Tang fleet and Silla forces on the lower reaches of the Geum River and was decisively defeated, losing 400 ships.
Why it is remembered Yamato withdrew completely from Korean affairs, the Paekche restoration movement was crushed, and Paekche was absorbed by the Silla and Tang alliance.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: stillsky@protonmail.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Arab-Byzantine wars
Siege of Constantinople (674 to 678) Landing or siege
Also known as First Arab siege of Constantinople; includes the Battle of Syllaeum
674 to 678 (disputed) · Constantinople and the Sea of Marmara
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Umayyad Caliphate
Commanders Constantine IV (Byzantium); Mu'awiya I, Yazid ibn Mu'awiya, Sufyan ibn Awf, Fadala ibn Ubayd, Junada ibn Abi Umayya (Umayyads)
Forces An Umayyad fleet and army based at Cyzicus; a Byzantine fleet including ships with siphons for Greek fire
Losses About 25,000 and about 17,000 killed in one account; Theophanes says Sufyan's army lost 30,000 men. The Arab fleet was almost destroyed by a storm off Syllaion on its return.
Result Byzantine victory; the Arabs withdrew and agreed a truce
An Arab fleet landed near the Hebdomon in 674 and fought near the Golden Gate, then wintered at Cyzicus and returned each spring to attack. A Byzantine fleet using the newly developed Greek fire destroyed the Arab fleet in late 677 or early 678, and the remnant was wrecked by a storm off Syllaion on the way home. The siege was lifted in 678.
Why it is remembered It is the first recorded use of Greek fire, and is called arguably the first major Arab defeat in fifty years of expansion.
Sources differ The dates and even the existence of a siege are disputed: Howard-Johnston calls it a myth, Jankowiak dates it to about 667 to 669, and Syriac chronicles place the decisive sea battle in 674 off Lycia and Cilicia. The casualty figures are not clearly assigned to a side.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Silla-Tang War
Battle of Gibeolpo Fleet battle
Also known as 기벌포 전투
November 676 · Gibeolpo, Korea
Fought between Silla against Tang China
Result Silla victory
In 676 Silla took all the territory south of the Taedong River in a series of battles that ended with a naval victory over the Tang at Gibeolpo in November. Beyond the names of the generals and the fact that it was fought at sea, its details are unknown.
Why it is remembered It closed the Silla-Tang War. Afterwards the Tang moved the seat of the Protectorate General to Pacify the East to Liaoyang, ending its designs on Silla territory.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Siege of Constantinople (717 to 718) Landing or siege
Also known as Second Arab siege of Constantinople
15 July or August 717 to 15 August 718 · Constantinople, Thrace, Bithynia and the Sea of Marmara (modern Istanbul, Turkey)
Fought between Byzantine Empire and Bulgaria against the Umayyad Caliphate
Commanders Leo III the Isaurian (Byzantium); Tervel (Bulgaria); Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, Umar ibn Hubayra and others (Caliphate)
Forces About 15,000 Byzantines and about 12,000 Bulgars (estimates) against 120,000 Arabs (al-Masʿudi) and 1,800 ships (Theophanes)
Losses Caliphate: 150,000 killed according to Muslim sources, 300,000 according to Western sources; the fleet almost completely destroyed by natural disasters on its way home. Byzantium: unknown.
Result Byzantine and Bulgarian victory
An Umayyad army under Maslama crossed into Thrace in 717 and built siege lines against the Theodosian Walls, while a fleet came to blockade the city by sea. The Byzantine navy partly neutralised the Arab fleet with Greek fire soon after it arrived, so the city could be supplied by sea while the besiegers suffered famine and disease in a hard winter. In spring 718 two Arab reinforcing fleets were destroyed after their Christian crews defected, a relief army was ambushed, the Bulgars attacked, and the siege was lifted on 15 August 718.
Why it is remembered It ensured the survival of Byzantium and ended the Caliphate's aim of outright conquest. Historians count it among the most important battles in history, since its failure postponed the Muslim advance into south eastern Europe for centuries.
Sources differ Arab losses: 150,000 killed in Muslim sources, 300,000 in Western sources. Start date: 15 July or 15 August 717.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of Keramaia Fleet battle
746 · Keramaia, Cyprus (exact location unknown)
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Umayyad Caliphate
Commanders The unnamed strategos of the Cibyrrhaeots (Byzantium); unknown (Caliphate)
Forces 30 Egyptian ships (Anastasius); Byzantine strength unknown
Losses Caliphate: almost the entire fleet. Theophanes speaks of a thousand dromons destroyed, an obvious exaggeration, and says only three ships escaped; Anastasius gives thirty vessels.
Result Byzantine victory
The Egyptian fleet of the Umayyad Caliphate sailed from Alexandria to Cyprus. The Byzantine commander surprised it and blockaded the harbour entrance at Keramaia, and almost the whole Arab fleet was destroyed.
Why it is remembered It was a major turning point: Egyptian fleets are not mentioned again until after the sack of Damietta in 853, and Egypt apparently ceased to be a major base for naval attacks on Byzantium for about a century.
Sources differ Arab losses: a thousand dromons according to Theophanes (an obvious exaggeration), thirty vessels according to Anastasius.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of the Gulf of Attaleia Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Attaleia
Summer 790 · Gulf of Antalya, Turkey
Fought between Abbasid Caliphate against the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Unknown (Abbasids); Theophilos, strategos of the Cibyrrhaeots (captured) (Byzantium)
Forces Unknown on both sides
Losses Byzantium: its commander captured.
Result Abbasid victory
An Abbasid fleet defeated a Byzantine fleet in the Gulf of Antalya and captured the Byzantine commander, Theophilos.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Wars between Byzantium and the Franks
Battle of Comacchio Raid
809 · Comacchio, Italy
Fought between Carolingian Empire against the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Unknown (Franks); Paul, governor of Cephalonia (Byzantium)
Result Frankish victory
A Byzantine fleet from Constantinople under Paul, governor of Cephalonia, reached Venice by way of Dalmatia and sent a detachment to anchor at Comacchio. It skirmished with the Frankish garrison of the island, was defeated and withdrew to Venice.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages
Battle of Mallorca (813) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Mallorca
813 · Waters off Mallorca
Fought between Squadron of Ermengar of Empúries against a Saracen fleet
Commanders Ermengar of Empúries
Result Victory for Ermengar's squadron
The squadron of Ermengar of Empúries fought and defeated a Saracen fleet in the waters of Mallorca as it returned from ravaging Corsica.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of Thasos (829) Fleet battle
October 829 · Off Thasos, northern Aegean
Fought between Emirate of Crete against the Byzantine Empire
Forces Unknown on both sides
Losses Byzantium: almost the entire imperial fleet (Theophanes Continuatus). Crete: unknown.
Result Cretan victory
Andalusian exiles had seized Crete and founded Chandax, and Byzantine expeditions against them in 826 and 828 had failed. In October 829 a Byzantine imperial fleet returning from Sicily met the Cretan Arabs off Thasos and was almost wholly lost.
Why it is remembered The defeat opened the Aegean to raids: the Cyclades and other islands were plundered, and Mount Athos was so devastated that it was deserted for a long time.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of Taranto (840) Fleet battle
Spring 840 · Off Taranto, Apulia
Fought between Aghlabids against the Byzantine Empire and the Republic of Venice
Commanders Unknown (Aghlabids); Giovanni Tradonico (Byzantium and Venice)
Forces 12,000 men and 60 Byzantine and Venetian ships; Aghlabid strength unknown
Losses Byzantium and Venice: the entire force annihilated. Aghlabids: unknown.
Result Aghlabid victory
An Aghlabid Arab fleet met a combined Byzantine and Venetian navy off Taranto and inflicted a crushing defeat.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab Venetian wars
Battle of Sansego Fleet battle
842 · Off Susak (Sansego), Kvarner Gulf, Adriatic
Fought between Aghlabids against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Unknown (Aghlabids); Pietro Tradonico (Venice)
Forces Unknown on both sides
Losses Venice: heavy, several ships captured. Aghlabids: unknown.
Result Aghlabid victory
A Venetian fleet fought the Aghlabids off the island of Sansego and suffered a crushing defeat.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Department of Peacekeeping Operations Cartographic Section, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Arab raids on Italy
Battle of Licosa (846) Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Licosa
846 · Off the Licosa promontory, Campania, Italy
Fought between League of the duchies of Naples, Amalfi, Gaeta and Sorrento against a Saracen fleet
Commanders Caesar of Naples, Sergius I of Naples (Christian league); unknown (Saracens)
Losses Christian league: minimal. Saracens: heavy.
Result Victory for the Christian league
The combined fleet of the Byzantine duchies of Naples, Amalfi, Gaeta and Sorrento, raised by Duke Sergius I of Naples and led by his son Caesar, defeated a Saracen fleet near the Licosa promontory.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab raids on Italy
Battle of Ostia Fleet battle
Summer 849 · Off Ostia, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy
Fought between League of the Papal States with Naples, Amalfi and Gaeta against a Muslim fleet
Commanders Caesar of Naples, Pope Leo IV (Christian league); unknown (Muslims)
Forces Unknown on both sides
Losses Christian league: minimal. Muslims: heavy.
Result Victory for the Christian league
A league of Papal, Neapolitan, Amalfitan and Gaetan ships met and defeated a Muslim fleet in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Ostia.
Why it is remembered It is one of the few ninth century events in southern Italy still commemorated, through the Leonine walls named after Pope Leo IV and Raphael's painting, the Battle of Ostia.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Workshop of Raphael, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Viking invasions of England
Battle of Sandwich (851) Fleet battle
851 · Off Sandwich, Kent, England
Fought between Kingdom of Kent (Wessex) against Danish Vikings
Commanders Æthelstan, under-king of Kent, and Ealdorman Ealhhere (Kent); unknown (Danes)
Forces More than nine Danish ships; Kentish strength unknown
Losses Danes: nine ships captured, a great army slain. Kent: unknown.
Result Kentish victory
In the same year that King Æthelwulf of Wessex defeated a Danish army at Aclea, his son Æthelstan, under-king of Kent, and Ealdorman Ealhhere fought a Danish fleet off Sandwich. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that they fought in ships, slew a great army, captured nine ships and put the others to flight.
Why it is remembered It is the first known naval battle in English history.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Amédée Forestier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Unification of Norway
Battle of Hafrsfjord Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget i Hafrsfjord
Between 872 and 900 · Hafrsfjord, Rogaland, Norway
Fought between Kingdom of Vestfold against the Kingdoms of Hordaland and Agder
Commanders Harald Fairhair (Vestfold); Eirik of Hordaland (killed), Kjotve the Rich (Hordaland and Agder)
Losses Eirik of Hordaland was killed.
Result Vestfold victory
A naval battle fought in Hafrsfjord in which the Viking chief Harald Fairhair defeated the kings of Hordaland and Agder.
Why it is remembered After the battle Harald proclaimed himself the first king of the Norwegians, merging several petty kingdoms under one monarch for the first time.
Sources differ The date is uncertain, anywhere between 872 and 900.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hansen 'Ole Peter' Balling, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of Kardia Fleet battle
About 872 or 873 · Off Kardia, Gulf of Saros (modern Turkey)
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Emirate of Crete
Commanders Niketas Ooryphas (Byzantium); Photios (Crete)
Forces Over 50 Cretan vessels, including 27 heavy koumbaria and many lighter galleys; Byzantine strength unknown
Losses Crete: 20 vessels destroyed. Byzantium: unknown.
Result Byzantine victory
The emir of Crete sent the Greek renegade Photios with over 50 ships to raid the Aegean, and the fleet reached Prokonnesos in the Propontis, the closest a Muslim fleet had come to Constantinople since 718. Niketas Ooryphas, droungarios of the fleet, met it off Kardia, destroyed twenty ships with Greek fire and drove the rest back to Crete.
Sources differ Eickhoff and Tsoungarakis date the battle to 872; Treadgold, and Pryor and Jeffreys, to about 873.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of the Gulf of Corinth Fleet battle
About 873 · Gulf of Corinth, Greece
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Emirate of Crete
Commanders Niketas Ooryphas (Byzantium); Photios (killed) (Crete)
Losses Crete: many ships destroyed, many raiders killed including Photios, many captured and tortured to death.
Result Byzantine victory
Photios raided the Peloponnese again and entered the Gulf of Corinth. According to the Byzantine historians, Ooryphas, rather than sail round the Peloponnese, hauled his ships over the Isthmus of Corinth and fell on the Saracens, who were caught completely off guard.
Why it is remembered The portage over the Isthmus is the only one recorded after the first century BC. The historian David Pettegrew doubts it happened and suggests it is a literary echo of classical models.
Sources differ The date is probably about 873, but some scholars place it as late as 879. The historicity of the portage of the fleet is disputed.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of Cephalonia Raid
880 · At or near Cephalonia, western Greece
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Aghlabids
Commanders Nasar (Byzantium); unknown (Aghlabids)
Forces 60 exceedingly large Aghlabid ships (Skylitzes); Byzantine ships of the Imperial Fleet and troops of the theme of the Peloponnese
Losses Aghlabids: very heavy, many killed aboard their burning ships. Byzantium: unknown.
Result Byzantine victory
An Aghlabid fleet raided Zakynthos and Cephalonia. Nasar's Byzantine fleet was held up at Methone by mass desertion of oarsmen, and Basil I restored discipline by having 30 Saracen prisoners flogged in the Hippodrome. Grown overconfident, the Aghlabid crews left their ships to pillage, and Nasar caught them unawares and destroyed them in a night attack.
Why it is remembered It is one of the rare night battles at sea of the Middle Ages, a decision Pryor and Jeffreys call extremely bold.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of Stelai Fleet battle
Also known as First Battle of Milazzo; Battle of Punta Stilo
880 · Off south western Calabria (location disputed)
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Aghlabids
Commanders Nasar (Byzantium); al-Husayn ibn Rabah (Aghlabids)
Forces 140 Byzantine ships (Ibn Idhari) against 45 Aghlabid ships (Vita Eliae iunioris)
Losses Aghlabids: heavy, all ships captured. Byzantium: unknown.
Result Byzantine victory
After his victory at Cephalonia, Nasar sailed to southern Italy, raided Sicily and defeated an Aghlabid fleet off the southern Italian coast.
Sources differ The location is disputed, hence the alternative names First Battle of Milazzo and Battle of Punta Stilo.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Caspian expeditions of the Rus
Battle of Abaskun (883) Raid
Also known as Batalla de Abaskun
883 · Off the port of Abaskun, south eastern Caspian Sea (Golestan Province, Iran)
Fought between Abbasid fleet against a Rus raiding fleet
Commanders Said-Hasan ibn Zeid, emir of Tabaristan (Abbasids); unknown (Rus)
Result Abbasid victory; the town was successfully defended
Rus traders who dealt in honey, furs and slaves through Khazar lands sailed down the Volga to plunder the Persian town of Abaskun. The Abbasid fleet under the emir of Tabaristan defended the town successfully.
Why it is remembered Rus fleets attacked the same town again in 909 and 913.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Croatian Venetian wars
Battle of Makarska Fleet battle
18 September 887 · Makarska, Dalmatian coast (modern Croatia)
Fought between Narentines and the Duchy of Croatia against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Branimir (Narentines and Croatia); Doge Pietro I Candiano (killed) (Venice)
Forces 12 large Venetian ships; Narentine strength unknown
Losses Venice: Doge Pietro I Candiano killed.
Result Narentine victory
A major sea fight between the Slavic Narentine pirates and Venice off Makarska, won by the Narentines. The Doge, Pietro I Candiano, was killed.
Why it is remembered The Narentines established dominance over the Adriatic.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Muslim conquest of Sicily
Battle of Milazzo (888) Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Milazzo
October 888 · Off Milazzo, north eastern Sicily
Fought between Aghlabids against the Byzantine Empire
Losses Byzantium: variously 5,000 to 7,000 killed. Aghlabids: unknown.
Result Aghlabid victory
A Byzantine fleet was heavily defeated by an Aghlabid fleet off north eastern Sicily.
Sources differ Byzantine dead are given variously as 5,000 to 7,000.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of the Kibyrrhaiotai coast Fleet battle
About August 898 · Off the coast of the Cibyrrhaeot theme, southern Asia Minor (exact location unknown)
Fought between Abbasid Caliphate (Emirate of Tarsus) against the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Raghib the eunuch (Tarsus); unknown (Byzantium)
Losses Byzantium: many ships captured and burned, 3,000 sailors killed. Tarsus: few.
Result Abbasid victory
In summer 898 the Arab fleet of Tarsus, led by the eunuch Raghib, set out on a raid and met a Byzantine fleet, probably that of the Cibyrrhaeot theme, guarding the south coast of Asia Minor. The Arabs won crushingly, then raided the theme by land and took many coastal fortresses before returning home without major losses.
Why it is remembered It weakened the fleet that protected the Byzantine coasts and opened the way to further raids into the Aegean, including the sack of Thessalonica by Leo of Tripoli in 904.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Cretan expedition (911 to 912) Landing or siege
October 911 to April 912 · Crete
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Emirate of Crete
Commanders Himerios (Byzantium); Yusuf ibn Umar ibn Shuʿayb (Crete)
Forces 177 Byzantine ships and 47,129 men; Cretan strength unknown
Losses Byzantium: heavy. Crete: unknown.
Result Cretan victory
A Byzantine army invaded Crete from the sea to recover the island from the Arabs, and the expedition ended in failure.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
Battle of Langshan Jiang Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Langshan River (狼山江之戰)
10 May 919 · Yangtze River near Langshan, Jiangsu, China
Fought between Wuyue against Yang Wu
Commanders Qian Chuanguan (Wuyue); Peng Yanzhang (Yang Wu)
Forces Wuyue: 500 ships. Yang Wu: a comparable fleet.
Losses Yang Wu: more than 400 ships and more than 1,000 men. Wuyue: unknown.
Result Decisive Wuyue victory
The river fleets of the rival states of Wuyue and Yang Wu met on the Yangtze near Langshan. The Wuyue fleet under Qian Chuanguan destroyed or took more than 400 Yang Wu ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of the large riverine battles of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown Ming dynasty painter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages
Battle of Bạch Đằng (938) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Bạch Đằng River
Late 938 (December 938) · Mouth of the Bạch Đằng River, near Hạ Long Bay, northern Vietnam
Fought between Tĩnh Hải quân (Viet forces) against the Southern Han state of China
Commanders Ngô Quyền, Dương Tam Kha, Kiều Công Hãn and Đỗ Cảnh Thạc (Tĩnh Hải quân); Liu Yan and Liu Hongcao, killed (Southern Han)
Forces Tĩnh Hải quân: 5,000 to 10,000. Southern Han: about 20,000, in fast warships each carrying 50 men
Losses Southern Han: about 10,000, half the army killed or drowned, including Liu Hongcao. Viet losses unknown
Result Victory for Tĩnh Hải quân
Southern Han sent a fleet under Liu Hongcao to support Kiều Công Tiễn, who had assassinated Dương Đình Nghệ and was opposed by Ngô Quyền. Ngô Quyền had large iron-tipped stakes set in the river bed, hidden by the high tide. Small Viet boats harassed the Southern Han warships and drew them upstream; when the tide fell the Viet counter-attacked and drove the fleet back toward the sea, where the ships were caught on the stakes.
Why it is remembered It ended the Third Era of Northern Domination; Ngô Quyền proclaimed himself king in 939, and the battle is counted a turning point in Vietnamese history. Trần Quốc Tuấn used the same stake tactic against the Yuan at the Battle of Bạch Đằng in 1288.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Arab Byzantine wars
Battle of the Straits (965) Fleet battle
Also known as Waqʿat al-majaz
Early 965 · Strait of Messina, Italy
Fought between Fatimid Caliphate and the Kalbid Emirate of Sicily against the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Kalbi (Fatimids); Niketas Abalantes (captured) (Byzantium)
Losses Byzantium: heavy, about 1,000 prisoners. Fatimids: unknown.
Result Fatimid victory
The fleets of the Byzantine Empire and the Fatimid Caliphate met in the Strait of Messina, and the Fatimids won a major victory, capturing the Byzantine commander.
Why it is remembered It ended the attempt of Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas to recover Sicily from the Fatimids.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Haakon Sigurdsson's struggle to rule Norway
Battle of Hjörungavágr Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Hjǫrungavágr; Slaget ved Hjørungavåg
About 986 (traditional date) · Coast of Sunnmøre, western Norway
Fought between Norway (the Jarls of Lade) against Denmark and the Jomsvikings
Commanders Haakon Sigurdsson, Eric Haakonsson, Sweyn Haakonsson, Skjegge Asbjørnsson, Ragnvald Lodinsson (Norway); Sigvaldi Strut-Haraldsson, Vagn Åkesson, Búi digri (Danes and Jomsvikings)
Forces 180 Norwegian ships against 60 Danish and Jomsviking ships
Result Norwegian victory
A semi-legendary naval battle in which the Jarls of Lade defeated a Danish invasion fleet led by the Jomsvikings off the coast of Sunnmøre.
Why it is remembered It played an important part in Haakon Sigurdsson's effort to unite his rule over Norway.
Sources differ The battle is semi-legendary; it is traditionally dated to 986, but only to the late tenth century with certainty.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Halfdan Egedius, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Chola expansion under Rajaraja I
Battle of Kandalur Salai Raid
Also known as Fall of Kandalur Salai; Kanthaloor Salai
About 988 · Roadstead of Kandalur (Valiya Salai, Thiruvananthapuram), south Kerala, India
Fought between Chola Empire against the Chera Kingdom or the Pandya Kingdom (uncertain)
Commanders Rajaraja Chola I (Cholas); possibly Bhaskara Ravi or a Pandya ruler (defenders)
Forces Chola army and navy
Losses Defenders: Kandalur fell.
Result Decisive Chola victory
Rajaraja I carried out an assault on the roadstead at Kandalur in south Kerala, one of the earliest victories of his reign. The historian Nilakanta Sastri read the Chola inscriptions to mean that the fleet at the roadstead was destroyed or overcome.
Why it is remembered The feat was recalled in the titles of three later Chola rulers, Rajendra, Rajadhiraja and Kulottunga.
Sources differ The identity of the defenders (Chera or Pandya) is uncertain, and the naval reading of the inscriptions rests on Nilakanta Sastri's interpretation.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Struggle for control of Norway
Battle of Svolder Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Svold; Battle of Swold
9 September 999 or 1000 · Western Baltic, in the Øresund or near Rügen (disputed)
Fought between Denmark, Sweden and the Jarls of Lade against Norway
Commanders Svein Forkbeard, Olof Skötkonung, Eirik Hákonarson (allies); Olaf Tryggvason (killed), Einar Tambarskjelve (Norway)
Forces Over 70 allied warships against Olaf's fleet: 60 warships plus 11 from the Jomsvikings according to the saga (the main account gives 11)
Ships Ormen Lange
Losses Norway: heavy, all ships captured; Olaf died. Allies: reportedly heavy.
Result Allied victory
Olaf Tryggvason, sailing to or from an expedition to Wendland, was ambushed by the kings of Denmark and Sweden and Jarl Eirik of Lade. His ships were taken one by one, the Ormen Lange last of all, captured by Jarl Eirik as Olaf threw himself into the sea.
Why it is remembered Norway passed to the Jarls of Lade under Danish and Swedish overlordship. The saga accounts, especially Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla, with the famous breaking of Einar Tambarskjelve's bow, inspired many later ballads and works of literature.
Sources differ Location: the Øresund according to Adam of Bremen, an unknown island called Svolder according to Icelandic sources. Date: 999 or 1000. Ship numbers come from sagas written two centuries later and are not reliable.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Wars against Saracen raiders in the Tyrrhenian Sea
Battle of Luni (1016) Landing or siege
Also known as Battaglia di Luni
May 1016 · Luni, Liguria, Italy
Fought between Pisa, Genoa and the Papacy against the Saracens of Mujahid al-Amiri
Commanders Mujahid al-Amiri (Saracens)
Forces Papal land forces with the Pisan and Genoese fleets
Result Victory for Pisa, Genoa and the Papacy
In 1016 Mujahid took and devastated the old Roman city of Luni. Urged by Pope Benedict VIII, Pisa and Genoa formed an alliance; papal forces attacked by land while the Pisan and Genoese fleets closed the sea. The fighting lasted several days and ended in complete victory, though Mujahid escaped to Sardinia, where the allies later defeated him.
Why it is remembered The victory greatly reduced the Saracen threat to the Tyrrhenian coasts and shipping, helping the economic revival of the coastal towns.
Sources Wikipedia (IT)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Norwegian civil wars
Battle of Nesjar Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Nesjar
25 March 1016 · Off Nesjar, mouth of the Oslofjord, near Helgeroa, Larvik, Norway
Fought between Norwegians loyal to Olav Haraldsson against Norwegians loyal to Sveinn Hákonarson and Sweden
Commanders Olav Haraldsson; Sveinn Hákonarson
Forces Unknown on both sides
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result Victory for Olav Haraldsson; Sveinn Hákonarson retreated to Sweden
A sea battle off the Norwegian coast in which Olav Haraldsson, later Saint Olav, defeated Sveinn Hákonarson, who withdrew to Sweden.
Why it is remembered It was a primary event of Olav's reign. The skald Sigvatr Þórðarson composed the poem Nesjavísur in its memory, and the Nesjar Monument was raised at Helgeroa on its thousandth anniversary.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hallvard Straume, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Rus Byzantine wars
Battle of Lemnos (1024) Fleet battle
1024 · Lemnos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Byzantine Empire against a Rus band
Commanders David of Ohrid, Nikephoros Kabasilas (Byzantium); Chrysocheir (Rus)
Forces 800 Rus against a much stronger Byzantine fleet: the forces of the strategos of Samos, the Cibyrrhaeot fleet and the troops of the doux of Thessalonica
Losses Rus: all killed.
Result Byzantine victory
Chrysocheir, a relative of Vladimir of Kiev, sailed to Constantinople with 800 men to join the Varangian Guard but refused to surrender his weapons. The Rus forced their way past the commander at Abydos into the Aegean and made for Lemnos, where a much larger Byzantine force pretended to negotiate, then fell on them suddenly and killed them all.
Why it is remembered It was the penultimate conflict between Byzantium and the Rus. The only source is John Skylitzes.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · South East Asia campaign of Rajendra Chola I
Chola invasion of Srivijaya Landing or siege
1025 to 1026 · Palembang (Sumatra) and Kedah (Malay Peninsula)
Fought between Chola Empire against the Srivijaya Empire
Commanders Rajendra I, Beemaseenan, Amarabujangan Divakara, Karunaakaran (Cholas); Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman (captured), Samara Vijayatunggavarman (Srivijaya)
Forces Chola navy and army against the Srivijaya navy and army
Losses Srivijaya: its king Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman captured.
Result Chola victory
Rajendra I launched naval invasions against Srivijaya, attacking several places in present-day Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula, including Palembang and Kedah, and captured the Srivijayan king.
Why it is remembered It brought about the fall of the Sailendra dynasty of Srivijaya and was a unique event in India's otherwise peaceful relations with South East Asia; Tamil merchant guilds expanded into the region in its wake.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Wars of Cnut the Great in Scandinavia
Battle of Helgeå Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Holy River; Slaget ved Helgeå
1026 · Estuary of the river Helge, in Skåne or Uppland
Fought between Denmark and England against Sweden and Norway
Commanders Cnut the Great, Ulf Jarl (Denmark and England); Anund Jacob, Olaf II Haraldsson (Sweden and Norway)
Forces About 600 Anglo-Danish ships against about 480 Swedish and Norwegian ships
Losses Danes and English: heavy, many drowned. Swedes and Norwegians: minimal.
Result Anglo-Danish victory
While Cnut was busy in England, Olaf II and Anund Jacob attacked Denmark and waited up the river Helge for his fleet, led by Ulf Jarl; Cnut's own ship is said to have been 80 metres long. They built a dam of peat and timber and released the water as the Danish ships came in, drowning many Danes and Englishmen. The main Danish fleet lay outside the harbour, so after destroying the ships inside the kings withdrew, and Cnut did not pursue.
Why it is remembered Sweden soon made peace with Denmark, leaving Norway alone and Cnut the dominant ruler in Scandinavia.
Sources differ The location is given as either Skåne or Uppland. Sources call it an Anglo-Danish victory although the allied kings did the damage and then withdrew.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Ghaznavid campaigns in India
Battle of the Indus (1027) Fleet battle
Also known as Ghaznavid expedition against the Jats
March to July 1027 · Indus River, near the Salt Range, Pakistan
Fought between Ghaznavids against the Jats
Commanders Mahmud of Ghazni (Ghaznavids)
Forces 1,400 Ghaznavid boats fitted with pointed rams against 4,000 Jat reed boats (8,000 in an exaggerated account)
Losses Ghaznavids: negligible. Jats: nearly all.
Result Ghaznavid victory
To punish the Jats for harassing his army on its return from Somnath in 1026, Mahmud built 1,400 boats armed with pointed rams at Multan. The Jats met them with thousands of small reed boats and were decisively defeated, with many killed.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval action fought by Mahmud and his last campaign in India.
Sources differ Jat boats: 4,000, or 8,000 in an account considered exaggerated.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Internet Archive identifier: hutchinsonsstory00londuoft, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Rus Byzantine War (1043)
Battle of the Iskrest Lighthouse Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Constantinople (1043); Bitwa pod Iskrestos
1043 · Near Constantinople
Fought between Byzantine Empire against Kievan Rus
Commanders Katakalon Kekaumenos (Byzantium); Vladimir of Novgorod (Rus)
Losses Rus: over 5,000 killed and 800 captured over the whole war.
Result Byzantine victory
A naval battle close to Constantinople in 1043, in which a Rus fleet sent by Yaroslav the Wise was defeated by the Byzantine fleet.
Sources differ Psellus says the Rus were destroyed by the imperial fleet with Greek fire; the Slavonic chronicles say a storm destroyed them.
Sources Wikipedia (RU) · Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Harald Hardrada's invasions of Denmark
Battle of Niså Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Niså
9 August 1062 · Off the mouth of the Nissan river, Halland (then Denmark, now Sweden)
Fought between Norway against Denmark
Commanders Harald Hardrada, Haakon Ivarsson (Norway); Sweyn Estridsson, Finn Arnesson (captured) (Denmark)
Forces 150 Norwegian ships against 300 Danish ships according to the sagas (fewer than Harald's according to Saxo)
Losses Denmark: 70 ships cleared of men, the rest retreated. Norway: unknown.
Result Norwegian victory
Harald Hardrada, who had claimed the Danish throne since 1047, invaded to defeat the Danes decisively. The Norwegians clearly won, clearing 70 Danish ships, but many Danes including King Sweyn escaped.
Why it is remembered Because Sweyn escaped, the victory did not give Harald Denmark.
Sources differ Danish fleet: 300 ships according to the sagas, fewer than Harald's 150 according to Saxo.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Wilhelm Wetlesen (Norway 1871 to 1925), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Norman conquest of southern Italy
Siege of Syracuse (1086) Landing or siege
May to October 1086 · Syracuse, Sicily
Fought between County of Sicily (Normans) against the Emirate of Syracuse
Commanders Roger I of Sicily (Normans); Benavert, killed (Syracuse)
Result Norman victory; the city surrendered
After a naval battle, the forces of the Norman county of Sicily blockaded the Muslim city of Syracuse by sea and besieged it by land from May to October 1086. After the death and flight of its leaders, the city surrendered.
Why it is remembered The campaign had a religious character: it was conceived in response to outrages against churches and nuns, and set Christians against Muslims.
Sources differ Geoffrey Malaterra, the main source, dates the siege to 1085; modern historians believe this is a mistake for 1086.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Byzantine Seljuk wars
Battle of the Oinousses Islands (1090) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Koyun Islands; Koyun Adaları Muharebesi
19 May 1090 · Off the Oinousses islands, between Chios and Anatolia, Aegean Sea
Fought between Forces of Tzachas against the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Tzachas (Chaka Bey); Niketas Kastamonites (Byzantium)
Forces 17 warships and 33 lighter craft under Tzachas; Byzantine strength unknown
Result Victory for Tzachas
Tzachas, a Turkish seaman who had built a maritime principality around Smyrna, took Lesbos and planned to attack Chios. Learning that a Byzantine fleet under Niketas Kastamonites was approaching, he chose to fight; the battle lasted until night and ended in his victory.
Why it is remembered Tzachas then annexed Chios and Samos.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Norwegian Crusade
Siege of Sidon (1110) Landing or siege
19 October to 5 December 1110 · Sidon, present-day Lebanon
Fought between Kingdom of Jerusalem, Norway and Venice against the Fatimid Caliphate
Commanders Baldwin I of Jerusalem, Sigurd I of Norway, Doge Ordelafo Faliero (Crusaders); the governor of Sidon (Fatimids)
Forces 5,000 Norwegians in 60 galleys, many Frankish crusaders with siege weapons, and a Venetian fleet of unknown size, against probably only the city's garrison
Losses Crusaders: unknown, probably minor. Fatimids: unknown, probably large.
Result Crusader victory; establishment of the Lordship of Sidon
After the First Crusade, the forces of Baldwin I and the Norwegian crusade fleet of Sigurd I, with help from the Doge of Venice, besieged the Fatimid coastal city of Sidon and captured it.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Jin-Song Wars
Battle of Huangtiandang Fleet battle
Also known as 黄天荡之战
24 April to June 1130 · Huangtiandang, on the Yangtze north east of Jiankang (Nanjing), between Jurong and Zhenjiang, Jiangsu
Fought between Southern Song against the Jin dynasty
Commanders Han Shizhong and Liang Hongyu (Song); Wuzhu (Jin)
Forces About 8,000 Song troops in large seagoing ships; a Jin army of 100,000 according to the History of Song or 4,000 according to the History of Jin
Losses Jin: many ships lost on 20 May and two generals captured in an ambush at Jinshan Temple. Song: most of the soldiers in the battle of 2 June burned or drowned.
Result Jin escape after 48 days; final engagement a Jin victory
Han Shizhong's fleet drove Wuzhu's fleet into the Huangtiandang inlet and blocked its only narrow outlet to the Yangtze, while Liang Hongyu directed the fighting of 24 April with drums. The trapped Jin dug a canal of more than 20 li towards Jiankang and lost many ships in an attack on 20 May. On a windless 2 June, when the big Song ships could not manoeuvre, the Jin shot fire arrows into their sails and broke out to the north.
Why it is remembered The Jin were held for 48 days before breaking out, and Liang Hongyu's drumming is credited with turning the fight of 24 April.
Sources differ Jin strength is given as 100,000 in the History of Song and 4,000 in the History of Jin.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Attributed to Liu Songnian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Danish civil war
Battle of Sejerø Fleet battle
1132 · Near the island of Sejerø, off the coast of Zealand, Denmark
Fought between Forces of Eric II against the forces of Magnus the Strong
Commanders Eric II of Denmark; Magnus the Strong
Forces About 120 to 240 against about 100 to 200
Losses Eric: minor. Magnus: all but one vessel.
Result Victory for Eric II
A fleet from Zealand and Scania under Eric II defeated the Jutland fleet of Magnus the Strong so completely that only the boat in which Magnus escaped was saved.
Why it is remembered It was the first defeat suffered by the party of Niels and Magnus.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Civil war era in Norway
Battle of Holmengrå Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Holmengrå
12 November 1139 · Near the island of Holmengrå, south of Hvaler, Norway
Fought between The child kings Sigurd and Inge Haraldsson against Sigurd Slembe and Magnus the Blind
Commanders Sigurd Haraldsson, Inge Haraldsson; Sigurd Slembe (executed), Magnus the Blind (killed)
Forces 20 ships against 12 Norwegian ships and 18 Danish mercenary ships
Losses Slembe's side: heavy Norwegian losses; the Danish ships withdrew. Magnus the Blind killed, Sigurd Slembe captured.
Result Decisive victory for the sons of Harald Gille
The forces of the child kings Sigurd and Inge, sons of Harald Gille, met the pretender Sigurd Slembe, who had killed their father in 1136, and his ally Magnus the Blind. The sons of Harald Gille won; Magnus was killed in the fighting, and Sigurd Slembe was betrayed, captured, tortured and executed.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Wars between Norman Sicily and the Almoravids
Battle of Ceuta (1144) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Ceuta
1144 · Off Ceuta
Fought between Almoravid Empire against the Kingdom of Sicily
Commanders Abu l-Fadl Iyad ibn Musa, governor of Ceuta (Almoravids); unknown (Sicily)
Forces 150 Sicilian Norman ships; Almoravid strength unknown
Losses Many killed on both sides.
Result Almoravid victory
A Norman fleet of 150 ships from Sicily appeared off Ceuta. The governor sailed out to meet it with every ship the city had, and after a battle with many dead on both sides the Moroccans drove the Norman fleet off.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Crusader-Fatimid wars
Siege of Ascalon Landing or siege
25 January to 22 August 1153 · Ascalon, coast of Palestine
Fought between Kingdom of Jerusalem, Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller against the Fatimid Caliphate
Commanders Baldwin III of Jerusalem, Gerard of Sidon, Bernard de Tremelay (killed), Raymond du Puy (Crusaders); Ibn al-Sallar (Fatimids)
Forces Crusaders: an army of unknown size and a squadron of 15 ships under Gerard of Sidon. Fatimids: a garrison of unknown size and a relief fleet of 70 galleys.
Losses Crusaders: total unknown; 40 Templars killed. Fatimids: unknown.
Result Crusader victory; Ascalon surrendered
The Crusaders besieged Ascalon, the last coastal city in Palestine not in their hands, by land and with a small squadron at sea. In June 1153 a Fatimid fleet of 70 galleys easily dispersed Gerard of Sidon's fifteen ships and reached the city, but with no harbour to shelter in it soon returned to Egypt. On 16 August a fire meant for a siege tower brought down part of the wall; forty Templars who entered the breach were all killed, but a larger attack three days later forced the city to surrender.
Why it is remembered Its capture was a major success for Baldwin III, the first significant territorial gain for the Kingdom of Jerusalem since 1140, and opened the way for an invasion of Egypt.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages
Battle of Epiphany Fleet battle
5 to 6 January or 12 January 1156 · Off Islay, Scotland
Fought between Somerled against Godred Olafsson, King of the Isles
Commanders Somerled, King of Kintyre, Argyll and Lorne; Godred Olafsson (Godred the Black), King of the Isles
Forces Somerled: 80 galleys (birlinns and nyvaigs). Godred: unknown
Result Indecisive; the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles was partitioned
Godred became King of the Isles in 1153, and his harsh rule turned some of his chiefs against him. They planned to replace him with Dubgall, son of Somerled and of Raghnailt, daughter of Godred's father Olafr, and Somerled built 80 ships to win control of the sea. Learning of the plot, Godred sailed to attack; the fleets met off Islay on the night of Epiphany and fought fiercely into the next day without a decision. In the talks that followed Godred ceded Mull, Jura and Islay to Somerled and kept the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Isle of Man.
Why it is remembered It split the Kingdom of the Isles between Godred and Somerled; the Chronicle of Mann lamented that the kingdom was ruined.
Sources differ The date is given as 5 to 6 or 12 January 1156. The location is uncertain: some authors place the battle west of Islay, and Marsden (2008) favours the Sound of Islay.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Jin Song Wars
Battle of Caishi Fleet battle
26 to 27 November 1161 · Caishi, on the Yangtze River, China
Fought between Southern Song dynasty against the Jin dynasty
Commanders Chen Kangbo (navy), Yu Yunwen (army) (Song); Wanyan Liang (Jin)
Forces 18,000 Song troops against 40,000 Jin troops (Wanyan Liang reportedly led 600,000)
Losses Many Jin soldiers deserted; Wanyan Liang was killed by his own men shortly afterwards.
Result Decisive Song victory
The Jin emperor Wanyan Liang tried to force a crossing of the Yangtze to attack the Southern Song. Song paddle-wheel warships armed with trebuchets throwing incendiary bombs of gunpowder and lime decisively defeated the light ships of the Jin navy.
Why it is remembered It is an early battle won with gunpowder weapons. It halted the Jin advance south; Wanyan Liang was assassinated, and a peace treaty of 1165 ended the conflict.
Sources differ Jin strength: 40,000 in one account, a reported 600,000 in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Zeng Gongliang, uploaded by Liang Jieming, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Jin Song Wars
Battle of Tangdao Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Tang Island
16 November 1161 · Tang Island, off the Shandong Peninsula near modern Qingdao, Yellow Sea
Fought between Southern Song dynasty against the Jin dynasty
Commanders Li Bao (Song); Su Baoheng, Zheng Jia (Wanyan Zhengjianu) (killed) (Jin)
Forces 120 Song warships and 3,000 troops against 600 Jin warships, 20,000 Jurchen and Balhae troops, 10,000 northern Chinese and 40,000 sailors
Losses Jin: 10,000 men and 300 warships; Zheng Jia drowned.
Result Southern Song victory
A Jin fleet sent to invade the Southern Song was surprised at Tang Island by Li Bao's squadron. The Song hurled huopao gunpowder projectiles and aimed fire arrows and rockets at the rigging, setting the oiled silk sails alight; many Jin ships burned or surrendered and the rest fled. The Jin admiral Zheng Jia, with no way of escape, jumped into the sea and drowned.
Why it is remembered It is significant in the technological history of the Song navy, an era of gunpowder bombs, paddle-wheel ships and, later, iron plating that kept Song dominance of the East China Sea.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Zeng Gongliang, uploaded by Liang Jieming, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War between Norway and Denmark
Battle of Djurså Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Djurså
1165 · Djursland, Jutland, Denmark
Fought between Norway against Denmark
Commanders Erling Skakke (Norway); men of King Valdemar the Great (Denmark)
Losses Denmark: its ships plundered.
Result Norwegian victory
Erling Skakke fought the men of the Danish king Valdemar the Great at Djursland in Jutland. The Danes soon fled, and Erling plundered their ships before returning to Norway.
Why it is remembered Snorri Sturluson and Saxo both describe it in similar terms; it was the only major battle of the war.
Sources no.wikipedia.org
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Crusader invasions of Egypt
Siege of Damietta (1169) Landing or siege
27 October to 16 December 1169 · Damietta, Lower Egypt
Fought between Fatimid Caliphate and the Zengids against the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Saladin (Fatimids and Zengids); Amalric I (Jerusalem), Andronikos Kontostephanos (Byzantium)
Forces A Byzantine fleet of 150 galleys, 60 horse transports and several large dromons with supplies and siege engines (William of Tyre); Jerusalem and Fatimid strengths unknown
Losses Byzantium: a large number of ships sunk in winter storms during the retreat. Jerusalem: its siege engines burned. Fatimids: unknown.
Result Fatimid and Zengid victory
A Crusader army and a large Byzantine fleet besieged Damietta. The siege failed, the Crusader siege engines were burned, and many Byzantine ships were lost to winter storms on the way home.
Why it is remembered It is considered one of the largest battles of the Crusader invasions of Egypt.
Sources differ Byzantine fleet: 200 ships in some sources; 150 galleys, 60 horse transports and several dromons according to William of Tyre; 1,000 ships in Saladin's letters, an exaggeration.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Danish Crusades (Northern Crusades)
Battle of Julin Bridge Landing or siege
Also known as Battle at Julin Bridge
About 1170 · Wolin, Poland
Fought between Denmark against the Pomeranians
Commanders Valdemar I, Absalon (Denmark); Bogislaw I, Casimir (Pomeranians)
Forces About 1,560 Danes, perhaps a third of them cavalry, and probably 13 ships, against about 7,200 to 10,000 Pomeranians and 60 ships
Losses Denmark: minor losses in men, no ships lost. Pomeranians: 10 to 20 ships wrecked, sunk or burned, 7 captured, about 3,000 to 7,000 dead; Bogislaw's army scattered and Casimir's camp looted.
Result Danish victory
A Danish fleet under Valdemar I and Bishop Absalon fought the army and fleet of the Pomeranian dukes Casimir and Bogislaw I around the bridge at Julin, on land and water, and won.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Conflict between Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Alexander III
Battle of Salvore Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Salvore; Battaglia di Salvore; Punta Salvore (Savudrija)
1177 · Off Punta Salvore (Savudrija), western end of the Bay of Piran, Istria, Croatia
Fought between Republic of Venice, supported by Pope Alexander III and the Istrian cities, against the Holy Roman Empire
Commanders Doge Sebastiano Ziani and Nicolò Contarini (Venice); Otto I of Burgundy, son of Frederick Barbarossa (Empire)
Forces 30 or 40 Venetian galleys against 75 imperial galleys supplied with Genoese and Pisan help
Losses No casualty figures given; the Venetians are said to have sunk many ships and captured 45
Result Venetian victory, according to Venetian tradition
According to the Venetian accounts, a Venetian fleet under Doge Sebastiano Ziani met the imperial fleet off Punta Salvore in Istria and won after six hours of fighting, sinking many ships and capturing 45. Otto, son of the emperor, is said to have been taken prisoner. The main accounts date from the early 14th century, from Boncontro dei Bovi and Doge Andrea Dandolo.
Why it is remembered Some historians, from Cardinal Cesare Baronio in 1588 onwards, have doubted the battle took place and see it as Venetian propaganda for its claim to the Adriatic, since no contemporary chronicle records it. It was painted for the Doge's Palace by Domenico Tintoretto in 1605, replacing a 1409 work by Gentile da Fabriano, and in a fresco by Spinello Aretino in the Palazzo Pubblico, Siena.
Sources differ Venetian fleet given as 40 galleys in one passage and 30 in another. Otto is said to have been captured, yet the same account says the emperor's ship escaped. Historicity disputed: no contemporary chronicle mentions the battle.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Domenico Tintoretto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Reconquista; Almohad wars in the Iberian Peninsula
Battle of Cape Espichel Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla del cabo Espichel (1180)
29 July 1180 · Cape Espichel, Atlantic coast of Portugal
Fought between Kingdom of Portugal against the Almohad Caliphate
Commanders Unknown (Portugal); Gamin ben Mardanis (Almohads, killed)
Forces Portugal: 9 vessels. Almohads: 10 galleys.
Losses Portugal: unknown. Almohads: several galleys captured and many dead, including their admiral.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese squadron met an Almohad squadron of galleys off Cape Espichel. The Portuguese won, killing the Almohad admiral and capturing several advanced Mediterranean galleys intact.
Why it is remembered It is considered the first naval battle in Portuguese history. It is the subject of the painting First Naval Triumph of the Portuguese by Joaquim Rafael.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Genpei War
Kumano pirates' attack on Nakiri Raid
Also known as 熊野海賊菜切攻め (Kumano kaizoku Nakiri-zeme)
January 1181 (Jishō 5) · Nakiri island, Ago District, Shima Province (now Daiō, Shima, Mie Prefecture), Japan
Fought between Kumano monks (Kumano pirates) against the Taira side
Commanders Enoshirō of Izu (Taira side)
In January 1181 the seafaring Kumano pirates, monks of Kumano, fought the Taira supporter Enoshirō of Izu at Nakiri in Shima Province. The episode is recorded in the second book of the Azuma Kagami.
Why it is remembered Objects thought to date from this fight were found during harbour works at the fishing port in the Taishō period.
Sources Wikipedia (JA)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Reconquista; Almohad wars in the Iberian Peninsula
Battle of Ceuta (1182) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Ceuta (1182)
1182 · Off Ceuta, Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Kingdom of Portugal against the Almohad Caliphate
Commanders Fuas Roupinho (Portugal), killed
Losses Portugal lost a very large part of its fleet; very few ships returned to Lisbon. Almohad losses unknown.
Result Almohad victory
After the Portuguese defeat at Silves earlier in 1182, Admiral Fuas Roupinho led a new raid on Ceuta. The Almohad fleet intercepted the Portuguese near Ceuta and destroyed most of their fleet. Roupinho was killed.
Why it is remembered A heavy defeat for the young Portuguese navy, two years after its first victory at Cape Espichel in 1180.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipédia (FR)
The Middle Ages · The Crusades
Crusader raids on the Red Sea Raid
December 1182 to February 1183 · Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba
Fought between Lordship of Transjordan against the Ayyubid dynasty
Commanders Raynald of Châtillon (Transjordan); Al-Adil and Husam al-Din Lu'lu' (Ayyubids)
Forces 5 ships and 300 men (Transjordan); Ayyubid strength unknown
Losses Transjordan: the entire force destroyed. Ayyubid losses unknown. 16 merchant ships burned or captured, caravans massacred and ports sacked.
Result Ayyubid victory
Raynald of Châtillon, lord of Transjordan, built a flotilla and raided the Red Sea, attacking Pharaoh's Island (Ile de Graye) and Muslim shipping. Sixteen merchant ships were burned or captured and ports sacked before the Ayyubids destroyed his force.
Why it is remembered A rare crusader naval venture into the Red Sea.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Genpei War
Battle of Mizushima Fleet battle
Also known as 水島の戦い (Mizushima no tatakai)
17 November 1183 · Off Mizushima island, Bitchū Province, Seto Inland Sea, Japan
Fought between Minamoto clan against Taira clan
Commanders Yada Yoshikiyo (Minamoto); Taira no Shigehira, Taira no Tomomori and Taira no Noritsune (Taira)
Result Taira victory
Minamoto no Yoshinaka sent an army across the Inland Sea against the Taira base at Yashima, but the Taira caught it just off Mizushima. The Taira tied their ships together and laid planks across them to make a flat fighting deck, opened with archery and then fought hand to hand. Taira warriors then swam their horses ashore and routed the remaining Minamoto troops.
Why it is remembered A Taira success in the Genpei War, notable for ships lashed together into a fighting platform and for horses carried aboard.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Civil war era in Norway
Battle of Fimreite Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Fimreite
15 June 1184 · Fimreite, Sogn, Norway
Fought between King Magnus Erlingsson (Kingdom of Norway) against Sverre Sigurdsson and the Birkebeiner party
Commanders Magnus Erlingsson, killed (royal fleet); Sverre Sigurdsson (Birkebeiner)
Forces 26 ships (Magnus) against 14 ships (Sverre)
Losses Magnus: heavy, 2,000 claimed. Birkebeiner: low.
Result Birkebeiner victory; Sverre took the throne
Sverre Sigurdsson and his Birkebeiner fleet fought King Magnus Erlingsson at Fimreite. Magnus was defeated and killed.
Why it is remembered It put Sverre on the Norwegian throne, which he held from 1184 to 1202.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Genpei War
Battle of Dan-no-ura Fleet battle
Also known as 壇ノ浦の戦い (Dan-no-ura no tatakai)
25 April 1185 · Dan-no-ura, Kanmon Straits, off Shimonoseki at the southern tip of Honshū, Japan
Fought between Minamoto clan against Taira clan
Commanders Minamoto no Yoshitsune (naval) and Minamoto no Noriyori (land) (Minamoto); Taira no Tomomori, killed, Taira no Munemori, executed, Taira no Noritsune, killed, with the child Emperor Antoku (Taira)
Forces Minamoto: 800 ships (Azuma Kagami) or 3,000 (The Tale of the Heike). Taira: 500 ships (Azuma Kagami) or 1,000 (The Tale of the Heike).
Losses Taira: annihilated, with the young Emperor Antoku and many Taira nobles among the dead. Minamoto losses unknown.
Result Minamoto victory
The Minamoto fleet under Minamoto no Yoshitsune met the Taira fleet in the Kanmon Straits. The morning tide favoured the Taira but turned against them in the afternoon, and the Taira were destroyed. The young Emperor Antoku died with many of the Taira nobility.
Why it is remembered It ended the Genpei War and gave the Minamoto command of Japan. The Tale of the Heike is one of the sources for its course.
Sources differ Date given as 25 April 1185, or 24 March 1185 by the official page of Shimonoseki. Fleet sizes differ between the Azuma Kagami and The Tale of the Heike.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Genpei War
Battle of Yashima Landing or siege
Also known as 屋島の戦い
22 March 1185 · Yashima, now Takamatsu, Kagawa, Shikoku, on the Seto Inland Sea
Fought between Minamoto clan against Taira clan
Commanders Minamoto no Yoshitsune (Minamoto); Taira no Munemori and Taira no Noritsune (Taira)
Forces Minamoto: 140 ships according to the main account, though Yoshitsune crossed with only 5 boats and about 150 men. Taira: unknown.
Losses Satō Tsugunobu among the Minamoto dead; Taira losses unknown
Result Minamoto victory; most of the Taira fleet escaped
After a storm wrecked many boats, Yoshitsune crossed to Shikoku with a small party and landed at Tsubaki Bay in Awa Province. He advanced overnight on the Taira palace at Yashima, and bonfires lit behind them made the Taira think a large army was coming by land. They abandoned the palace and fled to their ships with the child Emperor Antoku and the imperial regalia, and fighting went on between shore and ships.
Why it is remembered The Heike monogatari tells how Nasu no Yoichi shot a fan from a pole on a Taira boat, one of the most famous archery feats in Japanese history. The escaping Taira fleet was destroyed about a month later at Dan-no-ura.
Sources differ The main account gives 140 Minamoto ships, while the narrative has Yoshitsune leave with 5 of 200 boats. A figure of 30,000 horses probably belongs to a different campaign of 1184.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Third Crusade
Siege of Acre (1189 to 1191) Landing or siege
28 August 1189 to 12 July 1191 · Acre, coast of the Levant
Fought between Crusaders (England, France, the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the military orders, Pisa, Genoa, Sicily and others) against the Ayyubid Sultanate
Commanders Richard I of England, Philip II of France, Guy of Lusignan, Conrad of Montferrat (Crusaders); Saladin (Ayyubids)
Forces A Christian blockading fleet of at least 102 ships, including Pisan, Danish and Frisian squadrons, Richard I's fleet of 100 ships with about 8,000 men and a Genoese fleet under Simone Doria; Muslim and Egyptian galley fleets
Losses Crusaders: about 19,000 dead. Garrison: 5,000 to 10,000 dead.
Result Crusader victory
Guy of Jerusalem besieged Acre while a Christian fleet blockaded it from the sea, and Saladin's army in turn hemmed in the besiegers. On 30 October 1189 fifty Muslim galleys broke the blockade and landed about 10,000 men and supplies, and an Egyptian fleet arrived on 17 December. Conrad of Montferrat's naval attack on the Tower of Flies failed. With the arrival of the English and French fleets the city surrendered on 12 July 1191.
Why it is remembered Because both sides were supplied by sea, neither could finish the siege for nearly two years. Its fall was a key Crusader victory and a serious setback for Saladin.
Sources differ Casualty figures vary widely: modern estimates give about 19,000 Crusader dead, while a contemporary source claims up to 60,000 Muslims killed.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Croatian and Venetian war of 1181 to 1202
Battle of Pašman Fleet battle
Also known as Bitka kraj Pašmana
1190 · Off the island of Pašman, Dalmatia, Croatia
Fought between Zadar and Pisa against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Damjan Desinjin, count of Zadar
Result Zadar victory
Two years after allying with Pisa against Venice, the count of Zadar, Damjan Desinjin, met the Venetian fleet off Pašman in 1190 and won. The battle was part of a twenty year Venetian effort to take Zadar.
Why it is remembered One of the battles in Venice's long and, until 1202, unsuccessful attempt to take Zadar, which finally fell to the crusaders in 1202.
Sources hr.wikipedia.org
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Civil war era in Norway
Battle of Florvåg Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Florvåg
3 April 1194 · Florvåg bay, off Askøy near Bergen, Norway
Fought between Birkebeiner party against the Eyjarskeggjar party, supported by the Jarldom of Orkney
Commanders King Sverre Sigurdsson and Bård Guttormsson, killed (Birkebeiner); Sigurd Magnusson, Hallkjell Jonsson and Olav Jarlsmåg, all killed (Eyjarskeggjar)
Forces 21 ships and 2,000 men (Birkebeiner) against 14 ships and 2,000 men (Eyjarskeggjar)
Losses Birkebeiner: 900 to 1,000 killed. Eyjarskeggjar: 12 ships lost and 1,000 to 1,500 killed.
Result Decisive Birkebeiner victory
The Eyjarskeggjar, raised in Orkney and Shetland to support the pretender Sigurd Magnusson, wintered in Bergen and moved their fleet to Florvåg. Sverre's Birkebeiner fleet attacked by surprise at night. The Eyjarskeggjar had the better of most of the fight, but their ships were caught by a current near the end and the Birkebeiner destroyed most of their army and its leaders.
Why it is remembered It ended the most dangerous revolt of Sverre's reign.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Livonian Crusade
Battle of Visby (1203) Single-ship action
Also known as Jūras kauja pie Visbijas
1203 · Harbour of Visby, Gotland, Baltic Sea
Fought between German crusaders with Bishop Albert against Estonians (Oeselians)
Commanders Bishop Albert of Riga (present with the crusaders)
Forces Eight Estonian ships attacked
Losses Three Estonian ships captured
Result Crusader success
Estonian ships returning from a raid on Denmark had put into Visby. German crusaders bound for Livonia, against the wishes of the local people, attacked eight Estonian ships lying apart from the rest and captured three of them. The recovered plunder was handed to the Archbishop of Lund.
Why it is remembered The first battle of the Livonian Crusade in which Bishop Albert took part.
Sources lv.wikipedia.org
The Middle Ages · Anglo-French War of 1213 to 1214
Battle of Damme Raid
30 to 31 May 1213 · Damme, County of Flanders (now Belgium)
Fought between Kingdom of England and County of Flanders against the Kingdom of France
Commanders William Longespée, Earl of Salisbury (England); Savari de Mauléon (France)
Forces French fleet large, number unknown; English strength unknown
Losses France: 300 ships captured, over 100 burned, the remaining ships scuttled. English losses unknown.
Result English victory
An English fleet under the Earl of Salisbury came by chance upon a large French fleet near Damme while most French crews were ashore plundering. The English captured 300 ships at anchor and looted and burned about a hundred more on the beach. King Philip II marched from the siege of Ghent, relieved the town and drove off the English landing parties, then burned the rest of his own fleet to prevent its capture.
Why it is remembered It ended the immediate threat of a French invasion of England and is often called the first great English naval victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Mahiet, Master of the Cambrai Missal, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Livonian Crusade
Battle of Samsala Raid
Also known as Lahing Saaremaa Uues sadamas (Battle in the New Harbour of Saaremaa)
1215 · The New Harbour (Uus sadam), Saaremaa, Estonia
Fought between Oeselians (people of Saaremaa) against crusaders
Crusader ships driven by a storm to shelter in the New Harbour of Saaremaa were attacked there by the Oeselians. The account comes from the Livonian Chronicle of Henry.
Why it is remembered Recorded in Henry of Livonia's chronicle of the crusade.
Sources et.wikipedia.org
The Middle Ages · First Barons' War; Capetian and Plantagenet conflict
Battle of Dover (1217) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Douvres
Early 1217 · Off Dover, England
Fought between Kingdom of England against the Kingdom of France
Commanders Hubert de Burgh (England); Eustace the Monk (France)
Forces 30 to 40 English ships against about 80 French vessels, mostly small
Result English victory
Early in 1217 an English fleet of 30 to 40 ships under Hubert de Burgh fought a French fleet of some 80 vessels, mostly small, led by Eustace the Monk. The English won.
Sources differ The English account on the Battle of Sandwich (24 August 1217) says that battle is also called the Battle of Dover and has the same two commanders; the two may describe the same or related events.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
The Middle Ages · First Barons' War
Battle of Sandwich (1217) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Dover
24 August 1217 · Off Sandwich, Kent, England
Fought between Kingdom of England against the Kingdom of France
Commanders Hubert de Burgh, Philip d'Aubigny and Richard FitzRoy (England); Robert of Courtenay and Eustace the Monk, executed (France)
Forces 16 to 18 large ships and 20 smaller ships (England) against 10 large ships and 70 supply vessels (France)
Losses France: 1 large ship, 36 knights and 64 supply vessels lost. English losses unknown.
Result English victory
A French fleet carrying supplies and reinforcements to Prince Louis in London was attacked off Sandwich by an English fleet under Hubert de Burgh, coming from windward. The English took the French flagship, made Robert of Courtenay and the knights prisoner and killed the rest of the crew; Eustace the Monk was executed. Most supply vessels were captured and the rest returned to Calais.
Why it is remembered It persuaded Prince Louis to give up his attempt to conquer England, and the Treaty of Lambeth followed a few weeks later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Matthew White Ridley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Civil war era in Norway
Battle of Ekornholmen Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Ekornholmen
Summer 1222 · Ekornholmen, off Feiring on the west shore of Lake Mjøsa, Norway
Fought between Birkebeiner and the men of Hedmark against the Ribbungs
Commanders Harald Stangarfylja, Olav Mok, Fridrek Slafse and Torgeir biskopsmann (Birkebeiner and Hedmark); Sigurd Ribbung (Ribbungs)
Forces An unknown number of small vessels on the Ribbung side; the Hedmark side probably had fewer ships
Losses Ribbungs: 200 killed, including four company leaders (Styr prest, Ørnulv fra Forvell, Torbjørn Rig and Audun Austansjor)
Result Birkebeiner victory
Sigurd Ribbung brought a fleet of small vessels up the Glomma and Vorma into Lake Mjøsa and sought out the Birkebeiner flotilla lying off Feiring. The Birkebeiner and Hedmark men held and defeated the Ribbungs, who were driven ashore towards Toten and fled.
Why it is remembered The defeat and the strong Birkebeiner fleet on Mjøsa kept the Ribbungs out of Hedmark, though Ribbung struck back in 1225.
Sources no.wikipedia.org
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Nicaean-Latin Wars
Battle of Constantinople (1241) Fleet battle
May to June 1241 · Sea of Marmara off Constantinople
Fought between Empire of Nicaea against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Iophre the Armenian (Nicaea); Giovanni Michiel (Venice)
Result Venetian victory
The fleets of the Empire of Nicaea and the Republic of Venice fought near Constantinople, and the Venetians won.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Guelphs and Ghibellines; Genoese and Pisan wars; second war between Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX
Battle of Giglio Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Montecristo; Battle of Meloria (1241)
3 May 1241 · Tyrrhenian Sea between the islands of Montecristo and Giglio, Italy
Fought between Holy Roman Empire, Kingdom of Sicily and Republic of Pisa against the Papacy and the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Enzo of Sardinia, Ansaldo de Mari and Ugolino Buzaccherini (Imperial and Pisan); Giacobo Malocello and Gregorio da Montelongo (Genoese)
Forces 67 galleys and lighter warships (40 Pisan galleys, 27 Sicilian and imperial galleys, Savonese light vessels) against 27 vessels, mostly Genoese galleys and several tarides
Losses Imperial and Pisan: negligible. Genoese and papal: 2,000 killed, 4,000 captured, 1 archbishop killed and 18 prelates captured, 3 galleys sunk and 22 captured.
Result Decisive Imperial and Pisan victory
A Genoese squadron was carrying French, English and Spanish prelates to a council summoned in Rome by Pope Gregory IX to act against the excommunicated Emperor Frederick II. A combined Imperial, Sicilian and Pisan fleet intercepted it between Montecristo and Giglio and destroyed it, capturing cardinals, archbishops, bishops, abbots and envoys.
Why it is remembered The capture of the delegates wrecked the planned council at a critical point in the struggle between emperor and papacy.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · War of Saint Sabas
Battle of Acre (1258) Fleet battle
25 June 1258 · Off the port of Acre
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Lorenzo Tiepolo, Andrea Zeno and Lorenzo Barozzi (Venice); Rosso della Turca (Genoa)
Forces 40 galleys, 4 saette and about 10 smaller vessels (Venice) against 50 galleys and 4 navi (Genoa)
Losses Genoa: 24 galleys captured and 1,700 men killed or captured, about half the fleet. Venetian losses unknown.
Result Venetian victory
Genoa sent a fleet under Rosso della Turca to break the Venetian blockade of its quarter in Acre, with Philip of Montfort and the Hospitallers to attack from the land side. The Genoese surprised the Venetians, but della Turca delayed his attack long enough for the Venetians to form line. Venetian seamanship gave a crushing victory.
Why it is remembered The Genoese abandoned Acre soon afterwards.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown, 19th century, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of Saint Sabas
Battle of Settepozzi Fleet battle
First half of 1263 · Off Spetses (medieval Settepozzi), Argolic Gulf, Greece
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Republic of Genoa and the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Guiberto Dandolo (Venice); Pietro Avvocato, killed, Lanfranco Spinola and two other admirals (Genoa)
Forces 32 Venetian galleys against 38 Genoese galleys and 10 saette, of which only 14 engaged
Losses Venice: 20 killed, 400 wounded. Genoa: 600 killed or wounded, 400 captured, 4 galleys captured.
Result Venetian victory
A Genoese fleet sailing to the Byzantine stronghold of Monemvasia met a smaller Venetian fleet off Spetses. The Genoese chose to attack, but only two of their four admirals and 14 ships took part, and they were easily routed.
Why it is remembered The Byzantines began to move away from their alliance with Genoa, and the Genoese afterwards avoided the Venetian battle fleet and turned to commerce raiding.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Robert Shepherd, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of Saint Sabas
Battle of Saseno Convoy battle
14 August 1264 · Off Saseno island, Albania
Fought between Republic of Genoa against a Venetian trade convoy
Commanders Simone Grillo (Genoa); Michele Duaro (Venetian convoy)
Forces 16 Genoese galleys against 13 taride cargo galleys, 2 light galleys, 1 saetta scouting galley, 1 panzone and 3 navi transports
Ships Roccafortis
Losses Venice: 17 ships lost (12 taride captured, 1 burned, 2 light galleys captured, 1 nave captured, 1 nave sunk). Genoese losses unknown.
Result Genoese victory
Simone Grillo spread word that he was heading for the Levant, then waited off Malta while the main Venetian fleet under Andrea Barozzi went east after him. Grillo then fell on an outbound Venetian convoy off Saseno and took or sank most of its slow merchant ships. Duaro rallied his crews in the great nave Roccafortis and abandoned the rest.
Why it is remembered The captured goods were valued at 100,000 Genoese lire, a rare Genoese success in a war of Venetian victories.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · War of Saint Sabas
Battle of Trapani Fleet battle
23 June 1266 · Off Trapani, Sicily
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Jacopo Dondulo and Marco Gradenigo (Venice); Lanfranco Borbonino (Genoa)
Forces 24 galleys and 2 saette (Venice) against 27 galleys (Genoa)
Losses Venice: light. Genoa: 24 galleys captured, 3 destroyed, many killed including 1,200 drowned, 600 captured.
Result Venetian victory
The fleets met near Trapani on 22 June. The Genoese council resolved to attack, but Borbonino reversed the decision overnight and chained his ships together near the shore. When the Venetians attacked next day, many Genoese crews, mostly hired foreigners, abandoned their ships, and the whole fleet was sunk or captured.
Why it is remembered Borbonino and most of his captains were tried in Genoa and fined for cowardice. The war went on until French mediation ended it in 1270.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages
Battle of Polesella (1271) Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Polesella; Battaglia della Polesella
1 September 1271 · River Po between Polesella and Guarda Veneta, Italy
Fought between Commune of Bologna against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Lanfranco Malucelli (Bologna); Iacopo Contarini (Venice)
Forces Unknown on both sides; Bologna used land and river forces
Result Bolognese victory
Bolognese land and river forces fought the Venetian river fleet on the Po between Polesella and Guarda Veneta and won.
Why it is remembered Bologna gained more favourable customs duties, which allowed it to expand its trade.
Sources Wikipedia (IT)
Image: Lucio Rossi (Foto R.C.R. Studio Parma), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Byzantine and Latin wars
Battle of Demetrias Fleet battle
1272/1273 or 1274/1275 · Demetrias (modern Volos), Greece
Fought between Byzantine Empire against the Lordship of Negroponte and Venetian Crete
Commanders Alexios Philanthropenos, wounded, and John Palaiologos (Byzantine); Guglielmo da Verona, killed, and Filippo Sanudo, captured (Latin)
Forces 50 to 80 Byzantine ships against 30 to 62 Latin ships
Losses Byzantine: heavy. Latin: very heavy.
Result Byzantine victory
A Byzantine fleet fought the assembled Latin barons of Euboea and Crete at Volos. The fighting was fierce and at first went the Latins' way, until Byzantine reinforcements arrived and turned it into a crushing Byzantine victory.
Sources differ Date given as 1272/1273 or 1274/1275. Fleet sizes given as ranges.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Reconquista
Battle of Algeciras (1278) Fleet battle
25 July 1278 · Strait of Gibraltar, off Algeciras, Spain
Fought between Kingdom of Castile and the Order of Santa María de España against the Marinid Sultanate and the Emirate of Granada
Commanders Pedro Martínez de Fe (Castile); Abu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr (Marinid and Granadan)
Forces 100 Castilian ships against 72 Marinid and 12 Nasrid ships
Losses Castile: all but 3 ships lost and hundreds drowned. Marinid losses unknown.
Result Marinid victory
While Infante Sancho besieged Algeciras, the Castilian fleet was attacked in the Strait of Gibraltar by the combined Marinid and Granadan fleets and destroyed, all but three of its ships being lost.
Why it is remembered Sancho abandoned the siege of Algeciras in 1279, ending the first round of the long struggle for the Strait of Gibraltar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: User:Falconaumanni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Song and Yuan wars
Battle of Yamen Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Yashan; 厓門戰役; 厓山海戰
19 March 1279 · Yamen, Xinhui, Jiangmen, Guangdong, China
Fought between Song dynasty against the Yuan dynasty
Commanders Zhang Shijie, killed, and Lu Xiufu, suicide (Song); Zhang Hongfan (Yuan)
Forces Song: over 1,000 ships, mostly transports with warship escorts, carrying some 200,000 people, mostly court officials and servants. Yuan: 20,000 soldiers and over 50 warships.
Losses Song: at least 100,000 died in the fighting or by drowning; the rest fled. Yuan losses unknown.
Result Yuan victory; death of the Song emperor Zhao Bing and fall of the Song dynasty
The Song court and its fleet made their last stand at Yamen against the Yuan fleet and were destroyed. The Song emperor Zhao Bing died, and at least 100,000 people were killed or drowned.
Why it is remembered It marked the end of the Song dynasty.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: (Long night without wind) 长夜无风, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of the Sicilian Vespers
Battle of Nicotera Fleet battle
1282 · Off Nicotera, Calabria, southern Italy
Fought between Crown of Aragon and Kingdom of Sicily against the Angevin Kingdom of Naples
Commanders James of Aragon, Pedro de Queralt and Ramon de Cortada (Aragon); Arrighino de' Mari (Angevin)
Forces 15 to 22 Aragonese and Sicilian galleys against 48 Angevin ships
Losses Aragonese: light. Angevin: heavy, about 20 ships captured with many crews and troops; contemporary chronicles claim 4,000 to 6,000 prisoners, probably exaggerated.
Result Aragonese and Sicilian victory
After the failed Angevin siege of Messina, the weakened Angevin fleet tried to disperse to its home ports for the winter and was intercepted along the coast of southern Italy by the Aragonese and Sicilian fleet.
Why it is remembered The first direct battle between Angevin and Aragonese forces in the war, and the start of the Aragonese naval supremacy that marked the rest of it.
Sources differ Prisoner numbers from the chronicles (4,000 to 6,000) are considered likely exaggerations.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · War of the Sicilian Vespers
Battle of Malta (1283) Fleet battle
8 July 1283 · Entrance to the Grand Harbour, Malta
Fought between Crown of Aragon against the Angevin Kingdom of Naples
Commanders Roger of Lauria (Aragon); Guillaume Cornut, killed, and Bartholomé Bonvin (Angevin)
Forces 18 to 21 galleys and 5,500 men (Aragon) against 19 to 22 galleys and 7,800 men (Angevin)
Losses Aragon: 300 dead, 200 wounded. Angevin: 3,500 dead, 860 prisoners, 10 galleys captured, 2 scuttled.
Result Aragonese victory
An Angevin galley fleet reached Malta to relieve the garrison besieged in the Castello del Mare, followed closely by Roger of Lauria's Aragonese fleet. Lauria drew the Angevin and Provençal galleys into battle at the harbour mouth and destroyed almost all of them.
Why it is remembered It forced Charles I of Naples to postpone his planned invasion of Sicily.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: 5afd4770411ca76c (talk), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of the Sicilian Vespers
Battle of the Gulf of Naples Fleet battle
5 June 1284 · Southern part of the Gulf of Naples, Italy
Fought between Crown of Aragon and Sicily against the Angevin Kingdom of Naples
Commanders Roger of Lauria (Aragon); Charles of Salerno, captured (Naples)
Forces 30 Aragonese galleys against 28 Angevin galleys
Losses Aragon: light. Naples: 10 galleys captured.
Result Aragonese victory
Roger of Lauria's Aragonese and Sicilian fleet defeated the Angevin fleet under Prince Charles of Salerno in the Gulf of Naples. Charles himself was captured.
Why it is remembered The victory helped secure Aragonese control of the sea around Sicily.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Giovanni Villani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Genoese and Pisan wars
Battle of Meloria (1284) Fleet battle
5 to 6 August 1284 · Near the islet of Meloria, Ligurian Sea, Italy
Fought between Republic of Genoa against the Republic of Pisa
Commanders Oberto Doria, Benedetto Zaccaria and Corrado Spinola (Genoa); Albertino Morosini, captured, Count Ugolino and Andreotto Saraceno (Pisa)
Forces 88 Genoese galleys against 72 Pisan galleys
Losses Genoa: moderate, according to Doria. Pisa: about 5,000 killed, about 9,000 to 11,000 captured, 35 to 37 galleys lost.
Result Genoese victory
The Genoese and Pisan fleets met off the islet of Meloria and the Pisan fleet was destroyed, with thousands killed and many more taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered It marked the decline of the Republic of Pisa as a sea power.
Sources differ One account gives 5 and 6 August 1284; another account gives 6 August.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Genoese and Pisan wars
Battle of Tavolara (1284) Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Tavolara
May 1284 · Off the island of Tavolara, north east Sardinia
Fought between Republic of Genoa against the Republic of Pisa
Commanders Arrigo De Mari and Morovello Malaspina (Genoa); Count Fazio della Gherardesca (Pisa)
Forces 15 Genoese war galleys against 24 or 34 Pisan war galleys
Losses Genoa: light. Pisa: 1 galley sunk, 13 vessels captured, 1,500 prisoners.
Result Genoese victory
A Pisan fleet escorting ships towards the coast of Gallura met the Genoese fleet off Tavolara. Despite its greater numbers Pisa was beaten, losing most of its galleys and over 1,500 men taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered Pisa replaced its podestà with the Venetian Alberto Morosini, and the war ended weeks later with the far worse Pisan defeat at Meloria.
Sources differ Pisan strength given as 24 or 34 galleys.
Sources Wikipedia (IT)
Image: Mikołaj Kirschke, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Aragonese Crusade
Battle of Les Formigues Fleet battle
4 September 1285 (probably early morning) · Near the Formigues Islands, off Girona, Catalonia, about 85 km north east of Barcelona
Fought between Crown of Aragon and Kingdom of Sicily against France and the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Roger of Lauria, Ramon Marquet and Berenguer Mallol (Aragon); Guilhem de Lodeva, captured, Henry di Mari and John de Orreo (France and Genoa)
Forces 30 plus 10 Aragonese and Sicilian galleys against 30 French and Genoese galleys
Losses France and Genoa: 15 to 20 or more galleys sunk, burnt or captured. Aragonese losses unknown.
Result Aragonese victory
The battle was fought at night, which suited Roger of Lauria, who hung two lanterns on each galley to seem stronger. Ten to sixteen Genoese galleys fled, leaving some fifteen to twenty French galleys to be captured and others sunk or burnt. About three hundred French prisoners are said to have been blinded, all but one, and sent back to France.
Why it is remembered Lauria's reported message to the King of France was that no fish could swim the Mediterranean without bearing the arms of the King of Aragon.
Sources differ Three largely different accounts exist (Ramon Muntaner, Bernat Desclot and the Gesta comitum Barchinonensium). The Gesta places the battle at Les Formigues; Muntaner places it off Roses.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Joan Serra y Pausas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Aragonese Crusade
Battle of Sant Feliu de Guíxols Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla naval de Sant Feliu de Guíxols
27 to 28 July 1285 · Off Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Girona, Catalonia
Fought between Crown of Aragon against the Kingdom of France
Commanders Ramon Marquet and Berenguer Mallol (Aragon); Guillem de Lodeva, captured (France)
Forces 11 Catalan galleys against 24 French galleys
Losses France: 7 galleys captured and 4,000 sailors. Aragon: 1 galley disabled and 100 sailors.
Result Aragonese victory
The Catalan galleys attacked the French head on, broke their line and isolated seven galleys, including the flagship, which crossbowmen and boarders overwhelmed; the other French galleys fled. Admiral Guillem de Lodeva was captured, and prisoners who could not be ransomed were put aboard two galleys that were then sunk.
Why it is remembered Weeks later the same squadron joined Roger of Lauria's fleet for the Battle of Les Formigues.
Sources differ Muntaner places the battle off Roses. French strength is also given as 25 galleys in a separate account.
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
The Middle Ages · War of the Sicilian Vespers
Battle of the Counts Fleet battle
23 June 1287 · Near Naples, Italy
Fought between Crown of Aragon and Kingdom of Sicily against the Angevin Kingdom of Naples
Commanders Roger of Lauria (Aragon and Sicily); Reynald III Quarrel of Avella and Narjot de Toucy (Naples)
Forces 40 to 45 Aragonese and Sicilian galleys against 84 Angevin galleys
Losses Naples: 5,000 crew captured and 40 galleys captured. Aragonese losses unknown.
Result Aragonese victory
Roger of Lauria's Aragonese and Sicilian fleet met an Angevin fleet of about twice its size near Naples and won a major victory, capturing 40 galleys and 5,000 men.
Why it is remembered One of the major victories of Roger of Lauria.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Mongol invasions of Vietnam (third invasion)
Battle of Bạch Đằng (1288) Fleet battle
9 April 1288 · Bạch Đằng River, Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam
Fought between Đại Việt against the Yuan dynasty
Commanders Prince Trần Hưng Đạo (Trần Quốc Tuấn) and Trần Khánh Dư (Đại Việt); Omar, captured, and Fan Yi, executed (Yuan)
Forces 50,000 (Vietnamese sources) against 94,000 men and 500 ships (Yuan)
Losses Đại Việt: 4,000 to 4,500 killed. Yuan: 80,000 killed or captured, 500 ships sunk or captured.
Result Đại Việt victory
Prince Trần Hưng Đạo laid an ambush for the Yuan fleet on the Bạch Đằng River and destroyed it, capturing its general.
Why it is remembered It ended Kublai Khan's plans to conquer Đại Việt and Champa. It is ranked with the earlier battle of Bạch Đằng in 938 among the greatest victories in Vietnamese military history.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Venetian and Genoese wars
Battle of Laiazzo Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Laiazzo
27 May 1294 · Off the roadstead of Laiazzo
Fought between Republic of Genoa against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Niccolò Spinola (Genoa); Marco Basilio (Venice)
Forces 17 Genoese galleys and one smaller vessel against 32 Venetian galleys
Losses Venice: 25 galleys captured and many prisoners
Result Genoese victory
Outnumbered, the Genoese formed a line in front of the port with their flanks protected. The Venetians attacked slowly, using fireships, but the wind carried many of their galleys alongside the Genoese so they could not ram. After a full day of fighting, with missiles thrown from what may have been siege engines aboard, Genoa took 25 galleys.
Why it is remembered The Dominican Jacopo d'Acqui wrote that Marco Polo was captured here, though others place his capture at Curzola in 1298. The battle was not decisive and both sides prepared for a larger war.
Sources differ Marco Polo's capture placed at Laiazzo (1294) by Jacopo d'Acqui and at Curzola (1298) by others. The Italian account notes its sources lack precise references.
Sources Wikipedia (IT)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · War of Curzola
Battle of Curzola Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Korčula
9 September 1298 · Off Curzola (Korčula), southern Dalmatia, Croatia
Fought between Republic of Genoa against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Lamba Doria (Genoa); Andrea Dandolo, killed, and Matteo Quirini, killed (Venice)
Forces 66 to 75 Genoese galleys against 95 Venetian galleys
Losses Genoa: heavy. Venice: 7,000 to 9,000 killed and 65 to 83 galleys lost.
Result Genoese victory
The Genoese fleet under Lamba Doria met the larger Venetian fleet off Korčula and destroyed most of it. The Venetian commander Andrea Dandolo was killed.
Why it is remembered A disaster for Venice and one of the heaviest defeats in the long wars between Genoa, Venice and Pisa for the trade of the Mediterranean and the Levant.
Sources differ Date: 9 September 1298 in one account, 8 September in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Fedele Fischetti, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of the Sicilian Vespers
Battle of Cape Orlando Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Capo d'Orlando
4 July 1299 · Off Cape Orlando, near San Marco di Val Demone, Sicily
Fought between Crown of Aragon and the Angevins against the Kingdom of Sicily
Commanders Roger of Lauria, with King James II of Aragon present (Aragon and Anjou); Conrad d'Oria, with King Frederick III of Sicily present (Sicily)
Forces 56 Aragonese and Angevin galleys against 48 Sicilian galleys
Losses Sicily: 18 galleys captured and their crews massacred. Aragonese losses unknown.
Result Aragonese and Angevin victory
The larger Aragonese and Angevin fleet was trapped on a lee shore but won when its six galley reserve struck the rear of the Sicilian line. The Sicilians fled after their flagship, with King Frederick aboard, pulled back when he collapsed from heat and exhaustion.
Why it is remembered James II then withdrew to Aragon, and Frederick defeated the Angevins on land and secured Sicilian independence in the Peace of Caltabellotta.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicolás Ruiz de Valdivia y Aguilera (1829 to 1880), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of the Sicilian Vespers
Battle of Ponza (1300) Fleet battle
14 June 1300 · Near the islands of Ponza and Zannone, Gulf of Gaeta, north west of Naples, Italy
Fought between Angevin Naples, with Aragon and Genoese and Apulian galleys, against the Kingdom of Sicily
Commanders Roger of Lauria (Angevin fleet); Conrad d'Oria (Sicily)
Forces 59 galleys (40 Angevin, 12 Apulian, 7 Genoese) against 32 Sicilian galleys
Losses Sicily: 18 to 29 galleys captured (26 in the main account); Lauria lost one galley captured. Angevin losses otherwise unknown.
Result Angevin and Aragonese victory
Conrad d'Oria challenged Lauria to come out of Naples, but Lauria waited until Apulian and Genoese galleys joined him. He then found the Sicilians near Zannone. D'Oria attacked Lauria's flag galley directly; seven Sicilian galleys fled and five Genoese Ghibelline galleys held back, and most of the rest were captured, d'Oria's galley surrendering last when Lauria threatened to burn it.
Sources differ Sicilian galleys captured given as 18 to 29 in one account (two sources say 28) and 26 in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Franco-Flemish War
Battle of Zierikzee Fleet battle
10 to 11 August 1304 · Near Zierikzee, County of Zeeland (modern Netherlands)
Fought between Kingdom of France, County of Holland and Genoese galleys against the County of Flanders
Commanders Rainier I Grimaldi (France and allies); Guy of Namur, captured (Flanders)
Forces 54 allied ships against 37 Flemish ships
Losses Flemish fleet annihilated; casualty figures unknown on both sides
Result French and Dutch victory
A Franco-Hollandic fleet under the Genoese Rainier Grimaldi met the Flemish fleet near Zierikzee and destroyed it over two days. Guy of Namur was taken prisoner.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Giovanni Villani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · The Crusades
Battle of Amorgos (1312) Fleet battle
1312 · Amorgos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Knights Hospitaller against the Beylik of Menteshe
Forces Hospitaller strength unknown; 23 Turkish ships
Losses Hospitallers: 57 knights and 300 foot soldiers killed. Menteshe: 23 ships burned and 800 soldiers killed.
Result Hospitaller victory
The fleets of the Knights Hospitaller and the Turkish beylik of Menteshe fought at Amorgos. The Hospitallers won, burning all 23 Turkish ships, but both sides suffered heavy losses.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Latin campaigns against Turkish pirates
Battle of Chios (1319) Fleet battle
23 July 1319 · Off Chios, eastern Aegean
Fought between Knights Hospitaller and the Lordship of Chios against the Beylik of Aydin
Commanders Albert of Schwarzburg and Martino Zaccaria (Latin); Mehmed Beg (Aydin)
Forces 31 Latin ships against 10 galleys and 18 other ships
Losses Aydin: 22 ships sunk or captured. Latin losses unknown.
Result Hospitaller and Genoese victory
A Latin Christian fleet, mainly Hospitaller, met a Turkish fleet of the Aydinid emirate off Chios and sank or captured 22 of its ships.
Why it is remembered For the Aydinids, who had turned to piracy after the collapse of Byzantine power, it was only a temporary setback in their rise.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages
Battle of Rhodes (1320) Landing or siege
1320 · Rhodes, with a sequel at Episkopi (Tilos)
Fought between Knights Hospitaller with six Genoese galleys against the Turks of Menteshe
Commanders Orhan Bey (Menteshe)
Forces 4 Hospitaller galleys and 20 smaller vessels with 6 Genoese galleys, against some 80 Turkish ships carrying and protecting an army
Losses The Turkish fleet was destroyed. At Episkopi the Turks left there, reportedly 5,000 or even 10,000 people, were slaughtered or enslaved.
Result Turkish attempt to conquer Rhodes failed
The Turks of Menteshe sent some 80 ships to carry an army against Rhodes. The Hospitaller and Genoese fleet destroyed the invasion fleet, then sailed to Episkopi where the Turks left behind were killed or enslaved.
Sources differ Some sources date it to 1321 or 1322. The historian Mike Carr suggests medieval sources may have confused it with the 1319 battle of Chios.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Auguste Étienne François Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Aragonese conquest of Sardinia
Battle of the Gulf of Cagliari Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla naval de Cagliari; Battaglia navale del Golfo di Cagliari
26 to 29 December 1325 · Gulf of Cagliari, off Capo di Sant'Elia, Sardinia
Fought between Crown of Aragon against the Republics of Pisa and Genoa
Commanders Francesco Carroz (Aragon); Gaspare Doria (Pisa and Genoa)
Forces 22 Aragonese galleys against 26 galleys and 6 boats (22 Savonese galleys, 4 armed galleys and 6 Pisan boats)
Losses Genoa and Pisa: 7 Genoese galleys seized, including Doria's, and hundreds killed or captured. Aragonese losses not given.
Result Aragonese victory
A Pisan and Genoese fleet under Gaspare Doria arrived off Capo di Sant'Elia on Christmas Eve. After several days of skirmishing, Admiral Carroz surprised the Pisan and Genoese galleys in front of and to the left of his line and seized seven; Doria fled and the lighter galleys escaped.
Why it is remembered After this defeat and the assault on Stampace, Pisa ceded Castel di Castro to Aragon in June 1326.
Sources differ The Catalan account on the Battle of Stampace describes the same naval defeat of Doria's relief fleet on 29 December 1325.
Sources Wikipedia (ES) · Wikipedia (IT)
The Middle Ages · Aragonese conquest of Sardinia
Battle of Stampace Landing or siege
Also known as Batalla de Stampace
29 December 1325 · Stampace, beside Cagliari, Sardinia
Fought between Crown of Aragon against the Republics of Genoa and Pisa
Commanders Francesc Carròs i de Cruïlles (Aragonese fleet) and Ramon de Peralta (Aragonese land forces); Gaspar Doria (relief fleet)
Forces Relief fleet of 24 galleys; Aragonese strength not given
Result Aragonese victory
Carròs's fleet defeated a Genoese and Pisan relief fleet of 24 galleys, the fight opening with five Genoese and two Pisan galleys attacking his ship while the rest stayed back. The Aragonese then moved against Cagliari, and Peralta stormed Stampace and massacred its people.
Sources differ Year given as 1326 in some records; the Catalan account dates it 29 December 1325. The naval action overlaps with the Battle of the Gulf of Cagliari (26 to 29 December 1325).
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · The Crusades
Battle of Adramyttion (1334) Fleet battle
Autumn 1334 · Gulf of Adramyttion, Turkey
Fought between Christian naval league (Venice, Knights Hospitaller, Cyprus, the Papal States and France) against the Beylik of Karasi
Commanders Pietro Zeno (league); Yakhshi (Karasi)
Forces 34 league galleys
Losses Karasi: 150 to 200 ships destroyed and 5,000 soldiers killed
Result Christian league victory
The fleet of a Christian naval league led by Venice and the Hospitallers defeated the fleet of the Turkish beylik of Karasi in the Gulf of Adramyttion.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Luso-Castilian War of 1336 to 1339
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1337) Fleet battle
21 July 1337 · Off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal
Fought between Crown of Castile against the Kingdom of Portugal
Commanders Alfonso Jofré Tenorio (Castile); Manuel Pessanha (Emanuele Pessagno), captured (Portugal)
Forces 30 Castilian galleys against 20 Portuguese galleys
Losses Portugal: 14 galleys lost (8 captured, 6 sunk). Castile: uncertain.
Result Castilian victory
A Castilian fleet under Alfonso Jofré Tenorio defeated the young Portuguese fleet of the Luso-Genoese admiral Manuel Pessanha, who was taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered It brought a quick end to the Luso-Castilian war begun in 1336.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War
Battle of Arnemuiden Fleet battle
23 September 1338 · Off Arnemuiden, Walcheren, Zeeland (now the Netherlands)
Fought between France against England
Commanders Hugues Quiéret and Nicolas Béhuchet (France); John Kingston, killed (England)
Forces 48 French galleys against 5 English cogs
Ships Christopher (Christophe)
Losses France: 900 killed or wounded. England: 1,000 killed and 5 cogs captured.
Result French victory
A large French fleet caught five great English cogs carrying wool to Antwerp, where Edward III meant to sell it to pay his allies. Outnumbered and with some crew still ashore, John Kingston surrendered after a day's fighting. The French took the cargo and the five cogs and massacred the English prisoners.
Why it is remembered The first naval battle of the Hundred Years' War and the first recorded European naval battle using artillery: the English ship Christopher carried three cannon and one handgun.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean de Froissart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Battle of the Strait
Battle of Ceuta (1339) Fleet battle
6 September 1339 · Ceuta, Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Crown of Aragon against the Marinid Sultanate and the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Jofre Gilabert de Cruïlles and Galceran Marquet (Aragon)
Forces 8 Aragonese galleys against 14 galleys
Result Christian victory
An Aragonese squadron of 8 galleys fought 14 Marinid and Genoese galleys at Ceuta and won.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Reconquista
Battle of Getares Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Algeciras (1340)
9 April 1340 · Playa de Getares, Algeciras, Spain
Fought between Marinid Sultanate against the Kingdom of Castile
Commanders Mohammed ben Ali al-Azafi (Marinid fleet); Alfonso Jofré Tenorio, killed (Castile)
Forces 79 Marinid ships against 51 Castilian ships
Losses Castile: fleet annihilated, 35 ships captured. Marinid losses unknown.
Result Marinid victory
The Marinid fleet met the Castilian fleet of Alfonso Jofré Tenorio off Getares beach near Algeciras and destroyed it. Tenorio was killed.
Sources differ One account names Mohammed ben Ali al-Azafi as Marinid commander; another account names Abu al-Hasan.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War
Battle of Sluys Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de l'Écluse
24 June 1340 · Roadstead of Sluys, a since silted inlet between Zeeland and West Flanders
Fought between England against France
Commanders King Edward III, wounded, and the Earl of Huntingdon (England); Hugues Quiéret and Nicolas Béhuchet, both executed (France)
Forces 120 to 150 English ships against 213 or 230 French ships
Losses England: 400 to 600 men and 2 ships. France: 16,000 to 20,000 men and 190 ships, of which 166 captured.
Result English victory
Edward III sailed from the River Orwell and found the French fleet blocking Sluys, its ships bound together in three lines as floating platforms. While the English manoeuvred for wind and tide, the French drifted east and became entangled; as they tried to work back west the English attacked and beat them in detail, capturing most of their ships.
Why it is remembered It gave England command of the Channel and allowed its army to land and besiege Tournai, though French raids on English shipping and coasts continued.
Sources differ French fleet given as 230 ships in one account and 213 in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Kalundborg War
Siege of Kalundborg Landing or siege
Also known as Belejringen af Kalundborg; Siege of Kalundborg Castle
July to September 1341 · Kalundborg, Zealand, Denmark
Fought between Denmark, the Hanseatic League and Holstein-Plön against Norway and Holstein-Rendsburg
Commanders Valdemar IV, Peder Jensen and John III (Danish side); Ingeborg of Norway, Heine Brockdorf and Henry II of Holstein-Rendsburg (Norwegian side)
Forces Danish side: some ships, men unknown. Holstein-Rendsburg: many ships, men unknown.
Losses Danish side: many ships deserted and enclosed. Norwegian and Holstein losses unknown.
Result Norwegian and Holstein victory
Valdemar IV of Denmark besieged Kalundborg Castle, then pledged to Norway, with ships among his forces. A surprise attack on the Danish camp by Henry II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg, forced the Danes to retreat, and many of their ships were deserted or shut in.
Why it is remembered The Kalundborg War is named after this siege.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Reconquista, Battle of the Strait
Siege of Algeciras (1342 to 1344) Landing or siege
Also known as Al-Jazeera Al-Khadra
3 August 1342 to 26 March 1344 · Algeciras, Bay of Gibraltar, southern Spain
Fought between Crown of Castile with Genoa, Aragon, Portugal, Navarre and European crusaders against the Marinid dynasty and the Emirate of Granada
Commanders Alfonso XI (Castile); Abu al-Hasan Ali (Marinids); Yusuf I (Granada)
Forces Castilian land forces supported by the fleets of the Crown of Aragon and the Republic of Genoa; the city held about 30,000 people, civilians and Berber soldiers
Result Christian victory; the city surrendered and passed to the Crown of Castile
Alfonso XI besieged Algeciras, the capital and main port of the Marinid territory in Europe, while the Aragonese and Genoese fleets helped close the city by sea. The land and sea blockade kept food out for twenty one months. A Granadan relief army was defeated beside the Río Palmones, and the city surrendered on 26 March 1344.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first military engagements in Europe in which gunpowder was used.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Breton Civil War; Hundred Years' War
Siege of Brest (1342) Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Brest (1342); Bataille de Brest (1342)
July to 18 August 1342 (relieved 18 August) · Brest Roads, Brittany, France
Fought between England and the House of Montfort against France and the House of Blois
Commanders William of Northampton and Joanna of Flanders (English and Montfortist); Charles of Blois and Carlo Grimaldi (French and Blois)
Forces English: 260 ships (120 warships and 140 transports) with 1,350 fighting men, plus the Brest garrison. French: a large army, 14 Genoese mercenary galleys and some smaller boats.
Losses French side: 11 galleys and several smaller craft. English: few if any.
Result English and Montfortist victory
Joanna of Flanders was besieged in Brest, the last Montfortist stronghold, by Charles of Blois, with 14 Genoese galleys blockading it from the sea. On 18 August an English fleet of 260 ships under William of Northampton sailed into the Brest Roads, overwhelmed the galleys and burned 11. Seeing the crowded roadstead and the English landing on the beach, Charles expected a vast army, broke off the siege and abandoned western Brittany.
Why it is remembered The historian Jonathan Sumption called the French withdrawal extraordinary. The English held Brest until 1362.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: André du Chesne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Reconquista
Battle of Estepona Fleet battle
1342 · Bay of Estepona, Strait of Gibraltar, Spain
Fought between Crown of Aragon against the Marinid Sultanate
Commanders Pere de Montcada (Aragon)
Forces Aragonese strength unknown; 13 Marinid galleys
Result Aragonese victory
The Aragonese fleet under Admiral Pere de Montcada met the Marinid fleet in the Bay of Estepona and routed it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: User:falconaumanni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Reconquista
Battle of Guadalmesí Fleet battle
8 April 1342 · Guadalmesí, Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Crown of Castile and Kingdom of Portugal against the Marinid Sultanate
Commanders Alfonso XI of Castile; Abu al-Hasan Ali (Marinid)
Losses Marinid: heavy. Castilian and Portuguese losses unknown.
Result Castilian and Portuguese victory
A Castilian fleet supported by Portugal fought the Marinid fleet at Guadalmesí in the Strait of Gibraltar and inflicted heavy losses.
Sources differ Possibly overlaps with the Battle of Sierra Bullones (April 1342).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown, 19th century, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Reconquista
Battle of Sierra Bullones (1342) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Sierra Bullones
April 1342 · Near Ceuta, Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Kingdom of Castile against the Marinid Sultanate
Commanders Egidio Bocanegra (Castile)
Forces Castilian strength unknown; 12 Marinid galleys
Losses Marinid: 6 galleys captured. Castilian losses unknown.
Result Castilian victory
A Castilian fleet under Admiral Egidio Bocanegra fought a Marinid fleet of 12 galleys near Ceuta and captured six of them.
Sources differ Possibly the same action as the Battle of Guadalmesí (8 April 1342), also a Castilian naval victory over the Marinids in the Strait that month; the sources do not link them.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Smyrniote crusades
Battle of Pallene Fleet battle
13 May 1344 · Pallene peninsula, Chalcidice, northern Greece
Fought between Latin Christian league (Venice, Knights Hospitaller, Cyprus and the Papal States) against Turkish raiders
Forces 24 league ships against 52 or 60 Turkish ships
Result Christian victory
The fleet of a Latin Christian league met a larger fleet of Turkish raiders at the Pallene peninsula and defeated it.
Sources differ Turkish fleet given as 52 or 60 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War (Crécy campaign)
Siege of Calais (1346 to 1347) Landing or siege
4 September 1346 to 3 August 1347 · Calais, northern France
Fought between England against France
Commanders Edward III and Edward the Black Prince (England); Jean de Vienne (France)
Forces England: between 5,000 and 32,000 soldiers at different times, up to 20,000 Flemish allies and up to 24,000 sailors in the supporting fleet. France: a garrison of unknown size and a field army of up to 20,000
Result English victory; Calais capitulated
A week after their victory at Crécy the English invested the fortified port of Calais. Edward's attempts to breach the walls or to storm the town from the land or seaward sides failed, and through the winter and spring the French ran supplies and reinforcements in by sea. In late April 1347 the English built a fortification commanding the harbour entrance, which cut off supply by sea. Philip VI's relief army withdrew in July, and the starving town capitulated on 3 August.
Why it is remembered Calais gave England a strategic lodgement in France for the rest of the Hundred Years' War and beyond; the French did not recapture it until 1558.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War
Battle of Crotoy (1347) Fleet battle
25 June 1347 · Mouth of the Somme off Le Crotoy, France
Fought between Kingdom of England against the Kingdom of France
Commanders William de Bohun, Earl of Northampton, and Laurence Hastings, Earl of Pembroke (England); Philip VI (France)
Forces 40 French ships; English strength unknown
Result English victory
A French fleet of 40 ships gathered at the mouth of the Somme to relieve Calais, besieged by Edward III, and was defeated by an English fleet under the Earls of Northampton and Pembroke.
Why it is remembered With the relief foiled, Calais surrendered in early August 1347, giving England a lasting bridgehead on the Continent.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Smyrniote crusades
Battle of Imbros (1347) Fleet battle
Late April 1347 · Imbros, northern Aegean
Fought between Christian naval league (Venice, Knights Hospitaller and other Latins) against Turkish raiders, possibly from the beyliks of Aydin and Sarukhan
Forces 118 Turkish galleys
Losses Most of the Turks captured on Imbros
Result Crusader victory
A Christian league fleet caught a Turkish raiding fleet near Imbros. The Turks abandoned their ships and landed on the island, where most were captured.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War
Battle of Winchelsea Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Les Espagnols sur Mer
29 August 1350 · Off Winchelsea, south coast of England
Fought between Kingdom of England against the Crown of Castile
Commanders King Edward III and Edward the Black Prince (England); Charles de la Cerda (Castile)
Forces 50 English ships against 47 larger Castilian ships
Losses England: at least 2 ships sunk and heavy loss of life. Castile: 14 to 26 ships captured and several sunk.
Result English victory
The French had hired Castilian ships to blockade English ports. Edward III led a fleet that intercepted them off Winchelsea, capturing between 14 and 26 and sinking several.
Why it is remembered Despite the victory, English trade and ports saw little relief from French and allied raiding.
Sources differ Castilian ships captured given as between 14 and 26.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Hook and Cod wars
Battle of Veere Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Veere (1351)
Between 26 and 30 May 1351 · Near Veere, County of Zeeland (now the Netherlands)
Fought between Hook faction and England against the Cod faction
Commanders Margaret, Countess of Hainaut, and Edward III of England (Hooks); William V of Holland (Cods)
Result Hook victory
A small naval battle near Veere in which the Hook faction, supported by England, defeated the Cod faction.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · War of the Straits
Battle of the Bosporus Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Bosphorus
13 February 1352 · The narrows of the Bosporus
Fought between Republic of Genoa against Venice, the Crown of Aragon and the Byzantine Empire
Commanders Paganino Doria (Genoa); Niccolò Pisani, Pancrazio Giustinian, killed, Ponç de Santa Pau and Constantine Tarchaneiotes (allies)
Forces 60 or 64 Genoese galleys against 89 or 90 allied galleys
Losses Genoa: 16 galleys. Allies: 23 galleys.
Result Tactical draw; Genoese strategic success
The battle began late in the day and was fought mostly at night, in a storm, in the narrows of the Bosporus. The confused fighting cost both sides heavily; the Genoese, with fewer losses, held their position while the allies withdrew.
Why it is remembered It forced Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos to make terms with Genoa and leave the war, confirming the independence of the Genoese colony of Galata.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jan van Grevenbroeck (1731 to 1807), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of the Straits; Sardinian and Aragonese war
Battle of Alghero Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Porto Conte
27 August 1353 · Bay of Porto Conte, off Alghero, north west Sardinia
Fought between Crown of Aragon and Republic of Venice against the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Bernat II de Cabrera (Aragon) and Niccolò Pisani (Venice); Antonio Grimaldi (Genoa)
Forces 46 Aragonese galleys, 5 cogs and 6 smaller vessels with 20 Venetian galleys, against 50 Genoese galleys and 5 cogs
Losses Genoa: two thirds of its ships captured with their crews
Result Aragonese and Venetian victory
After Alghero declared for Genoa, Peter IV of Aragon sent Bernat de Cabrera with a fleet from Mahón, joined by Venetian galleys. The allies met the Genoese fleet in the bay of Porto Conte and captured two thirds of its ships with their crews.
Why it is remembered Alghero surrendered to Cabrera three days later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Joan Serra y Pausas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of the Straits; Sardinian and Aragonese war
Battle of Alghero (1353) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Porto Conte; Battle of d'Asinara
27 August 1353 · Bay of Porto Conte, off Alghero, north west Sardinia
Fought between Crown of Aragon and Republic of Venice against Republic of Genoa
Commanders Bernat II de Cabrera (Aragon, captain-general of the expedition); Niccolò Pisani (Venice); Antonio Grimaldi (Genoa)
Forces Aragon: 46 galleys, five cogs and six smaller vessels sailed from Mahón. Venice: 20 galleys. Genoa: 50 galleys and five cogs
Losses Genoa: two thirds of its ships captured with their crews. Allied losses not stated
Result Aragonese and Venetian victory
After Alghero declared its submission to Genoa in February 1353, Peter IV of Aragon sent Bernat de Cabrera with a fleet from Mahón on 18 August, and with a Venetian squadron of 20 galleys it met the Genoese fleet in the bay of Porto Conte. The allies inflicted a heavy defeat, capturing about two thirds of the Genoese ships with their crews. Three days later Alghero surrendered to Cabrera.
Why it is remembered It gave Aragon Alghero, though the town soon rose against the Aragonese garrison and was only regained later, leading to the Peace of Alghero of 1354.
Sources differ Wikidata dates the battle 17 August 1353; the English account gives 27 August 1353.
Sources Wikipedia · storiedialghero.it · Wikidata
Image: Joan Serra y Pausas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of the Straits (Third Genoese-Venetian War)
Battle of Sapienza Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Porto Longo; Battle of Zonklon
4 November 1354 · Porto Longo, Sapienza island, Greece
Fought between Republic of Genoa against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Paganino Doria (Genoa); Niccolò Pisani, captured (Venice)
Forces 35 Genoese galleys against 36 Venetian galleys, five great ships and other smaller vessels
Losses Venice: over 4,000 killed, all galleys captured, 5,400 taken prisoner. Genoa: very few casualties.
Result Genoese victory
The Genoese fleet under Paganino Doria attacked the Venetian fleet at Porto Longo on Sapienza and captured all its galleys, taking Niccolò Pisani prisoner.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · War of the Two Peters
Battle of Barcelona (1359) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla naval de Barcelona (1359)
9 to 11 June 1359 · Off Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Fought between Crown of Aragon against the Crown of Castile, with ships from Portugal and Granada
Commanders Peter IV of Aragon, with Bernat III of Cabrera and Hug II of Cardona (Aragon); Peter I of Castile and Admiral Egidio Boccanegra, with Ambrogio and Bartolome Boccanegra (Castile)
Forces Castile: 128 warships (81 naus, 41 galleys, 3 galiots, 3 lleños). Aragon: 10 galleys, a nau, several small vessels and shore based siege weapons and bombards.
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result Aragonese victory
A great Castilian fleet sailed from Seville with King Peter I aboard, took the castle of Guardamar and appeared off Barcelona on 9 June. Peter IV organised the defence with a small fleet and a line of siege engines, and over two days the Castilian attacks were repulsed. A bombard mounted on the Aragonese nau badly damaged one of Peter I's largest naus.
Why it is remembered It saw the first use of naval artillery.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · The Crusades
Battle of Megara (1359) Fleet battle
1359 · Gulf of Megara, Greece
Fought between Despotate of the Morea, Principality of Achaea, Knights Hospitaller and Venice against a Turkish raiding fleet
Commanders Raymond Berenguer (Christian allies)
Losses Turks: 35 vessels
Result Christian victory
An alliance of the Christian states of southern Greece defeated a Turkish raiding fleet in the Gulf of Megara, the Turks losing 35 vessels.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · War of the Two Peters
Battle of Bône (1360) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla naval de Bona
1360 · Off the port of Bône (Bona, today Annaba), Algeria
Fought between Crown of Castile against the Crown of Aragon
Commanders El Zorzo, captain of the Seville shipyards (Castile); Mateu Mercer, captured and executed (Aragon)
Forces 5 Castilian galleys against 4 Aragonese galleys
Losses Aragon: several galleys boarded, Mercer and many of his men captured. Figures not given.
Result Castilian victory
Mateu Mercer was sent from Valencia with four galleys to help the emir of Tlemcen, attacking Castilian shipping on the way. Off Bône he met five Castilian galleys under El Zorzo; his flagship ran aground, several of his galleys were boarded, and Mercer fled ashore but was captured.
Why it is remembered Peter I of Castile had Mercer executed with other prisoners, and Peter IV of Aragon sent galleys under Ponç d'Altarriba to hunt El Zorzo.
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Danish-Hanseatic War of 1361 to 1370
Battle of Helsingborg (1362) Fleet battle
Also known as Schlacht bei Helsingborg
8 July 1362 · Øresund off Helsingborg
Fought between Denmark against the Hanseatic League
Commanders Valdemar IV, Christoffer, wounded, and Peder Nielsen (Denmark); Johann Wittenborg and Bruno Warendorp (Hanse)
Forces Danish ships able to carry 2,500 men against 50 Hanseatic ships, 5 paid for by Sweden, with 3,000 men
Losses Hanse: 12 cogs. Danish losses unknown.
Result Danish victory
The Danish and Hanseatic fleets fought in the Øresund off Helsingborg, and the Danes captured or destroyed 12 Hanseatic cogs.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Red Turban Rebellion
Battle of Lake Poyang Fleet battle
Also known as 鄱陽湖之戰 (Póyáng Hú Zhīzhàn)
30 August to 4 October 1363 · Lake Poyang, Jiujiang, China
Fought between Zhu Yuanzhang (Western Wu, later Ming) against Chen Youliang (Chen Han)
Commanders Zhu Yuanzhang; Chen Youliang, killed
Forces Chen Han: over 100 vessels and 650,000 men. Zhu: a smaller fleet and 200,000 men.
Losses Chen Han: Chen Youliang and most of his army. Zhu: 1,346 dead and 11,347 wounded.
Result Victory for Zhu Yuanzhang (Ming)
Chen Youliang besieged Nanchang with a large fleet on Lake Poyang, one of China's largest freshwater lakes, and Zhu Yuanzhang met him with a smaller fleet. After an inconclusive exchange of fire, Zhu sent in fire ships that burned Chen's tower ships and destroyed his fleet.
Why it is remembered The last major battle of the rebellion before the rise of the Ming dynasty.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Freetrashbox at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages
Mamluk raid on Cyprus (1368) Raid
March to April 1368 · Cyprus
Fought between Mamluk Sultanate against the Kingdom of Cyprus
Commanders Ibrahim al-Tazi (Mamluk)
Forces 500 Mamluk men in 2 ships
Losses Cyprus: 35 prisoners and 1 or 2 ships
The Mamluk Sultanate sent a naval raid against Cyprus, taking 35 prisoners and one or two ships. The main sources are Leontios Makhairas, al-Maqrizi and al-Nuwayri.
Why it is remembered A delayed reply to the Alexandrian Crusade of October 1365, led by King Peter I of Cyprus.
Sources differ Cypriot ship losses given as 1 or 2.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War (Caroline phase)
Battle of La Rochelle (1372) Fleet battle
22 to 23 June 1372 · Off La Rochelle, France
Fought between Castile against England
Commanders Ambrosio Boccanegra (Castile); John Hastings, Earl of Pembroke, captured (England)
Forces 22 Castilian ships against an English fleet estimated at 14 to 57 ships and barges
Losses England: the whole fleet sunk or captured (48 ships), 800 men killed and between 160 and 400 knights taken prisoner. Castile: minor.
Result Castilian victory
A Castilian fleet was sent against the English at La Rochelle, then besieged by Castile's French allies. Pembroke was bringing fewer than 200 soldiers and £12,000 in silver to raise an army in Aquitaine. The Castilians captured or destroyed the entire English fleet, and Boccanegra took four more English ships off Bordeaux on his way home.
Why it is remembered It undermined English sea trade and supply and threatened Gascony; some historians call it the worst defeat ever inflicted on the English navy.
Sources differ English strength: 12 galleys according to López de Ayala, 40 sailing ships and 13 barges according to Froissart, 14 to 57 in the main account. Prisoner figures range from 160 to 400 knights, and the main account also gives 400 knights and 8,000 soldiers captured.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Second Fernandine War
Battle of Lisbon (1373) Fleet battle
Also known as Seeschlacht von Lissabon
7 March 1373 · Off Lisbon, Portugal
Fought between Castile against Portugal
Commanders Ambrosio Boccanegra (Castile); Lanzarote Pessanha (Portugal)
Forces 12 Castilian galleys against more than 6 Portuguese galleys and 15 naos
Losses Portugal: high, only 4 galleys escaped. Castile: low.
Result Castilian victory
A Castilian fleet under Ambrosio Boccanegra defeated the Portuguese fleet off Lisbon, and only four Portuguese galleys escaped.
Why it is remembered It led to the capture and sack of Lisbon and contributed decisively to Castile's victory in the war.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · War of Chioggia (fourth Genoese and Venetian war)
Battle of Pola Fleet battle
Also known as Seeschlacht bei Pola; Battle of Pula
7 May 1379 · Off Pola (Pula), southern tip of Istria, Croatia
Fought between Republic of Genoa against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Luciano Doria, killed, then Ambrogio Doria (Genoa); Vettor Pisani (Venice)
Forces Not stated; the Venetians were outnumbered
Losses Venice: 700 killed and 2,400 captured, of whom 800 were killed after the battle; 15 galleys taken. Genoese losses not given.
Result Genoese victory
After the Genoese destroyed Grado and Caorle they appeared off Pola, and Pisani's captains pressed him to attack despite his doubts. The fight first went Venice's way: the Genoese flagship was taken and Luciano Doria killed. His brother Ambrogio took command and drove the Venetians back, and Pisani returned to Venice with only seven galleys.
Why it is remembered Pisani was imprisoned for six months, but was restored to command when Venice itself was threatened and went on to win at Chioggia in 1380.
Sources Wikipedia (DE)
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War
Castilian attack on Gravesend Raid
Summer 1380 · Gravesend, about 20 miles from London
Fought between Castile against England
Commanders Fernando Sánchez de Tovar (Castile); English commander unknown
Forces Castile: 20 galleys
Result Castilian victory
In the summer of 1380 a Castilian galley force under Admiral Fernando Sánchez de Tovar, serving Juan I of Castile, raided Gravesend; his soldiers looted the town and set it on fire.
Why it is remembered The raid, one of several on the English coast during the Hundred Years' War, raised fears for the safety of London about 20 miles away.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Luis García (Zaqarbal), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · War of Chioggia
Battle of Chioggia Fleet battle
Culminated 24 June 1380 · Lagoon off Chioggia, Venetian Lagoon, Italy
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Vettor Pisani, Doge Andrea Contarini and Carlo Zeno (Venice); Pietro Doria, killed, and Matteo Maruffo (Genoa)
Forces 34 Venetian galleys under Pisani and Contarini and 14 under Zeno, against 23 Genoese galleys under Pietro Doria plus reinforcements
Losses Genoa: much of the fleet destroyed, 17 galleys captured and 4,000 men taken prisoner
Result Venetian victory
The Genoese had taken the fishing port of Chioggia in August 1379, threatening Venice from an inlet of its own lagoon. The Venetians under Vettor Pisani and Doge Andrea Contarini, helped by the timely arrival of Carlo Zeno's force from the east, defeated the Genoese fleet and retook the town.
Why it is remembered It turned the war in Venice's favour. Genoese shipping was not seen in the Adriatic after Chioggia, and the battle is noted for the new technologies the two sides used.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Wokou raids on Goryeo
Battle of Jinpo Raid
Also known as 진포 해전 (鎭浦海戰)
1380 (sixth year of King U) · Jinpo, mouth of the Geum River between South Chungcheong and North Jeolla, Korea
Fought between Goryeo navy against Wokou pirates
Commanders Sim Deok-bu, Na Se and Choe Mu-seon (Goryeo)
Losses The pirate ships were burned
Result Goryeo victory
The Wokou had landed at Jinpo and left their ships at the river mouth. The Goryeo navy burned the pirate ships with shipborne gunfire and cut off the raiders' line of retreat.
Why it is remembered The first battle in which gunpowder made by Choe Mu-seon was used, recorded as the first use of naval gunpowder weapons in Korean history.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Third Fernandine War
Battle of Saltes Island Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Saltes; Batalla de la Isla Saltés
17 July 1381 · Off Saltes Island, near Huelva, Spain
Fought between Crown of Castile against the Kingdom of Portugal
Commanders Fernando Sánchez de Tovar (Castile); João Afonso Telo (Portugal)
Forces 17 Castilian galleys against 23 Portuguese galleys
Losses Portugal: 22 galleys and their crews captured. Castile: minimal.
Result Decisive Castilian victory
The Castilian fleet of Fernando Sánchez de Tovar met the larger Portuguese fleet off Saltes Island and captured 22 of its 23 galleys with their crews.
Why it is remembered It destroyed Portugal's naval offensive capability and gave Castile naval supremacy in the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Wokou raids on Goryeo
Battle of Gwaneumpo Fleet battle
Also known as 관음포 전투 (觀音浦戰鬪); Great Victory of Gwaneumpo
1383 (ninth year of King U) · Waters off Gwaneumpo, north of Namhae county, Gyeongsang province, Korea
Fought between Goryeo against Wokou pirates
Commanders General Jeong Ji (Goryeo)
Forces 47 Goryeo warships against 120 large pirate ships, each carrying 140 soldiers
Losses Wokou: 17 ships destroyed by cannon fire and over 2,000 killed
Result Goryeo victory
General Jeong Ji led 47 warships against a pirate fleet of 120 large ships and defeated it, the Goryeosa recording that floating bodies covered the sea. His cannon burned 17 enemy ships.
Why it is remembered Counted among the four great victories over the Wokou in late Goryeo. The Namhae Jeong Ji stone pagoda in Tapdong village, Gohyeon-myeon, said to have been carved by local people to mark the victory, still stands.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War (Caroline phase)
Battle of Margate Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Cadzand (1387)
24 to 25 March 1387 · English Channel, from off Margate to Cadzand and Sluis
Fought between Kingdom of England against a French, Castilian and Flemish wine fleet
Commanders Richard FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel (England); Sir Jean de Bucq, surrendered (wine fleet)
Forces 51 English ships and 2,500 men against 250 to 360 ships and 2,500 men
Losses England: minimal. Franco-Castilian-Flemish fleet: over 12 ships sunk or burned, 80 to 126 captured, many men killed or taken prisoner.
Result English victory
An English fleet under the Earl of Arundel attacked a large French, Castilian and Flemish wine fleet off Margate and pursued it to Cadzand and Sluis, capturing many ships.
Why it is remembered The booty included 8,000 to 9,000 tuns of wine.
Sources differ Wine fleet given as 250 to 360 ships; ships captured given as 80 to 126.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Venetian and Genoese wars
Battle of Modon (1403) Fleet battle
7 October 1403 · Off Modon, Greece
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Republic of Genoa, then under French control
Commanders Carlo Zeno (Venice); Marshal Jean Le Maingre, called Boucicaut (Genoa)
Forces 11 galleys and 2 round ships each side (Genoa: 11 galleys and 2 transports)
Losses Venice: 153 wounded. Genoa: 600 killed and wounded, 300 captured, 3 galleys captured.
Result Decisive Venetian victory
The Venetian fleet under Carlo Zeno met the Genoese fleet of Marshal Boucicaut off Modon and captured three galleys.
Why it is remembered One of the last clashes of the long wars between Venice and Genoa.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War
Battle of Saint-Mathieu (1403) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du Raz de Saint-Mahé
12 July 1403 · Off the Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Brittany, France
Fought between France and Brittany against England
Commanders Guillaume du Chastel, Jean de Penhoët (Admiral of Brittany) and Olivier V de Clisson (Constable of France)
Forces 30 French and Breton ships with 1,500 men against 41 English ships with 2,000 men
Losses England: 41 ships captured, 1,000 dead and 1,000 captured. French losses unknown.
Result French and Breton victory
A Franco-Breton fleet under Guillaume du Chastel, Jean de Penhoët and Olivier de Clisson met an English fleet off the Pointe Saint-Mathieu and won a clear victory, capturing all 41 English ships.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Auteur inconnuUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Reconquista; campaign of the regent Infante Fernando against Granada
Battle of Gibraltar (1407) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Gibraltar (1407)
23 to 26 August 1407 · Bay of Algeciras, near Gibraltar
Fought between Castile and León against the combined fleets of Tlemcen, Tunis and Granada
Commanders Juan Enríquez, vice-admiral (Castile)
Forces 26 Castilian naos and 14 galleys against 21 galleys, 6 zabras and various horse transports
Losses Castile: no ships lost. Muslim fleet: 12 galleys destroyed, 3 captured and 1 sunk, 6 zabras sunk and several transports destroyed; only 5 galleys escaped.
Result Castilian victory
After skirmishes on 23 and 24 August, the Muslim fleet left Gibraltar on 26 August, hugging the coast towards Málaga. Near Torre Carbonera the Castilian galleys, reinforced with the ships' boats, attacked, ramming, boarding and capturing several galleys. The rest beached at La Alcaidesa and were burned by their own crews that night, while five galleys escaped to Málaga.
Why it is remembered An eight month truce with Granada followed.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: Josep Serra i Porsón, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Ming treasure voyages
Battle of Palembang (1407) Fleet battle
1407 · Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia
Fought between Ming China against the pirate fleet at Palembang
Commanders Admiral Zheng He (Ming); Chen Zuyi (pirates)
Losses Pirates: 5,000 killed, 10 ships destroyed, 7 ships captured. Ming losses unknown.
Result Ming victory
Zheng He's treasure fleet fought the pirate fleet of Chen Zuyi at Palembang and defeated it. Chen Zuyi was captured and sent to China for execution.
Why it is remembered A battle of Zheng He's treasure voyages.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Ottoman and Venetian wars
Battle of Gallipoli (1416) Fleet battle
29 May 1416 · Off Gallipoli, between Gallipoli and Marmara Island
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Pietro Loredan, wounded (Venice); Çali Bey, killed (Ottoman)
Forces 10 Venetian galleys against 32 Ottoman galleys and galliots
Losses Venice: 12 killed, 340 wounded. Ottoman: 4,000 killed, 1,100 captured (several hundred executed), 12 to 27 ships captured.
Result Venetian victory
Pietro Loredan's fleet was carrying an embassy to the sultan, with leave to fight if the Ottomans refused to talk. After exchanges of fire on 27 and 28 May, the Ottoman fleet came out on 29 May and was crushed: its commander was killed, much of the fleet taken, and many prisoners, especially Christians serving voluntarily, were executed.
Why it is remembered It confirmed Venetian naval superiority in the Aegean for decades, though peace waited until 1419. The battle is known chiefly from Loredan's own letter.
Sources differ Ottoman ships captured given as 12 to 27.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Giuseppe Lorenzo Gatteri and Francesco Zanotto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War
Battle of the Seine Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Chef-de-Caux
15 August 1416 · Estuary of the Seine, off Harfleur, France
Fought between Kingdom of England against France and the Republic of Genoa
Commanders John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford (England)
Forces 4 English carracks with 7,000 soldiers against 16 French and Genoese ships (8 galleys and 8 carracks) with soldiers including 600 Genoese crossbowmen
Losses France and Genoa: 3 carracks captured and 1 wrecked while fleeing. English losses unknown.
Result Decisive English victory
An English fleet under the Duke of Bedford fought the French and their Genoese allies in the Seine estuary off Harfleur, capturing three carracks. The main primary source is Thomas Walsingham.
Why it is remembered It opened the way for Henry V's second invasion of France in 1417.
Sources differ The French account on the Battle of Chef-de-Caux, the same engagement, gives 300 English ships and 15,000 men against 38 French ships, and French losses of 8 ships, 1,500 killed and 400 prisoners.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Hundred Years' War
Battle of La Rochelle (1419) Fleet battle
30 December 1419 · Coast and port of La Rochelle, France
Fought between Crown of Castile against Flanders and the Hanseatic League
Commanders John II of Castile (Castile)
Losses Flemish and Hanseatic: 40 ships captured
Result Castilian victory
A Castilian fleet defeated an allied Flemish and Hanseatic fleet at La Rochelle, capturing 40 ships. The Castilians made notable use of guns.
Why it is remembered It gave Castile naval supremacy in the Bay of Biscay but began a long conflict with Flanders and the Hanse, ended in 1443 with further trade concessions to Castile.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages
Battle of Foce Pisana Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de la Hoz Pisana; Foç Pisana
October 1421 · Mouth of the Arno, Italy
Fought between Crown of Aragon against the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Romeu de Corbera (Aragon); Battista di Campofregoso (Genoa)
Forces About nine Aragonese galleys against a Genoese fleet of similar size
Losses Genoa: 5 galleys captured with their admiral. Aragonese losses not given.
Result Decisive Aragonese victory
A Genoese squadron intending to attack Naples was met at the mouth of the Arno by an Aragonese squadron organised by Alfonso V and commanded by Romeu de Corbera. Five Genoese galleys and their admiral were captured.
Why it is remembered The defeat was so heavy that in November Tomaso di Campofregoso surrendered Genoa to Filippo Maria Visconti.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Dano-Hanseatic War
Battle of Copenhagen (1427) Fleet battle
Also known as Seeschlacht im Öresund (Battle of the Øresund); Battle of Køge Bay
11 to 25 July 1427 · Near the island of Amager, between the Øresund and Køge Bay, Denmark
Fought between Kalmar Union (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), supported by Pomerania-Barth, against the Hanseatic League (Hamburg, Lübeck, Rostock, Wismar)
Commanders Barnim VIII and Greger Magnusson (Union); Tidemann Steen, Hein Hoyer, Johann Bantzkow and Hinrik van Haren (Hanse)
Forces 33 smaller Union ships against 36 larger Hanseatic ships with 8,000 men
Result Danish victory
Danish, Swedish and Hanseatic squadrons of warships and merchant ships fought in manoeuvres that stretched from the Øresund to the coast of Copenhagen and into Køge Bay. The Danes captured a large Hanseatic merchant fleet.
Why it is remembered The defeat brought down the mayors of Lübeck and Wismar. A Union flag captured by Lübeck in the battle was kept in Lübeck's Marienkirche until 1942.
Sources Wikipedia (DE)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Byzantine and Latin wars
Battle of the Echinades (1427) Fleet battle
1427 · Echinades islands, off western Greece
Fought between Byzantine Empire against Carlo I Tocco
Commanders Demetrios Laskaris Leontares (Byzantine); Torno (Tocco)
Losses Tocco: many dead, several ships and over 150 men captured. Byzantine losses unknown.
Result Decisive Byzantine victory
The fleets of the Byzantine Empire and of Carlo I Tocco fought among the Echinades islands, and the Byzantines won decisively.
Why it is remembered The last Byzantine naval victory; it led to the consolidation of the Peloponnese under the Despotate of the Morea.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · Dano-Hanseatic War of 1426 to 1435
Bombardment of Copenhagen (1428) Raid
6 April to 15 June 1428 · Copenhagen, Denmark
Fought between Hanseatic League (Hamburg, Lübeck, Lüneburg, Rostock, Stralsund, Wismar) and Holstein-Rendsburg against the Kalmar Union
Commanders Gerhard VII of Holstein, Johann Beere, Jakob Bramstede, Jan Russenberg and Tideman Soling (Hanse); King Eric and Queen Philippa (Denmark)
Forces Hanse: 260 ships with 12,000 men in April and 80 ships with 6,800 men in June. Denmark: an unknown number of ships manned by 3,000 soldiers and sailors.
Losses Denmark: 30 killed; only three ships escaped undamaged. Hanseatic losses unknown.
Result Hanseatic victory
Ships from six Hanseatic towns attacked Copenhagen twice. The first attack in April was beaten off, but the second on 15 June succeeded and the Danish fleet at anchor in the harbour was mostly destroyed.
Why it is remembered The first time in northern European naval warfare that ships' guns were used at longer range.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Dano-Hanseatic War
Battle of Dänholm Fleet battle
Also known as Seegefecht beim Dänholm
4 to 8 May 1429 · Dänholm island, Strelasund, near Stralsund, Germany
Fought between Hanseatic towns of Stralsund, Lübeck and Wismar against the Kalmar Union (Denmark and Sweden), supported by Pomerania-Barth
Commanders Klaus von der Lippe, Evert von Huddessem, Lorenz von Lunden, Grome Ahrends, Herrmann Leuwes and Meister Paul (Hanse); Kurd von Hagen (Union)
Forces 3 Lübeck, 3 Wismar and 7 Stralsund ships against 75 Union ships with 1,400 men
Losses Union: a third of the crews, including 300 prisoners; only three or four ships escaped. Hanseatic losses unknown.
Result Stralsund victory
A Danish and Swedish fleet entered the Strelasund near Stralsund and was defeated at the island of Dänholm by ships of Stralsund, Lübeck and Wismar. Only three or four Union ships escaped.
Sources differ One account gives 4 to 8 May 1429; another gives 8 May.
Sources Wikipedia (DE)
Image: Lüder Arenhold (1854 to 1915), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Wars in Lombardy
Battle on the Po (1431) Fleet battle
6 June 1431 · River Po near Cremona, Lombardy, Italy
Fought between Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Francesco Sforza, Niccolò Piccinino, Pacino Eustachio and Giovanni Grimaldi (Milan); Niccolò Trevisani and the Count of Carmagnola (Venice)
Forces Venice: 85 galleys in one account, or 37 galleys and 100 small craft in another. Milan: somewhat more vessels, smaller and weaker.
Losses Venice: about 2,500 killed, 8,000 captured including 16 patricians, 28 galleys and 42 transports lost (70 ships looted) and 600,000 florins. Milanese losses unknown.
Result Milanese victory
A Venetian river fleet under Niccolò Trevisani was sent up the Po towards Cremona to support Carmagnola's army. It was attacked by a larger Milanese flotilla and defeated, and Carmagnola's field army could not help it.
Sources differ Venetian strength: 85 galleys in one account, 37 galleys and 100 small craft in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Aragonese conquest of Naples
Battle of Ponza (1435) Fleet battle
5 August 1435 · Off the island of Ponza, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy
Fought between Republic of Genoa and the Duchy of Milan against the Crown of Aragon
Commanders Biagio Assereto and Jacopo Giustiniani, for Filippo Visconti (Genoa and Milan); Alfonso V of Aragon, John II of Navarre and Prince Henry of Aragon, all captured (Aragon)
Forces Genoese fleet: 3 galleys, 13 vessels and 2,400 soldiers. Aragonese fleet: 11 galleys, 14 vessels and 6,000 soldiers.
Losses Genoa: 90 killed. Aragon: 600 killed, about 100 nobles captured, 13 vessels lost.
Result Genoese victory
The Duke of Milan sent the Genoese navy to relieve Gaeta, besieged by the King of Aragon. Off Ponza the Genoese defeated the larger Aragonese fleet and captured King Alfonso V, the King of Navarre and Prince Henry.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages
Action of 1440 Fleet battle
Also known as Johannita-mamlúk tengeri csata (1440); Hospitaller and Mamluk naval battle of 1440
1440 · Off the Anatolian coast near Rhodes, Aegean Sea
Fought between Knights Hospitaller, with the Burgundian Geoffroy de Thoisy, against the Mamluk Sultanate
Commanders Grand Master Jean de Lastic and Geoffroy de Thoisy (Hospitallers)
Forces 18 Mamluk galleys against 7 Hospitaller galleys, 4 other ships and 6 smaller vessels, with Thoisy's 4 warships
Losses Mamluk: 12 ships. Hospitaller losses unknown; many died on both sides.
Result Hospitaller victory
Sultan az-Zahir Jaqmaq sent a fleet against the Hospitallers after raids from Rhodes on Muslim shipping. The Hospitallers attacked it at anchor near Rhodes, then followed it to the Anatolian coast and attacked again where their galleys could not manoeuvre well; the fighting ended only at nightfall. The account comes from a letter of Grand Master Jean de Lastic dated 6 November 1440.
Why it is remembered The Mamluks then raided Kos, and in 1444 returned in greater strength to besiege Rhodes.
Sources hu.wikipedia.org
The Middle Ages · Voyage of Eleanor of Portugal
Battle of Marseille-Nice (1451) Single-ship action
December 1451 · Off Marseille and near Nice
Fought between Portugal against pirates
Commanders Marquis of Valença (Portugal)
Forces Portugal: 2 warships, 5 smaller ships and 2 caravels with 3,000 men. Pirates: 3 ships and 2 galleys off Marseille; many small boats and over 100 armed men near Nice.
Losses Portugal: 9 killed, 16 wounded. Pirates: 1 ship burned, 1 sunk, 2 captured.
Result Portuguese victory
The Portuguese fleet escorting Princess Eleanor of Portugal to Italy fought two actions against pirates, one off Marseille and one near Nice, and won both.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Fall of Constantinople (1453)
Battle of the Bosphorus (1453) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du Bosphore
20 April 1453 · The Bosphorus near Constantinople (now Istanbul)
Fought between Republic of Genoa and the Byzantine Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Maurice of Genoa (Genoese and Byzantine ships); Baltoglu Süleyman Bey (Ottoman)
Forces 3 Genoese ships and 1 Byzantine transport against an Ottoman fleet of disputed size, from 126 to 320 galleys, or even 430
Result Byzantine and Genoese victory
During the Ottoman siege of Constantinople, three Genoese ships and a Byzantine transport fought their way through the Ottoman fleet in the Bosphorus, which was badly beaten.
Why it is remembered The unexpected defeat pushed Mehmed II to his bold plan of carrying his ships overland into the Golden Horn.
Sources differ Ottoman fleet size is disputed: from 126 to 320 galleys, or even 430.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
The Middle Ages · Byzantine and Ottoman wars
Fall of Constantinople Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Constantinople (1453)
6 April to 29 May 1453 · Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey)
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Byzantine Empire, with Genoa, Venice and other Western allies
Commanders Sultan Mehmed II, with Suleiman Baltoghlu, wounded, commanding at sea (Ottoman); Emperor Constantine XI, killed, Giovanni Giustiniani, died of wounds, Loukas Notaras, executed, and Alviso Diedo, wounded (defenders)
Forces Ottoman: about 100,000 soldiers; at sea 31 galleys and 95 large rowing boats. Defenders: about 8,000 soldiers; at sea 26 ships (10 Byzantine, 8 Venetian, 5 Genoese, 1 Catalan, 1 Anconitan, 1 Provençal).
Losses Heavy on both sides
Result Ottoman victory; fall of the Byzantine Empire
Mehmed II besieged Constantinople for 53 days from 6 April 1453, with an army and a fleet; the defenders had 26 ships of their own. Ottoman cannon firing balls of about 500 kg breached the Theodosian walls, and the city was taken on 29 May. Constantine XI died in the fighting.
Why it is remembered It ended the Byzantine Empire and is widely taken to mark the end of the Middle Ages. Mehmed made the city his capital.
Sources differ Ottoman land strength given as 100,000; some contemporary Western sources gave 160,000 to 300,000.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Thirteen Years' War
Battle of Bornholm (1457) Convoy battle
Night of 14 August 1457 · Near the island of Bornholm, Baltic Sea
Fought between Privateers of Gdańsk (Danzig) against a Danish and Livonian transport convoy
Commanders Jakub Heine, Jocki Lenyn and Bartz Lenyn (Gdańsk)
Forces 3 Gdańsk ships against 16 Danish and Livonian ships
Losses Gdańsk: 12 soldiers. Danish and Livonian: 300 soldiers and 1 ship.
Result Gdańsk victory
Three Gdańsk privateer ships attacked by night a convoy of 16 Danish and Livonian ships carrying supplies and reinforcements to the Teutonic Knights in Prussia, and won.
Why it is remembered It showed the value of light, fast ships and surprise, and helped establish the blockade of the Teutonic state that, with the Vistula Lagoon victory, contributed to Poland's victory in the war.
Sources differ Some records give the year as 1456; the main account dates it 14 August 1457.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages
Siege of Amasra Landing or siege
16 to 17 October 1460 · Amasra, Turkey
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Mehmed II and Grand Vizier Mahmud Pasha, commanding the navy (Ottoman)
Forces Ottoman: 100 galleys, 50 transports, 30,000 marines and 5,000 infantry. Genoese strength unknown.
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman army under Mehmed II and the Ottoman navy under Mahmud Pasha besieged the Genoese colony of Amasra by land and sea and took it.
Why it is remembered Amasra was annexed to the Ottoman Empire.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Thirteen Years' War
Battle of Bornholm (1460) Single-ship action
Also known as Second Battle of Bornholm
8 July 1460 · Off the coast of Bornholm, Baltic Sea
Fought between Prussian Confederation (Gdańsk fleet) against the Teutonic Order
Commanders Szymon Lubbelow (Prussian Confederation)
Forces 1 ship and 70 armed men against 3 ships and 120 armed men
Losses Teutonic Order: 20 killed, 100 captured, 3 ships captured
Result Prussian Confederation victory
The Teutonic Order, left without Danish help, tried to build a privateer fleet with help from Amsterdam. Its core of three ships was captured near Bornholm by a single Prussian Confederation privateer under Szymon Lubbelow.
Why it is remembered The Order lost all its privateers, ending Grand Master Ludwig von Erlichshausen's attempt to build a fleet and its armed operations at sea in the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Radosław Drożdżewski (Zwiadowca21), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Wars of the Roses
Battle of Sandwich (1460) Fleet battle
15 January 1460 · At sea off Sandwich, Kent, England
Fought between House of York against House of Lancaster
Commanders Sir John Dynham, Sir John Wenlock and the Earl of Warwick, Captain of Calais (York); Baron Rivers, surrendered (Lancaster)
Forces 800 Yorkists; Lancastrian strength unknown
Losses Several Lancastrian ships captured
Result Yorkist victory
A Yorkist force from Calais defeated a Lancastrian fleet in a naval skirmish off Sandwich and captured several of its ships. Little evidence of the battle survives.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Amédée Forestier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages · Thirteen Years' War
Battle of Vistula Lagoon Fleet battle
Also known as Bitwa na Zalewie Wiślanym; Bitwa w Zatoce Świeżej
15 September 1463 · Vistula Lagoon, Poland
Fought between Polish Crown and the Prussian Confederation against the Teutonic Order
Commanders Vincent Stolle, Matthew Kolmener and Jacob Vochs (Polish and Prussian); Ludwig Erlichshausen and Bernard Szumborski (Teutonic)
Forces 30 Polish and Prussian ships against 44 Teutonic ships
Losses Polish and Prussian: light. Teutonic: 200 killed and wounded, 550 captured, 44 ships sunk or captured.
Result Polish and Prussian victory
The fleets of the Prussian Confederation and of the Teutonic Order met on the Vistula Lagoon, and the entire Teutonic fleet was sunk or captured.
Why it is remembered The largest naval battle of the war and, with the Battle of Świecino, one of the two battles that decided its outcome.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages
Battle of Ischia (1465) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Ischia
1465 · Near the island of Ischia, Gulf of Naples, Italy
Fought between Ferdinand I of Naples against Carlos de Torrelles, supporter of René of Anjou
Commanders Galceran de Requesens and Joan de Soler (Naples); Carlos de Torrelles, captured (Angevin party)
Forces Naples: 10 ships, 10 galleys and 6 smaller vessels (per Pontano). Torrelles: 8 galleys and other ships.
Ships Delfina
Losses Torrelles's ships captured; no casualty figures given
Result Neapolitan victory
Torrelles sent his fastest galley, the Delfina, to help his brother Joan, besieged for about two years, and followed with four ships. Sancio Samudio caught and took the Delfina and another ship, and Carlos de Torrelles was pursued and captured with his nephew. Both admirals were Catalans from Barcelona.
Why it is remembered It ended Ferdinand I's war to recover his kingdom.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
The Middle Ages · War of the Castilian Succession; Burgundian Wars
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1476) Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla del Cap de Sant Vicent (1476)
13 August 1476 · Off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal
Fought between French fleet of Guillem de Casanova with Portuguese ships against a Genoese and Flemish convoy
Commanders Guillem de Casanova (French and Portuguese)
Forces 13 of Casanova's ships and 4 Portuguese ships against 3 large Genoese naus, 1 Genoese galley and 1 Flemish urca bound from Cádiz for England
Losses Two Genoese ships, the Flemish urca, both Portuguese galleys and two of Casanova's ships destroyed by fire; about 2,500 French and Portuguese died
Result Franco-Portuguese victory, according to the Catalan account
Casanova's fleet tried to capture a Genoese and Flemish convoy and a fight followed. French incendiary weapons started a fire that destroyed ships on both sides. The two surviving Genoese ships reached Cádiz.
Why it is remembered Christopher Columbus is said to have been present and to have swum ashore to the Portuguese coast.
Sources differ The Catalan account calls it a Franco-Portuguese victory, but its account is inconsistent about which side attacked and the losses fell mainly on the French and Portuguese.
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Middle Ages · War of the Castilian Succession
Battle of Gibraltar (1476) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Gibraltar (1476)
April or May 1476 · Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Crown of Castile and Crown of Aragon against the Kingdom of Portugal
Commanders Carlos de Valera (Castile) and Andreu Sunyer (Aragon); Álvar Mendes (Portugal)
Forces 3 naus, 5 caravels and 4 Catalan galleys against 2 galleys, 2 caravels and a Genoese carrack
Ships La Borralla
Losses Portugal: 1 galley and 2 caravels captured, 1 galley and 1 carrack sunk
Result Castilian victory
A Castilian and Catalan fleet intercepted the Portuguese squadron of Álvar Mendes. The great galley La Borralla, said to carry 500 men, was set on fire to prevent her capture, and a galley and two caravels were taken. A Genoese carrack bringing armour from Pisa was sunk while the victors argued over her cargo.
Why it is remembered Carlos de Valera then sailed on a counter expedition to Cape Verde, sacking Santo Antão.
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
The Middle Ages · War of the Castilian Succession
Battle of Guinea Fleet battle
Spring or summer 1478 · Near Elmina, Gulf of Guinea, West Africa
Fought between Kingdom of Portugal against the Crown of Castile
Commanders Jorge Correia and Mem Palha (Portugal); Pedro de Covides and Joanot Boscà, both captured (Castile)
Forces 11 Portuguese ships against 11 to 35 Castilian ships
Losses Portugal: no ships lost. Castile: all ships, crews and guns captured, with a huge cargo of gold.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet met a Castilian fleet in the Gulf of Guinea near Elmina and captured all its ships, crews and a large cargo of gold.
Why it is remembered It secured Portuguese dominance of the Atlantic and a favourable Peace of Alcáçovas (1479), which left Guinea, Cape Verde, Madeira and the Azores to Portugal.
Sources differ Castilian strength given as 11 to 35 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
The Middle Ages · Clan MacDonald internal conflicts
Battle of Bloody Bay Fleet battle
Also known as Blàr Bàgh na Fala
c. 1480 or 1483 · Coast of Mull, 2 miles (3 km) north of Tobermory, north end of the Sound of Mull, Scotland
Fought between John MacDonald of Islay, Lord of the Isles, with the Macleans, MacNeils and MacLeods, against his son Angus Òg and the Macdonalds of Clanranald, Sleat and Keppoch and the MacLeods of Lewis
Commanders John of Islay, Lord of the Isles; Angus Òg Macdonald
Losses Many clansmen killed and nearly half the clan's fleet sunk
Result Victory for Angus Òg
John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, and his son Angus Òg fought a sea battle off Mull near Tobermory. Angus won and took power from his father.
Why it is remembered The losses left the Lordship of the Isles greatly weakened; Angus, the last independent Lord of the Isles, was murdered in 1490.
Sources differ Date given in sources from 1480 to 1483.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Sarah Charlesworth, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Middle Ages
Battle of the Firth of Forth (1489) Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Dunbar (1489); Bitwa morska pod Dunbar
1489 · Firth of Forth near the Isle of May, Scotland
Fought between Kingdom of Scotland against the Kingdom of England
Commanders Sir Andrew Wood (Scotland); Sir Stephen Bull (England)
Forces Yellow Carvel and Flower, with 500 men and 50 guns, against 3 well armed English privateers
Ships Yellow Carvel, Flower
Losses English ships surrendered; no casualty figures recorded
Result Scottish victory
Henry VII offered a pension to anyone who captured Andrew Wood, and Stephen Bull laid an ambush near the Isle of May as Wood returned from Flanders. Gunnery gave way to close fighting until darkness fell; at dawn Wood attacked again and Bull, with no escape, surrendered.
Why it is remembered James IV pardoned Bull and sent him home in the captured ships with a message that Scotland had as many brave men as England. Henry VII sent no more naval expeditions against Scotland, and Wood became known as the Scottish Nelson.
Sources Wikipedia (PL)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Italian War
Battle of Rapallo (1495) Raid
Also known as Bataille de Rapallo
2 May 1495 · Rapallo, Liguria, Italy
Fought between Republic of Genoa against the Kingdom of France
Commanders Francesco Spinola and Fabrizio Giustignani (Genoa); Louis de Miolans, captured (France)
Forces 8 Genoese galleys, a carrack and 2 xebecs with 600 infantry, against 7 French galleys, 2 galleons and 2 fuste
Losses France: entire fleet captured
Result Genoese victory
Rumours spread by the Genoese led the French to send crews ashore to meet an expected land attack, leaving only two galleys fully manned. At dawn the Genoese squadron attacked the French fleet at its moorings and captured it all, then landed troops who, with a rising of the townspeople, retook Rapallo.
Why it is remembered Days later the Genoese took a convoy of 12 French ships carrying booty from Naples, freeing 300 captive women; the recovered bronze doors of the Castel Nuovo in Naples still bear the damage. The loss of his fleet hastened Charles VIII's withdrawal from Naples.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Karpathos (1498) Fleet battle
Also known as Kerpe Deniz Muharebesi
July 1498 · Between Karpathos and Crete, Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Knights Hospitaller
Commanders Kemal Reis (Ottoman); Nicolas Centurione, captured (Hospitallers)
Forces 5 Ottoman galleys against 10 Hospitaller galleys
Losses Hospitallers: 1 ship sunk, 5 captured. Ottoman: light.
Result Ottoman victory
Returning from Egypt, Kemal Reis found his way blocked between Karpathos and Crete by a Hospitaller fleet under Nicolas Centurione, and defeated it.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman and Venetian War of 1499 to 1503
Battle of Zonchio Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Sapienza (1499); First Battle of Lepanto; Sapienza Deniz Muharebesi
12, 20, 22 and 25 August 1499 · Off Zonchio, Ionian Sea, Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Küçük Davud Pasha, Kemal Reis and Feriz Beg (Ottoman); Antonio Grimani, Andrea Loredan and Nicolo da Pesaro (Venice)
Forces Ottoman: 60 galleys, 3 heavy galleys, 30 galiots, 40 fustas, 21 carracks and 111 barges. Venice: 46 galleys, 17 heavy galleys, 15 carracks, 4 caravels and 11 brigantines.
Result Ottoman victory
Over four days the Venetians tried to stop an Ottoman fleet bound to take Lepanto, but poor coordination meant they repeatedly failed to engage it fully. Lepanto fell soon afterwards.
Why it is remembered It marked the emergence of the Ottomans as a serious naval power in the Mediterranean.
Sources differ Dates: 12, 20, 22 and 25 August in one account; 14 to 25 August in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman and Venetian War of 1499 to 1503
Battle of Modon (1500) Landing or siege
Also known as Second Battle of Lepanto; Batalla de Lepanto (1500)
20 July to 9 August 1500 · Modon, Peloponnese, Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Kemal Reis and Feriz Beg (Ottoman); Girolamo Contarini and Marco Gabriel (Venice)
Forces Ottoman: 30,000 to 60,000 soldiers at Modon; fleet of 92 galleys, 20 carracks and 136 fustas and brigantines. Venice: 7,000 soldiers at Modon; fleet of 46 galleys and 20 carracks.
Losses Ottoman: 5,000 to 6,000 dead, 5 galleys sunk, several ships damaged. Venice: most soldiers killed, 2 galleys sunk, many ships damaged.
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottomans besieged Modon by land and sea while their fleet under Kemal Reis fought the Venetian fleet. The Ottomans won, as they had at Zonchio the year before.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Lionel Wyllie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Luso-Malabarese War
First Battle of Cannanore Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cannanore (1501)
31 December 1501 to 2 January 1502 · Off Cannanore, India
Fought between Portugal against Calicut
Commanders João da Nova (Portugal); the Zamorin of Calicut
Forces 4 Portuguese carracks against over 220 vessels, including 180 paraus and zambuks, with 7,000 men
Losses Calicut: 5 major ships and about 12 paraus and zambuks. Portuguese losses unknown.
Result Portuguese victory
The Zamorin of Calicut gathered a fleet to stop the Third Portuguese Armada under João da Nova from returning home. Over two days the badly outnumbered Portuguese broke out of Cannanore and defeated the blocking force using gunfire alone.
Why it is remembered The first major Portuguese naval battle in the Indian Ocean, and one of the earliest recorded deliberate uses of a line of battle, decided by cannon alone; it has been called the first modern naval battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Ottoman raid on the Balearic Islands (1501) Raid
1501 · Balearic Islands, with attacks on Sardinia and Pianosa
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Spain
Commanders Kemal Reis (Ottoman)
An Ottoman fleet under Kemal Reis raided the Balearic Islands, combined with attacks on Sardinia and Pianosa near Elba. It followed earlier Ottoman interventions in the western Mediterranean after the fall of Granada.
Why it is remembered A Spanish sailor captured in the raid seems to have carried an early map by Columbus.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Luso-Malabarese War
Battle of Calicut (1503) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kozhikode
5 to 6 January 1503 · Off Calicut (Kozhikode), Malabar coast, India
Fought between Portugal against Calicut and Arab privateers
Commanders Vasco da Gama (Portugal); Khoja Kassein and Cojambar (Calicut)
Forces 10 Portuguese carracks and 6 caravels against 20 large ships, 40 gun armed sambuks and hundreds of smaller vessels
Losses Portugal: low. Calicut: very heavy.
Result Portuguese victory
Vasco da Gama's 4th Armada, joined by Vicente Sodré's caravels, met a fleet raised by the Zamorin under two Arab corsairs. Sailing in line ahead, the Portuguese ships concentrated their fire on Cojambar's twenty large ships before they could organise, sinking several and badly damaging the rest.
Why it is remembered One of the first recorded uses of a naval line of battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Portuguese-Calicut wars
Battle of Cochin (1504) Landing or siege
Also known as Second siege of Cochin
16 March to 3 July 1504 · Cochin (Kochi) backwaters and the fords of Kumbalam (Cambalão), Palignar and Palurte, India
Fought between Portugal and the Kingdom of Cochin against the Zamorin of Calicut and his vassals
Commanders Duarte Pacheco Pereira (Portugal); the Zamorin of Calicut, Naubeadarim and Elcanol of Edapalli (Calicut)
Forces About 150 Portuguese, with about 90 men in a caravel, two bateis and the nau Concepção; a Calicut army of 57,000 or 84,000 with a fleet of 160 vessels (about 76 paraus, 54 catures and 30 tones) and about 300 guns
Ships Concepção
Losses Calicut, as reported by chroniclers: about 1,300 dead in the first assault, about 19 ships and 290 dead in the second, 22 paraus and about 600 dead in the third, about 1,000 men and some ships in the fourth. Portugal: no deaths reported in these assaults.
Result Portuguese and Cochin victory
Pacheco blocked the ford at Kumbalam with sharpened stakes and small ships lashed together with their broadsides facing the banks. The narrow channels forced the Calicut paraus to attack in small groups, which Portuguese gunfire broke up, and Pacheco also fired on the shore batteries. When the Zamorin shifted to the fords of Palignar and Palurte, Pacheco used the tides to move his boats between them and beat off further assaults.
Why it is remembered It kept the Portuguese foothold in India and cost the Zamorin much of his authority over the Malabar states.
Sources differ The Zamorin's army is given as 57,000 or 84,000. The site of the main ford is disputed. Chroniclers' casualty figures are unverified.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Maurício José do Carmo Sendim, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Barbary corsairs
Action off Elba (1504) Single-ship action
Midsummer 1504 · Near the island of Elba
Fought between Turkish corsairs against the Papal States
Commanders Aruj and Hayreddin Barbarossa (corsairs); Paolo Vettori, captured (Papal States)
Forces 1 corsair galiot against 2 papal galleys
Losses Papal: 2 galleys and 112 men captured, 300 Muslim slaves freed. Corsairs: none.
Result Corsair victory
The Barbarossa brothers ambushed two papal galleys near Elba with a single galiot and captured both.
Why it is remembered The first naval victory of the Barbarossa brothers.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Created by NormanEinstein, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Luso-Malabarese War
Battle of Pandarane Fleet battle
Autumn 1504 · Pandarane, India
Fought between Portugal against a Mamluk fleet
Commanders Lopo Soares de Albergaria (Portugal)
Forces 2 Portuguese caravels and 15 small boats with 360 men against 17 large carracks with 4,000 men
Losses Portugal: 23 killed, 170 wounded. Mamluk: all ships captured or destroyed, 2,000 men killed or captured, 130 guns captured.
Result Portuguese victory
Portuguese forces under Lopo Soares de Albergaria attacked a large fleet at Pandarane and captured or destroyed all its ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Luso-Malabarese War
Battle of Cannanore (1506) Fleet battle
March 1506 · Off the harbour of Cannanore, India
Fought between Portugal against the Kingdom of Calicut
Commanders Lourenço de Almeida, with Ferdinand Magellan wounded (Portugal); the Zamorin of Calicut
Forces 3 Portuguese naus, 1 caravel and several foists against over 200 Calicut vessels
Losses Portugal: none. Calicut: a few dozen ships.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet under Lourenço de Almeida, son of the Viceroy, defeated the Zamorin's fleet of about 200 ships, armed with cannon made with the help of two Milanese and crewed by Hindu, Arab and Turkish sailors.
Why it is remembered It was followed by the Portuguese success at the siege of Cannanore in 1507 and the defeat at Chaul in 1508.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Mamluk and Portuguese conflicts; Gujarati and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Chaul Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Chaul (1508)
March 1508 · Harbour of Chaul, India
Fought between Mamluk Sultanate and Gujarat Sultanate against Portugal
Commanders Amir Husain Al-Kurdi, Malik Ayyaz and Mayimama Marakkar, killed (Mamluk and Gujarat); Lourenço de Almeida, killed (Portugal)
Forces 6 Egyptian carracks and 6 great galleys with 1,500 fighting men, and 40 Gujarati galleys, against 3 Portuguese ships and 5 caravels
Losses Portugal: 6 ships and 140 men. Mamluk and Gujarati: 600 to 700.
Result Mamluk and Gujarati victory
An Egyptian Mamluk fleet, joined by Gujarati galleys, attacked the Portuguese squadron of Lourenço de Almeida in the harbour of Chaul and defeated it. Almeida was killed.
Why it is remembered The first Portuguese defeat at sea in the Indian Ocean.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tancredi Scarpelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Adil Shahi and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Dabul Landing or siege
29 December 1508 · Dabul (now Dabhol), India
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Bijapur
Commanders Viceroy Francisco de Almeida and Nuno Vaz Pereira (Portugal)
Forces 19 Portuguese ships and 1,900 men against 6,000 men and 4 Gujarati merchant ships
Losses Bijapur: all ships destroyed and an unknown number of people killed. Portugal: negligible.
Result Portuguese victory
In revenge for an attack on the Portuguese armada on its way to Diu, Viceroy Francisco de Almeida's fleet bombarded Dabul and landed troops who broke through its wooden walls and ditch. The Portuguese killed every living person and animal they found and set the town on fire. They left on 5 January 1509.
Why it is remembered The massacre was long remembered, alongside Vasco da Gama's destruction of the pilgrim ship Miri, as an unforgiven act of the Portuguese conquest.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Cape Finisterre (1509) Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille du cap Finisterre (1509); Batalla del cabo Finisterre (1509)
18 January 1509 · Off Cape Finisterre, Galicia, Spain, Bay of Biscay
Fought between Portugal against French corsairs
Commanders Duarte Pacheco Pereira (Portugal); Pierre de Mondragon, killed (France)
Forces 4 French ships; Portuguese strength not given
Losses France: all 4 ships lost, with 1 sunk and 3 captured in one account, or 3 sunk and 1 captured in another
Result Portuguese victory
The French corsair Pierre de Mondragon, who had raided Spanish and Portuguese shipping and taken a Portuguese ship in 1508, was hunted by Duarte Pacheco Pereira, who found his squadron off Cape Finisterre and destroyed it. Mondragon was killed.
Sources differ French losses: 1 sunk and 3 captured in one account, 3 sunk and 1 captured in another account.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Mamluk and Portuguese conflicts; Gujarati and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Diu (1509) Fleet battle
3 February 1509 · Port of Diu, Arabian Sea, India
Fought between Portugal against the Mamluk Sultanate, the Gujarat Sultanate and the Zamorin of Calicut
Commanders Viceroy Francisco de Almeida (Portugal); Amir Husain Al-Kurdi, Malik Ayyaz and Kunjali Marakkar (allies)
Forces Portugal: 9 carracks, 6 caravels, 2 galleys and 1 brigantine, with 800 Portuguese and 400 Nairs. Allies: 10 carracks, 6 heavy galleys, 30 light galleys and 70 to 150 boats, with 450 Mamluks and 4,000 to 5,000 Gujaratis.
Losses Portugal: 32 killed and 300 wounded. Allies: all Mamluk ships sunk or captured, 4 Gujarati carracks captured, 1,300 Gujaratis and 428 Mamluks killed.
Result Portuguese victory
Francisco de Almeida's fleet attacked the joint fleet of Gujarat, Mamluk Egypt and Calicut in the port of Diu and destroyed it, sinking or taking every Mamluk ship.
Why it is remembered It opened the way for the Portuguese capture of Goa, Malacca and Hormuz, and is often seen as the start of European dominance in Asian seas.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Maurício José do Carmo Sendim (1786 to 1870), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · War of the League of Cambrai
Battle of Saint-Mathieu (1512) Fleet battle
10 August 1512 · Off Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Iroise Sea, near Brest, France
Fought between England against France and Brittany
Commanders Sir Edward Howard (England); René de Clermont (France)
Forces 25 English warships against 22 French and Breton warships
Ships Regent, Marie la Cordelière
Losses England: 400 killed and 1 warship destroyed. France: 1,230 killed and 1 warship destroyed.
Result English victory
An English fleet under Sir Edward Howard fought a Franco-Breton fleet off Brest. The largest ship on each side, the English Regent and the French Marie la Cordelière, were both destroyed in a great explosion aboard the Cordelière.
Why it is remembered Possibly the first battle between ships firing guns through gunports, and one of only two full fleet battles fought by Henry VIII's navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · War of the League of Cambrai
Battle of Brest (1513) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Brest (1513)
24 April 1513 · Off Brest, France
Fought between France against England
Commanders Vice-admiral Guyon Le Roy, sieur du Chillou (France); Admiral Sir Edward Howard, killed (England)
Forces 15 French ships including galleys and 24 hulks meant as fireships, against 24 English warships with 6,480 men
Losses Fairly heavy on both sides
Result French victory
An English squadron under Admiral Edward Howard fought a French squadron off Brest and was defeated. Howard, victor of Saint-Mathieu, was killed.
Why it is remembered The death of Admiral Sir Edward Howard.
Sources differ The French account on Blancs-Sablons Bay (22 or 25 April 1513) and the Polish account on Le Conquet (25 April 1513) describe a French victory in which Howard died; these may be the same action, with different dates and French commanders (Guyon Le Roy here, Prégent de Bidoux there).
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Malacca (1513) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalha de Malaca (1513)
January 1513 · Strait of Malacca
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Demak
Commanders Fernão Pires de Andrade (Portugal); Pati Unus of Demak
Forces 17 Portuguese galleons and about 350 men against 90, 100 or 300 ships and 5,000 men, later 12,000
Losses Demak: 60 ships and 4,000 to 8,000 dead. Portuguese losses unknown.
Result Portuguese victory
A large fleet from Demak under Pati Unus attacked the Portuguese garrison of Malacca and was defeated in the Strait of Malacca.
Sources differ Demak fleet given as 90, 100 or 300 ships; dead given as 4,000 or 8,000.
Sources Wikipedia (PT)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Portuguese and Mamluk naval war; Ottoman and Portuguese confrontations
Siege of Jeddah (1517) Landing or siege
12 April 1517 · Harbour of Jeddah, Red Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate against Portugal
Commanders Selman Reis (Ottoman) and Amir Husain Al-Kurdi (Mamluk); Lopo Soares de Albergaria (Portugal)
Forces 19 ships and 3,000 soldiers, including 1,300 Turks, against 36 to 43 Portuguese sail (15 naus) with 1,800 to 5,400 men
Losses Portugal: 2 or 3 ships destroyed. Ottoman and Mamluk: 1 ship partly damaged by an accidental fire.
Result Ottoman and Mamluk victory
A Portuguese expedition under Lopo Soares de Albergaria arrived off Jeddah on Easter Day 1517 and moored in the channel. After a brief naval action with few casualties, shore guns prevented a landing, and the weather finally forced the Portuguese to withdraw.
Sources differ Portuguese strength given as 36 to 43 sail and 1,800 to 5,400 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Barbary corsairs
Battle of Piombino Channel (1518) Fleet battle
Mid-September 1518 · Near Piombino, Italy
Fought between Tunisian corsairs against the Papal States
Commanders Kaid Ali (corsairs); Paolo Vettori, captured (Papal States)
Forces 12 corsair ships against 3 papal galleys
Losses Papal: 1 galley, the flagship, captured, with all but 7 of her people killed
Result Tunisian corsair victory
Tunisian corsairs ambushed the papal galleys near Piombino, took the flagship and captured its commander, Paolo Vettori.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish and Ottoman wars
Algiers expedition (1519) Landing or siege
24 August to 3 September 1519 · Algiers
Fought between Spain and the Kingdom of Sicily against the Sultanate of Algiers
Commanders Hugo of Moncada and Martin d'Argote (Spain); Hayreddin Barbarossa (Algiers)
Forces Spain: 58 ships and 23,000 soldiers (Clodfelter), 80 sailing ships and 6,000 men (Manfroni), 40 boats and 5,000 men (Grammont), or 170 ships and 20,000 men (the Ghazawat). Algiers: 20,000 Algerians and 600 Turks.
Losses Spain: 20 ships sunk, 4,000 killed and 3,000 captured, including 36 senior officers. Algerian losses unknown.
Result Algerian victory
A Spanish and Italian expedition ordered by Charles V and led by Hugo of Moncada attacked Algiers from the sea and was repulsed by the Algerians under Hayreddin Barbarossa.
Sources differ Spanish strength varies widely between Clodfelter, Manfroni, Grammont and the Ghazawat.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Wars of the Christian powers against the Barbary corsairs
Battle of Pianosa (1519) Fleet battle
25 April 1519 · Tuscan Archipelago, Tyrrhenian Sea, in sight of Elba
Fought between Republic of Genoa against Tunisian corsairs
Commanders Andrea Doria and Filippino Doria (Genoa); Kaid Ali, captured (corsairs)
Forces 6 Genoese galleys against 1 galley and 7 to 20 fustes
Losses Genoa: heavy. Corsairs: 500 dead, 25 captured, 1 galley and at least 5 fustes captured, several fustes sunk.
Result Genoese victory
A Genoese fleet under Andrea Doria heavily defeated the flotilla of the Tunisian corsair Kaid Ali in sight of Elba, capturing Kaid Ali.
Why it is remembered It broke the rising corsair base at Bizerte and made Andrea Doria one of the foremost captains of the Mediterranean.
Sources differ Corsair fustes given as 7 to 20 depending on the account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Created by NormanEinstein, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Swedish War of 1512 to 1520
Siege of Stockholm (1520) Landing or siege
Early May to 7 September 1520 · Stockholm, Sweden
Fought between Kalmar Union (Denmark) against Sweden
Commanders Christian II and Søren Norby (Denmark); Christina Gyllenstierna, surrendered (Sweden)
Forces 1,000 cavalry, 2,000 foot and an unknown number of ships (Denmark); Swedish strength unknown
Result Danish victory; Sweden reincorporated into the Kalmar Union
Christian II of Denmark besieged Stockholm with a combined fleet and army until Christina Gyllenstierna surrendered the city.
Why it is remembered Sweden was brought back into the Kalmar Union.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dionysius Padt-Brügge, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
Fall of Tenochtitlan Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Tenochtitlan
26 May to 13 August 1521 · Tenochtitlan and Lake Texcoco, present-day Mexico City
Fought between Spain with the Tlaxcaltec and other indigenous allies against the Mexica
Commanders Hernán Cortés, Gonzalo de Sandoval, Pedro de Alvarado and Cristóbal de Olid (Spain); Chichimecatecuhtli, Xicotencatl II and Ixtlilxochitl II (allies); Cuauhtémoc, captured, and Coanacoch (Mexica)
Forces Spanish: 900 to 1,300 infantry, 86 cavalry, 16 cannon and 13 lake brigantines, with 50,000 to 200,000 indigenous allies. Mexica: 80,000 warriors and 400 war canoes
Losses Spanish: 450 to 860 Spaniards and 20,000 allies. Mexica: 100,000 killed in action, 300 war canoes sunk and at least 40,000 civilians killed or captured
Result Spanish and Tlaxcaltec victory
Cortés had thirteen brigantines built in Tlaxcala by his shipwright Martín López and launched them on Lake Texcoco, each with 12 oarsmen, 12 crossbowmen and musketeers and a captain. In the first battle on the lake they overturned or captured many of more than a thousand canoes; they then covered the causeways and, on nightly patrols, stopped food and water reaching the city by canoe, though in one ambush the Mexica took two launches and killed their captains. When Cuauhtémoc tried to escape by canoe, Sandoval's launches captured him, and the city fell on 13 August.
Why it is remembered Its fall destroyed the Mexica state and led to the creation of New Spain. Control of the lake by the brigantines was crucial to the siege.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Tunmen Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Tamão; First Battle of Tamao
21 June to 8 September 1521 · Tamão (Tunmen), China
Fought between Ming dynasty against Portugal
Commanders Wang Hong (Ming); Diogo Calvo, Duarte Coelho and Ambrósio do Rego (Portugal)
Forces Over 50 Ming junks against 5 Portuguese caravels with Siamese and Patani junks
Losses Portugal: 2 caravels and all junks abandoned. Ming losses unknown.
Result Ming victory
The Ming imperial navy fought a Portuguese fleet under Diogo Calvo at Tamão over the summer of 1521 and defeated it, the Portuguese abandoning two caravels and all their junks.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Sincouwaan Blockade and raiding
Also known as 茜草灣之戰 (Qiàncǎo Wān zhī Zhàn); Battle of Veniaga Island (Batalha da Ilha da Veniaga)
7 to 20 August 1522 · Sai Tso Wan, north west coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Fought between Ming dynasty coast guard against Portugal
Commanders Wang Hong, Zhang Ding, Ke Rong and Wang Ying'en, killed (Ming); Martim Afonso de Mello Coutinho and Pedro Homem, killed (Portugal)
Forces 30 Ming ships, including 8 large junks, against 6 Portuguese ships (2 heavy carracks, 2 small carracks and 2 junks) with 300 men
Losses Portugal: 1 ship destroyed, 1 captured and 42 men captured. Ming losses unknown.
Result Ming victory
After Portugal's seizure of Malacca, a Ming tributary, and Portuguese raiding on the Chinese coast, Martim Afonso de Mello arrived at the Pearl River and was blockaded by a Ming fleet. After two weeks unable to land, the Portuguese ran the blockade and escaped with the loss of two ships and several dozen men.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Malay and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Lingga Fleet battle
1525 · Lingga Island
Fought between Portugal, defending its ally the Sultan of Lingga, against the Sultanates of Bintan and Indragiri
Commanders Álvaro de Brito and Baltasar Raposo (Portugal); the Sultan of Indragiri and Laqueximena
Forces 2 Portuguese carracks with 80 soldiers against 160 lancharas with 2,000 men
Losses Portugal: 1 dead, 17 wounded. Bintan and Indragiri: 80 vessels and 600 dead.
Result Portuguese victory
Portuguese forces came to the defence of their ally the Sultan of Lingga and defeated a fleet of the Sultan of Bintan, the former Sultan of Malacca, and the Sultan of Indragiri.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: edited by M.Minderhoud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Aceh (1528) Single-ship action
April 1528 · Off the coast of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
Fought between Sultanate of Aceh against Portugal
Commanders Ali Mughayat Syah (Aceh); Simão de Sousa Galvão, killed (Portugal)
Forces 20 Acehnese boats with 1,000 men against 1 Portuguese galley with 70 men
Losses Portugal: all but 2 killed and the galley captured. Aceh: heavy.
Result Acehnese victory
A lone Portuguese galley was attacked off the coast of Aceh by an Acehnese fleet and captured.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · War of the League of Cognac
Battle of Capo d'Orso Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cava; Battle of Amalfi
28 April 1528 · Gulf of Salerno, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy
Fought between Kingdom of France against Spain (Kingdom of Naples)
Commanders Filippino Doria and Gilbert du Croq (France); Alfonso d'Avalos and Hugo de Moncada, killed (Spain)
Forces 8 French galleys against 6 galleys, 3 brigantines, 2 fustes and 2 sailing boats
Losses France: 500 killed. Spain: 700 killed, 600 captured, 2 galleys, 1 brigantine and 1 fuste sunk, 4 galleys and 1 fuste captured.
Result French victory
Spanish forces trying to break the French blockade met the French fleet in the Gulf of Salerno and were crushed in a four hour fight in the evening. The faster Genoese galleys in French service outmanoeuvred the slower Spanish ones despite the veteran Spanish soldiers aboard.
Why it is remembered It gave the French complete command of the sea. The witness Paolo Giovio credited the victory to skilful seamanship rather than force.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Loring Brown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Algiers (1529) Fleet battle
Also known as Cezayir Deniz Muharebesi
June 1529 · Off Algiers
Fought between Ottoman Algiers against Spain
Commanders Hayreddin Barbarossa, with Sinan Reis leading the attack (Ottoman)
Forces 10 Ottoman galleys against 10 Spanish barques carrying soldiers
Losses Spain: all 10 barques captured, 355 men captured and the rest killed. Ottoman: light.
Result Decisive Ottoman victory
After Barbarossa took the Spanish island fort of Algiers in May 1529, a Spanish relief fleet from Barcelona arrived unaware of its fall. Barbarossa flew Spanish flags over the fort; when the Spanish anchored, the fort opened fire and Sinan Reis led ten galleys against the becalmed barques and seized them all.
Why it is remembered It strengthened Barbarossa's hold on Algiers.
Sources differ Spanish soldiers given as about 500 (355 captured, the rest killed) in one account and 1,000 (355 captured, 645 killed) in another account.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: Gerard van Keulen (dead 1726), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman and Habsburg wars
Battle of Formentera (1529) Fleet battle
28 October 1529 · Off the island of Formentera, near Ibiza, Spain
Fought between Regency of Algiers (Ottoman) against Spain
Commanders Aydin Reis (Algiers); Rodrigo Portuondo, killed (Spain)
Forces 15 galleys and 4 fustas against 8 Spanish galleys
Losses Spain: 7 galleys captured. Algiers: minor.
Result Ottoman and Algerian victory
An Ottoman fleet under Aydin Reis met a small Spanish squadron of eight galleys off Formentera and captured it.
Sources differ One account says the Spanish fleet of eight galleys was captured; another account gives 7 galleys captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish and Ottoman wars
Raid on Cherchell (1530) Raid
Also known as Raid on Cherchell (1531)
July 1530 · Cherchell, on the Algerian coast
Fought between Empire of Charles V (Spain and Genoa) against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Andrea Doria (Charles V); Ali Caramani (Algiers)
Forces 32 galleys, 8 galleons, 5 brigantines, 2 lateen vessels and 3 ships with 1,500 men, against 25 Algerian galleys and galliots
Losses Doria's force: 400 to 600 killed or captured. Algiers: all vessels scuttled, light casualties.
Result Algerian victory
The Genoese admiral Andrea Doria attacked the Algerian fortress of Cherchell as part of a campaign against the Barbary corsairs. The Algerians scuttled all their vessels, but Doria's force lost 400 to 600 men killed or captured and the raid was counted an Algerian victory.
Sources differ One account gives 1531, but others date the raid to July 1530. One also lists the Kingdom of France on Doria's side.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Siege of Coron Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Koroni
1533 to 1534 · Koroni (Coron), Messenia, Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire (with the Republic of Venice in the first siege) against the Spanish Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Knights Hospitaller, the Papal States, the Republic of Genoa and Greek rebels
Commanders First siege: Lütfi Pasha, Hassan the Moor, Suleyman of Albania (Ottoman); Andrea Doria, Bernardo Salviati, Rodrigo de Machicao, Jerónimo de Mendoza (Imperial). Second siege: Acomer, killed (Ottoman); Rodrigo de Machicao, killed (Imperial)
Forces First siege: Ottoman 60 galleys, 2 galiots, 40 carracks, 10 fustas and 10,000 soldiers; Imperial 27 galleys, 30 carracks and galleons, 1 brigantine, 2,500 soldiers in the fleet and 2,500 in Coron. Second siege: 10,000 Ottoman soldiers against 2,500 Imperial soldiers
Losses First siege: Ottoman 1 galley sunk, 1 carrack and 3 other ships captured, many ships damaged, 400 soldiers killed and 300 captured; Imperial 1 brigantine sunk, 1 carrack damaged, part of two crews captured or killed
Result First siege: Imperial victory; second siege: Ottoman victory
Charles V's army had occupied the fortress of Coron in 1532, and the Ottoman Empire tried twice to take it back. In the first siege an Imperial fleet under Andrea Doria routed the Ottoman fleet under Lütfi Pasha. The Imperial court then judged the place too costly to defend and did not reinforce it, and during the second siege the following year it was abandoned.
Why it is remembered The action exposed the weakness of the Ottoman navy at the time. The admiral and historian Edmond Jurien de La Gravière counted it among the most skilful naval operations of the sixteenth century.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Malacca (1534) Fleet battle
May 1534 · Near Malacca, Malaysia
Fought between Sultanate of Johor against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Paulo da Gama, died of wounds (Portugal); Lacxemena (Johor)
Forces 70 Johorese ships against 9 or 15 Portuguese ships
Losses Portuguese: 30 killed and all the rest wounded. Johor: heavy
Result Johor victory
A Johorese fleet attacked the Portuguese navy near Malacca and defeated it. A strong wind saved the Portuguese ships from destruction.
Why it is remembered It was a Johorese victory over the Portuguese at sea close to their base at Malacca.
Sources differ The Portuguese strength is given as either 9 or 15 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Count's Feud
Battle of Bornholm (1535) Fleet battle
June 1535 · Off the coast of Bornholm
Fought between Lübeck and the Hanseatic League against Sweden, Denmark, Royal Prussia and Holstein
Commanders Måns Svensson Some, Peder Skram, Johan Pein (allies); the Lübeck commander is unknown
Forces 26 Lübeck warships against 20 allied warships with about 4,000 men, about 11 of them Swedish ships with about 2,500 men
Losses Lübeck: at least 148. Allies: 74
Result Allied victory
In June 1535 a Lübeck fleet met the combined fleet of Sweden, Denmark, Prussia and Holstein off Bornholm. The allies won the engagement.
Why it is remembered It was one of the naval actions of the Count's Feud. Jacob Hägg painted the battle in 1894.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Count's Feud
Battle of Little Belt Fleet battle
16 June 1535 · Little Belt, Denmark
Fought between Sweden, Denmark and Prussia against Lübeck and the Hanseatic League
Commanders Måns Svensson Some, Peder Skram (allies); the Lübeck commander is unknown
Forces About 20 allied ships against 10 Lübeck ships
Losses Lübeck: 1 ship burnt and 9 ships captured. Allies: negligible
Result Allied victory
A combined Swedish, Danish and Prussian fleet fought a Lübeck fleet in the Little Belt on 16 June 1535. Lübeck lost every ship engaged, one burnt and nine captured.
Why it is remembered It was a heavy defeat for Lübeck in the Count's Feud.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Italian War of 1536 to 1538; Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Antipaxos Fleet battle
22 to 23 July 1537 · Antipaxos, Ionian Sea
Fought between Spanish Empire, Republic of Genoa, Papal States and Knights Hospitaller against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Andrea Doria, Leone Strozzi (Christian); Ali Çelebi (Ottoman)
Forces 36 galleys against 12 Ottoman galleys
Losses Christian: 250 dead and 1,250 wounded. Ottoman: 1 galley sunk, 11 galleys captured, 2,500 dead and 800 prisoners
Result Christian victory
A fleet under Andrea Doria, grand admiral of Charles V, met an Ottoman flotilla under Ali Çelebi off Antipaxos. Of the twelve Ottoman galleys one was sunk and the other eleven were captured.
Why it is remembered Events during the action helped bring about the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1537 to 1540.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts
Siege of Diu (1538) Landing or siege
Also known as First siege of Diu
26 June to 6 November 1538 · Diu, Gujarat, India
Fought between Portugal against the Ottoman Empire and the Gujarat Sultanate
Commanders António da Silveira, Francisco Pacheco (Portugal); Hadım Suleiman Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Khadjar Safar (Gujarat)
Forces A Portuguese garrison of about 600; a Gujarati army of about 16,000; an Ottoman force of 6,000 according to the main account (sources cite 40,000 men and 70 to 80 vessels) in galleys, galliots and galleons with over 400 guns
Losses Portugal: all but about 40 of the garrison killed or wounded; one Ottoman galley sunk by the Portuguese. Ottomans: about 1,200 dead and 500 wounded left behind. Gujarati losses not stated.
Result Portuguese victory
A Gujarati army besieged the Portuguese fortress from June, and an Ottoman fleet from Suez under Hadım Suleiman Pasha arrived on 4 September and blockaded it from the sea. Ottoman galleys bombarded the fortress from 28 September and attacked the Sea Fort on 27 and 28 October, but were driven off, and small Portuguese relief craft got through. On sighting a Portuguese fleet of 24 galleys in early November, the Pasha re-embarked and sailed away.
Why it is remembered It ended Ottoman plans to expand into the Indian Ocean, and the Ottomans never again sent so large an armada to India. Portugal held Diu until 1961.
Sources differ Ottoman strength 6,000 in the main account against 40,000 in other sources; ship totals of 139 Portuguese and 79 Ottoman in the main account are not reconciled with the narrative. The garrison is given as 600 men, though the fortress held about 3,000 people.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Manuel Luís da Costa, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars; Third Ottoman-Venetian War
Battle of Preveza Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Prevesa; Preveze Deniz Muharebesi (Turkish)
28 September 1538 · Near Preveza, Ionian Sea, north west Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Holy League (Venice, the Papal States, Genoa, the Spanish Empire, Mantua and the Knights of Malta)
Commanders Hayreddin Barbarossa, Sinan Reis, Dragut Reis, Seydi Ali Reis (Ottoman); Andrea Doria, Vincenzo Cappello, Marco Grimani, Ferrante Gonzaga, Paolo Simeone (Holy League)
Forces Holy League: 130 to 170 galleys, 50 to 140 carracks and galleons, possibly 250 to 300 other ships, 2,500 to 2,594 cannon and 60,000 soldiers. Ottoman: 120 to 150 galleys, galliots and fustas, 366 cannon, 3,000 janissaries and 8,000 soldiers
Losses Holy League: figures vary by source (see conflicts). Ottoman: several ships damaged, 400 killed and 800 wounded
Result Ottoman victory
An Ottoman fleet under Hayreddin Barbarossa met the much larger fleet of the Holy League under the Genoese admiral Andrea Doria near Preveza, in the same waters as the Battle of Actium. The course of the battle is uncertain and the accounts contradict each other. The Holy League was defeated despite its great advantage in numbers and tonnage.
Why it is remembered It began some thirty years in which the Ottoman Empire was the leading naval power in the Mediterranean, until Lepanto in 1571. It was one of the three largest Mediterranean battles of the sixteenth century, and it left a rupture between the Christian navies.
Sources differ Holy League losses: two galleys and five carracks sunk or captured (Spanish and Italian sources); 128 ships sunk or captured (Turkish sources); 13 ships sunk, 36 captured and 3,000 prisoners (English sources). Venetian sources blame Doria's lack of initiative, possibly linked to talks with Barbarossa about changing sides; Imperial sources blame the Venetians for refusing to follow Doria's orders.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Osman Nuri Pasha and Hovhannes Umed Behzad (1809, 1874), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Alborán Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Alborán (Spanish)
1 October 1540 · Off the island of Alborán, Spain
Fought between Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Bernardino de Mendoza, wounded (Spain); Ali Hamet, captured (Ottoman)
Forces 10 Spanish galleys against 3 galleys, 5 galliots, 6 fustas and 2 brigantines
Losses Spanish: 137 killed and 500 wounded. Ottoman: 1 galley sunk, 10 ships captured, 700 killed and 437 captured; 837 galley slaves freed
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Bernardino de Mendoza attacked an Ottoman fleet under Ali Hamet off Alborán. The Spanish sank one galley and captured ten other ships, and Ali Hamet was taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered It was a clear Spanish success in the struggle with the Ottomans for control of the Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Girolata Raid
15 June 1540 · Gulf of Girolata, west coast of Corsica
Fought between Empire of Charles V and the Republic of Genoa against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Gianettino Doria, Berenguer de Requesens (Imperial); Dragut, captured (Ottoman)
Forces 21 galleys against 11 Ottoman galleys
Losses Ottoman: all 11 galleys captured and 1,200 prisoners taken; 1,200 galley slaves freed. Imperial: unknown
Result Imperial and Genoese victory
Dragut had been sent by Hayreddin Barbarossa to raid the Italian coast. His squadron lay at anchor in Girolata with the crews ashore dividing booty when 21 galleys under Gianettino Doria and Berenguer de Requesens surprised it. All eleven galleys were taken, and Dragut was carried to Genoa and set to row in Andrea Doria's galleys with his captains.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the capture of Dragut, one of the leading Ottoman corsairs, who was made a galley slave.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alden Kitteredge Dawson (active c. 1870 to 1910), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Algiers (1541) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Algiers (1541)
October to November 1541 · Algiers
Fought between Empire of Charles V (Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Naples, Sicily), the Order of Saint John, Genoa, the Papal States and the Kingdom of Kuku against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Charles V, with Andrea Doria (navy) and the Duke of Alba (army) (Imperial); Hasan Agha (Algiers)
Forces 65 galleys and 450 transports with 12,000 sailors and 24,000 soldiers, against 1,500 to 2,000 janissaries and 6,000 to 8,000 Andalusi and Maghrebi Moors
Losses Imperial: 300 officers and 8,000 to 12,000 men killed, 150 ships sunk. Algiers: 200 killed
Result Algerian victory
Charles V led an amphibious attack on the Regency of Algiers in the autumn of 1541. Planning was poor, especially against bad weather, and the expedition failed with heavy loss of men and ships.
Why it is remembered It was a major defeat for Charles V in his wars against the Ottomans and their allies in North Africa.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Cornelis Anthonisz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts (1538 to 1559)
Battle of Suez (1541) Raid
26 April 1541 · Suez, Egypt
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Estêvão da Gama, Cristóvão da Gama (Portugal); Davud Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 16 light oared warships and 250 picked men, detached from a fleet of 80 ships and 2,300 soldiers, against 2,000 Ottoman horsemen and artillery
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result Ottoman victory
A Portuguese fleet under Estêvão da Gama entered the Red Sea and sacked Suakin. He then sent 16 light oared vessels and 250 men to attack Suez, but the defences, Davud Pasha's forces and the Ottoman artillery forced them back. Some of the retreating Portuguese who landed at Massawa were ambushed by the Adal Sultanate.
Why it is remembered The Portuguese stayed in the Red Sea for seven months without meeting the Ottoman navy, and Muslim trade there was paralysed during the campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Italian War of 1542 to 1546
Battle of Muros Bay Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Muros (Spanish)
25 July 1543 · Estuary of Muros, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán the Elder (Spain); Jean de Clamorgan, Lord of Soane (France)
Forces 16 Spanish warships against 25 French warships
Losses French: more than 3,000 casualties, 3,000 prisoners, 23 ships captured and the flagship sunk. Spanish: 300 dead and 500 wounded
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Álvaro de Bazán the Elder attacked the French fleet of Jean de Clamorgan in the estuary of Muros in Galicia. The French lost their flagship and 23 ships were captured.
Why it is remembered It is considered the first large naval battle fought in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Italian War of 1542 to 1546
Battle of the Solent Fleet battle
18 to 19 July 1545 · The Solent, between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
Fought between England against France
Commanders John Dudley (England); Claude d'Annebault (France)
Forces 80 English ships with 12,000 soldiers against 175 French ships
Ships Mary Rose
Losses English: about 400 dead in the sinking of the Mary Rose. French: no ships lost
Result English victory according to one account; another account describes a standstill
The fleets of Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England fought in the Solent over two days. Neither side gained a clear advantage, and the English carrack Mary Rose sank with about 400 men. The fighting made a larger French invasion of England impossible and the French fleet withdrew soon afterwards.
Why it is remembered It is remembered mainly for the loss of the Mary Rose. It was one of only two full naval battles fought by Henry VIII's navy, and it is shown in the Cowdray engraving.
Sources differ One account gives an English victory; another account calls the engagement a standstill between both sides.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · The Rough Wooing
Siege of St Andrews Castle Landing or siege
1546 to 1547 · St Andrews Castle, Fife, Scotland
Fought between Scottish government with France against the Protestant Lairds of Fife with England
Commanders Regent Arran (Scotland); Leone Strozzi (France); Norman Leslie, William Kirkcaldy (Protestant garrison)
Result Government victory; the castle surrendered to the French
After Protestants killed Cardinal David Beaton at St Andrews Castle in 1546, they held the castle against the Regent Arran. Over 18 months the Scottish besiegers made little impact, until a French naval force arrived and the castle surrendered after artillery bombardment.
Why it is remembered The Protestant garrison, including the preacher John Knox, were taken to France and made galley slaves.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Perlis River Fleet battle
6 December 1547 · Perlis River, Malay Peninsula
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Aceh Sultanate
Commanders Francisco de Eça (Portugal); Bayaya Soora (Aceh)
Forces 9 light galleys and 230 Portuguese soldiers against 60 Acehnese vessels and 5,380 men
Losses Portuguese: 29 dead and 147 wounded. Aceh: 4,000 men killed, captured or missing; 45 vessels captured and 10 sunk
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet met the fleet of the Sultanate of Aceh in the Perlis River. The Portuguese won what is described as a complete victory, and the Acehnese fleet was almost entirely destroyed.
Why it is remembered A 1619 painting by André Reinoso shows Francis Xavier at Malacca encouraging the Portuguese soldiers to fight the Acehnese.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Bab al-Mandab Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Bab el-Mandeb
January 1551 · Bab al-Mandab, mouth of the Red Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Sefer Reis (Ottoman); Luiz Figueira, killed (Portugal)
Forces 4 Ottoman galliots against 4 Portuguese sailing ships and 1 oared fusta
Losses Portuguese: Figueira killed, his fusta taken and all his men captured. Ottoman: not stated
Result Ottoman victory
Figueira had earlier failed to catch Sefer Reis's faster galliots, and the viceroy Afonso de Noronha ordered a punitive counterattack. Sefer Reis expected him and waited at a chosen spot; Figueira took on all four galliots with his fusta alone and was surrounded. His sailing ships arrived too late to do more than fire at long range, the fusta was overrun, and the remaining Portuguese ships withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was one of the actions of Sefer Reis, an Ottoman admiral and privateer who fought the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Gaspar Bouttats, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Djerba Incident Other action
Also known as Cerbe Vakası (Turkish)
April 1551 · Lagoon south of the island of Djerba, Tunisia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Holy Roman Empire
Commanders Turgut Reis (Ottoman); Andrea Doria (Imperial)
Result The Ottoman fleet escaped
An Ottoman fleet under Turgut Reis was trapped by Andrea Doria's Imperial fleet in the lagoon south of Djerba. Turgut Reis got his fleet out by a tactical manoeuvre.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for Turgut Reis's escape from a fleet that had him cornered.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of the Bay of Velez Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Velez
1552 or 1553 · Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
Fought between Regency of Algiers against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Salah Reis (Algiers); Inácio Nunes Gato, captured (Portugal)
Forces 40 Algerian vessels against 5 Portuguese caravels and 1 small ship with 300 or 500 men
Losses Portuguese: deaths unknown, all captured. Algiers: unknown
Result Ottoman and Algerian victory
The forces of Salah Reis defeated a Portuguese flotilla under Inácio Nunes Gato, the official interpreter of John III of Portugal. They captured the whole Portuguese squadron and seized the Peñón de Vélez.
Why it is remembered It ended with the capture of the Peñón de Vélez by Salah Reis.
Sources differ The date is given as 1552 or 1553, and the Portuguese strength as 300 or 500 men.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars; Italian War of 1551 to 1559
Battle of Ponza (1552) Fleet battle
5 August 1552 · Off the island of Ponza, Italy
Fought between Ottoman Empire and France against the Spanish Empire and the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Dragut, Gabriel de Luetz d'Aramon (Franco-Ottoman); Andrea Doria, Juan de Mendoza (Spanish and Genoese)
Forces 100 Ottoman and 3 French galleys against 39 Spanish and Genoese galleys
Losses Spanish and Genoese: 7 galleys captured. Franco-Ottoman: minor
Result Franco-Ottoman victory
A Spanish and Genoese fleet under Andrea Doria was carrying troops to Naples when a Franco-Ottoman fleet under Dragut intercepted it near Ponza. Doria's fleet was diverted and lost seven galleys captured.
Why it is remembered The victory made it easier for the Ottoman fleet to raid the coasts of Sicily, Sardinia and Italy for the next three years.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts (1538 to 1559)
Battle of the Strait of Hormuz (1553) Fleet battle
August 1553 · Strait of Hormuz
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Diogo de Noronha (Portugal); Murat Reis (Ottoman)
Forces 6 galleons, 9 caravels and 25 foists against 15 galleys and 1 carrack
Losses Few on either side
Result Portuguese victory
An Ottoman fleet under Murat Reis clashed with a Portuguese fleet under Diogo de Noronha in the Strait of Hormuz. The Ottomans were forced to retreat.
Why it is remembered It is illustrated in the Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lisuarte de Abreu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts
Action at Diu Blockade and raiding
After August 1554 (exact date not given) · Off the peninsula of Diu, north west India
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Portugal
Commanders Sefer Reis (Ottoman); Balthazar Lobato (Portugal)
Forces Ottoman: four light galliots. Portuguese: four heavy merchant ships and Lobato's armed vessel.
Losses Portuguese: four merchant ships with about 160,000 cruzados taken, and Lobato's ship surrendered. Casualties not stated.
Result Ottoman victory
After the Ottoman defeat in the Battle of the Gulf of Oman in August 1554, Sefer Reis blockaded Diu with four light galliots and captured four heavy merchant ships. He put prize crews aboard and sent them to Mocha, but when Lobato's armed ship came in sight the Portuguese crews rose and overpowered the prize crews and sailed for India. Sefer Reis recognised the ships, retook them and chased Lobato's ship until she surrendered without a fight.
Why it is remembered Sefer Reis finished the cruise with nine ships and returned to his base within a few weeks, an example of his success against Portuguese shipping in the Indian Ocean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts (1538 to 1559)
Battle of the Gulf of Oman Fleet battle
10 to 25 August 1554 · Gulf of Oman
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Fernando de Meneses, Antão de Noronha (Portugal); Seydi Ali Reis (Ottoman)
Forces 6 galleons, 6 caravels and 25 fustas with 1,200 men against 15 galleys with 1,000 men
Losses Portuguese: few. Ottoman: all galleys captured or destroyed
Result Portuguese victory
A large Portuguese armada under Fernando de Meneses fought the Ottoman Indian fleet under Seydi Ali Reis in the Gulf of Oman. The Ottomans lost all their ships.
Why it is remembered Seydi Ali Reis later wrote that it was worse than any fight he had known under Barbarossa. The Portuguese attack is illustrated in the Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lisuarte de Abreu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sengoku period
Battle of Miyajima Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Itsukushima (厳島の戦い)
15 to 18 October 1555 · Itsukushima (Miyajima), Aki Province, Seto Inland Sea, Japan
Fought between Mōri clan against the Ōuchi clan under Sue Harukata
Commanders Mōri Motonari, Mōri Takamoto, Kikkawa Motoharu, Kobayakawa Takakage, Murakami Takeyoshi (Mōri); Sue Harukata, Hironaka Takakane (Ōuchi)
Forces An estimated 4,000 to 10,000 Mōri, carried by their own fleet and the Noshima Murakami pirates, with a landing force of about 1,500 under Kobayakawa Takakage; an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Ōuchi, who had seized merchant vessels to reach the island
Losses Ōuchi: about 4,700 dead; Sue Harukata took his own life. Mōri: light.
Result Decisive Mōri victory
Sue Harukata used seized merchant ships to land on Itsukushima and attack Miyao Castle. The Mōri fleet crossed at night in a thunderstorm; Motonari landed behind the Ōuchi army while Kobayakawa Takakage feinted towards the castle and then landed at dawn to attack the front. Taken by surprise, the Ōuchi broke, and many drowned trying to swim to the mainland.
Why it is remembered It made the Mōri the leading power in western Japan and established Motonari's name as a strategist and the Mōri reputation for naval tactics.
Sources differ One account gives 16 October 1555; another account says the attack began early on 15 October and resistance ended by 18 October.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Utagawa Sadahide, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Zamorin-Portuguese conflicts
Cannanore War (1559) Landing or siege
29 or 30 March to 13 May 1559 · Cannanore, India
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Kingdom of Calicut and the Princes of Malabar
Commanders Paio de Noronha, Luis de Mello, Ruy de Mello, Antonio de Vilhena (Portugal); Ade Rajao (Princes of Malabar)
Forces Naval battle: 6 Portuguese ships with some 300 men against 13 ships with 2,000 men. Siege: 500 Portuguese against 100,000 men
Losses Naval battle: Portuguese unknown; the Malabar fleet destroyed. Siege: 25 Portuguese killed; more than 15,000 of their opponents killed
Result Portuguese victory
A series of naval and land engagements was fought between the Portuguese and the Princes of Malabar around Cannanore. At sea the Malabar fleet was destroyed, and on land the Portuguese held their fortress against a much larger besieging force.
Why it is remembered The Portuguese secured their fortress at Cannanore and restored peace to the region.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Djerba Fleet battle
Also known as Cerbe Deniz Muharebesi (Turkish)
9 to 14 May 1560 · Near the island of Djerba, off the coast of Tunisia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against an alliance of Spain (with Naples and Sicily), Genoa, the Papal States, Savoy and the Order of Saint John
Commanders Piali Pasha, Dragut (Ottoman); Giovanni Andrea Doria, Juan de la Cerda, Álvaro de Sande, captured (Christian alliance)
Forces 86 Ottoman galleys and galliots against 54 galleys and 66 other vessels (other sources give 200 ships in all)
Losses Christian alliance: 60 ships sunk or captured, 9,000 to 18,000 men killed and 5,000 prisoners taken at the siege. Ottoman: unknown
Result Ottoman victory
Spain sent a large fleet in 1560 to take Djerba, and it built a fortress there with a view to retaking Tripoli for the Knights Hospitaller. When an Ottoman fleet of similar size arrived, the Christians chose to leave, but their ill admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria fled and the fleet broke up on its way out. The Ottomans under Piali Pasha routed and captured much of it, then besieged the fortress and took it after several weeks, killing more than 5,000 men and taking a similar number prisoner.
Why it is remembered It marked perhaps the high point of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean and was one of the three great galley battles of the century with Preveza and Lepanto. The Ottomans did not follow it up quickly, and Spain rebuilt its fleet within two years.
Sources differ One account gives Christian losses as 27 galleys and some smaller vessels; another account gives 60 ships sunk or captured. The Christian fleet is given as 120 vessels or, in other sources, 200 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Lipari (1561) Fleet battle
July 1561 · Off the island of Lipari
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Kingdom of Sicily (part of the Spanish Empire)
Commanders Turgut Reis (Ottoman); Friar Bernardo, killed (Sicily)
Forces 9 Ottoman ships against 7 Sicilian ships
Losses Sicily: all ships captured. Ottoman: unknown
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman navy under Turgut Reis, Beylerbey of Tripoli, met the Sicilian navy under the priest Bernardo off Lipari. The Ottomans captured every Sicilian ship.
Why it is remembered The whole Sicilian squadron was lost in a single action.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Prelude to the Northern Seven Years' War
Battle of Bornholm (1563) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 30 May 1563
30 May 1563 · Off Bornholm, Denmark
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Jakob Bagge (Sweden); Jacob Brockenhuus, captured (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 19 Swedish ships against 3 Danish ships
Ships Hercules, Hector, Hjort
Losses Danish: 3 ships and 800 men captured. Swedish: negligible
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish fleet of 19 ships under Jakob Bagge met three Danish ships under Jacob Brockenhuus off Bornholm. All three Danish ships were captured with 800 men, and Brockenhuus was taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered The battle led to the outbreak of the Northern Seven Years' War.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Gibraltar (1563) Fleet battle
23 November 1563 · Gibraltar, Spain
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz (Spain); English commander unknown
Forces 5 Spanish galleys against 8 English naos
Losses English: all vessels captured and 240 prisoners. Spanish: minor
Result Spanish victory
An English fleet fought the Spanish garrison of the fortress of Gibraltar under Álvaro de Bazán. All eight English vessels were captured with 240 prisoners.
Why it is remembered The whole English force was taken by five Spanish galleys under Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Battle of Öland (1563) Fleet battle
11 September 1563 · Near Öland, Sweden
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway and Lübeck
Commanders Jakob Bagge (Sweden); Peder Skram, Friedrich Knebel (Denmark-Norway and Lübeck)
Forces 18 Swedish ships against 34 Danish and Lübeck ships
Result Inconclusive
A Swedish fleet under Jakob Bagge fought a larger Danish and Lübeck fleet under Peder Skram and Friedrich Knebel near Öland. Neither side won a decision.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first fleet actions of the Northern Seven Years' War.
Sources differ The Norwegian account on the Battle of Gotska Sandön, which gives the same date and commanders, puts the Swedish fleet at 31 to 38 vessels and calls the result a strategic Danish and Lübeck victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Sieges of Oran and Mers El Kébir (1563) Landing or siege
April to June 1563 · Oran and Mers El Kébir, Algeria
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Regency of Algiers, Ottoman Tripolitania, the Kingdoms of Ait Abbas and Kuku, and France
Commanders Alonso de Córdoba, Count of Alcaudete, Martín de Córdoba, Francisco de Mendoza y Vargas, Álvaro de Bazán (Spain); Hasan Pasha, Jafar Catania, Dragut (Algiers and Tripoli)
Forces Spanish garrisons of 1,500 men and 90 guns, relieved by 34 galleys and 4,000 men; against 15,000 men, 10,000 horsemen, 30 galleys, 15 galliots and fustas, 5 carracks and several smaller ships
Losses Algerian side: heavy losses of men, 5 galliots and 4 carracks captured. Spanish: unknown
Result Spanish victory
The Regency of Algiers, with its allies under Hasan Pasha, son of Hayreddin Barbarossa, tried to retake the Spanish bases of Oran and Mers El Kébir, held by Spain since 1505. The brothers Alonso and Martín de Córdoba held Oran and Mers El Kébir until a relief fleet under Francisco de Mendoza arrived. The Algerian forces then withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was a major Algerian attempt to drive Spain from its bases on the Algerian coast, and it failed when Spanish naval reinforcements arrived.
Sources differ One account marks Hasan Pasha and Jafar Catania as killed in action, which another account does not mention.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 12 July 1564 Single-ship action
12 July 1564 · Near Warnemünde
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Captain Björnson (Sweden)
Forces The Danish ships Byens Løffue (56 guns), Morian (47) and David (42) against the Swedish ship Hvita Falk
Ships Hvita Falk, Byens Løffue, Morian, David
Losses Sweden: Hvita Falk and her crew, with only two survivors. Denmark: negligible
Result Danish victory
Near Warnemünde the Danish ships Byens Løffue, Morian and David fought the Swedish Hvita Falk under Captain Björnson for several hours. At about noon Björnson blew up his ship rather than let her be captured, and only two men survived.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the Swedish captain destroying his own ship to prevent her capture.
Sources differ One account names three Danish ships; another account gives two.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 14 August 1564 Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle outside northern Öland
14 August 1564 · Northern tip of Öland, Baltic Sea
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Kristersson Horn (Sweden); Herluf Trolle, Friedrich Knebel (Denmark and Lübeck)
Forces 28 Swedish ships against 39 allied ships
Ships Elefanten, Böse Lejonet, Morian, David
Losses Sweden: one ship, the Elefanten. Allies: 3 ships and 600 men captured
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish fleet under Klas Kristersson Horn met the Danish and Lübeck fleet off the northern tip of Öland. Sweden lost the Elefanten but captured three allied ships, the Böse Lejonet, Morian and David, with 600 men.
Why it is remembered It was a Swedish victory in the naval war for the Baltic during the Northern Seven Years' War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pieter van Soest, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
First Battle of Öland (1564) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 30 May 1564; Första slaget vid Ölands norra udde (Swedish)
30 to 31 May 1564 · Between Gotland and Öland, off the northern tip of Öland
Fought between Denmark and Lübeck against Sweden
Commanders Herluf Trolle, Friedrich Knebel (Denmark and Lübeck); Jakob Bagge, captured (Sweden)
Forces 36 Danish and Lübeck ships against 38 Swedish ships in one account. Another gives 26 Danish ships with 4,600 sailors and 10 Lübeck ships with 2,018 sailors, against 35 Swedish vessels with 3,500 sailors and 1,700 soldiers
Ships Mars, Fortuna, Lange Bark, Byens Løffue, Engel, Fuchs
Losses Sweden: the flagship Mars with about 800 men, and 101 men killed on other ships. Allies: Lange Bark sunk with unknown losses, and about 300 boarders killed on the Mars
Result Danish and Lübeck victory
Only part of each fleet could engage because of the wind. On 30 May the Swedish ship Mars damaged the Danish flagship Fortuna and sank the Lange Bark. On the second day the Mars was attacked with incendiaries and boarded by Byens Løffue, Engel and Fuchs; fire reached her powder magazine and she blew up, killing most of her crew and 300 boarders, and Jakob Bagge and his second Arved Trolle were taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the loss of the Swedish flagship Mars, painted by Hans Bohrdt. The war itself grew out of Erik XIV's claim to dominion over the Baltic.
Sources differ The Swedish fleet is given as 38 ships in one account and 35 vessels in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Maler: de:Hans Bohrdt, Fotograf: McKarri (Diskussion), Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 4 June 1565 Fleet battle
4 June 1565 · Bay of Mecklenburg
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Horn (Sweden); Herluf Trolle, wounded (Denmark-Norway and Lübeck)
Forces About 49 Swedish ships, including merchant ships, against 33 Danish and Lübeck ships
Ships Sankt Erik, Finska Svan, Svenska Hektor, Herkules, Engel, Pelikan, Troilus, Fuchs, Jegermesther, Merkurius, Svenske Jomfru
Losses Allies: 700 men. Sweden: unknown
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish fleet under Klas Horn fought the allied fleet under Herluf Trolle in the Bay of Mecklenburg. Afterwards the Danes withdrew to Køge Bay, south of Copenhagen.
Why it is remembered Herluf Trolle died of his wounds on 25 June, and his second, Jørgen Brahe, died of fever on 28 June.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 7 July 1565 Fleet battle
7 July 1565 · Baltic Sea near Bornholm
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Horn (Sweden); Otte Rud (Denmark-Norway and Lübeck)
Forces 49 Swedish ships against 36 Danish and Lübeck ships
Ships St Erik, Jegermesther
Losses Sweden: 3 ships lost, 362 dead and 523 wounded. Allies: 3 ships lost and about 4,000 dead and wounded
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish fleet of 49 ships under Klas Horn fought a combined Danish and Lübeck fleet of 36 ships under Otte Rud near Bornholm. Each side lost three ships, but allied casualties were far heavier, and the Swedes won a decisive victory.
Why it is remembered A drawing by the Danish master gunner Rudolf van Deventer shows the fight between the flagships St Erik and Jegermesther.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Rudolf von Deventer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sengoku period; Japanese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Fukuda Bay Raid
Also known as Fukudaura no tatakai (Japanese)
18 October 1565 · Fukuda Bay, Nagasaki, Kyushu
Fought between Matsura clan against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Matsura Takanobu (Matsura); João Pereira (Portugal)
Forces 8 to 10 large junks, about 60 smaller boats and 700 samurai against 1 Portuguese carrack and 1 galleon with more than 80 crew
Losses Matsura: 3 junks sunk, over 70 killed and 200 wounded. Portuguese: 8 killed
Result Portuguese victory
Two Portuguese trading vessels had avoided Matsura Takanobu's port of Hirado and gone to trade at Fukuda, a port of his rival Ōmura Sumitada. A flotilla of samurai attacked them there. Portuguese cannon fire caused heavy losses in ships and men, and the samurai withdrew.
Why it is remembered It is the first recorded naval battle between Europeans and Japanese. It was part of the Portuguese search for a safe harbour in Japan that eventually brought them to Nagasaki.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Battle of Rügen (1565) Fleet battle
21 May 1565 · Off the island of Rügen, north of Pomerania
Fought between Sweden against Denmark and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Horn (Sweden); Peder Huitfeldt (Denmark and Lübeck)
Forces 48 Swedish ships with 1,638 guns and 8,000 men against 6 Danish and 3 Lübeck ships
Losses Allies: 4 ships burnt and 5 captured. Sweden: unknown
Result Swedish victory
The allied ships were north of Pomerania to stop Swedish shipping to and from Greifswald when Klas Horn's fleet found them. Four fled into Greifswald and the others were burnt by their own crews to keep them from the Swedes. Horn planned to attack the ships in harbour, but after talks with the Duke of Pomerania it was agreed that the Duke would hold them on Sweden's behalf until peace, and their flags were handed to the Swedish admiral.
Why it is remembered The engagement ended with the surviving allied ships held by the Duke of Pomerania on Sweden's behalf.
Sources differ One account gives 9 allied ships (6 Danish, 3 Lübeck) and also says eight Danish ships were found. Another account and first paragraph say 5 ships were captured, while the account says the 4 ships in Greifswald were placed in the Duke of Pomerania's keeping.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 26 July 1566 Fleet battle
26 July 1566 · East of Öland, Baltic Sea
Fought between Sweden against Denmark and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Horn (Sweden); Hans Lauritsen, Bartholomeus Tinnappel (Denmark and Lübeck)
Forces 60 Swedish ships against 25 Danish and 11 Lübeck ships
Ships Hector
Losses Sweden: significant but unknown. Allies: Vice Admiral Christopher Morgisen killed; in the storm afterwards 12 Danish and 3 Lübeck ships were wrecked and about 5,900 men drowned
Result Inconclusive, or a slight Swedish victory
Klas Horn found the allied fleet at the northern tip of Öland on 25 July and attacked the next morning when the wind turned. The fighting caused few losses, and the allied fleet withdrew towards Gotland, where it anchored to bury Vice Admiral Christopher Morgisen, killed by a cannonball. Two days later a storm drove the allied fleet onto the coast of Gotland near Visby, while the Swedish fleet, further out to sea, reached Älvsnabben by 6 August with only the Hector's main mast lost.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the storm that followed, which wrecked much of the allied fleet off Visby and drowned thousands of men.
Sources differ One account calls the result inconclusive; another account calls it a slight Swedish victory. The storm losses are given as 14 ships and about 5,900 drowned, and elsewhere as 15 ships (12 Danish, 3 Lübeck) with about 5,000 drowned and some 1,400 survivors.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Algiers expedition (1567) Raid
October 1567 · Algiers
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Juan Gascon, executed (Spain); Muhammad I Pasha, Della Raïs (Algiers)
Forces 2 Spanish galleys against 4 Algerian galleys
Losses Spain: both galleys captured. Algiers: unknown
Result Algerian victory
Spain tried to strike at Algiers by setting fire to the Algerian navy at night. The attempt failed, both Spanish galleys were captured, and their commander was executed.
Why it is remembered It was a failed Spanish attempt to burn the Algerian fleet in its own harbour.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Second Anglo-Spanish trade war (1568 to 1573)
Battle of San Juan de Ulúa (1568) Raid
24 September 1568 · San Juan de Ulúa, New Spain (modern Veracruz, Mexico)
Fought between Spain against English privateers
Commanders Francisco Luján, Juan de Ubilla, with the viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almanza (Spain); John Hawkins, Francis Drake (England)
Forces 13 Spanish ships against 6 English armed merchant ships with 400 crew
Losses Spain: 1 ship and 20 killed. England: 4 ships and 320 killed
Result Spanish victory
John Hawkins's flotilla anchored at San Juan de Ulúa to repair after a storm and was found there by two Spanish galleons carrying the new viceroy. The two sides agreed a truce to share the anchorage, but the Spanish secretly prepared an attack, seized the English guns on shore and tried to board the English ships. The boarders were driven off, but the captured shore guns badly damaged the English ships; two escaped and the other four were sunk or captured.
Why it is remembered The English saw it as Spanish treachery and the Spanish as a response to illegal smuggling. Resentment from the battle is considered a cause of the Anglo-Spanish War that broke out 17 years later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Frederick Whymper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Aceh (1569) Single-ship action
May 1569 · Off the north western coast of Sumatra
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Aceh
Commanders Mem Lopes Carrasco (Portugal); Acehnese commander unknown
Forces 1 Portuguese carrack against 20 galleys, 20 war junks and 200 smaller craft
Ships The carrack of Mem Lopes Carrasco
Losses Portuguese: many dead and wounded. Aceh: several ships
Result Portuguese victory
A lone Portuguese carrack under Mem Lopes Carrasco met an Acehnese armada off Sumatra that was preparing to attack Portuguese Malacca. The carrack held out, and the Acehnese fleet withdrew after heavy losses.
Why it is remembered A single ship turned back an armada bound for Malacca. The fight is shown in a Portuguese illustration by Roque Gameiro, the assault on the carrack of Mem Lopes Carrasco.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Bombardment of Reval (1569) Raid
Also known as Beskjutningen av Reval (Swedish)
9 to 22 July 1569 · Reval (modern Tallinn, Estonia)
Fought between Denmark-Norway and Lübeck against Sweden
Commanders Peder Munk, Henrik Gyldenstierne (Denmark-Norway and Lübeck)
Forces 3,000 Danish men and a disputed number of ships, against the Swedish garrison of Reval
Losses Sweden: several merchant ships plundered and captured. Allies: minimal
Result The allied fleet took a large booty from merchant ships but did not capture the town
A Danish and Lübeck fleet attacked the Swedish-held town of Reval. Peder Munk took a large booty by plundering merchant ships there. Had he landed his men in time, he could also have taken the city.
Why it is remembered The raid brought Peder Munk a large booty, though the town itself was not taken.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Venetian War (1570 to 1573)
Battle of Gozo (1570) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 1570
15 July 1570 · Off Gozo
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Order of Saint John
Commanders Uluj Ali (Ottoman); Francesco St Clement (Order of Saint John)
Forces 19 Ottoman ships, described as galleons, against 4 Maltese galleys
Losses Order of Saint John: 3 galleys lost and 80 knights captured. Ottoman: unknown
Result Ottoman victory
Four galleys of the Order of Saint John met an Ottoman fleet under Uluj Ali off Gozo. Three were captured and the fourth escaped.
Why it is remembered It was a heavy loss for the galleys of the Order of Saint John in the opening year of the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1570 to 1573.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Fourth Ottoman-Venetian War; Spanish-Ottoman wars; Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Lepanto Fleet battle
7 October 1571 · Gulf of Patras, Ionian Sea, western Greece
Fought between Holy League (Spain, Venice, Genoa, Savoy, Tuscany, the Papal States and the Knights Hospitaller) against the Ottoman Empire and the Regency of Algiers
Commanders John of Austria, Álvaro de Bazán, Luis de Requesens, Sebastiano Venier, Agostino Barbarigo (died of wounds), Gianandrea Doria, Marcantonio Colonna, Pietro Giustiniani (Holy League); Ali Pasha (killed), Mehmed Sirocco (killed), Uluç Ali (Occhiali), Caracossa (Ottoman)
Forces Holy League: 212 ships, including 109 galleys and 6 galleasses of Venice, 49 Spanish, 27 Genoese and 7 Papal galleys, with about 85,900 men (30,000 soldiers, 12,900 sailors, 43,000 oarsmen). Ottoman: 274 ships (211 galleys and 63 galliots) with about 88,000 men (34,000 soldiers, 13,000 sailors, 41,000 oarsmen)
Ships Real, Sultana, Fortuna de Napoli, Mendoza de Naples, Luna de España
Losses Holy League: 7,500 to 10,000 killed and 13 galleys sunk or destroyed. Ottoman: 20,000 to 40,000 killed, 117 galleys captured and 83 sunk or destroyed, and about 10,000 taken prisoner. About 15,000 Christian galley slaves were freed and some 10,000 drowned
Result Holy League victory
The Ottoman fleet sailed west from Lepanto and met the Holy League fleet coming east from Messina by way of Kefalonia. Six Venetian galleasses placed ahead of the line broke up the Ottoman formation with close range fire. On the northern wing Barbarigo was killed but Bazán's reserve restored the line and Sirocco was killed; in the centre Ali Pasha's Sultana rammed John of Austria's Real and was boarded and taken, and Ali Pasha died with her whole crew. Uluç Ali broke through a gap left by Doria's drift south but was checked by the reserve and withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval battle in the West since antiquity and the last major one fought almost entirely by oared galleys; the Ottoman fleet was almost destroyed, and the loss of trained crews blunted Ottoman naval initiative after 1580. Pius V instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory, and the battle is shown in Vasari's fresco in the Sala Regia and many later paintings.
Sources differ Casualty figures vary by source. Nolan gives about 80,000 men on the Christian side and up to 90,000 for the Ottomans. One account speaks of more than 450 warships in all, while another account totals 486 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Laureys a Castro, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Fourth Ottoman-Venetian War; Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Skirmish at Cerigo Channel Fleet battle
7 to 10 August 1572 · Cerigo channel, off the Morea
Fought between Holy League against the Ottoman Empire and the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Marcantonio Colonna, Juan de Cardona, Giacomo Foscarini, Giacomo Soranzo, Pietro Giustiniani (Holy League); Occhiali (Ottoman)
Forces 139 galleys, 6 galleasses and 20 galleons and carracks against 225 galleys and 5 mahons
Losses Holy League: minor. Ottoman: significant
Result Holy League victory
The Holy League fleet under Marcantonio Colonna, in the absence of John of Austria, met the Ottoman fleet rebuilt after Lepanto under Occhiali. After much manoeuvring the heavy guns of the League's galleasses and sailing ships offset the Ottoman numbers and twice put the Ottomans to flight, but the wind prevented a pursuit. Colonna then joined John of Austria, and together they routed Occhiali again.
Why it is remembered It was the first test of the Ottoman fleet rebuilt after Lepanto. The League's fleet later broke up during the siege of Navarino.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Apulia Raid
July to August 1573 · Coast of Apulia, Kingdom of Naples
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Spain and the Kingdom of Naples
Commanders Piali Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Spanish commander unknown
Forces Ottoman fleet of 220 vessels: 208 galleys and 12 barges
Losses Not recorded
Result Ottoman victory
Piali Pasha's fleet sailed on 3 June 1573, crossed the Strait of Otranto and landed on the coast of Apulia, where it took the castle of Kastro and plundered the region, carrying off prisoners and booty. Bad weather made it give up plans against the coasts of Naples and Sicily. On the way home it fortified the castle at Pylos, where Occhiali was left with a few galleys, and the fleet reached Istanbul on 1 November.
Why it is remembered No fleet action took place. While the Ottoman fleet was off Apulia, a Spanish fleet under John of Austria captured Tunis on 10 October 1573.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle on the Zuiderzee Fleet battle
Also known as Slag op de Zuiderzee (Dutch)
11 October 1573 · Zuiderzee (now the IJsselmeer)
Fought between Dutch rebels (Geuzen) against the Spanish Empire
Commanders Cornelis Jansz Dircksz (Dutch); Count of Bossu, captured (Spain)
Forces 24 Dutch ships with 700 sailors against 30 Spanish ships with 1,300 sailors
Losses Dutch: 1 ship and 25 sailors. Spanish: 6 ships captured and 300 sailors captured
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet defeated a larger and better equipped Spanish fleet on the Zuiderzee. The Spanish commander, the Count of Bossu, was taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered The defeat forced the Duke of Alva to give up Amsterdam. The battle was painted by Jan Theunisz Blanckerhoff.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jan Theunisz Blanckerhoff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Borsele Convoy battle
22 April 1573 · Off Borsele, Zeeland
Fought between Dutch rebels (Gueux) against Spain
Commanders Admiral Worst (Gueux); Sancho d'Avila (Spain)
Result Gueux success: most of the Spanish ships were forced back
A Spanish fleet sailed from Antwerp to supply Middelburg and Arnemuiden, which were besieged by Dutch troops. A Gueux fleet under Admiral Worst intercepted it. A few ships got through, but most of the Spanish fleet had to return to Antwerp.
Why it is remembered It was part of the struggle to supply the besieged Spanish garrisons of Middelburg and Arnemuiden.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Flushing Fleet battle
17 April 1573 · Near Flushing (Vlissingen), Netherlands
Fought between Dutch rebels against Spain
Commanders Lieven Keersmaker (Dutch); Sancho d'Avila (Spain)
Losses Spain: five ships seized
Result Five Spanish ships captured; the rest reached Middelburg and Arnemuiden
The Dutch fleet at first left Flushing but came back when the Spanish fleet came under fire from the town's guns. Five Spanish ships were taken, and the rest reached Middelburg and Arnemuiden.
Why it is remembered It was one of the early naval actions of the Eighty Years' War in the waters of Zeeland.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Haarlemmermeer Fleet battle
26 May 1573 · Haarlemmermeer, North Holland
Fought between Spain and Amsterdam against the Dutch rebel Geuzen
Commanders Count of Bossu (Spain and Amsterdam); Marinus Brandt (Geuzen)
Forces 100 Spanish and Amsterdam warships against 150 Geuzen warships
Losses Geuzen: 21 ships captured. Spain: low
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet and a fleet from Amsterdam, then still loyal to Spain, fought the Geuzen fleet on the Haarlemmermeer lake. The Geuzen were trying to break the siege of Haarlem and were forced to retreat after several hours of fighting.
Why it is remembered It was fought on a large lake that was drained in the nineteenth century. Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom painted the battle about 1621, and the painting is in the Rijksmuseum.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Lillo Fleet battle
30 May 1574 · Between the fortresses of Lillo and Liefkenshoek, near Antwerp
Fought between Dutch rebels against Spain
Commanders Lodewijk van Boisot (Dutch); Juan Adolf van Haamstede (Spain)
Forces 64 Dutch ships; Spanish strength unknown
Losses Spain: 10 ships captured. Dutch: no ships lost
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet under Lodewijk van Boisot attacked a Spanish fleet lying at anchor between the forts of Lillo and Liefkenshoek. Ten Spanish ships were captured.
Why it is remembered A tapestry of the battle by Jan de Maecht (1597 to 1598) is in the Zeeuws Museum.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of the Scheldt (1574) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Reimerswaal; Battle of Walcheren; Slag bij Reimerswaal (Dutch)
29 January 1574 · Eastern Scheldt, off Reimerswaal
Fought between Dutch rebel Sea Beggars, with English and Scottish volunteers, against Spain
Commanders Louis de Boisot, Joos de Moor (Dutch); Julián Romero, Gerard de Glymes, killed (Spain)
Forces 64 Dutch ships against 75 Spanish ships
Losses Dutch: 300 killed or wounded and 2 ships sunk. Spain: 15 ships sunk and 1,200 dead
Result Dutch victory
A Spanish fleet under Julián Romero tried to relieve the besieged town of Middelburg. The Sea Beggar fleet under Boisot intercepted it and destroyed or captured nearly fifteen ships.
Why it is remembered Middelburg surrendered nine days later, together with Arnemuiden. A tapestry of the battle was made to designs by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom and Karel van Mander the Younger.
Sources differ One account says nearly fifteen Spanish ships were destroyed or captured; another account gives 15 ships sunk.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrik Cornelisz. Vroom and Karel van Mandere de Oude, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Action of 26 September 1575 Single-ship action
26 September 1575 · Off Cadaqués, Catalonia
Fought between Regency of Algiers against the Spanish Empire
Commanders Arnaut Mami, Dali Mami (Algiers); Pedro Gaspar de Villena, killed (Spain)
Forces 3 Algerian ships against 1 Spanish galley
Ships El Sol
Losses Spain: the galley captured, most of those aboard killed and the survivors enslaved. Algiers: heavy
Result Algerian victory
The galley El Sol, separated by a storm from Sancho de Leiva's squadron on passage from Naples to Barcelona, was surrounded by three Algerian ships off Cadaqués. Her captain refused to surrender, and after a long fight and repeated assaults the Algerians boarded her. Most of the Spaniards, including the captain, were killed; the survivors were taken to Algiers as slaves, and a Spanish squadron that arrived could not catch the Algerians.
Why it is remembered Miguel de Cervantes and his brother Rodrigo, both veterans of Lepanto, were captured. Rodrigo was ransomed in 1577 and Miguel in 1580.
Sources differ The narrative says the Algerians attacked for four hours; Cervantes's own account speaks of sixteen hours of fighting and nine assaults.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sengoku period; Oda Nobunaga's siege of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji
Battles of Kizugawaguchi Fleet battle
Also known as Kizugawaguchi no Tatakai (Japanese)
1576 and 1578 · Mouth of the Kizu River, off Osaka
Fought between Forces of Oda Nobunaga against the Mōri clan under Mōri Terumoto, allies of the Ikkō-ikki
Commanders 1576: Kuki Yoshitaka (Oda); Murakami Motoyoshi (Mōri). 1578: Kuki Yoshitaka, Takigawa Kazumasu (Oda); Murakami Takeyoshi (Mōri)
Forces 1576: about 300 Oda vessels against about 700 Mōri vessels. 1578: 6 Oda atakebune with large guns against 600 Mōri vessels
Losses 1576: all the large Oda ships burnt. 1578: several Mōri vessels burnt and sunk
Result 1576: Mōri victory. 1578: disputed
Oda Nobunaga ordered Kuki Yoshitaka to blockade the sea approaches to the Ishiyama Hongan-ji, the fortress of the Ikkō-ikki at Osaka. In 1576 the Mōri fleet burnt the large Oda ships with incendiary weapons and broke the blockade to supply the fortress. In 1578 Kuki returned with six atakebune built in Ise Bay and armed with large guns, and burnt and sank Mōri vessels, but the supply line was not cut.
Why it is remembered The six atakebune of 1578 are described by some modern Japanese historians as an early form of armoured warship.
Sources differ The first battle is dated August 1576 in one account and 13 to 14 July in another account, following the Shinchō Kōki. Some sources call the 1578 battle an Oda victory; the historian Ogawa Yu argues it was not decisive because the supply line was not cut.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
1577 Portuguese voyage to Japan Other action
1577 · Coast of Korea
Fought between Kingdom of Portugal against Joseon Korea
Commanders Domingos Monteiro (Portugal)
Forces 1 Portuguese junk and its sampan against numerous Korean boats
Losses Portuguese: the sampan's crew killed. Korean: unknown
Result The Portuguese drove off the Korean boats
A private Portuguese junk bound for Japan was blown off course by a typhoon onto the coast of Korea, where many Korean boats surrounded the damaged vessel. The Koreans attacked the junk's sampan and killed its crew. The Portuguese drove them off with firearms and then tried to repair the junk and escape.
Why it is remembered If C. R. Boxer is right to link it with the 1578 voyage of the San Sebastián, its commander Domingos Monteiro would be the first Westerner to have set foot in Korea.
Sources differ Some regard the August 1578 voyage of the San Sebastián as the first documented European presence off Korea; C. R. Boxer links that episode to this voyage of 1577.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sengoku period, Hōjō and Takeda wars
Battle of Omosu Fleet battle
Also known as Omosu no Tatakai (Japanese)
March 1580 · Suruga Bay, off the Izu Peninsula
Fought between Hōjō clan against the Takeda clan
Commanders Hōjō Ujimasa, Fūma Kotarō (Hōjō); Takeda Katsuyori, Ohama Kagetaka (Takeda)
Result Hōjō victory
The navies of Hōjō Ujimasa and Takeda Katsuyori faced each other off the Izu Peninsula while the two land armies advanced. Before this, Fūma ninja under Fūma Kotarō had raided a Takeda camp at night and caused confusion in which the Takeda troops attacked each other. The Hōjō won.
Why it is remembered It is one of the very few naval battles fought in pre-modern Japan.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
1582 Cagayan battles Landing or siege
Also known as Combates de Cagayán (Spanish); Kagayan no Tatakai (Japanese)
1582 · Aparri and Lal-lo, Cagayan, Philippines
Fought between Spanish Philippines against wokou pirates
Commanders Juan Pablo de Carrión, Pedro Lucas, killed (Spain); Tay Fusa (wokou)
Forces 1 galley, 14 brigantines, 90 soldiers and several dozen native allies, against 1 junk with 200 to 260 fighters at sea and 18 sampans with 600 to 1,000 fighters at the fort
Losses Spanish: 20 dead. Wokou: 200 to 800 dead
Result Spanish victory
Wokou pirates led by Tay Fusa, possibly Naya Sukezaemon, had built a settlement near the Cagayan river, and the Spanish were ordered to attack it. Amphibious forces under Juan Pablo de Carrión, though heavily outnumbered, fought them at sea and at their fort and drove them from the island.
Why it is remembered Carrión founded Nueva Segovia, now Lal-lo, on one of the battle sites. In the 21st century the battles became a popular subject as a clash of samurai and Spanish tercios, though the forces were in fact mostly Asian pirates against Spanish, mestizo and Filipino fighters.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Juan Luis de Acosta, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · War of the Portuguese Succession
Battle of Vila Franca do Campo Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Ponta Delgada; Naval Battle of Terceira Island
26 July 1582 · Off São Miguel Island, Azores
Fought between Spain and Portugal against a mainly French expedition with English, Dutch and Portuguese supporters of the Prior of Crato
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán (Spain); Filippo di Piero Strozzi, captured (France)
Forces 28 Spanish warships against 60 warships
Losses Spain: 224 dead and 550 wounded. French and allies: 1,500 dead, 1,500 wounded, missing or captured; 4 ships sunk, 2 burnt, 4 captured and 7 missing
Result Spanish victory
A mainly French expedition, the largest French force sent overseas before Louis XIV, sailed to hold the Azores for the pretender António, Prior of Crato. A Spanish squadron of Portuguese and Castilian ships under Álvaro de Bazán met it off São Miguel and defeated it severely.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle between large fleets of carracks and galleons fought far from the mainland, and it led to the quick Spanish conquest of the Azores and completed the union of Portugal with the Spanish crown. A fresco by Niccolò Granello in the Hall of Battles at El Escorial shows it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Niccolò Granello, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of São Vicente Single-ship action
3 February 1583 · Off São Vicente, Portuguese Brazil
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Edward Fenton (England); Andrés de Equino, also written Eguino or Higino (Spain)
Forces 2 English galleons and 1 pinnace against 3 Spanish galleons
Losses Spain: 1 galleon sunk, 1 heavily damaged, 36 killed and 100 wounded. England: 8 killed and 20 wounded
Result English victory
Edward Fenton's expedition failed to enter the Pacific and tried to trade off Brazil, where a detached Spanish squadron under Andrés de Equino intercepted it. In a moonlit action briefly interrupted by a rainstorm the Spanish lost one galleon sunk and another badly damaged. Fenton could not resume trading and returned to England.
Why it is remembered It was a minor English success over a Spanish squadron off the coast of Brazil.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Benedito Calixto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Action off Bermuda (1585) Single-ship action
Also known as Grenville's action off the Bermudas
27 to 31 August 1585 · Off Bermuda, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Richard Grenville (England); Alonzo de Cornieles (Spain)
Forces The 160 ton English galleass Tiger against the 300 to 400 ton Spanish galleon Santa Maria de San Vicente
Ships Tiger, Santa Maria de San Vicente
Losses Spain: the galleon captured, 10 killed or wounded and 280 taken prisoner. England: 2 wounded
Result English victory
Richard Grenville's galleass Tiger engaged the larger Spanish galleon Santa Maria de San Vicente off Bermuda. The Spanish ship surrendered after a heavy bombardment.
Why it is remembered A smaller English ship forced the surrender of a larger Spanish galleon.
Sources differ One account describes the action as lasting three days; another account dates it 27 to 31 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Newfoundland expedition (1585) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Bernard Drake's Newfoundland Expedition
July to 10 October 1585 · Grand Banks of Newfoundland, North Atlantic
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Bernard Drake (England)
Forces 10 English ships against numerous Spanish and Portuguese fishing ships
Losses Spain and Portugal: 23 ships captured, burnt or sunk and about 600 prisoners. England: light
Result English victory
At the start of the declared Anglo-Spanish War an English squadron under Bernard Drake went to the Grand Banks to seize the Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleets. It took or destroyed 23 ships and some 600 prisoners.
Why it is remembered It was a large military and financial success that almost drove the Spanish and Portuguese from these waters, with lasting consequences for English colonial expansion and settlement.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Johor (1586) Fleet battle
1586 · Malay Peninsula
Fought between Sultanate of Johor against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Ali Jalla Abdul Jalil Shah II (Johor); Pedro Vello, Pedro de Cuma Carneyro (Portugal)
Forces 8 Portuguese ships; Johor strength unknown
Losses Portugal: 4 ships lost. Johor: unknown
Result Johor victory
A Portuguese fleet raided a Johorese town successfully. On its way back it was defeated by the Sultan's navy and lost half its ships.
Why it is remembered The Sultan's navy turned a Portuguese raid into a defeat.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Pantelleria (1586) Convoy battle
Also known as Fight at Pantalarea
13 July 1586 · Off the island of Pantelleria
Fought between England (Levant Company) against Spain and the Knights of Malta
Commanders Edward Wilkinson (England); Pedro de Leyva (Spain)
Forces 5 English armed merchant ships against 11 Spanish and Maltese galleys and 2 frigates
Losses Spain and Malta: many galleys badly damaged and heavy casualties. England: 2 killed and 15 wounded
Result English victory
Five armed merchant ships of the Levant Company sailing in convoy were attacked off Pantelleria by Spanish and Maltese galleys. The English kept close to the shore, beat off every attack and sailed home.
Why it is remembered It tested English ship armament two years before it was used against the Spanish Armada.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Singeing the King of Spain's Beard Raid
12 April to 6 July 1587 · Bay of Cádiz, the Algarve, Lisbon and the Azores
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Francis Drake (England); Duke of Medina Sidonia at Cádiz, Álvaro de Bazán at Lisbon (Spain)
Losses Spain: 1 carrack and 4 other ships captured, 27 ships destroyed or burnt and about 100 smaller vessels lost. England: an unknown number dead of disease
Result English victory
Francis Drake attacked the Spanish fleet gathering in the Bay of Cádiz for the invasion of England, destroying much of it along with large quantities of supplies. He then raided forts along the Portuguese coast and captured a Spanish treasure ship returning from the Indies.
Why it is remembered The name is a derisive one for Drake's campaign. The damage put back the sailing of the Spanish Armada by a year.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); Eighty Years' War
Battle of Gravelines Fleet battle
8 August 1588 · Off Gravelines, Flanders
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Spain and Portugal (the Spanish Armada)
Commanders Charles Howard, Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Justinus van Nassau (England and Dutch Republic); Duke of Medina Sidonia, Hugo de Moncada, killed (Spain)
Forces The English fleet against the Spanish Armada; for the whole campaign, 197 English ships and 16,000 men against 137 ships and 55,000 men including the army in Flanders
Ships Maria Juan, San Lorenzo, San Mateo, San Felipe, Hope, Thomas, Bark Bond
Losses Spain: more than 600 dead, 800 wounded and five ships sunk or captured. England: 50 to 100 dead, 400 wounded and 8 fireships burnt
Result English and Dutch victory
On the night of 7 to 8 August English fireships, among them the Thomas and the Bark Bond, broke up the Armada's anchored crescent off Calais. At dawn the flagship and four other ships faced the whole English fleet, which held the wind and closed to fire heavy broadsides for some eight hours until its shot ran out. The Maria Juan sank off Blankenberge with 275 men, the galleass San Lorenzo went aground at Calais and was taken, and the galleons San Mateo and San Felipe drifted onto the Flemish and Dutch coast and were captured.
Why it is remembered It was the main battle of the Armada campaign. Afterwards the Armada nearly ran aground on the Dutch coast, escaped into the North Sea when the wind changed, and returned to Spain around Scotland and Ireland, losing many ships to wrecks.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Adams, Augustine Ryther, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Azores Voyage of 1589 Raid
Also known as Cumberland's Third Voyage
August to September 1589 · Azores, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Earl of Cumberland, William Monson (England); Diego Gomez, Gaspar de Lemos Faria (Spain and Portugal)
Forces 6 English warships and 300 soldiers against various Spanish and Portuguese ships and fortifications
Losses Spain and Portugal: 1 galleon sunk, 13 ships captured, burnt, sunk or wrecked, 400 killed, wounded or captured. England: 40 casualties and 100 dead of disease and thirst
Result English victory
An English joint stock expedition under George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, attacked all the Azores islands for provisions and prizes. A number of Portuguese and Spanish ships were taken, and at Faial the English captured the fort and the main town, which they sacked and burnt. They returned home with thirteen prizes, though many men died of disease and in storms.
Why it is remembered It was profitable for its investors. On the voyage the mathematician Edward Wright made the navigational studies that first explained the mathematical basis of the Mercator projection.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Earl of Cumberland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); Eighty Years' War
English Armada Landing or siege
Also known as Counter Armada; Drake-Norris Expedition; Portugal Expedition; Invencible Inglesa (Spanish)
April to July 1589 · A Coruña and Lisbon, Iberian coast, and the Bay of Biscay
Fought between England, the Dutch Republic and Portuguese supporters of the Prior of Crato against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Francis Drake, John Norris, Robert Devereux, the Prior of Crato (England and allies); Marqués de Cerralbo, Álvaro Troncoso, María Pita at Coruña; Count of Fuentes, Martín de Padilla, Alonso de Bazán, Duke of Braganza at Lisbon (Spain and Portugal)
Forces More than 180 ships and 27,667 men against four galleons, an unknown number of armed merchant ships and 15,000 men
Losses England and allies: 11,000 to 18,000 killed, wounded or dead of disease, and 40 ships captured, sunk or scuttled. Spain: 900 dead or wounded, 3 galleons and 13 merchant ships destroyed
Result Spanish victory
Elizabeth I sent a large fleet under Francis Drake and John Norris against Spain in April 1589, the year after the Spanish Armada. It attacked A Coruña and Lisbon but failed in its aims and suffered very heavy losses, much of it to disease.
Why it is remembered It failed to press home the advantage England had won in 1588, and the Spanish victory marked a revival of Philip II's naval power.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War; Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of Bayona Islands (1590) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Bayona Bay
Early 1590 · Off the Bayona Islands (the Cíes Islands), near Baiona and Vigo, Spain
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic and England
Commanders Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain); Anglo-Dutch commander unknown
Forces 3 Spanish flyboats against 14 Anglo-Dutch ships
Losses Anglo-Dutch: all 14 ships captured, 7 of them by boarding, including the flagship. Spain: unknown
Result Spanish victory
A small Spanish force of three flyboats under Pedro de Zubiaur fought an Anglo-Dutch flotilla of 14 ships off the Bayona Islands. After several hours of hard fighting the Dutch flagship and six other ships were boarded and taken, and the rest surrendered. Zubiaur then brought the captured ships into Ferrol, to the great surprise of the port authorities.
Why it is remembered Three Spanish ships captured an entire flotilla of fourteen.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar (1590) Convoy battle
Also known as First Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar
24 April 1590 · Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between England (Levant Company) against Spain
Commanders Benedict Barnham (England); Pedro de Acuña (Spain)
Forces 10 English armed merchant ships against 12 Spanish galleys
Losses Spain: many galleys badly damaged and heavy casualties. England: light
Result English victory according to English sources; indecisive according to Spanish sources
Ten armed merchant ships of the Levant Company were intercepted by twelve Spanish galleys under Pedro de Acuña in the Strait of Gibraltar. The fight lasted about six hours.
Why it is remembered Armed merchant ships of the Levant Company held off a squadron of Spanish galleys.
Sources differ English sources say the galleys were repelled with heavy losses after a six hour fight; Spanish sources show the battle as indecisive.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of the Berlengas (1591) Raid
Also known as Battle of Berlengas Islands
15 July 1591 · Off the Berlengas Islands, Portugal
Fought between Spain against English privateers
Commanders Francisco Coloma (Spain); Earl of Cumberland, William Monson, captured (England)
Forces 5 Spanish galleys against 5 English warships
Losses England: 1 warship captured, 2 prizes retaken, the captain and principal men killed and more than 150 prisoners. Spain: 2 killed
Result Spanish victory
An English privateer squadron under George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, was at anchor off the Berlengas when it was surprised by five Spanish galleys under Francisco Coloma, which were patrolling the Portuguese coast against privateers. The galleys took one English ship and recovered two prizes.
Why it is remembered It was a check to the Earl of Cumberland's large scale privateering against Spain.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: After Nicholas Hilliard (died 1619), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Blaye (1591) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Blaye (Spanish)
1591 · Off Blaye, Gironde Estuary, France
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain)
Forces A Spanish force against an English fleet several times larger
Result Spanish victory
The Spanish captain Pedro de Zubiaur fought an English fleet several times the size of his own off Blaye and won.
Why it is remembered It is distinct from the better known Battle of Blaye of 1593, also won by Zubiaur.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Blockade of Western Cuba (1591) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Watts' West Indies Expedition of 1591
May to July 1591 · Between Cape San Antonio and Havana, Cuba
Fought between English privateers against Spain
Commanders Michael Geare, Lane, Christopher Newport (England); Diego de la Ribera, Antonio Navarro (Spain)
Forces 10 English ships against 7 galleons, 2 galleys, 2 pinnaces and ships of the plate fleet convoy
Losses Spain: 2 galleons captured, 8 other ships captured, sunk or burnt and 2 galleys badly damaged. England: 1 bark sunk
Result English victory
An English privateering expedition financed by John Watts and Sir Walter Raleigh blockaded the waters off western Cuba. It intercepted Spanish ships, some from Antonio Navarro's plate convoy, which was protected by a squadron under Diego de la Ribera. The English took or burnt ten Spanish ships, including two galleons, one a valuable prize, for the loss of one ship, and then returned to England.
Why it is remembered It was one of the most successful English expeditions to the Spanish Main of the war, in both military and financial terms.
Sources differ One account names the English leader as Ralph Lane; another account gives William Lane.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Cape Pracel Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla del Cabo Pracel (Spanish); Battle of Pracel
1591 · Off the coast of Cochinchina
Fought between Champa against the Ming dynasty
Commanders Pedro Ordóñez de Cevallos (with Champa)
Ships The galleon of Pedro Ordóñez de Cevallos
Result Champa victory; Ming defeat
A naval clash off the coast of Cochinchina set Champa against the Ming dynasty. The adventurer Pedro Ordóñez de Cevallos played the leading part, and his galleon was decisive in the Ming defeat.
Why it is remembered It is known for the part played by a single Spanish adventurer and his galleon in a battle between Asian powers.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of Flores (1591) Fleet battle
30 August to 1 September 1591 · Off Flores, Azores
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Alonso de Bazán, Martín de Bertendona, Marcos de Aramburu (Spain); Lord Thomas Howard, Richard Grenville, died of wounds (England)
Forces 55 Spanish warships against 22 English warships
Ships Revenge
Losses Spain: 2 ships sunk and about 100 killed or drowned. England: the Revenge captured and 250 killed or taken prisoner
Result Spanish victory
An English fleet under Lord Thomas Howard was waiting off the Azores for the Spanish treasure convoy when a stronger Spanish fleet appeared off Flores. Howard's ships escaped to the north, except the galleon Revenge under Sir Richard Grenville, who stayed to take his sick men off the shore. In a running fight through a day and a night the Revenge was boarded many times and beat off every attack, sinking or damaging several Spanish ships, until Grenville was badly wounded and the survivors surrendered.
Why it is remembered The last fight of the Revenge is the subject of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem The Revenge: a Ballad of the Fleet and of a painting by Charles Dixon.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War; Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of the Gulf of Almería (1591) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Almería Bay; Battle of Cape of Palos
Late August 1591 · Gulf of Almería, southern coast of Spain
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic and England
Commanders Martín de Padilla y Manrique, Count of Santa Gadea, Adelantado of Castile (Spain); Anglo-Dutch commander unknown
Forces About 20 Spanish ships against about 35 Anglo-Dutch ships
Losses Anglo-Dutch: 20 Dutch and 3 English ships captured and others badly damaged. Spain: none or minimal
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Martín de Padilla, returning from Venice with valuable goods, sighted an Anglo-Dutch fleet off Almería and attacked it. About 20 Dutch and 3 English ships were captured, and the Spanish fleet brought them into Almería.
Why it is remembered It was a one sided Spanish victory in which more than twenty enemy ships were taken.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Gabriel Villena from Albacete, España, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar (1591) Convoy battle
24 April 1591 · Off Gibraltar
Fought between England (Levant Company) against Spain
Commanders Robert Bradshaw, John Giles, killed (England); Pedro de Acuña (Spain)
Forces 4 English armed merchant ships, including the Centurion, against 5 Spanish galleys
Ships Centurion, Dolphin
Losses England: 1 ship sunk, 1 damaged, about 44 killed and 10 wounded. Spain: all 5 galleys badly damaged and 200 killed or drowned
Result English victory
Three English merchant ships escorted by the larger armed merchantman Centurion were attacked by five Spanish galleys off Gibraltar. The galleys were driven off, but not before one of them sank the English ship Dolphin.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the defence of the merchant convoy by the Centurion.
Sources differ This action and the 1590 action in the Strait are both dated 24 April and both name Pedro de Acuña as the Spanish commander.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom / Cornelis Vroom, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Angolpo Fleet battle
16 August 1592 (10 July 1592 in the lunar calendar) · Angolpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Yi Ŏkki, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Kuki Yoshitaka, Kato Yoshiaki (Japan)
Forces 56 Korean warships against 42 Japanese ships
Losses Japan: 20 ships. Korea: 19 dead and 114 wounded (figures shared with the Battle of Hansan Island)
Result Korean victory
After the Battle of Hansan Island, Admiral Yi's fleet attacked the Japanese ships at Angolpo. Across the two encounters about 100 Japanese ships were destroyed.
Why it is remembered With Hansan Island it halted Japanese naval operations along the southern coast of Korea.
Sources differ The main account places Angolpo on 16 August, two days after Hansan Island; the main account on Hansan Island dates both engagements to 15 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of the Barbary Coast Single-ship action
26 July 1592 · Off the Barbary Coast, Alborán Sea, near the Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Thomas White (England)
Forces The English merchant galleon Amity of London against a Spanish galleon and a flyboat
Ships Amity
Losses Spain: the galleon and the flyboat captured, 213 killed, wounded or captured. England: 15 killed or wounded
Result English victory
The English merchant galleon Amity of London under Thomas White fought two Spanish ships off the Barbary Coast in a hard action and captured both, one of them a galleon. The prizes were heavily laden with quicksilver and a large number of papal bulls bound for the West Indies.
Why it is remembered A single armed merchantman took two Spanish ships with valuable cargoes.
Sources differ One account says the English were outnumbered four to one; another account lists two Spanish ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); French Wars of Religion
Battle of the Bay of Biscay (1592) Convoy battle
November 1592 · Bay of Biscay
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain); English commander unknown
Forces 5 Spanish flyboats against an English convoy of 40 merchant ships supported by 6 warships
Losses England: the flagship boarded and burnt, 3 more ships captured and several badly damaged. Spain: 1 flyboat damaged
Result Spanish victory
Pedro de Zubiaur's five flyboats attacked an English convoy of 40 ships in the Bay of Biscay. The English flagship was boarded and burnt, throwing the convoy into confusion. Six English warships sent by Elizabeth I to Bordeaux to support the French Protestants then arrived and tried to defend the convoy, but after long and hard fighting three more English ships were taken.
Why it is remembered It was a heavy defeat for an English convoy at the hands of a much smaller Spanish force. Zubiaur defeated another English force in the same waters off Blaye the following April.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tom Bayly from England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Busan (1592) Raid
Also known as Battle of Pusanpo; Battle of Busan Bay; 부산포 해전 (Korean)
1st day of the 9th month, 1592 (Korean calendar) · Off Busan, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun, Yi Ŏkki, Chŏng Un (killed), Kwŏn Chun, Song Hŭirip, Kim Wan, Yi Yŏngnam, Eo Yeong-dam, Yi Ŏllyang (Korea); Wakisaka Yasuharu, Kuki Yoshitaka, Tōdō Takatora, Kato Yoshiaki (Japan)
Forces 166 Korean vessels (74 panokseon and 92 hyeopseon) against 470 Japanese vessels
Losses Korea: no ships lost, a few panokseon damaged, 6 killed including officer Chŏng Un and 25 wounded. Japan: 128 warships destroyed
Result Korean victory
Admiral Yi Sun-sin made a surprise attack on the Japanese fleet anchored at Busan, aiming to retake the port and cut the Japanese army's supply line. The Koreans bombarded the anchored ships, destroyed more than a hundred, and withdrew with few casualties.
Why it is remembered After it the Japanese lost control of the seas around Korea.
Sources differ One account says officer Chŏng Un and six soldiers died; another account gives 6 killed in all, including Chŏng Un. One account gives over 100 Japanese ships destroyed and another account 128 warships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Chobayashiura Other action
Also known as 장림포 해전, 長林浦海戰 (Korean)
1592 · Near the Yangsan river, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
It was the first engagement of the Joseon navy's fourth sortie of the Imjin War, which aimed to destroy the Japanese forces based at Busanpo. It was a small skirmish on the Yangsan river side.
Why it is remembered It opened the Korean sortie aimed at the Japanese forces based at Busanpo.
Sources differ The Korean account gives the fourth sortie as running from 24 August to 2 September; another account on the Battle of Hwajungumi gives 29 August to 2 September.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Danghangpo Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Danghangpo Harbour
12 July 1592 · Goseong or Jinhae, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Yi Ŏkki, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Kato Kiyomasa, Ikoma Kazumasa (Japan)
Forces 51 Korean warships against 26 Japanese ships (9 large, 4 medium, 13 small)
Losses Japan: all 26 ships. Korea: unknown
Result Korean victory
A Korean fleet of 51 warships under Yi Sun-sin, Yi Ŏkki and Wŏn Kyun attacked 26 Japanese ships at Danghangpo harbour and destroyed them all.
Why it is remembered It was one of the series of Korean naval victories of 1592 in the Imjin War.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Dangpo (1592) Fleet battle
Also known as 당포 해전 (Korean); 唐浦海戰 (Hanja)
10 July 1592 (2 June 1592 in the lunar calendar) · Dangpo, Tongyeong, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Kurushima Michiyuki, killed, Kamei Korenori (Japan)
Forces 26 Korean ships (Yi Sun-sin's 22 panokseon and 1 turtle ship, Wŏn Kyun's 4 panokseon) against 21 Japanese warships
Ships Turtle ship
Losses Japan: all 21 ships sunk. Korea: none
Result Korean victory
Yi Sun-sin and Wŏn Kyun attacked a Japanese squadron of 21 warships at Dangpo and sank every one without loss. The Japanese commander Kurushima Michiyuki was killed.
Why it is remembered It was one of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's victories over the Japanese in 1592, won without loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Flores (1592) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Cruising Voyage to the Azores of 1592; Capture of the Madre de Deus
20 May to 19 August 1592 · Off Flores Island, Azores
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Walter Raleigh, John Burgh, Earl of Cumberland, Martin Frobisher (England); André de Mendonça, Alonso de Bazán (Spain and Portugal)
Forces 9 English warships and 7 support ships against various Spanish and Portuguese ships
Ships Madre de Deus
Losses Spain and Portugal: 1 carrack captured, 1 carrack destroyed, 1 galleon captured, 3 other ships captured or burnt, 1,000 killed, wounded or captured. England: 120 killed or wounded, 3 ships sunk in a storm and an unknown number dead of disease
Result English victory
An English fleet first led by Sir Walter Raleigh, then by Martin Frobisher and John Burgh, cruised off the Azores and took a number of Portuguese and Spanish ships. The largest prize was the great Portuguese carrack Madre de Deus, captured after a long fight off Flores.
Why it is remembered The carrack's cargo was worth nearly half the English crown's annual revenue; much of it was stolen when she reached Dartmouth, and quarrels over shares followed. The voyage had lasting effects on English finance and exploration.
Sources differ One account dates the operations 20 May to 19 August 1592; another account gives 20 May to 13 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Heysham Overend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Hansan Island Fleet battle
Also known as 한산도 대첩 (Korean)
15 August 1592 · Off the eastern coast of Hansan Island, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Yi Ŏkki, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Wakizaka Yasuharu, Kuki Yoshitaka, Kato Yoshiaki (Japan)
Forces 56 Korean warships, including 3 turtle ships, against 36 large, 24 medium and 13 small Japanese vessels at Hansando and 42 ships at Angolpo
Ships Turtle ships
Losses Japan: about 100 ships. Korea: 19 dead and 114 wounded
Result Korean victory
Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fleet fought the Japanese at Hansan Island and then at Angolpo on the same day. In the two encounters the Koreans destroyed about 100 Japanese ships.
Why it is remembered It halted Japanese naval operations along the southern coast of Korea.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: War Memorial of Korea Open Archives, KOGL Type 1, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Happo Single-ship action
7 May 1592 · Happo harbour, Masan, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Japanese commander unknown
Forces Yi Sun-sin's 24 panokseon, 15 hyeopseon and 46 fishing boats with Wŏn Kyun's 4 panokseon and 2 small ships, against 5 large Japanese ships
Losses Japan: all 5 ships. Korea: none
Result Korean victory
After the Battle of Okpo, Admiral Yi intended to spend the night at sea, but at about 5 p.m. came a report of five large Japanese ships heading for Happo. His fleet pursued them, caught them near Happo and destroyed them in a small skirmish.
Why it is remembered It was Admiral Yi's second victory of the war. His campaigns of 1592 made him a legendary figure in Korean history and were vital in halting the Japanese invasion.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Hwajungumi Single-ship action
Also known as 화준구미 해전, 花樽龜尾海戰 (Korean)
1 September 1592 · On the approach to Busanpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
Losses Japan: 5 warships sunk
Result Korean victory
During Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fourth sortie, as his fleet approached Busanpo, it fought a small action with Japanese warships and sank five of them.
Why it is remembered It was one of the small actions fought as the Korean fleet approached Busanpo.
Sources differ The main account dates the fourth sortie 29 August to 2 September 1592; the main account on Jangnimpo gives 24 August to 2 September.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Jeokjinpo Fleet battle
8 May 1592 · Jeokjinpo harbour, Tongyeong, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Japanese commander unknown
Forces Yi Sun-sin's 24 panokseon, 15 hyeopseon and 46 fishing boats with Wŏn Kyun's 4 panokseon and 2 small ships, against 13 Japanese ships
Losses Japan: 11 ships. Korea: none
Result Korean victory
After the Battle of Happo, reports of 13 more Japanese ships sent Yi Sun-sin's fleet in pursuit towards Jinhae on the morning of 8 May. The Koreans caught them at Jeokjinpo and sank 11.
Why it is remembered It followed directly on the Battle of Happo, with Yi's fleet given little rest between the two.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Newport's 1592 expedition Raid
April to June 1592 · Hispaniola and the Bay of Honduras
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Christopher Newport (England); Lope de Vega Portocarrero (Spain)
Forces 4 English ships and 200 men against militia, local forces and shore defences
Losses Spain: 4 towns sacked and 19 ships captured, sunk or scuttled. England: light
Result English victory
Christopher Newport led a series of privateering attacks on the Spanish Main, mainly on Hispaniola, where the largest engagement was at the town of La Yaguana. He then raided settlements and shipping in the Bay of Honduras and sailed home without losing a ship.
Why it is remembered It was a successful English privateering raid on Spanish towns and shipping in the Caribbean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Okpo Raid
16 June 1592 (7 May 1592 in the lunisolar calendar) · Okpo Bay, Gyeongnam, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Toyotomi Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun, Eo Yeong-dam (Korea); Tōdō Takatora (Japan)
Forces 43 Korean warships, 2 small ships and 46 fishing boats against 50 Japanese transports
Losses Japan: 26 transports. Korea: 1 wounded
Result Korean victory
The fleet of Yi Sun-sin and Wŏn Kyun destroyed a group of anchored Japanese transports at Okpo. The next day they destroyed 18 more transports in nearby waters, then parted and returned to their home ports on news of the fall of Hanseong.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval battle of the Imjin War and Admiral Yi's first victory. It alarmed the Japanese, as Yi then began to attack their supply and transport ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Sacheon (1592) Fleet battle
8 July 1592 (29 May 1592 in the lunar calendar) · Sacheon, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, wounded, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Kurushima Michiyuki (Japan)
Forces 26 Korean warships (25 panokseon and 1 turtle ship) against 13 Japanese ships
Ships Turtle ship
Losses Japan: all 13 ships destroyed. Korea: Admiral Yi and Lieutenant Na Dae-yong wounded
Result Korean victory
In the first battle of his second campaign, Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fleet attacked Japanese ships at Sacheon and destroyed all thirteen.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle in which the turtle ship was used.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Yulpo Fleet battle
Also known as 율포 해전, 栗浦海戰 (Korean)
1592 · Yulpo bay, Geoje Island, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
The Korean and Japanese fleets fought in Yulpo bay on Geoje Island. It was the fourth battle of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's second campaign.
Why it is remembered It was one of the engagements of Admiral Yi's second campaign of 1592.
Sources Wikipedia (RU)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); French Wars of Religion
Battle of Blaye (1593) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Bec d'Ambès; Battle of the Gironde Estuary
18 April 1593 · Off Blaye and Bec d'Ambès, Gironde Estuary, France
Fought between Spain against England, supported by the France of Henry IV
Commanders Pedro de Zubiaur, Joanes de Villaviciosa (Spain); Admiral Wilkenson, killed, Vice Admiral Brailford, killed, Captain Limaille (England)
Forces First action: 4 Spanish pinnaces against 6 English galleons. In all: 16 Spanish flyboats and pinnaces against a French and English force variously given as 11 to 19 or 40 to 60 ships, including 6 galleasses
Losses English: 2 galleons sunk including the flagship, several ships damaged and 6 merchant ships captured. Spain: 2 ships burnt
Result Spanish victory
Blaye was under a seven month siege by the Protestant forces of Henry of Navarre, while its Catholic garrison under Governor Jean-Paul d'Esparbès de Lussan d'Aubeterre held out. A Spanish force under Pedro de Zubiaur fought the English ships supporting the besiegers off Blaye and Bec d'Ambès, sinking two galleons including the flagship and capturing six merchant ships.
Why it is remembered It was a Spanish naval victory in support of the Catholic garrison of Blaye during the French Wars of Religion.
Sources differ The size of the French and English force is given as 11 to 19 ships and as 40 to 60 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Guiguilacagouille, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Kumaura Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Ungpo; 熊浦海戦 (Japanese)
1593 · Ungpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
This was a naval battle of the Bunroku campaign of the Imjin War and the longest action commanded by Yi Sun-sin, lasting about one month and three days. It included Yi's first landing operation.
Why it is remembered It influenced the outcome of the Battle of Haengju. In Korea it is sometimes counted, with Happo and Angolpo, among the three great naval battles of Jinhae.
Sources Wikipedia (JA)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Action of Faial Blockade and raiding
Also known as Battle of Faial Island
22 to 23 June 1594 · Off Faial Island, Azores
Fought between England against Portugal and Spain
Commanders Earl of Cumberland (England); Francisco de Melo Canaveado (Portugal)
Forces 3 English galleons of 250 to 300 tons with 420 sailors against the 2,000 ton Portuguese carrack Cinco Chagas with 700 men
Ships Cinco Chagas
Losses Portugal: the carrack destroyed, 600 killed or wounded and 13 survivors captured. England: 60 killed or wounded, 35 of them killed in the explosion
Result English victory
An English privateer squadron attacked the richly laden Portuguese carrack Cinco Chagas off Faial after a long and bitter fight. The carrack blew up, and her treasure was lost to the English as well as to the Portuguese and Spanish.
Why it is remembered The Cinco Chagas was reputed to be one of the richest ships ever to sail from the Indies.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: José Luís Ávila Silveira/Pedro Noronha e Costa, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604) and French Wars of Religion
Siege of Fort Crozon Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of El Leon
1 October to 19 November 1594 · Crozon Peninsula near Brest, Brittany (present-day Pointe des Espagnols)
Fought between England and France against Spain
Commanders Jean VI d'Aumont (France); John Norreys and Martin Frobisher, killed (England); Tomé de Paredes, killed, and Juan del Águila (Spain)
Forces England: 3,000 troops, 10 ships and 1,200 sailors. France: 3,000 infantry, 300 cavalry and 400 knights. Spain: 400 in the fort and 4,000 in the relief force
Losses Anglo-French: 700 killed and wounded or dead of sickness. Spanish: of 400 in the fort, only 13 survived
Result Anglo-French victory
Spain had built a fort on the Crozon Peninsula near Brest as a base in Brittany. English and French troops, supported by an English squadron, besieged it in a land and sea engagement from 1 October 1594, and several assaults were repelled. A Spanish relief force under Juan del Águila was delayed by French cavalry and arrived too late. An English assault using a ruse ended the siege, and almost all the defenders were killed.
Why it is remembered The loss denied Spain a large independent base and port in Brittany, and with Spain's support from the Catholic League gone, Henry IV was able to declare war on Spain. Martin Frobisher is listed among those killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Jangmunpo Fleet battle
Also known as 장문포 해전, 長門浦海戰 (Korean)
12 November to 29 December 1594 (1 October to 18 November in the lunar calendar) · Jangmunpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
A naval battle was fought at Jangmunpo between 12 November and 29 December 1594.
Why it is remembered It was the last battle before the Jeongyu War.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · French Wars of Religion; Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Siege of Morlaix (1594) Landing or siege
6 to 17 September 1594 · Morlaix, Brittany, France
Fought between French Royal army and England against Spain and the Catholic League
Commanders Marshal d'Aumont, John Norreys, Martin Frobisher (French Royal and English); Juan del Águila, Duke of Mercœur (Spain and the League)
Forces 5,000 men, 2,000 of them English, and 6 English ships against an unknown garrison
Losses Spain and the League: the garrison surrendered. Royal and English: low
Result Anglo-French Royal victory
The French Royal army under Marshal d'Aumont, with an English contingent under Sir John Norreys, besieged Morlaix, held by Spanish and Catholic League forces. Relief attempts by Spanish troops under Juan del Águila and by Leaguers under the Duke of Mercœur were turned back by Norreys. When an English fleet under Martin Frobisher arrived, the garrison quickly surrendered.
Why it is remembered The arrival of Frobisher's ships brought about the surrender of the town.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Action of San Mateo Bay Single-ship action
Also known as Action of Atacames Bay; Combate de Atacames (Spanish)
29 June to 1 July 1594 · Mouth of the Esmeraldas river, Ecuador
Fought between Spain against an English privateer
Commanders Beltrán de Castro (Spain); Richard Hawkins, captured (England)
Forces The English galleon Dainty and a captured pinnace against a Spanish galleon and a galley-zabra
Ships Dainty
Losses England: the Dainty captured, the pinnace retaken, 27 killed, 17 wounded and 93 captured. Spain: 28 dead and 22 wounded
Result Spanish victory
The English privateer Richard Hawkins in the galleon Dainty fought a Spanish squadron under Beltrán de Castro at the mouth of the Esmeraldas river over three days. The Dainty was taken and Hawkins was made prisoner.
Why it is remembered It ended with the capture of the English privateer Richard Hawkins and his ship.
Sources differ One account describes the Spanish squadron as three galleons; another account gives one galleon and one galley-zabra, and the Spanish account one galleon.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Second Battle of Danghangpo Fleet battle
Also known as 제2차 당항포 해전 (Korean)
23 April 1594 (4 March in the lunar calendar) · Danghangpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, with Eo Yeong-dam in command (Korea)
Forces Combined fleets of the Jeolla Left, Jeolla Right and Gyeongsang Right navies
Yi Sun-sin, Naval Commander of the Three Provinces, sent a combined fleet under his subordinate Eo Yeong-dam to drive the Japanese from the area around Danghangpo.
Why it is remembered It was the sixth combined fleet sortie and Yi Sun-sin's twelfth naval battle.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Action of 17 June 1595 Fleet battle
17 June 1595 · Off Longina, 10 miles south of Syracuse, Sicily
Fought between Ottoman Empire (Bizerte) against the Order of Saint John
Commanders Murat Reis the Elder (Ottoman); Claramonte and Seracourt, both wounded (Order of Saint John)
Forces 3 Ottoman galleys against 5 Maltese galleys
Losses Order of Saint John: heavy. Ottoman: unknown
Result Ottoman victory
Galleys of the Order of Saint John from Malta fought galleys from Bizerte, then part of the Ottoman Empire, south of Syracuse. The smaller Ottoman force under Murat Reis the Elder won, and both Maltese commanders were wounded.
Why it is remembered A smaller Ottoman squadron defeated a larger force of the Knights of Malta.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of Guadalupe Island (1595) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Guadalupe
8 November 1595 · Off Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Pedro Tello de Guzmán, Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio (Spain); Francis Drake's expedition (England)
Forces 5 Spanish frigates against 9 English ships, the rear of Drake's fleet
Ships Francis
Losses England: 1 ship captured, 45 killed and 25 captured. Spain: light
Result Spanish victory
Five Spanish frigates under Pedro Tello de Guzmán met nine ships at the rear of Drake's fleet off Guadeloupe. The English ship Francis was captured and the others fled. Learning Drake's plans, the Spanish reached San Juan ahead of him on 13 November and reinforced it with 500 soldiers and supplies.
Why it is remembered The warning and reinforcements it brought to San Juan led to Drake's defeat there on 22 November.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Las Palmas Landing or siege
October 1595 · Off Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Alonso Alvarado, Antonio Pamochamoso (Spain); Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Thomas Baskerville (England)
Forces 6 royal galleons, 21 men of war, 14 pinnaces and 2 flatboats against Spanish coastal forts and batteries
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result Spanish victory
The English fleet of Drake, Hawkins and Baskerville, bound for Puerto Rico, turned aside to Gran Canaria hoping for an easy victory and fresh supplies. It failed against the island's defences and withdrew towards the Spanish Caribbean.
Why it is remembered It was a failure for the expedition of Drake and Hawkins, in the course of which Drake later died of dysentery at Mosquito Gulf.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of San Juan (1595) Landing or siege
22 November 1595 · San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Pedro Tello de Guzmán, Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio, Sancho Pardo Donlebún, Governor Pedro Suárez Coronel (Spain); Francis Drake, John Hawkins (England)
Forces 5 Spanish frigates, 700 soldiers, 800 sailors and 70 shore guns against 25 or 27 English ships with 2,500 men
Losses Spain: 1 frigate burnt and 40 killed. England: 8 to 10 ships sunk and 400 killed
Result Spanish victory
Drake and Hawkins tried to take San Juan, Puerto Rico. They could not land at the Ensenada del Escambrón on the east end of San Juan Islet, and then tried to sail into San Juan Bay to sack the city, against frigates placed to cover the bay entrance and prepared shore batteries. They failed, and after Hawkins's death Drake abandoned San Juan.
Why it is remembered It was one of a series of defeats in Drake's last campaign. He sailed on to Panama, where he died of disease and was buried at sea.
Sources differ One account gives 27 English ships; another account 25.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carlo Giovannetti (Thief12), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); Eighty Years' War
Capture of Cádiz (1596) Raid
30 June to 15 July 1596 · Bay of Cádiz and Faro
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Charles Howard, Robert Devereux, Jacob van Duivenvoorde, Walter Raleigh, Francis Vere (England and Dutch Republic); Alonso Pérez, Alonso de Bazán (Spain)
Forces 150 Anglo-Dutch ships and 14,000 men against 40 Spanish ships and 5,000 men
Losses Spain: 32 ships scuttled or sunk, including the treasure fleet burnt by the Spanish themselves; the city sacked and burnt. The main account also lists 3 galleons sunk or burnt, 2 other ships sunk, 5 other ships captured and about 2,000 killed
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
A large Anglo-Dutch fleet under Charles Howard, with troops under the Earl of Essex, raided Cádiz and met little resistance because of poor Spanish command. To deny the raiders their prize the Spanish set fire to the treasure fleet in the bay. The attackers landed, took, sacked and burnt the city, and carried prominent citizens back to England as hostages for ransom.
Why it is remembered It was one of the principal English victories of the war. Although it failed to seize the treasure fleet's silver, it contributed to Spain's bankruptcy the following year and provoked the Spanish armadas of 1596 and 1597.
Sources differ One account places the figures of 3 galleons sunk or burnt, 2 other ships sunk, 5 captured and about 2,000 killed under the Anglo-Dutch side; another account does not say which side suffered them.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Drake's Assault on Panama Landing or siege
Also known as Defence of Panama
6 to 20 January 1596 · Nombre de Dios and the Isthmus of Panama, Spanish Main
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Francis Drake (died of dysentery), Thomas Baskerville (England); Alonso de Sotomayor, Juan Enríquez Conabut (Spain)
Forces English: 15 ships and 600 soldiers and sailors. Spanish: shore defences and 200 soldiers and militia.
Losses English: heavy, many to disease; 2 ships scuttled. Spanish: unknown.
Result Spanish victory
An English expedition under Drake and Baskerville landed at Nombre de Dios on the Spanish Main intending to cross the isthmus to Panama. Weakened by dysentery and other diseases, the English were repelled and defeated, and the expedition retreated towards England, harassed by the Spanish.
Why it is remembered Drake died of dysentery off Portobelo during the expedition; his burial at sea off Panama was painted by Thomas Davidson.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Davidson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Pinos Fleet battle
11 March 1596 · Off the Isla de Pinos (now Isla de la Juventud), Cuba
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Bernardino Delgadillo y Avellaneda (Spain); Thomas Baskerville (England)
Forces 13 Spanish galleons against 14 English warships
Losses England: 1 galleon and 1 patache captured, 325 killed or captured. Spain: 1 ship sunk and 80 killed or wounded
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Admiral Bernardino Delgadillo y Avellaneda caught the surviving ships of Drake's expedition, now under Sir Thomas Baskerville, off the Isla de Pinos. The Spanish captured two English ships.
Why it is remembered The surviving ships of Drake's expedition, now under Baskerville, lost two more ships to the Spanish.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Chilcheollyang Fleet battle
Night of 28 August 1597 · Chilcheollyang, near Geoje, Korea
Fought between Japan against Joseon Korea
Commanders Tōdō Takatora, Katō Yoshiaki, Wakisaka Yasuharu, Konishi Yukinaga, Shimazu Yoshihiro, Kuki Yoshitaka (Japan); Wŏn Kyun, Ch'oe Ho and Yi Ŏkki, all killed, Pae Sŏl, Pae Hŭngnip (Korea)
Forces 500 to 1,000 Japanese ships with about 140,000 men against up to 200 Korean ships
Losses Korea: 188 ships destroyed; Wŏn Kyun, Ch'oe Ho and Yi Ŏkki killed. Japan: minimal
Result Japanese victory
In a night action off Geoje the Japanese fleet decisively defeated the Joseon navy under Wŏn Kyun and destroyed nearly the whole Korean fleet. Only 13 Korean ships remained afterwards.
Why it is remembered It destroyed nearly the whole Joseon navy and left Yi Sun-sin with only 13 ships for the Battle of Myeongnyang.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Eoranpo Fleet battle
Also known as 어란포 해전, 於蘭浦海戰 (Korean)
8 October 1597 (28 August in the lunar calendar) · Eoranpo, now Eoran-ri, Songji-myeon, Haenam County, South Jeolla, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
Admiral Yi Sun-sin fought the Japanese at Eoranpo in his first battle after returning to command.
Why it is remembered It was Yi Sun-sin's first battle after his return as Naval Commander of the Three Provinces.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Hekihazu Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Byeokpajin; 벽파진 해전, 碧波津海戰 (Korean)
16 October 1597 (7 September in the lunar calendar) · Byeokpajin, Gogun-myeon, Jindo County, South Jeolla, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
Forces 13 Japanese escort ships, from a force of 55 moving west, against Yi Sun-sin's fleet of 13 ships
Result Korean victory
After the Battle of Eoranpo, 13 escort ships from a westbound Japanese force of 55 appeared at Byeokpajin. At midnight Yi Sun-sin, leading from the front, drove them off.
Why it is remembered It was Yi's second battle after his return as Naval Commander of the Three Provinces. It confirmed to the Japanese that the Korean navy had only 13 ships and that Yi was back, and it formed part of Yi's plan to draw the Japanese towards the Myeongnyang Strait.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604) and Eighty Years' War
Islands Voyage Other action
Also known as Essex-Raleigh Expedition
June to August 1597 · Plymouth, the Bay of Biscay, Ferrol and the Azores
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, Thomas Howard and Walter Raleigh (England); Jacob Duivenvoorde (Dutch Republic); Martín de Padilla, Alonso de Bazán and Juan Gutiérrez de Garibay (Spain)
Forces Anglo-Dutch: 120 to 150 ships and 17,000 to 20,000 men, including 6,000 soldiers
Ships Garland, Moon
Losses Described only as high on the Anglo-Dutch side and low on the Spanish side
Result Spanish victory; the expedition failed
Elizabeth I sent the fleet to destroy Martín de Padilla's fleet at Ferrol, to seize and destroy Spanish possessions in the Azores and to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet as it passed the islands. Essex failed to occupy the Azores and failed to take the silver of the treasure fleet under Juan Gutiérrez de Garibay, and the fleet returned to England with great losses.
Why it is remembered It was Elizabeth I's last major naval campaign. Recriminations between Essex and Raleigh followed, and the failure contributed to Essex's loss of the queen's favour.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Myeongnyang Fleet battle
26 October 1597 (16 September in the Chinese and 13 September in the Korean lunisolar calendar) · Myeongnyang Strait, near Jindo Island, south west Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Kim Ŏkch'u, Kim Ŭngham, An Wi, Song Yŏchong, Pae Hŭngnip (Korea); Tōdō Takatora (wounded), Katō Yoshiaki, Kurushima Michifusa (killed), Wakizaka Yasuharu, Mōri Takamasa, Kan Michinaga, Kuki Yoshitaka (Japan)
Forces 13 Korean warships, with 32 scouting ships that probably did not fight, against 133 to 330 Japanese warships
Losses Japan: 31 warships sunk or crippled; Kurushima Michifusa killed and Tōdō Takatora wounded. Korea: no ships lost; at least 2 killed and 3 wounded aboard Yi's flagship and at least 8 drowned from An Wi's ship
Result Korean victory
After Wŏn Kyun's defeat at Chilcheollyang left only 13 ships, Admiral Yi Sun-sin held the Myeongnyang Strait against a Japanese fleet sailing to support the army's advance on the capital, Hanyang. Outnumbered at least ten to one, the Koreans sank or crippled 31 Japanese warships. Still outnumbered afterwards, Yi withdrew to the Yellow Sea to resupply.
Why it is remembered It was a last stand that ended in a humiliating defeat for the Japanese navy against a tiny Korean fleet.
Sources differ Korean sources say 120 to 133 Japanese ships fought, with up to 330 in all. Japanese losses are given as 31 ships rammed open, more than 30 destroyed (Hawley), about 30 destroyed (Lewis), half of the elders (Tōdō clan memoirs) and half of the Japanese (a prisoner's testimony).
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Third Spanish Armada Landing or siege
Also known as Spanish Armada of 1597
18 October to 15 November 1597 · English Channel, off Cornwall and Wales
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Martín de Padilla, Juan del Águila, Diego Brochero, Carlos de Amésquita, Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain); Charles Howard, Robert Devereux, Walter Raleigh, Charles Blount, Ferdinando Gorges (England)
Forces 140 Spanish ships (44 galleons, 16 merchant galleons, 52 hulks, 24 small craft) with 9,634 soldiers and 4,000 sailors, against 12 English ships rising to 120 and 500 troops rising to 8,000
Losses Spain: 6 ships and 400 men captured; 22 ships sunk or destroyed and 1,000 dead in storms; in all 28 ships and 1,500 killed or captured. England: 1 bark sunk
Result English victory
Philip II sent a third armada to take Falmouth or Milford Haven as a base for invasion and to intercept Essex's fleet returning from the Azores. Off the Lizard a storm scattered it, though some ships pressed on and landed troops on the English and Welsh coasts. Martín de Padilla ordered a retreat, and returning English ships and later a fleet under Charles Howard captured a number of stragglers.
Why it is remembered It was the last armada sent by Philip II before his death. The scare, with the English coast left almost undefended, damaged relations between Elizabeth I and Essex, and Howard replaced Essex in command of the fleet.
Sources differ One account gives 14,000 soldiers and sailors; another account gives 13,000 to 14,000 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Jeolido Fleet battle
Also known as 折爾島海戦 (Japanese); 절이도 해전 (Korean)
1598 · Jeolido, identified with present Goheung County, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea); Tōdō Takatora, Katō Yoshiaki (Japan)
After the Battle of Myeongnyang, Yi Sun-sin rebuilt the Joseon fleet and fought the Japanese navy under Tōdō Takatora and Katō Yoshiaki near Jeolido.
Why it is remembered It was fought by the Korean fleet that Yi Sun-sin rebuilt after Myeongnyang.
Sources Wikipedia (JA)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Noryang Fleet battle
16 December 1598 (19th day of the 11th month in the lunar calendar) · Noryang Strait, off Namhae Island, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea and Ming China against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (killed), Yi Yeong-nam (killed), Chen Lin, Chen Kan, Deng Zilong (killed) (Korea and Ming); Shimazu Yoshihiro, Tachibana Muneshige, Wakizaka Yasuharu, So Yoshitoshi, Konishi Yukinaga and others (Japan)
Forces About 150 allied ships (85 Joseon warships and 65 Ming warships, including 2 panokseon, 6 large junks and 57 small junks) against 300 Japanese ships, or 500 by Korean sources
Losses Japan: 200 ships sunk and 100 captured, 13,000 killed, 500 beheaded and more than 100 captured. Allies: 500 soldiers and sailors and 1 panokseon crippled
Result Joseon and Ming victory
In the early morning the combined Joseon and Ming fleet under Yi Sun-sin and Chen Lin attacked Shimazu Yoshihiro's fleet, which was trying to link up with Konishi Yukinaga, and destroyed or captured more than half of it. The battered survivors returned to Busan and a few days later left for Japan. At the height of the battle Yi Sun-sin was hit by an arquebus bullet and died soon afterwards.
Why it is remembered It was the last major battle of the Japanese invasions of Korea and ended the Imjin War. Yi Sun-sin and Chen Lin were celebrated as national heroes, and the battle is shown in the scroll Jeongwae Gigong Dogwon.
Sources differ The Japanese fleet is given as 300 ships, or 500 in Korean sources. The allied fleet is given as about 150 ships and as 148.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Japanese invasions of Korea (1592 to 1598)
Siege of Suncheon Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of the Japanese fortress
20 September to 2 November 1598 · Suncheon Japanese Castle and Jang Island, southern coast of Korea
Fought between Joseon and Ming China against Japan
Commanders Liu Ting, Chen Lin (Ming); Gwon Yul, Yi Sun-sin (Joseon); Konishi Yukinaga (Japan)
Forces Allied: 13,600 Ming and 10,000 Joseon troops and naval forces of 20,000 men. Japanese: 15,000 men and about 500 ships in the harbour.
Losses Ming: more than 800 casualties; 30 to 39 Chinese ships ran aground on 1 November and five were captured. Japanese: unknown.
Result Japanese victory; the siege was lifted
The combined fleets of Yi Sun-sin and Chen Lin seized Jang Island and surrounded Suncheon while the Ming army attacked from the land. Attempts to land were driven back by Japanese gunfire, and a joint land and sea attack on 31 October failed. On the night of 1 November the fleet bombarded the fortress at close range on the rising tide, but 30 to 39 Chinese ships ran aground when it turned and the Japanese captured five before Yi's ships drove them off. Liu Ting retreated and the siege was lifted on 2 November.
Why it is remembered It came late in the Japanese invasions of Korea; Konishi's garrison held out with its ships ready for evacuation.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: war correspondent artist of Ming assistant force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Bantam Fleet battle
27 December 1601 · Bantam Bay (now Banten Bay), Java, Indonesia
Fought between Dutch Republic against Portugal
Commanders Wolfert Harmensz (Dutch); André Furtado de Mendonça (Portugal)
Forces 5 Dutch ships against 8 Portuguese galleons and several fustas
Losses Portugal: 3 fustas captured. Dutch: none
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch exploration fleet of five ships under Wolfert Harmensz met a Portuguese fleet sent from Goa under André Furtado de Mendonça to restore Portuguese authority. The outnumbered Dutch forced the Portuguese to withdraw and took three fustas as prizes.
Why it is remembered A small Dutch fleet turned back a Portuguese force sent to reassert control in the Indonesian archipelago.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Nine Years' War; Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Castlehaven Fleet battle
6 December 1601 · Bay off Castlehaven, County Cork, Ireland
Fought between England against Spain and the Irish alliance
Commanders Richard Leveson (England); Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain)
Forces 4 English warships and 2 merchantmen against 6 Spanish ships supported by shore batteries, a castle and 600 Spanish and Irish foot soldiers
Losses Spain: 2 ships sunk and 4 driven ashore, 200 killed or wounded and 50 captured. England: 150 casualties and no ships lost
Result English victory
During the Fourth Spanish Armada an English squadron under Admiral Richard Leveson attacked a Spanish convoy of six ships under Pedro de Zubiaur in the bay off Castlehaven, protected by fortifications ashore. The Spanish ships were sunk, captured or run aground, and the English lost none.
Why it is remembered The defeat left Zubiaur's force stranded at Castlehaven and unable to help the Spanish besieged at Kinsale.
Sources differ One account says five of the six Spanish ships were sunk, captured or run aground; another account gives 2 sunk and 4 driven ashore.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War; Nine Years' War
Fourth Spanish Armada Landing or siege
Also known as Last Armada
August 1601 to 13 March 1602 · South western Ireland: Kinsale, Castlehaven and Baltimore
Fought between Spain and Gaelic Ireland against England
Commanders Juan del Águila (surrendered), Diego Brochero, Pedro de Zubiaur, Alonso de Ocampo, Pedro López de Soto, Hugh O'Neill, Hugh Roe O'Donnell (Spain and Ireland); Charles Blount, George Carew, Richard Leveson, Amyas Preston, Donogh O'Brien (England)
Forces 36 Spanish warships, 4,432 soldiers and 2,000 sailors, with 7,600 Irish; against 12,000 English soldiers and sailors, 6 galleons and 6 armed merchantmen
Losses Spain: 1,500 killed, wounded or sick, 3,700 surrendered and 8 ships captured, sunk or scuttled. Ireland: 1,200 killed, many executed. England: about 200 killed or wounded and 6,000 deserted, sick or dead of disease
Result English victory
Philip III sent an armada of 36 ships and 4,500 soldiers to help Hugh O'Neill's rebellion. Storms scattered it, but 1,800 men under Juan del Águila landed at Kinsale on 22 September, and Pedro de Zubiaur landed 700 more at Castlehaven in December. The English besieged Kinsale, Richard Leveson's small fleet blockaded it and then defeated Zubiaur's ships at Castlehaven, and after the Irish army was beaten outside Kinsale on 24 December Águila surrendered in January 1602.
Why it is remembered It was the last Spanish armada and the last major campaign against the British Isles in the war. The defeat weakened Spanish resolve and led towards the Treaty of London of 1604.
Sources differ One account gives 4,500 soldiers; another account 4,432.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1602) Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla del Cabo San Vicente (Spanish)
1602 · Off Cape St. Vincent
Fought between Spain against English privateers
Forces The Spanish Indies fleet, carrying a very large cargo of gold, against two English privateer squadrons
Result Spanish success: the English withdrew after being beaten off
Two English privateer squadrons attacked the Spanish Indies fleet, which was carrying a great quantity of gold. They were beaten off and withdrew.
Why it is remembered The Spanish Indies fleet beat off the attack with its cargo of gold aboard.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War; Eighty Years' War
Battle of the Narrow Seas Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Goodwin Sands; Battle of the Dover Straits
3 to 4 October 1602 · Strait of Dover, from off the English coast to off the Spanish Netherlands
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Robert Mansell, Jan Adriaanszoon Cant (England and Dutch Republic); Federico Spinola (Spain)
Forces 9 English and Dutch galleons, carracks and galiots against 6 Spanish galleys
Losses Spain: 1 galley destroyed, 2 sunk and 2,000 killed, wounded or captured. England and Dutch: unknown
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
An English fleet under Sir Robert Mansell intercepted six Spanish galleys under Federico Spinola in the Dover Straits. The fight began off the English coast and ended off the Spanish Netherlands, where a Dutch squadron under Jan Adriaanszoon Cant joined in and completed the destruction.
Why it is remembered The Spanish galley squadron was destroyed in the Channel. Andries van Eertvelt painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andries van Eertvelt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of Sesimbra Bay Fleet battle
3 June 1602 · Sesimbra Bay, Portugal
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Richard Leveson, William Monson (England); Álvaro de Bazán, Federico Spinola (Spain)
Forces 5 English galleons against 11 galleys, 1 large carrack and a fort
Losses Spain and Portugal: 2 galleys sunk, the carrack captured and 800 killed or wounded. England: 12 killed and 30 wounded
Result English victory
An English force sent by Elizabeth I to prevent further Spanish attacks on Ireland or England found a fleet of galleys and a large carrack in Sesimbra Bay. The English sank two galleys, drove off the rest, silenced the fort and captured the carrack.
Why it is remembered It was the last expedition sent against Spain on Elizabeth I's orders before her death. Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom made an illustration of the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrik Hondius I, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Changi (1603) Fleet battle
10 October 1603 · Johor River, near Changi
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Jacob Pietersz van Enkhuysen (Dutch); Teixeira de Macedo (Portugal)
Forces 4 Dutch ships against 40 Portuguese vessels
Losses Dutch: 5 to 6 dead and several wounded. Portuguese: many soldiers, and damage to the fleet
Result Dutch victory
Four Dutch ships fought a Portuguese fleet of 40 vessels near Changi. They damaged the Portuguese flagship so badly that she took on water and inflicted many casualties, and the other Portuguese ships withdrew.
Why it is remembered It demonstrated Dutch strength and determination to challenge Portuguese dominance in South East Asia.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Sluis (1603) Fleet battle
26 May 1603 · Off Sluis, Netherlands
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Joos de Moor (Dutch); Federico Spinola, killed (Spain)
Forces Dutch: 3 men of war, 2 galleys and several smaller vessels (Spanish source), or 2 galleys and 2 smaller vessels (Dutch source). Spain: 8 galleys and 1,130 soldiers (Spanish source), or 8 galleys and 4 smaller vessels (Dutch source)
Losses Dutch: 50 killed or wounded (Dutch source) or 720 killed and a man of war sunk (Spanish source). Spain: 800 killed or wounded (Dutch source) or 414 killed (Spanish source)
Result Dutch victory
A Spanish galley squadron under Federico Spinola tried to break the Dutch blockade of Sluis held by ships under Joos de Moor. After about two hours of fighting the badly damaged Spanish ships returned to Sluis. Spinola was killed.
Why it is remembered Federico Spinola, who had also fought at Sesimbra Bay and in the Narrow Seas, was killed. Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom painted the battle.
Sources differ Dutch and Spanish sources give different strengths and losses, as set out above.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Dangpo (1604) Single-ship action
Also known as Dangpo incident; Second Battle of Dangpo
4 to 5 June or 14 June 1604 · Off Dangpo, Tongyeong, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against a Japanese Red Seal ship of the Tokugawa shogunate
Commanders Shin Yeo-ryang and 28 other commanders (Korea)
Forces 25 Korean warships (panokseon and hahoseon) and 15 smaller ships with 233 soldiers, against 1 Red Seal ship with 49 crew
Losses Red Seal ship: most of the crew killed or captured. Korea: unknown
Result Korean victory
The Korean navy attacked a Japanese Red Seal ship off Dangpo. Most of her 49 crew were killed or captured.
Why it is remembered A painting of the battle made in 1604 survives.
Sources differ The date is given as 4 to 5 June or 14 June 1604.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of the Gulf of Cádiz (1604) Single-ship action
7 August 1604 · Gulf of Cádiz
Fought between Spain against English corsairs in Barbary service
Commanders Antonio de Oquendo (Spain)
Forces 2 Spanish galleons against 1 galleon and 1 fusta
Losses Corsairs: 1 galleon captured, 1 fusta damaged and 100 dead and wounded. Spain: 1 galleon damaged
Result Spanish victory
Two Spanish galleons under Antonio de Oquendo engaged two English corsairs serving the Barbary States, who had been plundering shipping and villages from Galicia to the Gulf of Cádiz. One English ship was captured and the other damaged.
Why it is remembered It was fought days before the Treaty of London ended the war between England and Spain. A monument to Oquendo stands in San Sebastián.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of the Channel (1605) Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of the English Channel
July 1605 · English Channel
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Willem de Zoete (Dutch); Pedro de Zubiaur, died of wounds (Spain)
Forces 80 Dutch ships against 12 Spanish galleons and 2 frigates carrying a tercio under Pedro de Sarmiento
Losses Spain: 2 galleons sunk and 400 dead, and many troops captured. Dutch: several ships sunk
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet under Willem de Zoete tried to intercept and destroy a Spanish transport fleet under Pedro de Zubiaur carrying a tercio to the Low Countries. Zubiaur broke through with a few ships and took refuge in Dover, but many of the troops were captured by the Dutch or died in England. The rest reached Dunkirk in English ships.
Why it is remembered It was Zubiaur's last action; he died of his wounds at Dover.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Cape Rachado Fleet battle
16 to 18 August 1606 · Off Cape Rachado, near Portuguese Malacca
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Dutch East India Company (VOC)
Commanders Martim de Castro (Portugal); Cornelis de Jonge (VOC)
Forces 20 Portuguese ships against 11 VOC ships
Losses Portugal: 2 ships lost and 500 dead. VOC: 2 ships lost and 150 dead
Result Portuguese victory
A VOC fleet of 11 ships fought a Portuguese fleet of 20 off Cape Rachado. The Portuguese won, but both sides lost two ships and the Portuguese suffered heavier casualties.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval battle in the Malay Archipelago between the two powers. The ferocity of the fight convinced the Sultanate of Johor to support the Dutch, an alliance that ended with the fall of Portuguese Malacca in 1641.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Anoniem / Anonymous (engraver / etcher), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War; Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1606) Fleet battle
16 June or 6 October 1606 · Off Cape St. Vincent
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Luis Fajardo (Spain); Willem Haultain, Regnier Klaazoon, killed (Dutch)
Forces 20, or more than 26, Spanish ships against 14 or 24 Dutch ships
Losses Dutch: Klaazoon's flagship destroyed, 2 ships captured and unknown casualties. Spain: none or very light
Result Spanish victory
A Dutch fleet was blockading the Spanish and Portuguese coast to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet when a Spanish fleet under Luis Fajardo attacked it. Vice Admiral Regnier Klaazoon's flagship was destroyed and two ships were captured, and the rest of the fleet returned home without achieving its aim.
Why it is remembered The Dutch fleet went home without intercepting the treasure fleet. An anonymous painting of the fight is in the Naval Museum of Madrid.
Sources differ The date is given as 16 June or 6 October 1606. One account names the Dutch admiral as Willem Haultain; another account gives Willem de Zoete. Strengths are given as 20 or more than 26 Spanish ships and 14 or 24 Dutch ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Pulo Buton (1606) Fleet battle
13 to 16 December 1606 · Pulo Buton
Fought between Portugal against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Álvaro de Menezes (Portugal); Cornelis Matelief de Jonge (VOC)
Forces 7 Portuguese galleons against 9 Dutch ships
Ships Erasmus
Losses Both sides: heavy. The Dutch ship Erasmus was badly damaged
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet under Álvaro de Menezes fought a Dutch force under Cornelis Matelief at Pulo Buton over four days. Both sides suffered heavily and the Portuguese were judged the victors.
Why it is remembered It followed Cape Rachado as a second clash between Matelief's fleet and the Portuguese in 1606.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Gibraltar (1607) Fleet battle
25 April 1607 · Bay of Gibraltar
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Jacob van Heemskerk, killed (Dutch); Juan Álvarez de Avilés, killed (Spain)
Forces 26 Dutch warships against 10 Spanish galleons and about 12 smaller warships
Losses Spain: 5 to 10 galleons and 9 to 12 smaller warships lost, 350 to 4,000 killed. Dutch: 100 killed and 60 wounded
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet under Jacob van Heemskerk surprised a Spanish fleet at anchor in the Bay of Gibraltar. In four hours of fighting most of the Spanish ships were destroyed, and both commanders were killed.
Why it is remembered It led towards the Twelve Years' Truce. Cornelis van Wieringen painted the battle.
Sources differ Spanish losses are given as 5 to 10 galleons, 9 to 12 smaller warships and anywhere from 350 to 4,000 killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Cape Celidonio (1608) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Celidonio (French)
20 October 1608 · Eastern Mediterranean between Cape Celidonio and Cyprus, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Antalya
Fought between Grand Duchy of Tuscany against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Guillaume de Gadagne de Beauregard (Tuscany)
Forces 4 Tuscan sailing ships and 3 galleys against 42 Ottoman transports and escorts
Losses Ottoman: the flagship galley sunk and 9 transports captured. Tuscany: unknown
Result Tuscan victory
A Tuscan squadron under Guillaume de Gadagne de Beauregard attacked an Ottoman convoy of 42 transports and escorts off Cape Celidonio. The Ottoman flagship galley was sunk and nine transports were taken.
Why it is remembered A small Tuscan squadron broke up a large Ottoman convoy.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Alexander Keith Johnston, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on La Goulette (1609) Raid
Also known as Action of 29 June 1609
30 July to 4 August 1609 · La Goulette (Halq al-Wadi), Ottoman Tunisia
Fought between Spain and France against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Luis Fajardo, Juan Fajardo, Philippe de Beaulieu-Persac (Spain and France); Uthman Dey, Jack Ward, Francis Verney, Richard Bishop (Tunis)
Forces 8 galleons, 2 carracks, 1 caravel, 1 frigate and some pataches against 22 armed ships, 1 galiot and 20,000 soldiers ashore
Losses Tunis: 21 vessels destroyed, 2 captured and over 780 dead. Spain and France: 3 dead and 40 wounded
Result Spanish and French victory
A Spanish fleet under Luis Fajardo, with one French ship, attacked La Goulette, the main port of Ottoman Tunisia, after Tunis corsairs planned to raid the Spanish treasure fleet. The corsair fleet in the port, which included the English renegades Jack Ward and Francis Verney, was destroyed.
Why it is remembered It was hailed as the heaviest blow to the corsairs since Lepanto, and it was the first early modern naval operation in the Mediterranean carried out entirely with sailing ships, without galleys. Its success was an early sign that the galley was becoming obsolete.
Sources differ The Wikidata label dates the action 29 June 1609; the main account gives 30 July to 4 August 1609.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Paphos (1609) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Karacehennem
July 1609 · Off Paphos, Cyprus
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Christian corsairs of the Order of Saint John
Commanders Damat Halil Pasha, Murat Reis the Elder, killed (Ottoman); Fressinet, killed (Order of Saint John)
Forces 50 Ottoman galleys against 1 galleon and 3 to 9 galleys
Ships Karacehennem
Losses Christian side: the galleon and 2 to 5 galleys captured. Ottoman: heavy
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman fleet under Kapudan-ı Derya Halil Pasha fought a squadron of heavily armed Christian corsair ships off Paphos. The Ottomans won decisively and captured a huge galleon of 90 guns, which they called Karacehennem (Black Inferno), with about 500 men and 200 muskets aboard.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the capture of the great galleon Karacehennem.
Sources differ One account speaks of a squadron of corsair galleons; another account gives one galleon and 3 to 9 galleys. Galleys captured are given as 2 to 5.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Japanese-Portuguese conflicts
Nossa Senhora da Graça incident Single-ship action
Also known as Madre de Deus incident
3 to 6 January 1610 · Nagasaki Bay, Kyushu
Fought between Arima clan (Tokugawa shogunate) against Portugal
Commanders Arima Harunobu (Japan); André Pessoa, killed (Portugal)
Forces At least 33 Japanese vessels with about 3,000 samurai against 1 Portuguese carrack with about 40 men on deck
Ships Nossa Senhora da Graça
Losses Portugal: the carrack sunk and almost all aboard lost. Japan: several hundred
Result Japanese victory
Junks of the Arima clan carrying samurai attacked the richly laden Portuguese carrack Nossa Senhora da Graça near Nagasaki, and the fight lasted four days. As the samurai overran the ship her captain, André Pessoa, set fire to the powder store and she sank.
Why it is remembered Pessoa's desperate resistance impressed the Japanese, and the event was remembered in Japan into the 19th century. It is illustrated in Haruo Satō's book Arima Harunobu (1943).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: 佐藤, 春夫, 1892 to 1964, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on the Kerkennah Islands Raid
28 September to 2 October 1611 · Kerkennah Islands, off Ottoman Tunisia
Fought between Spain, Genoa and the Order of St John against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides and Ottavio d'Aragona (Spanish side); Tunisian commander unknown
Forces 35 galleys against 1,200 soldiers
Losses Spanish side: minor. Tunisian side: 680 dead and 500 prisoners
Result Spanish victory
A fleet of 35 Spanish, Genoese and Hospitaller galleys under Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides attacked the Kerkennah Islands and defeated the local Ottoman troops and Barbary corsairs, killing 680 and taking 500 prisoners.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Spanish galley raids against the Barbary coast in the early seventeenth century.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sinhalese-Portuguese War
Kandyan commerce raiding against Portugal (1612 to 1613) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Kandyan naval raid
16 May 1612 to 6 March 1613 · Waters around Ceylon and the Indian coast from Cape Comorin to Calicut
Fought between Kingdom of Kandy against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders A nephew of Kuruvita Rala, prince of Uva (name unknown), Wandige Nai Hami (Kandy); Jerónimo de Azevedo (Portugal)
Forces 3 Kandyan war galleys and 3 yachts; Portuguese strength unknown
Losses Portugal: 1 ship, 2 patasios, 4 fustas and 20 barques lost, 3 ships captured, and an estimated 400 to 500 men captured or killed. Kandy: no naval losses reported
Result Kandyan victory
With the help of the Dutch envoy Marcellus de Bochouwer, King Senarat of Kandy commissioned a fleet of three war galleys and three yachts. Sailing from Koddiyar Bay, it attacked Portuguese shipping around Ceylon and along the coast from Cape Comorin to Calicut.
Why it is remembered A small Kandyan squadron inflicted heavy losses on Portuguese shipping without losing a vessel.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on La Goulette (1612) Raid
23 May 1612 · La Goulette (Halq al-Wadi), Ottoman Tunisia
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Antonio Pimentel (Spain); Zymen Danseker (Tunis)
Forces 6 Spanish galleys against 10 ships
Losses Tunis: 7 vessels destroyed, 3 captured and many dead. Spain: minor
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish force under Antonio Pimentel attacked La Goulette, the main port of Ottoman Tunisia. It destroyed a fleet of western style ships built by the French privateer Zymen Danseker.
Why it is remembered Danseker had planned to use the fleet to carry Barbary piracy to Spain's territories in America.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Portuguese battles in the Indian Ocean
Battle of Swally Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Suvali
29 to 30 November 1612 (9 to 10 December 1612, Old Style) · Off Suvali (Swally), near Surat, Gujarat, India
Fought between English East India Company against Portugal
Commanders Thomas Best (England); Nuno da Cunha (Portugal)
Forces 4 English East India Company galleons against 4 Portuguese galleons and 26 barks (unarmed rowing vessels)
Losses Portugal: 3 galleons beached and 1 bark destroyed; numbers killed and wounded unknown. England: unknown
Result English victory
Four English East India Company galleons under Thomas Best fought four Portuguese galleons and 26 barks off Suvali, near Surat. Three Portuguese galleons were driven ashore and the English won.
Why it is remembered It was an English East India Company victory over the Portuguese off the coast of India. John Carwitham engraved the battle in 1738 to 1739.
Sources differ The title of Carwitham's engraving describes a three day fight between two English ships and four Portuguese galleons with 24 frigates, which differs from the main account's figures.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Cape Corvo Fleet battle
August 1613 · Off Cape Corvo, near Samos, south of the Karaburun Peninsula, Turkey
Fought between Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Ottavio d'Aragona (Spain); Sinari Pasha, captured (Ottoman)
Forces 8 Spanish galleys against 10 Ottoman galleys
Losses Ottoman: 7 galleys captured, 400 killed and 600 prisoners, among them the Bey of Alexandria and 60 Ottoman notables; 1,200 galley slaves freed. Spain: 6 killed and 30 wounded
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish squadron from Sicily under Admiral Ottavio d'Aragona attacked an Ottoman fleet under Sinari Pasha near Samos. The Spanish captured seven galleys and about 600 prisoners.
Why it is remembered It was the first major victory of the fleets of the Duke of Osuna, Viceroy of Sicily, and the greatest Spanish victory over the Ottomans since Lepanto.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Cornelis de Wael (1592, 1667) (supposed), Public domain, via Wikipedia (en)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Ottoman expedition to Messina Raid
August 1613 · Messina, Sicily
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Pedro Téllez-Girón, Duke of Osuna (Spain); Azaga, Escander, Azan Bey (Ottoman)
Forces 5 Spanish galleys against 2 carracks, 4 galleys and several galiots
Losses Ottoman: 7 vessels captured, many dead and prisoners. Spain: 5 dead
Result Spanish victory
The Ottomans attempted a disguised attack on the port of Messina. The Duke of Osuna's spies uncovered the plan, and almost all the members of the expedition were captured or killed.
Why it is remembered It was defeated through the intelligence work of the Viceroy of Sicily.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Moroccan conflicts
Capture of La Mámora Landing or siege
1 to 2 August 1614 · La Mámora, south of El Araich, Morocco
Fought between Spain against the Saadi Sultanate
Commanders Luis Fajardo (Spain)
Forces 100 Spanish warships and transports with a landing force of 5,000 men, against 14 privateer ships
Losses Morocco: 10 privateer ships captured and 4 destroyed. Spain: minimal
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis Fajardo raided La Mámora as part of a campaign against privateering on the Moroccan coast. The town was taken and the privateer ships there were captured or destroyed.
Why it is remembered Spain held the fortress until 1681, when Sultan Muley Ismail took it. An engraving by Girolamo Discepolo shows the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: GIROLAMO DISCEPOLO (C. 1550 to 1615), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars; Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Raid on Żejtun Landing or siege
Also known as The Last Attack; L-aħħar ħbit (Maltese)
6 to 7 July 1614 · South eastern Malta, mainly Żejtun
Fought between Order of Saint John, Maltese civilians and Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Alof de Wignacourt, Luís Mendes de Vasconcellos, with Ottavio d'Aragona leading the relief (Malta and Spain); Khalil Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 52 Ottoman galleys and 8 other vessels with 5,000 to 6,000 men, against about 6,000 to 8,000 men in Malta and a relief force of 26 galleys
Losses Ottoman: some killed, about 50 to 60 captured, 1 galley sunk and 1 captured. Malta: some killed and about 20 injured
Result Christian victory
An Ottoman force landed in south eastern Malta and pillaged Żejtun and the surrounding area, sacking the parish church. The Order's cavalry and the people of the south eastern towns and villages drove the raiders back to their ships.
Why it is remembered It was the last major Ottoman attack on Hospitaller Malta.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Burmese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Arakan (November 1615) Fleet battle
18 November 1615 · Arakan River
Fought between Portugal and Sandwip against Arakan, with Dutch (VOC) naval support
Commanders Francisco de Meneses Roxo, killed, Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau (Portugal); Min Khamaung (Arakan)
Forces 14 galiots, 21 fustas, 48 jaleas and 1 patacho against 300 fustas, 100 galiots, 1,000 jaleas, 1 Dutch patacho and 1 Indian ship
Losses Portugal: about 200 killed, including Meneses Roxo. Arakan: heavy
Result Inconclusive
After the inconclusive fight in October, the Portuguese under Francisco de Meneses Roxo and Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau fought the Arakanese fleet again along the Arakan River. The battle was again inconclusive.
Why it is remembered The Portuguese abandoned the campaign afterwards and returned to Sandwip.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Burmese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Arakan (October 1615) Fleet battle
15 October 1615 · Arakan River
Fought between Portugal and Sandwip against Arakan, with Dutch (VOC) naval support
Commanders Francisco de Meneses Roxo (Portugal); Min Khamaung (Arakan)
Forces 13 Portuguese galiots and 1 patacho; Arakanese strength unknown
Losses Heavy on both sides
Result Inconclusive
A Portuguese fleet under Francisco de Meneses Roxo fought the Arakanese fleet under Min Khamaung, which had Dutch support. The campaign was begun by Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau, ruler of Sandwip, with the backing of the Viceroy of Portuguese India, Jerónimo de Azevedo. The attempt to take the city failed.
Why it is remembered It was the first of two Portuguese attempts on Arakan in 1615.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Cañete Fleet battle
Also known as Combat de Cañete (French)
22 July 1615 · Off Cañete, Peru
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Joris van Spilbergen (Dutch); Pedro Álvarez de Pulgar, killed, Rodrigo de Mendoza (Spain)
Forces 5 Dutch warships against 8 Spanish ships
Ships Santa Ana
Losses Spain: the flagship Santa Ana sunk, Pulgar killed and a patache captured
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch squadron under Joris van Spilbergen sailed to the coasts of Peru and Chile to attack the treasure galleons sent from Lima to Spain. The Viceroy of Peru, the Marquis of Montesclaros, formed an eight ship squadron to destroy it, and the fleets met off Cañete in very hard fighting. The Dutch, with stronger and handier ships, sank the Spanish flagship Santa Ana and took a patache, and the remaining six Spanish ships left the field.
Why it is remembered The victory gave the Dutch control of the sea, but their ships and crews were too damaged to attack Spanish ports, and supply problems and mutinies forced Spilbergen to return to Holland.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Formoso River Fleet battle
27 November to 2 December 1615 · Formoso River, Malay Peninsula
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Aceh Sultanate
Commanders Francisco de Miranda Henriques, Diogo de Mendonça Furtado (Portugal); Iskandar Muda (Aceh)
Forces 4 Portuguese galleons, 6 half galleys and 10 jáleas against 300 to 500 Acehnese vessels (100 galleys, 150 ghurabs and 250 junks, lancharas and calaluzes) with 30,000, 40,000 or 60,000 men
Losses Portugal: 1 galleon and 1 half galley lost, 100 dead and 30 captured. Aceh: 20,000 men and 200 captured
Result Portuguese victory
One of the largest fleets Aceh ever sent against Portuguese Malacca met a Portuguese fleet in the Formoso River. The fighting was among the bloodiest the Portuguese fought in South East Asia, and the Acehnese suffered so badly that they gave up their plan to attack Malacca and returned home.
Why it is remembered It saved Malacca from a major Acehnese attack.
Sources differ The Acehnese fleet is given as 300 to 500 vessels and its men as 30,000, 40,000 or 60,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on La Goulette (1615) Raid
December 1615 · La Goulette (Halq al-Wadi), Ottoman Tunisia
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Eyalet of Tunis and the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Francisco de Ribera (Spain)
Forces 3 Spanish galleons and 1 tartane against 19 armed ships
Losses Tunis and Algiers: 4 vessels captured and several damaged. Spain: 3 dead and 30 wounded
Result Spanish victory
The Spanish privateer Francisco de Ribera chased Barbary pirates from Sicily to La Goulette, approached their harbour, captured several ships and escaped.
Why it is remembered A small force of galleons struck at the corsairs inside their own harbour.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Action of 29 April 1616 Fleet battle
29 April 1616 · Near Euboea, Aegean Sea
Fought between Grand Duchy of Tuscany against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Montauto (Tuscany)
Forces 6 Tuscan galleys against 6 Turkish galleys
Ships San Francesco
Losses Tuscany: 32 killed and 312 wounded. Ottoman: the 2 flag galleys captured.
Result Tuscan victory
Six Tuscan galleys under Montauto left Livorno at the end of March 1616. On 29 April they met six Turkish galleys near Euboea and captured the two flag galleys, while the other four fled. The Tuscan galley San Francesco was damaged and took no part.
Why it is remembered One of the actions of the Tuscan galley squadron against Ottoman shipping in the eastern Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Cape Gelidonya Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Celidonia; Little Lepanto
14 to 16 July 1616 · Off Cape Gelidonya, south coast of Anatolia, near Cyprus
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Francisco de Ribera (Spain); the Bey of Rhodes (Ottoman)
Forces 2 galleons, 2 carracks, 1 hulk and 1 patache with 1,600 soldiers, against 55 galleys with 12,000 soldiers
Losses Ottoman: 10 galleys sunk, 23 damaged and 3,200 killed. Spain: 34 killed and 93 wounded
Result Spanish victory
A small privateer fleet owned by the Duke of Osuna, Viceroy of Sicily, and commanded by Francisco de Ribera was attacked off Cyprus by an Ottoman galley fleet that greatly outnumbered it. The Spanish ships, mostly galleons, beat off the Ottomans and inflicted heavy losses.
Why it is remembered Sometimes called a Little Lepanto, it marked the point at which heavily armed sailing ships made the galley obsolete in the Mediterranean. Juan de la Corte's painting of Spanish galleons fighting Ottoman galleys is in the Naval Museum of Madrid.
Sources differ One account dates the battle 14 July 1616; another account gives 14 to 16 July.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Comoros Single-ship action
16 to 18 August 1616 · Off the Comoro Islands, Indian Ocean
Fought between Portugal against the English East India Company
Commanders Manuel de Meneses (Portugal); Benjamin Joseph, killed, then Henry Pepwell, wounded (East India Company)
Forces 1 Portuguese carrack with 600 men against 4 East India Company ships
Ships São Julião
Losses Portugal: the carrack São Julião run aground and scuttled. East India Company: 2 ships damaged; Benjamin Joseph killed and Henry Pepwell badly wounded.
Result Inconclusive
The Portuguese carrack São Julião, under Manuel de Meneses, fought a fleet of four East India Company ships under Benjamin Joseph off the Comoro Islands. She held out for three days. Heavily damaged, she ran aground on Grande Comore and her crew scuttled her.
Why it is remembered An early clash between Portugal and the English East India Company on the route to India, in which the English commander was killed.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on Constantinople (1616) Raid
October 1616 · Constantinople, Ottoman Empire
Fought between Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Ottavio d'Aragona (Spain)
Forces Spanish: 9 galleys. Ottoman: 48 galleys.
Result Spanish victory
On the orders of the Viceroy of Naples, the Duke of Osuna, Ottavio d'Aragona led nine Spanish galleys in a raid on the Ottoman capital, where 48 Ottoman galleys were present.
Why it is remembered It was a raid on the capital city of the Ottoman Empire itself.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Cape Palos (1617) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Palos (1617); Batalla del cabo de Palos (1617)
4 August 1617 · Off Cape Palos, south east Spain
Fought between Spain against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Lázaro de Eguiguren (Spain); Sulayman Reis and Mustapha Reis (Algiers)
Forces 7 Spanish ships with 1,857 men against 16 Algerian ships
Losses Spain: 2 ships lost, 715 killed or captured, and 442 wounded who died later. Algiers: unknown.
Result Algerian victory
A Spanish squadron sailing to Naples was intercepted off Cape Palos by an Algerian fleet more than twice its size. The Spanish lost two ships and suffered very heavy casualties.
Why it is remembered A severe Spanish defeat at the hands of the Algerian corsair fleet close to the Spanish coast.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on La Goulette (1617) Raid
Also known as Incursión española en La Goleta (1617)
October 1617 · La Goulette (Halq al-Wadi), port of Tunis
Fought between Spain against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Ottavio d'Aragona (Spain); Yusuf Dey (Tunis)
Forces 1 Spanish galleon, 3 carracks, 1 patache and 6 galleys against 10 Tunisian ships
Losses Spain: minor. Tunis: all vessels destroyed.
Result Spanish victory
The Sicilian and Spanish captain Ottavio d'Aragona attacked La Goulette, the port of Ottoman Tunisia, in reply to attacks by Barbary corsairs. He destroyed the ships lying in the port.
Why it is remembered One of several Spanish strikes on corsair bases in North Africa in the early seventeenth century.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Playa Honda (1617) Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Playa Honda; Segunda Batalla Naval de Playa Honda; Ikalawang Labanan sa Playa Honda
14 to 15 April 1617 · Playa Honda (present day Botolan), Philippines
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Juan Ronquillo del Castillo (Spain); Joris van Spilbergen (Dutch Republic)
Forces 10 Spanish ships (7 galleons and 3 galleys) against 10 Dutch ships
Losses Spain: 1 galleon. Dutch Republic: 3 ships.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet of galleons and galleys under Juan Ronquillo del Castillo met a Dutch fleet of ten ships under Joris van Spilbergen at Playa Honda, on the coast of Luzon. The fighting lasted two days and ended in a Spanish victory, with three Dutch ships lost against one Spanish galleon.
Why it is remembered The best known of three battles at Playa Honda, in 1610, 1617 and 1624, all won by Spain against the Dutch.
Sources differ The English account calls this both the second battle of Playa Honda and the first of three known conflicts there, while also stating that the first battle took place in 1610.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Venetian-Habsburg conflicts
Battle of Ragusa Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Raguse (1617); Batalla naval de Ragusa
22 November 1617 · Off Ragusa, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Spanish Viceroyalty of Naples against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Francisco de Ribera (Spain); Lorenzo Venier (Venice)
Forces 15 Spanish galleons and a land force of 1,600 against 18 Venetian galleons, 34 galleys, 6 galleasses and 16 barks
Losses Spain: 300 killed. Venice: 4 galleys lost and 4,000 killed.
Result Spanish and Neapolitan victory
A Spanish squadron of galleons from the Viceroyalty of Naples under Francisco de Ribera fought a much larger Venetian fleet of galleons, galleys and galleasses under Lorenzo Venier off Ragusa. The Spanish won.
Why it is remembered A case of a smaller sailing galleon squadron defeating a mixed Venetian fleet of oared and sailing ships in the Adriatic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jan van Grevenbroeck (1731 to 1807), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Barbary war (1618 to 1622)
Action of 2 July 1618 Fleet battle
2 to 4 July 1618 · Near Gibraltar
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Mooy Lambert (Dutch Republic); Algerian commander unknown
Forces 9 Dutch ships against 30 Algerian corsair ships
Losses Dutch: 1 ship sunk. Algiers: 20 ships captured or destroyed; the main account states every corsair was thrown overboard.
Result Dutch victory
On an expedition against corsairs, Mooy Lambert met a fleet of Algerian corsairs near Gibraltar. The fighting lasted two days and ended in a Dutch victory.
Why it is remembered With his later expedition to Algiers in 1624, this action made Mooy Lambert's name.
Sources differ One account dates the encounter to 2 June; others give 2 to 4 July 1618.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Venetian-Habsburg conflicts
Battle of Gibraltar (1618) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 24 June 1618
24 June 1618 · Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Spain against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Miguel de Vidazábal (Spain); Melchior van den Kerckhove (Venice)
Forces 10 Spanish galleons and 2 caravels against 10 ships
Losses Spain: 70 killed or wounded. Venice: 40 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Spanish forces tried to stop a Venetian and Dutch fleet from passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, and fought only the Venetian ships. The action ended when the Spanish received orders to let the fleet pass.
Why it is remembered An episode of the Venetian-Habsburg tension of the 1610s, fought at the entrance to the Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Sack of Lanzarote (1618) Landing or siege
1 May 1618 · Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Fought between Regency of Algiers against Spain
Commanders Tabac Arráez (Algiers); the main account names Jan Janszoon on the Spanish side, taken prisoner
Forces 36 Algerian galleys with 3,000 or 5,000 men; Spanish strength unknown
Losses Algiers: unknown. Spain: 900 people captured before a naval battle and 700 captured after it, as the main account puts it.
Result Algerian victory
A force of 36 Algerian galleys landed on Lanzarote and sacked the island. They carried off 900 men, women and children to be sold as slaves. The main account also refers to a naval battle during the raid.
Why it is remembered One of the worst corsair raids on the Canary Islands, remembered for the hundreds of islanders taken into slavery.
Sources differ One account gives the Algerian strength as either 3,000 or 5,000 men, and gives captives as 900 before and 700 after a naval battle, while another account gives 900 in total. One account places Jan Janszoon among the Spanish commanders, which another account does not mention.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Valencia (1618) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Valencia (1618)
1618 · Off the coast of Valencia, Spain
Fought between Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Octavio de Aragón (Spain); Alí Zaide (Ottoman corsairs)
Result Complete Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Octavio de Aragón fought an Ottoman fleet off the coast of Valencia. The Ottoman force was led by Alí Zaide, a Morisco from Zaragoza who had become an Ottoman corsair, and included heavy ships of western design. The battle ended in a complete Spanish victory.
Why it is remembered Notable for the corsair fleet's use of heavy western style sailing ships under a Spanish born Morisco commander.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ove Gjedde's expedition (first Danish expedition to India)
Action of 19 February 1619 Single-ship action
Also known as Action du 19 février 1619
19 February 1619 · Off Cape Verde
Fought between Denmark-Norway against French privateers
Commanders Ove Gjedde (Denmark-Norway); French commander unknown
Forces 4 Danish ships against 3 French ships
Ships Elephanten, Lion d'or, Jageren
Losses Denmark-Norway: unknown. French: 2 ships taken and 1 ship burned.
Result Danish victory
On the first Danish expedition to India, Ove Gjedde's squadron met French privateers off Cape Verde. Two French ships, the Lion d'or and the Jageren, were taken and a third was burned. The captured ships were taken into the Royal Danish Navy.
Why it is remembered An early action of the Danish voyage that led to the Danish settlement in India; it is shown in a painting of Ove Gjedde capturing the two privateers.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch colonial campaigns in Asia
Fall of Jayakarta Landing or siege
Also known as Conquest of Jacatra
17 to 30 May 1619 · Jayakarta (present-day Jakarta), Java
Fought between Dutch East India Company against the Banten Sultanate and Jayakarta
Commanders Jan Pieterszoon Coen and Pieter de Carpentier (VOC); Jayawikarta and Arya Ranamanggala (Banten)
Forces VOC: 1,000 troops and 16 ships. Banten: thousands
Result Dutch victory; the VOC took Jayakarta
Following a first Dutch attempt to conquer the city, the Dutch East India Company under Jan Pieterszoon Coen attacked Jayakarta with 16 ships and about 1,000 troops in May 1619 and seized it from the Banten Sultanate.
Why it is remembered The Dutch founded Batavia on the site, and the defeat marked the beginning of the decline of the Banten Sultanate.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Barend Wijnveld, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Barbary corsair warfare
Battle of Cartagena (1620) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Cartagena (1620)
10 October 1620 · Off the port of Cartagena, near Cape Cope, south east Spain
Fought between Algerian corsairs against a combined Dutch, French and English squadron
Commanders Salomo de Veenboer, also called Sulayman Rais (Algiers), killed
Forces Eight Algerian corsair ships against two Dutch, two French and one English warship
Losses Algiers: Veenboer killed by a cannon ball that broke both his legs. The Murcia council heard that one ship had been carried off.
Result Death of the Algerian commander; the corsair squadron was beaten
Veenboer, a Dutch renegade who commanded a squadron of Algerian corsairs, sailed from Algiers with eight ships and two months later met a squadron of two Dutch, two French and one English warships. He chose to attack, and after a long fight off the port of Cartagena he was struck by a cannon ball and died soon after. His enemies sent his body ashore in a boat, and the Murcia council recorded that eight enemy ships had fought five off Cope and that one was carried off.
Why it is remembered With Veenboer dead and his lieutenant Jan Janszoon moving to Salé the same year, the south east coast of Spain lost two of its most feared corsairs, and no corsair sailing ships were recorded there between April 1621 and March 1626.
Sources differ The Murcia council letter speaks of eight enemy ships fighting five near Cape Cope, rather than in front of Cartagena itself.
Sources Wikidata · dialnet.unirioja.es
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Portuguese rivalry in the Persian Gulf
Battle off Jask Fleet battle
16 December 1620 to 7 January 1621 · Off Jask, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf
Fought between Portuguese Estado da Índia against the English East India Company
Commanders Rui Freire de Andrade (Portugal); Andrew Shilling, died of wounds, and John Weddell (East India Company)
Forces 4 Portuguese galleons with additional galliots and 1,000 men against 4 English ships
Losses Portugal: 160 dead and 430 casualties. East India Company: 8 dead.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet under Rui Freire de Andrade fought English East India Company ships under Andrew Shilling and John Weddell in a series of engagements off Jask. Later, during the Siege of Qishm, Freire sent his squadron to attack Jask, where Portuguese and Hormuzi forces plundered the town and the English factory.
Why it is remembered The first military confrontation between two European powers in the Persian Gulf. It hardened English hostility towards the Portuguese there.
Sources differ One account gives a Portuguese victory although Portuguese casualties were far heavier; the German account on the same fighting gives an English victory on 28 December 1620.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Chios (1621) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Quíos (1621)
20 March 1621 · Off Chios, Aegean Sea
Fought between Spain, Genoa, Tuscany and the Order of St John against the Ottoman Empire, Tunis and Algiers
Commanders Carlo Doria and Clemente Hidalgo (Christian fleet); Ali Rostan, Sampson Denball and Mahomet Escabrig (Ottoman and Barbary fleet)
Forces 13 galleys, 1 galleon and 1 nao against 12 galleys, 4 galiots, 6 naos and 3 tartanes
Losses Christian fleet: 84 dead. Ottoman and Barbary fleet: 362 dead, many captured; 1 galiot, 2 naos and 2 tartanes captured.
Result Christian victory
A Spanish and Italian fleet fought an Ottoman and Barbary fleet near the island of Chios. The Christian fleet won and captured several of its opponents' smaller vessels.
Why it is remembered One of a run of Spanish and allied galley victories over Ottoman and Barbary squadrons in the early 1620s.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Gibraltar (1621) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Saint-Vincent (1621); Batalla de Gibraltar (1621)
10 August 1621 · Strait and Bay of Gibraltar
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic (the main account also lists Denmark-Norway)
Commanders Fadrique de Toledo (Spain); Willem Haultain de Zoete (Dutch Republic)
Forces 9 Spanish ships (6 galleons and 3 warships) against more than 50 Dutch ships, of which 20 were warships and the rest merchantmen
Ships Santa Teresa
Losses Spain: no ships lost, some damage; the flagship Santa Teresa dismasted. Dutch: 7 ships lost (the main account gives 5 sunk and 2 captured).
Result Spanish victory
After the Twelve Years' Truce ended, Spain tried to gather a fleet at Gibraltar to strike at Dutch trade in the Mediterranean, but only Toledo's nine ships were ready. They intercepted a Dutch East India Company fleet escorted by Willem Haultain de Zoete. Toledo's flagship set two Dutch ships on fire while the smaller galleons captured two and burned another; the Santa Teresa was dismasted and taken in tow. The Dutch got away with most of their merchantmen.
Why it is remembered An early Spanish success after the end of the Twelve Years' Truce, painted by Enrique Jácome y Brocas around 1630.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 10 August 1621; another account gives 21 August 1621.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Enrique Jácome y Brocas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Barbary-Portuguese conflicts
Sinking of the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Blockade and raiding
Also known as Batalha Naval da Ericeira; Attaque du Nossa Senhora da Conceição
8 to 11 October 1621 · Off Lisbon, Portugal
Fought between Kingdom of Portugal against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Luís de Sousa, died of wounds (Portugal); Hassan Reis and Tabaco Reis (Algiers)
Forces 1 Portuguese carrack with 22 guns and 600 to 800 crew against 17 Algerian ships of 30 to 40 guns each with about 5,000 corsairs
Ships Nossa Senhora da Conceição
Losses Portugal: many killed and wounded; the carrack sunk. Algiers: most ships damaged.
Result Portuguese success in the first fight, Algerian victory in the second
The richly laden Portuguese carrack Nossa Senhora da Conceição, under Luís de Sousa, was attacked by a fleet of Algerian corsairs off Lisbon. She held them off in a first fight but was heavily damaged after days of battle. She caught fire and sank with her cargo.
Why it is remembered The loss of a rich carrack within reach of Lisbon, showing how far Algerian corsairs could operate in the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andries van Eertvelt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War and Eighty Years' War
Battle of Macau Landing or siege
Also known as Bataille de Macao; Batalha de Macau
22 to 24 June 1622 · Macau, south east China
Fought between Dutch East India Company against Portugal (with Spain)
Commanders Cornelis Reijersen and Hans Ruffijn, killed (Dutch East India Company); Lopo Sarmento de Carvalho (Portugal)
Forces 13 Dutch ships and 800 men against about 150 Portuguese and Spanish defenders and an unknown number of enslaved Black fighters
Losses Dutch: more than 300 killed (136 of them Dutch), 126 wounded, 4 ships sunk. Defenders: 6 Iberians killed (4 Portuguese and 2 Castilians), about 20 wounded, and a small number of enslaved fighters killed.
Result Portuguese victory
A Dutch East India Company fleet attacked the Portuguese settlement of Macau, firing on it from the water and landing troops. The Portuguese were outnumbered and lacked proper fortifications, but they drove off the Dutch on 24 June after three days of fighting.
Why it is remembered A much celebrated Portuguese victory, and the only major engagement fought mainly between two European powers on the Chinese mainland.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jacob van Meurs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Action of 3 October 1624 Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de la isla de San Pedro
3 October 1624 · Near San Pietro Island, Sardinia
Fought between Spain (Naples), Tuscany and the Papal States against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Diego Pimentel, wounded (Spain); Azan Calafate, captured (Algiers)
Forces 15 galleys (8 Neapolitan, 4 Tuscan, 3 Papal) against 3 large ships, 2 pataches and 1 tartane
Losses Christian squadron: unknown. Algiers: more than 100 killed and 150 taken prisoner; 1 large ship destroyed, 2 large ships and 2 pataches captured, 1 tartane lost.
Result Spanish, Tuscan and Papal victory
A galley squadron from Naples, Tuscany and the Papal States under Diego Pimentel engaged six Algerian ships under Azan Calafate near San Pietro Island. The Algerian flagship was destroyed and four ships were captured. The Christian slaves held aboard were freed.
Why it is remembered A clear galley victory over Algerian sailing ships in the war against the Barbary corsairs.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars and Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of the Dalmatian Coast Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de la costa de Dalmacia
13 July 1624 · Off the coast of Dalmatia, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Spain, the Order of St John and Genoa against the Ottoman Empire, Tunis and Algiers
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides, Marquis of Santa Cruz (Spain); Barbary commander unknown
Forces 35 galleys against 13 galleys
Losses Christian fleet: unknown. Barbary fleet: 6 galleys sunk and 7 galleys captured.
Result Spanish victory
The Marquis of Santa Cruz, with a Spanish, Genoese and Maltese fleet, caught a Barbary corsair fleet from Tunis and Algiers off the Dalmatian coast. He had been pursuing this fleet before the Battle of the Gulf of Tunis. All thirteen corsair galleys were sunk or captured.
Why it is remembered It completed the destruction of the corsair squadron that Santa Cruz had hunted through the summer of 1624.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of the Gulf of Tunis Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla del golfo de Túnez
4 June 1624 · Gulf of Tunis
Fought between Spain and the Order of St John against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides, Marquis of Santa Cruz, and Nicolo della Marra (Spain and Malta); Ali Arraez Rabazin (Tunis)
Forces 14 galleys against 3 galleons
Losses Spain and Malta: minor. Tunis: all vessels captured, 212 prisoners, many dead.
Result Spanish and Maltese victory
A Spanish and Maltese galley fleet under the Marquis of Santa Cruz attacked a Barbary corsair flotilla of three galleons under Ali Arraez Rabazin in the Gulf of Tunis. All three corsair ships were captured.
Why it is remembered One of three victories won by the Marquis of Santa Cruz over Barbary corsairs in 1624.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom / Cornelis Vroom, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Palermo (1624) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Palermo (1624)
May 1624 · Off Palermo, Sicily
Fought between Spain and the Order of St John against Tunis and Algiers
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides, Marquis of Santa Cruz (Spain); Barbary commander unknown
Forces 28 galleys against 13 galleys
Losses Christian fleet: unknown. Barbary fleet: 7 galleys sunk and 6 galleys captured.
Result Christian victory
A Spanish and Maltese galley fleet under the Marquis of Santa Cruz fought a Barbary corsair fleet from Tunisia and Algiers off Palermo. All thirteen corsair galleys were sunk or captured.
Why it is remembered One of three galley victories won by the Marquis of Santa Cruz against Barbary corsairs in 1624.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Action of 26 June 1625 Fleet battle
26 June 1625 · Off Syracuse, Sicily
Fought between Order of St John against the Ottoman Empire (Bizerta corsairs)
Commanders Michele de Pontalier Tallamey, wounded (Order of St John); Ottoman commander unknown
Forces 5 Maltese galleys against 6 Bizertan vessels (2 galleys and 4 other vessels)
Ships San Giovanni, San Francesco
Losses Order of St John: 2 galleys captured and 350 killed. Ottoman: unknown.
Result Ottoman victory
The Maltese general Tallamey was in harbour at Syracuse when six Bizertan vessels were sighted. He put to sea without embarking extra troops and let his galleys attack one by one. Wounded, he broke off and fled to Malta; two galleys escaped to Syracuse, and the San Giovanni and San Francesco were captured.
Why it is remembered The defeat led Tallamey to resign and made the Maltese Council issue new orders on the manning of galleys and the qualifications of captains.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Huguenot rebellions
Battle of Blavet Raid
Also known as Bataille du Blavet
17 January 1625 · Blavet harbour (modern Port-Louis), Brittany
Fought between Huguenot forces against the Kingdom of France
Commanders Benjamin de Rohan, Duke of Soubise (Huguenots); the Duke of Nevers and the Duke of Vendôme (France)
Forces 12 small Huguenot warships with 300 soldiers and 100 sailors against 6 great royal warships
Result Huguenot victory
Soubise and his Huguenot force attacked a royal French fleet lying in Blavet harbour in Brittany and seized the royal ships there.
Why it is remembered The attack set off the second Huguenot rebellion against the French Crown.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Elmina (1625) Landing or siege
Also known as Batalha da Mina (1625); Schlacht um Elmina 1625
25 October 1625 · Elmina Castle (São Jorge da Mina), Gold Coast, present day Ghana
Fought between Dutch West India Company against Portugal
Commanders Jan Dircksz Lam, killed (Dutch West India Company); Fernando de Sottomayor (Portugal)
Forces 1,200 Dutch soldiers carried by 15 ships against 56 Portuguese and 200 African allies
Losses Dutch: all killed except 45, including the commander and all his officers. Portugal: 27 killed.
Result Portuguese victory
A Dutch West India Company fleet of 15 ships landed 1,200 soldiers near the Portuguese castle of São Jorge da Mina and opened the attack by bombarding it. As the Dutch marched on the castle they were ambushed by the Portuguese and their African allies and almost all were killed. The Dutch ships fired more than 2,000 cannonballs at the castle before they withdrew.
Why it is remembered A heavy Dutch defeat on the Gold Coast, reversed twelve years later when the Dutch took Elmina in 1637.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Portuguese rivalry in the Persian Gulf; Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle off Hormuz (1625) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Persian Gulf; Batalha naval do Golfo Pérsico; Azione del 1º febbraio 1625
11 to 12 February 1625 · Strait of Hormuz
Fought between Portuguese Estado da Índia against the English East India Company and the Dutch East India Company, with Safavid Iran
Commanders Nuno Álvares Botelho and Rui Freire de Andrade (Portugal); John Weddell (English East India Company); Albert Becker, killed (Dutch East India Company)
Forces 8 Portuguese galleons, 20 light galleys and 20 terranquins against 8 English and Dutch carracks and 2 pataches
Losses Portugal: 130 killed. Allies: 29 English and 45 Dutch killed.
Result Inconclusive
A Portuguese fleet fought a combined Dutch and English East India Company fleet in the Strait of Hormuz over two days. Neither side won outright.
Why it is remembered Described as perhaps the largest naval battle ever fought in the Persian Gulf. Although a draw, it marked the end of Portuguese influence in the Gulf. It is the subject of a painting by João Dantas of about 1812.
Sources differ The English account dates the battle to 11 to 12 February 1625; the title of the Italian account gives 1 February 1625.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Portuguese rivalry in the Persian Gulf
Loss of the Lion (1625) Single-ship action
Also known as Defence of the Lion; engagement off Surat
17 October to 18 November 1625 · Off Swally (Surat), India, and off Bandar Abbas, Persian Gulf
Fought between Portuguese Estado da Índia against the English East India Company
Commanders Nuno Álvares Botelho, Rui Freire de Andrade and Gaspar Gomes (Portugal); Captain Blyth, Richard Swanley, killed, and Henry Crosbey (East India Company)
Forces 4 Portuguese galleons and 14 to 20 frigates against 3 English ships
Ships Lion
Losses Portugal: 26 dead. East India Company: 1 ship lost and 68 dead; all but one of the Lion's surviving crew were executed.
Result Portuguese victory
On 17 October 1625 Portuguese forces under Nuno Álvares Botelho attacked an English fleet off Swally; the Lion was boarded but the English drove the Portuguese off. The Lion later lay at Bandar Abbas, where Botelho arrived from Hormuz with 14 to 20 frigates. After a hard defence she was destroyed by fire and explosion, and all but one of her crew were executed.
Why it is remembered Remembered as the Defence of the Lion, an episode of the Anglo-Portuguese struggle in the Gulf that ended in the execution of her crew.
Sources differ The final attack at Bandar Abbas is dated to either 8 or 18 November 1625.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Manuel de Faria y Sousa (book author), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Huguenot rebellions
Recovery of Ré Island Landing or siege
Also known as Reprise de l'Île de Ré
September 1625 (naval battle 15 September) · Île de Ré and off Saint-Martin-de-Ré, west France
Fought between France, with Dutch and English ships, against the Huguenots of La Rochelle
Commanders Henri de Montmorency (fleet), Charles de Guise, Toiras and Willem Haultain de Zoete (royal side); the Duke of Soubise and Jean Guiton (Huguenots)
Forces 35 French, 20 Dutch and 7 English warships against 28 Huguenot warships and 3,000 men
Losses Not stated for the September fighting. In an earlier action on 16 July 1625 Soubise blew up a Dutch ship, with the loss of 300 Dutch sailors.
Result Royalist victory
Soubise had held the Île de Ré since February 1625. On 15 September Montmorency's fleet defeated the La Rochelle fleet off Saint-Martin-de-Ré, and two royal regiments under Toiras landed and defeated Soubise's 3,000 men. Soubise fled to England with his few remaining ships, and Montmorency recovered both Ré and Oléron.
Why it is remembered It led to the Treaty of Paris of February 1626. The reliance on Dutch and English ships showed France's need for its own navy, which Richelieu then set out to build.
Sources differ One account gives Soubise 15 ships on his return to Ré, while another account gives 28 warships. The capture is dated 16 September in one caption, with the action described as 12 to 15 September.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War
Relief of Genoa Landing or siege
Also known as Socorro de Génova
28 March to 24 April 1625 · Genoa, Liguria
Fought between Spain and the Republic of Genoa against France and Savoy
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz, the Duke of Feria and Carlo Doria, Duke of Tursi (Spain and Genoa); the Duke of Lesdiguières and Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Savoy (France and Savoy)
Forces 23 galleys and 2,700 to 4,000 Spanish infantry (15,000 Spanish and Genoese after the relief) against a Franco-Savoyard army of 30,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry
Losses France and Savoy: 5,000 dead or wounded and 2,000 captured. Spain and Genoa: 1,300 dead.
Result Spanish and Genoese victory
Genoa, an ally of Spain, was besieged by a French and Savoyard army. A Spanish fleet under the Marquis of Santa Cruz came to its aid, relieved the city and forced the besiegers to lift the siege. The Spanish and Genoese then drove the Franco-Piedmontese army out of Liguria.
Why it is remembered It secured the Spanish Road and is the subject of the painting The Relief of Genoa by the Marquis of Santa Cruz by Antonio de Pereda in the Museo del Prado. France gave up its claims under the Treaty of Monzón.
Sources differ Spanish strength is given as 2,700 to 4,000 infantry, without a single figure.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Antonio de Pereda, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of San Juan (1625) Landing or siege
Also known as Batalla de San Juan (1625)
24 September to 2 November 1625 · San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Juan de Haro y Sanvitores (Spain); Boudewijn Hendricksz (Dutch Republic)
Forces 17 Dutch ships, which landed 800 men, against a Spanish garrison of 330 men in El Morro, with Puerto Rican militia
Losses Dutch: more than 400 dead and one ship left behind. Spain: not stated.
Result Spanish victory
A Dutch fleet of 17 ships under Boudewijn Hendricksz sailed into San Juan harbour past the guns of El Morro and landed 800 men, who occupied the empty town. The governor, Juan de Haro, refused to surrender and held El Morro while militia retook the San Antonio bridge. On 22 October the Dutch burned more than 100 houses, the bishop's palace and library and the city archives, but Spanish sorties drove them back to their ships, and they sailed away on 2 November.
Why it is remembered Commemorated in a seventeenth century painting by Eugenio Cajés in the Museo del Prado. Spain then strengthened the defences of Puerto Rico.
Sources differ One account gives 29 September 1625 as the date of the battle; another account gives 24 September to 2 November 1625. A third account speaks both of a two month siege and of a 21 day exchange of cannon fire.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch invasions of Brazil
Battle in the Bay of São Salvador Raid
3 March 1627 · Bay of All Saints, São Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company) against Portugal
Commanders Piet Pieterszoon Hein (Dutch West India Company); Portuguese commander unknown
Forces 3 Dutch ships against about 34 Portuguese vessels, 16 of them armed
Losses Portugal: 22 to 25 ships captured. Dutch: none.
Result Dutch victory
Piet Hein found about 34 vessels at São Salvador, 16 of them armed, and sailed his three ships into their midst. After a long fight the Dutch captured 22 to 25 ships, carrying 2,700 chests of sugar, tobacco and cotton.
Why it is remembered One of Piet Hein's raids on Portuguese shipping in Brazil, the year before his capture of the Spanish treasure fleet at Matanzas.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Huguenot rebellions; Anglo-French War (1627 to 1629)
Siege of La Rochelle Landing or siege
Also known as Le grand siège de La Rochelle
10 September 1627 to 28 October 1628 · La Rochelle and Île de Ré, Bay of Biscay, western France
Fought between French Royalists, with a Spanish fleet, against the Huguenots of La Rochelle and England
Commanders Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu, Toiras, Bassompierre (France); Jean Guiton, Soubise (La Rochelle); Duke of Buckingham, Earl of Denbigh, Earl of Lindsey (England)
Forces Royal siege army of 22,000 and 30 to 40 Spanish warships; La Rochelle held 27,000 civilians and soldiers; Buckingham's expedition of 80 ships and 7,000 soldiers; Lindsey's 1628 relief fleet of 29 warships and 31 merchantmen
Losses La Rochelle: 22,000 killed; its population fell from 27,000 to 5,000 through fighting, famine and disease. English: about 5,000 killed in Buckingham's expedition. French at Île de Ré: 500 killed.
Result French Royalist victory; La Rochelle surrendered unconditionally
In June 1627 Buckingham landed about 6,000 men on Île de Ré but failed to take Saint-Martin and withdrew after heavy losses. The royal army besieged La Rochelle and built a 1,400 metre sea wall on sunken hulks to cut the city off from the sea, with artillery firing on English ships that tried to resupply it. Denbigh's relief fleet of April 1628 returned without fighting, and Lindsey's fleet of September 1628 bombarded French positions but could not break the wall. The starving city surrendered on 28 October 1628.
Why it is remembered It marked the height of the struggle between Catholics and Protestants in France and ended in complete victory for Louis XIII. Henri Motte's 1881 painting shows Cardinal Richelieu on the sea wall during the siege.
Sources differ One account gives Buckingham's fleet as over 100 ships in another account but 80 ships in a third account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Henri-Paul Motte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Polish-Swedish War (1626 to 1629)
Battle of Oliwa Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Oliva; Battle of Gdańsk Roadstead; Bitwa pod Oliwą; Slaget på Danzigs redd
28 November 1627 · Off Oliwa, just north of Gdańsk (Danzig), Baltic Sea
Fought between Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against Sweden
Commanders Arend Dickmann, killed (Poland-Lithuania); Nils Stiernsköld, killed (Sweden)
Forces 10 Polish-Lithuanian ships (4 galleons, 3 full rigged pinnaces, 3 fluyts) with 179 guns and 1,160 men against 6 Swedish ships (5 galleons, 1 pinnace) with 140 guns and 700 men
Ships Ritter Sankt Georg, Meerweib, Meermann, König David, Fliegender Hirsch, Arche Noah, Tigern, Solen, Pelikanen, Månen, Enhörningen, Papegojan
Losses Poland-Lithuania: 47 killed or wounded. Sweden: 304 killed or wounded, 68 captured; the galleon Tigern captured and the galleon Solen blown up.
Result Polish-Lithuanian victory
A Swedish squadron under Nils Stiernsköld was blockading Gdańsk when the Polish-Lithuanian fleet sailed out and attacked it. The flagship Ritter Sankt Georg, supported by Meerweib, engaged the Swedish flagship Tigern, which was boarded and captured. Meermann attacked the Solen, whose captain blew her up rather than surrender. The four surviving Swedish ships fled to the open sea and the blockade was lifted for a time.
Why it is remembered The largest battle fought by the navy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is inscribed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, streets in Gdańsk are named after the battle and Dickmann, and a monument stands in Oliwa.
Sources differ The main account says in one place that both admirals were killed during the battle and in another that Dickmann died from a cannon shot after it and Stiernsköld soon afterwards of wounds.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-French War (1627 to 1629)
Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré Landing or siege
Also known as Siège de Saint-Martin-de-Ré; Siege of St. Martin's
1627 · Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Île de Ré, near La Rochelle
Fought between England, with Huguenot volunteers from La Rochelle, against France
Commanders George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham (England); Marquis de Toiras (France)
Forces England: initially 100 ships, 6,000 soldiers, 1,000 horses and 4 cannon, with 800 La Rochelle volunteers and later 2,000 Irish soldiers and 400 recruits. France: initially 1,200 men and 200 horsemen, reinforced by 4,000 men in October
Losses English: around 5,000. French: around 500
Result French victory; Buckingham withdrew
Buckingham landed on the Île de Ré with a fleet of about 100 ships and besieged the fortress-town of Saint-Martin. After three months a French relief force of ships and troops reached Toiras and repelled the English, and Buckingham was forced to withdraw in defeat.
Why it is remembered It followed Buckingham's failure at Cádiz in 1625 and is considered the opening conflict of the Anglo-French War of 1627 to 1629.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-French War (1627 to 1629)
Action of 17 July 1628 Convoy battle
17 July 1628 · St Lawrence River, near present day Rimouski, Quebec
Fought between England against France
Commanders David Kirke and Lewis Kirke (England); Claude Roquement de Brison (France)
Forces 5 or 6 English men of war and 1 pinnace against 4 large French merchant vessels and 1 barque
Losses England: none reported. France: 4 merchant vessels captured and 400 prisoners.
Result English victory
An English force under the Kirke brothers intercepted and captured a French supply convoy bound for New France in the St Lawrence.
Why it is remembered The loss of the convoy badly weakened New France's ability to resist attack.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle in the Bay of Matanzas Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla de la Bahía de Matanzas; Slag in de Baai van Matanzas
7 to 8 September 1628 · Bay of Matanzas, Cuba
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company) against Spain
Commanders Piet Hein, with Witte de With as flag captain (Dutch Republic); Juan de Benavides Bazán (Spain)
Forces 31 Dutch vessels against 21 Spanish vessels
Losses Spain: 12 vessels captured with their cargo. Casualties described as minimal.
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch squadron under Piet Hein intercepted part of the Spanish treasure fleet off Cuba. As night fell the Spanish ships entered the Bay of Matanzas ahead of the Dutch and were run aground. The next day Hein attacked with his boats and the Spanish surrendered without terms. The prize included 177,537 pounds of silver, 135 pounds of gold, hides, indigo, cochineal, logwood and sugar, valued at 11,509,524 guilders.
Why it is remembered Piet Hein returned home in 1629 as a hero; the main account describes him as the first and last to capture so large a part of a Spanish silver fleet. The Spanish prisoners were released and given supplies for the march to Havana.
Sources differ The main account lists the casualties as minimal without making clear which side this refers to.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Elliot Griffis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Langat River Fleet battle
1628 · Langat River, Malay Peninsula (present day Selangor, Malaysia)
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Aceh
Commanders Francisco Coutinho (Portugal); the King of Dely (Aceh)
Forces 15 Portuguese half galleys against 100 Acehnese vessels, 35 of them galleys
Losses Portugal: few. Aceh: 99 vessels, 3,000 men and 800 guns.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet of half galleys fought a much larger Acehnese fleet in the Langat River on the Malay Peninsula. The Portuguese won and the Acehnese lost almost their whole fleet.
Why it is remembered A large Portuguese victory over an Acehnese fleet, a year before the Portuguese defeated Aceh again at the Duyon River near Malacca.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-French War (1627 to 1629)
Surrender of Quebec Blockade and raiding
1628 to 1629; Champlain surrendered on 20 July 1629 · Saint Lawrence River and Quebec
Fought between England against France
Commanders David Kirke (England); Samuel de Champlain, who surrendered (France)
Result English victory; England occupied Quebec until 1632
English privateers led by David Kirke intercepted the supplies bound for Quebec. Cut off, the settlement was taken without a battle, and Champlain surrendered it to Kirke on 20 July 1629.
Why it is remembered It brought an English occupation of Quebec that lasted until 1632.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Duyon River Fleet battle
Also known as Batalha do Rio Duyon
June to December 1629 · Duyon River, near Portuguese Malacca
Fought between Portugal and the Sultanate of Johor against the Sultanate of Aceh
Commanders Nuno Álvares Botelho, António Pinto da Fonseca and Abdul Jalil Shah III (Portugal and Johor); the Laksamana, captured, Marraja, killed, and the King of Dely, killed (Aceh)
Forces 1,260 Portuguese soldiers, 400 auxiliaries, 4 brigantines and 28 galleys, with 2,000 Pahang warriors in 60 vessels, against 236 Acehnese ships and 19,000 to 20,000 men
Losses Portugal: 60 dead. Aceh: all ships captured or destroyed, all men killed or captured, 170 heavy guns taken, the Laksamana captured.
Result Portuguese victory
An Acehnese invasion force was sent to conquer Malacca. A relatively small Portuguese fleet under Nuno Álvares Botelho defeated it so completely that not a ship or man returned to Aceh.
Why it is remembered Botelho is remembered in Portugal as one of the last great commanders of Portuguese India. After the battle the Sultanate of Perak, a vassal of Aceh, went over to the Portuguese.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: António de Bocarro, Goa, 1635, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War
Battle of L'Anse-aux-Papillons Raid
Also known as Bataille de l'Anse-aux-Papillons
Late 1629 · Anse-aux-Papillons, Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts), Lesser Antilles
Fought between France against English colonists
Commanders François de Rotondy, sieur de Cahuzac (France)
Forces French fleet with 200 to 300 men
Losses English: 3 ships.
Result French victory
At the end of 1629 a French fleet fought English colonists at the Anse-aux-Papillons on Saint Christopher. The English lost three ships.
Why it is remembered A clash between French forces and English colonists on Saint Christopher during the Thirty Years' War.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Jambi Fleet battle
5 April to 5 May 1630 · Jambi River, Sumatra, Indonesia
Fought between Portugal against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Nuno Álvares Botelho, drowned, and Rui Freire de Andrade (Portugal); Dutch commander unknown
Forces 27 Portuguese ships against 28 Dutch ships
Losses Portugal: 1 galliot sunk; Botelho drowned. Dutch: 7 ships burned or captured.
Result Portuguese victory
Portuguese and Dutch ships fought on the Jambi River in the Indonesian archipelago over about a month. The Portuguese won, but their commander Nuno Álvares Botelho drowned during the fighting.
Why it is remembered Remembered for the death of Botelho, one of the last great commanders of Portuguese India.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Sinking of the Flensborg Single-ship action
Also known as Frigate Flensborg; Flensburg
1630 · Off the Cape of Good Hope
Fought between Denmark-Norway (Danish East India Company) against Portugal
Forces 1 Danish frigate with a crew of more than 84
Ships Flensborg
Losses Denmark-Norway: the Flensborg blown up.
Result Portuguese success
The frigate and man of war Flensborg, a Danish East Indiaman launched in 1625, sailed from Copenhagen on 2 December 1629 for Tranquebar as the third Danish cargo to India. She was blown up by the Portuguese off the Cape of Good Hope in 1630.
Why it is remembered A loss on the early Danish trade route to India.
Sources differ The main account is about the ship; it does not describe the fighting itself.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War (Dutch invasions of Brazil)
Battle of Abrolhos Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Abrolhos; Batalha Naval dos Abrolhos; Batalla de los Abrojos; Battle of Pernambuco
12 September 1631 · Off Pernambuco, Brazil
Fought between Spain and Portugal against the Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company)
Commanders Antonio de Oquendo (Spain and Portugal); Adrian Jansz Pater, killed, and Maerten Thijssen (Dutch West India Company)
Forces 20 Spanish and Portuguese warships (5 of them unarmed) against 16 Dutch warships
Ships Prins Willem
Losses Spain and Portugal: 1 galleon sunk, 1 galleon captured, 500 dead and 100 wounded. Dutch: the flagship Prins Willem and 1 or 2 other ships sunk; casualties given as anything from 350 dead and 80 wounded to about 2,000.
Result Spanish and Portuguese victory, as the main account states
A joint Spanish and Portuguese fleet under Antonio de Oquendo met a Dutch West India Company fleet off the coast of Pernambuco. After six hours of fighting the Dutch were beaten off; their flagship Prins Willem was sunk and their admiral Adrian Jansz Pater was killed.
Why it is remembered Painted around 1632 by Juan de la Corte; the canvas hangs in the Naval Museum in Madrid.
Sources differ Dutch casualties are given as 350 dead and 80 wounded in one source and about 2,000 in another. The main account refers the result to the aftermath rather than stating a clear victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Juan de la Corte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of the Slaak Fleet battle
Also known as Slag op het Slaak; Seeschlacht auf dem Slaak
12 to 13 September 1631 · The Slaak, Volkerak channel near Goeree-Overflakkee, Netherlands
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Vice-Admiral Marinus Hollare (Dutch Republic); the Marquis of Aytona (nominal) and Count Jan van Nassau-Siegen (Spain)
Forces About 50 Dutch vessels, mostly small river craft with some larger flyboats, and an English and Scottish regiment of 2,000 ashore, against about 90 Spanish vessels, mostly small transports, carrying 5,500 soldiers
Losses Spain: 83 vessels sunk, destroyed or captured; 1,500 killed, wounded or drowned; 4,000 prisoners. Dutch: light.
Result Dutch victory
A Spanish flotilla tried to reach Willemstad and Hellevoetsluis through the Zeeland waters in order to cut the Dutch Republic in two. After failing to take Tholen, Jan van Nassau tried to slip past the Dutch fleet at night. The Dutch let the flotilla pass and then attacked it from behind in the narrow Slaak; hundreds drowned and the survivors were taken prisoner by Dutch and English troops ashore. Van Nassau escaped to Antwerp with two ships.
Why it is remembered It stopped a Spanish attempt to divide the United Provinces. Frederick Henry forbade a proposal to throw the prisoners into the sea. The battle was painted by Abraham de Verwer.
Sources differ One account gives about 90 Spanish vessels, another account 35 ships and 60 vessels; another account gives 83 vessels lost while one account suggests perhaps a third of the fleet escaped.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Abraham de Verwer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sino-Dutch conflicts
Battle of Liaoluo Bay Fleet battle
Also known as 料羅灣海戰; Liàoluó Wān Hǎizhàn
7 July to 22 October 1633 (decisive action in October) · Liaoluo Bay, Kinmen, Taiwan Strait
Fought between Ming dynasty against the Dutch East India Company and allied Chinese pirates
Commanders Zheng Zhilong (Ming); Hans Putmans (Dutch East India Company) and Liu Xiang (pirates)
Forces About 150 Ming junks, 50 of them large, against 8 Dutch warships and 50 pirate junks
Ships Broeckerhaven, Slooterdijck, Koudekerke, Zalm, Perdam, Zeeburg, Wieringen, Bleiswijk
Losses Dutch: 250 killed and wounded; Koudekerke sunk, Slooterdijck captured and Broeckerhaven set on fire. Ming: unknown.
Result Ming victory
In July 1633 the Dutch under Hans Putmans surprised and burned Zheng Zhilong's new fleet at Amoy. In October Zheng drew the Dutch and their pirate allies into Liaoluo Bay and surrounded them, using large war junks as fireships. The Broeckerhaven was set on fire, the Slooterdijck was boarded and taken and the Koudekerke was boarded and sunk; the rest escaped to Taiwan by sailing close to the wind.
Why it is remembered The largest naval encounter between Chinese and European forces before the Opium Wars. Ming officials called it a miracle at sea, and Putmans gave up his raids on the Chinese coast.
Sources differ One account gives 2 Dutch warships sunk and 1 captured, while another account describes one sunk, one captured and one burned. Some sources say Wieringen was sunk; a third account says she survived and foundered in 1636.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Simon de Vlieger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Capture of Saint Martin (1633) Landing or siege
25 June to 1 July 1633 · Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Lope de Hoces, wounded, and the Marquess of Cadreita (Spain); Jan Claeszoon van Campen, wounded (Dutch Republic)
Forces 24 Spanish men of war and 31 transports with 1,300 men against a Dutch garrison of 140
Losses Dutch: 3 ships captured, 8 killed or wounded. Spain: 26 killed or wounded.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish naval expedition attacked the island of Saint Martin, then held by the Dutch, and took it after about a week.
Why it is remembered The capture stopped Dutch privateers from using the island as a base in the Caribbean. It was painted by Juan de la Corte; the canvas is in the Naval Museum in Madrid.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Attributed to Juan de la Corte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War
Capture of Tortuga Landing or siege
21 to 23 January 1635 · Tortuga, off northern Hispaniola (present day Haiti)
Fought between Spain (Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico) against English, French and buccaneer settlers
Commanders Ruy Fernández de Fuenmayor, with Francisco Turrillo de Yebra (Spain); Philip Bell and Christopher Wormeley (settlers)
Forces 4 Spanish warships with 200 armed men and 50 sailors against 150 to 600 settler men and 6 merchant frigates, with pataches and small craft
Losses Spain: 2 killed, 4 wounded, some drowned. Settlers: 196 killed, 39 captured, 2 frigates and 1 patache burnt, the fort taken and the settlement burned.
Result Spanish victory
Told by a defector of a thriving but poorly defended settlement on Tortuga, Santo Domingo sent 250 men in four warships under Ruy Fernández de Fuenmayor. They captured the port, burned the settlement and drove out almost all the colonists, after summarily executing hundreds of them.
Why it is remembered No garrison was left, and the island was soon resettled by French pirates, becoming a pirate stronghold from the late 1630s. The raid is seen as a precursor to the Franco-Spanish War of 1635.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Elmina (1637) Landing or siege
Also known as Batalha da Mina (1637); Schlacht um Elmina 1637
24 to 29 August 1637 · Elmina, Gold Coast, present day Ghana
Fought between Dutch West India Company against Portugal
Commanders Hans Coine (Dutch West India Company); Portuguese governor not named
Forces 9 Dutch ships with 500 seamen and 800 soldiers against 30 Portuguese soldiers and 1,000 African allies
Losses Four companies of Dutch fusiliers were destroyed in the first attack on the hill of St Jago; other losses not stated.
Result Dutch victory
The Dutch West India Company sent nine ships from Brazil against Elmina. Colonel Hans Coine landed near Cape Coast and moved 800 soldiers by canoe down the Sweet River. After hard fighting the Dutch took the hill of St Jago overlooking the fort and bombarded it; as grenadiers prepared to attack, the Portuguese asked to surrender.
Why it is remembered The Dutch took the castle of São Jorge da Mina, a historic Portuguese stronghold. The garrison was allowed to leave for São Tomé.
Sources differ One account says the Dutch landed on 24 July; another account gives 24 to 29 August 1637. One account gives 1,300 men in total, another account 500 seamen and 800 soldiers.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johannes Vingboons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle off Lizard Point Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla de Lizard Point; Slag bij Lizard Point
18 February 1637 · Off Lizard Point, Cornwall
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Miguel de Horna (Spain)
Forces 6 Spanish galleons and 2 frigates against 6 Dutch men of war escorting 44 merchant ships
Losses Dutch: 3 warships sunk, 3 warships captured and 14 merchant ships captured. Spain: no ships lost.
Result Spanish victory
Miguel de Horna, commander of the Armada of Flanders, intercepted an Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of 44 vessels escorted by six Dutch warships off Cornwall. He sank or captured 20 ships and returned safely to Dunkirk.
Why it is remembered A Spanish raid from Dunkirk that took or sank 20 ships of an escorted convoy in English waters without losing a ship.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Cabañas Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla de Cabañas
31 August to 3 September 1638 · Off Cabañas, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company)
Commanders Carlos de Ibarra, wounded (Spain); Cornelis Jol (Dutch West India Company)
Forces 7 Spanish galleons, 7 pataches and 7 smaller ships against 17 Dutch galleons
Losses Spain: several ships damaged. Dutch: 7 galleons sunk and many crewmen killed.
Result Spanish victory
The Dutch privateer Cornelis Jol tried to capture the Spanish treasure fleet under Carlos de Ibarra off Cabañas in Cuba. After several days of fighting the Dutch fleet withdrew with heavy damage and the treasure fleet escaped.
Why it is remembered The Spanish treasure fleet escaped capture, and the Dutch fleet lost seven galleons.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman campaign to retake Azov from the Cossacks
Battle of the Chushka Spit Fleet battle
Also known as Çoçka Burnu Muharebesi
26 to 28 July 1638 · Chushka Spit (Çoçka Burnu), Kerch Strait, present day Russia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Cossacks
Commanders Piyale Kethüda (Ottoman)
Result Ottoman victory
During the Ottoman expedition to recover the fortress of Azov, the Ottoman fleet under Piyale Kethüda inflicted a heavy defeat on the Cossacks at the Chushka Spit.
Why it is remembered Part of the Ottoman struggle with the Cossacks over Azov in 1638.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: BilinmiyorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War and Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Siege of Fuenterrabía (1638) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Hondarribia
June to 7 September 1638 · Hondarribia (Fuenterrabía), Gipuzkoa, Spain
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Juan Alfonso Enríquez de Cabrera, Admiral of Castile (Spain); Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, Henri de Sourdis and the Duke of Épernon (France)
Forces A French army of 18,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry with 20 to 30 warships and 7,000 sailors against a garrison of 1,300 and a Spanish relief army of 15,000 infantry and 500 cavalry
Losses France: 4,000 dead or wounded and 2,000 captured. Spain: unknown; only 300 people survived in the town.
Result Spanish victory
A French army supported by warships besieged Fuenterrabía for two months and fired 16,000 shells into the walled town, which was almost destroyed but did not surrender. On 7 September a Spanish army under the Admiral of Castile relieved the town and defeated the French.
Why it is remembered The raising of the siege is still celebrated every 8 September with the Alarde parade, and the town received the title of very noble, very loyal, very valiant and always faithful.
Sources differ One account gives a French force of 27,000 men; another account gives 18,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 7,000 sailors.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Artiste inconnu, vers 1638., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Getaria Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Getaria; Seegefecht bei Guetaria
22 August 1638 · Getaria, Bay of Biscay, northern Spain
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Henri de Sourdis and Claude de Launay-Razilly (France); Lope de Hoces (Spain)
Forces 27 French warships and 7 fireships with 5,000 men against 12 to 14 Spanish galleons, 2 Dunkirk privateers and 3 to 14 frigates with 4,000 to 7,000 men
Losses France: no ships lost, 40 dead. Spain: all ships destroyed except one; 3,000 to 4,000 dead.
Result French victory
The French fleet was supporting the siege of Fuenterrabía, which was close to starvation. Lope de Hoces was ordered to draw the French ships away to give a relief force time to arrive. A French force under Henri de Sourdis attacked his squadron at Getaria and destroyed almost all of it, but the siege was lifted in September 1638.
Why it is remembered The first significant victory of the newly formed French Navy, which Richelieu saw as vindication of his investment in it. It was painted by Andries van Eertvelt.
Sources differ Spanish strength is given only as ranges: 3 to 14 frigates and 4,000 to 7,000 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andries van Eertvelt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman campaign to retake Azov from the Cossacks
Battle of Temryuk Fleet battle
Also known as Temrük Muharebesi
19 August 1638 · Temryuk, present day Russia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Cossacks
Commanders Piyale Kethüda (Ottoman)
Result Decisive Ottoman victory
During the Ottoman expedition to recover the fortress of Azov, the Ottoman fleet under Piyale Kethüda decisively defeated the Cossacks at Temryuk.
Why it is remembered It followed the Ottoman success at the Chushka Spit three weeks earlier in the same campaign.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: BilinmiyorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War
Battle of Vado Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Vado; Battle of Genoa (1638)
1 September 1638 · Gulf of Vado, off Genoa
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Marquis de Pont-Courlay (France); Rodrigo Gutierez Velasco, killed (Spain)
Forces 15 French galleys against 15 Spanish galleys
Losses Spain: Admiral Velasco killed. Other losses not stated.
Result French victory
A French galley squadron of fifteen vessels under the Marquis de Pont-Courlay defeated a Spanish squadron of about equal strength in the Gulf of Vado, off Genoa. The Spanish admiral was killed in the fighting.
Why it is remembered Described as the last great galley battle in the Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: User Christophe.moustier on fr.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Valona Raid
Also known as Bataille de Valona
August 1638 · Bay of Valona (Vlorë), Albania
Fought between Republic of Venice against Barbary corsairs of Algiers and Tunis
Commanders Antonio Marino Cappello (Venice); the main account names Ali Bitchin and Raïs Hamidou (Algiers)
Forces 28 Venetian galleys and 2 galleasses against 16 corsair galliots (8 Tunisian and 8 Algerian)
Losses Corsairs: the 16 galliots destroyed. Venice: not stated. Residents of Valona were killed when the town was bombarded.
Result Venetian victory according to one account; another account gives an Algerian victory
After Barbary corsairs raided Calabria and took Venetian merchant ships, Venice sent Antonio Marino Cappello with 28 galleys towards Albania. Eight Tunisian and eight Algerian galliots lay crowded in the port of Valona and were caught by surprise. Cappello attacked and destroyed them, and also bombarded the town, damaging houses and partly destroying a mosque.
Why it is remembered A Venetian strike on a corsair squadron sheltering in an Ottoman port.
Sources differ The French account records an Algerian victory, while its text describes the Venetians destroying the corsair galliots. It also lists Albanian pirates on the Venetian side, which other accounts do not mention.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Action of 18 February 1639 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Dunkirk (1639); Combat de Dunkerque; Zeeslag bij Duinkerke
18 February 1639 · Off Dunkirk
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Maarten Tromp (Dutch Republic); Miguel de Horna (Spain)
Forces 12 Dutch warships against 12 Spanish galleons, 3 pinnaces and 5 transports
Losses Dutch: no ships lost. Spain: 3 ships lost (2 galleons left behind and 1 run aground); at least 600 killed and wounded.
Result Dutch victory
Miguel de Horna tried to take the Dunkirk squadron out to join Oquendo at A Coruña, escorting transports carrying 2,000 Walloon soldiers, in sight of Tromp's blockading squadron. After a four hour battle Horna was forced back into Dunkirk, leaving two galleons behind while another ran aground. Many of Tromp's ships were badly damaged and he had to lift the blockade, so Horna later completed his mission.
Why it is remembered Tromp stopped the sortie, but the damage to his ships ended the blockade and De Horna later completed his mission. It was painted by the circle of Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten.
Sources differ The main account gives Spanish casualties as at least 600 killed and wounded in one place and 1,600 killed or wounded with 250 captured in another; it also gives an unclear figure of 1,700 for the Dutch.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Circle of Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Action of 30 September 1639 Raid
Also known as Azione del 30 settembre 1639
30 September 1639 · Port of Goa, Portuguese India
Fought between Dutch East India Company against Portugal
Commanders Cornelis Simonsz van der Veere (Dutch East India Company); António Teles de Meneses (Portugal), as named for the wider Goa campaign
Forces Dutch ships with 261 guns, 810 sailors and 170 soldiers
Ships Bom Jesus, São Sebastião, São Boaventura
Losses Portugal: the galleons Bom Jesus and São Sebastião captured, the Bom Jesus burned, and the new galleon São Boaventura blown up.
Result Dutch success in this raid
The Dutch admiral Cornelis Simonsz van der Veere raided the port of Goa. The galleons Bom Jesus (74 guns) and São Sebastião (50 guns) were being careened with their guns removed and were taken without a fight. The Bom Jesus was set alight and drifted onto the new galleon São Boaventura, which refused to surrender, caught fire and blew up. Some unarmed Portuguese frigates came up late but were driven off by Dutch boats.
Why it is remembered Part of the Dutch blockade of Goa in 1638 and 1639.
Sources differ The source covers the whole Battle of Goa of 1638 to 1639, recorded as a Portuguese victory; this raid of 1639 itself went in favour of the Dutch.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johannes Vingboons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War and Thirty Years' War
Battle of the Downs Fleet battle
Also known as Zeeslag bij Duins; Batalla de las Dunas (1639)
21 October 1639 · The Downs, between Dover and Deal, English Channel
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Maarten Tromp, Witte de With, Joost Banckert and Johan Evertsen (Dutch Republic); Antonio de Oquendo, Lope de Hoces, killed, and Miguel de Horna (Spain)
Forces 95 Dutch warships against 29 Spanish galleons, 22 galleys and 13 frigates with 6,500 sailors and 8,000 marines, plus 30 transports carrying 9,000 soldiers
Ships Aemilia, Frederik Hendrik, Vlissingen, 't Wapen van Zeeland, Groot Christoffel, Santiago, Santa Teresa, San Jerónimo, San Juan Bautista, San Carlos, San Agustín, Orfeo, San José
Losses Spain: 35 to 40 ships, 5,000 sailors or marines, and 3,000 soldiers captured or interned in England. Dutch: 100 to 1,000 men and 1 to 10 ships.
Result Dutch victory
Olivares sent Oquendo with a large convoy of troops for Flanders and orders to bring the Dutch to battle. After running fights with Tromp in the Channel in September, Oquendo took refuge in the Downs under English neutrality, while most of his troops were ferried to Dunkirk in small frigates. On 21 October the Dutch attacked with fireships; the Santa Teresa, commanded by Lope de Hoces, was destroyed by a fireship, and the Spanish lost about ten ships captured or destroyed while about twelve more ran themselves ashore. Oquendo escaped in fog with about ten ships, most of them Dunkirkers.
Why it is remembered It ended Spanish attempts to challenge Dutch control of the sea lanes and is said to be the first major action fought in line of battle. It was painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger in 1659.
Sources differ Losses vary widely by source: Spanish ship losses from about 40 (De Boer) to 43 (Quintella), Spanish dead from 5,000 to 7,000, and Dutch losses from one ship and about a hundred dead (Dutch sources) to 10 ships (d'Estrades).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Fight in the Channel Convoy battle
Also known as Azione del 18 settembre 1639
16 to 17 September 1639 · Off Calais, English Channel
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Maarten Tromp, with Witte de With and Joost Banckert (Dutch Republic); Antonio de Oquendo (Spain)
Forces 17 Dutch ships with 500 guns on the first day and 29 on the second, against 67 Spanish ships with 2,500 guns (40 to 45 men of war and 40 to 50 transports carrying some 13,000 soldiers)
Losses Dutch: 1 ship exploded. Spain: 1 ship captured and severe damage to the galleons.
Result Inconclusive
Tromp with 12 ships found Oquendo's fleet carrying troops to Dunkirk and waited for De With with five more before attacking. Despite the odds the Dutch gained the upper hand in a running fight that lasted into the night. Banckert arrived with 12 more ships the next day and the fighting went on until the Dutch ran out of gunpowder, when Oquendo retired to the Downs.
Why it is remembered It drove Oquendo into the Downs, where he was decisively defeated a month later.
Sources differ One account dates the fighting to 16 and 17 September 1639; the Italian account title and a period illustration refer to 18 September 1639.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Santoña Bay Landing or siege
Also known as Batalla de la Bahía de Santoña
14 to 27 August 1639 · Santoña Bay and Laredo, Cantabria, northern Spain
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis, Archbishop of Bordeaux (France)
Forces A French fleet of 189 vessels supported by 12,000 men
Ships Nuestra Señora de la Concepción
Losses Spain: a new, fully equipped royal galleon captured and the galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepción destroyed by her own crew; the towns of Santoña and Laredo sacked.
Result French victory
A French fleet under Henri de Sourdis landed on the Cantabrian coast and sacked and laid waste to the fishing towns of Santoña and Laredo. The French captured a new Spanish royal galleon, and the crew of a second, the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, destroyed her to prevent her capture.
Why it is remembered The wreck of the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción still lies where she sank.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War (Dutch invasions of Brazil)
Action of 12 to 17 January 1640 Fleet battle
Also known as Slag bij Pernambuco; Azione del 12-17 gennaio 1640
12 to 17 January 1640 · Off Itamaracá, Pernambuco, Brazil
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company) against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Willem Loos, killed (Dutch West India Company); Fernando de Mascarenhas (Spain and Portugal)
Forces About 40 Dutch ships (the main account gives 30 warships and supply ships, 10 small vessels, 2,800 men) against about 80 Spanish and Portuguese vessels (the main account gives 30 galleons, 34 armed transports and 13 small vessels)
Losses Spain and Portugal: 2 vessels. Dutch: 1 vessel; Willem Loos killed.
Result Dutch victory
A Spanish and Portuguese fleet under Fernando de Mascarenhas tried to land reinforcements to support the Portuguese militia besieging Recife. On 12 January it was intercepted by a Dutch force under Willem Loos. The battle went on, with breaks, until the evening of 17 January, when the Spanish and Portuguese fleet withdrew to the north.
Why it is remembered The main account on the Battle of the Downs counts this repulse, together with the Downs, as the end of Spanish attempts to challenge Dutch supremacy at sea.
Sources differ One account puts the troops carried at about 5,000; another account gives 10,000 to 15,000 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Peter Schenk the Elder / After Frans Post, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Cádiz (1640) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille de Cadix (1640); Batalla de Cádiz (1640)
21 July 1640 · Off Cádiz, south west Spain
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé (France); Jerónimo Gómez de Sandoval (Spain)
Forces 24 French galleons and 12 fireships against 10 Spanish galleons and 1 patache
Losses Spain: 1 galleon burned and 1 patache sunk. France: unknown.
Result French victory
A French squadron under Maillé-Brézé attacked a Spanish convoy arriving from the Americas just off Cádiz, attacking it from both sides. The Spanish lost a galleon and a small vessel, but the convoy completed its voyage and delivered most of its cargo, including its silver.
Why it is remembered Noted for Maillé-Brézé's tactic of attacking the convoy from both sides at once.
Sources differ The main account marks the date as Julian calendar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Anonyme, école française du XVIIIème siècle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Christianshavn Incident Single-ship action
Also known as Skirmish at Santa Cruz; Christianshavnhændelsen; Træfningen ved Santa Cruz
5 March 1640 · Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands
Fought between Spain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Spanish captain and commander unknown; Willem Leyel, surrendered, and Carsten Ludvigsen (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 1 Spanish ship and the guns of the San Cristóbal garrison against 1 Danish ship with 22 men
Ships Christianshavn
Losses Spain: none. Denmark-Norway: the Christianshavn damaged and confiscated.
Result Spanish victory
In a minor skirmish near Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Danish ship Christianshavn was badly damaged by Spanish forces. The Danes had to retreat into the harbour, where they were detained and the ship confiscated.
Why it is remembered A minor incident between Denmark and Spain involving Willem Leyel, later governor of Tranquebar.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Cape St Vincent (1641) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Saint-Vincent (1641); Batalla del Cabo de San Vicente (1641)
4 November 1641 · Near Cape St Vincent, Portugal
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Juan Alonso de Idiáquez y Robles (Spain); Artus Gijsels (Dutch Republic)
Forces 24 Spanish warships (9 galleons, 10 Dunkirk men of war, 4 frigates, 1 caravel) against 20 Dutch warships
Losses Dutch: 2 ships sunk, 100 to 200 killed or wounded. Spain: 2 ships sunk, about 1,100 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A Spanish fleet under Juan Alonso de Idiáquez intercepted a Dutch fleet under Artus Gijsels near Cape St Vincent. After a hard fight each side had lost two ships. The damaged Dutch fleet had to give up its planned attack on the Spanish treasure fleet.
Why it is remembered It stopped a Dutch attempt on the Spanish treasure fleet. It was painted by Carel Christiaan Antony Last.
Sources differ One account says the Dutch claimed only about a hundred killed and that the Spanish had over a thousand dead; another account gives 100 to 200 Dutch and 1,100 Spanish killed or wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carel Christiaan Anthony Last, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Bandeirante raids on the Jesuit missions
Battle of Mbororé Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Mbororé
11 to 16 March 1641 · Mouth of the Mbororé stream on the Uruguay River, near Panambí, Misiones, Argentina
Fought between Guaraní of the Jesuit missions against bandeirantes from São Paulo with Tupí auxiliaries
Commanders Nicolás Ñeenguirú, with captains Ignacio Abiarú, Francisco Mbayroba and Arazay, and Father Romero (Guaraní); Manuel Pires and Jerónimo Pedroso de Barros (bandeirantes)
Forces About 4,000 to 4,200 Guaraní with about 300 firearms, a cannon, armed canoes and rafts; 450 bandeirantes and 2,700 native auxiliaries in about 300 to 700 canoes and rafts
Losses Guaraní: unknown. Bandeirantes: heavy; only a few of the expedition are said to have returned to São Paulo.
Result Decisive Guaraní victory
The bandeira came down the Uruguay River in canoes and rafts and on 11 March 1641 met the Guaraní canoes and their cannon at the mouth of the Mbororé. The Guaraní quickly gained the upper hand, and the raiders who got ashore fortified themselves at Acaraguá. For several days the Guaraní bombarded the stockade from land and river; when the bandeirantes tried to escape upriver on 16 March they were cut off and pursued with heavy losses.
Why it is remembered It stopped the slave raids of the bandeirantes on the Jesuit missions between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers and led the Viceroy of Peru to allow the Jesuits to raise their own militias in 1649.
Sources differ Guaraní strength 4,000 or 4,200. Bandeirante canoes 300, 700 or up to 900; Tupí auxiliaries 2,700 in one account but 600 to 6,000 elsewhere. The English account does not describe the river fighting; the Spanish account does.
Sources Wikipedia (ES) · Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659) and Catalan Revolt
Battle of Tarragona (August 1641) Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Tarragona; Segunda batalla de Tarragona
20 to 25 August 1641 · Off Tarragona, Catalonia
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders The Duke of Fernandina and the Duke of Maqueda (Spain); Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis (France)
Forces 30 to 35 Spanish galleons and frigates, 29 galleys and 65 transports against 26 French galleons, 19 galleys, 8 brigantines and 4 fireships
Losses France: severe losses of men and damage to ships; 1 fireship captured. Spain: minor.
Result Spanish victory
Tarragona was besieged by land by a Franco-Catalan army and blockaded from the sea by Sourdis. A Spanish fleet under the Dukes of Fernandina and Maqueda broke the blockade and forced the French fleet to retire. With a relief force arriving by land, the Franco-Catalan army raised the siege and fell back to Valls.
Why it is remembered It saved Tarragona for Spain. Richelieu dismissed Sourdis, and Olivares also dismissed and imprisoned the victor, Fernandina, for failing to destroy the French fleet; Fernandina was restored after Olivares fell in 1643.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Barcelona (1642) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Barcelone; Seegefecht bei Barcelona (1642)
29 June to 3 July 1642 · Off Barcelona, Catalonia
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé (France); Juan Alonso Idiáquez, Duke of Ciudad Real (Spain)
Forces 44 French sailing vessels, 17 galleys and 14 fireships against 36 Spanish sailing vessels, 10 galleys, 6 fireships and 35 barcos longos
Ships Galion de Guise
Losses France: 800 killed and wounded; the Galion de Guise destroyed. Spain: 1,600 killed, wounded and captured; 2 galleons destroyed and 1 captured.
Result French victory
A Spanish fleet trying to relieve isolated Spanish garrisons on the Catalan coast was met by Maillé-Brézé's French fleet off Barcelona. In a three day battle the French, using many fireships, forced the Spanish to retreat to Majorca for repairs. The large French vice flagship Galion de Guise was caught by one of her own side's fireships and went down in flames.
Why it is remembered Its main effect was the fall of Perpignan to the Franco-Catalan army. Probable remains of a French ship from the battle were found near Sitges in 2015.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Capture of Den Bengalske Prise Blockade and raiding
Also known as Capture of the Bengali Prize
Late 1642 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between Danish India against the Mughal Empire (Bengal Subah)
Commanders Bernt Pessart (Danish India)
Forces 2 Danish yachts against 1 Bengali ship
Ships Fortuna, Valby, Den Bengalske Prise
Losses Bengal: 1 ship captured. Denmark: unknown.
Result Danish victory
After Bernt Pessart, governor of Tranquebar, declared war on the Mughal Empire, two Danish yachts, the Fortuna and the Valby, were sent to Bengal to take prizes. They captured a large and valuable sampan, which was renamed Den Bengalske Prise and taken into the Danish fleet in India.
Why it is remembered Taken soon after Bernt Pessart declared war on the Mughal Empire; the prize joined the Danish fleet in India.
Sources differ The Danish historian Kay Larsen noted that the capture may have taken place in early 1643.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francois Balthasar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First English Civil War
Siege of Portsmouth Landing or siege
10 August to 7 September 1642 · Portsmouth, Hampshire
Fought between Parliamentarians against Royalists
Commanders Sir William Waller and John Urry (Parliament); Lord Goring (Royalists)
Forces 400 to 800 Parliamentarians with at least 2 guns and 7 ships against 500 Royalists and 1 ship
Losses Royalists: unknown; 1 ship captured. Parliamentarians: unknown.
Result Parliamentarian victory
A Parliamentarian force, supported by seven ships, besieged the Royalist garrison of Portsmouth early in the First English Civil War. The town fell to Parliament after a little under a month.
Why it is remembered Portsmouth passed to Parliament in the opening weeks of the First English Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francis Grose (b. before 11 June 1731, 12 June 1791), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War (Franco-Spanish War)
Battle of Cartagena (1643) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Carthagène (1643); Batalla de Cartagena (1643)
3 September 1643 · Off Cabo de Gata, near Cartagena, Spain
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé (France); Martín Carlos de Mencos and Joos Petersen (Spain)
Forces 20 French galleons, 2 frigates and 12 fireships against 29 Spanish galleons and 14 galleys
Losses France: low. Spain: 2 galleons sunk and 2 captured, and 8 more ships later sank in Cartagena beyond repair (the main account gives 3 ships).
Result French victory
Maillé-Brézé sailed south to seek out the Spanish fleet, made up of Dunkirkers under Joos Petersen, ships from Naples and a squadron under Martín Carlos de Mencos. At 7 in the morning on 3 September he attacked with a favourable wind and scattered them, sinking two galleons and taking two more. The rest retreated into Cartagena, where eight more ships were beyond repair and sank.
Why it is remembered No Spanish ship left Cartagena for more than a year, cutting trade between Spain and Italy. It was painted by Théodore Gudin in 1844.
Sources differ One account gives 2 galleons sunk, 2 captured and 8 more sunk in port; another account gives Spanish losses as 3 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Trịnh-Nguyễn War
Battle of the Gianh River (1643) Fleet battle
7 July 1643 · Mouth of the Gianh River, Ba Đồn, Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam
Fought between Nguyễn lords of Đàng Trong against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Nguyễn Phúc Tần (Nguyễn); Pieter Baeck, killed, and Jan Erntsen, killed (Dutch East India Company)
Forces 50 to 60 Nguyễn junks against 3 Dutch ships
Losses Dutch: 100 dead, 7 captured, 2 ships sunk. Nguyễn: 7 junks sunk or damaged, 800 dead.
Result Nguyễn victory
The Dutch fleet was working with the northern lord Trịnh Tráng to attack the Nguyễn in the south. A Nguyễn fleet under prince Nguyễn Phúc Tần pursued the three Dutch ships and engaged them at the mouth of the Gianh River. Two Dutch ships were sunk and both Dutch commanders were killed.
Why it is remembered A defeat of a European squadron by a Vietnamese fleet of junks.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Skirmish off Narsapur Blockade and raiding
Also known as Skirmish of Narsapur Road
14 December 1643 · Narsapur Road, Golconda (present day Narasapuram, India)
Fought between Danish India against the Mughal Empire (Bengal Subah)
Commanders Willem Leyel (Danish India); Jadche Jadgar, surrendered (Bengal)
Forces 2 Danish ships with some guns and 140 men against 1 Bengali ship with 9 guns
Ships Valby, Christianshavn
Losses Bengal: 1 ship and its 9 guns taken. Denmark: unknown.
Result Danish victory
When Willem Leyel, governor of Tranquebar, resumed the Dano-Mughal War, two Danish ships were sent to Bengal to take prizes. After a short skirmish at Narsapur Road they captured a large skude, a single decked vessel, which they took to Emeldy in Golconda and sold.
Why it is remembered It marked the renewal of the Dano-Mughal War under Willem Leyel.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francois Balthasar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Torstenson War
Action of 12 June 1644 Single-ship action
12 June 1644 · Off Møn, Denmark
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Rolof Johansson and Cornelius Lucifer (Sweden); Claus Kaas and Lucas Hendriksen (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 2 Swedish ships with 72 guns against 3 Danish warships
Ships Smålands Lejon, Draken, 2 Løver, Svanen
Losses Sweden: 2 killed, 8 wounded, 2 ships damaged. Denmark-Norway: 1 ship damaged.
Result Swedish victory
Clas Fleming sent the Smålands Lejon and the Draken ahead of the Swedish fleet to look for the Danish fleet between Møn and Falsterbo. On the morning of 12 June they met three Danish warships off Møn. After a short bombardment by the Smålands Lejon the smallest Danish ship withdrew, and after eight more hours of fighting the other two withdrew as well; the damaged Swedish ships could not pursue.
Why it is remembered A reconnaissance fight that preceded the Battle of Colberger Heide in the Torstenson War.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Maltese corso
Action of 28 September 1644 Convoy battle
Also known as Azione del 28 settembre 1644
28 September 1644 · Eastern Mediterranean, off Rhodes
Fought between Knights Hospitaller of Malta against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Gabriel de Chambres Boisbaudran, killed, and Nicolás Cotoner (Hospitallers); Ibrahim Çelebi, killed (Ottoman)
Forces 6 Hospitaller galleys with more than 400 men against an Ottoman convoy of 1 galleon and 9 pinks and saiques, with more than 600 people aboard the galleon
Losses Hospitallers: 125 killed and more than 262 wounded. Ottoman: the galleon and 1 saique captured, 1 pink sunk, about 220 killed and 380 people captured.
Result Hospitaller victory
Six Hospitaller galleys under Gabriel de Chambres Boisbaudran attacked an Ottoman convoy of ten sailing ships, including a richly laden galleon under Ibrahim Çelebi. Both commanders were killed. After hours of fighting the Hospitallers took the galleon and 380 people aboard her, among them a woman of the imperial harem and a young boy said to be the favourite and the first born son of Sultan Ibrahim.
Why it is remembered On the way to Malta the Hospitallers called at Venetian Crete, and this was used as a pretext for the long Cretan War between the Ottomans and Venice that began in 1645. It is shown in a 1707 engraving in the Theatrum Europaeum.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Torstenson War
Battle of Colberger Heide Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kolberger Heide; Battle of Colberg Heath; Seeschlacht auf der Kolberger Heide
1 July 1644 · Off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, near Fehmarn, Baltic Sea
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Christian IV, wounded, Jørgen Vind, died of wounds, and Grabow (Denmark-Norway); Klas Fleming, Ulfsparre and Klas Bjelkenstjerna (Sweden)
Forces 40 Dano-Norwegian ships with about 927 guns against 34 Swedish ships with 1,018 guns and 7 fireships
Ships Patientia, Trefoldighed, St Sophia, Scepter, Krona, Göta Ark
Losses Denmark-Norway: 37 killed and 170 wounded. Sweden: 32 killed and 69 wounded. No ships lost on either side.
Result Indecisive; a minor Dano-Norwegian success
A Dano-Norwegian fleet under Jørgen Vind, with King Christian IV aboard, fought a Swedish fleet under Klas Fleming off the Holstein coast. Neither side lost a ship. Christian IV was wounded and lost an eye, and Vind died of his wounds soon after. Afterwards the Danish fleet kept the Swedish fleet shut in Kiel Bay for a time.
Why it is remembered Seen as the last Dano-Norwegian victory over Sweden in the struggle for the Baltic. The king's conduct is shown in a well known painting by Vilhelm Marstrand and recalled in the opening lines of the Danish royal anthem; a medal of 1715 commemorates it.
Sources differ Historians differ: some call it a Dano-Norwegian victory, others inconclusive, and both sides claimed victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Vilhelm Nikolai Marstrand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Capture of Den Lille Elefant Blockade and raiding
Also known as Capture of The Little Elephant
February 1644 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between Danish India against the Mughal Empire (Bengal Subah)
Commanders Willem Leyel and Hans Knudsen (Danish India)
Forces 1 Danish frigate against 1 large Bengali ship
Ships Christianshavn, Den Lille Elefant
Losses Bengal: 1 ship captured.
Result Danish victory
After the capture off Narsapur, another Danish expedition was sent to Bengal. The Danish frigate Christianshavn captured a large Bengali ship, which was taken to Corengy and taken into the Danish fleet in India as Den Lille Elefant.
Why it is remembered One of the Bengali vessels taken into Danish service during the Dano-Mughal War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francois Balthasar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Torstenson War
Battle of Fehmarn (1644) Fleet battle
Also known as Sjöslaget vid Femern 1644; Seeschlacht bei Fehmarn (1644)
13 October 1644 · North west of the island of Fehmarn, Baltic Sea
Fought between Sweden, with hired Dutch ships, against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Carl Gustaf Wrangel and Mårten Anckarhielm (Sweden); Pros Mund, killed, Corfits Ulfeldt, Benjamin Grabov and von Jasmund, captured (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 16 Swedish ships with 392 guns and 21 hired Dutch ships with 483 guns against 17 Danish ships with 448 guns
Ships Patentia, Tre Løver, Oldenborg, Lindormen, Delmenhorst, Højenhald, Pelikanen, Lammet, Smålands Lejon, Regina, Göteborg, Meerman, Swarte Arent
Losses Denmark-Norway: 10 ships captured and 2 wrecked, about 100 dead and 1,000 captured. Sweden: 59 dead, 2 fireships expended and 1 hired Dutch ship sunk.
Result Swedish victory
The fleets engaged around ten in the morning. The Danish flagship Patentia was boarded by the Swedish Regina and Göteborg and taken, and Admiral Pros Mund was killed. Smaller Danish ships fled and were chased by the Dutch, while others were captured, run aground or destroyed by fireships; only the Pelikanen and Lammet reached Copenhagen. The Swedish flagship Smålands Lejon was badly damaged and withdrew early.
Why it is remembered Called one of the greatest victories of the Swedish navy. The naval dominance it gave Sweden helped bring about the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645.
Sources differ The main account is inconsistent on the fate of some ships: the Delmenhorst is described as exploding in the battle account but as captured in the ship list, and the loss of the Swarte Arent is told in two different ways.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Torstenson War
Battle of Listerdyb Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 16 May 1644; Seeschlacht im Lister Tief; Sjöslaget vid Lister Dyb
16 May 1644 · List Deep, between Sylt and Rømø, off Jutland, North Sea
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden (with hired Dutch ships)
Commanders Christian IV (Denmark-Norway); Maerten Thijssen and Hendrik Gerritsen (Dutch ships for Sweden)
Forces 9 Danish warships against 26 smaller Dutch ships leased to Sweden
Result Dano-Norwegian victory
Nine Danish ships under King Christian IV forced 26 smaller Dutch ships hired by Sweden, in two groups of 13 under Maerten Thijssen and Hendrik Gerritsen, to retreat back into the List Deep. Four more Dutch ships appeared during the battle but took no part.
Why it is remembered A Danish success with King Christian IV in personal command, against a much larger number of hired Dutch ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First English Civil War
Siege of Lyme Regis Landing or siege
20 April to 16 June 1644 · Lyme Regis, Dorset
Fought between Royalists against Parliamentarians
Commanders Prince Maurice (Royalists); Thomas Ceeley and Robert Blake (Parliamentarians)
Forces Royalists: 2,500 to 6,000 troops. Parliamentarians: 500 to 1,000 troops, 240 reinforcements, about 900 seamen and civilians
Losses Royalists: over 2,000. Parliamentarians: about 120
Result Parliamentarian victory
Lyme Regis lay on the shipping route between Bristol and the Channel and was held for Parliament, its land side protected by earthworks and four forts built under Robert Blake. Prince Maurice laid siege on 20 April, bombarded the town and tried three times to storm it. The town was regularly supplied and reinforced by sea, and on 14 June Maurice withdrew as a relieving army under the Earl of Essex approached.
Why it is remembered Regular supply and reinforcement by sea weakened the siege, and the Parliamentarian port held.
Sources differ Royalist strength is given as 2,500 to 6,000 in one account; another account says Maurice brought around 4,000 troops.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Action off Pipli River Blockade and raiding
21 January 1644 · Mouth of the Pipli River (present day Subarnarekha), Bengal
Fought between Danish India against the Mughal Empire (Bengal Subah)
Commanders Willem Leyel (Danish India); Abdul Gany, captured (Bengal)
Forces 1 Danish yacht against 1 Bengali ship
Ships Valby
Losses Bengal: 1 ship captured, with 19 enslaved people aboard taken.
Result Danish victory
After the capture off Narsapur, another Danish expedition went to Bengal. At the mouth of the Pipli River the Danish yacht Valby captured a small ship, which was taken to Emeldy in Golconda and sold.
Why it is remembered One of the Danish prize captures of the Dano-Mughal War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francois Balthasar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Attack on Saint Martin Landing or siege
Also known as Ataque a San Martín
20 March to 17 April 1644 · Fort Amsterdam, Sint Maarten, Caribbean
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Governor Diego Guajardo Fajardo (Spain); Peter Stuyvesant, wounded (Dutch Republic)
Forces 8 Dutch ships with 400 to 600 men against 120 Spanish defenders
Losses Dutch: hundreds of men; Stuyvesant's leg shattered by a cannonball and amputated.
Result Spanish victory
The Dutch tried to retake Saint Martin, a former base of the Dutch West India Company that Spain had seized in 1633. Peter Stuyvesant besieged Fort Amsterdam without success and had to withdraw with the loss of hundreds of men. A Spanish cannonball shattered his leg, which had to be amputated.
Why it is remembered Stuyvesant, later governor of New Amsterdam, lost his leg here. The Spanish left the island in 1648 when the Eighty Years' War ended.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Conflict between Willem Leyel and Bernt Pessart
Skirmish at the Strait of Malacca Single-ship action
Also known as Træfningen ved Malakkastrædet
1644 · Strait of Malacca
Fought between Dutch Malacca against Danish India (Bernt Pessart)
Commanders Unnamed Dutch mate, wounded (Dutch Malacca); Bernt Pessart, captured, Michel Evertsen and Peter Sivart, killed (Danish)
Forces 1 Dutch boat against 1 Danish ship
Ships Dend gode Haab
Losses Danish: 36 imprisoned; the ship confiscated. Dutch: unknown.
Result Dutch victory
Bernt Pessart, who claimed to be governor of Tranquebar, clashed with the authorities of Dutch Malacca. All of his crew were imprisoned or killed and his ship, Dend gode Haab, was confiscated. Pessart and his men were later released and worked with the Dutch to spy on the Spanish in Manila.
Why it is remembered An episode in the dispute over the governorship of Danish Tranquebar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Schouten, Wouter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Capture of the St. Michael Blockade and raiding
Also known as Seizure of St. Michael; Kapre af St. Michael
29 September 1644 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between Danish India against the Bengal Subah
Commanders Willem Leyel (Danish India); an unnamed nakoda (Bengal)
Forces 1 Danish ship against 1 Bengali ship and 1 boat
Ships Fortuna, St. Michael
Losses Bengal: 1 ship captured.
Result Danish victory
The Danish ship Fortuna seized a Bengali ship in the Bay of Bengal. The prize was taken into the Danish navy and named St. Michael.
Why it is remembered One of several Bengali vessels taken into Danish service during the Dano-Mughal War.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War (Insurrection of Pernambuco)
Action at Tamanana Fleet battle
Also known as Action at Tamandaré; Porta Tamandere
9 September 1645 · Bay of Tamandaré, Pernambuco, Brazil
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company) against Portugal
Forces 8 Dutch ships, according to a 1671 print, against the Portuguese fleet at anchor
Ships Utrecht, Eenhoorn, Ree (Gouden Ree), Overijssel, Zeelandia, Ter Veere, Leyden, Zoutelandia
Result Dutch victory
A Portuguese fleet trying to enter the bay of Tamandaré, or lying at anchor there, was attacked by a Dutch fleet and badly beaten. A print of 1671 names the eight Dutch ships, with the Utrecht as flagship. Some Portuguese who escaped left an account of the battle.
Why it is remembered A Dutch naval success in the first months of the Pernambuco insurrection, recorded in a 1671 engraving now at Royal Museums Greenwich.
Sources differ The only account found, in the history of the Insurrection of Pernambuco, mentions the action in one sentence. Commanders and losses could not be confirmed.
Sources Wikipedia · Royal Museums Greenwich
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Action of 26 May 1646 Fleet battle
Also known as Bozcaada Deniz Muharebesi (1646)
26 May 1646 · Mouth of the Dardanelles
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Tommaso Morosini (Venice); Kapudan Pasha Kara Musa Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 7 of Morosini's 28 Venetian sailing ships against 75 Ottoman galleys and 5 galleasses
Losses Ottoman: several ships damaged, none lost, although some accounts say ships that reached Chios had to be abandoned. Venice: not stated.
Result Venetian success; the Ottoman fleet withdrew
The Venetians were blockading the Dardanelles to stop supplies reaching Crete and Constantinople. The Ottoman fleet came out to break the blockade while much of the Venetian fleet was dispersed at Imbros. After seven hours of fighting the Ottomans withdrew into the strait, apart from a few galleys that got through to Chios. On 4 June, in a calm, sixty Ottoman galleys broke out towing four galleasses and went on to carry 20,000 troops to Crete.
Why it is remembered A Venetian success that did not stop the Ottomans from breaking out and reinforcing Crete days later; Morosini had asked Venice for galleys and received none.
Sources differ Most accounts say no Ottoman ships were lost; some suggest the galleys that reached Chios were abandoned because of their damage.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of Chania (1646) Raid
14 August 1646 · Port of Chania, Crete
Fought between Republic of Venice and allies against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Giovanni Cappello (Venice)
Result Venetian attack failed
The fleet of Venice and her allies under Giovanni Cappello tried to destroy the Ottoman ships at anchor in the port of Chania. The attack failed because the Venetians could not get through the harbour defences.
Why it is remembered A failed attempt to destroy the Ottoman fleet supporting the invasion of Crete.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War and Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Orbetello Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Isola del Giglio; Bataille d'Orbetello
14 to 16 June 1646 · Off Orbetello, Tuscany
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Miguel de Noronha, Count of Linhares (Spain); Armand de Maillé, Marquis of Brézé, killed (France)
Forces 22 Spanish sailing ships, 30 galleys and 5 fireships against 24 French sailing ships, 20 galleys, 8 fireships and 4 fluyts
Losses France: 1 fireship exploded; Admiral Brézé killed. Spain: 1 frigate scuttled.
Result Spanish victory according to one account; another account calls the fight inconclusive
A Spanish fleet under the Count of Linhares came to break the French blockade of Orbetello, besieged by a French army since 12 May. In a light breeze the sailing ships were towed into action by galleys. After a hard but inconclusive fight in which Brézé was killed, the French fleet withdrew to Toulon. The Spanish did not follow up, and the siege was raised on 24 July by a Spanish army from Naples.
Why it is remembered Tactically unusual, as sailing ships were towed into battle by galleys. It cost France the admiral Maillé-Brézé.
Sources differ One account gives a Spanish victory; another account describes the fight as inconclusive.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Matthäus Merian (1593 to 1650), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Battle of Balasore Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Balasore
26 December 1647 · Balasore, Bengal (present day Odisha, India)
Fought between Danish India against the Bengal Subah and the English East India Company, with Dutch involvement
Commanders Willem Leyel and Christen Clausen (Danish India); Malik Beg and the local nawab (Bengal); Richard Hudson (English East India Company)
Forces 5 Danish ships against several Bengali ships with 16 guns and 1,000 men, more than 13 English ships, and 2 Dutch ships with 60 men
Ships Christianshavn, The Bengali Prize
Losses Danish: none. Bengal: 1 ship and 8 elephants. English: 9 to 12 ships, as the main account states.
Result Unclear; the main account refers to the aftermath
Bengali and English ships confronted Danish ships at Balasore. When the English failed to persuade the Danes, the Bengalis began attacking the English vessel, and the English were rescued by the Dutch.
Why it is remembered A confused clash in the Dano-Mughal War involving Danish, Bengali, English and Dutch ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of Makronisos Fleet battle
Also known as Bibercik Deniz Muharebesi
27 January 1647 · Off the island of Makronisos (Bibercik), south of Euboea, Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Koca Musa Pasha, killed (Ottoman); Tommaso Morosini, killed (Venice)
Losses Both commanders killed.
The Ottoman fleet under Koca Musa Pasha and the Venetian fleet under Tommaso Morosini fought off the island of Bibercik, south of Euboea. Both commanders were killed in the battle.
Why it is remembered Remembered for the deaths of both fleet commanders.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: Konrad Grünenberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Puerto de Cavite Raid
Also known as La Batalla del Puerto de Cavite; Labanan sa Puerto ng Cavite
10 June 1647 · Puerto de Cavite, Manila Bay, Philippines
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Forces 12 Dutch ships against several local ships and the shore defences
Losses Dutch: 2 ships, including the flagship. Spain: unknown; the stone fort of Porta Vaga destroyed.
Result Spanish victory
Twelve Dutch ships attacked Cavite, home port of the Manila galleons. Spanish and Filipino defenders sank the Dutch flagship with artillery fire and the Dutch withdrew.
Why it is remembered It kept the Manila galleon port in Spanish hands; the Dutch went on harassing Manila Bay until the war ended in 1648.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · English Civil War
Skirmish at the Isle of Wight Single-ship action
Also known as Skärmytsling vid Isle of Wight
1 May 1647 · Off the Isle of Wight
Fought between Sweden against England
Commanders Mårten Anckarhielm (Sweden); Richard Owen (England)
Forces 5 Swedish warships and 10 merchant ships against 2 English warships and 2 merchant ships
Losses England: 8 killed, 1 warship damaged. Sweden: unknown; one warship later taken.
Result Swedish ships escaped; one was later seized by the English
Swedish and English warships fought a brief skirmish off the Isle of Wight. The Swedes outran their English pursuers, but one Swedish warship was later found at anchor at Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken by the English into the Downs on 3 May.
Why it is remembered A minor clash between Swedish and English warships in the Channel during the English Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Rowlandson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of Focchies Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Foça; Battaglia di Focea; Foça Deniz Muharebesi
12 May 1649 · Harbour of Focchies (Foça), near Smyrna, Aegean Sea
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Giacomo da Riva (Venice); Mehmed Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 19 Venetian warships, including hired English and Dutch armed merchantmen, against 11 Ottoman warships, 10 galleasses and 72 galleys
Losses Venice: 105 killed and wounded, 1 warship destroyed. Ottoman: 9 warships, 3 galleasses and 2 galleys destroyed; 1 warship, 1 galleass and 1 galley captured; casualties unknown.
Result Venetian victory
Giacomo da Riva, reinforced with hired English and Dutch armed merchantmen, sailed against the Ottoman fleet in the harbour of Focchies to stop it reaching Crete. The Ottomans placed ten galleasses across the harbour entrance, but the Venetians broke through and fought for four hours, overwhelming the Ottoman ships with superior firepower.
Why it is remembered A crushing Venetian victory, though not a complete one: Ottoman ships still reached Crete, which fell two decades later. It was painted by Abraham Beerstraaten in 1656.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Abraham Beerstraaten, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Action of 23 November 1650 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat de Tortosa; Batalla de Cambrils (1650)
23 November 1650 · Off Cambrils, Catalonia
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, Duke of Alburquerque (Spain); Baron de Ligny, captured (France)
Forces 6 Spanish galleys with 30 guns in all against 4 French galleons with 86 guns and 500 extra musketeers
Losses France: all 4 galleons and their crews captured, 500 soldiers taken prisoner, 4 guns taken. Spain: minimal.
Result Spanish victory
A small Spanish squadron of six galleys under the Duke of Alburquerque attacked a French squadron of four galleons under the Baron de Ligny near Cambrils and captured all of them.
Why it is remembered Described as almost unique in naval history: six galleys with 30 guns defeated four galleons with 86 guns.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Third English Civil War
Battle of Cartagena (1650) Raid
Also known as Batalla de Cartagena (1650); destruction of Prince Rupert's ships at Cartagena
14 to 16 November 1650 · Port of Cartagena and the nearby bay of Portmán, south east Spain
Fought between Commonwealth of England against the English Royalists
Commanders Admiral Robert Blake (Commonwealth); the Royalist ships belonged to Prince Rupert's squadron
Forces Four Royalist warships, towing two captured and badly damaged merchantmen, plus a fifth ship, the Black Prince; against Blake's Parliamentary squadron, of unknown strength
Ships Black Prince (El Príncipe Negro)
Losses Royalists: all their ships in the port were lost, and the Black Prince was set on fire in a first encounter and beached at Portmán, her crew escaping ashore. Casualties are not recorded in the Cartagena council minutes.
Result Parliamentary victory; the Royalist ships were destroyed in a neutral Spanish port
On the night of 14 November 1650 the castle of La Concepción gave the alarm as four unknown warships entered Cartagena and anchored: they were Royalist ships coming from Lisbon and pursued by a Parliamentary squadron, two of whose ships soon appeared at the harbour mouth. The city council declared the Royalists under the King of Spain's protection and sent to Madrid for orders, while Blake wrote demanding that they be expelled or that he be allowed in to attack, and gave his word as a gentleman not to attack them by surprise. On 16 November the Parliamentary ships nevertheless destroyed the Royalist ships inside the harbour, and the council sent home the militia companies coming from Murcia because the ships had 'dado al través'.
Why it is remembered Shortly afterwards Philip IV ordered that Rupert's ships be refused entry to all Spanish ports, after an earlier Royalist attack on Parliamentary ships under the Spanish guns at Vélez-Málaga. Powder salvaged from the wrecks was used for Cartagena's gun salutes until 1652.
Sources differ The council minutes later refer to the ships 'lost in this port last year of 1651', a year the author of the study regards as an error. He also notes that Cesáreo Fernández Duro gave a different and much shorter version of events.
Sources Wikidata · archivo.cartagena.es
Image: Follower of William Dobson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Action of 10 July 1651 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Paros; Bataille de Paros; Nakşe Deniz Muharebesi
10 July 1651 · Between Paros and Naxos, Cyclades, Aegean Sea
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Alvise I Mocenigo (Venice); Hüsambeyzade Ali Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 28 Venetian sailing ships, 24 galleys and 6 galleasses against 55 Ottoman sailing ships, 53 galleys and 6 maonas
Losses Ottoman: 5 sailing ships destroyed, 10 sailing ships and 1 maona captured, 965 prisoners. Venice: unknown.
Result Venetian victory
After minor fighting on 8 July, the Venetian and Ottoman fleets fought between Paros and Naxos on 10 July. The Venetians won, taking ten sailing ships and many prisoners.
Why it is remembered A Venetian victory in the Cretan War that did not prove decisive.
Sources differ One account places the battle between Paros and Naxos; another account says off Patmos and Naxos.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unidentified engraver, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Stockholm incident Blockade and raiding
July 1651 · English Channel
Fought between English privateers against Sweden
Commanders Sybraut Jellis, wounded (Sweden)
Forces 2 English privateer ships against 1 Swedish ship
Ships Stockholm, Jonsco Frigot, Phoenix
Losses Sweden: 1 killed, several wounded; the ship surrendered.
Result English victory
The Swedish ship Stockholm, returning from Portugal, was attacked in the Channel by the English privateer man of war Jonsco Frigot. When the Phoenix arrived to support her, the Stockholm gave up.
Why it is remembered A privateering incident between England and Sweden in 1651.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Capture of the galleon Lion Couronné Single-ship action
17 June 1651 · Off Formentera, Balearic Islands
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders John Joseph of Austria (Spain); La Chesnaye, killed (France)
Forces 11 Spanish galleys against 1 French galleon and 1 saetía
Ships Lion Couronné
Losses Spain: 99 killed, 227 wounded, all galleys damaged. France: 103 or 200 killed, 58 to 70 wounded, 102 or 200 taken prisoner; the galleon captured and the saetía sunk.
Result Spanish victory
A squadron of eleven Spanish galleys under John Joseph of Austria attacked the French galleon Lion Couronné off Formentera and captured her after a fight. Her captain La Chesnaye was killed.
Why it is remembered A hard fought galley action against a single galleon, at heavy cost to the galleys.
Sources differ French dead are given as 103 or 200 and prisoners as 102 or 200.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Aert Anthoniszoon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Dover (1652) Fleet battle
19 May 1652 (29 May Gregorian) · Off Dover, Strait of Dover
Fought between Commonwealth of England against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Robert Blake (England); Maarten Tromp (Dutch Republic)
Forces About 25 English ships against about 40 to 47 Dutch ships
Ships James, Brederode, President, Sint Laurens, Sint Maria
Losses Dutch: the Sint Laurens and Sint Maria captured, the Sint Maria abandoned sinking. England: unknown.
Result Inconclusive
Cromwell had ordered foreign warships to lower their flags to English ships. When Tromp did not strike his flag, Blake in the James fired warning shots, the third of which hit Tromp's Brederode, and broadsides followed. The English President grappled the Brederode but was dismasted by Johan Evertsen's ship. The fight lasted about five hours, until nightfall, when the Dutch withdrew in a defensive line to protect their convoy.
Why it is remembered The first engagement of the First Anglo-Dutch War; England declared war on 8 July 1652. Historians still differ on who came off better.
Sources differ Dutch strength is given as 47 ships in one account, 40 in another account and 44 in the ship list; English strength as 25, 24 or 23. The ship list says the Sint Maria was recaptured while the aftermath says she reached the Netherlands.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Artist not specified, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Dungeness (1652) Fleet battle
Also known as Slag bij de Singels; Bataille de Dungeness
30 November 1652 (10 December Gregorian) · Off Dungeness, Kent
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Commonwealth of England
Commanders Maarten Tromp, with Johan Evertsen and Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch Republic); Robert Blake, wounded, and Benjamin Blake (England)
Forces 73 Dutch warships and some fireships, only part of which fought, against 37 English warships
Ships Brederode, Hollandia, Princes Louise, Monnickendam, Witte Lam, Schiedam, Triumph, Garland, Anthony Bonaventure, Vanguard, Victory
Losses England: 5 ships (Garland and Anthony Bonaventure captured, two smaller vessels burnt, one sunk). Dutch: 1 ship, the Schiedam, lost to fire and explosion.
Result Dutch victory
Tromp, escorting a large convoy, found Blake's fleet in the Downs and followed it south. Off Dungeness the leading ships engaged at about three in the afternoon. The Garland rammed Tromp's flagship Brederode and was boarded and taken, and the Anthony Bonaventure was taken after her crew had been killed. Blake's Triumph lost her fore topmast and he was wounded; darkness ended the fight and he withdrew to the Downs and then the Thames.
Why it is remembered It gave the Dutch temporary control of the Channel and led to English reforms, including the Sailing and Fighting Instructions. The story that Tromp hoisted a broom at his masthead is doubted by the historian N. A. M. Rodger.
Sources differ One account gives 73 Dutch warships, another account 88 men of war and 5 fireships; English strength is 37 warships in one account and 42 capital ships with 10 smaller vessels in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Elba Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Monte Cristo; Seeschlacht bei Elba
28 August 1652 · Near Elba, Italy
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Commonwealth of England
Commanders Johan van Galen (Dutch Republic); Captain Richard Badiley (England)
Forces 10 Dutch warships against 4 English warships
Losses England: 1 ship captured. Dutch: no ships lost.
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch squadron under Johan van Galen fought an English squadron under Richard Badiley near Elba and captured one English ship.
Why it is remembered A Dutch success in the Mediterranean, followed in March 1653 by Van Galen's victory over Appleton at Leghorn, which Badiley arrived too late to prevent.
Sources differ A Dutch print of the battle gives the date as 7 September 1652, the New Style equivalent.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of the Kentish Knock Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Zealand Approaches; Slag bij de Hoofden
28 September 1652 (8 October Gregorian) · Near the Kentish Knock shoal, about 30 km east of the Thames mouth, North Sea
Fought between Commonwealth of England against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Robert Blake and Benjamin Blake (England); Witte de With, with Michiel de Ruyter and Gideon de Wildt (Dutch Republic)
Forces 68 English ships with about 2,400 guns and 10,000 men against 62 Dutch ships with about 1,900 guns and 7,000 men
Ships Sovereign, Resolution, James, Brederode, Prins Willem, Prinses Louise, Maria, Gorcum, Burgh van Alkmaer
Losses Dutch: 2 ships (Maria captured, Burgh van Alkmaer blew up) and many casualties. England: light.
Result English victory
A Dutch fleet already scattered by storms met Blake's fleet around noon, with the English holding the weather gauge. De With could not shift his flag to the Brederode because her crew refused him and went aboard the Prins Willem; the fleets fought from about five in the afternoon until dusk. The Sovereign and James ran aground on the shoal. Next morning about ten mostly Zealand ships went home, and the Dutch withdrew in the afternoon, pursued by Blake.
Why it is remembered The Dutch, divided on political and regional lines, began a building programme of 60 larger warships afterwards, and De With was blamed and later replaced.
Sources differ One account lists Prince Rupert among the English commanders without a source. Another account says the English were reinforced to 84 ships overnight.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Abraham Willaerts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Plymouth (1652) Convoy battle
Also known as Zeeslag bij Plymouth
16 August 1652 (26 August Gregorian) · Off Plymouth, English Channel
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Commonwealth of England
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch Republic); George Ayscue (England)
Forces 22 Dutch warships and 6 fireships with 900 guns and 3,300 men against 38 English warships, 4 frigates and 4 fireships with 1,100 guns and 4,300 men
Losses Dutch: 50 to 60 killed, 40 to 50 wounded. England: about 31 killed, about 60 wounded.
Result Dutch victory
General at Sea George Ayscue attacked an outward bound Dutch convoy escorted by Vice-Commodore Michiel de Ruyter. In a short battle the Dutch forced Ayscue to break off; the convoy sailed safely into the Atlantic and Ayscue went into Plymouth for repairs.
Why it is remembered An unexpected Dutch success early in the war, between two commanders who had been friends before it.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659) and the Fronde
Battle of Bordeaux (1653) Fleet battle
Also known as Schlacht bei Bordeaux (1653)
20 October 1653 · Gironde estuary, channel of Blaye, near Montagne, France
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán, 3rd Marquis of Santa Cruz (Spain); the Duke of Vendôme (France)
Forces 30 Spanish warships and three tercios against French naval forces of unknown size and about 3,000 soldiers and militia
Losses France: 3 galleys and 7 brigantines captured; 2 frigates, 2 brigantines and 15 barges burnt. Spain: none.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under the Marquis of Santa Cruz, sent to relieve Bordeaux, then held by nobles of the Fronde against Louis XIV, met a large concentration of French warships of the Duke of Vendôme in the channel of Blaye and captured or destroyed most of them. About 1,600 Spanish soldiers then landed and sacked Montagne-sur-Gironde. A similar attempt on the Île de Ré was beaten off and Santa Cruz returned to Spain.
Why it is remembered A Spanish intervention in the Fronde that destroyed most of the French vessels on the Gironde.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of the Gabbard Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Gabbard Bank; Battle of the North Foreland; Second Battle of Nieuwpoort; Zeeslag bij Nieuwpoort
2 to 3 June 1653 (12 to 13 June Gregorian) · Gabbard Bank, off Suffolk, North Sea
Fought between Commonwealth of England against the Dutch Republic
Commanders George Monck, Richard Deane, killed, John Lawson and William Penn, joined by Robert Blake on 3 June (England); Maarten Tromp and Witte de With (Dutch Republic)
Forces 100 English ships with 3,800 guns and 16,000 men against 98 Dutch ships with 3,100 guns and 11,500 men
Ships Resolution, James, George, Brederode
Losses England: 400 dead or wounded, no ships lost. Dutch: 9 ships sunk and 11 captured, 800 killed or wounded, 1,000 prisoners.
Result English victory
On 2 June Tromp's fleet, built for close fighting and boarding, attacked and was driven off by English ships fighting in line of battle with heavy guns. On 3 June Tromp attacked again though nearly out of ammunition, a sudden calm left his ships exposed to English fire, and the Dutch were routed and pursued into the evening. Richard Deane, sharing the flagship Resolution with Monck, was killed.
Why it is remembered It let the English blockade the Dutch coast, seizing many merchant ships, until the Battle of Scheveningen. HMS Gabbard was named after it.
Sources differ Dutch ships sunk are given as 9 in the main account and 6 in another section.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Heerman Witmont, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Leghorn Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Livorno; Battaglia di Livorno; Slag bij Livorno
4 March 1653 (14 March Gregorian) · Near Leghorn (Livorno), Italy
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Commonwealth of England
Commanders Johan van Galen, died of wounds (Dutch Republic); Henry Appleton and Richard Badiley (England)
Forces 16 Dutch warships against 15 English warships
Losses England: 2 ships sunk, 3 captured, 150 dead or wounded, 50 captured. Dutch: unknown; Van Galen died of his wounds.
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch squadron under Johan van Galen defeated an English squadron under Henry Appleton near Leghorn. Richard Badiley's squadron, which Appleton had been trying to join, arrived in time to see the last of Appleton's ships taken but was outnumbered and returned to Porto Longone.
Why it is remembered A Dutch victory in the Mediterranean that cost Johan van Galen his life. It was painted by Reinier Nooms around 1660.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Portland Convoy battle
Also known as Three Days' Battle; Driedaagse Zeeslag
18 to 20 February 1653 (28 February to 2 March Gregorian) · Off the Isle of Portland, English Channel
Fought between Commonwealth of England against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Robert Blake, wounded, Benjamin Blake and Richard Deane (England); Maarten Tromp, with Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch Republic)
Forces 80 English warships with 12,000 men and 2,800 guns against 80 Dutch warships with 8,600 men and 2,450 guns, escorting 152 merchantmen
Ships Triumph, Brederode, Prosperity
Losses England: 3 warships sunk. Dutch: 12 warships sunk (the main account says at least eight warships were taken home by Blake) and 20 to 40 merchantmen captured.
Result English victory; both sides claimed success
Tromp, escorting a homeward convoy of 152 merchantmen up the Channel, attacked Blake's fleet with the weather gauge, and the flagships Brederode and Triumph fought at close range. De Ruyter boarded and took the Prosperity, the largest English ship present. Over the next two days the English tried five times to break the Dutch line without success, while their frigates picked off merchantmen; the Dutch ran nearly out of powder and Blake was wounded in the thigh. On the fourth day Tromp had slipped away along the coast, leaving ships behind.
Why it is remembered It did not settle control of the Channel, which was decided at the Gabbard in June. The Dutch called it a glorious defeat, and their flag officers urged the building of heavier warships.
Sources differ One account gives 12 Dutch warships sunk; another account says 12 were left behind and at least eight were taken to England. Captured merchantmen are given as 12 on the second day and 20 to 40 overall.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Scheveningen Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Ter Heijde; Slag bij Ter Heijde; Seeschlacht bei Scheveningen
31 July 1653 (10 August Gregorian) · Off Scheveningen and Ter Heijde, North Sea
Fought between Commonwealth of England against the Dutch Republic
Commanders George Monck, with Benjamin Blake and William Penn (England); Maarten Tromp, killed, and Witte de With (Dutch Republic)
Forces About 120 to 130 English ships with 4,000 guns and 17,000 men against about 125 Dutch ships with 3,450 guns and 13,000 men
Ships Resolution, Brederode
Losses England: 950 to 1,200 killed and wounded, 2 ships. Dutch: 2,000 killed and wounded, 1,000 captured, 12 to 30 ships.
Result English tactical victory; the Dutch lifted the blockade
After the Gabbard the English blockaded the Dutch coast. Tromp sailed to lift it and joined De With's 27 ships from Texel off Scheveningen. On 31 July the fleets passed through each other four times; Tromp was killed early by a sharpshooter in the rigging of William Penn's ship, and his death was kept secret. By late afternoon twelve Dutch ships had been sunk or taken and De With covered the retreat to Texel, but the battered English fleet had to return to port and could not keep up the blockade.
Why it is remembered The last battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War and the death of Maarten Tromp. Peace talks followed, leading to the Treaty of Westminster in 1654. It was painted by Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten and Willem van de Velde the Elder.
Sources differ Both sides claimed victory. English strength is 120 ships in one account and 130 in another account; Dutch ship losses range from 12 to 30.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Action of 2 May 1654 Fleet battle
2 May 1654 · West coast of India, near Carmona north of Cabo de Rama, with follow on actions near Karwar and Hanovar
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch East India Company) against Portugal
Commanders Rijckloff van Goens (Dutch); António Sottomaior (Portugal, Santo António de Mazagão)
Forces Dutch: 11 ships of about 30 to 40 guns, Avenhoorn, Sluys, Cabeljauw, Hulst, Saphier, Konijn, Gecroonde Leeuw, Muyden, Weesp, Popkensburch and Zijdeworm. Portuguese: three galleons, including Santo António de Mazagão (36 guns) and São João Pérola (38 guns).
Ships Avenhoorn, Sluys, Cabeljauw, Hulst, Saphier, Konijn, Gecroonde Leeuw, Muyden, Weesp, Popkensburch, Zijdeworm, Santo António de Mazagão, São João Pérola, Nazaré
Losses Portuguese: the galleons ran aground and were burnt; on 6 May the galleon Nazareth was burnt near Hanovar. Dutch: Zijdeworm was burnt as a fireship near Karwar on about 4 May.
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch squadron of eleven ships under Rijckloff van Goens attacked three Portuguese galleons, the first seven Dutch ships taking on Santo António de Mazagão and the rest São João Pérola. The galleons ran aground and were burnt. In the following days the Dutch used Zijdeworm as a fireship near Karwar, and on 6 May the Portuguese galleon Nazareth was burnt near Hanovar.
Why it is remembered These actions removed a significant proportion of Portuguese ships in the Indian Ocean. They are the subject of C. R. Boxer's study of naval actions between the Portuguese and the Dutch in India in 1654.
Sources differ The Wikipedia text places the battle near Colombo, but also says the galleons grounded and burnt near Carmona, north of Cabo de Rama on the Indian coast. The commander of São João Pérola (given as António de Abreu) is marked as uncertain, and it is not clear whether the Nazaré of the ship list is the Nazareth burnt on 6 May.
Sources Wikipedia · cmhs-data.exeter.ac.uk
Image: Victor Meirelles, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Action of 23 March 1654 Convoy battle
Also known as First Battle of Colombo; Azione del 23 marzo 1654
23 March 1654 · Near Colombo, Ceylon
Fought between Portugal against the Dutch Republic
Commanders António Pereira (Portugal)
Forces 5 Portuguese galleons escorting 5 galleys against 3 Dutch warships
Ships Nazaré, São João, Santo António de Mazagão, São José, São Filipe e Santiago, Windhond, Renoçer, Drommedaris
Losses Portugal: 2 officers killed. Dutch: unknown.
Result Portuguese victory
Three Dutch warships tried to stop a Portuguese convoy of five galleys escorted by five galleons bound for Colombo. In a confused fight the Dutch Windhond and Renoçer changed hands and the Portuguese lost two officers, before the Dutch broke off the action.
Why it is remembered A Portuguese success off Colombo, also called the First Battle of Colombo.
Sources differ Details come from the Italian account, which is unclear on which side captured and recaptured the two Dutch ships. It also lists the expulsion of the Dutch from Brazil as a result, which does not fit an action off Ceylon.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipedia (IT)
Image: Victor Meirelles, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · First Anglo-Dutch War
Action of 29 January 1654 Single-ship action
29 January 1654 · Near Bandar Abbas, or near Sindh
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Commonwealth of England
Commanders Mr Hargreave and Mr Walterer (England); Dutch admiral unnamed
Forces 5 Dutch ships against 4 English ships
Losses England: 1 ship captured, 1 ship sunk, 30 to 80 prisoners. Dutch: no ships lost.
Result Dutch victory
Small Dutch and English naval forces fought near either Bandar Abbas or Sindh. The English lost two of their four ships.
Why it is remembered According to the main account it left the Gulf entirely in Dutch hands.
Sources differ Sources disagree on whether the action took place near Bandar Abbas or near Sindh.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of the Dardanelles (1654) Fleet battle
Also known as First Battle of the Dardanelles; Çanakkale Deniz Muharebesi (1654)
16 May 1654 · Just inside the mouth of the Dardanelles
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Kara Murat Pasha (Ottoman); Giuseppe Delfino (Venice)
Forces 30 Ottoman sailing ships, 40 galleys and 6 galleasses against 17 Venetian sailing ships, 8 galleys and 2 galleasses
Result Ottoman victory
The Venetians tried to hold back the Ottoman fleet from supporting the invasion of Crete by attacking it inside the Dardanelles. An Ottoman armada routed the much smaller Venetian fleet.
Why it is remembered The first of a series of hard fought battles at the mouth of the Dardanelles between 1654 and 1657.
Sources differ The main account marks Giuseppe Delfino as killed, yet a Giuseppe Delfino is listed as a Venetian commander at the Fourth Battle of the Dardanelles in 1657.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johann Andreas Thelot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Capture of Fort Rocher Landing or siege
9 February 1654 · Fort de Rocher, Tortuga (present day Haiti)
Fought between Spain against French and English buccaneers
Commanders Gabriel de Rojas y Figueroa (Spain); Timoleon Otham de Fontenay, captured (buccaneers)
Forces A Spanish expedition of 700 men with one siege battery against more than 500 defenders
Losses Buccaneers: 3 warships, 1 frigate and 8 smaller vessels captured; 500 men taken prisoner, among them 330 buccaneers; 70 guns taken. Spain: minimal.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish expedition of 700 troops with a siege battery attacked the buccaneer stronghold of Tortuga and took the Fort de Rocher, 500 prisoners and goods worth about 160,000 pieces of eight. The Spanish burned the colony and killed its inhabitants, leaving a garrison of 150 soldiers.
Why it is remembered Spain held the island for about eighteen months, until the approach of the English expedition under Penn and Venables led the governor of Santo Domingo to order the fort demolished and the garrison withdrawn.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Swedish expedition to New Sweden (1653 to 1654)
Standoff near St. Christopher Single-ship action
11 April 1654 · Near Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts), Caribbean
Fought between Sweden against three Turkish ships
Commanders Mattias Nertunius (Sweden)
Forces 1 Swedish ship with at least 220 men against 3 ships
Ships Örnen
Losses None on either side.
Result Swedish victory
Three Turkish ships tried to seize the Swedish ship Örnen, bound for New Sweden, near Saint Christopher. They failed and withdrew.
Why it is remembered An incident on the Swedish expedition to New Sweden of 1653 to 1654.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of the Dardanelles (1655) Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of the Dardanelles; Çanakkale Deniz Muharebesi (1655)
21 June 1655 · Inside the mouth of the Dardanelles
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Lazzaro Mocenigo (Venice); Kara Mustafa Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 26 Venetian sailing ships, 6 galleys and 4 galleasses against 36 Ottoman sailing ships, 60 galleys and 8 galleasses
Result Venetian victory
A Venetian fleet under Lazzaro Mocenigo fought a larger Ottoman fleet inside the mouth of the Dardanelles and won a clear victory.
Why it is remembered The second of four battles at the Dardanelles between 1654 and 1657 over the Ottoman route to Crete.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johann Andreas Thelot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Battle of Porto Farina Raid
Also known as Action of 14 April 1655; Atak angielski na Porto Farina
4 April 1655 (14 April Gregorian) · Porto Farina (Ghar el-Melh), northern Tunisia
Fought between England against Barbary corsairs
Commanders Robert Blake (England)
Losses Corsairs: 9 Algerian ships and 2 shore batteries destroyed.
Result English victory
An English fleet under General at Sea Robert Blake attacked Barbary corsair vessels at Porto Farina. Blake's fleet destroyed two shore batteries and nine Algerian ships in the harbour.
Why it is remembered The first time shore batteries were put out of action without landing men ashore.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Henry Perronet Briggs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Anglo-Spanish War (1654 to 1660)
Siege of Santo Domingo (1655) Landing or siege
23 to 30 April 1655 · Santo Domingo, Hispaniola (present day Dominican Republic)
Fought between Spain against the Commonwealth of England
Commanders Bernardino de Meneses y Bracamonte, Count of Peñalba (Spain); Admiral Sir William Penn and General Robert Venables (England)
Forces 2,400 Spanish troops (1,300 lancers, 700 regulars, 200 marines, 200 militia) against 13,120 English soldiers (7,000 marines, 6,000 infantry, 120 cavalry) carried in 34 ships
Losses Spain: 30 dead. England: about 600 killed.
Result Spanish victory
An English expedition of 34 ships under Admiral William Penn landed more than 13,000 soldiers under General Robert Venables to take Santo Domingo. A Spanish force of 2,400 under the governor, the Count of Peñalba, held the city and the English withdrew after a week.
Why it is remembered A heavy English defeat; the Puerta del Conde, once Fort San Genaro, stands in Santo Domingo today.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Anglo-Spanish War (1654 to 1660)
Battle of Cádiz (1656) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille de Cadix (1656); Batalla de Cádiz (1656)
9 September 1656 · Off Cádiz, south west Spain
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Richard Stayner (England); Marcos del Puerto and Juan de Hoyos (Spain)
Forces 8 English ships against 8 Spanish ships
Ships Speaker, Tredagh, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Diamond, San Francisco y San Diego, Jesus Maria y Jose, Victoria
Losses Spain: 5 ships captured, sunk or beached; many killed, including the Marquess of Baides and his wife and daughter. England: none.
Result English victory
Stayner's blockading squadron, blown out of the bay by a westerly gale, sighted the Spanish treasure ships at dawn; the Spanish took the English for fishing boats. Stayner captured the Jesus Maria y Jose with about 45 tons of silver, the Bridgewater fought the Victoria until her crew set her on fire and abandoned her, and the Plymouth sank a merchantman carrying 60,000 pieces of eight. Marcos del Puerto escaped into Cádiz in the flagship with the two smallest ships.
Why it is remembered A heavy loss for Spain: the English took nearly 1 million pounds in goods and 250,000 pounds in silver, while much more treasure went to the bottom.
Sources differ One account marks Juan de Hoyos as killed, but another account says only that his galleon was captured. A third account's ship list does not clearly match one account total of 5 Spanish ships lost.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicolás de Cardona, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of the Dardanelles (1656) Fleet battle
Also known as Third Battle of the Dardanelles; Dardanellenschlacht (1656)
26 to 27 June 1656 · Inside the Dardanelles, below the Narrows
Fought between Republic of Venice and the Order of St John against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Lorenzo Marcello, killed, Barbaro Badoer and Pietro Bembo (Venice); Gregorio Carafa (Malta); Kenan Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 67 Christian ships (29 sailing ships, 7 galleasses, 31 galleys, including 7 Maltese galleys) against 98 Ottoman ships (28 sailing ships, 9 galleasses, 61 galleys)
Ships Sultana (San Marco), Arma di Nassau, San Pietro
Losses Venice: 3 sailing ships burnt; 207 killed, 260 wounded, 94 missing. Malta: 40 killed, 100 or more wounded. Ottoman: 82 ships captured, sunk or burnt; about 5,000 Christian galley slaves freed.
Result Venetian and Maltese victory
On 26 June a north wind carried the Ottoman fleet down the strait, but the wind shifted to the south east and trapped it against the Asian shore below the Narrows. In the melee that followed only Kenan Pasha with 14 galleys and two sailing ships escaped; the rest were taken, sunk or burnt. Captain General Lorenzo Marcello was killed by a cannon shot on the first day and his death was kept secret.
Why it is remembered Called the heaviest Ottoman naval defeat since Lepanto. Venice occupied Tenedos and Lemnos and blockaded the strait, causing food shortages in Constantinople that winter. It was painted by Pieter Casteleyn in 1657.
Sources differ One account and preface give 28 Ottoman sailing ships; the ship list gives 30. One account dates the battle to 26 June, another account to 26 and 27 June.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pieter Casteleyn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Russo-Swedish War (1656 to 1658)
Battle of Kotlin Single-ship action
Also known as Бой у острова Котлин
22 June 1656 (also given as 1 August 1656) · Off Kotlin Island, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Tsardom of Russia against the Swedish Empire
Commanders Pyotr Potemkin (Russia); Irek Dalsfer, captured (Sweden)
Forces 15 Russian strugs against three Swedish galleys
Losses Sweden: one galley and her entire crew. Russia: unknown
Result Russian victory
Fifteen Russian strugs under Pyotr Potemkin fought three Swedish galleys near Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland. The Swedes lost one galley with all her crew, their commander was captured, and they withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was a Russian victory over Swedish galleys in the Gulf of Finland during the war of 1656 to 1658.
Sources differ The main account gives two dates, 22 June and 1 August 1656, reflecting the Old and New Style calendars.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Dodd (1808, 1881), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Russo-Swedish War (1656 to 1658), part of the Second Northern War
Battle of Nöteborg (1656) Fleet battle
July 1656 · Nöteborg (present day Shlisselburg, Russia)
Fought between Sweden against the Tsardom of Russia
Commanders Carl Gustaf Wrangel (Sweden)
Forces 50 smaller Swedish ships against 250 smaller Russian ships
Result Swedish victory
About 250 smaller Russian vessels had surrounded the Swedish held town of Nöteborg. A Swedish force of 50 smaller vessels under Carl Gustaf Wrangel defeated them. Few details are known.
Why it is remembered A Swedish success in the fighting around the fortress of Nöteborg, the present day Oreshek.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Action of 18 May 1657 Fleet battle
18 May 1657
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire and Algiers
Result Venetian victory
The Venetians defeated the main Ottoman navy and the fleet of the Ottoman province of Algiers. The action allowed Venetian ships to land troops and take the fort at Suazich.
Why it is remembered A Venetian success in the spring of 1657, two months before the Ottomans broke the Dardanelles blockade.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Action of 3 May 1657 Fleet battle
3 May 1657 · Aegean Sea
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman fleet of Algiers
Commanders Lazzaro Mocenigo (Venice)
Forces 8 Venetian ships against 9 Ottoman ships
Losses Venice: 117 killed and 346 wounded. Ottoman: not stated.
Result Venetian victory
A Venetian squadron of eight ships under Lazzaro Mocenigo defeated nine ships of the Algerian fleet in the Aegean. Venetian casualties were 117 killed and 346 wounded.
Why it is remembered One of several actions fought by Lazzaro Mocenigo in 1657 before his death at the Dardanelles that July.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unidentified engraver, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of the Dardanelles (1657) Fleet battle
Also known as Fourth Battle of the Dardanelles; Bataille des Dardanelles (1657)
17 to 19 July 1657 · Outside the mouth of the Dardanelles
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Venice, the Order of St John and the Papal States
Commanders Köprülü Mehmed Pasha (Ottoman); Lazzaro Mocenigo, killed, and Giuseppe Delfino (Venice)
Forces 28 Ottoman sailing ships, 9 galleasses and 10 galleys against 17 Venetian sailing ships, 2 galleasses and 8 light galleys
Losses Ottoman: 5 vessels sunk, 3 captured, several damaged. Venice: unknown; Lazzaro Mocenigo killed.
Result Ottoman victory
The Venetian fleet lay south of the narrows when a strong northerly wind gave the Ottomans the advantage. In three days of fighting the Ottomans broke the Venetian blockade of the strait, and the Venetian commander Lazzaro Mocenigo was killed.
Why it is remembered It ended the Venetian blockade of the Dardanelles set up after the victory of 1656. The death of Mocenigo was painted by Giuseppe Lorenzo Gatteri.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Giuseppe Lorenzo Gatteri, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Dano-Swedish War (1657 to 1658)
Battle of Møn (1657) Fleet battle
Also known as Sjöslaget vid Møn (1657)
12 to 13 September 1657 · Between Møn and Bornholm, Baltic Sea
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Klas Bjelkenstierna (Sweden); Henrik Bjelke and Niels Juel (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 25 Swedish ships of the line, 8 armed merchantmen, 2 fireships and 4 smaller ships with 1,231 guns and 6,000 men against 21 Danish ships of the line and 7 armed merchantmen with 956 guns and 4,640 men
Losses Sweden: 40 dead. Denmark-Norway: 150 dead.
Result Inconclusive
Large Swedish and Danish fleets met between Møn and Bornholm. Many ships were involved but the fighting was not very intense and neither side won.
Why it is remembered An indecisive fleet battle of the Dano-Swedish War of 1657 to 1658, with Niels Juel among the Danish commanders.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Attributed to Jacob Coning, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Anglo-Spanish War (1654 to 1660)
Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1657) Raid
Also known as Batalla de Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1657); Seeschlacht von Santa Cruz (1657)
20 April 1657 (30 April Gregorian) · Harbour of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Robert Blake, Sir Richard Stayner and Benjamin Blake (England); Diego de Egües y Beaumont and Alonso Dávila y Guzmán (Spain)
Forces 23 English warships against 2 Spanish galleons, 5 smaller ships and 9 merchant ships, protected by a castle and shore batteries
Ships Jesús María, Concepción, Nuestra Señora de los Reyes, San Juan Colorado, Santo Cristo de Buen Viaje, Campechano grande, Campechano chico, Vizcaína, Sacramento, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
Losses Spain: 300 killed; 2 galleons and 9 merchant ships scuttled, 5 smaller ships captured. England: 48 killed and 120 wounded; no ships lost.
Result English victory
Robert Blake's fleet forced its way into the heavily defended harbour of Santa Cruz to attack the Spanish treasure fleet. The treasure had already been landed and was safe, but the English fought the harbour forts and the Spanish ships, many of which were scuttled while the rest were burnt. Blake then withdrew without losing a ship.
Why it is remembered Blake's attack on a fortified harbour was achieved without the loss of a ship. It was painted by Charles Dixon.
Sources differ One account says the ships not scuttled were burnt; another account lists 5 smaller ships as captured.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Spanish War and Anglo-Spanish War
Siege of Dunkirk (1658) Landing or siege
25 May to 24 June 1658 · Dunkirk, Spanish Netherlands
Fought between France and the Commonwealth of England against Spain
Commanders Turenne (France); William Lockhart and Edward Montagu (England); the Marquis of Lede, killed (Spain)
Forces 12,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry and 18 English warships against 2,200 infantry and 700 to 800 cavalry
Losses Spain: 1,600 to 1,700. France and England: unknown.
Result Anglo-French victory
France and the Commonwealth of England besieged Dunkirk, Spain's greatest privateering base, from the land while an English fleet blockaded it from the sea. The siege lasted a month, with many sorties by the garrison and a Spanish relief attempt under Don Juan of Austria and the Duke of York that led to the Battle of the Dunes.
Why it is remembered It took Dunkirk, from which privateers had cost England 1,500 to 2,000 merchant ships in the previous year.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Northern War
Battle of the Sound Fleet battle
Also known as Slag in de Sont; Sjöslaget i Öresund; Seeschlacht im Öresund (1658)
8 November 1658 (29 October Old Style) · The Sound (Øresund), just north of Copenhagen
Fought between Dutch Republic (with Denmark-Norway) against Sweden
Commanders Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, Witte de With, killed, and Pieter Floriszoon, killed (Dutch Republic); Carl Gustaf Wrangel and Klas Bjelkenstjerna (Sweden)
Forces 41 Dutch ships with 1,413 guns against 45 Swedish ships with 1,838 guns; 7 Danish ships with about 280 guns could not join because of the wind
Ships Eendracht, Brederode, Jozua, Breda, Victoria, Draken, Cesar, Hercules, Pelikanen, Delmenhorst, Morgonstjerna, Leopard, Svärd
Losses Sweden: 5 ships (4 captured, 1 destroyed) and about 1,200 men. Dutch: 1 ship and about 1,400 men (439 killed, 269 captured and about 650 wounded).
Result Dutch strategic victory; a tactical draw
Sweden had invaded Denmark and Charles X Gustav was besieging Copenhagen, and the Dutch sent a fleet to stop Sweden controlling both shores of the Sound. With the weather gauge, Obdam's fleet held off aggressive Swedish attacks. The Brederode ran aground and was taken and sank, and Witte de With was shot dead aboard her; the Dutch took the Pelikanen and Delmenhorst. The Swedes had to give up the blockade, Copenhagen was resupplied by Dutch transports and Charles Gustav eventually abandoned the siege.
Why it is remembered It saved Copenhagen from the Swedish siege and was a major strategic success for the allies. Johan de Witt answered Obdam's request for simpler orders with a single sentence: save Copenhagen and strike anyone who tries to prevent it. An English fleet watched without taking part.
Sources differ One account differs between another account and ship list on the fate of some Swedish ships: the Morgonstjerna is said both to have sunk and to have been captured, and the Leopard both to have been stranded off Ven and burnt after the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Peter van de Velde, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Dano-Swedish War (1658 to 1660)
Battle of Ebeltoft Convoy battle
Also known as Sjöslaget i Ebeltoftbukten
23 July 1659 · Ebeltoft Bay, Jutland, Denmark
Fought between Sweden against the Dutch Republic and Denmark-Norway
Commanders Owen Coxe (Sweden); Peder Jansen, died of wounds (allied squadron)
Forces 8 Swedish frigates, 1 galiot and 1 fireship against 3 Dutch and 2 Danish frigates escorting a troop convoy
Losses Allies: 1 frigate blown up, 4 frigates captured, 1,000 men captured, the transports destroyed. Sweden: negligible.
Result Swedish victory
A Danish and Dutch squadron was escorting troop transports to Swedish held Funen when eight Swedish frigates under Owen Coxe took it by surprise. After a long fight one Dutch ship blew up, the other escorts were captured and the transport fleet was destroyed.
Why it is remembered Owen Coxe was ennobled after the battle under the name Siölöw.
Sources differ One account says the Danish captain died of his wounds; another account lists Peder Jansen, marked as dying of wounds, under the Dutch Republic.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Dano-Swedish War (1658 to 1660)
Battle of Fehmarn (1659) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Rødsand; Battle of Rödsund; Sjöslaget vid Femern; Slaget ved Rødsand; Zeeslag bij Fehmarn
30 April 1659 · Rødsand shoal, Fehmarn Belt
Fought between Sweden against the Dutch Republic and Denmark-Norway
Commanders Klas Hansson Bjelkenstjerna, wounded, and Carl Gustaf Wrangel (Sweden); Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam (Dutch Republic); Henrik Bielke and Niels Juel (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 20 to 24 Swedish warships, 2 fireships and several galleons against 22 to 26 Dano-Dutch warships with galleons and transports
Ships Trefoldigheden
Losses Sweden: 12 officers and men killed, 26 wounded. Allies: at least 1 ship damaged.
Result Inconclusive
A Swedish fleet under Klas Hansson Bjelkenstjerna met a Dano-Dutch fleet under Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam in the Fehmarn Belt. The battle ended without a clear result.
Why it is remembered It opened the way for the allied invasion of Funen, as the main account notes.
Sources differ The English account calls the battle inconclusive; the Norwegian account on the same battle says the Swedes were outmanoeuvred and driven back.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Karl Gustav War (Dano-Swedish War 1658 to 1660)
Skirmish at Andemose Landing or siege
Also known as Træfningen ved Andemose
7 February 1659 · Andemose, east of Steensgård, Langeland, Denmark
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Carl Gustaf Wrangel (Sweden)
Forces A Swedish squadron of four warships with escorting vessels
The Swedish admiral Carl Gustaf Wrangel led a squadron of four warships with escorts against Langeland. Covered by the ships' guns, the Swedes got ashore at Andemose after heavy firing, but Danish peasants and soldiers counter attacked.
Why it is remembered A local defence of Langeland by peasants and soldiers against a Swedish landing.
Sources da.wikipedia.org
Image: Matthäus Merian the younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Action of 27 August 1661 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Milos (1661); Bitwa morska pod Milos
27 August 1661 · Near Milos, Greece
Fought between Republic of Venice and the Knights Hospitaller against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Giorgio Morosini (Venice); Ruffo (Hospitallers)
Forces 20 galleys and 2 galleasses against 36 Ottoman galleys
Losses Ottoman: 5 galleys sunk and 4 captured. Christian fleet: unknown.
Result Venetian and Hospitaller victory
A Venetian and Hospitaller galley fleet under Giorgio Morosini fought an Ottoman galley fleet near Milos and sank or captured nine galleys.
Why it is remembered It is shown in a seventeenth century miniature of the naval battle between the Turkish and Venetian fleets in 1661.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Sino-Dutch conflicts
Siege of Fort Zeelandia Landing or siege
Also known as 熱蘭遮城包圍戰
30 March 1661 to 1 February 1662 · Fort Zeelandia, Tayoan (Tainan), Taiwan
Fought between Ming loyalists under Koxinga against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Koxinga and Chen Ze (Ming loyalists); Frederick Coyett, Hans Jurgen Radis and Philip Meij (Dutch East India Company)
Forces About 25,000 men in some 400 junks against 905 soldiers at Zeelandia, 140 at Provintia and 3 ships, later reinforced by a relief fleet of 12 ships with 700 sailors
Ships Hector, Koukercken
Losses Dutch: about 1,600 killed or dead of disease; the warship Hector blown up; from the relief fleet the flagship Koukercken sunk and other ships lost (the main account gives 1 warship sunk, 2 abandoned and 3 captured). Ming loyalists: about 12,500 deserted or dead, mostly from disease.
Result Ming loyalist victory
Koxinga sailed from Kinmen on 23 March 1661 with hundreds of junks and about 25,000 men and landed at Tayoan by a shallow channel unknown to the Dutch. Three Dutch ships attacked the junks and destroyed several, but the main Dutch warship Hector blew up when a gun fired near her powder. A relief fleet of 12 ships from Batavia arrived in July and fought Koxinga's fleet, and a second attempt in October failed when the flagship Koukercken ran aground under enemy guns and was sunk. After a heavy bombardment in January, Coyett surrendered Fort Zeelandia on 1 February 1662.
Why it is remembered It ended Dutch rule over Taiwan and began the rule of the Kingdom of Tungning on the island.
Sources differ One account gives the relief fleet's losses as 1 warship sunk, 2 ships abandoned and 3 captured; another account gives two ships and three smaller vessels lost, with 130 casualties.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Seizure of the Gilded Lion Blockade and raiding
1661 · North east of Bornholm, Baltic Sea
Fought between Swedish pirates against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Gustaf Adolf Skytte and Gustav Drake (pirates)
Forces 1 pirate ship with 15 men against 1 Dutch bojort
Ships The Gilded Lion
Losses Dutch: the bojort destroyed; the number killed is disputed, including the master.
Result Pirate victory
Swedish pirates led by Gustaf Adolf Skytte and Gustav Drake attacked the Dutch bojort The Gilded Lion north east of Bornholm and destroyed her.
Why it is remembered An act of piracy against Dutch shipping in the Baltic in 1661.
Sources differ The number of people killed is disputed.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Action of 29 September 1662 Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Kos (1662); Bitwa morska pod Kos
29 September 1662 · Between Kos and Kalymnos, Greece
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Losses Ottoman: about 4 ships and 28 smaller vessels sunk.
Result Venetian victory
A Venetian fleet attacked and defeated the regular Turkish cargo fleet and its escort on their way to Alexandria. The Venetians sank some four ships and 28 smaller vessels.
Why it is remembered A Venetian blow against the Ottoman cargo convoy to Alexandria during the Cretan War.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Anglo-Spanish War (1654 to 1671)
Raid on Santiago de Cuba (1662) Raid
19 to 25 October 1662 · Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Christopher Myngs (England); Pedro de Morales (Spain)
Forces 14 English ships with about 1,400 buccaneers against 500 militia
Losses Spain: 500 killed, wounded or captured; 6 ships captured. England: 30 killed or wounded.
Result English victory
Fearing a Spanish attack on Jamaica, the governor Thomas Hickman-Windsor ordered Royal Navy captain Christopher Myngs to strike first. Myngs sailed from Port Royal with fourteen vessels carrying about 1,400 buccaneers and attacked Santiago de Cuba. Despite its strong defences the town was taken and sacked.
Why it is remembered A financial and military success for English Jamaica, carried out largely by buccaneers.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Vinckeboons, Joan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Anglo-Spanish War (1654 to 1671)
Sack of Campeche (1663) Raid
Also known as Mansfield's Assault
8 February 1663 · Campeche, on the Gulf of Mexico coast of New Spain
Fought between England (buccaneers) against Spain
Commanders Christopher Myngs and Edward Mansvelt (England); Spanish commander unknown
Forces 14 ships and 1,400 men against about 150 Spanish militia
Losses English: 30 killed or wounded. Spanish: 50 killed or wounded and 14 ships captured
Result English victory
In February 1663 a force of buccaneers in 14 ships under Christopher Myngs and Edward Mansvelt attacked the fortified Spanish port of Campeche. They overcame the militia defending the town and captured 14 Spanish ships.
Why it is remembered Later Spanish historians called it Mansfield's Assault, and it became a model for the coastal raids of the buccaneering era.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
De Ruyter's expedition to West Africa Landing or siege
Also known as Expedition to West Africa (1664 to 1665)
October 1664 to February 1665 · West African coast: Gorée, Sierra Leone, Takoradi and Cormantin on the Gold Coast
Fought between Dutch Republic against England and the Royal African Company
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch); Sir George Abercromby (England, surrendered); Francis Selwyn (England, killed)
Forces Dutch: 12 warships, a fluyt and a cargo ship, with landing forces and a large number of African auxiliaries. English: forts and trading posts, with merchant ships escorted by a Royal African Company warship.
Ships 't Geloof, Royal Commission, Victoria, St. Martha
Losses English: eight merchant ships taken at Gorée and the forts at Gorée, Takoradi and Cormantin lost; Francis Selwyn died at Cormantin. Dutch losses not stated beyond sickness among the crews.
Result Dutch victory; the forts were retaken and others captured, all but two
After England sent an expedition to take Dutch forts in Africa, De Ruyter sailed south with twelve warships. On 22 October 1664 at Gorée eight English merchant ships surrendered and Abercromby handed over the fort. In January 1665 a landing party of 431 men took the fort at Takoradi, which was then blown up, and on 6 February about 1,000 Dutch and 1,200 African allies stormed Cormantin, whose governor killed himself rather than be captured.
Why it is remembered The expedition restored the Dutch position on the Gold Coast and left the Royal African Company close to bankruptcy. The De Ruyter Stone at Freetown, engraved by the Dutch and English commanders, survives from it.
Sources differ One account relies on a single source. Another account lists Selwyn as killed in action, while a note says he killed himself to avoid capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johannes Hinderikus Egenberger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Djidjelli expedition Landing or siege
Also known as Expedition to Gigeri
22 July to 30 October 1664 · Djidjelli (Jijel), Algeria
Fought between Regency of Algiers against France and the Knights Hospitaller
Commanders Mohammed Bey (Algiers); Louis XIV, the Duc de Beaufort and the Count of Gadagne (France)
Forces French: 5,650 men, 14 vessels and 8 galleys; Hospitallers: 1 battalion and 7 galleys. Algerian strength unknown.
Losses France: 2,000 killed; 30 cast iron guns, 15 iron guns and 50 mortars lost. Algiers: 500 dead and 200 wounded.
Result Algerian victory
Louis XIV sent an expedition to seize the port of Djidjelli as a naval base against the Barbary corsairs. The leaders disagreed about its aims. The town was taken easily, but after three months, closely besieged and cut off from reinforcements by an outbreak of plague, the French abandoned it and went home.
Why it is remembered A failed attempt by Louis XIV to set up a French base on the Barbary coast.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Estienne Vouillemont, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Battle of Cherchell Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Cherchell
24 August 1665 · Off Cherchell, Algeria
Fought between France against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders The Duc de Beaufort and the Chevalier Paul (France)
Forces 9 French ships and 2 fireships against 5 ships
Ships Pots-de-Fleurs
Losses Algiers: 3 ships sunk, including the flagship Pots-de-Fleurs.
Result French victory
A French fleet of nine ships and two fireships under the Duc de Beaufort and the Chevalier Paul defeated a squadron of five Barbary ships off Cherchell. Three Barbary ships were sunk, among them the flagship Pots-de-Fleurs.
Why it is remembered A French success against the Algerian corsairs a year after the failure at Djidjelli.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Hyacinthe Rigaud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Lowestoft Fleet battle
Also known as Zeeslag bij Lowestoft
13 June 1665 (3 June Old Style) · About forty miles east of Lowestoft, Suffolk, North Sea
Fought between England against the Dutch Republic
Commanders James, Duke of York, Prince Rupert and the Earl of Sandwich (England); Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, killed, Johan Evertsen and Cornelis Tromp (Dutch Republic)
Forces 109 English warships with 4,542 guns and 22,055 men against 103 Dutch warships with 4,869 guns and 21,613 men
Ships Royal Charles, Royal Oak, Montague, Mary, Great Charity, Eendracht, Oranje, Hilversum, Delft, Zeelandia, Stad Utrecht, Prinse Maurits
Losses England: about 500 killed and wounded; the Great Charity captured. Dutch: about 2,500 killed and wounded, 2,000 captured; 3 warships sunk, 5 destroyed and 9 captured.
Result English victory
Obdam's fleet attacked the English fleet under the Duke of York, and after the fleets passed each other a long gunnery duel followed. A chain shot from Obdam's Eendracht narrowly missed the Duke on the Royal Charles and killed courtiers beside him, including the Earl of Falmouth. At about 3 pm Obdam was killed on his quarterdeck and minutes later the Eendracht blew up, killing all but five of her crew; Kortenaer and Stellingwerf were also killed. Around 6 pm the Dutch fleet broke up and fled, and English frigates took six more ships the next day.
Why it is remembered A substantial English victory, but the escape of most of the Dutch fleet let the Dutch rebuild with better ships under Michiel de Ruyter. It was painted by Adriaen van Diest and Hendrik van Minderhout.
Sources differ One account gives 9 Dutch ships captured, while the narrative describes more captures than that. The location is given in one account as the English Channel, while another account places it forty miles east of Lowestoft.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Adriaen van Diest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Action of March 1665 Single-ship action
March 1665 · Near La Goulette, Tunisia
Fought between France against Algiers
Commanders The Duc de Beaufort (France)
Forces 4 French ships and 2 fireships against an Algerian force
Losses Algiers: 3 ships sunk, one of them of 46 guns.
Result French victory
A small French force of four ships and two fireships under the Duc de Beaufort defeated an Algerian force near La Goulette. Three Algerian ships were sunk, including one of 46 guns.
Why it is remembered One of the Duc de Beaufort's actions against the Barbary corsairs in 1665.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Nanteuil after Jean Nocret, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Raid on Newfoundland (1665) Raid
June 1665 · St John's, Newfoundland
Fought between Dutch Republic against England
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch Republic); Christopher Martin (England)
Forces 20 Dutch ships against the fortifications of St John's and a force of planters and migratory fishermen
Losses England: all ships taken, the fort and houses destroyed, goods and guns taken. Dutch: none.
Result Dutch victory
After the Second Anglo-Dutch War broke out, a fleet under Michiel de Ruyter sailed to Newfoundland. He captured St John's and badly damaged the colony.
Why it is remembered A Dutch raid on the English fishing colony in Newfoundland during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Battle of Porto Delphino Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille de Porto Delphino; Porto Delfino
27 November 1665 · Porto Delfino (present day Kolokythia), east coast of Chios
Fought between Order of St John against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Chevalier d'Hocquincourt and Chevalier de Tourville (Order of St John); Memmi-Pacha Oglou (Ottoman)
Forces 1 frigate with 300 men against 24, later 34, Ottoman galleys with 17,000 men
Losses Order of St John: 17 dead and 48 wounded. Ottoman: 300 janissaries.
Result Victory of the Order of St John
A single frigate of the Order of St John under the Chevalier d'Hocquincourt was attacked at Porto Delfino on Chios by some thirty Ottoman galleys. Despite the odds the galleys withdrew after several hours of fighting.
Why it is remembered A single sailing frigate held off a large galley force; the Chevalier de Tourville served aboard.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: User Christophe.moustier on fr.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Vågen Raid
Also known as Battle of Bergen (1665); Slag in de Baai van Bergen
2 August 1665 (12 August Gregorian) · Vågen harbour, Bergen, Norway
Fought between Dutch Republic, with the Norwegian forts, against England
Commanders Pieter de Bitter (Dutch Republic); Thomas Teddeman, with Edward Montagu (England); Johan Caspar von Cicignon and Claus von Ahlefeldt (Bergen)
Forces 8 Dutch warships and East Indiamen sheltering a merchant and treasure fleet of about 60 ships, with the Bergen forts (about 125 guns and 200 to 300 men), against 14 English warships and 3 fireships
Ships Walcheren, Slot Hooningen, Catharina, Jonge Prins, Gulden Phenix, Rijzende Zon, Kogge, Wapen van Hoorn, Revenge, Prudent Mary, Breda, Foresight, Happy Return, Sapphire, Pembroke, Golden Lion
Losses England: 421 killed and wounded (112 dead and 309 wounded); no ships lost. Dutch: 108 killed or wounded according to the main account.
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch treasure and merchant fleet had taken refuge in Vågen, the harbour of neutral Bergen. An English squadron under Thomas Teddeman attacked it on 2 August. Through a delay in orders, the Norwegian commanders took the Dutch side, and a stray English shot that killed four soldiers in the fortress brought its guns into action. After about three hours of fire from ships and forts the English cut their cables and withdrew, badly damaged.
Why it is remembered The treasure fleet was relieved by the Dutch home fleet 17 days later. Edward Montagu was killed and is mentioned in a satirical poem by Andrew Marvell, Willem van de Velde the Younger painted the action, and an English cannonball is still lodged in the tower of Bergen Cathedral.
Sources differ Dutch losses are 108 killed or wounded in one account, while another account gives figures adding up to 113 including dead in the fortress and town.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Dungeness (1666) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Dungeness; Bataille du cap Dungeness
17 September 1666 · Off Dungeness, English Channel
Fought between England against France and the Dutch Republic
Commanders Sir Thomas Allin (England); Job Forant (France)
Forces 24 English ships against 14 French and Dutch ships
Ships Le Rubis
Losses France and the Dutch: 116 killed or wounded, 400 captured, 1 ship captured. England: 70 casualties.
Result English victory
A combined French and Dutch squadron under Job Forant met a larger English fleet under Sir Thomas Allin. The English attacked, and in poor visibility a series of encounters left several French and Dutch ships badly damaged. The English captured the French ship Le Rubis.
Why it is remembered An English success against a combined French and Dutch squadron in the Channel, remembered for the capture of Le Rubis.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Four Days' Battle Fleet battle
Also known as Vierdaagse Zeeslag; Bataille des Quatre Jours
11 to 14 June 1666 (1 to 4 June Old Style) · From off the Flemish coast to near the English coast, east north east of North Foreland
Fought between Dutch Republic against England
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter, Cornelis Tromp, Aert Jansse van Nes, Cornelis Evertsen, killed, and Abraham van der Hulst, killed (Dutch Republic); George Monck, Duke of Albemarle, Prince Rupert, George Ayscue, captured, Christopher Myngs, killed, and William Berkeley, killed (England)
Forces About 84 Dutch ships of the line and frigates with 22,000 men against about 79 English ships with 21,000 men, of which about 56 fought at the start while Rupert's squadron was detached
Ships De Zeven Provinciën, Hof van Zeeland, Duivenvoorde, Liefde, Swiftsure, Loyal George, Seven Oaks, Henry, Black Eagle, St Paul, Royal Charles, Royal Katherine, Prince Royal, Royal James, Convertine, Clove Tree, Black Bull
Losses England: about 20 warships lost; about 5,000 killed, wounded or captured, including nearly 2,000 prisoners. Dutch: 4 ships burnt; over 2,000 killed or wounded.
Result Dutch victory
With Rupert's squadron sent to guard the Strait of Dover, Albemarle attacked the Dutch fleet at anchor on 1 June; the Swiftsure, Loyal George and Seven Oaks were taken and Berkeley and Evertsen killed. On the second day De Ruyter rescued Tromp's isolated squadron and the English retreated at dusk. On the third day the Prince Royal grounded on the Galloper Sand and Ayscue surrendered her to Tromp; De Ruyter had her burned. Rupert rejoined, but on the fourth day De Ruyter broke the English line, Myngs was killed, and fog ended the pursuit.
Why it is remembered One of the longest naval battles in history. It was painted by Abraham Storck, Willem van de Velde the Elder and the Younger, and Pieter van Soest, and appears in the Dutch film Michiel de Ruyter (2015).
Sources differ One account gives 79 English and 84 Dutch ships; another account gives about 56 English against 85 Dutch at the start. Both sides at first claimed victory.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Holmes's Bonfire Raid
Also known as Raid on the Vlie; Raid du Vliestromm
19 to 20 August 1666 (9 to 10 August Old Style) · Vlie estuary, near West-Terschelling, Netherlands
Fought between England against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Rear-Admiral Robert Holmes (England)
Forces 8 English ships against 2 Dutch ships and about 150 merchant vessels
Losses England: 6 killed and 24 wounded. Dutch: 2 ships and 140 merchant vessels destroyed; the town of West-Terschelling burned.
Result English victory
An English force under Rear-Admiral Robert Holmes raided the Vlie estuary and set fire to a large merchant fleet of 140 ships lying there. The town of West-Terschelling was burned down in the same action.
Why it is remembered The burning of West-Terschelling caused outrage in the Dutch Republic. The scene was painted by Willem van de Velde the Elder.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
St James's Day Battle Fleet battle
Also known as St James' Day Battle; Battle of North Foreland (1666); Two Days' Battle; Tweedaagse Zeeslag
25 July 1666 (4 August Gregorian) · Near North Foreland, Kent
Fought between England against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Prince Rupert and George Monck, with Thomas Allin, Jeremiah Smith and Edward Spragge (England); Michiel de Ruyter, Johan Evertsen, died of wounds, Cornelis Tromp and Adriaen Banckert (Dutch Republic)
Forces About 89 English ships of the line and frigates with 16 fireships against about 88 Dutch ships with 20 fireships and 9 yachts
Ships Royal Charles, Royal James, Royal Sovereign, Loyal London, Resolution, Fan-Fan, De Zeven Provinciën, Sneek, Tholen
Losses England: about 300 killed, 1 ship lost (the Resolution, destroyed by a fireship). Dutch: about 800 killed according to the main account; the Sneek and Tholen burnt.
Result English victory
Shifting winds and calms broke up the Dutch fleet off North Foreland, and the English van and centre attacked the disordered Dutch van, where Johan Evertsen was mortally wounded. Tromp's rear squadron cut through and routed the English rear, destroying the Resolution with a fireship, but then drew away from the main fleet. De Ruyter's damaged centre was pressed hard and escaped when the wind shifted, with Banckert covering the retreat through the Flemish shoals.
Why it is remembered It was followed by Holmes's Bonfire on the Vlie. The defeat split Dutch politics, and Tromp was blamed and barred from the fleet until 1673.
Sources differ Dutch casualties are given as about 5,000, about 1,200 killed or seriously wounded, or about 800 killed in different parts of the main account.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of the James River (1667) Raid
5 to 9 June 1667 · James River, near Jamestown, Virginia
Fought between Dutch Republic against England
Commanders Abraham Crijnssen (Dutch Republic); Captain Lightfoot (England)
Forces 5 Dutch ships against 1 English warship and 21 merchant ships
Ships Elizabeth
Losses Dutch: unknown. English: 1 warship sunk, 19 merchant ships captured and 2 burned.
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch force of five ships under Abraham Crijnssen sailed into the James River in Virginia looking for English shipping. Merchant ships loaded with tobacco were captured, plundered and burned, and their escort, the Elizabeth, was destroyed with them.
Why it is remembered It was a Dutch strike deep into an English colony during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, aimed at the Virginia tobacco trade.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Martinique (1667) Fleet battle
30 June to 7 July 1667 · Off Saint-Pierre, Martinique
Fought between England against France
Commanders Sir John Harman (England); de La Barre and Robert de Clodoré (France)
Forces 11 English ships and 2 fireships against 25 French ships
Losses France: 23 ships destroyed or captured; 1,000 killed, wounded or captured. England: 80 killed or wounded.
Result English victory
A Royal Navy squadron under Sir John Harman attacked a French fleet under de La Barre lying off Saint-Pierre, Martinique, over about a week and almost destroyed it.
Why it is remembered The victory restored the English position in the Caribbean shortly before the Treaty of Breda ended the war on 31 July 1667. The attack was painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Nevis Fleet battle
Also known as Seeschlacht vor Nevis
20 May 1667 · Off Nevis, Caribbean Sea
Fought between England against France and the Dutch Republic
Commanders John Berry (England); Abraham Crijnssen (Dutch Republic) and Antoine Lefèbvre de La Barre (France)
Forces 11 English ships against 20 Franco-Dutch warships and 12 transports carrying 1,100 troops
Losses Franco-Dutch: 2 ships. England: 1 ship.
Result English victory
An English squadron fought a confused action off Nevis against a Franco-Dutch fleet that intended to invade the island.
Why it is remembered It prevented the Franco-Dutch invasion of Nevis in the closing stages of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Brian Tibbets Btibbets at en.wikipedia (www.tibbets.org), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Second Anglo-Dutch War
Raid on the Medway Raid
Also known as Tocht naar Chatham; Raid sur la Medway
12 to 14 June 1667 (22 to 24 June Gregorian) · River Medway, Chatham and Gillingham, Kent
Fought between Dutch Republic against England
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter, Cornelis de Witt, Willem Joseph van Ghent and Aert Jansse van Nes (Dutch Republic); Prince Rupert and George Monck (England)
Forces 62 Dutch warships, 15 smaller ships and 12 fireships with 17,500 men against several English ships and the fort garrisons
Ships Royal Charles
Losses England: 500 killed or wounded, 13 ships destroyed, 2 captured and 30 scuttled. Dutch: 50 to 150 killed or wounded, 8 fireships expended.
Result Dutch victory
The Dutch bombarded and took Sheerness, sailed up the Thames estuary to Gravesend and then into the Medway, past Upnor Castle and the chain known as the Gillingham Line. At Chatham and Gillingham they engaged the forts, burned or captured three capital ships and ten more ships of the line, and towed away the English flagship Royal Charles.
Why it is remembered One of the worst defeats in the history of the Royal Navy; it brought a quick end to the war on terms favourable to the Dutch. The stern of the Royal Charles is on display in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Sources differ One account gives the dates as 19 to 24 June 1667; another account gives 12 to 14 June (22 to 24 June Gregorian).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van der Stoop, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Ottoman-Venetian War of 1645 to 1669
Battle of Lesbos (1668) Fleet battle
Also known as Midilli Deniz Muharebesi; Battle of Mytilene
15 June 1668 · Off Lesbos (Midilli), Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Venice and Malta
Commanders Kaplan Mustafa Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Admiral Georgio (Venice and Malta)
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman fleet under the Kapudan Pasha Kaplan Mustafa Pasha met a combined Venetian and Maltese fleet off Lesbos. The Ottomans defeated the allied fleet.
Why it is remembered It was one of the fleet actions of the Ottoman-Venetian war for Crete, fought in its final years.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Ottoman-Venetian War of 1645 to 1669
Battle of San Pelagio Fleet battle
Also known as Çanak Limanı Deniz Muharebesi; Battle of St. Pelagio
8 March 1668 · Çanak Limanı (San Pelagio), west of Candia, Crete
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Venice
Commanders Memipaşazade Mehmed Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Lorenzo Corner (Venice)
Forces 12 Ottoman galleys against 20 Venetian galleys
Losses Both sides suffered heavy losses; no figures given.
An Ottoman squadron of 12 galleys under Memipaşazade Mehmed Pasha met a Venetian squadron of 20 galleys under Lorenzo Corner at the harbour of Çanak Limanı, west of Candia on Crete. Both sides suffered heavy losses.
Why it is remembered It was one of the galley actions of the Ottoman-Venetian war for Crete, fought close to Candia.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Battle of Cádiz (1669) Single-ship action
Also known as The Mary Rose Action; Action of 28 to 29 December 1669
18 to 19 December 1669 · Off Cádiz, south west Spain
Fought between England against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders John Kempthorne (England); unknown (Algiers)
Forces 1 English frigate, 1 ketch and 1 pink escorting merchantmen, against 6 Algerine frigates and 1 sloop
Ships HMS Mary Rose, King David
Losses English: 12 killed and 18 wounded, and the recaptured merchant ship King David taken. Algerines: heavy.
Result English victory
HMS Mary Rose under Rear Admiral John Kempthorne was escorting English merchantmen home from a diplomatic mission to Morocco, towing the recaptured merchant ship King David. Seven Barbary corsairs from Algiers attacked on 18 December; six engaged Mary Rose while one chased King David, which Kempthorne had cut loose. The corsairs withdrew at nightfall, attacked again next morning and withdrew once more, though all three of Mary Rose's masts were damaged. They took only King David.
Why it is remembered The engraver Wenceslaus Hollar was on board and recorded the fight, which appeared in John Ogilby's Africa of 1670 and was later painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger. Kempthorne was knighted for his conduct.
Sources differ The same action appears under the New Style date of 28 to 29 December 1669, placed in the Straits of Gibraltar rather than off Cádiz.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Anglo-Spanish War (1654 to 1671)
Henry Morgan's raid on Lake Maracaibo Raid
Also known as Sack of Maracaibo; Battle of Lake Maracaibo
16 March to 21 May 1669 · Lake Maracaibo, Province of Venezuela
Fought between English privateers against Spain
Commanders Henry Morgan (England); Alonso del Campo y Espinosa (Spain)
Forces 8 English ships and 500 men against the Armada de Barlovento (1 galleon, 1 patache and 1 frigate) and coastal defences
Losses Spanish: about 400 killed, wounded or captured, 1 galleon sunk, 1 patache captured, 1 frigate burned aground, 10 merchant vessels captured, 2 towns plundered, losses of about £30,000. English: unknown.
Result English victory
English privateers under the buccaneer Henry Morgan entered Lake Maracaibo and sacked the towns of Maracaibo and Gibraltar. The Spanish Armada de Barlovento under Alonso del Campo y Espinosa then trapped them in the lake. Though outgunned, Morgan's fleet destroyed the Spanish squadron on the bar of Maracaibo and slipped past the fortress guarding the lake by a ruse.
Why it is remembered It is one of the best known buccaneer exploits, illustrated in Alexandre Exquemelin's The Buccaneers of America. Morgan returned to Jamaica with a large haul of plunder.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Ahom-Mughal conflicts
Battle of Saraighat Fleet battle
March 1671 · Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, Guwahati, Assam, India
Fought between Ahom Kingdom, supported by the Jaintia and Dimasa kingdoms, against the Mughal Empire and Jaipur State, supported by Koch Behar
Commanders Lachit Borphukan, Chakradhwaj Singha, Udayaditya Singha, Atan Burhagohain (Ahom); Ram Singh I, Munnawar Khan, killed (Mughal)
Forces About 100,000 Ahom militia against a Mughal army of more than 35,000 infantry, 18,000 cavalry, 15,000 archers and shieldmen, 21 Rajput Thakurs with their contingents, and 40 ships
Losses Not stated, beyond the death of the Mughal commander Munnawar Khan.
Result Ahom victory; the Ahoms took Guwahati from the Mughals
The Ahoms drew a Mughal imperial force under Ram Singh I to Saraighat on the Brahmaputra and made a stand there. Though weaker, they used negotiation to gain time, guerrilla tactics and intelligence, and attacked the weakest part of the Mughal forces, their navy. The battle on the river ended the long Mughal siege of Guwahati and pushed the Mughals back west beyond the Manas river.
Why it is remembered It was the last battle of the last major Mughal attempt to extend their empire into Assam. Its commanders became a power group known as the Saraighatias.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Third Anglo-Dutch War and Franco-Dutch War
Battle of Solebay Fleet battle
6 June 1672 (28 May Old Style) · Sole Bay, off Southwold, Suffolk, eastern England
Fought between Dutch Republic against England and France
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter, Adriaen Banckert, Willem Joseph van Ghent, killed (Dutch Republic); James, Duke of York, Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, killed (England); Jean d'Estrées (France)
Forces 61 Dutch ships of the line, 14 frigates, 32 fireships and 22 smaller ships (about 4,500 guns, 20,700 men) against 80 Allied ships of the line, 13 frigates, 24 fireships and 28 smaller ships (6,158 guns, 35,000 to 40,000 men)
Ships Royal James, Prince, St Michael, London, Royal Katherine, Rainbow, De Zeven Provinciën, Eendracht, Groot Hollandia, Dolfijn, Oliphant, Groningen, Jozua, Stavoren, Saint-Philippe, Superbe
Losses Dutch: 1 ship destroyed (Jozua) and 1 captured (Stavoren). Allies: 4 ships destroyed, 2 English and 2 French, among them the Royal James. Sandwich and van Ghent were killed.
Result Dutch strategic victory; the Allies abandoned their planned landing on the Dutch coast
A Dutch fleet under Michiel de Ruyter attacked the combined English and French fleet at anchor in Sole Bay. De Ruyter's De Zeven Provinciën fought the Duke of York's flagship Prince until York had to shift his flag twice. Sandwich's flagship Royal James was set alight by a fireship and sank, and Sandwich died. Fighting went on most of the day and ended at sunset with no clear victor, but the scattered Allied fleet had suffered far more damage.
Why it is remembered It was one of the largest naval battles of the age of sail and stopped the Allied plan to land troops in the Netherlands. Willem van de Velde the Younger painted The Burning of the Royal James, and seven Royal Navy ships have been named HMS Solebay.
Sources differ One account calls it a Dutch strategic victory, while another account says the battle ended without a clear victory. Old Style date 28 May 1672, New Style 6 June 1672.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
First Battle of Schooneveld Fleet battle
Also known as Première bataille de Schooneveld; Battle of the Flanders Banks
7 June 1673 · Off Schooneveld, coast of the Netherlands
Fought between Dutch Republic against England and France
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch Republic); Prince Rupert (England and France)
Forces 52 Allied ships of the line, 11 frigates and 25 fireships against 64 Dutch ships
Losses Allies: 2 ships sunk. Dutch: 1 ship sunk.
Result Dutch victory
Exactly a year after Solebay, the combined English and French fleet under Prince Rupert attacked the Dutch fleet off Schooneveld, on the Dutch coast. Michiel de Ruyter's smaller fleet beat off the attack.
Why it is remembered It was the first of two battles off Schooneveld in June 1673 in which the Dutch held off the Allied fleet.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Romeyn de Hooghe (1645 to 1708), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Third Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Masulipatnam Fleet battle
1 September 1673 (22 August Old Style) · Off Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam), India
Fought between Dutch East India Company against the English East India Company
Commanders Cornelis van Quaelberg (VOC); William Basse (EIC)
Forces 13 Dutch warships against 10 English ships
Losses Dutch: light. English: 3 ships captured; 360 killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
Result Dutch victory
During the siege of São Tomé, a Dutch East India Company squadron of 13 ships met 10 English East India Company ships off Machilipatnam. The Dutch won, taking three English ships.
Why it is remembered It carried the Third Anglo-Dutch War to the Bay of Bengal, between the two trading companies' fleets.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ludolf Bakhuizen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Third Anglo-Dutch War; Franco-Dutch War
Reconquest of New Netherland Landing or siege
Also known as Dutch recapture of New York (1673)
9 August 1673 (30 July 1673 Old Style) · New York (Fort James), present day New York City
Fought between Dutch Republic against England
Commanders Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest, Jacob Binckes, Anthony Colve (Dutch); John Manning (England, surrendered)
Forces Dutch: 9 ships and 600 men. English: 100 soldiers and the fortifications of Fort James.
Losses Dutch: none. English: 100 taken prisoner; deaths unknown.
Result Dutch victory; New Netherland re-established
A combined Dutch fleet from the Admiralties of Zeeland and Amsterdam under Evertsen and Binckes sailed to New York, English since 1667, and forced the surrender of Fort James. The town was renamed New Orange and New Netherland was restored as a Dutch colony under governor general Anthony Colve.
Why it is remembered The Dutch held the colony only briefly: under the Treaty of Westminster of 1674 they returned it to England in exchange for Suriname, and Edmund Andros replaced Colve on 10 November 1674.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hugo Allard (1627, 1684), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
Battles of Schooneveld Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Schooneveld; Slag bij het Schooneveld
7 and 14 June 1673 · Off the coast of the Netherlands, North Sea
Fought between Dutch Republic against England and France
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter, Cornelis Tromp and Adriaen Banckert (Dutch Republic); Prince Rupert of the Rhine and Edward Spragge (England); Jean II d'Estrées (France)
Forces 64 Dutch ships with 14,762 men and 3,157 guns against 86 Anglo-French ships with 24,295 men and 4,826 guns
Ships Royal Charles
Losses England and France: 2 ships. Dutch: 1 ship.
Result Dutch victory
In two battles a week apart, an Anglo-French fleet under Prince Rupert in his flagship Royal Charles fought the Dutch fleet under Michiel de Ruyter off the Dutch coast. The smaller Dutch fleet won both.
Why it is remembered With the Battle of the Texel that August, these victories saved the Dutch Republic from an Anglo-French invasion. The first battle was painted by Willem van de Velde the Elder.
Sources differ The dates are 7 and 14 June 1673 in the New Style calendar, 28 May and 4 June in the Julian calendar used in England. The action is sometimes listed under 1635.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
Second Battle of Schooneveld Fleet battle
Also known as Seconde bataille de Schooneveld; Battle of Walcheren
14 June 1673 · Off Schooneveld, coast of the Netherlands
Fought between Dutch Republic against England and France
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch Republic); Prince Rupert, Jean II d'Estrées, Edward Spragge (England and France)
Forces 67 Dutch ships against 84 Allied ships
Result Dutch victory
A week after the first battle, the Dutch fleet under de Ruyter again fought the combined English and French fleet off Schooneveld. The Dutch won the action.
Why it is remembered The victory kept the Netherlands safe from an Anglo-French invasion from the sea.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Romeyn de Hooghe (1645 to 1708), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Third Anglo-Dutch War and Franco-Dutch War
Second Battle of the James River (1673) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Lynnhaven Bay
22 to 23 July 1673 (12 to 13 July Old Style) · Hampton Roads, near the James River, Virginia
Fought between Dutch Republic against England
Commanders Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest and Jacob Binckes (Dutch Republic); Thomas Gardiner (England)
Forces 9 Dutch ships against 8 English ships
Losses Dutch: 3 killed. English: 4 ships captured, and several more not in the battle.
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet under the joint command of Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest and Jacob Binckes met an improvised English squadron under Thomas Gardiner in Hampton Roads. The Dutch won and captured four English ships.
Why it is remembered It was part of the Dutch raid on North America that went on to retake New Netherland for a time.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: http://maps.bpl.org, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Third Anglo-Dutch War and Franco-Dutch War
Battle of Texel (1673) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kijkduin
21 August 1673 (11 August Old Style) · Off Kijkduin, west coast of Texel, North Sea
Fought between Dutch Republic against England and France
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter, Cornelis Tromp, Adriaen Banckert (Dutch Republic); Prince Rupert, Edward Spragge, killed (England); Jean d'Estrées (France)
Forces 60 Dutch ships of the line, 15 frigates and 22 fireships (4,245 guns, about 20,000 men) against about 100 Allied ships of the line and frigates and 28 fireships (about 6,000 guns, 32,000 men)
Ships De Zeven Provinciën, Gouden Leeuw, Eendracht, Oliphant, Hollandia, Royal Sovereign, Prince, London, Royal Katherine, Charles, Reine, Royale Thérèse, Terrible
Losses Dutch: about 1,000 killed. Allies: about 2,000 killed. No major ships sunk.
Result Dutch victory
De Ruyter, outnumbered, took the weather gauge and sent Banckert's van to separate the French van under d'Estrées, which then played little part. The battle became a long fight between the Dutch and English centres and rears, with Tromp and Spragge duelling repeatedly; Spragge drowned when his boat sank as he shifted his flag for the third time. Both fleets were exhausted and the Allies withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was the last major battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War: it ended Allied hopes of blockading the Republic and let the Dutch spice fleet reach home. Willem van de Velde the Younger painted it in 1707, and it is counted the high point of de Ruyter's career.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
Invasion of Martinique (1674) Landing or siege
19 to 21 July 1674 · Fort-Royal, Martinique
Fought between Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch Republic); Thomas-Claude Renart and Antoine André (France)
Forces 18 Dutch ships of the line, 36 smaller ships and 7,400 men against 1 French frigate, 1 merchant ship and 160 men
Losses Dutch: 461 to 1,300 killed or wounded. French: 6 killed, 10 wounded.
Result French victory
The Dutch Republic sent a large fleet under Michiel de Ruyter to take Martinique from France. The landing at Fort-Royal failed in spite of overwhelming Dutch superiority in men and ships.
Why it is remembered It was a decisive and unexpected French victory over a much larger Dutch force under de Ruyter.
Sources differ Dutch losses are given as anything from 461 to 1,300 killed or wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre Brissart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
Capture of Noirmoutier Landing or siege
4 July 1674 · Island of Noirmoutier, western France
Fought between Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Cornelis Tromp (Dutch Republic)
Forces 40 Dutch ships and 3,200 soldiers against 800 French soldiers, 6,000 armed farmers, another regiment of 400, 30 cannon and an unknown number of ships
Losses Dutch: 8 to 10 dead and 40 to 45 wounded, or 45 dead and 65 wounded. French: 1 frigate, 2 other vessels and an unknown number of fishing and other boats captured; dead unknown.
Result Dutch victory; the island was occupied
A Dutch fleet under Cornelis Tromp landed troops on the island of Noirmoutier, captured it and occupied it. French shipping at the island was taken.
Why it is remembered It was recorded in a print by Bastiaen Stopendael of Tromp's capture of Belle-Isle and Noirmoutier.
Sources differ Dutch losses: sources give either 8 to 10 dead and 40 to 45 wounded, or 45 dead and 65 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Third Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Ronas Voe Single-ship action
14 March 1674 (4 March Old Style) · Ronas Voe, Shetland
Fought between England against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Arthur Herbert, John Wetwang, Richard Carter (England); Jacob Martens Cloet (VOC)
Forces 1 Dutch East Indiaman against 3 Royal Navy men of war (one third rate and two fourth rates) and a dogger
Ships Wapen van Rotterdam
Losses Dutch: up to 300 dead and the ship captured. English: unknown, no ships lost.
Result English victory
The East Indiaman Wapen van Rotterdam, outward bound with trade goods and a company of soldiers, lost her masts and rudder in heavy weather and sheltered in Ronas Voe for months. An informer told the English, who sent three men of war and a dogger. After a short fight she was captured and taken to England as a prize.
Why it is remembered Fought 23 days after the Treaty of Westminster, it is probably the last battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War. A memorial at Heylor marks the believed graves of the Dutch crew, inscribed The Hollanders' Graves.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ronnie Robertson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
Battle of Stromboli (1675) Fleet battle
Also known as First Battle of Stromboli; Battle of the Lipari Islands; Bataille du Stromboli
11 February 1675 · Off Sicily, near Stromboli and the Lipari Islands
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Duke of Vivonne, Abraham Duquesne, Marquis de Preuilly d'Humières (France); Marquis de Viso, Melchior de La Cueva (Spain)
Forces 8 French warships, 1 frigate and 3 fireships against 20 Spanish warships and 17 galleys
Result French victory
A French squadron under the Duke of Vivonne, sent to relieve the rebel city of Messina, met a larger Spanish fleet under the Marquis de Viso off Sicily. The French won and the relief went through.
Why it is remembered It was fought to bring French help to the rebel city of Messina. Théodore Gudin painted the relief of Messina on this date.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
Battle of Augusta Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Agosta
22 April 1676 · Off Augusta, Sicily
Fought between France against the Dutch Republic and Spain
Commanders Abraham Duquesne (France); Francisco de la Cerda (Spain); Michiel de Ruyter, mortally wounded (Dutch Republic)
Forces 34 French ships of the line and frigates (1,760 to 2,200 guns) against 27 Dutch and Spanish ships of the line and frigates (1,300 to 1,450 guns)
Losses About 2,000 killed or wounded on each side. No ships lost on either side.
Result Inconclusive
A French fleet under Abraham Duquesne met a combined Dutch and Spanish fleet under Francisco de la Cerda off Augusta. For much of the day only part of each fleet was engaged, and despite heavy casualties and damage no ship was lost. It ended when de Ruyter pulled his squadron clear of superior French numbers, and he was mortally wounded doing so. The fleets parted the next day without renewing the fight.
Why it is remembered Michiel de Ruyter was mortally wounded here while pulling his squadron clear. Ambroise Louis Garneray painted the battle in 1836.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ambroise-Louis Garneray, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Scanian War
Battle of Bornholm (1676) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Jasmund
25 to 26 May 1676 · Between Bornholm and Rügen, off the Jasmund peninsula, Baltic Sea
Fought between Denmark-Norway and the Dutch Republic against Sweden
Commanders Niels Juel, Jens Rodsten (Denmark-Norway); Philip van Almonde (Dutch Republic); Lorentz Creutz, Claes Uggla, Johan Bär (Sweden)
Forces 25 allied ships of the line and 10 frigates against 17 large and 13 medium Swedish ships of the line, 21 smaller vessels and armed merchantmen, and 8 fireships
Ships Konung David, Leopard
Losses Allies: 55 killed, 15 wounded. Swedes: the storeship Konung David captured and burned, the fireship Leopard captured, dead and wounded unknown.
Result Disputed; an allied strategic success
Lorentz Creutz sought to destroy the smaller Danish and Dutch fleet under Niels Juel and then carry reinforcements to Swedish Pomerania. The fleets came within range near Jasmund on the evening of 25 May and fought in line of battle through the next morning without attempting to board. In the afternoon Juel broke off for the Øresund and anchored on Falsterbo reef; Creutz did not pursue.
Why it is remembered Juel's fleet survived intact and was joined two days later by Cornelis Tromp with nine more ships. The failure caused a row between Creutz and his officers, and a week later the Swedes were beaten at Öland.
Sources differ The result is disputed: the Swedes lost only three small vessels, but the allies achieved their aim of keeping their fleet in being.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Attributed to Jacob Coning, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Scanian War
Battle of Öland Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget vid Ölands södra udde
1 June 1676 · Off the east coast of Öland, Baltic Sea
Fought between Denmark-Norway and the Dutch Republic against Sweden
Commanders Cornelis Tromp, Niels Juel (Denmark-Norway); Philips van Almonde (Dutch Republic); Lorentz Creutz, killed, Claes Uggla, killed, Johan Bär (Sweden)
Forces 42 allied warships, 25 of them ships of the line, against 57 Swedish warships, 27 of them ships of the line, with about 12,000 men
Ships Kronan, Svärdet
Losses Allies: 1 fireship and at least 100 dead. Swedes: 5 ships sunk, 6 captured and at least 1,400 dead.
Result Danish and Dutch victory
As the battle began the Swedish flagship Kronan sank, taking almost her whole crew and the Swedish commander, Admiral of the Realm Lorentz Creutz. The allied fleet under the Dutch admiral Cornelis Tromp exploited the confusion. Admiral Claes Uggla's flagship Svärdet was surrounded, battered and set on fire by a fireship, and Uggla drowned; the rest of the Swedish fleet fled.
Why it is remembered It gave Denmark command of the southern Baltic for the rest of the war, allowing a Danish army of 14,500 to land in Scania. Charles XI ordered a commission into the defeat, which found no one responsible.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Claus Møinichen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
Battle of Palermo Fleet battle
2 June 1676 · Off Palermo, Sicily
Fought between France against Spain and the Dutch Republic
Commanders Duke of Mortemart (Vivonne) and Abraham Duquesne (France); Jan den Haen, killed (Dutch Republic); Diego de Ibarra, killed (Spain)
Forces 24 French ships of the line, 5 frigates, 25 galleys and 9 fireships against 14 Spanish and Dutch ships of the line, 13 frigates, 19 galleys and 4 fireships
Losses Spanish and Dutch: about 1,960 killed and wounded, 3 ships of the line, 4 frigates and 2 galleys destroyed. French: about 200 killed and wounded, 9 fireships expended.
Result French victory
A French force sent to support the Messina revolt against Spanish rule attacked the Spanish fleet and its Dutch allies off Palermo. The French fireships destroyed several allied ships, and both the Dutch and Spanish commanders were killed.
Why it is remembered Both allied commanders, Jan den Haen and Diego de Ibarra, were killed. Pierre Puget painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
Battle of Stromboli (1676) Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Stromboli; Battle of Alicudi
8 January 1676 · Off Stromboli, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between France against the Dutch Republic and Spain
Commanders Abraham Duquesne (France); Michiel de Ruyter (Dutch Republic)
Forces 20 French ships of the line and 6 fireships (1,500 guns, 7,200 men) against 19 allied ships of the line or frigates, 18 Dutch and 1 Spanish, with 6 snows and 5 fireships (1,200 guns, 4,800 men)
Losses Dutch and Spanish: 240 killed or wounded and 1 ship of the line sunk. French: 400 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A French fleet of 20 ships under Abraham Duquesne fought an allied fleet of 18 Dutch ships and one Spanish ship under Michiel de Ruyter off Stromboli. The battle lasted eight hours and ended without a decision.
Why it is remembered The same two fleets met again at Augusta in April 1676. Théodore Gudin painted the battle in 1845.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean Antoine Théodore Gudin (1802 to 1880), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Dutch War
First Battle of Tobago Fleet battle
3 March 1677 · Off Tobago, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Jacob Binckes (Dutch Republic); Jean II d'Estrées (France)
Forces 9 warships and several smaller vessels on each side
Losses French: 2 warships destroyed, 2 captured. Dutch: 1 warship destroyed, 1 sunk.
Result Dutch victory
A French squadron under Jean II d'Estrées attacked the Dutch squadron of Jacob Binckes off Tobago. The Dutch held off the attack and the French lost four warships.
Why it is remembered It was the first of two battles for Tobago in 1677 between the French navy and the Dutch States Navy. Jan Karel Donatus van Beecq painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jan Karel Donatus van Beecq, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Scanian War
Battle of Køge Bay (1677) Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget vid Köge bukt
1 to 2 July 1677 · Køge Bay, south of Copenhagen, Baltic Sea
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Niels Juel (Denmark-Norway); Henrik Horn (Sweden)
Forces 34 Danish-Norwegian ships with 6,700 men against 45 to 47 Swedish ships with 9,200 men
Losses Danes: about 100 dead and 275 wounded. Swedes: 20 ships and about 3,000 wounded, captured and dead.
Result Danish victory
A month after his victory at Møn, Admiral Niels Juel met the main Swedish fleet under Henrik Horn in Køge Bay. Over two days the smaller Danish-Norwegian fleet defeated the Swedes, who lost 20 ships.
Why it is remembered It is regarded as the greatest victory in Danish naval history. Claus Møinichen painted it in 1686.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Claus Møinichen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Scanian War
Battle of Møn Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Fehmarn; Battle of Møns Klint
31 May to 1 June 1677 · Between Møn and the coast of northern Germany, Baltic Sea
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Niels Juel (Denmark-Norway); Erik Sjöblad, captured (Sweden)
Forces 13 Danish-Norwegian men of war (670 guns) against 3 Swedish men of war, 5 armed merchantmen and 4 smaller vessels (394 guns)
Losses Swedes: 8 ships and over 1,500 men dead, wounded or captured, including Admiral Sjöblad. Danes: negligible.
Result Danish-Norwegian victory
A Swedish squadron under Admiral Erik Sjöblad tried to sail from Gothenburg to join the main Swedish fleet in the Baltic. Niels Juel intercepted it with a stronger Danish-Norwegian force and broke it up over two days.
Why it is remembered It stopped the Swedish navy from concentrating, gave Denmark useful prizes, and prepared the way for the victory at Køge Bay a month later. Christian Mølsted painted the battle in 1922.
Sources differ One account gives the date as 31 May 1677; another account gives 31 May to 1 June 1677.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Christian Mølsted, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Action of 30 September 1681 Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1681)
30 September 1681 · Off Cape St. Vincent, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Spain against Brandenburg-Prussia
Commanders Marquess of Villafiel (Spain); Thomas Alders (Brandenburg-Prussia)
Forces 12 Spanish galleons and 3 fireships against 6 Brandenburg ships
Losses Brandenburg: 10 killed and about 30 wounded. Spanish: unknown.
Result Spanish victory
A Brandenburg squadron of six ships under Thomas Alders met a Spanish force of 12 galleons near Cape St. Vincent. After a two hour fight the Brandenburgers were beaten.
Why it is remembered It was a defeat for the Brandenburg navy at the hands of a larger Spanish force.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lieve Verschuier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Algerian War (1681 to 1688)
Bombardment of Algiers (1682) Landing or siege
July to August 1682 · Algiers
Fought between France against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Abraham Duquesne (France); Baba Hassan (Algiers)
Forces About 40 French vessels: 11 ships of the line, 15 galleys, 5 bomb galiots, 2 fireships and smaller craft
Losses Algiers: 500 dead. French: unknown.
Result Algerian victory
After the Dey declared war on France in 1681, Louis XIV sent Duquesne from Toulon with about forty vessels. Delayed by bad weather, he reached Algiers in July 1682 and bombarded the city several times in August, causing great damage. Threatening moves by the corsair captains and bad weather forced him to withdraw to French waters.
Why it is remembered It was the first of three French bombardments of Algiers during the war, and it caused extensive damage to the city.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Algerian War (1681 to 1688)
Bombardment of Algiers (1683) Landing or siege
June to July 1683 · Algiers
Fought between France against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Abraham Duquesne (France); Baba Hassan, Mezzo Morto (Algiers)
Forces 17 French ships of the line, 3 frigates, 16 galleys, 7 bomb galiots, 48 longboats, 18 fluyts and 8 tartanes
Result Inconclusive
France sent Duquesne back to bombard Algiers a second time. The operation led to the release of more than 100 French prisoners, some after decades of captivity.
Why it is remembered Most Christian captives in Algiers remained in captivity. The release of prisoners was later shown in an engraving after François-Auguste Biard.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Girardet (dessinateur), d'après Briard (peintre), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Raid on Cartagena (1683) Fleet battle
24 December 1683 · Off Cartagena de Indias (modern Colombia)
Fought between Pirates against Spain
Commanders Laurens de Graaf (pirates); Governor Juan de Pando Estrada ordered the Spanish defence
Forces About 800 Spanish men in three commandeered slave ships, San Francisco (40 guns), Paz (34 guns) and a galliot (28 guns); pirate numbers not given
Ships San Francisco (later Fortune, then Neptune), Paz (later Mutine), Francesca
Losses Spanish: about 90 killed, San Francisco run aground, Paz and the galliot captured. Pirates: about 20 killed.
Result Pirate victory
The Spanish at Cartagena sent three hired slave ships with about 800 men against Laurens de Graaf and his pirates. The Spanish were quickly beaten: San Francisco ran aground and Paz and the galliot were taken. De Graaf refloated San Francisco and made her his flagship, then blockaded the town and ransomed his prisoners.
Why it is remembered De Graaf released prisoners on Christmas Day with a note thanking the governor for his Christmas presents. The captured ships were taken into pirate service under new names.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Arnoldus Montanus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Ming-Qing transition
Battle of Penghu Fleet battle
Also known as 澎湖海戰; Battle of the Pescadores
10 to 16 July 1683 · Penghu (the Pescadores), Taiwan Strait
Fought between Qing dynasty against the Kingdom of Tungning
Commanders Shi Lang (Qing); Liu Guoxuan (Tungning)
Forces 238 Qing ships and 21,000 men against more than 200 Tungning ships and 20,000 men
Losses Qing: 329 officers and soldiers killed. Tungning: 12,000 killed or drowned, 4,800 surrendered or captured.
Result Qing victory; Tungning capitulated to the Qing
The Qing admiral Shi Lang led a fleet against the Tungning forces holding Penghu. Each side had more than 200 warships. Liu Guoxuan's fleet was outnumbered and, when his flagship ran out of ammunition, he fled back to Taiwan.
Why it is remembered The loss of Penghu led Zheng Keshuang, the last king of Tungning, to surrender to the Qing dynasty.
Sources differ One account says Liu was outnumbered three to one, while another account gives similar ship numbers for both sides (238 against more than 200).
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Attack on Veracruz Raid
17 to 18 May 1683 · Veracruz, Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico)
Fought between Pirates against Spain
Commanders Laurens de Graaf, Nicholas van Hoorn and Michel de Grammont (pirates)
Forces About 1,300 pirates in five large and eight smaller vessels, led by two captured Spanish warships
Losses Not recorded; van Hoorn had a dozen prisoners executed
Result Pirate success; the town was sacked
The pirate fleet arrived off Veracruz on 17 May 1683, led by two captured Spanish warships so that the townsfolk would take it for Spanish. Early the next morning, while most of the militia slept, de Graaf and Yankey Willems disabled the fortifications and van Hoorn's force entered overland; the town was sacked and many hostages taken, the governor among them. When a Spanish treasure fleet appeared on the second day, the pirates withdrew to the Isla de Sacrificios to wait for ransoms, then left, slipping past the Spanish.
Why it is remembered De Graaf and van Hoorn quarrelled and fought a duel; van Hoorn was wounded and died of gangrene soon after.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Spanish War of 1683 to 1684
Battle of Cap Corse Single-ship action
Also known as Бой у Кап-Корса
10 July 1684 · Off Cap Corse, northern Corsica
Fought between France against Spain and Genoa
Forces 1 French ship of the line, Le Bon, against 35 Spanish and Genoese galleys
Ships Le Bon
The French ship of the line Le Bon fought 35 Spanish and Genoese galleys off the north coast of Corsica.
Why it is remembered It pitted a single French sailing warship against a large galley force.
Sources Wikipedia (RU)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Reunions
Bombardment of Genoa Landing or siege
18 to 28 May 1684 · Genoa, Ligurian coast of Italy
Fought between France against the Republic of Genoa and Spain
Commanders Abraham Duquesne (France); Carlo Tasso and Juan Maria Doria (Genoa); Juan Tomas Enriquez de Cabrera (Spain)
Forces France: 14 ships of the line, 19 galleys, 10 bomb vessels, 2 fireships, 2 troop carriers and 97 tartanes and skiffs, possibly up to 160 vessels with 756 guns in all
Losses No casualty figures are given. The city suffered heavy damage, and a French landing of about 3,500 troops was defeated
Result Inconclusive
Genoa was Spain's link to landlocked Milan, and France decided to punish it after Spanish reinforcements passed through the port. Duquesne's fleet entered the harbour exchanging salutes; the Marquis of Seignelay, sailing with it, demanded four galleys and an apology, and when Genoa refused the bombardment began. A French landing of about 3,500 men at Albaro and Sampierdarena was beaten back by Genoese troops, local volunteers and a Spanish tercio. The bombardment stopped when the French ran out of powder, after about 16,000 balls had struck the city, and the fleet returned to Toulon.
Why it is remembered The attack caused outrage across Europe and helped bring Spain, the Dutch Republic and several German states together against Louis XIV, in an alliance that became the League of Augsburg in 1688.
Sources differ One account gives 18 to 28 May; another account has the fleet entering the port on 17 May and the bombardment ending on 29 May.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Beaulieu_le_Donjon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Ottoman-Venetian War of 1684 to 1699
Battle of Cape Baba (1686) Fleet battle
Also known as Bababurnu Deniz Muharebesi
4 October 1686 · Off Cape Baba (Bababurnu), Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Venice
Commanders Mısırlızade İbrahim Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Admiral Venier (Venice)
Losses No ships lost on either side; Venetian ships damaged.
Result Ottoman tactical victory
The Ottoman fleet under Mısırlızade İbrahim Pasha met the Venetian fleet under Admiral Venier off Cape Baba. Neither side gained the upper hand, and the outnumbered Venetians, their ships damaged, withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was the second inconclusive meeting of the two fleets in 1686.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Ottoman-Venetian War of 1684 to 1699
Battle of Icaria (1686) Fleet battle
Also known as Ahikerya Deniz Muharebesi
20 July 1686 · Off the island of Icaria, Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Venice
Commanders Mısırlızade İbrahim Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Admiral Venier (Venice)
Result Ottoman tactical victory
The Ottoman fleet under the Kapudan Pasha Mısırlızade İbrahim Pasha met the Venetian fleet under Admiral Venier off Icaria. Neither side gained the upper hand.
Why it is remembered It was one of the fleet actions of the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1684 to 1699 in the Aegean.
Sources differ The source calls it an Ottoman tactical victory while also saying neither side gained superiority.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Franco-Algerian War (1681 to 1688)
Bombardment of Algiers (1688) Landing or siege
June to July 1688 · Algiers
Fought between France against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Jean II d'Estrées (France); Mezzo Morto Hüseyin Pasha (Algiers)
Forces 31 French warships and 10 bomb galiots
Losses French: several ships lost.
Result Algerian victory
Louis XIV sent a squadron under Jean II d'Estrées to enforce the peace treaty of 1683, broken by Algerian corsairs. Arriving on 26 June, the French did serious damage to the city, but its strengthened shore batteries cost them several ships. After 16 days they withdrew without enforcing the treaty.
Why it is remembered It was the last of three French bombardments of Algiers in the 1680s.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Arrest attempt of Jørgen Bjørn Other action
29 February 1688 · Off Ascension Island, South Atlantic
Fought between Governor of Danish India against the crew of Antoinetta
Commanders Wolf Henrik von Kalnein (Danish India); Jørgen Bjørn (Antoinetta)
Forces 2 armed vessels against 1 ship
Ships Antoinetta, Flyvende Ulv
Losses None on either side.
Result Antoinetta drove off the attempt
On the voyage home from Tranquebar a quarrel arose between Governor Wolf Henrik von Kalnein and Captain Jørgen Bjørn. Off Ascension Island Bjørn refused a summons to the governor's ship, and von Kalnein sent two armed vessels against his ship Antoinetta. After a brief exchange of fire they were driven off, and Antoinetta left the fleet and sailed for Copenhagen alone.
Why it is remembered It was an armed clash between ships of the same Danish colonial fleet, ended without casualties.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War and Williamite War in Ireland
Battle of Bantry Bay Fleet battle
11 May 1689 · Bantry Bay, south west Ireland
Fought between France against England
Commanders François Louis Rousselet de Châteaurenault (France); Arthur Herbert (England)
Forces 19 to 22 French warships against 24 English warships
Losses French: 40 killed, 93 wounded. English: 94 killed, about 300 wounded.
Result French victory
A French fleet under Châteaurenault was landing supplies for James II's campaign in Ireland when Arthur Herbert's English fleet attacked. The French completed the landing and did considerable damage to Herbert's ships, but did not follow up their success.
Why it is remembered Apart from inshore fighting at La Rochelle, it was the first fleet action between the English and French navies since 1545, fought a week before war was declared.
Sources differ One account calls the battle somewhat inconclusive; another account gives a French victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Adriaen van Diest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Battle of Beachy Head (1690) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Béveziers
10 July 1690 · Off Beachy Head, English Channel
Fought between France against England and the Dutch Republic
Commanders Anne Hilarion de Tourville, Châteaurenault, Jean d'Estrées, Claude de Forbin (France); Arthur Herbert, Earl of Torrington, Ralph Delaval (England); Cornelis Evertsen (Dutch Republic)
Forces 75 French ships with 28,000 men against 56 Anglo-Dutch ships with 23,000 men
Ships Soleil Royal, Friesland, Anne, Noorderkwartier, Gekroonde Burg, Maagd van Enkhuizen, Elswout, Tholen, Wapen van Utrecht, Suikermolen, Kroonvogel
Losses French: no ships lost, casualties unknown. Allies: 2,350 to 4,000 killed or wounded; the Dutch lost seven ships of the line and three fireships, the English one ship of the line (Anne, burnt to avoid capture).
Result French victory
Torrington, ordered to fight a larger French fleet, advanced with the Dutch in the van. The Dutch engaged the leading French squadron but were cut up when part of Châteaurenault's squadron crossed their path, while Torrington's centre failed to close. After about eight hours the Dutch anchored to drop out of range, and when the tide turned the Allies withdrew towards the Thames, burning damaged ships as they went. Tourville followed cautiously rather than ordering a general chase.
Why it is remembered It was the most significant French naval victory of the war and gave France brief control of the Channel. Tourville was relieved for not pursuing, and Torrington was court-martialled, acquitted and then dismissed by William III.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Turkish War and Morean War
Battle of Mytilene (1690) Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Metelino
8 September 1690 · Off Mytilene, Lesbos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Venice against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary regencies of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli
Commanders Daniele Dolfin, wounded, and Giovanni Buggie, killed (Venice); unknown (Ottoman and Barbary)
Forces 12 Venetian sailing ships against 9 Ottoman and Barbary sailing ships and 23 galleys
Ships Redentor del Mondo
Losses Venetians: 12 to 20 killed, Redentor del Mondo damaged. Ottomans and Barbary: at most 300 killed, 3 ships damaged or destroyed.
Result Venetian victory
A Venetian fleet of sailing ships under Daniele Dolfin met a combined Ottoman and Barbary fleet off Mytilene. The Venetians won, though Dolfin was wounded and Giovanni Buggie killed.
Why it is remembered The defeat led Sultan Suleiman II to end Ottoman reliance on the Barbary corsairs. An anonymous painting of the battle hangs in the Museo Correr in Venice.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Didier Descouens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Action at Barfleur Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Barfleur
29 May 1692 (19 May Old Style) · Off Cape Barfleur, Cotentin Peninsula, English Channel
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Edward Russell, Philips van Almonde (England and Dutch Republic); Anne Hilarion de Tourville (France)
Forces 82 Anglo-Dutch ships of the line with 40,000 men against 44 French ships of the line with 20,000 men
Ships Soleil Royal, L'Ambitieux
Losses Allies: 2,000 killed and 3,000 wounded. French: 1,700 killed or wounded. No ships in the battle lines were lost.
Result Inconclusive
Tourville's fleet, meant to cover a French invasion of England to restore James II, met the combined Anglo-Dutch fleet of 82 ships off Cape Barfleur. Holding the weather gauge, Tourville attacked and the two fleets bombarded each other for hours; a wind shift let Shovell break the French line, and a fireship attack followed in the evening. Most ships on both sides were damaged but none was lost, and Tourville withdrew on the turn of the tide with Russell in pursuit.
Why it is remembered It opened the pursuit that destroyed fifteen French ships at Cherbourg and La Hougue. The French still regard Barfleur as a victory. Ludolf Bakhuizen painted it around 1693.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ludolf Bakhuizen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Action at Cherbourg (1692) Raid
1 to 2 June 1692 (21 to 22 May Old Style) · Cherbourg, Normandy
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Ralph Delaval (England); Anne Hilarion de Tourville (France)
Forces 11 English ships of the line and 3 fireships against 3 French ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 fireship
Ships Soleil Royal, Admirable, Triomphant
Losses French: 3 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 fireship destroyed. Allies: 3 fireships expended.
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
After Barfleur, three badly damaged French ships, among them Tourville's former flagship Soleil Royal, were beached at Cherbourg. Vice Admiral Ralph Delaval attacked them with boats and fireships and destroyed them.
Why it is remembered Tourville's flagship Soleil Royal was destroyed here; Adriaen van Diest painted her destruction around 1700.
Sources differ One account dates the action 21 to 22 May Old Style; another gives 21 to 24 May; a history of the campaign says the ships were beached on 23 May and destroyed the next day.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Adriaen van Diest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Action at La Hogue (1692) Raid
Also known as Battle of La Hougue; Battle of La Hogue
2 to 3 June 1692 (23 to 24 May Old Style) · Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, Normandy
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Edward Russell, Philips van Almonde (England and Dutch Republic); Anne Hilarion de Tourville (France)
Forces 14 Anglo-Dutch ships of the line against 12 French ships of the line
Losses French: 12 ships of the line destroyed. Allies: unknown.
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
After the Battle of Barfleur the Anglo-Dutch fleet under Edward Russell pursued the French. Twelve French ships of the line had been beached near Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue under the protection of troops and a battery. English and Dutch boats and fireships went in and burned all twelve.
Why it is remembered The English remember the whole campaign by this action. Benjamin West painted The Battle of La Hogue around 1778.
Sources differ One account dates the action 21 to 24 May 1692, another 3 to 4 June, and others 23 May Old Style; the gap is largely the Old Style and New Style calendars.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Adriaen van Diest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de la Hougue
29 May to 14 June 1692 (19 May to 4 June Old Style) · English Channel off Cape Barfleur, Cherbourg and Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, Normandy
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Edward Russell, Philips van Almonde (England and Dutch Republic); Anne Hilarion de Tourville, Bernardin Gigault de Bellefonds (France)
Forces 82 Anglo-Dutch ships of the line and 3 fireships with 39,000 men against 44 French ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 fireship with 21,000 men
Ships Soleil Royal, L'Ambitieux, Admirable, Triomphant, Monarque, Aimable, Entendu
Losses Allies: 5,000 killed or wounded, 3 fireships. French: 5,000 killed or wounded, 15 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 fireship destroyed.
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
Tourville's 44 ships of the line were to carry an invasion force under Bellefonds to restore James II, but the English and Dutch fleets had already joined, 82 strong, when he met them off Cape Barfleur. He attacked as ordered and did heavy damage, then disengaged. The Allies pursued the outnumbered French into Cherbourg and La Hougue, where boats and fireships burned the beached ships.
Why it is remembered Fifteen French ships were destroyed and the threat of invasion ended. Winston Churchill called it the Trafalgar of the seventeenth century, and Benjamin West painted The Battle of La Hogue.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Battle of Lagos (1693) Convoy battle
Also known as Smyrna convoy action
27 June 1693 (17 June Old Style) · Off Lagos Bay, Portugal
Fought between France against England and the Dutch Republic
Commanders Anne Hilarion de Tourville (France); George Rooke (England); Philips van der Goes (Dutch Republic)
Forces 70 French ships of the line, 30 smaller warships and 30,000 men against 21 Anglo-Dutch ships of the line, 1 frigate, 5 smaller warships and 15,000 men, escorting 200 merchant ships
Losses French: 500 killed or wounded. Allies: 2,500 killed or wounded, 2,000 captured, 2 ships of the line captured, 1 destroyed, 40 merchant ships captured and 50 destroyed.
Result French victory
George Rooke's squadron was escorting the large Smyrna convoy when Tourville's much larger French fleet caught it near Lagos Bay. The French took and destroyed many merchant ships and three warships.
Why it is remembered The Smyrna convoy lost about 90 merchant ships captured or destroyed. Théodore Gudin painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Battle of Camaret Landing or siege
Also known as Brest expedition; Attack on Brest
18 June 1694 · Camaret Bay, near Brest, Brittany
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Thomas Tollemache, died of wounds, and the Marquess of Carmarthen (England); Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (France)
Forces 10,000 to 12,000 Anglo-Dutch troops, 36 ships of the line, 12 bomb ships and 40 or 80 transports, against 1,300 French troops with 265 guns and 17 mortars
Losses Allies: 1,100 killed or 1,200 killed or wounded and 466 captured, or 2,000 killed or wounded and 1,000 captured; 1 ship of the line sunk and another captured; many boats lost, 48 captured. French: 45 wounded.
Result French victory
Expecting Brest to be unguarded while the French fleet was away in the south, an Anglo-Dutch force of about 10,000 men tried to land at Camaret Bay and take the naval base. The French knew of the plan through spies. Allied ships exchanged heavy fire with French shore batteries, and the landing party was thrown back by a French counter-attack.
Why it is remembered It was the only field command of the military engineer Vauban. A disputed theory holds that John Churchill leaked the plan to James II.
Sources differ Allied losses are given as 1,100 killed, or 1,200 killed or wounded with 466 captured, or 2,000 killed or wounded with 1,000 captured. Troop transports given as 40 or 80.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Basire, James [engraver], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Omani-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Daman (1694) Fleet battle
23 March 1694 · At sea off Daman, Arabian Sea
Fought between Portugal against Oman
Commanders António Machado de Brito (Portugal); unknown (Oman)
Forces 1 Portuguese ship of the line, 2 frigates and 1 galiot against 8 Omani ships of the line and 6 frigates
Losses Portuguese: light. Omanis: 3 frigates sunk, 1 ship of the line so badly damaged she sank the next day, 600 killed.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese squadron under General António Machado de Brito pursued and attacked an Omani squadron sailing off Daman. Though heavily outnumbered, the Portuguese sank three frigates and crippled a ship of the line.
Why it is remembered It was a Portuguese victory at sea over a much larger Omani squadron during the Omani-Portuguese conflicts.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: RESENDE, Pedro Barreto de, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Battle of Texel (1694) Convoy battle
Also known as Combat du Texel
29 June 1694 · Off Texel, North Sea
Fought between France against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Jean Bart (France); Hidde Sjoerds de Vries, died of wounds (Dutch Republic)
Forces 7 or 8 French frigates against 8 Dutch frigates guarding 120 merchant ships
Losses French: 66 killed or wounded. Dutch: 229 killed or wounded, 455 captured, 3 frigates captured.
Result French victory
A French convoy had been taken by the Dutch earlier in the month. Jean Bart attacked the Dutch escort under Hidde Sjoerds de Vries off Texel, recaptured the convoy and took three of the escorting ships. De Vries was captured and died of his wounds soon after.
Why it is remembered Jean Bart won back the French convoy against an equal escort. Eugène Isabey painted the battle in 1839.
Sources differ One account gives Bart eight ships; another account gives seven frigates.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Action of 10 August 1695 Single-ship action
10 August 1695 · Strait of Dover
Fought between England against Sweden
Commanders Richard Culliford, Richard Athy (England); Erik Ribbing, died of wounds (Sweden)
Forces 2 English frigates and 2 brigantines against 1 Swedish ship of the line
Ships Wachtmeister
Losses English: several killed, 1 frigate damaged. Swedes: 4 killed, 3 wounded and the ship captured.
Result English victory
The Swedish warship Wachtmeister met a squadron of four Royal Navy ships in the Strait of Dover. After a skirmish the English captured her, and her captain Erik Ribbing died of his wounds.
Why it is remembered It was a clash between English and Swedish warships during the Nine Years' War that ended in the capture of Wachtmeister.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Action of 18 April 1695 Single-ship action
18 April 1695 · Off the coast of Sussex
Fought between Sweden and Denmark-Norway against England
Commanders Gustaf Wattrang (Sweden); Anthony Tollett (England)
Forces 1 Swedish man of war, Wachtmeister, escorting a Danish and Swedish convoy, against 1 English frigate, Seahorse
Ships Wachtmeister, Seahorse
Losses Swedes: none. English: Seahorse damaged, several wounded.
Result Swedish and Danish victory
The English frigate Seahorse demanded that the Swedish man of war Wachtmeister lower her topsail in salute. Wachtmeister refused and a four hour exchange of fire followed, after which Seahorse withdrew and the Danish and Swedish convoy went on.
Why it is remembered It arose from an English demand for a salute in English waters. Four months later Wachtmeister was captured by an English squadron in the Strait of Dover.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ludvig Richarde, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Anglo-Swedish skirmish (1695) Single-ship action
December 1695 · At sea, on passage to Portugal
Fought between England against Sweden
Commanders Per Olofsson (Sweden); English commanders unknown
Forces 2 English ships, HMS Burlington and Siren, against the Swedish ship Livland
Ships Livland, HMS Burlington, Siren
Losses Swedes: several killed and wounded; Livland damaged, captured and later released. English: unknown.
Result English victory
The Swedish ship Livland under Per Olofsson refused to salute two English ships, Burlington and Siren. The refusal led to a fight in which Livland was damaged and captured; she was later released.
Why it is remembered It arose from a Swedish captain's refusal to salute English warships.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Morean War (Sixth Ottoman-Venetian War)
Battle of the Oinousses Islands Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Spalmadori; Koyun Adaları
9 and 19 February 1695 · Near the Oinousses Islands, off Cape Karaburun, western Anatolia
Fought between Venice against the Regency of Algiers and the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Antonio Zeno (Venice); Mezzo Morto Hüseyin Pasha (Algiers)
Forces 21 Venetian sailing ships, 5 galleasses and 21 galleys against 20 sailing ships and 24 galleys
Ships San Vittorio, Fama Volante
Losses First action, Venetians: 3 ships lost; 142 killed and 300 wounded on the sailing ships and 323 killed and 303 wounded on the galleys. Second action, Venetians: 132 dead, Fama Volante damaged; 2 Ottoman sailing ships damaged.
Result Algerian victory; Venice abandoned Chios
A Venetian fleet under Antonio Zeno fought the Algerian fleet of Mezzo Morto Hüseyin twice near the Oinousses. The first action on 9 February was a Venetian defeat with three ships lost. The second, on 19 February, with the Venetians weakened by those losses and the absence of the damaged San Vittorio, was a draw.
Why it is remembered The defeat made the Venetian hold on Chios, taken only months before, untenable, and Zeno abandoned the island.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andreas Matthäus Wolfgang, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Golden Age of Piracy
Capture of the Grand Mughal Fleet Blockade and raiding
Also known as Capture of the Ganj-i-Sawai
About 7 September 1695 · Off Perim, Strait of Mandeb
Fought between English pirates against the Mughal Empire
Commanders Henry Every, Thomas Tew, Richard Want, Joseph Faro, Thomas Wake, William Maze (pirates); Muhammad Ibrahim, captured (Mughal Empire)
Forces 6 pirate ships: the frigate Fancy (46 guns), the sloop Amity, the brigantines Dolphin and Pearl, Susannah and Portsmouth Adventure, against a Mughal pilgrim convoy of 25 ships including Ganj-i-Sawai and her escort Fateh Muhammed
Ships Fancy, Amity, Dolphin, Pearl, Susannah, Portsmouth Adventure, Ganj-i-Sawai, Fateh Muhammed
Losses Pirates: several killed. Mughal: 2 ships captured, several crew captured and killed.
Result Pirate victory
In August 1695 Henry Every in the 46-gun Fancy reached the Mandab Strait and joined five other pirate ships. The Mughal pilgrim convoy of 25 ships slipped past at night, but next day the pirates caught two stragglers bound for Surat, the treasure ship Ganj-i-Sawai and her escort Fateh Muhammed. They looted up to £600,000 in precious metals and jewels.
Why it is remembered It badly damaged English relations with the Mughals and led to a £1,000 bounty and the first global manhunt in recorded history. Every was never caught and his treasure was never found.
Sources differ One account names one captain William May; another account gives William Maze.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Peter Newark Historical Pictures, Bridgeman Images, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Morean War
Battle of Zeytinburnu Fleet battle
Also known as Zeytinburnu Deniz Muharebesi
18 September 1695 · Off Lesbos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Venice
Commanders Mezzomorto, Abdülkadir Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Girolamo Michele, killed, Giovanni Zeno, killed (Venice)
Forces 33 Ottoman galleons against 33 Venetian galleons and 6 barges
Losses Ottomans: 300 killed and wounded. Venetians: 5,000 killed and wounded.
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman fleet under Mezzomorto met the Venetian fleet off Lesbos and inflicted a heavy defeat. Both Venetian commanders were killed.
Why it is remembered It was a heavy Venetian defeat in the Aegean, coming months after the loss of Chios.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andreas Matthäus Wolfgang, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Morean War
Battle of Andros (1696) Fleet battle
22 August 1696 · West of the island of Andros, Aegean Sea
Fought between Venice and the Papal States against the Ottoman Empire and its Barbary vassals
Commanders Bartolomeo Contarini (Venice); Mezzo Morto Hüseyin Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Losses No ships lost on either side.
Result Indecisive
The fleets of Venice and the Papal States under Bartolomeo Contarini met the Ottoman navy and its Barbary vassals under Mezzo Morto Hüseyin Pasha west of Andros. The encounter was indecisive and neither side lost a ship.
Why it is remembered It was one of the series of Aegean fleet actions between Venice and the Ottomans in the 1690s.
Sources differ One account calls the battle indecisive; another account records a Venetian victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andreas Matthäus Wolfgang, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Battle of Dogger Bank (1696) Convoy battle
17 June 1696 · Dogger Bank, North Sea
Fought between France against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Jean Bart (France); Rutger Bucking, killed (Dutch Republic)
Forces 7 French frigates, 1 fireship, 2 longboats and 2 privateers against 5 Dutch frigates escorting 112 merchant ships
Losses French: 31 killed and wounded. Dutch: 1 frigate captured, 4 frigates destroyed, 25 merchant ships destroyed, 1,200 captured.
Result French victory
Jean Bart's squadron of seven ships attacked a Dutch convoy coming from the Baltic, guarded by five frigates. The French took or destroyed the whole escort and burned 25 merchant ships.
Why it is remembered It was another of Jean Bart's successes against Dutch convoys in the North Sea, shown in an 1806 print by Yves-Marie Le Gouaz.
Sources differ The print's title dates the action 18 June 1696; the main account gives 17 June.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Moroccan-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Mamora (1696) Single-ship action
Summer 1696 · Off Mamora (Mehdya), Morocco
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Morocco
Commanders Francisco Carvalho (Portugal)
Forces 1 Portuguese frigate against many Moroccan vessels
Losses Unknown on both sides.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese frigate under Francisco Carvalho fought Moroccan vessels off Mamora and drove them off.
Why it is remembered It was a small Portuguese success at sea in the Moroccan-Portuguese conflicts.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Morean War (Great Turkish War)
Action of 6 July 1697 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Lemnos (1697); Bozcaada Deniz Muharebesi (1697)
6 July 1697 · Near Lemnos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Bartolomeo Contarini (Venice)
Forces About 26 battleships on each side with smaller vessels; the Ottomans had 1 three-decker, 25 other battleships, 19 galliots and 2 fireships
Ships San Lorenzo Giustinian, Aurora, San Domenico, Sole d'Oro
Losses Venetians: 71 killed and 163 wounded. Ottomans: 1 galliot and 1 galley captured.
In 1697 the Venetian fleet under Bartolomeo Contarini hunted the Ottoman fleet through the Aegean in a series of battles. In the first, near Lemnos on 6 July, the two fleets of about 26 battleships each met, and the Venetians took an Ottoman galliot and a galley.
Why it is remembered It opened the 1697 series of Aegean fleet actions between Venice and the Ottomans.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Morean War (Venetian-Turkish War of 1683 to 1699, part of the Great Turkish War)
Battle of Andros (1697) Fleet battle
Also known as Bitwa morska pod Andros
1 September 1697 · Between Andros and Euboea, Aegean Sea
Fought between Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Forces 27 Venetian sailing ships, 2 merchantmen, several galleys and 2 fireships (about 1,700 guns) against 20 Ottoman sailing ships (one three-decker of 70 to 80 guns, 19 of 50 to 60 guns), several galliots and 2 fireships
Ships San Sebastiano
Losses Venetians: the 68-gun San Sebastiano blew up for unknown reasons just after the battle.
The Venetian and Ottoman fleets fought between Andros and Euboea. On 1 or 2 September, just after the battle, the Venetian 68-gun San Sebastiano exploded from an unknown cause.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the loss of San Sebastiano.
Sources Wikipedia (PL)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Nine Years' War
Raid on Cartagena de Indias (1697) Landing or siege
Also known as Expédition de Carthagène
6 to 24 May 1697 · Cartagena de Indias (modern Colombia)
Fought between France and buccaneers against Spain
Commanders Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis (France)
Forces 7 French capital ships, 3 frigates and smaller vessels, with 1,200 soldiers and 650 buccaneers
Losses French: 60 men in taking the fortresses; hundreds of sailors later died of yellow fever. Spanish: not stated.
Result French victory; the city was plundered
A French fleet under the Baron de Pointis sailed from Brest in January 1697 and, joined by buccaneers from Saint-Domingue, appeared before Cartagena. Pointis took both fortresses defending the city fairly easily and plundered it from 6 to 24 May. He then sailed for France without paying the buccaneers their share, and they went back and sacked the city again.
Why it is remembered The plunder was estimated at 10 to 20 million livres. A ship taken by the English on the way home carried yellow fever, which killed 1,300 English sailors and Admiral John Nevell himself.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre Landry (1630 to 1701), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · King William's War (Nine Years' War)
Battle of Hudson's Bay Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of York Factory
5 September 1697 · Off York Factory, Hudson Bay (present day Manitoba, Canada)
Fought between France against England
Commanders Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (France); John Fletcher (England)
Forces 1 French ship of the line, Pélican, against 1 English ship of the line and 2 frigates
Ships Pélican
Losses French: Pélican scuttled. English: 1 ship of the line destroyed, 1 frigate captured.
Result French victory
A single French warship under Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville fought an English squadron of three ships under Captain John Fletcher off York Factory. D'Iberville destroyed one English ship and captured another, though his own ship was later lost.
Why it is remembered As a result the French took York Factory, a Hudson's Bay Company trading post. The sinking of the Pélican was drawn by Bacqueville de la Potherie.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Sixth Ottoman-Venetian War (War of the Holy League)
Battle of Samothrace (1698) Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Metellino
20 September 1698 · Near Samothrace, northern Aegean Sea
Fought between Venice against the Ottoman Empire with Tripoli and Tunis
Forces 20 Venetian ships against 25 Ottoman ships and 7 Tripolitanian and Tunisian vessels
Ships Rizzo d'Oro
Losses Venetians: 299 killed, 622 wounded. Ottomans: unknown.
Result Inconclusive
A Venetian fleet fought the Ottoman fleet and its Tripolitanian and Tunisian allies near Samothrace. The battle ended in stalemate, with the Venetian Rizzo d'Oro dismasted.
Why it is remembered It was the last significant battle of the Great Turkish War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Giuseppe Lorenzo Gatteri and Francesco Zanotto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Ottoman-Venetian War (War of the Holy League, 1684 to 1699)
Battle of Tenedos (1698) Fleet battle
Also known as Bozcaada Deniz Muharebesi (1698)
14 June 1698 · Off Tenedos (Bozcaada), northern Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Venice
Commanders Mezzomorto Hüseyin Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Admiral Molino (Venice)
The Ottoman fleet under the Kapudan Pasha Mezzomorto Hüseyin Pasha fought the Venetian fleet under Admiral Molino in the northern Aegean.
Why it is remembered It was one of the last fleet actions of the Ottoman-Venetian war that ended in 1699.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: Andreas Matthäus Wolfgang, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Action of 15 February 1700 Single-ship action
15 February 1700 · Off Correnti island, Sicily
Fought between Order of Saint John (Malta) against Ottoman Tunis
Commanders Bailly Spinola (Malta)
Forces 1 Maltese galley with 700 men against 1 Tunisian ship
Losses Maltese: the galley destroyed and 522 killed. Tunisians: unknown.
Result Tunisian victory
A Maltese galley met a Tunisian ship off Correnti island. The galley was wrecked in a collision, and most of her crew were killed.
Why it is remembered It was a disaster for the Order of Saint John, with 522 men lost from a single galley.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Action of August 1702 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Santa Marta
19 to 25 August 1702 (Old Style) · Off Santa Marta, Caribbean Sea
Fought between England against France
Commanders John Benbow (England); Jean-Baptiste du Casse (France)
Forces 7 English ships of the line against 5 French ships of the line, 1 fireship, 4 sloops, 1 galley and 1 transport
Losses French: 1 galley captured. English: unknown; Benbow lost a leg and died of illness about two months later.
Result Inconclusive
John Benbow's squadron caught du Casse's smaller French squadron off Santa Marta and chased it for several days. Many of Benbow's captains refused to engage fully, and one came aboard to urge him to give up the chase. Du Casse escaped almost intact, losing only a galley.
Why it is remembered Two captains, Richard Kirkby and Cooper Wade, were convicted of cowardice and shot. Benbow's last fight inspired ballads such as Admiral Benbow, still sung by British sailors a century later.
Sources differ One account says the squadron sighted the French on 19 June, while another account dates the action 19 to 25 August 1702.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of Vigo Bay Raid
Also known as Battle of Rande; Batalla de Rande; Battle of Redondela Bay
23 October 1702 · Ría de Vigo and Redondela Bay, Galicia, Spain
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against France and Spain
Commanders George Rooke, Philips van Almonde (England and Dutch Republic); François Louis Rousselet de Châteaurenault (France); Manuel de Velasco (Spain)
Forces 25 Anglo-Dutch ships of the line with frigates and fireships against 15 French ships of the line and 3 Spanish galleons with frigates, fireships and transports
Ships Torbay, Somerset, Association, Barfleur, Prompt, Assuré, Ferme, Modéré, Triton, Bourbon, Fort, Jesús María y José
Losses Allies: about 800 killed. French and Spanish: about 2,000 killed and every ship burnt or captured; six French ships of the line surrendered, five to the English and one to the Dutch.
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
Returning from a failed attack on Cádiz, George Rooke learned that the Spanish treasure fleet had entered Vigo Bay under French escort, and Philips van Almonde persuaded him to attack. The Franco-Spanish ships lay in Redondela Bay behind a boom covered by two batteries. Allied marines took the batteries, Torbay broke the boom, and the Allied fleet attacked the trapped French ships, capturing or destroying them all with the Spanish galleons.
Why it is remembered Most of the silver had already been landed, but the victory helped bring Portugal into the Grand Alliance, and coins struck from the captured metal bear the word VIGO. Jules Verne made the wrecks the source of Captain Nemo's wealth in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ludolf Bakhuizen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle at the Mouth of the Neva Single-ship action
Also known as Seegefecht an der Mündung der Newa; Бой в устье Невы
18 May 1703 · Neva Bay, at the mouth of the Neva, near present day Saint Petersburg
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders Peter I and Alexander Menshikov (Russia); Gideon von Numers (Sweden)
Forces 2 Russian infantry companies of the Preobrazhensky Guards in 8 to 30 rowing boats against 2 small Swedish ships with 77 men
Ships Astrild, Gedan
Losses Swedes: 58 dead, 19 captured, both ships taken. Russians: 20 dead, 55 wounded.
Result Russian victory
Soldiers of the Preobrazhensky Guards in rowing boats, led by Peter I and Alexander Menshikov, attacked two small Swedish vessels at the mouth of the Neva. In a short fight both Swedish ships were boarded and taken.
Why it is remembered It is traditionally counted as the first naval victory of the Russian fleet, and 18 May is celebrated each year as the birthday of the Baltic Fleet.
Sources Wikipedia (DE)
Image: Adriaan Schoonebeek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of Cap de la Roque Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Cabo da Roca
22 May 1703 · Off Cabo da Roca, Portugal
Fought between France against the Dutch Republic and England
Commanders Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon (France); Roemer Vlacq, mortally wounded and captured (Dutch Republic)
Forces 5 French ships of the line (404 guns): Vainqueur, Monarque, Éole, Orgueilleux and Couronne, against 4 Dutch ships of the line and 1 frigate (230 guns): Muiderberg, Rotterdam, Gaesterland, Schermer and Rozendaal, escorting about 110 merchant ships
Ships Muiderberg, Rotterdam, Gaesterland, Schermer, Rozendaal, Vainqueur, Monarque, Éole, Orgueilleux, Couronne
Losses Dutch: 3 ships of the line and the frigate captured, Muiderberg burnt; killed and wounded unknown. French: unknown.
Result French victory; the convoy escaped
A convoy of about 110 English and Dutch merchant ships carrying salt, wine and sugar left Lisbon for England under a Dutch escort led by Roemer Vlacq. Off Cabo da Roca it met Coëtlogon's stronger French squadron. Vlacq told the merchantmen to scatter and formed his ships to fight; one by one they were forced to surrender. Muiderberg fought until half her crew were dead or wounded and she was close to sinking, and was then burnt.
Why it is remembered Vlacq's stand saved the whole convoy. He lost an arm and died of his wounds at Toulon on 17 July 1703, and the captured Dutch ships joined the French navy.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Capture of Gibraltar Landing or siege
1 to 4 August 1704 · Gibraltar
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Bourbon Spain
Commanders George Rooke, George Byng, Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt (Grand Alliance); Diego de Salinas, surrendered (Spain)
Forces 63 Allied warships and 2,000 men against a Spanish garrison of 430
Losses Allies: 60 killed, 200 wounded. Spanish: 420 killed, 10 severely wounded.
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
Having failed to take Barcelona, Admiral George Rooke and Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt decided to seize Gibraltar. After a heavy bombardment by the fleet, a landing force of marines and sailors stormed the town, and the governor, Diego de Salinas, surrendered on 4 August.
Why it is remembered The Grand Alliance failed to put Charles III on the Spanish throne, but Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in the peace negotiations.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of Málaga (1704) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Vélez-Málaga
24 August 1704 (13 August Old Style) · Off Málaga, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against France and Spain
Commanders Sir George Rooke (England); Gerard Callenburgh (Dutch Republic); Count of Toulouse and Count of Estrées (France)
Forces 53 Anglo-Dutch ships of the line, 6 frigates and 7 fireships against 50 Franco-Spanish ships of the line, 9 frigates, 9 fireships and 24 galleys
Ships HMS Prince George
Losses English: 695 killed, 1,663 wounded. Dutch: 92 killed, 268 wounded. French and Spanish: 1,500 killed, 1,548 wounded. No ships lost on either side.
Result Tactically inconclusive; strategic Allied success
After the Anglo-Dutch capture of Gibraltar on 4 August, a French fleet joined Spanish forces to retake it. Rooke sighted them on 22 August and engaged two days later. The fleets exchanged broadsides for several hours, many Allied ships lost masts, and the Anglo-Dutch fleet, short of ammunition, withdrew next day.
Why it is remembered The French fleet returned to Toulon and did not put to sea in strength again for the rest of the war, so Gibraltar stayed in Allied hands. The battle reinforced the defensive line of battle in British and French tactics.
Sources differ A contemporary painting by Isaac Sailmaker dates the battle 13 August 1704, the Old Style date.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Isaac Sailmaker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Orford Ness (1704) Convoy battle
Also known as Slaget vid Orford Ness
7 August 1704 · Off Orford Ness, Suffolk
Fought between England against Sweden
Commanders William Whetstone (England); Gustaf von Psilander, captured (Sweden)
Forces 8 English ships of the line and 1 frigate against the Swedish 56-gun ship of the line Öland escorting a merchant convoy
Ships Öland
Losses English: 100 killed or wounded. Swedes: 53 killed or wounded, Öland captured.
Result English victory
Rear Admiral William Whetstone's squadron overtook a Swedish convoy and demanded a salute, since it was in English waters. Gustaf von Psilander of Öland, under orders from Charles XII not to salute foreign ships first, refused. After a four hour fight the badly damaged Öland tied up her flag as a distress signal, without striking her colours, and was boarded.
Why it is remembered Charles XII secured the release of Öland, her crew and the convoy, but she sank north of Denmark on the way home. The fight was painted by Johan Tietrich Schoultz.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johan Tietrich Schoultz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Omani-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Surat (1704) Fleet battle
2 February 1704 · Off Surat, India, Arabian Sea
Fought between Portugal against Oman
Commanders António de Meneses, Diogo Tavares da Gama, Jorge de Sousa de Meneses (Portugal); an unnamed Omani admiral, killed (Oman)
Forces 1 Portuguese ship of the line and 7 frigates against 9 Omani ships of the line and frigates
Losses Portuguese: 1 frigate damaged; 40, 90 or 100 killed and 30 to 150 wounded. Omanis: 2 frigates captured, 700 killed.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese squadron of one ship of the line and seven frigates under António de Meneses met an Omani squadron of nine ships off Surat. The Portuguese won, capturing two frigates; the Omani admiral was killed.
Why it is remembered It was a Portuguese victory over a larger Omani squadron in the Omani-Portuguese conflicts.
Sources differ Portuguese losses are given as 40, 90 or 100 killed and between 30 and 150 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Twelfth siege of Gibraltar Landing or siege
September 1704 to May 1705 · Gibraltar
Fought between England, the Dutch Republic, Austria, pro-Habsburg Spain and Portugal against France and Bourbon Spain
Commanders Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt, John Leake (Grand Alliance); Francisco Fajardo, René de Froulay (France and Spain)
Forces About 2,000 Allied defenders at the start against up to 8,000 French, Bourbon Spanish and Irish troops
Losses Allies: 400 killed, missing, captured or dead of disease. French and Spanish: 10,000.
Result Grand Alliance victory
After the Allies took Gibraltar in August 1704, a Franco-Spanish army laid siege to it. The garrison held out using the ground and the town's defences, though often short of men and ammunition. The French navy tried and failed to stop Allied ships bringing troops, ammunition and food, and three naval battles were fought during the siege; after the last, the besiegers gave up after nine months.
Why it is remembered Sea power decided the siege, and Gibraltar stayed in Allied hands.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of Cabrita Point Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Marbella
21 March 1705 (10 March Old Style) · Off Marbella, near Gibraltar
Fought between England, Portugal and the Dutch Republic against France and Spain
Commanders John Leake (Grand Alliance); Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis (France)
Forces 35 Allied ships of the line against 18 French ships of the line
Losses French: 3 ships of the line captured and 2 destroyed. Killed and wounded unknown on both sides.
Result Grand Alliance victory
While a French and Spanish army besieged Gibraltar, John Leake's Allied fleet caught a French squadron under Pointis off Marbella. The French lost five ships of the line.
Why it is remembered The victory effectively ended the Franco-Spanish siege of Gibraltar.
Sources differ The main account places the battle in the Atlantic Ocean, though Marbella lies on the Mediterranean coast.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Hogland (1705) Single-ship action
20 August 1705 · Near Hogland island, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Cornelius Ankarstierna (Sweden)
Forces 1 Swedish ship of the line, Reval, against 7 Russian galleys
Ships Reval
Result Swedish victory
The Swedish ship of the line Reval fought seven Russian galleys near Hogland. After several hours the Swedes won.
Why it is remembered It was the first time Russian galleys took part in a naval battle in the Baltic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Louis Jean Desprez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Queen Anne's War
Lefebvre's Charles Town expedition Landing or siege
Also known as Charles Town expedition
September 1706 · Charles Town (present day Charleston, South Carolina)
Fought between France and Bourbon Spain against England (Province of Carolina)
Commanders Jacques Lefebvre, Estevan de Berroa, Louis Pasquereau, General Arbousset (France and Spain); Nathaniel Johnson, William Rhett, Benjamin Waring, Robert Seabrook (Carolina)
Forces 6 privateers with 330 French and Spanish regulars, 200 Spanish volunteers and 50 Indians against 900 militia and an improvised flotilla including impressed merchant ships
Ships Brillant
Losses French and Spanish: 1 ship captured, 42 killed, over 350 captured. English: unknown.
Result English victory
A French-funded expedition of six ships sailed from Havana, picked up reinforcements at St. Augustine and reached Charles Town in early September 1706. Troops landed near the town were quickly driven off by militia under Governor Nathaniel Johnson. The ship Brillant, separated from the fleet after meeting a privateer, arrived late and was taken by an improvised flotilla under Colonel William Rhett.
Why it is remembered It was a combined French and Spanish attempt on the capital of Carolina, beaten off by local militia and an improvised flotilla.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Siege of Ostend (1706) Landing or siege
15 June to 7 July 1706 · Ostend, Spanish Netherlands
Fought between Grand Alliance (Dutch Republic, England, Scotland) against France
Commanders Lord Overkirk, François Nicolas Fagel, Duke of Argyll, with Sir Stafford Fairborne commanding the naval squadron (Allies); Count de la Mothe (France)
Forces 26,000 Allied troops and a Royal Navy squadron with bomb ketches against a French garrison of 3,500
Losses Allies: 430 to 1,050 killed or wounded. French: not stated.
Result Allied victory
After Ramillies, Marlborough sent Dutch and British troops under Overkirk to take the North Sea port of Ostend. A Royal Navy squadron under Sir Stafford Fairborne supported the siege, its bomb ketches setting the town alight. Ostend surrendered after three weeks.
Why it is remembered After its fall Marlborough was offered the governor generalship of the Spanish Netherlands but declined it so as not to offend the Dutch.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1706) Landing or siege
6 November 1706 · Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands
Fought between Bourbon Spain against England
Commanders José de Ayala y Rojas (Spain); John Jennings (England)
Forces 4,000 Spanish soldiers with 70 guns against 13 English ships with 800 guns
Losses Spanish: light. English: heavy.
Result Spanish victory
An English fleet of 13 ships under Admiral John Jennings, relying on English successes in the Iberian Peninsula, demanded that the Canary Islands change their allegiance. When this was refused he tried to seize Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the attack failed.
Why it is remembered Santa Cruz held out against an English fleet with light losses of its own.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Action of 2 May 1707 Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Beachy Head (1707); Bataille du cap Béveziers (1707)
2 to 3 May 1707 · Off Beachy Head, English Channel
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Claude de Forbin (France); Commodore Baron Wylde (Great Britain)
Forces 7 French ships of the line and 6 privateers against 3 British ships of the line escorting 52 merchantmen
Ships HMS Hampton Court, HMS Grafton, HMS Royal Oak, Mars, Grifon, Blackoal, Dauphine, Fidèle
Losses French: 220 killed or wounded. British: 2 ships of the line and 21 merchantmen captured, 1,200 prisoners; Captains George Clements and Edward Acton killed.
Result French victory
A French squadron under Claude de Forbin intercepted a large British convoy. Grifon, Blackoal and Dauphine grappled HMS Hampton Court, killed her captain and took her; Forbin's 60-gun Mars, joined by Blackoal and Fidèle, then took HMS Grafton. The badly holed HMS Royal Oak escaped by running ashore near Dungeness.
Why it is remembered The French carried the two 70-gun ships of the line and 21 merchantmen into Dunkirk.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle at The Lizard Convoy battle
Also known as Combat du Cap Lézard
21 October 1707 · Off Lizard Point, Cornwall
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders René Duguay-Trouin and Claude de Forbin (France); Commodore Richard Edwards (Great Britain)
Forces 12 French warships against 5 British ships of the line escorting 130 merchant ships
Losses French: 300 killed or wounded. British: 800 killed or wounded, 1,500 captured, 3 ships of the line captured, 1 destroyed, 15 merchant ships captured.
Result French victory
Two French squadrons under René Duguay-Trouin and Claude de Forbin attacked a British convoy escorted by Commodore Richard Edwards near Lizard Point. They took or destroyed four of the five escorts and captured 15 merchant ships.
Why it is remembered Duguay-Trouin and Forbin were two of the most successful French naval commanders of the war. Théodore Gudin painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Siege of Toulon (1707) Landing or siege
29 July to 21 August 1707 · Toulon, France
Fought between Austria, Savoy, Great Britain and the Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Victor Amadeus, Prince Eugene, Cloudesley Shovell, Cornelis Beeckman, Johann Wilhelm of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, killed (Allies); Comte de Tessé, Comte de Médavy (France)
Forces 35,000 Allied troops with a British naval force against a French garrison of 10,000 and a field force of 20,000
Losses Allies: 13,000 dead, wounded, deserted or died of disease. French: unknown; 46 ships of the line scuttled.
Result French victory
A Savoyard and Imperial army, supported by a British fleet, attacked the French naval base at Toulon. The Allies were too few for a formal siege and were outnumbered by French land forces; after losing about 13,000 men, mostly to disease, they retreated to Piedmont. The French fleet in the harbour, including 46 ships of the line, was scuttled to save it from destruction.
Why it is remembered The French fleet was not raised until after the war, leaving Britain in control of the western Mediterranean, but the Allied failure ended hopes of invading France from the south.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Wager's Action Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Barú
8 June 1708 (28 May Old Style) · Off Cartagena de Indias, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against Spain and France
Commanders Charles Wager (Great Britain); José Fernández de Santillán, killed (Spain); Jean-Baptiste du Casse (France)
Forces 3 British ships of the line, Expedition (70), Kingston (60) and Portland (50), and the fireship Vulture, against 3 galleons, San José (64), San Joaquín (64) and Santa Cruz (44), the hulk Concepción and 14 merchant ships
Ships Expedition, Kingston, Portland, Vulture, San José, San Joaquín, Santa Cruz, Concepción
Losses British: 14 killed. Spanish: 1,247 killed or wounded; San José blew up with only 11 of about 600 aboard surviving, Santa Cruz captured, Concepción scuttled.
Result British victory
Charles Wager's squadron intercepted the Spanish treasure fleet off Cartagena. San José fought Expedition for about an hour and a half and then blew up and sank almost at once. Santa Cruz was taken in the night, while San Joaquín escaped Kingston and reached Cartagena; Concepción was run ashore on Barú island and burned by her crew.
Why it is remembered The wreck of San José was found by the Colombian Navy in November 2015 and has been the subject of long legal disputes over her treasure. Two of Wager's captains were court-martialled for letting San Joaquín escape. Samuel Scott painted the action around 1747.
Sources differ Estimates of San José's treasure vary widely, from 7 to 11 million pesos at the time to modern values of about 1 billion or 4 billion US dollars, and are poorly sourced.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Action of 18 April 1710 Single-ship action
Also known as Acción del 18 de abril de 1710
18 April 1710 · Waters off Vélez-Málaga, southern Spain
Fought between Order of St John (Knights of Malta) against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders José de Langón, Lieutenant General of the Order's squadron, killed (Order of St John)
Forces The squadron of ships of the Order of St John against one Algerian ship of 36 guns with 400 Turks and 46 Christians aboard
Losses Order of St John: Langón killed by the first shots. Algiers: the ship captured.
Result Maltese victory; the Algerian ship captured
The Order's squadron, hunting Algerian corsairs, met an Algerian ship of 36 guns and took her after a hard fight, but its commander José de Langón was killed. The squadron left the prize at Cartagena, where it arrived on 24 April 1710 flying the black flag of Malta at half mast, buried its commander there and sailed on towards the Strait.
Why it is remembered Langón, born in Malta, was buried in the Old Cathedral of Cartagena, and his brother Adriano had a marble inlay memorial made in Malta, the Taracea de Langón, showing the arms of Cartagena with the Maltese cross and the sea fight; it is now in the Municipal Archaeological Museum of Cartagena, and a twin stands in Valletta.
Sources differ The Gaceta de Madrid puts the action in the waters of Vélez-Málaga, the modern Cartagena article speaks of waters near Cartagena. The memorial inscription calls the prize the capitana of Algiers, the Gaceta only an Algerian ship.
Sources Wikidata · archivo.cartagena.es
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Køge Bay (1710) Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Køge Bay
4 October 1710 (23 September Old Style; 24 September Swedish calendar) · Køge Bay, south of Copenhagen
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Hans Wachtmeister (Sweden); Ulrik Gyldenløve, Iver Huitfeldt, killed (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 21 Swedish ships of the line, 3 frigates, 2 fireships, 3 brigantines and 2 bomb vessels (1,512 guns) against 26 Danish ships of the line, 5 frigates and 5 snows (1,808 guns)
Ships Dannebroge, Tre Kronor, Prinsessan Ulrika Eleonora
Losses Swedes: 2 ships aground, 26 dead. Danes: Dannebroge exploded, 541 dead aboard her.
Result Inconclusive
The Danish and Swedish fleets met in Køge Bay. The Danish Dannebroge caught fire and exploded, and only 9 of her 550 men survived. The Swedish Tre Kronor and Prinsessan Ulrika Eleonora ran aground, and the weather stopped the battle. The Swedes then sank or captured a Danish convoy of transports meant to carry a Russian invasion force from Danzig.
Why it is remembered It checked Russian plans to invade Sweden. The Danish commander Iver Huitfeldt was killed, and the burning of Dannebroge was painted by Christian Mølsted in 1921.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Christian Mølsted, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of Rio de Janeiro (1710) Landing or siege
19 September 1710 · Rio de Janeiro, State of Brazil
Fought between Portugal against France
Commanders Francisco de Castro (Portugal); Jean-François Duclerc, captured (France)
Forces 6 French privateer ships and 1,500 men against 15,000 Portuguese troops and militia
Losses French: 600 killed and 600 captured. Portuguese: 270 killed and wounded.
Result Portuguese victory
A French privateering fleet under Jean-François Duclerc raided the Portuguese colonial city of Rio de Janeiro. The raid failed completely, and Duclerc and more than 600 of his men were captured.
Why it is remembered Duclerc was killed in captivity in March 1711 by unknown hands, and French anger over the treatment of the prisoners led to a second, successful raid the next year.
Sources differ One account dates the raid to August 1710; another account gives 19 September 1710.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of Syracuse (1710) Single-ship action
9 November 1710 · Off Syracuse, Sicily
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Jacques Cassard (France); Edward Rumsey (Great Britain)
Forces 4 or 5 French ships against 2 British ships of the line
Ships Falcon, Pembroke
Losses British: Falcon and Pembroke captured.
Result French victory
A heavily laden French merchant fleet was blockaded in Syracuse by a British squadron. Jacques Cassard arrived when most of the blockaders had gone to Port Mahon for supplies, captured the two ships left on watch, Falcon and Pembroke, and escorted the merchant fleet to Marseille.
Why it is remembered It was a successful French relief of a blockaded convoy.
Sources differ One account gives Cassard four ships; another account gives five ships of the line.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: I FRATELLI ANGELO e GIORGIO BONOMO from Pomezia, ROMA, ITALIA, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of Rio de Janeiro (1711) Raid
12 to 22 September 1711 · Rio de Janeiro, State of Brazil
Fought between France against Portugal
Commanders René Duguay-Trouin (France); Gaspar da Costa Ataíde and Francisco de Moraes de Castro (Portugal)
Forces 7 French ships of the line, 5 frigates, 1 galliot and 3 bomb ketches with 2,800 to 3,700 men against 4 Portuguese ships of the line and 14,000 to 15,000 men
Losses Portuguese: 3 ships of the line scuttled, 1 destroyed, 2 smaller ships captured, 60 smaller ships destroyed. French: about 300 to 500.
Result French victory; the city paid a ransom
A French squadron under René Duguay-Trouin raided the port of Rio de Janeiro. Despite their numbers, the Portuguese defenders, including the governor and the admiral of the fleet in harbour, could not resist effectively. The city paid a ransom to avoid the destruction of its defences.
Why it is remembered It followed French anger over the prisoners taken in the failed raid of 1710, and the city had to pay a ransom.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Capture of the galleon San Joaquin Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Cartagena (1711)
11 August 1711 · Off Cartagena de Indias, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders James Littleton (Great Britain); Miguel Augustin de Villanueva, died of wounds (Spain)
Forces 5 British ships of the line against the galleon San Joaquin and a smaller ship
Ships San Joaquin
Losses British: 7 killed or wounded. Spanish: 150 killed or wounded, 450 captured, both ships captured.
Result British victory
Five British ships of the line under James Littleton caught the treasure galleon San Joaquin and a smaller ship off Cartagena. After barely an hour San Joaquin surrendered.
Why it is remembered San Joaquin had narrowly escaped capture at Wager's Action nearly three years before.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Fladstrand Fleet battle
11 May 1712 (30 April Old Style) · Off Fladstrand (modern Frederikshavn), Jutland
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Carl Georg Siöblad (Sweden); Hans Knoff (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 7 Swedish ships with 330 guns against 5 Danish ships with 158 guns
Losses Danes: 44 casualties (the main account gives 44 dead). Swedes: unknown.
Result Inconclusive
A Swedish squadron under Carl Georg Siöblad attacked a smaller Danish squadron under Hans Knoff near Fladstrand. The fight lasted about two hours without a decision.
Why it is remembered It was a squadron action off the coast of Jutland during the Great Northern War.
Sources differ One account gives 44 Danish casualties; another account gives 44 dead.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Westtief Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget i Westtief
31 July to 6 August 1712 · Westtief, south east of Rügen, at the entrances to the Greifswalder Bodden
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Christen Thomesen Sehested (Denmark-Norway); Commodore Mikael Henck (Sweden)
Forces About 10 Danish-Norwegian warships and prams, including Ditsmarsken (46 guns), with 5 smaller vessels, against 8 Swedish warships, including Stralsund, Anklam, St. Thomas and St. Johannes (30 guns each), 4 smaller vessels and 11 transports
Ships Ditsmarsken, Phønix, Arc Noah, Ebenetzer, Helleflynderen, Stralsund, Anklam, St. Thomas, St. Johannes, Witdove
Losses Danes: 8 killed and 15 wounded on three ships; Arc Noah heavily damaged. Swedes: not stated.
Result Danish-Norwegian victory
Sehested blocked the entrances to the Greifswalder Bodden and on 31 July attacked Westtief with heavily armed prams, but the Swedes beat off the first attack. On 2 August, while part of his force kept the Swedes busy, he took Ditsmarsken round Ruden through the open Osttief channel into the Bodden. Attacked from both sides, the Swedes were driven out of Neutief by 4 August.
Why it is remembered Sehested won control of the Greifswalder Bodden and the waters east of Rügen.
Sources differ One account gives 8 killed and 15 wounded on three ships, while another account says Arc Noah alone had 7 killed and 13 wounded.
Sources no.wikipedia.org
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Hogland (1713) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 22 July 1713
21 to 22 July 1713 (10 to 11 July Old Style) · Near the Kalbådagrund shoal, Gulf of Finland, 50 km south of Porvoo
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Carl Raab (Sweden); Cornelius Cruys (Russia)
Forces 3 Swedish ships of the line against 6 Russian ships of the line, 5 frigates and 2 brigs
Losses Swedes: minor crew losses. Russians: 1 ship of the line.
Result Inconclusive
A small Swedish squadron of three ships of the line under Carl Raab met a larger Russian force under Cornelius Cruys in the Gulf of Finland. The engagement was indecisive, though the Russians lost a ship of the line.
Why it is remembered It was an indecisive clash between Swedish and Russian ships of the line in the Gulf of Finland.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Gangut Fleet battle
Also known as Гангутское сражение; Riilahden taistelu; Slaget vid Rilax; Sjöslaget vid Hangö udd
7 August 1714 (27 July Old Style) · Riilahti Bay, north of the Hanko peninsula, southern Finland
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders Peter I, Fyodor Apraksin, Matija Zmajević (Russia); Gustaf Wattrang, Nils Ehrenskiöld (Sweden)
Forces 98 Russian galleys, 23 of them engaged, with about 3,900 men, against 1 Swedish pram, 6 galleys and 2 skerry boats with 941 to 2,400 men
Losses Swedes: every ship captured or sunk; 361 killed and 580 captured, or 400 killed or wounded and 2,000 captured. Russians: 125 killed and 341 wounded by Russian accounts, 3,000 men and over 50 galleys by Swedish accounts, about 600 killed or wounded by other accounts.
Result Russian victory
The Russian galley fleet attacked a small Swedish squadron of a pram, six galleys and two skerry boats under Nils Ehrenskiöld in Riilahti Bay near Hanko. The Swedish force was overwhelmed and every vessel taken or sunk.
Why it is remembered It was the first important victory in the history of the Russian fleet and is commemorated in Russia as one of the Days of Military Honour. Maurice Baquoy engraved the battle in the 1720s.
Sources differ Swedish losses: 361 killed and 580 captured, or 400 killed or wounded and 2,000 captured. Russian losses: 125 killed and 341 wounded (Russian accounts), 3,000 men and more than 50 galleys (Swedish accounts), or about 600 killed or wounded (other accounts). Swedish strength is given as 941 to 2,400 men.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Spanish Succession
Battle of the Malacca Strait (1714) Single-ship action
Also known as Batalha do Estreito de Malaca
8 to 10 January 1714 · Strait of Malacca
Fought between Portugal against France
Commanders Paulo da Costa (Portugal); Henri Bouynot (France)
Forces 1 Portuguese frigate with 176 men and 34 guns against 2 French frigates with 500 men and 90 guns
Losses Portuguese: 3 dead, 8 wounded. French: 80 dead and many wounded.
Result Portuguese victory
A single Portuguese frigate under Paulo da Costa fought two French frigates in the Strait of Malacca over three days and beat them.
Why it is remembered It was one of the last battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, fought after France and Portugal had made peace at Utrecht in April 1713.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Omani-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Surat (1714) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalha de Surrate
19 February 1714 · Near the port of Surat, India
Fought between Portugal against Oman
Commanders Pereira da Silva (Portugal)
Forces 6 Omani frigates; Portuguese strength not given
Losses Portuguese: 28 killed and 34 wounded. Omanis: 1,800 killed.
Result Portuguese tactical victory
A Portuguese squadron fought an Omani fleet near Surat in an action that lasted the whole day.
Why it is remembered The Viceroy of India called it one of the hardest fought and most glorious actions seen in those seas for many years.
Sources differ The only source is short and does not clearly say which side each strength and loss figure belongs to.
Sources Wikipedia (PT)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Fehmarn (1715) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 24 April 1715
24 April 1715 (13 April Old Style) · Fehmarn Belt, between Denmark and Germany
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Christian Carl Gabel (Denmark-Norway); Carl Hans Wachtmeister (Sweden)
Forces 8 Danish ships of the line, 3 frigates and 4 smaller vessels against 4 Swedish ships of the line and 2 frigates
Losses Danes: 66 killed, 226 wounded. Swedes: 353 killed and wounded, 1,875 captured, 5 ships captured and 1 scuttled.
Result Danish victory
A Danish squadron under Christian Carl Gabel caught a Swedish squadron of six ships under Carl Hans Wachtmeister in the Fehmarn Belt. The Danes captured five of the six Swedish ships, and the last was scuttled.
Why it is remembered The whole Swedish squadron was lost.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andreas Henrik Stibolt (1739, 1821), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Rügen (1715) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Jasmund (1715)
8 August 1715 (28 July Old Style) · Off Jasmund, Rügen
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Claes Sparre (Sweden); Peter Raben (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 20 Swedish ships of the line and 2 frigates against 21 Danish ships of the line and 4 frigates
Losses Swedes: 145 dead, 333 wounded. Danes: 127 dead, 485 wounded. No ships lost on either side.
Result Tactically inconclusive; Danish strategic victory
The Swedish and Danish battle fleets fought off Jasmund on Rügen. No ship was lost on either side, though both suffered heavy casualties.
Why it is remembered It was a major fleet battle of the Great Northern War, and a strategic success for Denmark.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Seventh Ottoman-Venetian War
Action of 8 July 1716 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Corfu (1716)
8 July 1716 · Corfu Channel
Fought between Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Andrea Corner (Venice); Canum Hoca (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 26 Venetian ships of the line against 50 Ottoman ships of the line
Losses Venetians: 200 killed and wounded. Ottomans: 1,300 killed and wounded.
Result Indecisive
During an Ottoman attempt to capture Corfu, the Venetian fleet under Andrea Corner fought a much larger Ottoman fleet in the Corfu Channel. The action was indecisive.
Why it is remembered It was fought as part of the defence of Corfu against Ottoman invasion.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Dynekilen Raid
Also known as Slaget ved Dynekilen
8 July 1716 (28 June Old Style) · Dynekilen fjord, Bohuslän, Sweden
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Peter Tordenskjold (Denmark-Norway); Olof Strömstierna (Sweden)
Forces 7 Danish-Norwegian warships with 931 men against 13 Swedish warships, 14 merchant vessels and a shore battery, with 1,284 men
Losses Swedes: 9 warships and 5 merchantmen captured, 4 warships sunk, 9 merchantmen destroyed, 21 or more men captured, killed and wounded unknown. Danes and Norwegians: 19 killed, 57 wounded.
Result Dano-Norwegian victory
Peter Tordenskjold led a Dano-Norwegian squadron into the Dynekilen fjord against a Swedish fleet under Olof Strömstierna protected by a shore battery. The Swedish force was taken or destroyed.
Why it is remembered Almost the whole Swedish force was captured or destroyed. Carl Neumann painted Tordenskjold i Dynekilen.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Gothenburg (1717) Raid
13 to 14 May 1717 (2 to 3 May Old Style) · Göta älv, Gothenburg, Sweden
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Peter Tordenskjold (Denmark-Norway); Olof Strömstierna and Fredrik of Hessen (Sweden)
Forces 2 Danish-Norwegian ships of the line, 2 prams, 9 galleys and 83 smaller craft with 4,000 men and 340 guns against 6 Swedish frigates and smaller ships, shore batteries and Älvsborg fortress, 1,600 to 2,000 men with 400 guns
Losses Danes and Norwegians: 2 galleys and 1 pram lost, 52 dead, 119 wounded. Swedes: 9 dead.
Result Swedish victory
Tordenskjold tried a surprise attack to destroy the Swedish squadron in Gothenburg. Once his force had passed Älvsborg fortress the Swedes opened fire, catching it between the fortress and Swedish ships moored across the river. After five hours the attackers withdrew, having lost several vessels.
Why it is remembered Tordenskjold's surprise attack failed under crossfire. Jacob Hägg painted the Danish ships firing on New Älvsborg as they left.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Seventh Ottoman-Venetian War
Battle of Imbros (1717) Fleet battle
Also known as İmroz Deniz Muharebesi
12 to 16 June 1717 · Near Imbros, Aegean Sea
Fought between Venice against the Ottoman Empire and Tripoli
Commanders Lodovico Flangini, died of wounds (Venice); Kapudan Pasha Hodja Ibrahim Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 26 Venetian warships against 44 Ottoman warships
Ships Colomba
Losses Venetians: 1,390 casualties, Colomba badly damaged. Ottomans: unknown casualties, 6 ships badly damaged. No ships sunk.
Result Indecisive
The outnumbered Venetian sailing fleet under Lodovico Flangini held its own against a larger Ottoman force in a fight of manoeuvre near Imbros that lasted nearly ten days. Both fleets returned to base badly damaged.
Why it is remembered Flangini died of his wounds on 22 June after the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Raggi, Giovanni, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Seventh Ottoman-Venetian War
Battle of Matapan (1717) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Matapan; Batalha Naval do Cabo Matapão
19 July 1717 · Off Cape Matapan, Laconian Gulf, southern Greece
Fought between Portugal, Venice, Malta and other Catholic states against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Lopo Furtado de Mendonça (Portugal); Marcantonio Diedo, Ludovico Diedo, killed (Venice); Chevalier de Bellefontaine (Malta); Ibrahim Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces About 30 Ottoman sailing ships and some galleys against a Catholic fleet including 24 Venetian sailing ships and 9 Portuguese and Maltese ships, with galley squadrons
Ships Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Nossa Senhora do Pilar, Nossa Senhora das Necessidades, Nossa Senhora da Assunção, Santa Rosa, Rainha dos Anjos, Trionfo, Madonna della Salute, Grand'Alessandro, Kebir Üç Ambarlı
Losses Portuguese: about 50 killed and 150 wounded, ships heavily damaged. Venetians: little damage. Ottomans: one ship sunk by gunfire; claims of up to 6,000 dead are thought exaggerated.
Result Portuguese and allied victory
A combined Venetian, Portuguese and Maltese fleet met the Ottoman fleet off Cape Matapan. When the wind shifted, the leading Venetian ships gained the weather gauge and attacked, and in the afternoon the Ottomans drew off. The other Catholic squadrons withdrew, but Mendonça refused an order to do the same and kept fighting until the Ottoman fleet fled.
Why it is remembered The victory raised the prestige of King John V of Portugal, who received the title Most Faithful, and Lisbon became a patriarchate.
Sources differ One account gives the Ottoman fleet as 34 ships, 24 galleys and 1 frigate; another account describes 30 sailing ships and 4 galleys.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Austro-Turkish War (1716 to 1718)
Battle of Slankamen (1717) Fleet battle
16 April 1717 · Danube near Stari Slankamen, Serbia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Habsburg Monarchy
Commanders Ernest von Petrasch, captured (Habsburg Monarchy)
Forces 23 Austrian chaikas (šajka river boats) against 60 Ottoman vessels
Losses Austrians: heavy, commander captured. Ottomans: unknown.
Result Ottoman victory
An Austrian river flotilla returning from Pančevo on the Danube was attacked by the Ottoman fleet near Slankamen. The Ottomans won and captured the Austrian commander.
Why it is remembered It was a river battle between Austrian and Ottoman flotillas on the Danube.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Georg i Jacob Hoefnagel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Strömstad Landing or siege
19 July 1717 (8 July Old Style) · Strömstad, Bohuslän, Sweden
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Johan Giertta (Sweden); Peter Tordenskjold (Denmark-Norway)
Forces About 1,800 Swedish soldiers against about 4,000 Danish-Norwegian men with 3 ships of the line, 2 prams, 9 galleys and 20 landing craft
Losses Swedes: 19 killed, 173 wounded. Danes and Norwegians: 96 killed, 246 wounded.
Result Swedish victory
Tordenskjold attacked Strömstad from the sea to destroy the supplies Sweden had gathered for an invasion of Norway. The Swedish garrison under Johan Giertta beat off the attack.
Why it is remembered It was another failed attack by Tordenskjold on the Bohuslän coast in 1717.
Sources differ One account gives about 200 Swedish and 350 Norwegian dead or wounded; another account gives 192 and 342.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Golden Age of Piracy
Battle of Cape Fear River Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of the Sandbars
26 to 27 September 1718 · Cape Fear River estuary, North Carolina
Fought between Province of South Carolina against pirates
Commanders William Rhett (South Carolina); Stede Bonnet, surrendered (pirates)
Forces 2 South Carolina sloops against 3 pirate sloops and 3 canoes
Losses South Carolina: 30 killed and wounded. Pirates: 12 killed and wounded, 41 captured, all sloops and canoes taken.
Result South Carolina victory
Two sloops from South Carolina under William Rhett found Stede Bonnet's pirate ships in the Cape Fear River estuary. After a fight on the sandbars the pirates surrendered.
Why it is remembered It led to Stede Bonnet's hanging at Charleston, South Carolina.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Quadruple Alliance
Battle of Cape Passaro Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Avola; Battle of Syracuse (1718)
11 to 12 August 1718 · Off Cape Passaro, southern tip of Sicily
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Sir George Byng, Charles Cornewall, George Delaval (Great Britain); José Antonio de Gaztañeta, captured (Spain)
Forces 21 British ships of the line, 1 frigate, 2 fireships, 2 bomb vessels, a storeship and a hospital ship against 12 Spanish ships of the line, 18 frigates, 7 galleys, 2 sloops and 2 fireships
Losses British: 500 killed or wounded. Spanish: 2,400 killed or wounded, 3,600 captured, 7 ships of the line and 6 frigates captured, 1 ship of the line destroyed, 1 frigate scuttled.
Result British victory
Britain and Spain were at peace, but Britain backed the Emperor Charles VI in southern Italy, and Byng's fleet followed the Spanish fleet off Sicily, which Spain had occupied. When the Spanish fired on the nearest British ships, Byng attacked with superior numbers and took or destroyed most of the Spanish fleet in a single day.
Why it is remembered It was the most significant naval action of the War of the Quadruple Alliance; it cut off the Spanish army in Sicily, and war was formally declared four months later. Richard Paton painted the battle in 1767.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Seventh Ottoman-Venetian War (1714 to 1718)
Battle of Elafonisos Fleet battle
Also known as Paşa Adası Deniz Muharebesi
20 to 22 July 1718 · Between Elafonisos (Paşa Adası) and Cape Matapan, southern Morea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Venice
Commanders İzmirli Süleyman Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Lodovico Diedo (Venice)
Losses Venetians: heavy losses. Ottomans: not stated.
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman fleet under the Kapudan Pasha İzmirli Süleyman Pasha inflicted heavy losses on the Venetian fleet under Lodovico Diedo between Elafonisos and Cape Matapan. The fighting stopped when news arrived of the Treaty of Passarowitz, signed on 21 July 1718.
Why it is remembered It was fought as the war was already ending, the peace having been signed during the battle.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: Alberto Sciretti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Golden Age of Piracy
Battle of Ocracoke Single-ship action
Also known as Battle at Ocracoke; Battle of Ocracoke Inlet
22 November 1718 · Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina
Fought between Great Britain against pirates
Commanders Lieutenant Robert Maynard and Edmund Hyde, killed (Great Britain); Blackbeard (Edward Teach), killed (pirates)
Forces 2 civilian sloops manned by detachments from HMS Pearl and HMS Lyme against Blackbeard's sloop
Ships HMS Pearl, HMS Lyme
Losses British: 11 to 20 killed. Pirates: 10 to 12 killed.
Result British victory
A force led by Royal Navy lieutenant Robert Maynard in two hired sloops attacked Blackbeard in Ocracoke Inlet. Blackbeard and his crew boarded Maynard's sloop, and in the fight that followed Blackbeard was killed and his crew defeated.
Why it is remembered It ended with the death of the pirate Blackbeard. George Edmund Varian's 1904 painting shows Blackbeard boarding Maynard's ship.
Sources differ British dead are given as 11 to 20, pirate dead as 10 to 12.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Edmund Varian (1865, 1923)[1], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Quadruple Alliance
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1719) Single-ship action
20 December 1719 · Off Cape St. Vincent, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Rodrigo de Torres y Morales (Spain); Commodore Philip Cavendish (Great Britain)
Forces 3 Spanish ships of the line against 2 British ships of the line and 1 frigate
Ships HMS Dover
Losses British: 40 killed or wounded. Spanish: 20 killed, 27 wounded.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish squadron sailing from Santander to Cádiz, which had taken a British frigate and sloop a few days before, met Commodore Philip Cavendish's squadron off Cape St. Vincent. After five hours the British withdrew to Gibraltar, and the Spanish reached Cádiz on 2 January 1720.
Why it is remembered Pedro Messía de la Cerda, later known for the voyage of the Glorioso, fought in the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Attack on Marstrand Landing or siege
Also known as Anfallet mot Marstrand
21 to 27 July 1719 (10 to 16 July Old Style) · Marstrand and Carlsten fortress, Bohuslän, Sweden
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Peter Tordenskjold (Denmark-Norway); Colonel Henrich Danckwardt (Sweden)
Forces 600 to 700 Danish-Norwegian soldiers and sailors with 18 vessels including barges, galleys and mortar ships, against 388 Swedish troops and sailors with 6 frigates, 3 galleys, 2 fireships and 1 barge
Result Dano-Norwegian victory
Tordenskjold's ships attacked the harbour of Marstrand and the immobile ships of the Swedish Gothenburg squadron. The Danes then besieged Carlsten fortress, whose garrison surrendered quickly, partly because of psychological warfare.
Why it is remembered The fortress commander, Henrich Danckwardt, was later sentenced to death by a Swedish court-martial for giving up a defensible fort. The surrender is still surrounded by myths and legends.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jacob Fosie (1679 to 1763), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Attack on Nya Varvet (1719) Raid
Also known as Anfallet mot Nya Varvet
Night of 27 September 1719 (Old Style) · Nya Varvet naval base, mouth of the Göta älv, Gothenburg
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Peter Tordenskjold (Denmark-Norway)
Forces A Danish force in small vessels
Losses Swedes: several ships in the harbour destroyed. Danes: no great losses.
Result Danish success
In revenge for a Swedish capture of Danish warships at Grötö a few weeks earlier, Vice Admiral Peter Tordenskjold sailed from Marstrand by night in small vessels and slipped past Swedish guard posts by a ruse. After a short fight in the yard his men destroyed several Swedish ships in the harbour and withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was a successful surprise raid on Sweden's new naval base at Gothenburg.
Sources Wikipedia (SV)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Ösel Island Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Ösel; Battle of Saaremaa
4 June 1719 (24 May Old Style) · Near Saaremaa (Ösel), Baltic Sea
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders Naum Senyavin (Russia); Anton Johan Wrangel (Sweden)
Forces 6 Russian ships of the line and 1 smaller vessel against 1 Swedish ship of the line, 1 frigate and 1 brigantine
Losses Swedes: all 3 ships captured, 451 killed, wounded and captured. Russians: 18 casualties.
Result Russian victory
A Russian squadron under Captain Naum Senyavin caught a small Swedish squadron near Saaremaa and captured all three of its ships.
Why it is remembered It was the first Russian naval victory won without ramming or boarding. Aleksey Bogolyubov painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexey Bogolyubov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Golden Age of Piracy
Battle of Anjouan Single-ship action
Also known as Combat d'Anjouan
25 July 1720 · Off Anjouan, Comoro Islands
Fought between British East India Company against pirates
Commanders James Macrae (East India Company); Edward England and John Taylor (pirates)
Forces 1 East India Company ship against 2 pirate ships
Losses East India Company: 77 dead, ship captured. Pirates: 90 dead.
Result Pirate victory
A ship of the British East India Company under James Macrae fought two pirate ships under Edward England and John Taylor near Anjouan. The pirates took the ship after heavy losses on both sides.
Why it is remembered Both sides lost heavily: 77 dead aboard the Company ship and 90 among the pirates.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Great Northern War
Battle of Grengam Fleet battle
Also known as Гренгамское морское сражение; Slaget vid Ledsund; Slaget vid Föglöfjärden; Flisön taistelu
7 August 1720 (27 July Old Style) · Ledsund strait near Granhamn, between Föglö and Lemland, Åland
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders General Mikhail Golitsyn and Matija Zmajević (Russia); Vice Admiral Carl Georg Siöblad (Sweden)
Forces 61 Russian galleys and 29 boats with 11,000 sailors and soldiers against 1 Swedish ship of the line, 4 frigates, 3 galleys and 6 smaller craft with over 1,000 sailors
Losses Swedes: 103 killed, 407 captured, 4 frigates captured. Russians (contemporary Russian return): 82 killed, 203 wounded, 43 burned, 1 galley sunk and burned, 42 galleys damaged.
Result Russian victory
A Russian galley fleet under Mikhail Golitsyn met a Swedish squadron under Carl Georg Siöblad in the narrow Ledsund strait in Åland. The Russians captured four Swedish frigates.
Why it is remembered It was the last major naval battle of the Great Northern War, which ended with the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. Alexey Zubov etched the battle in 1721.
Sources differ The extent of Russian losses and the strategic importance of the result are disputed by later historians.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Quadruple Alliance
Raid on Nassau (1720) Landing or siege
24 February to 1 March 1720 · Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Francisco Javier Cornejo and José Cordero (Spain); Woodes Rogers and Captain Hildesley (Great Britain)
Forces 3 Spanish frigates and 9 brigantines and sloops with 1,300 to 2,000 men against 2 British frigates and 600 troops
Losses Spanish: 1 sloop wrecked. British: unknown.
Result British victory
A Spanish expeditionary force attacked the British settlement of Nassau at the end of the War of the Quadruple Alliance. It was beaten off.
Why it is remembered The British settlement at Nassau, defended by Woodes Rogers, beat off the Spanish attack.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Golden Age of Piracy
Capture of the sloop William Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of John Rackham
About 22 October 1720 · Off Negril, Jamaica
Fought between Great Britain against pirates
Commanders Jonathan Barnet (Great Britain); John Rackham, surrendered (pirates)
Forces 1 sloop against 1 pirate sloop
Ships William
Losses British: none. Pirates: 13 captured and the sloop taken.
Result British victory
The former privateer Jonathan Barnet caught the pirate John Rackham off Negril, Jamaica. After a short fight Rackham and his crew were captured.
Why it is remembered It ended the career of the pirate John Rackham.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Golden Age of Piracy
Capture of the Virgin of the Cape Single-ship action
Also known as Prise de la Vierge du Cap
26 April 1721 · Roads of Saint-Denis, Île Bourbon (Réunion)
Fought between Portugal against pirates
Commanders Luís Carlos Inácio Xavier de Meneses (Portugal); John Taylor and Olivier Levasseur (pirates)
Forces 1 Portuguese ship against 2 pirate ships with 480 men
Ships Vierge du Cap
Losses Portuguese: ship captured. Pirates: unknown.
Result Pirate victory
Two pirate ships under John Taylor and Olivier Levasseur attacked the Portuguese ship Vierge du Cap in the roads of Saint-Denis on Île Bourbon and captured her.
Why it is remembered A Portuguese ship was taken at anchor off Île Bourbon by two pirate crews led by John Taylor and Olivier Levasseur.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Golden Age of Piracy
Battle of Cape Lopez Single-ship action
10 February 1722 · Off Cape Lopez, Gabon, West Africa
Fought between Great Britain against pirates
Commanders Chaloner Ogle (Great Britain); Bartholomew Roberts, killed (pirates)
Forces 1 British ship of the line, HMS Swallow, against 1 pirate frigate and 1 brig
Ships HMS Swallow
Losses British: none. Pirates: 3 killed, 272 captured, 1 ship captured; Roberts killed.
Result British victory
HMS Swallow under Captain Chaloner Ogle attacked the pirate ship of Bartholomew Roberts off Cape Lopez. Roberts was killed and his crew captured.
Why it is remembered It ended the career of Bartholomew Roberts. Charles Dixon illustrated the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Dummer's War
Battle of Winnepang Single-ship action
July 1722 · Jeddore Harbour, Nova Scotia
Fought between New England colonists against the Mi'kmaq
Commanders John Bradstreet and John Elliot, wounded (New England); Mi'kmaq commander unknown
Forces About 30 New England militia against 39 Mi'kmaq warriors
Losses New England: 5 killed and several wounded. Mi'kmaq: 35 killed
Result British victory
The Mi'kmaq had taken more than 82 New England prisoners from fishing vessels off Nova Scotia. Governor Richard Philipps ordered a force under Ensign John Bradstreet and the fishing captain John Elliot to recover them, and they attacked the Mi'kmaq at Jeddore Harbour in a naval battle.
Why it is remembered It was part of Governor Philipps's campaign to recover New England fishermen taken prisoner by the Mi'kmaq during Dummer's War.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Golden Age of Piracy
Capture of the sloop Ranger Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of the Fancy
10 June 1723 · Off Block Island, Atlantic coast of North America
Fought between Great Britain against pirates
Commanders Peter Solgard (Great Britain); Edward Low and Charles Harris, surrendered (pirates)
Forces 1 Royal Navy post ship, HMS Greyhound, against the pirate schooner Fancy and the sloop Ranger
Ships HMS Greyhound, Ranger, Fancy
Losses British: none. Pirates: 43 captured, Ranger taken.
Result British victory
The pirates Edward Low and Charles Harris attacked HMS Greyhound, mistaking her for a whaler. After several hours Greyhound captured Harris's sloop Ranger, while Low escaped in Fancy.
Why it is remembered The surviving crew of Ranger were tried at Newport, Rhode Island, sentenced to death and executed.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Anglo-Spanish War (1727 to 1729)
Blockade of Porto Bello Blockade and raiding
1726 to 1727 · Porto Bello (present day Panama)
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Francis Hosier, Edward St Lo, Edward Hopson, all died of natural causes (Great Britain); Antonio Gaztañeta, Gregorio Guazo, killed, Juan Andía (Spain)
Forces 11 British ships of the line, 1 frigate, 2 sloops and 1 snow with 4,750 men against 2,000 Spanish troops
Losses British: more than 4,000 dead, mostly from yellow fever and other diseases, and 1 ship wrecked.
Result Spanish victory; the treasure fleet evaded the blockade
A British squadron blockaded Porto Bello to stop the Spanish treasure fleet sailing for Spain. Tropical disease killed so many seamen that the British had to leave to find new crews, and in their absence the Spanish resumed shipping.
Why it is remembered Disease killed more than 4,000 British seamen, including the commanders Hosier, St Lo and Hopson.
Sources differ One account dates the blockade 1726 to 1727; another account gives 1726 to 1728.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lobsterthermidor at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Anglo-Spanish War (1727 to 1729)
Action of 11 March 1727 Single-ship action
11 March 1727 · Off Cádiz, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders George Forbes (Great Britain)
Forces 2 British ships of the line, HMS Royal Oak and HMS Canterbury, against the new 46-gun Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Rosario
Ships HMS Royal Oak, HMS Canterbury, Nuestra Señora del Rosario
Losses Spanish: 200 killed or wounded, frigate captured. British: unknown.
Result British victory
The newly completed Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Rosario, bound from Santander to Cádiz, was sighted by HMS Royal Oak and HMS Canterbury near Cádiz. Royal Oak caught her and after a few broadsides the frigate struck before Canterbury came up.
Why it is remembered The prize was brought back to the British squadron, which slipped past the Spanish besiegers to relieve Gibraltar two days later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Bombardment of Tripoli (1728) Landing or siege
20 to 27 July 1728 · Tripoli, Ottoman Tripolitania (Libya)
Fought between France against Tripolitania
Commanders Étienne Nicolas de Grandpré (France); Ahmed Karamanli (Tripoli)
Result Inconclusive
A French squadron under Étienne Nicolas de Grandpré, having made Tunis submit, appeared before Tripoli. When the Pasha refused to submit, the fleet bombarded the city for six nights and caused great destruction.
Why it is remembered The French did not follow up the bombardment with a landing, so the damage brought no lasting result.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: I found it on internet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Battle of Damietta (1732) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille au large de Damiette
16 August 1732 · Off Damietta, Egypt
Fought between Order of Malta against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Jacques-François de Chambray (Order of Malta); Kali Michamet (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 2 Maltese ships of the line and 2 tartanes against an Ottoman flagship escorting 40 merchant ships
Losses Maltese: 8 dead, 12 wounded. Ottomans: flagship taken, 117 prisoners, casualties unknown.
Result Order of Malta victory
A small squadron of the Order of Malta under Jacques-François de Chambray attacked an Ottoman convoy off Damietta and took its flagship. Fourteen Christian slaves held by the Ottomans were freed.
Why it is remembered The battle is shown in a fresco in the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: McKarri 17:08, 21. Dez. 2011 (CET), CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Spanish-Barbary wars
Spanish conquest of Oran (1732) Landing or siege
Also known as Spanish expedition to Oran
15 June to 2 July 1732 · Oran and Mers el-Kébir, Regency of Algiers
Fought between Spain against the Regency of Algiers and the Beylik of Oran
Commanders Duke of Montemar, Francisco Javier Cornejo, Blas de Lezo, Juan José Navarro (Spain); Mustapha Bouchelaghem, Wali Hassan (Algiers)
Forces 27,000 to 28,000 Spanish troops carried by 12 ships of the line, 50 frigates, 7 galleys, 26 galiots, 4 brigs, 97 xebecs, gunboats, bomb vessels and 109 transports, against about 20,000 Algerian troops and an unknown number of ships
Losses Spanish: 100 killed. Algerians: heavy losses of men and ships, 142 guns captured.
Result Spanish victory; Oran and Mers el-Kébir retaken
A large Spanish expedition under the Duke of Montemar and Francisco Javier Cornejo landed in Algeria and defeated the troops of the Bey of Oran. It took the fortress cities of Oran and Mers el-Kébir, which Algiers had held since 1708.
Why it is remembered It restored Spanish rule over Oran and Mers el-Kébir, lost during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Spanish and Algerian conflicts
Action of 12 October 1734 Fleet battle
Also known as Combate de Cartagena (1734)
Night of 11 to 12 October 1734 · Waters off Cartagena, south east Spain
Fought between Spain against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Jefe de Escuadra Gabriel Pérez de Alderete (Spain); Wikidata, citing the Diccionario Biográfico Español, also lists Isidoro García del Postigo and Carlos Reggio y Gravina among the Spanish officers
Forces Alderete's squadron, on passage from Naples to Cádiz, against three Algerian ships
Losses Spain: 6 killed and 14 wounded, with damage to rigging, masts and sails. Algiers: one ship of 40 guns forced to surrender and sunk, her surviving Moors and Turks made captive; 24 Christian slaves aboard her were freed; the other two ships escaped badly damaged.
Result Spanish victory
Alderete's squadron met three Algerian ships off Cartagena on the night of the 11th and attacked at once. Despite the darkness and stubborn resistance, one Algerian ship of 40 guns was forced to surrender and was sunk; the other two fled soon after the fighting began and were separated by a sudden storm. The Spanish ships put into the bay of Alicante to repair their damage.
Why it is remembered The Gaceta de Madrid of 26 October 1734 reported it as a lesson that would make the Algerian corsairs raid the Spanish coasts less often.
Sources differ Date: the Gaceta de Madrid places the fight on the night of the 11th; Wikidata gives 12 October 1734. The Gaceta names the commander Gabriel de Aldrete or Alderete. The number of captives in the scanned Gaceta is illegible.
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Polish Succession
Siege of Danzig (1734) Landing or siege
22 February to 30 June 1734 · Danzig (Gdańsk) and Weichselmünde, Poland
Fought between Russia and Saxony, for Augustus III, against Stanisław I and France
Commanders Peter Lacy, Burkhard Christoph von Münnich, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, with Admiral Thomas Gordon commanding the fleet (Russia and Saxony); Stanisław I, Johann Wilhelm von Vietinghoff, Gabriel de Rochon de Lapeyrouse, captured, Marquis de Barailh, Count Plélo, killed (Stanisław and France)
Forces 12,000 Russian and Saxon troops at first, 37,000 to 60,000 in all, with the Russian fleet; about 4,500 defenders at first, about 24,445 in all, with a French squadron (Achille, Gloire, Fleuron, Brillant, l'Astrée)
Ships Achille, Gloire, Fleuron, Brillant, l'Astrée, Mittau
Losses Russians and Saxons: 801 killed, 1,753 wounded, 12 missing, about 8,000 in all. Defenders: unknown; the garrison surrendered.
Result Russian and Saxon victory
Russian troops besieged Danzig, where Stanisław I had taken refuge. A French squadron under Commodore Barailh landed about 1,800 troops at Weichselmünde in May and captured the Russian frigate Mittau. Admiral Thomas Gordon's Russian fleet arrived on 1 June and its guns battered the French position until the French surrendered; Weichselmünde and the port fell soon after, and Danzig capitulated on 30 June.
Why it is remembered It was the first time French and Russian troops met as enemies in the field. Stanisław escaped disguised as a peasant two days before the surrender.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750
Battle of Málaga (1736) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Málaga (1736); encounter off Marbella, 6 November 1736
6 to 8 November 1736 · Off Málaga and Marbella, southern Spain
Fought between Order of St John (Knights of Malta) against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Lieutenant General Fra Bartolomeo Tommasi (Order of St John); Agi Solimão Pantallaresch, Admiral of Algiers (Algiers)
Forces Three ships of the Order, Sant'Antonio, San Giovanni and San Vincenzo Ferreri, against three Algerian ships
Ships Sant'Antonio, San Giovanni, San Vincenzo Ferreri, Demi-Lune, L'Arangi
Losses Algiers: two frigates captured according to a philatelic account; losses in men not recorded in the sources found.
Result Maltese victory
The Maltese squadron was cruising off Alicante when, on 27 October 1736, it learned that Barbary ships were off Cape Palos, the largest said to carry 64 guns. It met the Algerian squadron of three ships under Agi Solimão Pantallaresch on 6 November in the waters of Marbella. One account names the captured Algerian frigates as Demi-Lune of 36 guns and L'Arangi of 34 guns.
Why it is remembered Accounts were printed in Naples and Florence in 1736 and in Portuguese in 1737, and the action appears on a 1989 stamp of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. A painting of the battle decorates the bedroom of Giovanni Battista Tommasi, later Grand Master of the Order.
Sources differ Date: the 1737 Portuguese pamphlet gives 6 November 1736 off Marbella; Wikidata gives 7 to 8 November off Málaga. The philatelic source mentions three captured ships in the stamp caption but names only two, and also describes a separate action off Marbella on 6 September 1736 in which the San Vincenzo attacked three Algerian ships and the Chiulac was taken; that may be the same event misdated.
Sources Wikidata · um.edu.mt · shipstamps.co.uk
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Russo-Turkish War (1735 to 1739)
Battle of Cape Lori Fleet battle
Also known as Lori Burnu Deniz Muharebesi
9 to 10 August 1737 · Off Cape Lori, Sea of Azov
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Russia
Commanders Süleyman Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Losses The Russian fleet was destroyed.
Result Ottoman victory
Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire in 1736, and the Ottomans sent a fleet to the Black Sea. In a two day battle off Cape Lori in the Sea of Azov, the Ottoman fleet under Süleyman Pasha destroyed the Russian fleet.
Why it is remembered The war ended with the Treaty of Belgrade, which the Turkish account counts among the Ottoman Empire's major successes of the 18th century.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Russo-Turkish War (1735 to 1739)
Battle of Henichesk Fleet battle
Also known as İnceki Deniz Muharebesi
9 to 10 July 1737 · İnceki strait (present day Henichesk, Ukraine), western Sea of Azov
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Russia
Commanders Süleyman Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Losses Heavy losses to the Russian army ashore.
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman fleet under Süleyman Pasha defeated the Russian fleet in the İnceki strait in the western Sea of Azov. It also caused heavy losses to the Russian army on land.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Ottoman naval successes in the Sea of Azov in 1737.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear
Battle of Porto Bello (1739) Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Portobello; Capture of Puerto Bello
20 November 1739 · Portobelo, Panama
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Edward Vernon (Great Britain); Francisco de la Vega (Spain)
Forces 6 British ships of the line and 2 tenders against about 700 Spanish defenders, 2 guarda costa vessels, 1 sloop and 1 snow
Losses British: 3 killed, 7 wounded. Spanish: 260 to 300 captured, 2 guarda costa vessels and the snow captured, the sloop sunk.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy squadron of six ships of the line under Admiral Edward Vernon attacked the Spanish settlement of Portobelo and captured it from its defenders.
Why it is remembered The victory was greeted with great popular acclaim in Britain. A painting, The Capture of Puerto Bello, was made in 1740.
Sources differ The main account dates the battle 20 November 1739; the painting's title gives 21 November 1739.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear
Action of 8 April 1740 Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of the Princesa
8 April 1740 · About 300 miles south west of the Lizard, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Colvill Mayne, Thomas Durell, Lord Augustus FitzRoy (Great Britain); Pablo Agustín de Gera, surrendered (Spain)
Forces 3 British 70-gun third rates, HMS Kent, HMS Lenox and HMS Orford, against the Spanish third rate Princesa (rated 70 guns, carrying 64)
Ships Princesa, HMS Kent, HMS Lenox, HMS Orford
Losses British: 17 killed, 40 wounded. Spanish: 33 killed, 100 wounded, 517 captured, ship captured.
Result British victory
Three British third rates under Captain Colvill Mayne chased down the Spanish Princesa south west of the Lizard. After a long fight she surrendered.
Why it is remembered Princesa was taken into the Royal Navy. Peter Monamy painted the action.
Sources differ An engraving of the action names the third British ship as Oxford rather than Orford.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nathaniel Parr / After Peter Monamy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear
Siege of St. Augustine (1740) Landing or siege
13 June to 20 July 1740 · St. Augustine, Spanish Florida
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders James Oglethorpe, Ahaya Secoffee, Captain Pearce (Great Britain); Manuel de Montiano (Spain)
Forces 1,000 British infantry, 900 sailors, 1,200 Native warriors, 56 guns, 5 frigates and 3 sloops against 750 Spanish infantry, 50 guns, the fort and 6 small ships
Losses British: 122 killed, 16 captured, 14 deserted, 56 guns and 1 schooner captured. Spanish: unknown.
Result Spanish victory
A British force from Georgia and South Carolina under James Oglethorpe, with Native allies and supported by frigates and sloops, besieged St. Augustine in Spanish Florida. The Spanish held out.
Why it is remembered St. Augustine stayed in Spanish hands.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Shreeg88 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear and War of the Austrian Succession
Battle of Cartagena de Indias Landing or siege
Also known as Sitio de Cartagena de Indias; Siege of Cartagena de Indias (1741)
13 March to 20 May 1741 · Cartagena de Indias, Viceroyalty of New Granada (present day Colombia)
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Edward Vernon, Thomas Wentworth, John Grant, killed, Charles Knowles (Great Britain); Sebastián de Eslava, Blas de Lezo, José Polanco Campuzano, Carlos Desnaux (Spain)
Forces 27,400 to 30,000 British personnel, including 15,398 sailors, with 29 ships of the line, 22 frigates, 71 sloops, 2 hospital ships, 80 troopships and 50 merchant ships, against 3,000 to 4,000 Spanish defenders with 6 ships of the line and shore guns
Ships Galicia, Boyne, Prince Frederick, Hampton Court, Tilbury, Suffolk, Shrewsbury
Losses British: 9,500 to 11,500 dead, largely from disease, 7,500 wounded and sick, 6 ships lost, 17 ships of the line heavily damaged, 4 frigates and 27 transports lost. Spanish: 800 dead, 1,200 wounded, 6 ships lost.
Result Spanish victory
After two failed naval attacks in 1740, the British returned in March 1741 with a combined fleet and army. They broke the chain across the Boca Chica channel and took Fort San Luis, while Blas de Lezo scuttled two ships to block the channel and set Galicia alight, though she was captured. A night assault on Fort San Lázaro failed, and disease ravaged the British force, which withdrew in May.
Why it is remembered It showed Spain could hold its Caribbean ports and largely ended fighting in the region. The British had struck medals in advance celebrating a victory that never came, and Blas de Lezo has a monument in Madrid's Plaza de Colón.
Sources differ British dead are given as anything from 9,500 to 11,500.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Luis Fernández Gordillo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Travancore-Dutch War
Battle of Colachel Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Kolachel; Battle of Kulachal
10 August 1741 (31 July 1741 Old Style) · Colachel, Malabar Coast, India
Fought between Travancore against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Marthanda Varma and Ramayyan Dalawa (Travancore); Eustachius De Lannoy, Donadi and Duyvenschot, all captured (Dutch East India Company)
Forces Dutch: an expedition of seven large ships and several smaller vessels that landed troops north of Colachel. Travancore: its army on land and local fishermen at sea
Ships Maarseveen (Dutch)
Losses Travancore: negligible. Dutch: 24 officials taken prisoner; muskets, swords and cannon captured
Result Travancore victory
The Dutch bombarded the coast near Colachel and declared a blockade, and on 10 February 1741 an expedition of seven large ships and several smaller vessels landed troops just north of the town. Local Mukkuvar fishermen sided with Travancore and are said to have sunk Dutch ships at anchor by night. On 5 August a Travancore shot set off powder in the Dutch stockade and burned its rice store; the Dutch surrendered, and De Lannoy and his officers were taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered A victory pillar stands at Kulachal. De Lannoy entered Travancore's service, rose to command its army and built the Nedumkottai fortifications, and Travancore took over the pepper trade.
Sources differ One account gives 7 August for the surrender and 10 August for the battle, and notes that other sources give other dates; prisoners are given as 24 officials in another account and 28 officers in a third account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Infocaster at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession and War of Jenkins' Ear
Action of 14 June 1742 Raid
Also known as Combat de Saint-Tropez
14 June 1742 · Saint-Tropez, France
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Captain Richard Norris (Great Britain); Donato Domas (Spain)
Forces 2 British fourth rates, 1 sloop and 1 fireship against 5 Spanish royal galleys
Losses Spanish: all 5 galleys burned. British: minor.
Result British victory
A small British squadron under Captain Richard Norris surprised five Spanish royal galleys near Sainte-Marguerite and chased them into the French port of Saint-Tropez. Ignoring French neutrality, Norris followed them in and burned all five at little cost.
Why it is remembered It was a British attack on Spanish ships inside a neutral French port.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Manuel de Castro, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Russo-Swedish War (1741 to 1743)
Battle of Korpoström Fleet battle
Also known as Sea Battle at Korpoström
20 May 1743 · Korpoström, Finland
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders James Keith (Russia); Abraham Falkengréen (Sweden)
Forces 21 Russian vessels, mostly lightly armed galleys, against 31 Swedish vessels, also mostly galleys
Result Russian victory
A Swedish galley fleet under Abraham Falkengréen met a smaller Russian galley force under James Keith near Korpoström. Despite their numbers, the Swedes were defeated.
Why it is remembered It was a galley battle in the last year of the Russo-Swedish War of 1741 to 1743.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear
Battle of La Guaira Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of La Guayra
2 to 5 March 1743 · Off La Guaira, present day Venezuela
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Gabriel de Zuloaga, Mateo Gual, José de Iturriaga (Spain); Charles Knowles, Chaloner Ogle (Great Britain)
Forces About 1,000 Spanish defenders against 2,400 British troops with 8 ships of the line, 9 frigates, bomb vessels and fireships, and 2 troopships
Ships HMS Burford
Losses British: 97 killed, including the captain of HMS Burford, 308 wounded, many ships badly damaged or lost. Spanish: 300 killed or wounded.
Result Spanish victory
A British expedition under Charles Knowles attacked La Guaira, a port of the Royal Gipuzkoan Company of Caracas whose ships had carried troops and supplies for Spain. The shore defences beat off the attack and the expedition failed.
Why it is remembered Knowles had to refit before he could move on to Puerto Cabello.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Diary of Caracas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear
Battle of Puerto Cabello (1743) Landing or siege
16 April 1743 · Puerto Cabello, present day Venezuela
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Charles Knowles (Great Britain); Gabriel Zuloaga (Spain)
Forces About 4,000 British infantry and sailors with 2 third rates, 2 fourth rates, 1 fifth rate, 2 sixth rates, 1 sloop, 1 bomb vessel and 13 other vessels, against about 2,000 Spanish infantry and militia, a castle, 2 shore batteries and a blockship
Losses British: 100 killed or wounded. Spanish: unknown; 1 blockship scuttled.
Result Spanish victory
After the repulse at La Guaira, Charles Knowles attacked the Spanish colonial port of Puerto Cabello. The attack failed.
Why it is remembered It was the second failure of Knowles's 1743 expedition against the Venezuelan coast.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
Action of 8 May 1744 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat du 19 mai 1744 (French)
8 May 1744 · Off the Berlengas, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Hubert de Brienne and Étienne Perier (France); Thomas Watson (Great Britain), killed in action
Forces 2 French ships of the line and 1 frigate against 1 British ship of the line
Ships Content, Mars, HMS Northumberland
Losses Britain: HMS Northumberland captured; her captain, Thomas Watson, and her second lieutenant were among the dead. France: unknown.
Result French victory
Two French ships of the line, the 60-gun Content and the 64-gun Mars, engaged the British 70-gun HMS Northumberland. After a hard action lasting four hours Northumberland was captured. Her captain, Thomas Watson, was killed.
Why it is remembered A minor action of the war, recalled for the loss of a British 70-gun ship and her captain to two French ships.
Sources differ The English account dates the action 8 May 1744; the French account's title gives 19 May 1744.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ambroise Louis Garneray, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
Battle of Toulon (1744) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Sicié; Bataille du cap Sicié
21 to 22 February 1744 (11 to 12 February Old Style) · Off Toulon, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against Spain and France
Commanders Thomas Mathews, Richard Lestock, William Rowley (Great Britain); Juan José Navarro (Spain); Claude-Élisée de Court de La Bruyère (France)
Forces 32 British ships of the line, 2 frigates, 2 fireships and a hospital ship against 28 Spanish and French ships of the line, 4 frigates and 4 fireships
Ships HMS Namur, HMS Marlborough, Anne Galley, Real Felipe, Constante, Poder, Saint Esprit
Losses British: 133 killed, 223 wounded, 17 captured, 1 fireship (Anne Galley) destroyed. Spanish and French: 149 killed, 467 wounded, 1 ship of the line (Poder) scuttled.
Result Tactically inconclusive; the British blockade was lifted
A Spanish squadron trapped in Toulon, supported by the French Levant Fleet though France was not yet at war with Britain, tried to break past the British Mediterranean Fleet. Light winds scattered the fleets and Lestock's rear division stayed largely out of action; Mathews in Namur, with Marlborough, attacked the Spanish rear, and Real Felipe and Constante were badly damaged. Poder was taken, retaken by the French and scuttled, and the fireship Anne Galley blew up short of her target. Mathews broke off the chase and withdrew to Menorca.
Why it is remembered The court-martial that followed dismissed Mathews while Lestock was cleared, and seven captains were removed for failing to engage. It led to changes requiring captains to fight far more aggressively.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Henry Toms, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
Battle of Anguilla Landing or siege
Also known as Bataille d'Anguilla (French)
21 May 1745 · Anguilla, British West Indies
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Arthur Hodge (Great Britain); Le Touché (France)
Forces 150 British soldiers against a French force of 2 frigates, 3 privateers and 2 ship's tenders carrying 759 soldiers
Losses Britain: 7 killed or wounded. France: 35 killed or drowned, 65 wounded and 50 captured.
Result British victory
A French force from two frigates and three privateers landed about 760 men on Anguilla and marched inland. The British defenders repulsed them with heavy losses, then counter-attacked and forced the French to flee to their ships.
Sources differ One account dates the battle 1 June 1745; another account gives 21 May 1745. One account gives 760 men landed, another account 759 soldiers.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · King George's War (War of the Austrian Succession)
Siege of Louisbourg (1745) Landing or siege
12 May to 28 June 1745 · Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Fought between Great Britain and the New England colonies against France
Commanders William Pepperrell, Peter Warren, John Bradstreet and Edward Tyng (Great Britain and New England); Louis Duchambon, Pierre Morpain and Joseph la Malgue (France)
Forces 4,200 men and 90 warships and transports against a garrison of 2,390
Losses British and New England: 100 killed and wounded, 900 dead of disease. France: 130 killed and wounded, 300 dead of disease, 1,400 captured.
Result British victory; Louisbourg surrendered
New England troops landed near Louisbourg on 11 May and, with the support of a British fleet, laid siege to the fortress. Its seaward defences were strong, but low rises behind it gave the attackers places for siege batteries. The poorly paid and supplied garrison lost control of the outer defences and surrendered in the face of an imminent assault.
Why it is remembered Louisbourg, called the American Dunkirk for its privateers, was the main British success of the war in America. It was handed back to France under the 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, over the objections of the British North Americans.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · King George's War (War of the Austrian Succession)
Capture of Vigilant Single-ship action
18 to 20 May 1745 · Off Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Peter Warren and Edward Tyng (Great Britain); Marquis de la Maisonfort (France)
Forces 5 British ships against 1 French ship of the line, the 64-gun Vigilant, with 500 men
Ships Vigilant, HMS Superb, HMS Eltham, HMS Launceston, HMS Mermaid, Shirley Galley
Losses Britain: 6 wounded, including Tyng. France: Vigilant captured; 35 killed, 26 wounded and 100 taken prisoner.
Result British victory
Commodore Warren's ships met the French 64-gun Vigilant off Louisbourg. Mermaid engaged her, Shirley Galley under John Rous fired the first broadsides into her stern, Eltham followed, and Warren in Superb came alongside and tore her rigging and sails to pieces. Fog let Vigilant slip away, but in the morning she was seen wrecked and was taken; 100 French sailors were carried to Boston as prisoners.
Why it is remembered A French 64-gun ship was lost off Louisbourg in May 1745, while the fortress was under siege by New England forces.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
Action of 6 July 1746 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Negapatam (1746)
6 July 1746 · Off Negapatam, Coromandel Coast of India
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Edward Peyton (Great Britain); Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais (France)
Forces 4 British ships of the line and 2 frigates against 1 French ship of the line and 8 East Indiamen
Losses Britain: 14 killed, 46 wounded. France: 27 killed, 53 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A British squadron under Edward Peyton met a French force under La Bourdonnais, made up largely of armed East Indiamen, off Negapatam. The two sides fought without a decision.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
Raid on Lorient Landing or siege
29 September to 10 October 1746 · Lorient, Brittany, France
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders James St Clair and Richard Lestock (Great Britain); Marquis de L'Hôpital and the Comte de Volvire-Ruffec (France)
Forces 16 British ships of the line, 8 frigates, 2 galiots and 43 troopships carrying 4,500 soldiers against 4,000 to 6,000 French soldiers
Result French victory; the British withdrew
A British expedition was sent to Lorient, the base of the French East India Company, to draw French troops away from Flanders. The ships waited several days off the coast, giving the town time to organise its defence. The troops reached the outskirts on 3 October and bombarded the town from 5 to 7 October, but disease, fatigue and poor engineering led the commander to order a retreat on 7 October, shortly before the French commander offered to surrender.
Why it is remembered The raid forced France to fortify southern Brittany. It also started a controversy between David Hume and Voltaire, and gave rise to a local cult of the Virgin Mary and several songs about the siege.
Sources differ One account dates the operation 29 September to 10 October 1746; another account gives 20 September 1746.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · Jacobite rising of 1745
Skirmish of Loch nan Uamh Single-ship action
2 May 1746 · Loch nan Uamh, west coast of the Scottish Highlands
Fought between Great Britain (Royal Navy) against French privateers supporting the Jacobites
Commanders Captain Noel (Royal Navy); Captain Rouillee and Captain Lorry (French privateers)
Forces 3 British sloops of war against 2 French frigates
Losses Britain: unknown. French: 29 killed and 85 wounded.
Result The Jacobite (French) ships retreated
Three Royal Navy sloops of war attacked two larger French privateer frigates that had come to support the Jacobite rebels. After the fight the French ships withdrew.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
First Battle of Cape Finisterre Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Finisterre (mai 1747) (French)
14 May 1747 · Off Cape Finisterre, north west Spain, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders George Anson (Great Britain); Pierre de la Jonquière (France), captured
Forces 14 British ships of the line, 1 frigate, 1 sloop and 1 fireship against 4 French ships of the line, 8 frigates and 4 corvettes escorting 30 merchantmen
Losses Britain: 520 killed or wounded. France: 800 killed or wounded and 3,000 captured; 4 ships of the line captured with frigates, corvettes and merchantmen.
Result British victory
Admiral Anson's fleet attacked a French convoy escorted by warships under de la Jonquière. In a five hour battle the British captured all four French ships of the line together with frigates and merchantmen. One French frigate, one French East India Company warship and the remaining merchantmen escaped.
Why it is remembered Samuel Scott painted the action in 1749 as Vice Admiral Sir George Anson's Victory off Cape Finisterre.
Sources differ One account gives 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 7 merchantmen captured; another account gives 4 ships of the line, 4 frigates, 4 corvettes and 6 merchantmen captured.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
Second Battle of Cape Finisterre Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Finisterre (octobre 1747) (French)
25 October 1747 (14 October Old Style) · About 300 miles (480 km) west of Finistère, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Edward Hawke (Great Britain); Henri-François des Herbiers (France)
Forces 14 British ships of the line against 8 French ships of the line and 1 frigate escorting about 250 merchant ships
Ships Intrépide
Losses Britain: 154 killed, 558 wounded. France: 800 killed or wounded, 4,000 captured, 6 ships of the line and 7 merchant ships captured.
Result British victory
Rear-Admiral Hawke intercepted a French convoy bound from the Basque Roads to the West Indies. Herbiers ordered the merchant ships to scatter and formed his warships into line to draw the British onto them. The British enveloped the rear of the French line and took the French ships one at a time; six were captured, but only seven of the merchant ships were taken.
Why it is remembered The victory cut the French colonies off from supply and reinforcement in the last year of the war.
Sources differ One account gives 250 merchant ships; another account gives 251.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear
Voyage of the Glorioso Single-ship action
Also known as Carrera del Glorioso (Spanish)
25 July to 8 October 1747 · Atlantic Ocean, off the Azores, Cape Finisterre and Cape St Vincent
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders John Crookshanks, Matthew Buckle, James Hamilton (killed) and George Walker (Great Britain); Pedro Messia de la Cerda (Spain)
Forces 4 British ships of the line, 2 frigates, 2 brigs and 4 privateers, in successive attacks, against 1 Spanish ship of the line
Ships Glorioso, HMS Dartmouth, HMS Russell
Losses Britain: first battle 4 killed and 20 wounded; third battle 296 to 334 killed and HMS Dartmouth destroyed. Spain: first battle 5 killed and 44 wounded; third battle 33 killed, 130 wounded and Glorioso captured.
Result Glorioso landed her treasure in Spain but was captured in the final action
The 70-gun Spanish ship Glorioso, carrying four million Spanish dollars from the Spanish Main, beat off two British attacks off the Azores and Cape Finisterre and landed her cargo at Corcubión. Sailing on to Cádiz for repairs, she was attacked near Cape St Vincent by four British privateers and the ships of the line Dartmouth and Russell. The 50-gun Dartmouth blew up with most of her crew, but the 80-gun Russell forced Glorioso to strike her colours.
Why it is remembered Her captain and crew were treated as heroes in Spain and won British admiration for their resistance against a much larger force. Two British captains were court-martialled for their conduct, and Charles Brooking painted The Capture of the Glorioso.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles Brooking, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear (War of the Austrian Succession)
Action of 18 March 1748 Convoy battle
18 March 1748 · Off Cape St Vincent, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Thomas Cotes (Great Britain); Juan de Egues (Spain)
Forces 4 British ships of the line and 2 frigates against 9 Spanish ships of the line escorting 17 merchant ships
Losses Spain: 5 merchant ships captured. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
A British squadron of six ships under Thomas Cotes attacked a Spanish convoy escorted by ships of the line and frigates, and captured several of its merchantmen.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Joshua Reynolds (1723, 1792), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
Action of 31 January 1748 Single-ship action
31 January 1748 · Off Ushant, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Robert Harland (Great Britain); Charles d'Albert du Chesne, Marquis d'Albert (France)
Forces 2 British ships of the line, HMS Nottingham and the 60-gun HMS Portland, against the French 74-gun Magnanime with a crew of 686
Ships Magnanime, HMS Nottingham, HMS Portland
Losses Britain: Nottingham 16 killed and 18 wounded, Portland 4 wounded. France: 45 killed, 105 wounded, 530 captured; Magnanime captured.
Result British victory
Magnanime left Brest for the East Indies in January 1748 but was partly dismasted in a storm off Ushant and was limping back when a British fleet under Edward Hawke sighted her. HMS Nottingham closed with her at 1 am and fought a running action for six hours. Hawke sent HMS Portland to help, and after a few shots from Portland Magnanime struck.
Why it is remembered Magnanime, a new ship less than four years old, was taken into the Royal Navy under the same name.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Heins, attributed to Dirck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear (War of the Austrian Succession)
Battle of Havana (1748) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de La Habana (Spanish)
12 to 14 October 1748 · Off Havana, Cuba
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Charles Knowles (Great Britain); Andrés Reggio (Spain)
Forces 7 British ships of the line against 6 Spanish ships of the line and 1 frigate
Losses Britain: 59 killed, 120 wounded. Spain: 86 killed, 197 wounded, 470 captured; 1 ship of the line captured and 1 ship of the line blown up by her crew.
Result British tactical victory; the Spanish treasure fleet was not intercepted
Rear-Admiral Charles Knowles, trying to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet, attacked a Spanish squadron under Andrés Reggio off Havana. The British captured one ship of the line and drove the Spanish flagship ashore, where, fully dismasted, she was blown up by her crew; Reggio's squadron fell back to Havana. The fighting ended when the British learned that the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle had been signed.
Why it is remembered It was the last engagement of both the War of Jenkins' Ear and the War of the Austrian Succession. Knowles quarrelled with several of his captains afterwards, Reggio was court-martialled and acquitted, and Richard Paton painted the action in 1770.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of the Austrian Succession
Battle of Saint-Louis-du-Sud Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Port Louis
22 March 1748 · Saint-Louis-du-Sud (Port Louis), Saint-Domingue
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Charles Knowles (Great Britain); Étienne Cochard de Chastenoye (France)
Forces 9 British ships of the line and 2 sloops against a fort held by 310 French soldiers
Losses Britain: 20 killed, 50 wounded. France: 160 killed or wounded, 150 captured and 4 ships captured.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy squadron under Admiral Charles Knowles attacked the large French fort at Saint-Louis-du-Sud in the colony of Saint-Domingue, then commanded by the interim governor Étienne Cochard de Chastenoye. The fort was destroyed and four ships were taken.
Why it is remembered The attack was painted by Richard Paton.
Sources differ The accounts date the battle 22 March 1748; the title of Richard Paton's painting gives 8 March 1748.
Sources Wikipedia
The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750 · War of Jenkins' Ear
Battle of Santiago de Cuba (1748) Raid
9 April 1748 · Entrance to the harbour of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Charles Knowles (Great Britain); Arcos Moreno (Spain)
Forces 8 British ships of the line, 2 frigates, 2 sloops and 1 tender against the harbour batteries and 500 Spanish regulars
Losses Britain: 100 killed and about 200 wounded. Spain: unknown.
Result Spanish victory
Rear-Admiral Charles Knowles tried to force the entrance of Santiago de Cuba, a major base of Spanish privateers in the Caribbean. The batteries of Morro Castle put two British ships of the line out of action, and they had to be towed out to sea. The remaining British warships withdrew soon after.
Why it is remembered A failed British attempt to strike at Spanish trade and privateering at one of its main Caribbean bases.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Spanish-Barbary Wars
Action of 28 November 1751 Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille du cap Saint-Vincent (1751) (French)
28 November to 2 December 1751 · Off Cape St Vincent, Portugal, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Spain against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Pedro Fitz-James Stuart (Spain); Mohammed Chirif (Algiers)
Forces 2 Spanish ships of the line against 2 Algerine ships of the line
Ships Dragón, Danzik, Castillo Nuevo
Losses Spain: 3 killed, 25 wounded. Algiers: 194 killed, 90 wounded; the flagship Danzik destroyed. 50 European slaves were freed.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish squadron under Pedro Fitz-James Stuart found two Algerine corsair ships of the line off Cape St Vincent. The Algerines fired first, then tried to escape; Castillo Nuevo got away to port, but Fitz-James Stuart's Dragón caught the Algerine flagship Danzik and fought her over two days until she was disabled. Her crew and the Christian slaves in her hold were taken off and the wreck was set on fire.
Why it is remembered Fitz-James Stuart returned to Spain to recognition from the Spanish Navy. The fight between Dragón and Danzik is shown in an anonymous engraving.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Ottoman wars with the Knights of Malta
Battle of Vetiloz Fleet battle
Also known as Vetiloz Deniz Muharebesi (Turkish)
Late October 1751 · Vetiloz Bay, Cape Manya (Mani)
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Knights of Malta
Commanders Emeksiz Mehmed Kaptan (Ottoman Empire)
Forces An Ottoman squadron against a Maltese squadron of four vessels
Result Decisive Ottoman victory
An Ottoman squadron under Emeksiz Mehmed Kaptan caught a Maltese squadron of four vessels in Vetiloz Bay at Cape Manya at the end of October 1751 and defeated it decisively.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Portuguese battles in the East
Battle of Calicut (1752) Single-ship action
11 December 1752 · Off Calicut, Malabar Coast of India
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Maratha Empire
Commanders João de Melo Saraiva (Portugal); Maratha commander unknown
Forces 1 Portuguese ship of the line (an East Indiaman), Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia, against 21 Maratha vessels: 3 grabs, 7 pals and 11 gallivats
Ships Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia
Losses Portugal: few. Marathas: heavy.
Result Portuguese victory
Twenty-one Maratha vessels attempting to take the city of Calicut were engaged by the Portuguese ship Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia under João de Melo Saraiva. The Portuguese beat them off and the Marathas retreated.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Spanish-Barbary Wars
Action of 16 April 1755 Single-ship action
Also known as Batalla de Benidorm (Spanish)
16 April 1755 · Off Benidorm, Spain
Fought between Spain against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders José Flon y Sesma (Spain); Archimussa (Algiers), captured
Forces 5 Spanish xebecs against 3 Algerine xebecs with 60 guns
Losses Spain: 5 killed, 50 wounded. Algiers: 3 xebecs sunk, all crews killed or captured. 14 European slaves were freed.
Result Spanish victory
Five Spanish xebecs fought three Algerine xebecs off Benidorm in an action lasting 14 hours. The Spanish sank all three and killed or captured their crews.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · French and Indian War
Action of 8 June 1755 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat du 8 juin 1755 (French)
8 June 1755 · Off Cape Ray, Newfoundland, Gulf of St Lawrence
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Edward Boscawen (Great Britain); Toussaint Hocquart (France)
Forces 3 British ships of the line against 3 French ships of the line
Ships Alcide, Lys
Losses Britain: 7 killed, 25 wounded. France: 130 killed or wounded, 2,000 captured; 2 ships of the line captured.
Result British victory
Early in the French and Indian War, ships of Edward Boscawen's squadron intercepted French ships off Cape Ray and captured the third rates Alcide and Lys.
Why it is remembered The action helped bring about the declarations of war in 1756 that formally began the Seven Years' War. The capture is shown in the painting The Capture of the Alcide and Lys, 8 June 1755.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Minorca (1756) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Minorque (French)
20 May 1756 · Off Minorca, Balearic Islands
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière (France); John Byng (Great Britain)
Forces 12 French ships of the line and 5 frigates against 12 or 13 British ships of the line with attached frigates
Ships Ramillies (Byng's flagship), Defiance, Portland, Lancaster, Buckingham, Captain, Intrepid, Revenge, Princess Louisa, Trident, Culloden, Kingston, Deptford; Foudroyant (La Galissonière's flagship), Redoutable, Téméraire, Hippopotame, Orphée, Sage, Guerrier, Fier, Content, Lion, Couronne, Triton
Losses France: 38 killed, 184 wounded. Britain: 45 killed, 162 wounded.
Result French strategic victory
Byng's fleet, sent to relieve the British garrison besieged on Minorca, met the French fleet of La Galissonière. Poor signalling caused confusion and delay as the British turned to close; the British van was badly damaged by the more heavily armed French ships while the rear, with Byng's flagship, never came within effective range. A council of war agreed the fleet could do no more, and Byng returned to Gibraltar.
Why it is remembered It was the opening naval battle of the war in Europe and led directly to the fall of Minorca. Byng was court-martialled for failing to do his utmost and shot aboard HMS Monarch at Portsmouth on 14 March 1757, an execution Voltaire mocked in Candide.
Sources differ One account gives 12 British ships of the line and 7 frigates; the order of battle lists 13 ships of the line, 5 frigates and a brig-sloop. Casualties: British 45 killed and 162 wounded, French 38 killed and 184 wounded in one account; British 42 killed and 168 wounded, French 38 killed and 181 wounded in the order of battle tables.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Cap-Français Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du Cap-Français (French)
21 October 1757 · Off the harbour of Cap-Français, Saint-Domingue
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Arthur Forrest (Great Britain); Guy François Coëtnempren de Kersaint (France)
Forces 3 British ships of the line against 4 French ships of the line and 3 frigates
Losses Britain: 23 killed, 89 wounded. France: 500 to 600 killed and wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Three British ships of the line under Commodore Arthur Forrest were cruising off Saint-Domingue to intercept a French convoy bound for France, but its escort under Kersaint had been heavily reinforced. When the French came out to drive them off, the British attacked. After several hours of fighting both sides were badly damaged; the French returned to port, the British went off for repairs, and the convoy sailed the following month.
Why it is remembered The British officers became popular heroes for fighting against heavy odds. Horatio Nelson, nephew of Captain Maurice Suckling who fought here, took the anniversary as a good omen at Trafalgar, fought 48 years later to the day.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Raid on Rochefort Landing or siege
Also known as Descent on Rochefort
September 1757 · Rochefort, the Basque Roads and Île d'Aix, western France
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders John Mordaunt, Edward Hawke and James Wolfe (Great Britain); Joseph-Marie Budes de Guébriant (France)
Forces 10,000 British troops, 17 ships of the line and several smaller ships against 3,000 French troops and 2 gunboats
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result French victory; the British withdrew
After several delays a British expedition reached the French coast and captured the offshore island of Île d'Aix. The army commander, Sir John Mordaunt, refused to attempt a landing on the mainland, and the force sailed home.
Why it is remembered It was the first of the descents on the French coast championed by William Pitt and was followed by several similar operations in the next years.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Action of 29 April 1758 Single-ship action
29 April 1758 · Bay of Biscay, near Brest
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Peter Denis (Great Britain); Louis-Armand-Constantin de Rohan (France), surrendered
Forces 2 British ships of the line against 1 French ship of the line
Ships HMS Dorsetshire, Raisonnable, HMS Intrepid, HMS Achilles
Losses Britain: 16 killed, 20 wounded. France: 61 killed, 100 wounded; Raisonnable captured.
Result British victory
A British squadron including Intrepid, Dorsetshire and Achilles, blockading Brest, sighted a lone sail to the south west. Dorsetshire under Captain Peter Denis went to investigate and found the French ship of the line Raisonnable bound for Louisbourg. After a fierce fight Raisonnable's captain, Louis de Rohan, surrendered.
Why it is remembered Raisonnable was one of the French ships sent out in the spring of 1758 to support Louisbourg, which was facing a British siege.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Follower of Jean-Marc Nattier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Spanish-Barbary Wars
Battle of Cape Palos (1758) Single-ship action
Also known as Batalla del cabo de Palos (Spanish)
9 to 10 June 1758 · Between Cape Palos and the coast of Barbary, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Spain against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Isidoro García del Postigo (Spain); Mahamud Rais (Algiers), surrendered
Forces 3 Spanish ships of the line against an Algerine ship of the line and a frigate escorting a prize
Losses Spain: 2 killed, 12 wounded. Algiers: over 100 killed, 44 drowned, 306 prisoners; 1 ship of the line sunk and 1 frigate damaged.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish squadron of three warships intercepted two Algerine warships escorting a prize. After a long fight the Algerine flagship surrendered and later sank from her damage. Her consort got away from the battle but was wrecked, and the prize escaped. Prisoners were taken and Christian slaves released.
Sources differ One account says the Algerine consort was wrecked; another account lists her only as damaged.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Cartagena (1758) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Cartagena (1758) (Spanish)
28 February 1758 · Off Cartagena, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Henry Osborn (Great Britain); Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville (France), captured
Forces 4 British ships of the line engaged against 3 French ships of the line
Ships Foudroyant, HMS Monmouth
Losses France: 2 ships of the line captured; other losses unknown. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
A British fleet under Henry Osborn was blockading a French fleet in Cartagena when a French squadron under Duquesne de Menneville came to its assistance. The British attacked and defeated it, capturing two ships of the line, among them Foudroyant, taken by HMS Monmouth.
Why it is remembered The interception meant that only limited help could reach Louisbourg, which was under British siege and fell later that year. Francis Swaine painted the capture of Foudroyant by Monmouth.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francis Swaine / After Richard Paton, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Cherbourg raid Landing or siege
7 to 16 August 1758 · Cherbourg and Urville-Nacqueville, Normandy, France
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Thomas Bligh, Richard Howe and General Dury (Great Britain); Comte Pierre de Raymond and the Duc d'Harcourt (France)
Forces About 10,000 British troops and over 100 ships against about 9,000 French, mostly militia and coastguard
Losses Britain: about 20 killed and 30 wounded by British returns. France: 5 killed at the landing; harbour works and forts destroyed, about 37 ships burned and the town ransomed for 44,000 livres.
Result British victory
The Royal Navy landed a British force west of Cherbourg near Urville-Nacqueville on 7 August. The troops brushed aside the local defences, entered Cherbourg on 8 August and spent about a week destroying the harbour works and fortifications and sacking the town and nearby parishes. They re-embarked without serious interference on 16 August.
Why it is remembered It was part of the British policy of descents on the French coast, which was abandoned after the disaster at Saint Cast a month later. The raid caused heavy material loss to the town but had little effect on the wider war.
Sources differ British returns give about 20 killed and 30 wounded; French sources claim far higher British losses.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Cuddalore (1758) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Gondelour (French)
29 April 1758 · Off Cuddalore, Carnatic coast of India
Fought between Great Britain against France and the French Indies Company
Commanders George Pocock (Great Britain); Anne Antoine, Comte d'Aché (France)
Forces 7 British ships of the line, 1 frigate and 1 storeship against 6 French ships of the line, 4 frigates and 1 merchantman
Losses Britain: 29 killed, 89 wounded. France: 99 killed, 321 wounded.
Result Inconclusive; the French landed their reinforcements
Pocock's squadron engaged d'Aché's off Cuddalore in the first of their three battles. The fight was indecisive, but the French achieved their aim of delivering the reinforcements awaited by the defenders of Pondicherry.
Why it is remembered The same admirals met again at Negapatam on 3 August 1758 and off Pondicherry on 10 September 1759.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: After Thomas Hudson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)
Siege of Louisbourg (1758) Landing or siege
8 June to 26 July 1758 · Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Fought between Great Britain and British America against France and the Mi'kmaq
Commanders Jeffery Amherst, James Wolfe, Charles Lawrence, Edward Whitmore, Edward Boscawen and James Rogers (Great Britain); Augustin Drucour and Louis de l'Isle (France)
Forces 26,000 men, 40 warships and 150 transports against 7,000 men, 7 ships of the line, 4 frigates and 1 fluyt
Losses Britain: 172 killed, 355 wounded. France: 102 killed, 303 wounded, 6,600 captured; 3 ships of the line destroyed, 2 captured and 1 scuttled, 2 frigates scuttled and 1 fluyt captured.
Result British victory
A British army and fleet besieged the French fortress of Louisbourg, defended by French and Mi'kmaq troops. France tried to send reinforcements by sea, but its fleet was blockaded and defeated. The French ships in the harbour were burnt, captured or scuttled and the fortress surrendered.
Why it is remembered The fall of Louisbourg ended French colonial dominance in Atlantic Canada and opened the way for the British campaign against Quebec in 1759 and the rest of New France the following year.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Negapatam (1758) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Nagapatam
3 August 1758 · Off Negapatam, Carnatic coast of India
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders George Pocock (Great Britain); Comte d'Aché (France), wounded
Forces 7 British ships of the line and 1 frigate against 8 French ships of the line and 1 frigate
Ships Zodiaque (d'Aché's flagship)
Losses Britain: 31 killed, 166 wounded. France: 250 killed, 600 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Vice-Admiral George Pocock's squadron met the French squadron of the Comte d'Aché off Negapatam in the second of their three battles of the war. The engagement was short but fierce and both squadrons were heavily damaged. D'Aché's flagship Zodiaque caught fire and d'Aché was severely wounded.
Why it is remembered D'Aché spent the rest of the year recovering in Mauritius.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: After Thomas Hudson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Chinsurah Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Biderra; Battle of Hoogly
24 to 25 November 1759 · Hooghly River and Chinsurah, Bengal
Fought between British East India Company and Bengal against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Francis Forde, Charles Wilson and Mir Jafar (British East India Company and Bengal); Jean-Baptiste Roussel (Dutch East India Company), surrendered
Forces 3 British East India Company warships with about 1,450 troops against 7 Dutch warships with about 1,950 troops
Losses Dutch: 320 killed, 300 wounded, 550 captured; 6 warships captured and 1 grounded. British: unknown.
Result British victory
Invited by the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Jafar, to help expel the British, the Dutch East India Company sent ships and troops up the Hooghly River, although Britain and the Dutch Republic were not at war. On 24 November several East India Company ships engaged and defeated the ships that had brought the Dutch troops. The next day Francis Forde's troops beat the Dutch force at Chinsurah, fifty kilometres from Calcutta, and forced it to withdraw.
Why it is remembered The defeat ended the Dutch attempt to replace the British as the leading European power in Bengal.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War (Pomeranian War)
Battle of Frisches Haff Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Stettiner Haff
10 September 1759 · Szczecin (Oder) Lagoon, between Neuwarp and Usedom
Fought between Sweden against Prussia
Commanders Carl Rutensparre and Wilhelm von Carpelan (Sweden); Ernst von Köller (Prussia)
Forces 28 Swedish vessels and 2,250 men (4 galleys, 4 demi-galleys, 2 galiots, 3 sloops and 13 gunboats in the main account) against 13 Prussian vessels and 700 men (4 galleys, 4 galiots and 4 gunboats in the main account)
Losses Sweden: 44 killed and wounded, 1 gunboat sunk. Prussia: 30 killed and wounded, 490 captured; 2 galleys and 2 galiots captured, 2 galleys and 2 galiots sunk, 1 gunboat captured.
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish flotilla of galleys, galiots and gunboats attacked the small Prussian flotilla in the Szczecin Lagoon and destroyed it.
Why it is remembered Prussia's small fleet ceased to exist, and without control of the water the Prussian positions on Usedom and Wollin became untenable and were occupied by Swedish troops.
Sources differ One account gives 28 Swedish and 13 Prussian vessels; another account lists 26 Swedish and 12 Prussian vessels.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Lagos Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Lagos (French)
18 to 19 August 1759 · South west of the Gulf of Cádiz and off Lagos, Portugal
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Edward Boscawen (Great Britain); Jean-François de La Clue-Sabran (France), wounded
Forces 15 British ships of the line, 10 frigates, 2 sloops and 2 fireships against 12 French ships of the line and 3 frigates, of which 7 ships of the line were in the battle
Ships Namur (Boscawen's flagship), Newark, Warspite, Culloden, Swiftsure, America, Portland; Océan (La Clue's flagship), Centaure, Redoutable, Téméraire, Modeste, Souverain, Guerrier
Losses Britain: 56 killed, 196 wounded. France: 500 killed, wounded or captured; Centaure, Téméraire and Modeste captured, Océan and Redoutable run aground and burnt.
Result British victory
La Clue took the French Mediterranean Fleet through the Strait of Gibraltar on the night of 17 August but was sighted, and Boscawen's fleet left Gibraltar in confusion in the middle of a refit. Half the French ships failed to follow La Clue's change of course in the dark; the British caught the rest on 18 August and took Centaure after fierce fighting. Two French ships escaped in the moonlit night; on 19 August the remainder sought shelter in neutral Portuguese waters near Lagos, where Boscawen captured Téméraire and Modeste and drove Océan and Redoutable ashore to be burnt.
Why it is remembered It was one of the British victories of the Annus Mirabilis of 1759. Boscawen's breach of Portuguese neutrality was later cited by Spain and France as one pretext for invading Portugal in 1762; Richard Paton painted the battle in 1760.
Sources differ One account's prelude gives Boscawen 12 frigates; another account and order of battle give 10. It says both five and eight French ships went on to Cádiz.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Le Havre raid Raid
Also known as Raid on Le Havre; Raid sur Le Havre (French)
3 to 5 July 1759 · Le Havre, Normandy, France
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders George Rodney (Great Britain); Charles, Prince of Soubise (France)
Forces 5 British ships of the line, 5 frigates, 1 sloop and 6 bomb ketches against 8,000 French troops, 12 prams and 337 barges
Losses France: several barges destroyed. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy fleet under Rear-Admiral George Rodney bombarded Le Havre for two days. It destroyed many of the invasion barges being gathered there for the planned French invasion of Britain.
Why it is remembered It is counted as the beginning of the British Annus Mirabilis of 1759.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Joseph-Abel Couture, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Pondicherry Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Pondichéry (French)
10 September 1759 · Off Pondicherry, Carnatic coast of India
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders George Pocock (Great Britain); Comte d'Aché (France)
Forces 9 British ships of the line and 1 frigate against 11 French ships of the line and 2 frigates
Losses Britain: 184 killed, 385 wounded. France: 1,500 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive; the French reached Pondicherry
Vice-Admiral Pocock tried to intercept d'Aché's squadron, which was carrying reinforcements and money for the French at Pondicherry. The battle was indecisive and d'Aché reached Pondicherry on 15 September.
Why it is remembered It was the third and last battle between Pocock and d'Aché. The reinforcements were not enough to reverse the French decline in the Carnatic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: «ВЭС». (СПб; 1914 год)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Quiberon Bay Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille des Cardinaux (French)
20 to 21 November 1759 · Quiberon Bay, off the coast of Brittany near Saint-Nazaire, Bay of Biscay
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir Edward Hawke (Great Britain); Hubert de Brienne (France)
Forces 24 British ships of the line, 7 frigates, 1 bomb vessel and 2 fireships against 21 French ships of the line, 3 frigates, 1 corvette and 2 smaller ships
Ships Royal George (Hawke's flagship), Union, Resolution, Essex, Magnanime, Torbay, Dorsetshire, Hero; Soleil Royal (de Brienne's flagship), Formidable, Thésée, Superbe, Héros, Juste, Inflexible, Intrépide, Tonnant
Losses Britain: 300 killed or wounded; Resolution and Essex wrecked on the Four Shoal. France: 2,520 killed, wounded and captured unknown; Formidable captured, Thésée and Superbe sunk, Soleil Royal and Héros burnt after grounding, Juste and Inflexible wrecked.
Result Decisive British victory
Hawke's fleet, kept off Brest by a westerly gale, came up with the French fleet of de Brienne in heavy weather and followed it into Quiberon Bay among the shoals and reefs of Les Cardinaux. In hard fighting Formidable surrendered to Resolution, Thésée and Superbe went down, Héros surrendered and ran aground, and de Brienne set his grounded flagship Soleil Royal on fire. The rest of the French fleet scattered, some ships escaping into the Vilaine where others were wrecked; two British ships were lost on the Four Shoal.
Why it is remembered One of the Royal Navy's greatest victories, it ended the threat of a French invasion of Britain and secured British naval dominance for the rest of the war, forming part of the Annus Mirabilis of 1759. It was painted by Richard Paton and Dominic Serres.
Sources differ One account says six French ships of the line were sunk or ran aground and one captured; another account gives 1 captured, 2 sunk, 2 scuttled and 2 wrecked. A third account says Superbe capsized, its order of battle says she was sunk by Royal George.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Bishops Court Single-ship action
Also known as The Defeat of Thurot
28 February 1760 · Off Jurby, Isle of Man, Irish Sea
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders John Elliot (Great Britain); François Thurot (France), killed in action
Forces 3 British frigates against 3 French frigates
Losses Britain: 5 killed, 31 wounded. France: 300 killed or wounded, 1,000 captured; all 3 frigates captured.
Result British victory
Three British ships brought the French squadron of the well known commander François Thurot to battle in the Irish Sea between the Isle of Man and Ireland at 9 am. After a close action the French ships were dismasted and sinking, and Thurot was shot through the heart. The British took all three French ships.
Why it is remembered It ended the career of François Thurot, the most famous French raider of the war. The action is shown in a 1780 engraving.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: James Macgovan; William Davie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Cumberland Bay Raid
November 1760 · Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Samuel Uvedale (Great Britain); French commander unknown
Forces 2 British frigates against 3 French privateers
Losses Britain: 4 killed, 7 wounded. France: 2 privateers captured and 1 burned.
Result British victory
Two Royal Navy ships carried out a cutting out operation against three French privateers lying in Guantánamo Bay, then in Spanish Cuba. All three privateers were captured or burned.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War (conquest of New France)
Battle of Pointe-aux-Trembles Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Neuville; Bataille de Neuville (French)
16 May 1760 · Saint Lawrence River, near present day Neuville, Quebec
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Robert Swanton (Great Britain); Jean Vauquelin (France), surrendered
Forces 1 British ship of the line and 2 frigates against 2 French frigates, 2 schooners and 2 armed ships
Losses France: 1 frigate destroyed, 1 frigate, 2 schooners and 2 armed ships captured. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
The British had held Quebec since the previous September, and from April a French force was besieging the city. A Royal Navy relief force forced its way up the Saint Lawrence through the ice and destroyed the French ships under Jean Vauquelin that were supporting the siege.
Why it is remembered The defeat forced the Chevalier de Lévis to raise the siege and ended French attempts to retake Quebec City.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Third Carnatic War (Seven Years' War)
Siege of Pondicherry (1760) Landing or siege
4 September 1760 to 15 January 1761 · Pondicherry, India
Fought between Great Britain and the East India Company against France and the French East India Company
Commanders Eyre Coote (Great Britain); Thomas Arthur, Comte de Lally (France), surrendered
Result British victory; Pondicherry surrendered
British land and naval forces besieged the French colonial outpost of Pondicherry for more than four months. With the city running low on supplies and ammunition, the French commander Lally surrendered.
Why it is remembered The citadel was demolished after the siege.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)
Siege of Quebec (1760) Landing or siege
Also known as Second siege of Quebec
29 April to 15 May 1760 · Quebec City and the Saint Lawrence River, New France
Fought between Great Britain against France and the Colony of Canada
Commanders James Murray (Great Britain); François Gaston de Lévis (France)
Forces About 6,000 British troops, 150 guns and 3 ships against 3,500 French regulars, 3,500 militia and native warriors, 132 guns and 6 ships
Ships HMS Vanguard
Losses Britain: 30 killed or wounded, unknown to disease; 1 frigate wrecked. France: 206 to 350 killed or wounded, 300 to 400 captured, 44 guns and all stores captured; 6 ships captured or destroyed.
Result British victory; the siege was raised
A French army under Lévis besieged Quebec, taken by the British the year before. On 15 May British ships arrived to relieve the city, and in the naval action that followed all six French ships were captured or destroyed. Lévis broke off the siege and retreated.
Why it is remembered It was the last French attempt to retake Quebec. The British took Montreal a few months later, completing the conquest of New France, confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
Sources differ One account says the siege ended on 15 May 1760; another account gives 17 May 1760.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Peter Paul Benazech / After Hervey Smythe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)
Battle of Restigouche Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de la Ristigouche (French)
28 June to 8 July 1760 · Restigouche River, New France
Fought between Great Britain against France, the Acadian militia and the Mi'kmaq
Commanders John Byron (Great Britain); François de Giraudais (France)
Forces 3 British ships of the line and 2 frigates against 1 French frigate and 5 merchantmen
Ships Machault
Losses Britain: 20 killed or wounded. France: 30 killed or wounded; 1 frigate destroyed and 5 merchantmen sunk, destroyed or captured.
Result British victory
A small French flotilla sent to support and resupply the troops in New France after the fall of Quebec took refuge in the Restigouche River, supported by Acadian and Mi'kmaq militias. A Royal Navy squadron under John Byron followed it and over ten days destroyed or took all the French vessels.
Why it is remembered It marked the end of any serious French attempt to hold North America, and was the last major engagement of the Mi'kmaq and Acadian militias before the Burying of the Hatchet Ceremony. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of the Windward Passage Convoy battle
17 to 19 October 1760 · Windward Passage, between Cap-Français and eastern Cuba
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Charles Holmes (Great Britain); French commander unknown
Forces 2 British frigates and 1 post ship against 4 French frigates, 1 corvette and 3 merchant ships
Losses Britain: light. France: 200 casualties; 3 frigates, 1 corvette and 3 merchant ships lost.
Result British victory
A small British force under Charles Holmes fought a French squadron of frigates with merchant ships over three days in the Windward Passage, and the French lost most of their ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown, British School, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Action of 17 July 1761 Single-ship action
14 to 17 July 1761 · Off Cádiz, Spain, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Charles Proby (Great Britain); French commander unknown
Forces 2 British ships of the line, 1 frigate and 1 sloop against the French 64-gun Achille and 32-gun frigate Bouffone
Ships HMS Thunderer, HMS Modeste, HMS Thetis, HMS Favourite, Achille, Bouffone
Losses Britain: 17 killed, 114 wounded. France: Achille and Bouffone captured.
Result British victory
Achille and Bouffone were blockaded in Cádiz by a British squadron under Captain Charles Proby in Thunderer. When the French ships tried to leave, Proby chased and caught them. Thunderer suffered heavy losses when one of her guns exploded, but Proby laid her alongside Achille and took her by boarding, while Thetis and Modeste captured Bouffone.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Seven Years' War
Battle of Cape Finisterre (1761) Single-ship action
Also known as Batalla del cabo Finisterre (1761) (Spanish)
13 to 14 August 1761 · Off Cape Finisterre, north west Spain, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Robert Faulknor (Great Britain); Dugué L'Ambert (France), killed in action
Forces The British 74-gun HMS Bellona and 36-gun frigate HMS Brilliant against the French 74-gun Courageux and the 32-gun frigates Malicieuse and Hermine
Ships HMS Bellona, HMS Brilliant, Courageux, Malicieuse, Hermine
Losses Britain: 11 killed, 44 wounded. France: 240 killed, 110 wounded; Courageux captured.
Result British victory
Bellona and Brilliant, carrying specie from Lisbon to Britain, met a French squadron on 13 August and chased it through the night. Next morning Brilliant held off the two French frigates while Bellona fought Courageux. Captain Faulknor manoeuvred Bellona into a raking position and inflicted severe damage and very heavy casualties, forcing Courageux to surrender; the frigates then withdrew.
Why it is remembered Courageux was repaired and served in the Royal Navy for 35 years. The fight between Bellona and Courageux was painted by Henry Fletcher.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (Seven Years' War)
Action of 30 October 1762 Single-ship action
Also known as Acción del 30 de octubre de 1762 (Spanish)
30 October 1762 · From the San Bernardino Strait to off Cavite, near Manila, Philippines
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Hyde Parker and Richard King (Great Britain); Spanish commander unknown
Forces The British 60-gun HMS Panther and frigate HMS Argo against the heavily armed Spanish treasure galleon Santisima Trinidad
Ships HMS Panther, HMS Argo, Santisima Trinidad
Losses Britain: 35 killed, 37 wounded. Spain: 18 killed, 10 wounded, 750 captured; the galleon captured.
Result British victory
HMS Panther under Captain Hyde Parker and HMS Argo under Richard King engaged the Spanish treasure galleon Santisima Trinidad, in a running fight that began in the San Bernardino Strait and ended off Cavite, near British occupied Manila. The galleon was captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (Seven Years' War)
Action of 31 May 1762 Single-ship action
Also known as Acción del 31 de mayo de 1762 (Spanish)
31 May 1762 · Off Cádiz, Spain, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Herbert Sawyer and Philemon Pownoll (Great Britain); Juan de Zabaleta (Spain), surrendered
Forces 1 British frigate and 1 sloop against 1 Spanish frigate
Ships Hermione, HMS Active, HMS Favourite
Losses Spain: the frigate captured. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
Shortly after war was declared between Britain and Spain, the British frigate Active and sloop Favourite intercepted the Spanish frigate Hermione off Cádiz, and she surrendered.
Why it is remembered Hermione was carrying a large cargo of gold and silver, which produced the largest prize money ever awarded to British warships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Wright, Richard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Fantastic War and Anglo-Spanish War (Seven Years' War)
First Cevallos expedition Landing or siege
3 September 1762 to 24 April 1763 · Colonia del Sacramento, Río de la Plata, and southern Brazil
Fought between Spain against Portugal and Great Britain
Commanders Pedro de Cevallos (Spain); Vicente da Silva (Portugal); Robert McNamara (Great Britain), killed in action
Forces Spain: 1 frigate, 1 merchantman, 3 dispatch boats, 12 gunboats, 15 troopships and 2,700 soldiers. Portugal and Britain: 1 ship of the line, 2 frigates, 2 troopships, 5 store ships and 2,886 soldiers.
Losses Spain: 12 killed, 200 wounded. Portugal and Britain: 373 killed, 40 wounded, 2,660 captured; 1 ship of the line destroyed.
Result Spanish victory
Pedro de Cevallos, governor of Buenos Aires, sailed with an expeditionary fleet carrying 2,700 soldiers, besieged the Portuguese settlement of Colónia do Sacramento from 1 October and took it on 3 November 1762. A month later an Anglo-Portuguese squadron tried to retake the town by bombarding its walls, but withdrew after a British warship was destroyed. Cevallos then took the forts of Santa Tereza and San Miguel and occupied Rio Grande before news of the Treaty of Paris ended the campaign.
Why it is remembered Its success was welcomed in Spain, where the war had gone badly elsewhere. Colónia was returned to Portugal in 1763, and the disputed outposts led to the Spanish and Portuguese war of 1776 to 1777.
Sources differ The main account names the British commander Robert McNamara; the caption of the painting of the bombardment names Captain John Macnamara and dates the attack 1763.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Elliott, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (Seven Years' War)
Siege of Havana Landing or siege
6 June to 13 August 1762 · Havana, Cuba
Fought between Great Britain and British America against Spain
Commanders George Keppel, George Pocock, George Eliott and Ralph Burton (Great Britain); Juan de Prado, Gutierre de Hevia, Luis Vicente de Velasco (mortally wounded) and José de Velasco (Spain)
Forces 31,000 men, 23 ships of the line, 11 frigates, 4 sloops of war, 3 bomb vessels, 1 cutter and 160 troopships against 11,670 men, 10 ships of the line, 2 corvettes, 2 sloops and 100 merchantmen
Losses Britain: 2,764 killed, wounded, captured, missing or dead of disease. Spain: 3,800 killed or dead of disease, 2,000 wounded or sick, 5,000 captured; 10 ships of the line, 2 corvettes, 2 sloops and 100 merchantmen captured.
Result British victory; Havana occupied
A Royal Navy force escorting 160 troopships approached Havana from an unexpected direction, trapped Admiral de Hevia's fleet in the harbour and landed troops with little resistance. The British placed batteries on a hill overlooking Morro Castle that had been left unfortified and shelled the fortress daily. It fell after its commander, Luis Vicente de Velasco, was mortally wounded, and the city surrendered before the hurricane season.
Why it is remembered The capture brought large rewards for the British commanders, while de Prado, de Hevia and other Spanish officers were court-martialled for losing the city and the fleet intact. Havana was returned to Spain under the 1763 Treaty of Paris; Dominic Serres painted the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (Seven Years' War)
Battle of Manila (1762) Landing or siege
24 September to 6 October 1762 · Manila, Philippines
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders William Draper and Samuel Cornish (Great Britain); Manuel Rojo and Simón de Anda y Salazar (Spain)
Forces 10,300 British troops, 8 ships of the line, 3 frigates and 4 store ships against 9,356 Spanish defenders
Losses Britain: 147 killed or wounded. Spain: 100 killed or wounded, 9,256 captured, 556 cannon and mortars taken; 300 Filipino soldiers killed.
Result British victory
A British expedition landed south of Manila, capital of the Spanish Philippines, and attacked the city from the south. After about two weeks of fighting the city fell.
Why it is remembered It led to an eighteen month British occupation of Manila.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792
Larache expedition Landing or siege
Also known as Expedition of Larache
25 to 28 June 1765 · Larache, Morocco
Fought between France against the Sultanate of Morocco
Commanders Duchaffault de Besné (France); Mohammed III (Morocco)
Forces 16 French warships and several other vessels; Moroccan strength unknown
Losses France: 200 killed, 49 captured, 300 lost and 7 vessels captured. Morocco: 30 killed.
Result Moroccan victory
After bombarding Salé and Rabat, a French squadron sent marines to attack the Moroccan port of Larache. The landing failed with heavy French losses.
Why it is remembered It is cited as an example of the occasional failure of European forces against local forces in colonial campaigns.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792
Meermin slave mutiny Other action
February 1766 · At sea between Madagascar and the Cape Colony, ending at Struisbaai
Fought between Malagasy captives against the crew of the Dutch East India Company ship Meermin
Commanders Gerrit Cristoffel Muller (captain), Johann Godfried Krause (killed) and Olof Leij (crew); Massavana and Koesaaij (Malagasy leaders)
Ships Meermin
Losses Half the ship's crew and almost 30 Malagasy captives died.
Result The mutiny was defeated and the Malagasy were enslaved again
Meermin sailed from Madagascar on 20 January 1766 with Malagasy captives for the Cape Colony. The captives had been unshackled to work the ship, and in mid February, when ordered to clean some Madagascan weapons, they used them to seize the ship; the chief merchant Krause was killed and the captain stabbed. The surviving crew agreed to sail back to Madagascar but instead steered for southern Africa, and at Struisbaai a shore party was met by farmers' militia. Lured by signal fires, the Malagasy on board let the ship drift ashore onto a sandbank and surrendered.
Why it is remembered The surviving leaders, Massavana and Koesaaij, were sent to Robben Island, and the officers were dismissed by the Company. A search for the wreck of Meermin began in 2004.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Gerrit Groenewegen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774 (Orlov revolt)
Battle of Chesma Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Chesme; Battle of Cheshme; Battle of Cesme Bay
5 to 7 July 1770 · In and near Çeşme Bay, between the western tip of Anatolia and Chios, Aegean Sea
Fought between Russian Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Alexey Orlov, Grigory Spiridov, Samuel Greig and John Elphinstone (Russia); Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha, Gazi Hasan Pasha and Cafer Bey (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 9 Russian ships of the line, 3 frigates, 1 bomb vessel, 4 fireships and 4 supply ships against 16 Ottoman ships of the line, 6 frigates, 6 xebecs, 13 galleys and 32 small craft with 1,300 guns
Ships Sviatoi Evstafii, Evropa, Rostislav, Ne Tron Menya, Svyatoslav, Tri Svyatitelya, Tri Ierarcha, Sviatoi Ianuarii, Saratov, Grom (bomb vessel); Real Mustafa, Semend-i Bahri
Losses Russia: 1 ship of the line and 4 fireships; 534 to 661 killed and 40 wounded. Ottoman: 16 ships of the line, 6 frigates and escorts, 13 galleys and 32 smaller vessels; at least 11,000 killed.
Result Decisive Russian victory
On 5 July the Russians attacked the Ottoman van in the Chios Strait; Real Mustafa and the Russian flagship Sviatoi Evstafii both blew up, and the Ottomans withdrew into Çeşme Bay. The Russians bombarded the crowded anchorage, and shortly after midnight on 7 July Samuel Greig went in with Evropa, Rostislav and Ne Tron Menya. Fire from the bomb vessel Grom and Ne Tron Menya set an Ottoman ship ablaze, and three fireships, one under Lieutenant D. S. Ilyin, spread the fire through almost the whole Ottoman fleet. Only Semend-i Bahri and five galleys survived, and were captured.
Why it is remembered It was the greatest Ottoman naval defeat since Lepanto and is marked as a Day of Military Honour in Russia. Catherine the Great commemorated it with the Chesma Church and Palace in St Petersburg, the Chesma Obelisk at Gatchina and the Chesma Column at Tsarskoe Selo; Hackert and Aivazovsky painted it.
Sources differ One account gives about 14 Ottoman ships of the line and Russian dead of 14 on 5 July, 636 in Sviatoi Evstafii and 11 on 7 July; another account gives 16 Ottoman ships of the line and 534 to 661 Russian killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jacob Philipp Hackert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Battle of Chios (1770) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Chios Strait; Khiosskoye srazheniye (Russian)
5 July 1770 (24 June Old Style) · Chios Strait, between Asia Minor and the island of Chios, Aegean Sea
Fought between Russian Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Alexey Orlov, Grigory Spiridov, Samuel Greig and John Elphinstone (Russia); Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha and Hasan Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 9 Russian ships of the line against 16 Ottoman ships of the line, 6 frigates and up to 50 smaller vessels
Ships Sviatoi Evstafii (Spiridov's flagship), Real Mustafa (Hasan Pasha's flagship), Evropa, Tri Svyatitelya, Svyatoslav
Losses Russia: Sviatoi Evstafii blew up, with 636 men lost in her. Ottoman: Real Mustafa blew up.
Result The Ottoman fleet withdrew into Çeşme Bay
The Russian squadron of the First Archipelago Expedition attacked the Ottoman van at close range in the Chios Strait. Real Mustafa caught fire and her falling mainmast set the Russian flagship Sviatoi Evstafii alight; both ships blew up. Around 2 pm the Ottomans cut their cables and withdrew into Çeşme Bay, where their fleet was destroyed two nights later.
Why it is remembered It was the opening phase of the Battle of Chesma. Ivan Aivazovsky painted it as Combat in the Chios Strait in 1848.
Sources Wikipedia (RU) · Wikipedia
Image: Иван Айвазовский, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Battle of Hydra (1770) Fleet battle
Also known as Suluca Deniz Muharebesi (Turkish)
4 June 1770 · Near the island of Suluca (Hydra), east of the Morea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Russian Empire
Commanders Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha (Ottoman Empire); John Elphinstone (Russia)
Result Inconclusive
The Ottoman fleet under Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha and the Russian squadron of John Elphinstone fought a small scale action near the island of Suluca. Neither side gained the advantage.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Battle of Monemvasia (1770) Fleet battle
Also known as Benefşe Deniz Muharebesi (Turkish)
27 May 1770 · Off Benefşe (Monemvasia) castle, south east tip of the Morea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Russian Empire
Commanders Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha and Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha (Ottoman Empire); John Elphinstone (Russia)
Result Partial Ottoman advantage
The Ottoman fleet under Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha met the Russian squadron of John Elphinstone off the castle of Benefşe in a small scale action. Through the efforts of Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha the Ottomans gained a partial advantage.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Battle of Nauplia (1770) Fleet battle
27 to 31 May 1770 · Entrance to the Argolic Gulf, Peloponnese
Fought between Russian Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders John Elphinstone (Russia); Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 3 Russian battleships, 2 frigates and 4 armed merchantmen against 10 Ottoman battleships
Losses No ships lost on either side. Russia: heavy casualties. Ottoman: low.
Result Inconclusive; the Russians withdrew
A Russian squadron under John Elphinstone engaged a larger Ottoman fleet at the entrance to the Argolic Gulf over several days. No ships were lost, but the Russians suffered heavy casualties and had to withdraw.
Sources differ Some sources call the battle an Ottoman victory, others a Russian success.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Battle of Toprakada Fleet battle
Also known as Toprakada Deniz Muharebesi (Turkish)
5 July 1770 · Near Toprak Ada, north west of Çeşme, Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Russian Empire
Commanders Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Count Orlov (Russia)
Losses Each side lost one galleon.
Result Inconclusive
The Ottoman fleet under Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha and the Russian fleet under Count Orlov fought a small scale action near Toprak Ada. Each side lost a galleon and neither gained the advantage.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: Kosov vladimir 09071967, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Battle of Patras (1772) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 6 November 1772
6 to 8 November 1772 · Gulf of Patras, Greece
Fought between Russian Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Mikhail Konyaev (Russia); Mustafa Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 7 Russian warships (2 ships of the line, 1 frigate, 3 sloops of war and 1 galliot) against 25 Ottoman warships (9 frigates and 16 xebecs)
Losses Russia: no ships lost. Ottoman: all 9 frigates and 10 of the 16 xebecs destroyed.
Result Russian victory
Over three days a Russian squadron under Mikhail Konyaev attacked an Ottoman force of frigates and xebecs in the Gulf of Patras. It destroyed all nine frigates and ten xebecs without losing a ship.
Why it is remembered Jacob Philipp Hackert painted the battle in 1778.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jacob Philipp Hackert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Action of 4 July 1773 Single-ship action
Also known as Balaklava naval battle
4 July 1773 · Black Sea
Fought between Russian Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen (Russia)
Forces 2 small Russian vessels against 4 Ottoman ships
Result Indecisive
Two small Russian vessels under Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen fought four Ottoman ships in the Black Sea. The action was indecisive.
Sources differ The Russian account on the Balaklava naval battle of the same date and commander calls it a Russian victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Battle of Balaklava (1773) Single-ship action
Also known as Balaklavsky morskoy boy (Russian); Action of 4 July 1773
4 July 1773 (23 June Old Style) · Off Balaklava, Crimea, Black Sea
Fought between Russian Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Captain 2nd rank I. G. Kinsbergen (Russia)
Forces 2 Russian 16-gun ships, Taganrog and Koron, against 3 Ottoman frigates and a xebec with 168 guns
Ships Taganrog, Koron
Result Russian victory
Two Russian 16-gun ships, Taganrog and Koron, under Kinsbergen fought a much stronger Ottoman force of three frigates and a xebec, and the Russian sailors came off the victors.
Sources differ The English account on the Action of 4 July 1773, with the same commander, calls the result indecisive.
Sources Wikipedia (RU)
Image: Фёдор Степанович Рокотов, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774
Battle of Kerch Strait (1774) Fleet battle
20 June and 9 July 1774 (Old Style) · South of Kerch, at the Kerch Strait
Fought between Russian Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Vice-Admiral Senyavin, with Vasily Chichagov present (Russia)
Forces 20 June: 5 Ottoman ships of the line, 9 frigates and 26 galleys and xebecs against 3 Russian frigates, 4 16-gun vessels, 2 bomb vessels and 3 small craft. 9 July: 6 Ottoman battleships, 7 frigates, 1 bomb vessel and 17 galleys and xebecs.
Result The Ottoman attacks were abandoned
On 20 June an Ottoman fleet surprised Senyavin's much smaller Russian squadron and tried to cut it off; the Russians anchored outside the strait and sailed to Kerch the next day. On 9 July the Ottomans attacked again, needing to destroy the Russian ships so their army could cross the strait, but gave up when the Russian bomb vessels proved to outrange them.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Ottoman and Persian War of 1776 to 1779
Battle of Ashar Creek Blockade and raiding
Also known as Battle of 'Ashar Creek
31 March to 15 April 1775 · Al-Ashar on the Shatt al-Arab, near Basra, present day Iraq
Fought between Zand Iran, the Banu Ka'b and Bushehr against Ottoman Mamluk Iraq and the East India Company
Commanders Shaykh Naser (Zand side); Soleyman Aqa and Henry Moore (Ottoman and British side)
Forces Zand side: 14 gulf gallivats, 16 ships including 10 gallivats and the ship Tyger, and 50 smaller vessels. Ottoman and British side: 2 gallivats, the ships Eagle and Success, 200 janissaries and various Ottoman vessels.
Ships Eagle, Success, Tyger
Result Zand victory
A chain boom had been laid across the Shatt al-Arab to stop a Persian naval blockade of Basra. The Persians and their allies made many attempts to probe and break through, and were held up for half a month. When the British chain was broken, the Persians extended their blockade over the whole city.
Sources differ The main account places the battle in the Ottoman and Persian War of 1776 to 1779, though it is dated 1775.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Stephen Helmsley Longrigg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Raid on Charlottetown (1775) Raid
17 to 18 November 1775 · Charlottetown, St. John's Island (Prince Edward Island)
Fought between United Colonies against Great Britain
Commanders Nicholson Broughton (Hancock) and John Selman (Franklin) (United Colonies); Phillips Callbeck, Thomas Wright and Peter Higgins (Britain, all taken prisoner)
Forces Two American privateer brigs, Hancock and Franklin, crewed from the Marblehead Regiment, against local militia
Ships Hancock, Franklin
Losses British: Callbeck, Wright and Higgins and others taken prisoner; the town was pillaged. American: none stated.
Result American victory
Two American privateers manned by the Marblehead Regiment descended on Charlottetown, then the capital of St. John's Island, pillaged the town and carried off senior colonial officials as prisoners to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Why it is remembered The raid led Nova Scotia's governor Francis Legge to declare martial law, while George Washington at once freed the officials the privateers had brought back.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle off Fairhaven Single-ship action
14 May 1775 · Buzzards Bay off Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Fought between Massachusetts Bay (United Colonies) against Great Britain
Commanders Daniel Egery and Nathaniel Pope (Massachusetts); John Linzee (Great Britain)
Forces The private sloop Success with 30 Massachusetts militia against HMS Falcon with about 110 Royal Navy seamen
Ships Success, HMS Falcon
Losses Massachusetts: none. Britain: 1 killed, 2 wounded and 13 taken prisoner.
Result American victory
Patriot militia in the sloop Success went out into Buzzards Bay and retook two vessels that had been captured by HMS Falcon. They also captured the 13 man Royal Navy prize crew.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War, and its prisoners were the first naval prisoners of the war. A plaque at Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven marks it.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Gloucester (1775) Single-ship action
8 or 9 August 1775 · Gloucester Harbour, Cape Ann, Massachusetts
Fought between Massachusetts Bay against Great Britain
Commanders Joseph Foster and Bradbury Sanders (Massachusetts); John Linzee (Great Britain)
Forces Militia ashore and 2 unarmed schooners against the sloop of war HMS Falcon and 3 small boats
Ships HMS Falcon
Losses Massachusetts: 2 killed, 1 wounded. Britain: 1 killed, 4 wounded, 24 captured; 3 small boats captured and Falcon damaged.
Result Massachusetts Bay victory
Captain John Linzee of HMS Falcon sighted two schooners returning from the West Indies, captured one and chased the other into Gloucester Harbour, where she grounded. The townspeople called out their militia, captured the seamen sent to seize the grounded schooner and recovered the captured one as well.
Why it is remembered It was one of the actions that led to Captain Henry Mowat's retaliatory expedition of October 1775 and the Burning of Falmouth, which the Second Continental Congress cited when it established the Continental Navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Gentleman's Magazine (publisher); author unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Machias (1775) Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of the Margaretta
11 to 12 June 1775 · Machias, Maine (then Province of Massachusetts Bay)
Fought between Massachusetts Bay against Great Britain
Commanders Jeremiah O'Brien and Benjamin Foster (Massachusetts); James Moore (Great Britain), killed
Forces The private sloops Unity and Falmouth Packet with 55 Massachusetts militia against the armed schooner HMS Margaretta with about 40 Royal Navy seamen
Ships HMS Margaretta, Unity, Falmouth Packet
Losses Britain: 5 killed, 9 wounded; Margaretta and her crew captured. Massachusetts: 10 killed, 3 wounded.
Result American victory
Two merchant ships of the Loyalist Ichabod Jones, sent to supply the British troops at Boston, arrived at Machias escorted by HMS Margaretta under Midshipman James Moore. The townspeople arrested Jones and tried to arrest Moore, who escaped through the harbour. They armed one of Jones's ships and a second local vessel and went after him; after a short fight Moore was mortally wounded and Margaretta and her crew were taken.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first naval engagements of the war. Machias went on to take more British ships, beat off an attack in 1777 and remained a base for privateers.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Des Barres, Joseph F.W., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Block Island Single-ship action
6 April 1776 · Off Block Island, Rhode Island
Fought between Great Britain against the United Colonies
Commanders Tyringham Howe (Great Britain); Esek Hopkins (Continental Navy)
Forces 1 British post ship, HMS Glasgow, against an American squadron of 2 frigates, 2 brigs, 2 sloops and 1 schooner
Ships HMS Glasgow
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 3 wounded. Americans: 10 killed, 14 wounded.
Result British victory
A Continental Navy squadron under Commodore Esek Hopkins, returning from its raid on Nassau, met the British post ship HMS Glasgow. Glasgow was badly damaged but escaped from the whole squadron.
Why it is remembered Several Continental captains were criticised for their conduct and one was dismissed. Hopkins was also criticised over the cruise, including the distribution of seized goods, and was dismissed.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Raid on Canso (1776) Raid
22 September to 22 November 1776 · Canso and nearby fishing villages, Nova Scotia
Fought between United States against Great Britain
Commanders John Paul Jones (Continental Navy); merchants John Robin and George Smith (captured)
Forces 2 American brigs against about 15 fishing vessels
Losses Americans: none. British: first attack 3 vessels burned, 1 sunk, 5 taken as prizes and 1 shallop confiscated; second attack 6 prizes, 1 burned and 1 confiscated.
Result American victory
Continental Navy Captain John Paul Jones twice raided Canso and the surrounding fishing villages, burning, sinking and capturing fishing vessels.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles Willson Peale, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Raid of Nassau Landing or siege
3 to 4 March 1776 · Nassau, Bahamas
Fought between United Colonies against Great Britain
Commanders Esek Hopkins and Samuel Nicholas (United Colonies); Montfort Browne (Great Britain), surrendered
Forces 2 American frigates, 2 brigs, 1 schooner and 1 sloop with 200 Continental Marines against 2 forts
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result American victory
Short of gunpowder, the Continental Congress sent a fleet under Commodore Esek Hopkins south; it sailed from Cape Henlopen on 17 February 1776 and reached the Bahamas on 1 March. On 3 March 200 Continental Marines landed and took Fort Montagu, and on 4 March they captured Nassau. Governor Montfort Browne had already shipped most of the gunpowder to St Augustine, and the Americans held the town for two weeks, taking the military supplies that remained.
Why it is remembered It was the first amphibious landing by the Continental Marines. A painting of the raid was made in 1973.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: V. Zveg for the Navy Art Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of the Rice Boats Raid
Also known as Battle of Yamacraw Bluff
2 to 3 March 1776 · Savannah River near Savannah, on the border of Georgia and South Carolina
Fought between Georgia and South Carolina Patriot militia against Great Britain
Commanders Lachlan McIntosh (Patriots); Andrew Barclay and James Grant (Great Britain)
Forces 800 militia, 3 guns, 1 shore battery, 1 fireship and supply ships against 250 to 300 British infantry, 4 men of war and 2 transports
Losses Patriots: 1 wounded; 1 fireship sunk and 3 supply ships captured. Britain: unknown; about 2 men of war damaged and 3 supply ships sunk.
Result Mixed: the British took most of the supply ships, but British control of Georgia ended
A Royal Navy squadron was sent to Georgia to buy rice and supplies for the British army besieged in Boston. The Patriots who controlled Georgia arrested the Royal Governor, James Wright, and resisted the seizure of the supply ships at Savannah. Some ships were burned to keep them from the British and some were recaptured, but most were carried off by the fleet.
Why it is remembered Governor Wright escaped to the fleet, and his departure marked the end of British control over Georgia until Savannah was retaken in 1778.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Sullivan's Island Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Fort Sullivan; First siege of Charleston
28 June 1776 · Sullivan's Island, near Charleston, South Carolina
Fought between South Carolina against Great Britain
Commanders Charles Lee, William Moultrie and Francis Marion (South Carolina); Sir Peter Parker (wounded) and Henry Clinton (Great Britain)
Forces Fort Sullivan with 435 militia and 31 guns, 3 shore batteries and over 6,000 regulars and militia against 2,200 British infantry, 2 fourth rates, 6 frigates and 1 bomb vessel
Losses South Carolina: 12 killed, 25 wounded. Britain: 91 killed, 170 wounded; 1 frigate grounded.
Result South Carolinian victory
A British expedition under General Henry Clinton and Admiral Sir Peter Parker landed troops on Long Island next to Sullivan's Island, where Colonel William Moultrie held a half built fort. The channel between the islands proved too deep to wade and the land assault failed. The fleet bombarded the fort all day, but the sandy soil and spongy palmetto logs absorbed the shot, while the defenders' careful fire did extensive damage to the ships, which withdrew.
Why it is remembered The British did not return to South Carolina until 1780. The palmetto on the flag of South Carolina commemorates the logs that let Moultrie's fort withstand the bombardment.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johannes Oertel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet Single-ship action
29 June 1776 · Turtle Gut Inlet, off Wildwood Crest near Cape May, New Jersey
Fought between United Colonies against Great Britain
Commanders John Barry, Lambert Wickes, William Hallock and Hugh Montgomery (United Colonies); Charles Hudson and Alexander Graeme (Great Britain)
Forces USS Lexington, USS Reprisal, USS Wasp and the brigantine Nancy against HMS Orpheus and HMS Kingfisher
Ships Nancy, USS Lexington, USS Reprisal, USS Wasp, HMS Orpheus, HMS Kingfisher
Losses Britain: an estimated 12 to 36 casualties. Americans: Nancy destroyed; Lieutenant Richard Wickes killed.
Result American victory
American vessels under Captain John Barry fought two British warships off Turtle Gut Inlet. Nancy was destroyed, and Lieutenant Richard Wickes, brother of Captain Lambert Wickes, was killed.
Why it is remembered It was an early naval victory for John Barry, later called the Father of the American Navy. Wickes was the first American killed in the war in New Jersey, and it was the only battle of the Revolution fought in Cape May County.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Faden / Bernard Ratzer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Valcour Island Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Valcour Bay
11 October 1776 · Valcour Bay, Lake Champlain, New York
Fought between Great Britain against the United States
Commanders Guy Carleton and Thomas Pringle (Great Britain); Benedict Arnold (United States)
Forces British: 1 ship sloop, 2 schooners, 1 radeau, 1 gundalow and 28 gunboats. Americans: 1 sloop, 2 schooners, 4 row galleys and 8 gundalows.
Ships USS Philadelphia, Spitfire
Losses Britain: 40 killed or wounded; 1 gunboat destroyed. Americans: 80 killed or wounded, 120 captured; 1 schooner destroyed and 1 gundalow sunk in the battle, with most of the fleet later captured or burnt.
Result British victory
After retreating from Quebec, the Americans built ships on Lake Champlain while Carleton built a stronger fleet to carry his army south. On 11 October Benedict Arnold drew the British fleet into the narrow strait behind Valcour Island, and many American vessels were damaged or destroyed. That night Arnold slipped past the British, but bad weather slowed the retreat and more ships were captured or grounded and burnt before he reached Crown Point.
Why it is remembered Although the American fleet was lost, its defence of the lake stalled British plans to reach the upper Hudson that year. Valcour Bay and the gundalow Philadelphia, raised in 1935, are National Historic Landmarks, and the wreck of Spitfire, found in 1997, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Philadelphia campaign)
Siege of Fort Mifflin Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Mud Island Fort
26 September to 16 November 1777 · Fort Mifflin, Mud Island, Delaware River, below Philadelphia
Fought between Great Britain against the United States
Commanders Sir William Howe, John Montresor and Lord Richard Howe (Great Britain); Samuel Smith, Simeon Thayer and John Hazelwood (United States)
Forces 2,000 British troops and a naval squadron against a garrison of about 450, later reinforced but never more than 500, and a river flotilla
Ships HMS Augusta, HMS Merlin
Losses Britain: over 62 killed and 58 captured; HMS Augusta (64) scuttled and HMS Merlin (18) sunk. United States: 250 killed and wounded; the whole river flotilla scuttled.
Result British victory
After the British took Philadelphia, Fort Mifflin, Fort Mercer, river obstructions and Commodore John Hazelwood's flotilla kept the Royal Navy from bringing supplies up the Delaware. Two British warships that ran aground near Mud Island were destroyed on 23 October. From 10 November British land batteries and warships bombarded the fort intensively, and on the night of 15 November Major Thayer took the survivors across to New Jersey by boat, leaving the flag flying.
Why it is remembered The fall of the fort, and the abandonment of Fort Mercer soon after, opened the Delaware and let the British hold Philadelphia until June 1778.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Elliott, No known restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Capture of USS Hancock Single-ship action
8 to 9 July 1777 · Off Halifax, Nova Scotia
Fought between Great Britain against the United States
Commanders George Collier (Great Britain); John Manley and Hector McNeill (United States)
Forces 2 British frigates and 1 brig against 3 American frigates
Ships USS Hancock, USS Boston, Fox, HMS Rainbow, HMS Flora
Losses United States: 2 frigates captured, USS Hancock and Fox. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
HMS Rainbow (44 guns) under Commodore George Collier engaged the American frigate USS Hancock (34 guns) under Captain John Manley off Nova Scotia and captured her. Fox, an earlier American prize, was retaken in the same action.
Why it is remembered The two commanders were among the highest ranking naval officers of the war. Francis Holman painted the recapture of Fox in 1779.
Sources differ The main account dates the action 8 to 9 July 1777; the title of the painting gives 7 July 1777.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle off Yarmouth (1777) Single-ship action
28 March 1777 · Off Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Fought between Great Britain against the United States
Commanders John Burr (Great Britain); Joseph Olney (United States)
Forces 1 British frigate, HMS Milford, against 3 American brigs
Ships HMS Milford, USS Cabot
Losses United States: the brig USS Cabot captured. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
The British frigate HMS Milford drove the American brig USS Cabot aground off Yarmouth. Her crew escaped ashore among the people of Yarmouth and the British took the ship.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Nowland Van Powell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 11 September 1778 Single-ship action
11 September 1778 · Off Brest, France
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Vicomte de Beaumont (France); Thomas Windsor (Great Britain), surrendered
Forces The French 32-gun frigate Junon against the British 28-gun frigate HMS Fox
Ships Junon, HMS Fox
Losses Britain: 14 killed, 32 wounded, 154 captured; Fox captured. France: unknown.
Result French victory
The French frigate Junon met HMS Fox off Brest. Junon outgunned her and forced her to strike.
Why it is remembered Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy painted the fight.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 17 June 1778 Single-ship action
Also known as Fight of Belle Poule and Arethusa; Combat du 17 juin 1778 (French)
17 June 1778 · 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lizard, western English Channel
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Augustus Keppel (Great Britain); Jean Chadeau de la Clocheterie (France)
Forces 1 British ship of the line, 2 frigates and 1 cutter against 2 French frigates and 1 corvette
Ships Belle Poule, HMS Arethusa
Losses Britain: 44 killed or wounded. France: 107 killed or wounded; 1 frigate captured.
Result Disputed; both sides celebrated the action
Ships of Admiral Keppel's fleet met a small French force off the Lizard, and the British frigate Arethusa fought the French frigate Belle Poule in a single ship action. The fight took place before any formal declaration of war.
Why it is remembered It was the first engagement between Britain and France in the American Revolutionary War and was widely celebrated in both countries. Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy painted it in 1789.
Sources differ The main account gives 107 French killed or wounded; Charles Cunat gives 40 killed and 57 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 20 October 1778 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat du cap Finisterre (French)
20 October 1778 · Off Cape Finisterre, north west Spain, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Gaspard de Ligondès (France), died of wounds; Francis Reynolds and James Montagu (Great Britain)
Forces 1 French ship of the line, Triton, against 1 British ship of the line, Jupiter, and the frigate Medea
Ships Triton, HMS Jupiter, HMS Medea
Losses France: 13 killed, 20 wounded. Britain: 4 killed, 10 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
The French ship of the line Triton fought the British Jupiter and the frigate Medea off Cape Finisterre. Darkness separated them before either side gained a decision.
Why it is remembered The action was painted in 1837.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle off Barbados Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille de la Barbade (French)
7 March 1778 · Off Barbados, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against the United States
Commanders Nicholas Vincent (Great Britain); Nicholas Biddle (United States), killed in action
Forces 1 British ship of the line, HMS Yarmouth, against 1 American frigate and 1 brig
Ships USS Randolph, HMS Yarmouth
Losses Britain: 5 killed, 12 wounded. United States: 311 killed; USS Randolph destroyed.
Result British victory
While escorting a fleet of American ships in the West Indies, the frigate USS Randolph was attacked by the British ship of the line HMS Yarmouth. Randolph was destroyed with almost all her crew, including her captain, Nicholas Biddle.
Why it is remembered It was the most costly American naval defeat in lives until the loss of USS Arizona in 1941.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Nowland Van Powell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle off Liverpool, Nova Scotia (1778) Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Liverpool
24 April 1778 · Off Liverpool, Nova Scotia
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Jean Heraud (France); John Milligan (Britain)
Forces The British vessel HMS Blonde against the French 24-gun frigate Duc de Choiseul
Ships HMS Blonde, Duc de Choiseul
Losses French: several killed, wounded and drowned. British: 3 killed.
Result British victory
HMS Blonde engaged the French 24-gun frigate Duc de Choiseul off Liverpool, Nova Scotia, and the British won.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783)
Siege of Pondicherry (1778) Landing or siege
21 August to 19 October 1778 (naval action 10 August 1778) · Pondicherry, French India, Coromandel Coast
Fought between Great Britain and the East India Company against France
Commanders Hector Munro, Edward Vernon (Britain); Guillaume de Bellecombe (France, taken prisoner), François-Jean-Baptiste l'Ollivier de Tronjoly (France, wounded)
Forces British: 1,500 regulars and 9,000 sepoys ashore; at sea five ships under Vernon, including the 60-gun HMS Rippon, HMS Coventry, HMS Seahorse, HMS Cormorant and the Company ship Valentine. French: 700 regulars and 400 to 600 sepoys; at sea the 64-gun Brillant, the frigate Pourvoyeuse, and Sartine, Lawriston and Brisson.
Ships HMS Rippon, HMS Coventry, HMS Seahorse, HMS Cormorant, Valentine, Brillant, Pourvoyeuse, Sartine, Lawriston, Brisson, Elizabeth
Losses British: 243 killed, 930 wounded. French: 144 killed, 285 wounded; the Sartine was captured on 25 August.
Result British victory; Pondicherry capitulated
On 10 August 1778 Vernon's squadron fought Tronjoly's French squadron off Pondicherry for about two hours; Tronjoly was wounded and the French drove Vernon off. The French Sartine was captured on 25 August, and when Vernon returned with six ships Tronjoly sailed south and left for Île de France without a further battle. Ashore Munro's army breached two bastions, and Bellecombe, short of ammunition, capitulated on 18 October and marched out with full colours.
Why it is remembered It was the first military action in India after Britain and France went to war in the American Revolutionary War. The captured Sartine was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Sartine.
Sources differ One account gives the siege as about eight weeks with capitulation signed on 18 October; another account gives 21 August to 19 October and a third account ten weeks. Sources disagree on whether battle was offered when Vernon returned on 20 to 21 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Henry Dupray, 1901, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of St. Lucia Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Cul de Sac; Bataille de Sainte-Lucie (French)
15 December 1778 · Grand Cul de Sac, St Lucia, West Indies
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Samuel Barrington (Great Britain); Comte d'Estaing (France)
Forces 7 British ships of the line and 3 frigates against 12 French ships of the line and 4 frigates
Ships Prince of Wales (Barrington's flagship), Isis; Languedoc (d'Estaing's flagship)
Losses Britain: 230 killed or wounded. France: 850 killed or wounded.
Result British victory
Rear-Admiral Barrington placed his ships in line across the Grand Cul de Sac with the transports behind them, supported by shore batteries. D'Estaing attacked at 11 am and again at 4 pm and was repulsed both times. On 16 December he landed 7,000 troops at Gros Islet Bay instead, but their three assaults on the British position at La Vigie failed and they re-embarked.
Why it is remembered When d'Estaing's fleet left on 29 December, St Lucia surrendered to the British. Dominic Serres painted Barrington's action in 1780.
Sources differ One account says d'Estaing approached with ten ships of the line and attacked with twelve; another account gives twelve.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of Ushant (1778) Fleet battle
Also known as First Battle of Ushant; Bataille d'Ouessant (French)
27 July 1778 · 100 miles (160 km) west of Ushant, at the mouth of the English Channel
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Augustus Keppel and Sir Hugh Palliser (Great Britain); Comte d'Orvilliers, Comte de Guichen and the Duc de Chartres (France)
Forces 29 British ships of the line against 30 French ships of the line
Ships Victory (Keppel's flagship), Formidable (Palliser), Queen; Bretagne, Ville de Paris, Saint-Esprit, Sphinx
Losses Britain: 407 killed, 789 wounded. France: 126 killed, 413 wounded. No ships lost on either side.
Result Inconclusive
The French commander d'Orvilliers was under orders to avoid battle if possible. The fleets met on opposite tacks; Keppel in Victory held his fire for the French flagship Bretagne, while Palliser's rear division, not yet in line, was mauled piecemeal. Victory was badly damaged aloft, Palliser's ships misread Keppel's intentions and stayed upwind, and that night the French slipped away.
Why it is remembered It was the first major fleet action of the Anglo-French war of 1778. In Britain the quarrel between Keppel and Palliser, sharpened by politics, led to two courts-martial, in which Keppel was cleared, and to his resignation; in France the Duc de Chartres announced a victory at Versailles and was later mocked when the result was seen as indecisive.
Sources differ Casualties: one account gives British 407 killed and 789 wounded, French 126 killed and 413 wounded; the order of battle tables give British 133 killed and 373 wounded, French 163 killed and 517 wounded. Another account's background gives 30 British ships of the line against a third account's 29.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 11 November 1779 Single-ship action
11 November 1779 · Off Lisbon, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Alexander Graeme (Great Britain); Andrés de Viana (Spain), surrendered
Forces The British frigate HMS Tartar against the Spanish 38-gun frigate Santa Margarita
Ships HMS Tartar, Santa Margarita
Losses Spain: 1 killed, 3 wounded; Santa Margarita captured. Britain: none.
Result British victory
Captain Alexander Graeme in Tartar, part of Commodore George Johnstone's squadron, sighted the Spanish frigate Santa Margarita off Lisbon. With the wind behind her Tartar caught up and engaged, and after about two hours, with Santa Margarita almost dismasted, her captain struck.
Why it is remembered Santa Margarita was taken into the Royal Navy under her own name as a 36-gun frigate and served until 1836.
Sources differ The Spanish account's title dates the action 11 November 1780.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Siege of Savannah)
Action of 11 September 1779 Single-ship action
11 September 1779 · Off Charles Town, South Carolina
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders French captain unknown; Thomas Mackenzie (Great Britain)
Forces The French 36-gun frigate Amazone, with two brigs and a schooner in company, against the British 24-gun post ship Ariel
Ships Amazone, HMS Ariel
Losses Britain: 4 killed, 20 wounded; Ariel captured. France: light.
Result French victory
Cruising off Charles Town, Ariel approached a strange sail, unaware that d'Estaing's French fleet had arrived from the West Indies. Finding a frigate that did not answer his signals, Mackenzie ran for the Georgia shore, but Amazone overhauled him. After ninety minutes, with her mizzen mast and all her rigging shot away, Ariel surrendered.
Why it is remembered D'Estaing exchanged Ariel's crew for French prisoners at once. The French took Ariel into service and in 1780 lent her to the Continental Navy, in which she served briefly as USS Ariel under John Paul Jones.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johannes Oertel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 12 December 1779 Single-ship action
12 December 1779 · Off Punta Sal, Bay of Honduras
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Charles Inglis (Great Britain); Juan Antonio Zavelleta (Spain)
Forces The British 50-gun HMS Salisbury against the Spanish 50-gun privateer San Carlos with 397 men
Ships HMS Salisbury, San Carlos
Losses Britain: 4 killed and 14 wounded, 5 of them mortally (9 killed and 9 wounded in the main account). Spain: 60 killed or wounded, the rest captured; San Carlos captured.
Result British victory
HMS Salisbury sighted a large ship at daybreak off Punta Sal and chased her all day, coming into range at 6.30 pm. The ship hoisted Spanish colours and fought until 8.30 pm, when her mainmast was shot away and she struck. She was the privateer San Carlos, carrying 5,000 stand of arms from Cádiz to Fort Omoa.
Why it is remembered Inglis took San Carlos to Jamaica as a prize.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 13 May 1779 Raid
13 May 1779 · Cancale Bay, near St Malo, Brittany
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir James Wallace and John Gidoin (Great Britain); Raymond de Kergariou (France)
Forces 1 British ship of the line, 1 frigate, 1 post ship, 1 sloop and 1 brig against 2 French frigates, 1 corvette, 1 gabarre and 2 cutters
Ships Danae, Guepe, Écluse
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 15 wounded. France: the frigate Danae captured, 1 corvette and 1 cutter destroyed.
Result British victory
After the failed French attempt on Jersey on 1 May, its escort retreated to Coutances. Two British squadrons set out to trap it: Gidoin chased the French up the coast to St Malo, where Wallace was waiting and followed them into Cancale Bay. After an hour and a half under fire the French beached their ships and went ashore; Wallace took the frigate Danae and two merchant vessels and burned the rest under fire from shore batteries.
Why it is remembered Danae was bought into the Royal Navy. Thomas Luny painted the action in 1779.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 14 September 1779 Single-ship action
14 September 1779 · Off the Azores, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders George Montagu (Great Britain); Miguel de Nunes or Manuel Núñez Gaona (Spain), captured
Forces The British 32-gun frigate HMS Pearl against the Spanish frigate Santa Mónica
Ships HMS Pearl, Santa Mónica
Losses Britain: 12 killed, 19 wounded. Spain: 38 killed, 45 wounded, 180 captured; Santa Mónica captured.
Result British victory
On a cruise in the eastern Atlantic, HMS Pearl sighted Santa Mónica and chased her for two hours. The frigates were of equal size, but the Spanish ship carried fewer guns and many of her crew had never been in action. After Pearl outmanoeuvred and raked her twice, the Spanish captain struck and the frigate was taken to a British port.
Why it is remembered Dominic Serres painted the action in 1781.
Sources differ One account names the Spanish captain Miguel de Nunes; another account names him Manuel Núñez Gaona.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Armada of 1779)
Action of 17 August 1779 Single-ship action
17 August 1779 · Off Plymouth, English Channel
Fought between France and Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Charles de Bernard de Marigny (France); Phillip Boteler (Great Britain)
Forces 1 Spanish ship of the line and 4 French frigates against 2 British ships of the line
Ships HMS Ardent, HMS Marlborough, Junon, Princesa
Losses Britain: HMS Ardent captured. France and Spain: unknown.
Result Franco-Spanish victory
HMS Ardent, newly recommissioned with a crew largely of landmen, sailed from Plymouth with HMS Marlborough to join Sir Charles Hardy, unaware that the combined Franco-Spanish fleet was at sea. Meeting it, the British ships were given the correct reply to their recognition signal, since the enemy held a Royal Navy codebook, and ran down towards it. The French frigate Junon fired two broadsides; Ardent answered with sporadic fire and struck when three more frigates and the Spanish Princesa joined in, while Marlborough escaped.
Why it is remembered Boteler was dismissed the service by court martial, which blamed the inexperience of the crew. Ardent was retaken by the British after the Battle of the Saintes in April 1782 and renamed Tiger in 1783.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 20 November 1779 Single-ship action
20 November 1779 · Off Lisbon, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Elliot Salter (Great Britain); Spanish captain unknown
Forces The British 28-gun frigate HMS Hussar against the Spanish register ship Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo, pierced for 64 guns but mounting 26 twelve-pounders, with 120 men
Ships HMS Hussar, HMS Chatham, Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo
Losses Britain: 4 killed, 10 wounded. Spain: 27 killed and 8 wounded, the rest captured; the ship captured.
Result British victory
Hussar and the 50-gun Chatham were escorting a convoy from Lisbon to England when a two-decked ship was seen sailing away, and Hussar chased her. Next day Hussar came alongside as the stranger hoisted Spanish colours, took the weather gage and raked her. After about 45 minutes the Spanish ship surrendered.
Why it is remembered Buen Consejo, a Peruvian register ship from Lima, carried a valuable cargo of copper, pewter, cocoa, Jesuit's bark and minerals, all taken to England.
Sources differ One account gives Spanish losses of 27 killed and 8 wounded; another account gives 38 killed or wounded and 90 captured. One account also describes the British ship as a 50-gun ship, while naming the 28-gun Hussar as the one that fought.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Raymond (active 1767 to 1783), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 31 January 1779 Single-ship action
31 January 1779 · Off Saint-Brieuc, Brittany
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Philemon Pownoll (Great Britain); Chevalier de Tarade (France)
Forces The British frigate HMS Apollo against the French frigate Oiseau
Ships HMS Apollo, Oiseau
Losses Britain: 6 killed, 22 wounded. France: 33 killed, 180 wounded or captured; Oiseau captured.
Result British victory
The British frigate Apollo fought the French frigate Oiseau off the coast of Brittany and captured her.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Joshua Reynolds, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 6 October 1779 Single-ship action
6 October 1779 · Off Ushant, Celtic Sea
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Charles du Couëdic (France), died of wounds; George Farmer (Great Britain), killed, and Rupert George
Forces 1 French frigate and 1 cutter against 1 British frigate and 1 cutter
Ships Surveillante, HMS Quebec
Losses Britain: 127 killed or wounded; HMS Quebec destroyed. France: 30 killed, 85 wounded.
Result French victory
The British frigate Quebec and the French frigate Surveillante fought a fierce action off Ushant. It ended when Quebec was destroyed by an explosion; both captains died.
Why it is remembered A small but famous action of the early Anglo-French war, painted in 1789.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (prelude to the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War)
Affair of Fielding and Bylandt Convoy battle
Also known as Treffen tussen Fielding en Van Bylandt (Dutch)
31 December 1779 · Off the Isle of Wight, English Channel
Fought between Great Britain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Commodore Charles Fielding (Great Britain); Schout-bij-nacht Lodewijk van Bylandt (Dutch Republic)
Forces A Royal Navy squadron against a Dutch States Navy squadron escorting a convoy
Result The Dutch struck; the convoy was taken to Portsmouth
Britain and the Dutch Republic were not at war, but Fielding wanted to search a Dutch convoy for what Britain considered contraband bound for France. Bylandt offered the ships' manifests for inspection, but Fielding insisted on searching the ships. Bylandt fired a single broadside and struck his colours, and the convoy was taken into Portsmouth as prizes, followed by Bylandt's squadron.
Why it is remembered The incident worsened Anglo-Dutch relations and helped bring about the First League of Armed Neutrality, which the Dutch tried to join in December 1780. Britain declared war that month, starting the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Capture of Cayo Cocina Landing or siege
Also known as Saint George's Caye; Toma de Cayo Cocina (Spanish)
15 September 1779 · Saint George's Caye, off the coast of present day Belize
Fought between Spain (Captaincy General of Guatemala) against the British settlers of the Bay of Honduras
Losses The whole population of the settlement, 140 Baymen and 250 people enslaved by them, was taken away.
Result Spanish victory; the settlement was taken
Spanish forces from the Captaincy General of Guatemala attacked the British settlement on Saint George's Caye, then the main British population centre in the area. They removed the entire population, marched them overland from Bacalar to Mérida and shipped them to Havana.
Why it is remembered The prisoners were released to Jamaica in 1782. The Belize settlements stayed abandoned until 1784, after British logging rights were confirmed by the Treaty of Paris of 1783.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Chesapeake raid Raid
10 to 24 May 1779 · Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
Fought between Great Britain against the United States
Commanders Commodore Sir George Collier and Major-General Edward Mathew (Great Britain)
Result British success
Royal Navy forces under Sir George Collier and troops under Edward Mathew raided economic and military targets up and down Chesapeake Bay. They moved so fast that there was little or no resistance, and destroyed supplies of tobacco and coal, naval ships, port facilities and storehouses of military supplies.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John James Hinchliff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Flamborough Head Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille de Flamborough Head (French)
23 September 1779 · Off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, North Sea
Fought between United States and France against Great Britain
Commanders John Paul Jones and Pierre Landais (Franco-American squadron); Richard Pearson and Thomas Piercy (Great Britain)
Forces Bonhomme Richard (42 guns), the frigates Alliance (36) and Pallas (32), the brigantine Vengeance and a schooner against the 44-gun HMS Serapis and the 20-gun hired armed ship Countess of Scarborough, escorting a large merchant convoy
Ships Bonhomme Richard, Alliance, Pallas, Vengeance, HMS Serapis, Countess of Scarborough
Losses Franco-American: about 170 killed or wounded; Bonhomme Richard sank. Britain: more than 117 killed or wounded; Serapis and Countess of Scarborough captured.
Result Franco-American victory over the escorts; the convoy escaped
Jones's squadron met a large British convoy and its two escorts off the Yorkshire coast, while nearly all the merchantmen reached safety. Unable to win a gunnery duel, Jones in Bonhomme Richard closed with Serapis and the two ships became locked together side by side; Pallas and Alliance fought Countess of Scarborough, which struck. Around 9.30 pm a powder fire on Serapis's lower deck disabled five guns, Alliance's broadsides hit both locked ships, and at about 10.30 pm Pearson struck. Bonhomme Richard was too badly holed to save and sank on 25 September.
Why it is remembered It became one of the most celebrated naval actions of the war, and the source of Jones's reported reply, I have not yet begun to fight. Richard Paton painted Pearson's defence in 1780.
Sources differ What happened is disputed: Landais's conduct, the cause of the fire on Serapis (Jones credited a grenade, Pearson suggested an accident) and casualties. Pearson reported many more than 49 dead and 68 wounded in Serapis and 300 casualties in Bonhomme Richard; British press reports gave 70 American dead.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-Spanish War)
Great Siege of Gibraltar Landing or siege
24 June 1779 to 7 February 1783 · Gibraltar
Fought between Great Britain and Hanover against Spain and France
Commanders George Eliott, Roger Curtis and August de la Motte (Great Britain and Hanover); Louis de Crillon, Martín Álvarez de Sotomayor, Luis de Córdova and Antonio Barceló (Spain and France)
Forces 7,500 British and Hanoverian troops and 12 gunboats against 65,000 Spanish and French troops, 47 ships of the line, 10 floating batteries, 7 xebecs and 40 gunboats
Losses Britain: 333 killed, 1,010 wounded, 536 to 1,034 sick or dead of disease. Spain and France: 6,000 killed, wounded, captured and missing; 1 ship of the line captured and all 10 floating batteries destroyed. Civilians: 196 killed and 800 dead of disease.
Result British victory
Spain, entering the war in June 1779 chiefly to recover Gibraltar, laid siege to the garrison of George Eliott. British relief convoys under Rodney in 1780 and Darby in 1781 got through despite the Spanish Navy, and in November 1781 the garrison destroyed many forward batteries in a sortie. On 13 September 1782 the reinforced Franco-Spanish besiegers launched a Grand Assault with 60,000 men, 49 ships of the line and 10 newly invented floating batteries against 5,000 defenders; it failed disastrously, and in October Howe's relief convoy slipped through the blockade. The siege was lifted on 7 February 1783.
Why it is remembered At three years, seven months and twelve days it is the longest siege ever endured by the British armed forces, and the largest action of the war by numbers. The peace negotiations at Paris waited on news from it; John Trumbull painted the garrison's sortie in 1789.
Sources differ One account gives 60,000 attackers and 49 ships of the line for the Grand Assault; another account gives 65,000 men and 47 ships of the line for the besiegers overall.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of Grenada Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de la Grenade (French)
6 July 1779 · Off Grenada, West Indies
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Comte d'Estaing (France); John Byron (Great Britain)
Forces 25 French ships of the line and 2 frigates against 21 British ships of the line and 1 post ship
Losses France: 173 killed, 773 wounded. Britain: 183 killed, 346 wounded. No ships lost on either side.
Result French victory
Admiral John Byron sailed to relieve Grenada, which d'Estaing had just captured. Wrongly believing he had the larger fleet, Byron ordered a general chase to attack the French as they left their anchorage. The attack was disorganised, and against a stronger French fleet Byron's ships were badly mauled, although none were lost.
Why it is remembered The naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan called it the most disastrous action the British Navy had fought since Beachy Head in 1690. Byron was the grandfather of the poet Lord Byron.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean-François Hue, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of Guadeloupe (1779) Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 21 to 22 December 1779
21 to 22 December 1779 · Off Guadeloupe, West Indies
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Joshua Rowley (Great Britain); French commander unknown
Forces 3 or 4 British ships of the line against 3 French frigates
Losses France: all 3 frigates captured. Britain: light.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy force under Joshua Rowley sighted three French frigates off Guadeloupe and chased them. All three were captured after a brief fight.
Sources differ One account gives three Royal Navy ships; another account gives 4 ships of the line.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783)
Invasion of Jersey (1779) Landing or siege
1 May 1779 · St Ouen's Bay, Jersey
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Karl von Siegen and Phillipe Rullecourt (France); Moses Corbet and Mariot Arbuthnot (Britain)
Forces France: five large vessels and many boats, with cutters and small craft. Britain: the 78th Regiment and the Jersey militia with field artillery
Ships HMS Unicorn, Danae (French frigate captured afterwards)
Losses French: 15 to 18 drowned and 20 captured. British: a few wounded when a cannon burst
Result British victory
Lookouts saw five large vessels and many boats heading for St Ouen's Bay on 1 May 1779. Cutters and small craft fired grapeshot at the shore to cover a landing, but the 78th Regiment and the militia arrived in time with field guns. With the tide ebbing, the French warships could not close the beach and the transports would not go in without them; the one vessel that tried was hit or driven onto a rock, 20 men got ashore and surrendered and 15 or 18 drowned. The French fleet withdrew.
Why it is remembered Admiral Arbuthnot turned his North America convoy aside to relieve Jersey, delaying it until late June, and on 13 May Sir James Wallace's squadron captured the French frigate Danae, a brig and a cutter in Cancale Bay. Lewis Tower, a Martello tower of 1834, stands where the defenders placed their guns.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War, Gulf Coast campaign)
Battle of Lake Pontchartrain Single-ship action
Also known as Batalla del Lago Pontchartrain (Spanish)
10 September 1779 · Lake Pontchartrain, then British West Florida, now Louisiana
Fought between United States and Spain against Great Britain
Commanders William Pickles (Continental Navy); John Payne (Great Britain), mortally wounded
Forces The schooner USS Morris with 57 men against the sloop HMS West Florida with 15 men
Ships USS Morris, HMS West Florida
Losses Americans and Spanish: 6 to 8 killed, some wounded. Britain: 2 killed, 1 wounded; West Florida captured.
Result American and Spanish victory
HMS West Florida was patrolling Lake Pontchartrain when she met USS Morris, which had sailed from New Orleans with a Spanish and American crew under Captain William Pickles. The larger crew of Morris boarded and took West Florida, and her captain, Lieutenant John Payne, was mortally wounded.
Why it is remembered The capture all but ended the British naval presence on the lake and weakened British control over western West Florida.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Martinique (1779) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille de la Martinique (1779) (French)
18 December 1779 · Off Martinique, West Indies
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Hyde Parker (Great Britain); Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte (France)
Forces 13 British ships of the line against 3 French ships of the line covering a convoy of 26 merchant ships
Ships Annibal, Vengeur, Réfléchi, Aurore
Losses Britain: 150 killed or wounded. France: 9 merchant ships captured and 4 destroyed.
Result British victory
A French convoy under Joseph de Flotte was chased by Hyde Parker's squadron near Martinique. To cover its retreat, Lamotte-Picquet in the 74-gun Annibal engaged the British squadron alone for 90 minutes before the 64-gun Vengeur and Réfléchi joined him. Part of the convoy was taken or beached, but the rest escaped with the frigate Aurore and the French division returned to its anchorage.
Why it is remembered Hyde Parker wrote to Lamotte-Picquet in the following days to congratulate him on his defence.
Sources differ One account says 10 or 11 transports were taken or beached; another account gives 9 captured and 4 destroyed.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Moca (1779) Single-ship action
8 June 1779 · Off the port of Mokha, Yemen, Red Sea
Fought between Portugal against Great Britain
Commanders João Manuel de Azevedo e Brito (Portugal); Captain Owart (Great Britain)
Forces The Portuguese corvette Nossa Senhora das Angústias e Almas against the British corvette Morning Star
Ships Nossa Senhora das Angústias e Almas, Morning Star
Losses Portugal: 1 killed. Britain: 14 killed, 10 seriously wounded.
Result Portuguese victory
The Portuguese corvette Nossa Senhora das Angústias e Almas was carrying the French ambassador M. de S. Lubin to Suez when the British corvette Morning Star tried to seize him off Mokha. The Portuguese ship fought her off.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Penobscot Expedition Landing or siege
24 July to 16 August 1779 · Penobscot Bay and the Penobscot River, Maine
Fought between Great Britain against the United States (Massachusetts)
Commanders Francis McLean, George Collier, Henry Mowat and Henry Evans (Great Britain); Solomon Lovell, Dudley Saltonstall, Peleg Wadsworth and Paul Revere (United States)
Forces American: 19 warships, 25 support ships and about 3,000 troops and sailors. British: 700 troops, 1 ship of the line, 3 frigates, 2 post ships, 2 ship sloops and 2 brig sloops.
Losses United States: 474 killed, wounded, captured or missing; 2 ships captured and 42 scuttled by burning. Britain: 25 killed, 34 wounded, 26 captured.
Result British victory
In June 1779 British troops under Francis McLean built fortifications around Fort George on the Majabigwaduce Peninsula. Massachusetts sent the largest American naval expedition of the war under Commodore Dudley Saltonstall and General Solomon Lovell, which landed on 25 July and besieged the fort, hampered by disputes between its commanders. On 13 August a British relief squadron under Sir George Collier arrived from New York and drove the American fleet up the Penobscot River, capturing two ships; the Americans burned the other 42 over three days and the survivors walked home overland.
Why it is remembered It was the worst American naval defeat until Pearl Harbor in 1941. Saltonstall was dismissed from the Continental Navy and Paul Revere from the Massachusetts Militia.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Siege of Savannah (1779) Landing or siege
Also known as Second Battle of Savannah
16 September to 18 October 1779 · Savannah, Georgia
Fought between United States and France against Great Britain
Commanders Benjamin Lincoln, Lachlan McIntosh, Casimir Pulaski (mortally wounded), Curt von Stedingk and the Comte d'Estaing (United States and France); Augustine Prevost and John Maitland (Great Britain)
Forces 7,722 Franco-American troops and 42 ships against 4,813 British troops and 8 vessels
Losses Franco-American: 244 killed, 584 wounded, 120 captured. Britain: 40 killed, 63 wounded, 52 missing.
Result British victory
A joint Franco-American force, supported by d'Estaing's French fleet, besieged Savannah, which the British had taken the year before. A major assault on the British works on 9 October failed, and Count Casimir Pulaski, leading the combined cavalry, was mortally wounded. The siege was then abandoned.
Why it is remembered The British held Savannah until July 1782. Pulaski's death in the assault is the event most often remembered.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Action of 13 August 1780 Blockade and raiding
13 August 1780 · Off the Old Head of Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders John MacBride (Great Britain); Robert Sutton de Clonard (France)
Forces HMS Bienfaisant (third rate) and the 44-gun HMS Charon against the 64-gun French privateer Comte d'Artois
Ships HMS Bienfaisant, HMS Charon, Comte d'Artois
Losses Britain: 3 killed, 21 wounded. France: 21 killed, 35 wounded, 590 captured; Comte d'Artois captured.
Result British victory
Reports reached Ireland in early August 1780 that the large French privateer Comte d'Artois had sailed from Brest to cruise off the south coast. Bienfaisant and Charon were sent to take her, and after several days' search sighted her early on 13 August chasing ships of a convoy leaving Cork. The privateer was brought to action and captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 30 September 1780 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat du 30 septembre 1780 (French)
30 September 1780 · Off Bermuda, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders George Montagu (Great Britain); French captain unknown
Forces The British frigate HMS Pearl against the French 32-gun frigate Espérance with nearly 200 men
Ships HMS Pearl, Espérance
Losses Britain: 6 killed, 10 wounded. France: 20 killed, 24 wounded, 156 captured; Espérance captured.
Result British victory
HMS Pearl, on her way to North America, met the French frigate Espérance off Bermuda. Montagu engaged her at close range for two hours and then kept up a running fight for two hours more until she struck. Espérance was carrying a valuable cargo from Cap-Français to Bordeaux.
Why it is remembered Espérance, launched in 1779, was taken into the Royal Navy as HMS Clinton.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Peltro, John (artist); Harris, John (publisher), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 7 June 1780 Single-ship action
7 June 1780 · 15 miles off Long Island, New York
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville (France), wounded; James Hawker (Great Britain)
Forces The French frigate Hermione against the British frigate HMS Iris
Ships Hermione, HMS Iris
Losses France: 10 killed, 37 wounded. Britain: 7 killed, 9 wounded.
Result Indecisive
The frigates Hermione and Iris exchanged fire off Long Island for an hour and a half and then parted.
Why it is remembered The battle continued in print when Hawker published his account in a newspaper, which Latouche Tréville hotly disputed.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 8 January 1780 Convoy battle
Also known as Acción del 8 de enero de 1780 (Spanish)
8 January 1780 · Off Cape Finisterre, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain and the Guipuzcoan Caracas Company
Commanders Sir George Rodney (Great Britain); Juan Agustín de Yardi (Spain), captured
Forces 20 British ships of the line and 6 frigates against a convoy of 15 merchant ships escorted by 7 warships of the Caracas Company (1 ship of the line, 4 frigates and 2 small warships)
Losses Spain: every ship captured. Britain: light.
Result British victory
Rodney's fleet, on its way to relieve Gibraltar, met a Spanish convoy escorted by warships of the Guipuzcoan Caracas Company off Cape Finisterre and captured the entire convoy.
Why it is remembered It came a few days before Rodney defeated a Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape St Vincent.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 9 August 1780 Convoy battle
Also known as Second Battle of Cape St Vincent (1780); Deuxième bataille du cap Saint-Vincent (French)
9 August 1780 · Off Cape St Vincent, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Spain and France against Great Britain
Commanders Luis de Córdova, José de Mazarredo and Antoine Hilarion de Beausset (Spain and France); Sir John Moutray (Great Britain)
Forces 32 Spanish and French ships of the line and 6 frigates against HMS Ramillies (74), the frigates Thetis and Southampton (36 each) and a convoy of 63 merchant vessels
Ships HMS Ramillies, HMS Thetis, HMS Southampton
Losses Britain: 55 merchant vessels captured with 3,144 men, 80,000 muskets, equipment for 40,000 troops and 294 guns. Spain and France: none.
Result Franco-Spanish victory
A British convoy escorted by Ramillies and two frigates sailed from Portsmouth on 27 July. On 9 August it ran into the combined Spanish and French fleet of Luis de Córdova, which captured 55 of the 63 merchant ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of the most complete captures of a convoy ever made, with losses estimated at £1,500,000, and it helped derail a secret British attempt to make peace with Spain.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780) Fleet battle
Also known as Moonlight Battle; Batalla del Cabo de San Vicente (Spanish); batalla a la luz de la luna
16 to 17 January 1780 · Off Cape St Vincent, Portugal, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Sir George Rodney (Great Britain); Juan de Lángara (Spain), captured
Forces 18 British ships of the line, 3 frigates and 3 post ships against 11 Spanish ships of the line and 2 frigates
Ships Sandwich (Rodney's flagship), Royal George, Prince George, Ajax, Bedford, Culloden, Defence, Edgar, Invincible, Marlborough, Monarch, Resolution, Terrible, Bienfaisant; Fénix (Lángara's flagship), Princesa, Diligente, Monarca, Santo Domingo, San Eugenio, San Julián
Losses Britain: 32 killed, 102 wounded. Spain: 2,500 killed, wounded or captured; Fénix, Princesa, Diligente and Monarca captured, Santo Domingo blown up with all but one of her crew, San Julián wrecked.
Result British victory
Rodney was escorting a supply convoy to relieve Gibraltar when he met Lángara's smaller fleet south of Cape St Vincent. Lángara ran for Cádiz, but Rodney's copper sheathed ships chased him down in a running fight in squally weather that lasted from mid afternoon until after midnight. Santo Domingo blew up and four ships of the line were taken, including the flagship Fénix; San Eugenio and San Julián were also captured but retaken by their crews.
Why it is remembered It was the first major British naval victory of the war, a rare night action in the age of sail, and showed the value of copper sheathing. Rodney went on to resupply Gibraltar and Minorca.
Sources differ One account says six ships were taken, two of them later retaken; another account gives 4 captured. British wounded: 102 in another account, 93 in the order of battle table. Santo Domingo: all but one of her crew lost in a third account, all 550 in the table. Rodney reported both retaken ships wrecked, but San Eugenio reached Cádiz.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Siege of Charleston (1780) Landing or siege
29 March to 12 May 1780 · Charles Town (Charleston), South Carolina
Fought between Great Britain and Hesse-Kassel against the United States and France
Commanders Sir Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis, Alexander Leslie and Mariot Arbuthnot (Great Britain); Benjamin Lincoln, William Moultrie, William Woodford and Abraham Whipple (United States)
Forces 12,847 British regulars and militia, 4,500 sailors, 6 ships of the line, 8 frigates, 4 armed galleys and 90 transports against 6,577 American regulars, sailors and militia, 3 frigates, 5 sloops, 1 schooner, 1 brig and 3 armed galleys
Losses Britain: 76 killed and 89 wounded on land, 23 killed and 28 wounded at sea. United States: 89 killed, 138 wounded, 5,466 captured; all ships captured.
Result British victory
Having shifted their effort to the southern colonies, the British brought an army and fleet against Charles Town. After about six weeks of siege Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered the garrison, and all the American ships in the harbour were taken.
Why it is remembered It was one of the worst American defeats of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War of 1779 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of Fort Charlotte Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Fort Charlotte
2 to 14 March 1780 · Fort Charlotte, Mobile, West Florida (present-day Alabama)
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Bernardo de Gálvez (Spain); Elias Durnford, captured (Britain)
Forces Spain: 7,500 regulars and militia, carried in a small fleet of transports. Britain: 3,500 regulars and militia
Losses Spanish: 272. British: 1,320
Result Spanish victory
Gálvez's army sailed from New Orleans in a small fleet of transports on 28 January 1780 and landed near Fort Charlotte on 25 February. The outnumbered British garrison held out until Spanish guns breached the walls, and Captain Elias Durnford, who had waited in vain for relief from Pensacola, surrendered.
Why it is remembered Its fall drove the British from the western part of West Florida, secured the western shore of Mobile Bay and opened the way for Spanish operations against Pensacola.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle off Halifax (1780) Blockade and raiding
10 July 1780 · Off Halifax, Nova Scotia
Fought between American privateer against British privateer
Commanders William Williams (Viper); Thomas Ross (Resolution)
Forces The 16-gun American privateer Viper (90 men by the American report, 130 by the British) against the British privateer brig Resolution
Ships Viper, Resolution
Losses Viper: 1 killed and 2 wounded by the American report, 33 killed and wounded by the British. Resolution: 8 killed, 10 wounded; captured.
Result American victory
The American privateer Viper fought the British privateer Resolution off Halifax. Both sides suffered heavily and Resolution was captured.
Why it is remembered It is described as one of the bloodiest battles in the history of privateering, with a loss of 51 lives in a single fight.
Sources differ American and British reports differ on Viper's crew and casualties, and one account's 51 dead does not match another account casualty figures.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Dodd (artist), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792
Battle of Ibiza (1780) Single-ship action
Also known as Träffningen vid Ibiza (Swedish)
28 to 29 February 1780 · Off Ibiza, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Sweden against a British privateer
Commanders David Ankarloo (Sweden), mortally wounded; Jesperson, a Danish captain (British privateer)
Forces The Swedish frigate Illerim against a 24-gun British privateer cutter
Ships Illerim
Losses Sweden: 1 killed, 14 wounded. Privateer: at least 2 killed.
Result Swedish victory; the privateer withdrew
The Swedish frigate Illerim had been sent into the Mediterranean to protect Swedish merchant ships from the privateers of the warring nations. Off Ibiza, damaged by storms, she hailed a British privateer to ask her destination and was answered with several broadsides. Illerim returned fire and the fight lasted into the next day before the privateer withdrew, although Sweden and Britain were not at war.
Why it is remembered Ankarloo was taken to Málaga, where he died of gangrene on 10 March 1780. The fight was reported by the French consul at Majorca and confirmed by Jesperson in a Florence newspaper.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of Martinique (1780) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Dominica; Combat de la Dominique (French)
17 April 1780 · Off Martinique, West Indies
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir George Rodney (Great Britain); Comte de Guichen (France)
Forces 20 British ships of the line against 23 French ships of the line carrying 3,000 troops
Ships Sandwich (Rodney's flagship), Stirling Castle; Palmier (Guichen's flagship), Couronne, Triomphant, Fendant
Losses Britain: 120 killed, 354 wounded. France: 222 killed, 537 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Rodney gained the weather gage and signalled his ships to engage their opposite numbers, meaning to concentrate on the French rear and centre. Captain Robert Carkett of Stirling Castle misread the signal and steered for the French van, the rest of the line followed, and the battle became a series of ship to ship fights. Sandwich broke through the French line and fought Couronne, Triomphant and Fendant for about an hour and a half before the French drew off.
Why it is remembered Guichen's plan to attack Jamaica was thwarted. Rodney regarded the action as the great opportunity of his life and blamed his captains for spoiling it; Rossel de Cercy painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: PHGCOM, Rossel_de_Cercy_1736_1804, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 1 May 1781 Single-ship action
Also known as Acción del 1 de mayo de 1781 (Spanish)
1 May 1781 · About 210 miles (340 km) off Brest, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Sir George Collier (Great Britain); Francisco Winthuysen (Spain), surrendered
Forces The British 74-gun HMS Canada against the Spanish frigate Santa Leocadia, rated 40 guns but reduced to 34
Ships HMS Canada, Santa Leocadia
Losses Spain: 80 killed, 106 wounded, 200 captured; Santa Leocadia captured. Britain: 13 casualties.
Result British victory
HMS Canada under Captain George Collier chased, intercepted and captured the Spanish frigate Santa Leocadia far out in the Atlantic off Brest.
Sources differ One account spells the Spanish captain's name Wenthuisen, another account Winthuysen.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John James Hinchliff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 2 September 1781 Single-ship action
2 September 1781 · Off Cape Ann, near Boston, Massachusetts
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Andrew Snape Douglas (Great Britain); Louis-Josué Janvre de la Bouchetière (France), surrendered
Forces The British 50-gun HMS Chatham against the French 36-gun frigate Magicienne with 280 men, escorting a merchantman
Ships HMS Chatham, Magicienne, Sagittaire, Astrée, Hermione
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 1 wounded. France: 86 to 155 killed or wounded, the rest captured; Magicienne captured.
Result British victory
Chatham sighted Magicienne escorting a merchantman off Cape Ann and, after a chase of a few hours, brought her to action and forced her to strike. The French ships Sagittaire, Astrée and Hermione put out from Boston to help but arrived too late, and the merchantman escaped to a French held harbour.
Why it is remembered Magicienne was taken to Halifax and commissioned in the Royal Navy under her own name. The action thwarted a planned French attack on British ships in the Saint John River.
Sources differ The London Gazette says the action lasted an hour and gives French losses of 32 killed and 54 wounded; the New York Gazette of 22 October 1781 gives two and a half hours and 155 killed or wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Raymond (active 1767 to 1783), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Action of 21 July 1781 Convoy battle
Also known as Combat naval en vue de Louisbourg; Combat naval à la hauteur de Louisbourg (French)
21 July 1781 · Off Spanish River (present day Sydney), Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Comte de Lapérouse and Latouche Tréville (France); Henry Francis Evans (killed), Rupert George and Richard Tonge (captured) (Great Britain)
Forces 2 French frigates against a convoy of 18 British ships escorted by 1 frigate, 2 sloops and an armed storeship
Losses France: 6 killed, 34 wounded. Britain: 17 killed, 42 wounded; one ship captured.
Result French victory
Two French frigates under Lapérouse and Latouche Tréville attacked a British convoy of 18 ships and its escorts off Cape Breton. They captured one of the British escorts while the rest of the convoy escaped.
Why it is remembered Rossel de Cercy painted the action in 1788.
Sources differ One account says the French captured one of the escorts; another account lists the loss as a merchant ship.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 25 February 1781 Single-ship action
Also known as Acción del 25 de febrero de 1781 (Spanish)
25 February 1781 · About 20 leagues off Cape Finisterre, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Robert Mann (Great Britain); Nicolás de Medina (Spain)
Forces The British 32-gun frigate HMS Cerberus against the Spanish 30-gun frigate Graña with 166 men
Ships HMS Cerberus, Graña
Losses Britain: 2 wounded. Spain: her first lieutenant and six men killed, 17 wounded, the rest captured; Graña captured.
Result British victory
Graña, a month out of Ferrol, was sighted by HMS Cerberus off Cape Finisterre. Cerberus closed and within fifteen minutes her broadsides had told; the Spanish officers fought on, but the crew refused to continue and de Medina struck.
Why it is remembered Graña was taken into the Royal Navy as HMS Grana, and Mann was given command of the 64-gun HMS Scipio.
Sources differ One account gives seven Spanish killed (the first lieutenant and six men); another account gives 6 killed and 135 captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John Francis Rigaud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Action of 30 May 1781 Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Cape St Mary; Zeegevecht bij Kaap Sint-Marie (Dutch)
30 May 1781 · Off Cabo de Santa Maria
Fought between Great Britain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders William Peere Williams-Freeman and Thomas Pakenham (Great Britain); Gerardus Oorthuys and Pieter Melvill van Carnbee (Dutch Republic), surrendered
Forces 2 British frigates, Flora (36) and Crescent (28), against 2 Dutch frigates, Castor (36) and Den Briel (36)
Ships HMS Flora, HMS Crescent, Castor, Den Briel
Losses Britain: 27 killed, 65 wounded. Dutch: 42 killed, 84 wounded, 240 captured; Castor captured.
Result British victory
In a fight of more than two hours, Flora forced Castor to strike. Shortly after, Den Briel forced Crescent to strike, but Flora came to her rescue before the Dutch could board and drove Den Briel off.
Why it is remembered The action was illustrated in 1782.
Sources differ The main account places the action in the Mediterranean Sea; the 1782 illustration is titled as a sea battle near Cádiz.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Action of 4 February 1781 Convoy battle
4 February 1781 · Off Sombrero, near Anguilla, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Captain Francis Reynolds (Great Britain); Willem Krul (Dutch Republic), killed in action
Forces 2 British ships of the line and 1 frigate against the Dutch 60-gun Mars escorting 30 merchant ships
Ships Mars
Losses Britain: 3 wounded. Dutch: 8 killed, 7 wounded; Mars and all 30 merchant ships captured.
Result British victory
Soon after Rodney took Sint Eustatius, he learned of a Dutch convoy and sent Reynolds to intercept it. Reynolds caught it off Sombrero and engaged the lone escort, the 60-gun Mars. After thirty minutes of heavy fire Krul was killed and Mars struck, and the convoy was captured.
Why it is remembered Charles Rochussen painted Krul's death in 1886.
Sources differ One account names the British commander Francis Reynolds; another account gives Francis Moreton.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles Rochussen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Blomidon Blockade and raiding
Also known as Battle of Blomindon
21 May 1781 · Off Cape Split, near Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Fought between American privateers against Nova Scotia
Commanders William Bishop, Amos Sheffield, Benjamin Belcher and Jonathan Crane (Nova Scotia)
Forces Three American privateer vessels against three Nova Scotian vessels, including a schooner with 35 men and Success with 28 men
Ships Success
Losses Privateers: 1 killed. Nova Scotians: none.
Result British (Nova Scotian) victory
Three armed American privateer vessels caught two Nova Scotian vessels off Cape Split. Lieutenant Benjamin Belcher recaptured the first, and the captured crew of the second, under Captain Bishop, overpowered their captors. The privateers were taken to Cornwallis and put on trial.
Why it is remembered Captain William Bishop's sword from the fight is kept in the Kings County Museum, Nova Scotia.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Cape Henry Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Henry (French)
16 March 1781 · Off Cape Henry, at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Mariot Arbuthnot (Great Britain); Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches (France)
Forces 8 British ships of the line against 7 French ships of the line and 1 frigate
Ships Conquérant
Losses Britain: 30 killed, 73 wounded. France: 72 killed, 112 wounded. No ships lost.
Result Inconclusive; the British kept control of the Chesapeake
At Washington's request Destouches sailed from Newport on 8 March to support Lafayette against Benedict Arnold's British army in Virginia. Arbuthnot followed two days later, outsailed him and reached the Virginia Capes first. After hours of manoeuvring the fleets fought; both were damaged, but as they disengaged Arbuthnot was placed to enter the bay.
Why it is remembered Destouches returned to Newport, and Arbuthnot covered the Chesapeake for the arrival of reinforcements for Arnold.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of the Chesapeake Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Virginia Capes; Battle of the Capes; Bataille de la baie de Chesapeake (French)
5 September 1781 · Off the Virginia Capes, at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Comte de Grasse and Louis-Antoine de Bougainville (France); Sir Thomas Graves (wounded), Sir Samuel Hood and Francis Samuel Drake (Great Britain)
Forces 24 French ships of the line against 19 British ships of the line
Ships Ville de Paris (de Grasse's flagship), Auguste, Saint-Esprit; London (Graves), Barfleur (Hood), Princessa (Drake), Royal Oak, Terrible
Losses France: 220 killed or wounded. Britain: 90 killed, 246 wounded; Terrible scuttled afterwards.
Result French victory, tactically narrow and strategically decisive
Graves sailed from Sandy Hook with 19 ships of the line and found de Grasse's fleet already anchored in the bay; de Grasse hurried 24 ships out to meet him. After hours of manoeuvring the fleets fought for two hours, but only their van and centre fully engaged, partly because Graves flew the signals for line ahead and close action together and Hood's rear squadron barely came into action. The fleets stayed in sight of each other for several days until de Grasse returned to the bay on 13 September, where de Barras had arrived with the siege equipment; the damaged Terrible was scuttled on 11 September.
Why it is remembered It prevented the Royal Navy from relieving or evacuating Cornwallis at Yorktown, whose surrender led to British recognition of American independence. The Cape Henry Memorial at Virginia Beach honours de Grasse and his sailors.
Sources differ The main account gives British losses of 90 killed and 246 wounded; the order of battle table totals 82 killed and 232 wounded. French casualties are 220 in the main account and 209 according to Larrabee.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: V. Zveg (US Navy employee), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Dogger Bank (1781) Fleet battle
Also known as Slag bij de Doggersbank (Dutch)
5 August 1781 · Dogger Bank, North Sea
Fought between Great Britain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Sir Hyde Parker (Great Britain); Johan Zoutman (Dutch Republic)
Forces 7 British ships of the line, 5 frigates and 1 cutter (3,500 men, 442 guns) against 7 Dutch ships of the line and 6 frigates (2,600 men, 408 guns), each escorting a convoy
Ships Fortitude (Parker's flagship), Berwick; Admiraal de Ruijter (Zoutman's flagship), Holland
Losses Britain: 104 killed, 339 wounded. Dutch: 142 killed, 403 wounded; Holland sank.
Result Inconclusive; strategically favourable to Britain
Both admirals were escorting convoys. Parker sent his convoy towards England and gave chase, and Zoutman formed his line between the British and his merchantmen. The Dutch held their fire to point blank range, and Zoutman's flagship raked Fortitude; a close action of three hours and forty minutes followed. At 11.35 Parker tried to reform but his ships were too damaged and he withdrew; the badly damaged Holland sank that night.
Why it is remembered Both sides claimed victory and both convoys escaped. The battle was celebrated in the Dutch Republic, but the Dutch fleet did not leave harbour again in the war; Parker told George III he wished for better ships and younger officers, and resigned. Thomas Luny painted the battle.
Sources differ British wounded: 39 in one account, 339 in another account. Dutch casualties: 142 killed and 403 wounded in one account; some reports cited by Clowes put them as high as about 1,100 killed and wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Raid on Essequibo and Demerara (1781) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Raid on Demerara and Essequibo
24 to 27 February 1781 · Essequibo and Demerara rivers, Dutch colonies on the north coast of South America
Fought between Great Britain (privateers) against the Dutch Republic
Forces 6 British privateers
Losses British: none. Dutch: 14 to 15 merchant ships captured
Result British victory
Six British privateers entered the Essequibo and Demerara rivers and captured 15 Dutch merchant ships before withdrawing. No British losses are recorded.
Why it is remembered It was one of the West Indies actions of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, fought by privateers rather than by the navy.
Sources differ One account says 15 merchant ships were captured; another account gives 14 to 15.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of Fort Royal Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Fort-Royal (French)
29 to 30 April 1781 · Off Fort Royal, Martinique
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Samuel Hood (Great Britain); François Joseph Paul de Grasse (France)
Forces 18 British ships of the line against 24 French ships of the line
Losses Britain: 39 killed, 162 wounded. France: reports vary.
Result French victory
Hood's squadron fought de Grasse's fleet off Fort Royal for four hours before breaking off and retreating. De Grasse made a half hearted chase and then saw the French convoys safely into port.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Capture of HMS Savage Single-ship action
6 September 1781 · Off Charleston, South Carolina
Fought between United States against Great Britain
Commanders George Geddes (Congress); Charles Stirling (Great Britain), surrendered
Forces The 16-gun American privateer Congress against the 16-gun sloop of war HMS Savage
Ships Congress, HMS Savage
Losses Americans: 11 killed, about 30 wounded. Britain: 8 killed, 26 wounded; Savage captured.
Result American victory
Off Charleston the American privateer Congress fought the Royal Navy sloop HMS Savage, of equal armament, and captured her.
Why it is remembered It is considered one of the hardest fought single ship actions of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Capture of HMS St. Fermin Single-ship action
4 April 1781 · Off Málaga, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders J. Herrera-Dávila (Spain); Jonathan Faulknor (Great Britain), surrendered
Forces 2 Spanish xebecs, San Antonio and San Luis, against the sloop of war HMS St. Fermin
Ships San Antonio, San Luis, HMS St. Fermin
Losses Britain: 138 taken prisoner; St. Fermin captured. Spain: none.
Result Spanish victory
Two Spanish xebecs, San Antonio and San Luis, engaged the British sloop of war St. Fermin off Málaga and captured her.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War, Gulf Coast campaign
Siege of Pensacola Landing or siege
9 March to 10 May 1781 · Pensacola and Pensacola Bay, West Florida
Fought between Spain and France against Great Britain, with Waldeck, Choctaw and Creek allies
Commanders Bernardo de Gálvez (wounded), José Calvo de Irazabal, José Solano y Bote, Francisco de Miranda, Juan Manuel de Cagigal (Spain); François-Aymar de Monteil (France); John Campbell (Britain, surrendered)
Forces Spanish and French: 7,400 regulars and militia and 10,000 sailors and marines in 21 ships, including 1,500 French sailors and 750 French soldiers. British: 1,300 regulars, rangers and militia and 500 Native allies.
Ships San Ramón, Gálveztown
Losses Spanish and French: 95 killed, 202 wounded. British: 155 killed, 105 wounded, 1,113 captured and 2 sloops captured; 57 died when the magazine at Fort Crescent exploded on 8 May.
Result Spanish and French victory; Spain gained control of West Florida
Calvo's fleet carried Gálvez's army from Havana, but the 64-gun San Ramón ran aground trying to enter the bay. On 18 March Gálvez took the Gálveztown through the channel under largely ineffective British fire, and other Louisiana ships followed. A Spanish and French fleet under Solano and Monteil arrived on 19 April with reinforcements. On 8 May a howitzer shell blew up the magazine of Fort Crescent, and the British surrendered.
Why it is remembered It completed Spain's conquest of West Florida, and Gálvez was made governor of West Florida and Louisiana.
Sources differ The main account gives two sets of British losses: 297 (95 killed, 202 wounded) and a total of 1,373 (155 killed, 105 wounded, 1,113 captured).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: H. Charles McBarron, Jr., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Porto Praya Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Porto Praya (French)
16 April 1781 · Porto Praya, Cape Verde Islands, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders George Johnstone (Great Britain); Pierre André de Suffren (France)
Forces British: 5 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 2 cutters, 1 bomb vessel, 1 fireship, 2 hired armed vessels, 4 troopships, 1 storeship and 13 merchant ships. France: 5 ships of the line.
Losses Britain: 36 killed, 147 wounded; 1 fireship, 1 storeship and 2 merchant ships captured. France: 93 killed, 217 wounded.
Result Inconclusive; French strategic victory
Both squadrons were bound for the Dutch Cape Colony, the British to capture it and the French to defend it. Johnstone's fleet was watering at anchor in neutral Portuguese Porto Praya when Suffren arrived and attacked it there. Neither side was ready, and in the inconclusive fight the French took more damage, though no warships were lost; Johnstone had to give up his pursuit to make repairs.
Why it is remembered Suffren reached the Cape first and reinforced its garrison before sailing on to Isle de France. The battle was painted in 1836.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Battle of Saldanha Bay (1781) Raid
21 July 1781 · Saldanha Bay, Dutch Cape Colony
Fought between Great Britain against the Dutch Republic (Dutch East India Company)
Commanders George Johnstone (Great Britain); Gerrit Harmeyer (Dutch East India Company), surrendered
Forces 5 British ships of the line, 3 frigates, 2 cutters, 1 bomb vessel, 1 fireship, 2 troopships and 5 merchant ships against 8 Dutch East India Company merchant ships
Ships Dankbaarheid
Losses Dutch: 5 merchant ships captured and 1 destroyed by her own crew; casualties minimal if any. Britain: none.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy squadron under Commodore George Johnstone attacked Dutch East India Company ships lying in Saldanha Bay. It captured five of them, and the crew of a sixth destroyed their own ship.
Why it is remembered One of the prizes, Dankbaarheid, foundered on 30 January 1782.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Second Battle of Ushant Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Ushant (1781); Bataille d'Ouessant (1781) (French)
12 December 1781 · Off Ushant, Bay of Biscay, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Richard Kempenfelt (Great Britain); Comte de Guichen (France)
Forces 12 British ships of the line against 19 French ships of the line escorting 110 transports
Ships Victory (Kempenfelt's flagship)
Losses France: 1,620 men captured and 21 transports captured. Britain: light.
Result British victory
Kempenfelt's squadron found the French convoy and saw that its escort had been reinforced and was too strong to attack. But Guichen's warships were downwind of the convoy, so Kempenfelt swept down on the transports before the escort could intervene and captured a number of ships carrying troops and supplies. A gale then scattered the rest of the convoy and most of it was forced back to port.
Why it is remembered Only two of the ships of the line meant for the West Indies and a few transports got through to take part in the campaign that ended at the Saintes in April 1782.
Sources differ One account says 15 ships were captured; another account gives 21 transports.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Siege of Yorktown Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Yorktown; Surrender at Yorktown
28 September to 19 October 1781 · Yorktown and Gloucester, Virginia
Fought between United States and France against Great Britain, with Hessian and Ansbach-Bayreuth troops
Commanders George Washington, the Comte de Rochambeau, the Marquis de Lafayette and the Comte de Grasse (United States and France); Charles Cornwallis (Great Britain), surrendered
Forces Americans 8,000 to 9,000 men; French 10,800 men and 29 warships; against 5,000 British and fewer than 3,000 German troops
Losses Franco-American: 88 killed, 301 wounded. British and German: 142 to 309 killed, 326 to 595 wounded, 7,416 to 7,685 captured.
Result Franco-American victory
De Grasse brought the French West Indies fleet to Chesapeake Bay at the end of August, blockaded Yorktown, beat off Graves's relieving fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake and landed the heavy siege guns. Washington and Rochambeau surrounded Cornwallis by land, opened their parallels and took Redoubts 9 and 10 on 14 October. Cornwallis asked for terms on 17 October and surrendered on 19 October.
Why it is remembered It was the last major land engagement of the war; with more than 7,000 British soldiers captured, negotiations began that led to the Treaty of Paris of 1783. John Trumbull painted the surrender in 1820.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Action of 12 December 1782 Convoy battle
12 December 1782 · Off Ferrol, north west Spain, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France and the United States
Commanders James Luttrell (Great Britain); Nicolas Baudin (France)
Forces The British 40-gun fifth rate HMS Mediator against a convoy of five armed ships: 1 ship of the line, 1 frigate, 1 armed transport and 2 privateers
Ships HMS Mediator, La Ménagère, Alexander
Losses Britain: 7 killed or wounded. France and United States: 9 killed, 16 wounded, 340 captured; La Ménagère and the privateer Alexander captured.
Result British victory
HMS Mediator attacked a convoy of five armed ships off Ferrol that formed part of Beaumarchais's supply chain to the American colonists. She captured the American privateer Alexander and then the French former ship of the line La Ménagère.
Why it is remembered Thomas Luny painted Mediator's fight in 1783.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 15 September 1782 Single-ship action
Also known as Second Battle of Delaware Bay
15 September 1782 · Mouth of Delaware Bay
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders George Elphinstone (Great Britain); Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville (France), surrendered
Forces 2 British ships of the line, 1 frigate and 1 sloop of war against three French warships, including two frigates
Ships Aigle
Losses France: 600 captured; the frigate Aigle captured. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
Four Royal Navy ships under George Elphinstone chased and attacked a French force under Latouche Tréville at the mouth of Delaware Bay. The 38-gun frigate Aigle ran aground and was captured with Latouche Tréville aboard.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 16 March 1782 Single-ship action
Also known as Acción del 16 de marzo de 1782 (Spanish)
16 March 1782 · Off Cape Spartel, Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Charles Pole (Great Britain); Miguel Tacón (Spain), captured
Forces The British 32-gun frigate HMS Success and the hired armed storeship Vernon (22 guns) against the Spanish 34-gun frigate Santa Catalina with 300 men
Ships HMS Success, Vernon, Santa Catalina
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 4 wounded. Spain: 25 killed, 8 wounded, the rest captured; Santa Catalina destroyed.
Result British victory
Success and Vernon, bound for besieged Gibraltar, met Santa Catalina, one of a Spanish squadron watching for relief convoys. As the Spanish frigate came near, Success hauled up and fired a destructive broadside, then wore round, and Vernon followed. Around 8 pm, having lost her mizzen mast, Santa Catalina struck.
Why it is remembered Santa Catalina was holed below the waterline. When six Spanish sail appeared the next day, Pole removed the valuables and prisoners and blew her up, then reached Gibraltar a few days later.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 18 October 1782 Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille d'Hispaniola (French)
17 to 18 October 1782 · Off Hispaniola and Samaná Bay, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders James Kempthorne (Great Britain); Nicolas de Grimouard (France)
Forces The British 98-gun HMS London and 74-gun HMS Torbay against the French 74-gun Scipion and 40-gun frigate Sibylle
Ships Scipion, Sibylle, HMS London, HMS Torbay
Losses Britain: 11 killed, 75 wounded. France: 15 killed, 46 wounded; Scipion lost.
Result Inconclusive
Scipion and Sibylle were chased by London and Torbay. Scipion outmanoeuvred her larger pursuers and raked London, causing severe damage, and kept on running. Going to anchor in Samaná Bay she struck a rock and sank, while Sibylle escaped.
Why it is remembered Rossel de Cercy painted Scipion's fight with London.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Action of 4 September 1782 Single-ship action
4 September 1782 · Off the Île de Batz, Brittany, English Channel
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Henry Trollope (Britain); Joseph-Pierre de Vigny (France)
Forces One British frigate, HMS Rainbow, against one French frigate, Hébé
Ships HMS Rainbow, Hébé
Losses British: 1 killed, 2 wounded. French: 5 killed, 7 wounded, 360 captured, the frigate Hébé captured.
Result British victory
The Royal Navy frigate HMS Rainbow, armed with carronades, met the French frigate Hébé off the Île de Batz. Hébé struck her colours right after Rainbow's first broadside.
Why it is remembered It was the first engagement to see proper use of the British carronade, which proved highly effective. Hébé was taken into the Royal Navy as HMS Hebe.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Action of 5 September 1782 Single-ship action
5 September 1782 · 135 leagues east of Long Island, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Latouche and Vallongue (France)
Forces Two French frigates, Aigle and Gloire, against the British 74-gun ship of the line HMS Hector
Ships Aigle, Gloire, HMS Hector
Losses French: Aigle 4 killed and 13 wounded (4 mortally), Gloire 2 killed and 2 wounded. British: nine killed and 33 wounded. Hector foundered a few days later.
Result Indecisive
In a two-day fight the French frigates Aigle and Gloire badly damaged the lone British 74 HMS Hector. They failed to capture her only because a British squadron appeared on the horizon, and the French withdrew. Hector foundered a few days later in the 1782 Central Atlantic hurricane.
Sources differ The main account gives a French total of 10 dead and 11 wounded, which does not match its own per-ship figures (6 killed, 15 wounded).
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Action of 6 December 1782 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat du 6 décembre 1782 (French)
6 December 1782 · Off Martinique, West Indies
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders John Collins (Great Britain); Jean-Charles de Borda (France)
Forces The British third rate HMS Ruby against the French third rate Solitaire and the brig Speedy
Ships HMS Ruby, Solitaire, Speedy
Losses Britain: 2 wounded. France: 35 killed, 55 wounded, 500 captured; Solitaire and Speedy captured.
Result British victory
HMS Ruby fought the French ship of the line Solitaire off Martinique and easily defeated her. Solitaire and the brig Speedy were captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Elliott, del, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-Spanish War (1779 to 1783), part of the American Revolutionary War
Action of 6 September 1782 Single-ship action
6 September 1782 · Off Cape Spartel, near the Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Pedro Winthuysen Pineda (Spain); Warren Nicoll, surrendered (Britain)
Forces Spanish: one 34-gun frigate and 2 cutters. British: the 26-gun armed storeship Calonne.
Ships Calonne
Losses Spanish: none. British: 200 prisoners and the Calonne captured.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish flotilla captured Calonne, a 400-ton British armed storeship of the Board of Ordnance rated as a 26-gun frigate. She had been carrying military stores to the besieged garrison of Gibraltar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francis Jukes / After Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Cape Spartel Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla del Cabo Espartel (Spanish)
20 October 1782 · Off Cape Spartel, Morocco, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against Spain and France
Commanders Richard Howe (Great Britain); Luis de Córdova (Spain)
Forces 34 British ships of the line and 1 frigate against the combined Spanish and French fleet
Ships Victory (Howe's flagship), Britannia; Santísima Trinidad (Córdova's flagship), Bretagne, Invincible, Majestueux, Royal Louis
Losses Britain: 63 killed, 198 wounded. Spain and France: 360 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive
After resupplying besieged Gibraltar, Howe's fleet sailed west and shortened sail, leaving Córdova, who had the weather gage, to decide whether to fight. Córdova ordered a general chase, and at 5.45 pm the Franco-Spanish van opened fire; the British replied and drew away. No British ship was seriously engaged, and on 22 October Howe sailed for Britain as his orders required.
Why it is remembered Howe's convoy had reached Gibraltar safely, and together with the failed assault of 13 September this strengthened Britain's hand in the peace talks, in which Gibraltar was kept. The main account credits copper sheathing with letting Howe avoid action.
Sources differ The main account gives 34 Franco-Spanish ships of the line; the order of battle lists 46 and the background section gives 49.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Julian Henderson from Bronx, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Delaware Bay Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Cape May
8 April 1782 · Delaware Bay, off Cape May
Fought between United States against Great Britain
Commanders Joshua Barney (United States); Christopher Mason and Josias Rogers (Great Britain), Rogers surrendered
Forces 3 American sloops escorting merchantmen against 1 British frigate, 1 sloop of war and 1 brig
Ships Hyder Ally, HMS General Monk
Losses Americans: 4 killed, 11 wounded; 1 sloop captured. Britain: 20 killed, 33 wounded; HMS General Monk captured.
Result American victory
Three British vessels attacked three American privateers escorting a fleet of merchantmen in Delaware Bay near Cape May. The American sloop Hyder Ally, under Joshua Barney, captured the British sloop of war General Monk.
Why it is remembered The fight between Hyder Ally and General Monk was painted by William Nowland Van Powell.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Nowland Van Powell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of the Delaware Capes Single-ship action
Also known as Third Battle of Delaware Bay
20 to 21 December 1782 · Off the mouth of the Delaware River, Atlantic coast of North America
Fought between Great Britain against the United States (South Carolina State Navy and privateers)
Commanders Thomas Frederick (Britain); John Joyner (United States)
Forces British: 3 frigates, HMS Diomede, Quebec and Astraea. American: the 40-gun frigate South Carolina, the brigs Hope and Constance and the schooner Seagrove.
Ships HMS Diomede, HMS Quebec, HMS Astraea, South Carolina, Hope, Constance, Seagrove
Losses British: none. American: 6 killed, 8 wounded, 530 captured, 1 frigate and 2 brigs captured.
Result British victory
Three Royal Navy frigates intercepted the South Carolina State Navy's frigate South Carolina and three privateers off the Delaware. The British captured all but the schooner Seagrove, which escaped.
Why it is remembered It was fought some three weeks after the preliminary articles of peace had been signed.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Capture of Demerara and Essequibo Landing or siege
Also known as Prise de Démérara et Essequibo (French)
22 January 1782 · Demerara and Essequibo, South America
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Armand de Kersaint and the Comte de Bouillé (France); Governor Robert Kingston (Great Britain), surrendered
Forces The French frigate Iphigénie, 4 sloops and 355 soldiers against the British 28th Regiment of Foot
Ships Iphigénie
Losses Britain: 3 sloops and 2 brigs captured, 1 brig sunk; the 28th Regiment surrendered. France: minimal.
Result French victory
In 1781 Rodney had sent two sloops from Sint Eustatius to take possession of the Dutch colonies of Essequibo and Demerara. In January 1782 a French expedition took the settlements and forced the British governor, Robert Kingston, to surrender.
Why it is remembered The French held Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice until the Treaty of Paris of 1783 returned them to the Dutch.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle off Halifax (1782) Single-ship action
28 to 29 May 1782 · Off Halifax, Nova Scotia
Fought between Great Britain against the United States
Commanders Lieutenant John Crymes (Britain); Captain David Ropes, killed (United States)
Forces The 14-gun Royal Navy brig HMS Observer against the American privateer Jack
Ships HMS Observer, Jack
Losses British: 3 killed, 5 wounded. American: 7 killed, 13 wounded, Jack captured.
Result British victory
The American privateer Jack under Captain David Ropes fought the Royal Navy brig HMS Observer under Lieutenant John Crymes off Halifax. It was described as a long and severe engagement. Ropes was killed and Jack was captured.
Why it is remembered Robert Dodd made a print of the engagement, now in the collection of the US Naval Academy.
Sources differ One account gives the date as 28 May 1782; another account gives 28 to 29 May 1782.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Dodd (artist), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Hudson Bay expedition Raid
Also known as Expédition de la baie d'Hudson (French)
May to August 1782 · Prince of Wales Fort and York Factory, Hudson Bay
Fought between France against the Hudson's Bay Company (Great Britain)
Commanders Comte de Lapérouse (France); Samuel Hearne (Hudson's Bay Company), surrendered
Forces 1 French ship of the line and 2 frigates against 2 trading posts and 3 merchantmen
Losses France: 15 drowned and about 85 dead of illness. Hudson's Bay Company: about 100 captured; 2 trading posts taken.
Result French victory
Under secret orders, a French squadron under Lapérouse sailed from Cap-Français in May 1782 and reached Hudson Bay in early August. Prince of Wales Fort and York Factory surrendered without a fight, though a company merchantman escaped with some of the furs from York Factory. Some prisoners were sent home in a company sloop and others were pressed into the squadron, which suffered badly from scurvy and disease after sailing with minimal winter provisions.
Why it is remembered The raid damaged the finances of the Hudson's Bay Company and indirectly contributed to the deaths of up to half of the Chipewyan fur traders who dealt with it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lieutenant de frégate Lefebvre, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Battle of Kedges Strait Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of the Barges
30 November 1782 · Kedges Strait, between Smith and South Marsh Islands, off Tangier Sound, Chesapeake Bay
Fought between Maryland naval militia (United States) against Great Britain
Commanders Commodore Zedekiah Whaley and Lieutenant Colonel John Cropper (United States); British commander unknown
Forces American: 65 men. British: unknown.
Ships McDougall
Losses American: on McDougall, 25 killed or wounded, 29 captured, 11 escaped. British: unknown.
Result British victory
Maryland naval militia in armed barges fought Royal Navy forces in Kedges Strait near Tangier Sound in the Chesapeake Bay. The British won.
Why it is remembered A historical marker in Onancock, Virginia, records the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Raid on Lunenburg (1782) Raid
Also known as Sack of Lunenburg
1 July 1782 · Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Fought between United States privateers against Great Britain
Commanders Noah Stoddard, George Wait Babcock, Gregory Powers, Herbert Woodbury, John Tibbets (United States); John Creighton, Dettlieb Christopher Jessen, Joseph Pernette, Johann Gottlob Schmeisser (Britain)
Forces American: 5 privateer vessels with about 170 men. British: local militia, numbers unknown.
Ships Scammell, Hope
Losses British: 1 killed, 3 taken prisoner. American: 4 wounded.
Result American victory
Captain Noah Stoddard in the privateer Scammell led five heavily armed vessels against Lunenburg. About 170 privateers overpowered the defence, took the blockhouses, burnt Colonel Creighton's home and looted the town, holding off the militia with the threat of destroying it. They took three prisoners, including Creighton, who were later released from Boston without ransom.
Why it is remembered It was the last major privateer attack on a Nova Scotia community during the war, and the most spectacular raid there. A. J. Wright painted the raid.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of the Mona Passage Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du canal de la Mona (French)
19 April 1782 · Mona Passage, between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir Samuel Hood (Great Britain); Georges-François de Framond (France)
Forces 10 British ships of the line, 1 frigate and 1 fireship against 2 French ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 corvette
Ships Barfleur (Hood's flagship); Jason, Caton, Amiable, Ceres
Losses Britain: 10 killed, 14 wounded. France: 1,300 captured; 2 ships of the line, 1 frigate and 1 corvette captured.
Result British victory
A week after the Battle of the Saintes, Hood's squadron overtook a French squadron under Framond that had escaped from the battle. In the Mona Passage the British captured four French warships, the 64-gun Jason and Caton, the frigate Amiable and the corvette Ceres.
Why it is remembered It completed the British victory at the Saintes.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lieutenant William Elliott, R.N. (fl.1784 to 1791), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Capture of Montserrat Landing or siege
22 February 1782 · Montserrat, West Indies
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Comte de Barras and Charles François Joseph, Comte de Flechin (France); Governor Michael White (Great Britain)
Forces 4 French ships and 500 men; British strength unknown
Losses Britain: casualties unknown; 68 guns taken. France: minimal.
Result French victory
A French naval expedition seized the island of Montserrat from the British.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
Battle of Negapatam (1782) Fleet battle
6 July 1782 · Off Negapatam, Coromandel coast of India, Bay of Bengal
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir Edward Hughes (Britain); Pierre André de Suffren (France)
Forces British: 11 ships of the line and 1 frigate. French: 12 ships of the line, 1 frigate, 2 corvettes and 1 fireship.
Losses British: 77 killed, 233 wounded. French: 178 killed, 601 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
The British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes engaged Suffren's French fleet off the coast of India. The battle was indecisive, but Hughes stopped Suffren from reaching his goal. Suffren withdrew to Cuddalore and the British kept control of Negapatam.
Why it is remembered It was the third of the battles between Hughes and Suffren in Indian waters. Dominic Serres painted it in 1786.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dominic Serres (1719 to 1793), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
Battle of Providien Fleet battle
12 April 1782 · Off the east coast of Ceylon, near the islet of Providien, south of Trincomalee
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir Edward Hughes (Britain); Pierre André de Suffren (France)
Forces 11 British ships of the line against 12 French ships of the line
Ships HMS Monmouth
Losses British: 137 killed, 430 wounded. French: 139 killed, 430 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
The British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and the French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren fought off the east coast of Ceylon, near a rocky islet called Providien. The result was inconclusive and losses on both sides were heavy.
Why it is remembered It was the second of the battles between Hughes and Suffren off India. A 1784 painting by Dominic Serres shows HMS Monmouth in a desperate state at the close of the action with three French ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
Battle of Sadras Fleet battle
17 February 1782 · Off Sadras, near present-day Kalpakkam, east coast of India, Bay of Bengal
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir Edward Hughes (Britain); Pierre André de Suffren (France)
Forces 9 British ships of the line against 11 French ships of the line
Losses British: 32 killed, 83 wounded. French: 30 killed, 100 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes met a French fleet under Suffren off the east coast of India. The battle was tactically indecisive, but the British fleet suffered the most damage. Under Suffren's protection, French troop transports were able to land at Porto Novo, present-day Parangipettai.
Why it is remembered It was the first of five largely indecisive battles between Hughes and Suffren off India. Dominique Serres painted the battle in 1782.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of Saint Kitts Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Frigate Bay; Bataille de Saint-Christophe (French)
25 to 26 January 1782 · Off Basseterre, Saint Kitts
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir Samuel Hood (Great Britain); Comte de Grasse (France)
Forces 22 British ships of the line against 29 French ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 cutter
Ships Barfleur (Hood's flagship); Ville de Paris (de Grasse's flagship), Pluton
Losses Britain: 72 killed, 244 wounded. France: 107 killed, 204 wounded; 1 cutter captured.
Result British tactical victory; the island fell to France
The French were besieging the British fortress on Brimstone Hill when Hood sailed from Antigua to relieve it. On 25 January he drew de Grasse's fleet away from the land, and a shift in the wind let him take the Basseterre anchorage the French had just left, where he anchored his fleet in an L-shaped line. De Grasse attacked three times on 26 January and was beaten off each time.
Why it is remembered Brimstone Hill fell nonetheless, Saint Kitts and Nevis surrendered on 12 February, and Hood left on the 14th to join Rodney. Nicholas Pocock painted the battle in 1784.
Sources differ French strength is given variously as 29 ships of the line, 36 ships of the line, and 28 two-deckers with one 110-gun ship.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Battle of the Saintes Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Dominica; Bataille de la Dominique (French)
9 to 12 April 1782 · Off Dominica, near the Îles des Saintes, West Indies
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir George Rodney, Sir Samuel Hood and Francis Samuel Drake (Great Britain); Comte de Grasse (France), captured, and Louis-Antoine de Bougainville
Forces 36 British ships of the line against 30 French ships of the line
Ships Formidable (Rodney's flagship), Barfleur (Hood), Princessa (Drake), Marlborough, Bedford, Centaur; Ville de Paris (de Grasse's flagship), Glorieux, Ardent, Hector, César
Losses Britain: 243 killed, 816 wounded; no ships lost. France: about 3,000 killed or wounded and 5,000 to 6,000 captured by modern estimates; Ville de Paris, Glorieux, Ardent and Hector captured, César destroyed by explosion with more than 400 men.
Result British victory
Rodney caught de Grasse's fleet escorting a convoy on 9 April, but the first clash was indecisive. On 12 April the fleets passed on opposite courses; when the wind shifted the French line was split, and Formidable broke through the gap followed by five more ships, while Bedford passed between César and Hector. Four French ships of the line were taken, among them de Grasse's flagship Ville de Paris, and César blew up after capture.
Why it is remembered It ended the Franco-Spanish plan to invade Jamaica and is counted by many historians as Britain's most important victory over France in the war; whether Rodney deliberately broke the line is still argued. Rodney and Hood were made peers, Rodney's memorial in Spanish Town, Jamaica, carries two guns from Ville de Paris, and the Three Captains monument in Westminster Abbey honours captains who fell.
Sources differ One account gives up to 15,000 French casualties; another account gives modern estimates of 3,000 killed or wounded and 5,000 to 6,000 captured, and older figures of 3,000 killed and 6,000 wounded. A third account counts four ships captured and one destroyed, though its narrative says César was captured before she blew up.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Anglo-French War of 1778 to 1783 (American Revolutionary War)
Third Battle of Ushant Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Ushant (1782); Action of 20 to 21 April 1782
20 to 21 April 1782 · Off Ushant, Bay of Biscay, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Samuel Barrington, John Jervis (wounded) and Frederick Maitland (Great Britain); Chevalier de Sillans and François Julien de Quérangal (France), both surrendered
Forces 12 British ships of the line and 3 frigates against 3 French ships of the line and 2 frigates escorting a convoy of transports
Ships HMS Foudroyant, Pégase
Losses Britain: 5 wounded. France: 80 killed, 40 wounded, 2,100 captured; 2 ships of the line and 12 transports captured.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy fleet under Samuel Barrington met a French squadron of three ships of the line protecting a convoy of transports off Ushant. In a two day action the British took two of the French ships of the line and twelve transports.
Why it is remembered It was the third battle fought off Ushant in the war and a clear British victory. Dominic Serres painted Foudroyant bringing her prize Pégase into Portsmouth nine days later.
Sources differ One account gives a convoy of 12 transports; another account gives 19 transport ships, of which 12 were captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
Battle of Trincomalee Fleet battle
3 September 1782 · Off Trincomalee, Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka)
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir Edward Hughes (Britain); Pierre André de Suffren (France)
Forces 12 British ships of the line against 14 French ships of the line
Losses British: 51 killed, 283 wounded. French: 82 killed, 255 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren fought off Trincomalee in Ceylon. Neither side gained a decisive result.
Why it is remembered It was the fourth of the series of battles between Hughes and Suffren off the Indian subcontinent. Dominic Serres painted the action.
Sources differ One account gives the date as 25 August to 3 September 1782; another account gives the battle as fought on 3 September 1782.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Action of 10 March 1783 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat de l'Alliance et de la Sybil; combat off the coast of Florida
10 March 1783 · Off Florida, between Palm Beach and Cape Canaveral
Fought between United States against Great Britain
Commanders John Barry (United States); James Vashon (Britain)
Forces One American frigate of 36 guns, Alliance, against one British frigate of 20 guns, Sybil
Ships Alliance, Sybil
Losses American: unknown. British: frigate damaged, casualties unknown.
Result American victory
The American frigate Alliance under John Barry fought the British frigate Sybil under James Vashon off the coast of Florida. Sybil was damaged.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Captain Matthew Parke USMC, (1746 to 1813), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
Action of 11 April 1783 Single-ship action
11 April 1783 · Off Trincomalee, Bay of Bengal
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Samuel Graves (Britain); Villaret de Joyeuse, surrendered (France)
Forces The British 64-gun ship of the line HMS Sceptre against the French corvette Naïade
Ships HMS Sceptre, Naïade
Losses British: 24 killed or wounded. French: 34 killed or wounded, 160 captured, Naïade captured.
Result British victory
HMS Sceptre sighted the French corvette Naïade and captured her off Trincomalee after a fight of five hours.
Why it is remembered Naïade's captain, Villaret de Joyeuse, was taken prisoner.
Sources differ One account is titled 11 April 1783, but another account says Naïade was captured on the night of 14 April 1783.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: James Northcote, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
Action of 15 February 1783 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat du 15 février 1783
15 February 1783 · Off Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Robert Linzee (Britain); Chevalier Clesmaur (France)
Forces The British 74-gun ship of the line HMS Magnificent against the 36-gun French frigate Concorde
Ships HMS Magnificent, Concorde
Losses British: minor. French: 300 killed or wounded, Concorde captured.
Result British victory
The ship of the line HMS Magnificent chased the French frigate Concorde off Guadeloupe, overhauled her and captured her.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown (from The Linzee Family by John William Linzee, 1917), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-Spanish War)
Action of 17 February 1783 Single-ship action
17 February 1783 · Caribbean Sea, between Jamaica and Cuba
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders George Stoney (Britain); Spanish commander unknown
Forces The British fifth rate frigate HMS Fox against the Spanish frigate Santa Catalina
Ships HMS Fox, Santa Catalina
Losses British: 4 killed, 1 wounded. Spanish: 35 killed and wounded, 128 captured, Santa Catalina captured.
Result British victory
The Royal Navy frigate HMS Fox fought and captured the Spanish frigate Santa Catalina between Jamaica and Cuba.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War
Action of 22 January 1783 Single-ship action
22 January 1783 · Off the Virginia Capes, entrance to Chesapeake Bay
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Thomas Macnamara Russell (Britain); Théobald René de Kergariou-Locmaria, surrendered (France)
Forces British: the frigate Hussar, with a ship of the line in company per the main account. French: the frigate Sybille.
Ships HMS Hussar, Sybille
Losses British: 15 killed, 26 wounded. French: 26 killed, 40 wounded, 170 captured, the frigate Sybille captured.
Result British victory
The British frigate Hussar under Thomas Macnamara Russell captured the French frigate Sybille under Kergariou-Locmaria off the Chesapeake Bay.
Why it is remembered The French were accused of breaking the accepted rules of war by flying false flags and distress signals, which made the action controversial.
Sources differ One account calls it a single-ship action; another account lists British strength as 1 ship of the line and 1 frigate.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: http://maps.bpl.org, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Spanish to Algerian war of 1775 to 1785
Bombardment of Algiers (1783) Landing or siege
4 to 8 August 1783 · Algiers, Regency of Algiers
Fought between Spain against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Rear Admiral Antonio Barceló (Spain); Mohammed V (Algiers)
Forces Spanish: 4 ships of the line, 4 frigates and 68 other vessels. Algerian: 2 demi-galleys, 2 xebecs, 6 gunboats and 1 felucca.
Losses Spanish: 26 dead, 1,500 lb of gunpowder stolen. Algerian: 1 gunboat, 562 buildings destroyed or damaged.
Result Algerian victory
A Spanish fleet under Antonio Barceló bombarded Algiers eight times between 4 and 8 August to stop Algerine privateering against Spanish shipping. It did little damage to Algerine forces. Barceló blamed the weather and ordered a withdrawal.
Why it is remembered The Spanish court judged the expedition a failure, mocking it as a costly festival of fireworks. Spain returned the next year.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tomás López (1730 to 1802), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
Battle of Cuddalore (1783) Fleet battle
20 June 1783 · Off Cuddalore, Coromandel coast of India, Bay of Bengal
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Pierre André de Suffren (France); Sir Edward Hughes with L. J. Weiland (Britain)
Forces 15 French ships of the line against 18 British ships of the line
Ships Cléopâtre
Losses French: 102 killed, 386 wounded. British: 99 killed, 434 wounded. No ships were seriously damaged.
Result French victory
The British had begun to besiege Cuddalore after the death of the French ally Hyder Ali. Suffren's fleet arrived on 13 June, and after a week of fickle winds he attacked on 20 June, directing the battle from the frigate Cléopâtre. The British fleet then withdrew to Madras, so reinforcements for the siege could not be landed.
Why it is remembered Peace had already been agreed in Europe but the news had not reached India, so this was the final battle of the war. Word of peace arrived at Cuddalore on 29 June.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Auguste Jugelet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · American Revolutionary War (Anglo-French War)
Battle of Grand Turk Landing or siege
Also known as Capture of the Turks and Caicos Islands
9 March 1783 · Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Horatio Nelson (Britain, relief force); Marquis de Grasse-Briançon and M. de Coujolles (France)
Forces British relief: the 28-gun frigate HMS Albemarle, 2 brigs and 167 men. French: 400 men holding the island.
Ships HMS Albemarle
Losses British: 9 wounded. French: none.
Result French victory
France had taken the island of Grand Turk, with its rich salt works, in February 1783. The British sent the frigate HMS Albemarle under Captain Horatio Nelson with more than 100 men to retake it, but the attack failed.
Why it is remembered It was an early failure for Nelson. The islands were restored to Britain anyway by the Treaty of Paris six months later.
Sources differ One account gives the British landing force as more than 100 men; another account gives 167.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John Francis Rigaud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Spanish to Algerian war
Bombardment of Algiers (1784) Landing or siege
12 to 21 July 1784 · Algiers, Regency of Algiers
Fought between Spain, Naples, Sicily, the Order of Malta and Portugal against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Antonio Barceló and José de Mazarredo (Spain); Muhammad V and Ali Agha (Algiers)
Forces Allied: 9 ships of the line, 11 frigates, 14 xebecs and 90 smaller warships. Algerian: 4,000 volunteers and 70 galiots and gunboats.
Losses Allied: 1 felucca sunk, 1 gunboat destroyed, 53 killed, 64 wounded. Algerian: most of the vessels in the harbour sunk.
Result Algerian victory
A joint Spanish, Neapolitan, Maltese and Portuguese fleet under Antonio Barceló bombarded Algiers, the main base of the Barbary corsairs, to force them to stop their raiding. It followed the failed Spanish expedition of the year before.
Why it is remembered José López Llanos made a 1784 depiction of the first day of the bombardment.
Sources differ One account gives 12 to 21 July 1784; another account gives 12 July 1784.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lopez Llanos, José (17..-18..). Cartographe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792
Moroccan seizure of the Betsey Blockade and raiding
Also known as Secuestro del Betsey
11 October 1784 · Off the coast of Cádiz, Spain
Fought between Sultanate of Morocco against the United States
Commanders Ordered by Sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah (Morocco)
Ships Betsey
Losses American: the merchant ship Betsey captured, her crew held hostage.
Result Moroccan victory
Moroccan naval forces captured the Philadelphia merchant ship Betsey on the orders of the Sultan, after the United States government delayed signing a treaty. Ship and crew were held in Tangier until 9 July 1785.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · European conflicts with the Barbary states
Venetian bombardments of the Beylik of Tunis Landing or siege
June 1784 to 1786 · Porto Farina, Tunis, Sfax, Bizerte and Sousse, Tunisia
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Beylik of Tunis
Commanders Angelo Emo, Andrea Querini, Tommaso Condulmer (Venice); Hammuda ibn Ali (Tunis)
Forces Venetian: various sailing warships, 2 bomb ketches and 9 bomb rafts. Tunisian: coastal defences, batteries and several ships.
The Venetian navy under Angelo Emo bombarded Tunis and other harbour towns of Tunisia in retaliation for the Bey's support of corsairs who preyed on Venetian shipping. The conflict dragged on until 1792, but there were no major naval actions after the winter of 1786 to 1787.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Tây Sơn wars and Siamese to Vietnamese wars
Battle of Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút Fleet battle
Also known as Trận Rạch Gầm, Xoài Mút
20 January 1785 · Rạch Gầm and Xoài Mút rivers near the Mỹ Tho River, present-day Đồng Tháp province, southern Vietnam
Fought between Tây Sơn against Siam, Cambodia and the Nguyễn lords
Commanders Nguyễn Huệ, Nguyễn Lữ, Trương Văn Đa and others (Tây Sơn); Krom Luang Thepharirak, Phraya Wichitnarong, Phraya Thatsada (Siam); Chaophraya Aphaiphubet (Cambodia); Nguyễn Ánh (Nguyễn)
Forces Tây Sơn: about 30,000 men, 55 warships, 100 sailing ships, 300 small canoes and 132 cannon. Siamese and allies: 40,000 sailors, 30,000 infantry and 300 warships, with 3,000 to 4,000 of Nguyễn Ánh's men.
Losses Tây Sơn: unknown, but fewer than their opponents. Siamese and Cambodian: warships nearly annihilated, dead uncertain (Vietnamese sources claim 40,000 Siamese killed). Nguyễn forces: about 3,200 killed.
Result Tây Sơn victory
A Tây Sơn army and river fleet under Nguyễn Huệ destroyed a Siamese invasion force and its fleet on the Rạch Gầm and Xoài Mút rivers. The Siamese, Cambodian and Nguyễn remnants withdrew to Siam.
Why it is remembered The Tây Sơn went on to annex the Nguyễn territory. A monument to the battle stands in Vietnam.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 20 January 1785; another account gives 1784 to 1785. Siamese losses rest on a Vietnamese claim of 40,000 killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nguyễn Thanh Quang, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Battle of Kinburn (1787) Landing or siege
Also known as Storming of Kinburn; Kılburun Muharebesi; Kinburnskaya bataliya
11 to 12 October 1787 (N.S.); 30 September to 1 October 1787 (O.S.) · Kinburn Spit, Dnieper river delta, opposite Ochakov
Fought between Ottoman Empire, with Algiers, against Russia
Commanders Janissary Agha Serben-Geşti-Eyyub-Ağa (landing party), Giritli Hüseyin Pasha and Said Ali (fleet) (Ottoman); Ivan von Reck, wounded, Alexander Suvorov, wounded, Rear Admiral Nikolay Mordvinov and Midshipman Giuliano Lombardo (Russia)
Forces Ottoman: a landing party of 5,000 men, supported by 3 ships of the line, 4 frigates, 4 bomb vessels, 14 gunboats and 23 transports, about 400 guns. Russian: 1,500 infantry in Kinburn, 2,500 infantry and light cavalry and over 1,500 Cossacks in reinforcement, and a naval division of 2 frigates and 4 galleys.
Losses Ottoman: 4,000 to 5,000, about 3,000 killed and wounded and 2,000 prisoners. Russian: about 1,000, 250 killed and 750 wounded.
Result Russian victory
An Ottoman force landed from the fleet on the Kinburn Spit to take the weak fortress, which covered the approaches to the Russian fleet base at Kherson. Russian troops under Suvorov, supported by a small naval division, defeated the landing.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for Suvorov's leadership; a well known image shows Grenadier Novikov saving the wounded Suvorov from a Turkish soldier.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Battle of Ochakov (1787) Fleet battle
Also known as Özi Deniz Muharebesi; Battle of Ochakiv
14 to 15 October 1787 · Off Ochakov (Özi), Black Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Russia
Commanders Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha (Ottoman); Rear Admiral Mordvinov (Russia)
Result Inconclusive
The Ottoman fleet under Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha and a Russian squadron under Rear Admiral Mordvinov fought off Ochakov. Neither side gained the upper hand.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: Alexander Varnek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Battle of Fidonisi Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Snake Island; Yılan Adası Deniz Muharebesi
14 July 1788 · Off Fidonisi (Snake Island), Black Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Marko Voinovich and Fyodor Ushakov (Russia); Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces Russian: 2 ships of the line, 10 frigates and 24 smaller ships. Ottoman: 17 ships of the line, 8 frigates, 3 bomb vessels and 21 smaller ships.
Losses Russian: unknown. Ottoman: 1 xebec sunk.
Result Russian victory
The Russian Sevastopol fleet under Marko Voinovich met the much larger Ottoman fleet of Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha near Snake Island, known in Greek as Fidonisi. The Russians won.
Why it is remembered Fyodor Ushakov was among the Russian commanders. A painting of the battle was made in 2021.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Kosov vladimir 09071967, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Battle of Hogland Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Gogland
17 July 1788 (6 July O.S.) · Off the island of Hogland (Gogland), Gulf of Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Prince Charles, Duke of Södermanland (Sweden); Samuel Greig (Russia)
Forces Swedish: 15 ships of the line, 5 frigates and 6 light frigates, 1,152 to 1,400 guns, about 10,000 men. Russian: 17 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 5 light frigates, 1,200 to 1,460 guns, about 12,000 men.
Ships Gustaf III, Prins Gustaf, Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta, Prins Gustaf Adolf, Sofia Magdalena, Rostislav, Vladislav, Vseslav
Losses Swedish: 1,000 to 1,200 killed, wounded or captured, and the ship of the line Prins Gustaf captured. Russian: 580 killed, 720 wounded, 470 captured, and the ship of the line Vladislav captured.
Result Tactically indecisive; strategic Russian success
In near calm the fleets fought from 17:00 until dark, using longboats to steer. The Russian 74 Vladislav drifted into the Swedish line and struck to Prins Gustaf Adolf and Sofia Magdalena, while the Swedish Prins Gustaf under Vice-Admiral Wachtmeister was battered by four Russian ships and surrendered by 22:00. Short of ammunition, the Swedes withdrew to Sveaborg and the damaged Russians did not pursue.
Why it is remembered Each side took one ship of the line, but Greig had done enough to stop the planned Swedish landing at Oranienbaum near Saint Petersburg. Louis Jean Desprez depicted the battle.
Sources differ The aftermath section gives Russian dead as 319 to 580 and Swedish dead as 200 to 300. One account lists 2 Russian frigates in another account but 7 in its order of battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Louis Jean Desprez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Siege of Ochakov (1788) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Özi; Özi Kuşatması
31 May to 17 December 1788 (N.S.) · Ochakov (Özi), now Ochakiv, Ukraine
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Grigory Potemkin, Alexander Suvorov (wounded), Charles of Nassau-Siegen, John Paul Jones (Russia); Hüseyin Pasha (captured), Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces Russian: 40,000. Ottoman: 20,000.
Losses Russian: final assault 2,785 to 6,000 (956 to 1,000 killed, 1,829 to 5,000 wounded), total 15,000. Ottoman: final assault 12,700 to 13,500 (8,700 to 9,500 killed, over 4,000 captured), garrison total 20,000 dead, and at sea 18 ships or vessels and over 7,800 men.
Result Russian victory
Potemkin besieged the fortress from summer to winter, bombarding it and cutting off supplies, while Hasan Pasha's fleet supported the defenders at sea. A Russian rowing flotilla under Nassau-Siegen and a sailing squadron under John Paul Jones fought the Turks in several naval actions, notably on 18 and 28 June 1788; on 28 June the Turks lost 16 ships and vessels to Nassau's flotilla and Suvorov's shore guns. Captain Christian Osten-Sacken blew up his own ship with himself aboard on 31 May after his crew had been taken off. The fortress was stormed on 17 December 1788 and Hüseyin Pasha was captured.
Why it is remembered Ochakov was a strategic position. January Suchodolski painted the siege in 1853.
Sources differ Russian casualties for the final assault range from 2,785 to 6,000 in one account. Another account describes the 28 June action as costing the Turks 16 vessels; one account gives total Ottoman losses at sea as 18 ships or vessels.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: January Suchodolski, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Capture of the frigate Kilduin Raid
August 1788 · Off Marstrand, west coast of Sweden
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Johan Petter Ternstedt, wounded (Sweden); Russian commander unknown
Forces Swedish: 1 rowing boat with 6 men. Russian: 1 frigate with 94 men.
Ships Kilduin, Bellona
Losses Swedish: 1 injured. Russian: the frigate Kilduin, 94 men captured, 128 cannon and 16,000 cannonballs taken.
Result Swedish victory
Johan Petter Ternstedt of the Swedish frigate Bellona spotted the lightly manned Russian frigate Kilduin at anchor. At night he and five men rowed out, boarded silently, overpowered the watch and screwed down the hatches to trap the crew below. Kilduin was brought into Marstrand with supplies including 500 rifles.
Why it is remembered Ternstedt was hailed as a hero. Kilduin served in the Swedish navy for seven more years and was sold in 1795.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Barbary to Portuguese conflicts
Action of 26 May 1789 Single-ship action
Also known as Action du 26 mai 1789
26 May 1789 · Off Algiers, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Portugal against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Commodore José de Melo Breyner (Portugal); Algerine commander unknown
Forces Portuguese: 1 ship of the line, Nossa Senhora da Conceição (90 guns), 1 frigate and the brig Lebre (24 guns). Algerine: 1 xebec of 26 guns, joined by 2 galleys and 4 boats.
Ships Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Lebre, Le Désir
Losses The main account lists one ship lost and other losses unknown, without making clear which side.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese division found an Algerine xebec bringing home the captured French ship Le Désir. Attacked, the xebec abandoned her prize and fled towards Algiers, chased by Lebre, and sheltered under the coastal forts. After some hours of firing the Portuguese, unable to close in shallow water and faced with galleys and boats from Algiers, withdrew. Le Désir was taken to Lisbon and handed to the French consul.
Sources differ One account calls it a Portuguese victory, while another account says the Portuguese withdrew after recovering the prize. Le Désir reached Lisbon on 15 June by one source and 19 June by another.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger / Peter Monamy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Artillery Duel at Korkiansaari Fleet battle
Also known as Artilleriduellen vid Korkiansaari holme
15 August 1789 · Korkiansaari islet, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Forces The Swedish archipelago fleet against its Russian counterpart
The Swedish archipelago fleet and the Russian archipelago fleet fought an exchange of gunfire at the islet of Korkiansaari.
Sources Wikipedia (SV)
Image: Johan Tietrich Schoultz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
First Battle of Svensksund Fleet battle
Also known as First Battle of Rochensalm
24 August 1789 (15 August O.S.) · Svensksund, off present-day Kotka, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Carl August Ehrensvärd, Carl Olof Cronstedt, Enrique MacDonell (Sweden); Charles Henry of Nassau-Siegen, Ivan Balle, Count Giulio Litta (Russia)
Forces Swedish: 12 archipelago frigates, 5 galleys, 20 gun sloops, 8 cannon and mortar longboats and auxiliaries, 5,000 men. Russian: 24 larger ships, 3 bomb vessels, 47 galleys, 30 gun sloops, 3 cutters and auxiliaries, 12,000 men.
Losses Swedish: 5 archipelago frigates, 2 galleys, 10 gun sloops and 1,500 men, with 30 auxiliary vessels burnt after the battle. Russian: 1 galley, 1 gun sloop, 383 killed, 628 wounded, 22 captured.
Result Russian victory
The Russian galley fleet under Nassau-Siegen attacked the Swedish archipelago fleet at Svensksund and defeated it with heavy Swedish losses.
Why it is remembered It was the first of two battles at Svensksund; Sweden won the second in 1790. Johan Tietrich Schoultz painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johan Tietrich Schoultz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Battle of Öland (1789) Fleet battle
26 July 1789 (15 July O.S.) · Near the island of Öland, Baltic Sea
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Prince Charles, Duke of Södermanland (Sweden); Vasily Chichagov (Russia)
Forces Swedish: 21 ships of the line, 9 large frigates and 4 light frigates. Russian: 21 ships of the line and 10 frigates.
Ships Wladislaff, Kung Gustaf III, Kung Adolf Fredrik, Prins Carl, Rostislav, Dvyenadtsat Apostolov, Knyaz Vladimir
Losses Swedish: 7 dead, 16 wounded. Russian: 32 dead, 187 wounded.
Result Draw or Russian victory
The Swedish fleet sailed to catch Chichagov's Russian fleet before it could unite with the Copenhagen squadron. They fought at long range from about 14:00 to 20:00, so the gunfire did little harm and most losses came from guns misfiring or bursting. Both fleets were weakened by sickness, and the undermanned Swedes could not pursue when the Russians turned east.
Why it is remembered The Russians kept control of the Baltic. Rear Admiral Per Liljehorn, whose ships had turned away, was court-martialled and stripped of his rank.
Sources differ One account gives 9 large Swedish frigates; another account mentions 8.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johan Petter Cumelin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Battle of Andros (1790) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kafireas
17 to 18 May 1790 · Strait between Andros and Cape Kafireas, Aegean Sea
Fought between Russian Empire (Greek privateers) against the Ottoman Empire and the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Lambros Katsonis, wounded (Russian service); Sai'd Ali (Algiers)
Forces Katsonis: 7 or 9 vessels. Ottoman and Algerian: 19 Ottoman ships and 11 to 13 Algerian xebecs.
Losses Katsonis: five ships destroyed and one captured, 565 dead and 53 wounded, several dozen captured and executed. Ottoman and Algerian: over 3,000 killed or wounded.
Result Ottoman and Algerian victory
The flotilla of Lambros Katsonis, a Greek privateer in Russian service, fought an Algerian and Ottoman fleet of 30 to 32 vessels between Cape Kafireas and Andros. Katsonis lost five ships and his flotilla ceased to exist as a fighting force, though the Ottomans also suffered heavily.
Why it is remembered Katsonis escaped, rebuilt his forces and stayed active until the end of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Battle of Björkösund Fleet battle
2 to 3 July 1790 · Björkösund, Beryozovye Islands, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Klas Hjelmstierna (Sweden); Karl Heinrich von Nassau-Siegen (Russia)
Forces Swedish: 42 gun sloops and yawls. Russian: 7 frigates, 6 xebecs, 3 floating batteries, 3 prams, 5 bomb vessels and 57 smaller vessels.
Losses Swedish: 3 killed, 8 wounded. Russian: 400 men, 1 frigate, 1 xebec, another larger vessel and some smaller ones.
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish force of gun sloops and yawls under Klas Hjelmstierna fought Nassau-Siegen's Russian flotilla at Björkösund and won.
Why it is remembered Johan Tietrich Schoultz painted the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johan Tietrich Schoultz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Battle of Fredrikshamn Fleet battle
15 May 1790 · Fredrikshamn (present-day Hamina, Finland)
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Gustav III (Sweden); Brigadier Pyotr Slizov (Russia)
Forces Swedish: 106 vessels of the archipelago fleet. Russian: 1 frigate and 72 smaller vessels.
Ships Sällan Värre
Losses Swedish: 1 gun yawl, 60 dead or wounded. Russian: 25 smaller vessels sunk or captured, 270 men dead, wounded or captured, and the turuma Sällan Värre recaptured by the Swedes.
Result Swedish victory
The Swedish archipelago fleet under Gustav III attacked the Russian archipelago fleet near Fredrikshamn and defeated it, recapturing the turuma Sällan Värre.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johan Tietrich Schoultz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Siege of Izmail Landing or siege
Also known as Storming of Izmail; İzmail Kuşatması
22 December 1790 (11 December O.S.) · Izmail fortress, on the Danube near the Black Sea
Fought between Russia and the Black Sea Cossack Host against the Ottoman Empire and Crimeans
Commanders Alexander Suvorov, Alexander Samoylov, Mikhail Kutuzov, Pavel Potemkin, José de Ribas (Russia); Aydoslu Mehmed Pasha, captured (Ottoman)
Forces Russian: 28,000 to 32,000 men and 500 to 600 guns including the flotilla. Ottoman: 35,000 to 42,000.
Result Russian victory
Suvorov stormed the fortress of Izmail, thought impregnable, after earlier Russian attempts had failed. While six columns attacked the walls from land, the Black Sea rowing flotilla under José de Ribas landed a force to attack the less fortified riverside.
Why it is remembered It is regarded as one of Suvorov's finest victories. Mikhail Ivanov painted the capture of Izmail.
Sources differ Russian strength is given as 28,000, 31,000 or 32,000; Ottoman strength as 35,000, 40,000 or 42,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Battle of the Kerch Strait (1790) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Yenikale
19 July 1790 · Kerch Strait, near Kerch, Crimea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Counter Admiral Fyodor Ushakov (Russia); Kapudan Pasha Hussein Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces Russian: 10 ships of the line, 6 frigates, 1 bomb ship, 1 schooner, 2 fireships and 15 privateers, 836 guns. Ottoman: 10 ships of the line, 8 frigates and 36 auxiliary vessels, 1,100 guns.
Losses Russian: 29 killed, 68 wounded. Ottoman: 1 rowing vessel and heavy, unknown, loss of men.
Result Russian victory
Ushakov's fleet met Hussein Pasha's Ottoman fleet near the Kerch Strait and defeated it.
Why it is remembered Afanasy de Paldo painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Афанасий де Палдо, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Battle of Kronstadt Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Krasnaya Gorka
3 to 4 June 1790 · Gulf of Finland, west of Kronstadt
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Prince Charles, Duke of Södermanland (Sweden); Admiral Alexander Kruse (Russia)
Forces Swedish: 22 ships of the line, 8 frigates and 4 light frigates. Russian: 17 ships of the line, 4 frigates and 8 rowing frigates.
Losses Swedish: 84 killed, 281 wounded. Russian: 89 killed, 218 wounded.
Result Strategic Russian victory
The Swedish fleet tried to defeat the Russian Kronstadt squadron before it could join the Reval squadron, and so open the sea route to Kronstadt and Saint Petersburg. Two days of fighting west of Kronstadt did not achieve this.
Why it is remembered Alexey Bogolyubov painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexey Bogolyubov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Battle of Reval Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Revel
13 May 1790 (2 May O.S.) · Reval roadstead, off present-day Tallinn, Estonia
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders Vasily Chichagov (Russia); Prince Charles, Duke of Södermanland (Sweden)
Forces Russian: 10 ships of the line, 5 frigates, 2 bomb vessels and 7 cutters at anchor, with shore artillery. Swedish: 22 ships of the line, 4 frigates and 4 smaller ships.
Ships Rostislav, Saratov, Sv. Elena, Venus, Prins Karl, Riksens Ständer, Ulla Fersen
Losses Russian: 8 killed, 27 wounded. Swedish: estimates vary from about 150 to 200 killed, wounded or missing to 381 to 800 in all, with 1 ship of the line captured (with some 250 to 600 men aboard), 1 ship of the line destroyed, 5 ships heavily damaged and 40 to 42 guns lost.
Result Russian victory
The Swedish fleet attacked Chichagov's squadron, anchored in lines under the shore batteries of Reval. In strong winds the Swedish fire was inaccurate and the Russians replied effectively. After about two hours the Duke of Södermanland, directing from the frigate Ulla Fersen, broke off. Prins Karl lost her rudder and struck her colours, and Riksens Ständer ran on a reef and was burnt by the Swedes to keep her from the Russians.
Why it is remembered The Swedish attack has been compared to running the gauntlet. Ivan Aivazovsky painted the battle in 1846.
Sources differ Swedish losses range from about 150 (Prince Charles's own report) to 800. Estimates of men captured in Prins Karl range from 250 to 600.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ivan Aivazovsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Second Battle of Fredrikshamn Fleet battle
Also known as Andra slaget vid Fredrikshamn
20 May 1790 · Fredrikshamn (Hamina), Gulf of Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Forces The Swedish archipelago fleet against the Russian archipelago fleet and shore batteries at Fredrikshamn
The Swedish archipelago fleet fought the Russian archipelago fleet and the artillery batteries of Fredrikshamn.
Sources Wikipedia (SV)
Image: Johan Tietrich Schoultz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Second Battle of Svensksund Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Svensksund (1790); Second Battle of Rochensalm; Ruotsinsalmi
9 to 10 July 1790 (28 to 29 June O.S.) · Svensksund, off present-day Kotka, south eastern Finland, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders King Gustav III and Carl Olof Cronstedt (Sweden); Charles of Nassau-Siegen (Russia)
Forces Swedish: about 275 vessels of the archipelago fleet, 206 of them combat vessels, and over 14,000 men. Russian: 200 to 274 vessels of heavier tonnage and about 18,500 men.
Ships Catarina, Sankt Nikolai, Styrbjörn, Starkotter, Torborg, Ingeborg
Losses Swedish: 600 to 700 killed and wounded (171 dead and 122 seriously wounded), 6 vessels sunk or destroyed. Russian: about 10,000 killed, wounded and captured, including a little over 6,000 captured, and 50 to 80 ships sunk, destroyed or captured.
Result Swedish victory
After escaping from Vyborg Bay, Gustav III placed the Swedish archipelago fleet in a defensive position at Svensksund. Nassau-Siegen's Russian galley fleet attacked on 9 July and was routed. Many Russian vessels were sunk, burnt, beached or captured, among them Nassau-Siegen's flagship Catarina, and the frigate Sankt Nikolai sank.
Why it is remembered It is the greatest Swedish naval victory and the largest naval battle ever fought in the Baltic, and it led to the Treaty of Värälä on 14 August 1790. The wreck of Sankt Nikolai was found off Kotka in 1948, almost intact, and over 2,300 objects have been raised from it.
Sources differ Russian losses are estimated at 7,369 (Golovachev), at least 9,000 (Munthe), about 10,000 and up to 14,648 (Poselt). Swedish losses are given as about 300 men or 600 to 700 including lightly wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johan Tietrich Schoultz, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Battle of Tendra Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Khadjibey
8 to 9 September 1790 (28 to 29 August O.S.) · Off the Tendra Spit, Black Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Fyodor Ushakov (Russia); Giritli Hüseyin Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces Russian: 10 ships of the line, 6 frigates, 1 bomb ship, 1 schooner, 2 fireships and 17 sailing vessels, about 826 guns. Ottoman: 14 ships of the line, 8 frigates and 23 smaller vessels, over 1,300 guns.
Losses Russian: 21 to 25 killed, 25 wounded. Ottoman: 2 ships of the line lost in the battle, 1 ship of the line and several small vessels sunk in the retreat, 7 small craft captured (3 by privateers), and 2,000 men killed, wounded or captured.
Result Decisive Russian victory
Ushakov's Black Sea fleet attacked the Ottoman fleet off the Tendra Spit and defeated it over two days. The Ottomans lost several ships in the battle and the retreat.
Why it is remembered Afanasy de Paldo painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Афанасий де Палдо, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Swedish War (1788 to 1790)
Battle of Vyborg Bay (1790) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Vyborg; Baltic Trafalgar
3 to 4 July 1790 (22 June O.S.) · Vyborg Bay, off Vyborg, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders Vasily Chichagov, Pyotr Khanykov, Illarion Povalishin (Russia); Gustav III, Prince Charles, Duke of Södermanland, Rudolf Cederström (Sweden)
Forces Russian: 30 ships of the line, 12 frigates, 72 rowing craft, over 2,718 guns and over 21,000 men, with coastal artillery. Swedish: 20 to 22 ships of the line, 10 to 12 frigates and 242 to 350 archipelago vessels, about 3,000 naval guns and 30,000 to 40,000 seamen and soldiers.
Ships Dristigheten, Konung Gustaf III, Seraphimerorden, Amphion, Enigheten, Zemire, Postiljonen, Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta, Lovisa Ulrika, Ömheten, Finland, Rättvisan, Sofia Magdalena
Losses Russian: by one estimate no vessel lost, 117 killed and 164 wounded; by another, 6 ships of the line out of action and 1,000 men. Swedish: by one estimate 5 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 6 galleys, 14 gunboats, about 30 transports and 5,000 men, with 2 more ships of the line lost after the battle; other estimates give 7 to 9 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 54 smaller vessels and 7,000 to 8,000 men.
Result Disputed: the Swedes broke the blockade with heavy losses; Russian sources generally claim a victory, others give Sweden a strategic victory
Chichagov's Russian fleet blockaded the Swedish battle fleet and archipelago fleet in Vyborg Bay. On 4 July the Swedes forced their way out, led by Johan Puke in Dristigheten. The fireship Postiljonen was lit too early, drifted into Enigheten and the frigate Zemire, and all three blew up. In the smoke several Swedish ships ran aground and others were captured, including Rättvisan and Sofia Magdalena, but most of the fleet escaped.
Why it is remembered British historians later called it the Baltic Trafalgar, and it ranks among the largest naval battles in history. Ivan Aivazovsky painted it in 1846. The surviving Swedish fleet went on to win at Svensksund days later.
Sources differ Losses differ widely by source on both sides, as shown above. The Russian claim of victory is not accepted by all sources.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ivan Aivazovsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Battle of Cape Kaliakra Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kaliakria; Çiligra Deniz Muharebesi
11 August 1791 · Off Cape Kaliakra, northern Bulgaria, Black Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire and the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Rear Admiral Fyodor Ushakov (Russia); Hussein Pasha (Ottoman); Said Ali (Algiers)
Forces Russian: 15 to 16 ships of the line, 2 frigates, 2 bomb vessels, 1 schooner, 1 fireship and 17 sailing vessels, 998 guns. Ottoman and Algerian: 18 ships of the line, 10 large and 7 small frigates and 43 to 48 small craft, 1,800 guns, with a coastal battery.
Ships Alexander Nevsky
Losses Russian: 17 killed, 28 wounded, the frigate Alexander Nevsky damaged. Ottoman: unknown, ships heavily damaged aloft. Neither side lost a ship.
Result Russian victory
Ushakov's fleet found the Ottoman and Algerian fleet at anchor south of Cape Kaliakra and sailed in three columns between it and the cape, despite guns on shore. When Said Ali tried to double the Russian van, Ushakov left the line and attacked him. By dark the Ottomans were in full retreat to Istanbul.
Why it is remembered It was the last naval battle of the war and was followed by the Treaty of Jassy. A monument to Ushakov stands on Cape Kaliakra.
Sources differ One account gives Ottoman strength as 18 ships of the line and 17 frigates with 1,500 to 1,600 guns; another account gives 1,800 guns. One account gives Russian guns as 990, another account 998.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Петър Добрев ffvk@mail.bg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Unification of the Hawaiian Islands
Battle of Kepuwahaʻulaʻula Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Red-Mouthed Gun
1791 · Off Waimanu, near Waipiʻo, north east coast of Hawaiʻi Island
Fought between Kamehameha I of Hawaiʻi against the combined fleets of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu and Maui
Commanders Kamehameha I, with the foreign gunners John Young and Isaac Davis (Hawaiʻi); Kāʻeokūlani, sent by Kahekili II, with the foreign gunner Mare Amara (Kauaʻi and Oʻahu)
Forces Fleets of war canoes and ships on both sides, armed with muskets and cannon; Kamehameha's forces included weapons taken from the Fair American. Numbers not stated.
Ships Fair American
Losses Not stated
Result Victory for Kamehameha; the invading fleets fled to Maui
In 1791 Kāʻeokūlani sailed from Kauaʻi with a fleet of war canoes and a foreign gunner, joined forces from Oʻahu and Maui, and raided villages down the east coast of Hawaiʻi Island. Kamehameha's canoes and ships caught them off Waimanu, near Waipiʻo. Watchers on the cliffs followed the fight by the flashes and smoke of the guns, and the side with the better arms and gunners won.
Why it is remembered It is described as the first battle in Hawaiʻi with foreign gunners on both sides, and it opened the way for Kamehameha to bring the islands under his rule over the next three years. Herb Kane painted Kamehameha in the battle aboard the Fair American.
Sources differ The source says Kamehameha's forces had guns from the Fair American but does not state that the ship herself fought; Herb Kane's painting shows Kamehameha aboard her.
Sources imagesofoldhawaii.com
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Spanish to Moroccan War of 1790 to 1791
Bombardment of Tangier (1791) Landing or siege
24 August 1791 · Tangier, Morocco
Fought between Spain against the Sultanate of Morocco
Commanders Lieutenant-General Javier Morales de los Ríos (Spain); Sidi Ali ben Ahmed (Morocco)
Forces Spanish: 14 vessels, 2 frigates, 6 gunboats and 6 bomb vessels. Moroccan: unknown, with shore artillery.
Losses Spanish: some casualties and damage to ships. Moroccan: light damage.
Result Moroccan victory
After Sultan Moulay Yazid declared war and besieged Ceuta, Spain sent a light squadron to bombard Tangier, a base for Moroccan privateers. The inhabitants had evacuated and the city had been fortified. The squadron bombarded the port from five in the morning to three in the afternoon, then withdrew because of the weather.
Why it is remembered Spain hoped the attack would stir a revolt against the Sultan; it did little damage.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Third Anglo-Mysore War
Battle of Tellicherry Single-ship action
18 November 1791 · Off Tellicherry, Malabar coast of India, Arabian Sea
Fought between Great Britain against France (the two were not at war)
Commanders Captain Sir Richard Strachan (Britain); French commander unknown
Forces British: 2 frigates. French: the frigate Résolue escorting a convoy from Mahé.
Ships Résolue
Losses British: 6 killed, 11 wounded. French: 25 killed, 60 wounded, Résolue captured.
Result British victory
Royal Navy patrols were stopping French ships bound for the Mysorean port of Mangalore. When a French convoy from Mahé passed Tellicherry, Commodore William Cornwallis sent Strachan with a small squadron to intercept it. The escorting frigate Résolue opened fire and surrendered within twenty minutes. The French ships were searched and sent back to Mahé.
Why it is remembered The French authorities protested at the violation of their neutrality, but in the upheaval of the French Revolution the reports from Commodore Saint-Félix had little effect.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · War of the First Coalition
French expedition to Sardinia Landing or siege
21 December 1792 to 25 May 1793 · Cagliari and La Maddalena, Sardinia
Fought between France against the Kingdom of Sardinia and Spain
Commanders Counter-admiral Laurent Jean François Truguet (France); Juan de Lángara (Spain)
Forces French: the Mediterranean Squadron and 5,000 troops. Sardinian and Spanish: 10,000.
Losses French: 300 killed or wounded, 200 captured, 1 ship of the line wrecked, 1 frigate captured and 1 frigate scuttled. Sardinian and Spanish: minor.
Result Spanish and Sardinian victory
Truguet's squadron attacked Cagliari, the first attempt scattered by a gale and the second bombarding the city from 22 January 1793. French troops landed on 11 February but were driven off at Quartu Sant'Elena. An attack on La Maddalena also failed, and on 25 May a Spanish fleet retook San Pietro and Sant'Antioco.
Why it is remembered The La Maddalena attack was the first military service of Lieutenant Napoleon Bonaparte. The failure led to revolts in Sardinia, the breakaway of Corsica and the rebellion at Toulon.
Sources differ One account dates the campaign to 1793; another account gives 21 December 1792 to 25 May 1793.
Sources Wikipedia
Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792 · Aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1787 to 1792)
Battle of Porto Kagio Fleet battle
Also known as Portokale Deniz Muharebesi
17 to 18 June 1792 · Porto Kagio, Mani Peninsula, Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Greek privateers of Lambros Katsonis
Commanders Kapudan Pasha Küçük Hüseyin Pasha (Ottoman); Lambros Katsonis (Greek)
Forces Ottoman: 10 galleons. Greek: 16 sailing ships.
Losses Ottoman: light. Greek: heavy.
Result Ottoman victory
An Ottoman squadron under Küçük Hüseyin Pasha destroyed the fleet of Lambros Katsonis, who had continued raiding in the Aegean in favour of Russia, off Porto Kagio.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unidentified engraver, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 18 June 1793 Single-ship action
18 June 1793 · Off Start Point, Devon, English Channel
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Edward Pellew (Britain); Captain Jean Mullon, mortally wounded (France)
Forces One British frigate, HMS Nymphe, against one French frigate, Cléopâtre
Ships HMS Nymphe, Cléopâtre
Losses British: 23 killed, 27 wounded. French: 63 killed and wounded, 250 captured, Cléopâtre captured.
Result British victory
Cléopâtre had been raiding British merchant shipping from Cherbourg. Pellew in Nymphe sighted and chased her, and Mullon turned to fight. With both crews cheering, the frigates exchanged broadsides at 06:15, and after 50 minutes the British boarded and hauled down the tricolour.
Why it is remembered Cléopâtre was the first major French warship captured in the war, and Pellew was hailed as a hero. Nicholas Pocock painted the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 20 October 1793 Single-ship action
20 October 1793 · Off Cape Barfleur, English Channel
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain James Saumarez (Britain); Captain François A. Dénian (France)
Forces British: the frigate HMS Crescent, joined at the end by the 28-gun frigate HMS Circe. French: the frigate Réunion and the cutter Espérance.
Ships HMS Crescent, HMS Circe, Réunion, Espérance
Losses British: 1 wounded, by accident. French: 33 killed, 48 wounded, Réunion captured.
Result British victory
Saumarez in Crescent was watching Cherbourg when Réunion and the cutter Espérance approached. He isolated the frigate and battered her for more than two hours, losing only rigging. Dénian surrendered when HMS Circe arrived.
Why it is remembered Réunion was taken into the Royal Navy and Saumarez was knighted. Thomas Whitcombe painted the action.
Sources differ One account gives French casualties as more than 80 and possibly as many as 120; another account gives 33 killed and 48 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 22 October 1793 Single-ship action
Also known as Seegefecht vom 22. Oktober 1793
22 October 1793 · Off Sardinia, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Horatio Nelson (Britain); Commodore Jean-Baptiste Perrée (France)
Forces British: the 64-gun ship of the line HMS Agamemnon. French: 4 frigates, among them Melpomène, and 1 brig.
Ships HMS Agamemnon, Melpomène
Losses British: 1 killed, 6 wounded. French: 24 killed, 50 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Nelson in Agamemnon attacked the large French frigate Melpomène off Sardinia and chased her through the night, inflicting serious damage. Melpomène escaped when the rest of Perrée's squadron came up. The French went on to land reinforcements in Corsica.
Why it is remembered It was Nelson's first action of the war. Nicholas Pocock painted Agamemnon engaging the French frigates.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock (1740 to 1821), 1810, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 24 October 1793 Single-ship action
24 October 1793 · Northern Bay of Biscay
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Captain Jean-François Tartu, killed, and Captain Zacharie Allemand (France); Captain James Cotes (Britain)
Forces British: the frigate HMS Thames. French: the larger frigate Uranie, later joined by a squadron of three frigates and a brig.
Ships HMS Thames, Uranie
Losses British: 13 killed, 21 wounded, Thames captured. French: 4 killed, 7 wounded.
Result French victory
HMS Thames and the much larger Uranie fought for nearly four hours until they separated, both badly damaged. Uranie, her captain dead, slipped away while Thames was repairing. At 16:00 Allemand's squadron arrived and Cotes, outnumbered, surrendered.
Why it is remembered Thames became the French Tamise and Uranie was renamed Tartu after her dead captain. The British recaptured Tamise in June 1796 and took Tartu in December 1796.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 31 July 1793 Single-ship action
31 July 1793 · Off the New Jersey coast, near New York
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain George Courtenay, killed (Britain); Captain Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart (France)
Forces One British frigate, HMS Boston, against one French frigate, Embuscade
Ships HMS Boston, Embuscade
Losses British: 10 killed, 24 wounded. French: 50 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Courtenay sent a challenge into New York, where Embuscade lay, and Bompart sailed out to meet him with thousands watching from the shore. The smaller Boston took the worse damage, and Courtenay fell at 6:20. Soon after 07:00 Boston made sail to escape; Bompart pursued but fell back by 08:00.
Why it is remembered It was fought as a public challenge. Courtenay was thrown overboard as dead, and rumours that he was only unconscious caused lasting debate among historians.
Sources differ Lieutenant John Edwards said Courtenay was dead when thrown overboard; Edward Pelham Brenton accepted rumours that he was only stunned, while William James defended Edwards.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Prelude to the War of the First Coalition
Childers Incident Other action
2 January 1793 · Goulet de Brest, entrance to the Roadstead of Brest, Brittany
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Commander Robert Barlow (Britain)
Forces British: the 14-gun brig HMS Childers. French: shore batteries.
Ships HMS Childers
Losses No casualties on either side. Childers was struck by a 48 lb cannonball.
Result Childers withdrew without loss
HMS Childers was sent into the Roadstead of Brest to report on the readiness of the French fleet. In the Goulet de Brest she came under fire from French batteries flying the tricolour, which kept firing although Barlow showed she was a neutral British vessel, until she withdrew.
Why it is remembered It is seen as the opening shots between Britain and France in the French Revolutionary Wars, a month before war broke out on 1 February 1793.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Raid on Genoa Raid
5 October 1793 · Harbour of Genoa, Republic of Genoa
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Rear-Admiral John Gell (Britain); French commander unknown
Forces British: 2 ships of the line and 1 brig-sloop sent their boats. French: the frigate Modeste and 2 tartanes at anchor.
Ships Modeste, Impérieuse, HMS Captain
Losses British: none. French: 1 killed, 10 wounded, Modeste and 2 tartanes captured.
Result British victory
After the British took Toulon, Lord Hood sent Gell's squadron to deal with French frigates sheltering in neutral Italian ports. At Genoa the British boats boarded Modeste and two smaller warships at anchor, in defiance of Genoese neutrality, and took all three. Six days later HMS Captain seized the abandoned Impérieuse at La Spezia.
Why it is remembered Angry Genoese Republicans then blocked Austrian reinforcements bound for Toulon, which the French retook in December. A French propaganda engraving by Nicolas Ozanne showed the raid as a massacre.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Capture of San Pietro and Sant'Antioco Landing or siege
Also known as Prise de San Pietro et Sant'Antioco
25 May 1793 · Islands of San Pietro and Sant'Antioco, south west Sardinia
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Francisco de Borja y Poyo (Spain); French commander unknown
Forces Spanish: 24 ships of the line and 4 frigates. French: 2 frigates.
Losses Spanish: unknown. French: 1,400 captured, 1 frigate captured and 1 frigate burnt.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet retook the islands of San Pietro and Sant'Antioco, the last French garrisons left after the failed French assault on Sardinia, capturing one French frigate and burning another.
Why it is remembered It ended the French expedition to Sardinia.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Federalist revolts)
Siege of Toulon (1793) Landing or siege
29 August to 19 December 1793 · Toulon, France
Fought between French Republic against French Royalists and Federalists, Great Britain, Spain, Naples and Sardinia
Commanders Napoleon Bonaparte (wounded), Dugommier, Jean Carteaux, Jean de La Poype (Republic); Samuel Hood, Charles O'Hara (surrendered), Sidney Smith, Henry Phipps, David Dundas (Britain); Juan de Lángara and Federico Gravina (Spain)
Forces Republican: 32,000. Allied: 22,000 to 23,000 men and 74 ships (British 8,000 men and 37 ships, Spanish 7,000 and 32 ships, Neapolitan and Sardinian 6,500 and 5 ships, Royalists 1,500).
Losses Republican: 1,700 killed or wounded. Allied: about 4,600, including British 700 and Spanish 1,200 killed or wounded, Neapolitans and Sardinians 200 killed or wounded and 1,000 captured, and 1,500 Royalists captured.
Result French Republican victory
Royalists handed Toulon, home to a third of the French Navy's ships of the line, to the Coalition, and an Anglo-Spanish fleet landed 13,000 troops. Republican forces besieged the city and took the outer forts, and their batteries made the anchorage untenable. The Allies evacuated on 18 December, burning or capturing several French warships. Republicans entered on 19 December and executed up to 800 Royalist prisoners.
Why it is remembered It made the name of Napoleon Bonaparte, then an artillery officer, and the burning of the fleet crippled much of the French Navy for a time.
Sources differ Allied strength is given as both 22,000 and 23,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean-Antoine-Siméon Fort, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 21 October 1794 Single-ship action
21 October 1794 · Off Ushant, Brittany, 25 to 30 nautical miles out to sea
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Commodore Sir Edward Pellew and Captain Edmund Nagle (Britain); Captain Antoine René Thévenard (France)
Forces British: 4 frigates, led into action by the 38-gun HMS Artois. French: the 40-gun frigate Révolutionnaire.
Ships HMS Artois, Révolutionnaire
Losses British: 3 killed, 5 wounded. French: 8 killed, 5 wounded, Révolutionnaire captured.
Result British victory
Révolutionnaire, sailing from Le Havre to raid British trade, met Pellew's frigate squadron off Ushant and fled for the coast. The fast HMS Artois cut her off and fought her for 45 minutes until support arrived, when the French crew surrendered against their captain's orders.
Why it is remembered Révolutionnaire joined the Royal Navy and served in the squadron that captured her, later taking the French frigate Unité in April 1796.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Lawrence, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 23 April 1794 Fleet battle
Also known as Combat du 23 avril 1794
23 April 1794 · Off Guernsey, English Channel
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir John Borlase Warren and Richard Strachan (Britain); Georges Desgarceaux, killed (France)
Forces British: 5 frigates. French: 3 frigates and 1 corvette.
Ships HMS Arethusa, Pomone
Losses British: 10 killed, 25 wounded. French: 140 killed or wounded, 2 frigates and 1 corvette captured.
Result British victory
A British frigate squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren fought a French squadron of three frigates and a corvette under Desgarceaux off the Channel Islands and captured three of the French ships.
Why it is remembered John Askew's 1805 painting shows HMS Arethusa giving the final blows to the French frigate Pomone.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Action of 5 May 1794 Single-ship action
5 May 1794 · Off Isle de France (Mauritius), Indian Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Henry Newcome (Britain); French commander not named
Forces British: the frigate HMS Orpheus, distantly supported by HMS Centurion and HMS Resistance. French: the frigate Duguay Trouin and the brig Vulcain.
Ships HMS Orpheus, HMS Centurion, HMS Resistance, Duguay Trouin, Vulcain
Losses British: 1 killed, 9 wounded. French: 21 killed, 60 wounded, Duguay Trouin captured.
Result British victory
The British squadron blockading Isle de France chased two arriving ships, the French frigate Duguay Trouin, a former East India Company ship, and a brig. Duguay Trouin sailed poorly and many of her crew were sick. HMS Orpheus caught and raked her, and after an hour and twenty minutes she surrendered.
Why it is remembered Newcome brought his prize back to India.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean Baptiste Henri Durand-Brager (1814 to 1879), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 6 November 1794 Fleet battle
Also known as Combat du 16 Brumaire an III
6 November 1794 · Celtic Sea
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Contre-amiral Joseph-Marie Nielly (France); Captain Richard Rodney Bligh and Charles Powell Hamilton (Britain)
Forces French: 5 ships of the line, 3 frigates and 1 corvette. British: 2 ships of the line, HMS Alexander and HMS Canada.
Ships HMS Alexander, HMS Canada
Losses French: 10 wounded. British: 28 killed, 30 wounded, HMS Alexander captured.
Result French victory
A French squadron from Brest, hunting a British convoy, met two British ships of the line returning from escort duty. The British ships split up; Canada outran pursuit, but the slower Alexander was caught by several French ships in turn. She drove off the first two, but after a close fight with the third Bligh surrendered.
Why it is remembered It was a rare French victory between the British successes of the Glorious First of June and Groix. William Shayer painted Alexander shortly before she struck.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 7 May 1794 Convoy battle
5 to 7 May 1794 · Western Approaches, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Charles Boyles (Britain); Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois, surrendered (France)
Forces British: 2 ships of the line escorting a convoy from Cork, among them the 74-gun HMS Swiftsure. French: 1 frigate, Atalante, and 1 corvette.
Ships HMS Swiftsure, Atalante
Losses British: 1 killed. French: 10 killed, 32 wounded, Atalante captured.
Result British victory
The escorts of a convoy from Cork chased two French raiders, which split up; each escort followed one. After a chase of nearly two days HMS Swiftsure brought the frigate Atalante within range, and despite a brave defence Linois surrendered after more than 40 casualties. A French battle squadron then chased the British ships, which escaped after dark.
Why it is remembered Linois was widely praised for his defence. Atalante became HMS Espion.
Sources differ One account is titled 7 May 1794, but another account gives the date as 5 May 1794 and a third account says the chase began on 5 May and lasted nearly two days.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 8 June 1794 Single-ship action
8 June 1794 · Off Fréjus, south of France
Fought between France against the Kingdom of Sardinia
Commanders Counter-admiral Pierre Martin (France); Captain Ross (Sardinia)
Forces French: the frigate Boudeuse, with the 80-gun Tonnant. Sardinian: the frigate Alceste.
Ships Boudeuse, Tonnant, Alceste
Losses Sardinian: Alceste captured.
Result French victory
During Martin's cruise to contest British operations off Corsica, the French frigate Boudeuse attacked and captured the Sardinian frigate Alceste off Fréjus.
Why it is remembered Alceste, a former French ship, returned to French service and fought at the action of 8 March 1795 and the Battle of the Hyères Islands before the British took her in 1799.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Invasion of Corsica)
Siege of Bastia Landing or siege
4 April to 22 May 1794 · Bastia, Corsica
Fought between Great Britain and Corsica against France
Commanders Lord Hood and Captain Horatio Nelson (Britain); Pasquale Paoli (Corsica); Jean-Pierre Lacombe-Saint-Michel (France)
Forces British and Corsican: 2,400 men and the Mediterranean Fleet. French: 5,000.
Ships HMS Victory
Losses British: 14 killed, 34 wounded, 6 missing, 1 floating battery destroyed. French: 700 killed or wounded, 1 corvette captured.
Result Anglo-Corsican victory
After taking San Fiorenzo, Hood turned on Bastia, held by a large French garrison. Hood and Nelson expected it to fall to assault and bombardment in ten days, but the defences were much stronger and the siege lasted six weeks. The garrison surrendered when its food ran out and was given safe passage to France.
Why it is remembered It was a key step in the British conquest of Corsica, which became a self-governing part of the British Empire. Ralph Willett Miller drew the town from HMS Victory during the siege.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ralph Willett Miller, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Invasion of Corsica)
Siege of Calvi Landing or siege
17 June to 10 August 1794 · Calvi, Corsica
Fought between Great Britain and Corsica against France
Commanders Samuel Hood, Horatio Nelson (wounded), Charles Stuart, John Moore (Britain); Pasquale Paoli (Corsica); Raphaël de Casabianca (France)
Forces British and Corsican: 2,300 men and the Mediterranean Fleet. French: 6,000 regulars and militia on the island, 2 frigates, 2 brigs and 1 gunboat.
Losses British: 38 killed, 50 wounded, 1,000 sick. French: 700 killed or wounded, 2 frigates, 2 brigs and 1 gunboat captured.
Result Anglo-Corsican victory
With Hood's fleet in support, General Stuart besieged Calvi, the last French fortress in Corsica, defended by two strong forts. After weeks of bombardment the British stormed the forts and drove the French into the town, which capitulated on generous terms on 10 August.
Why it is remembered Nelson lost the sight of one eye during the siege, and Corsica became a British base for two years.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Haitian Revolution and War of the Pyrenees
Capture of Fort-Dauphin (1794) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Fort-Dauphin
28 to 29 January 1794 · Fort-Dauphin (now Fort-Liberté), Saint-Domingue (Haiti)
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Admiral Gabriel de Aristizábal (Spain); Candy (France)
Forces Spanish: 3 ships of the line, 1 frigate and 400 men. French: 1,031 men.
Losses Spanish: none. French: 1,031 captured and 41 guns taken.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish expeditionary force under Admiral Aristizábal blockaded Fort-Dauphin by land and sea. The French garrison of about a thousand men surrendered without firing a shot.
Why it is remembered It was a bloodless capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicolas Ponce / Nicolas Ozanne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Atlantic campaign of May 1794)
Frigate action of 29 May 1794 Single-ship action
29 May 1794 · Off Cape Finisterre, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Francis Laforey (Britain); L'Huillier (France)
Forces One British frigate, HMS Carysfort, against the larger frigate Castor
Ships HMS Carysfort, Castor
Losses British: 1 killed, 4 wounded. French: 16 killed, 9 wounded, Castor captured.
Result British victory
Castor, a British frigate seized by a French squadron on 19 May and put into French service at sea, was chasing a Dutch merchant ship when she met the smaller HMS Carysfort. Laforey attacked at once and after an hour and fifteen minutes forced her to surrender, finding British prisoners below decks.
Why it is remembered A long legal case followed over the prize money, which Laforey won with help from the French captain's testimony. Laforey later fought at Trafalgar. Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Atlantic campaign of May 1794)
Glorious First of June Fleet battle
Also known as Third Battle of Ushant; Fourth Battle of Ushant; Bataille du 13 prairial an II; Combat de Prairial
1 June 1794 · Atlantic Ocean, about 400 nautical miles west of Ushant
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Admiral Richard Howe, Earl Howe (Britain); Counter-admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse (France)
Forces British: 25 ships of the line, 7 frigates, 2 fireships, 2 cutters and 1 sloop. French: 26 ships of the line, 5 frigates and 2 corvettes.
Ships HMS Queen Charlotte, Montagne, HMS Brunswick, Vengeur du Peuple, HMS Marlborough, HMS Defence, HMS Russell, HMS Ramillies, Juste, Northumberland, Jemmappes, Impétueux, America, Achille
Losses British: 1,200 killed or wounded. French: 4,000 killed or wounded, 3,000 captured, 6 ships of the line captured and 1 sunk.
Result British tactical victory; French strategic success, as the grain convoy reached France
Howe's Channel Fleet tried to stop a vital French grain convoy from the United States, covered by Villaret's Atlantic fleet. Howe ordered each ship to turn into the French line and engage its opponent, but not all captains understood, and the attack went in piecemeal. HMS Brunswick fought Vengeur du Peuple at close quarters until the French ship sank. The British took six ships of the line before both battered fleets went home.
Why it is remembered It was the first and largest fleet action of the French Revolutionary Wars, and both sides claimed victory. Loutherbourg painted Lord Howe's Action in 1795, and in France the sinking of Vengeur du Peuple became a patriotic legend.
Sources differ A history of the campaign says seven French ships were captured, one of which later sank; the account of the battle gives six captured and one sunk.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Philip James de Loutherbourg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Battle of Île Ronde Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 22 October 1794; Premier combat de la Rivière Noire
22 October 1794 · Off Île Ronde, north of Isle de France (Mauritius), Indian Ocean
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Jean-Marie Renaud (France); Samuel Osborne (Britain)
Forces French: the frigates Cybèle and Prudente and three smaller vessels. British: the 50-gun HMS Centurion and the 44-gun HMS Diomede.
Ships Cybèle, Prudente, HMS Centurion, HMS Diomede
Losses French: 38 killed, 105 wounded. British: 3 killed, 26 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A British squadron was blockading Isle de France, a base for raiders on British trade with India and China. Renaud sailed to drive it off. For two and a quarter hours Centurion and Cybèle fought a close duel that left both badly damaged; Cybèle withdrew with support, and Centurion, unsupported by the distant Diomede, also retired for repairs.
Why it is remembered The British abandoned the blockade and returned to India, letting food reach the island, and did not renew it.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipédia (FR)
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Invasion of Guadeloupe (1794) Landing or siege
11 April to 10 December 1794 · Guadeloupe, French West Indies
Fought between Great Britain and French Royalists against the French Republic
Commanders General Charles Grey and Admiral Sir John Jervis (Britain); Georges Henri Victor Collot and Victor Hugues (France)
Losses 500 men and women who had fought with the British were executed by the French.
Result French victory
British troops under Grey landed on 11 April 1794 with Jervis's fleet, and Collot surrendered Basse-Terre on 24 April. On 4 June a French fleet landed troops under Victor Hugues, who with local Republicans, and helped by yellow fever among the British, retook the whole island by 10 December.
Why it is remembered The planters had sought British protection as France abolished slavery; the French reconquest ended with mass executions of those who had sided with Britain.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars
Martin's cruise of 1794 Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 8 June 1794
June to November 1794 · Off Fréjus and Gourjean Bay, southern France, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between France against Great Britain and the Kingdom of Sardinia
Commanders Pierre Martin (France); Lord Hood (Britain); Captain Ross (Sardinia, frigate Alceste)
Forces French squadron under Martin, including the frigate Boudeuse and the 80-gun Tonnant; the Sardinian frigate Alceste; the main British Mediterranean fleet under Hood
Ships Boudeuse, Tonnant, Alceste
Losses The Sardinian frigate Alceste was captured on 8 June 1794.
Result Capture of Alceste by the French; the French squadron was then blockaded in Gourjean Bay but escaped to Toulon in November
In June 1794 Counter-admiral Pierre Martin took a French squadron out of Toulon to contest British operations against Corsica. On 8 June the frigate Boudeuse attacked and captured the Sardinian frigate Alceste off Fréjus. Three days later Martin retreated before Hood's main fleet and anchored in Gourjean Bay, where Hood judged him too well protected to attack and blockaded him instead. Martin escaped in November and returned to Toulon.
Why it is remembered It was the only significant French naval operation in the Mediterranean in 1794. The captured Alceste, herself a former French ship, returned to French service and fought at the action of 8 March 1795 and the Battle of the Hyères Islands.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Battle of Mykonos Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille de Mykonos
17 June 1794 · Harbour of Mykonos, Cyclades, Aegean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain William Paget (Britain); Commodore Jacques-Mélanie Rondeau, surrendered (France)
Forces British: the 50-gun fourth rate HMS Romney. French: the 40-gun frigate Sibylle and 3 merchant ships.
Ships HMS Romney, Sibylle
Losses British: 10 killed, 28 wounded. French: 55 killed, 103 wounded, Sibylle and 3 merchant ships captured.
Result British victory
HMS Romney, escorting a convoy to Smyrna, found Sibylle at anchor at Mykonos with three merchant ships. Rondeau refused to surrender. Paget placed Romney so the town was out of his line of fire and the two ships fought at close range for an hour and ten minutes until Sibylle struck.
Why it is remembered Sibylle joined the Royal Navy and later fought a celebrated battle against the French frigate Forte in 1799. Robert Cleveley painted the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Cleveley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Haitian Revolution and War of the First Coalition
Battle of Port-Républicain Landing or siege
30 May to 5 June 1794 · Port-Républicain (Port-au-Prince), Saint-Domingue (Haiti)
Fought between French Republic against Great Britain and French Royalists
Commanders Martial Besse, Hugues Brisset de Montbrun de Pomarède, Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, Étienne Polverel (Republic); John Whyte and John Ford (Britain)
Forces Republican: 800 men, 2 ships of the line and a few frigates. British: 4,000 men, 4 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 5 corvettes and brigs, 316 guns.
Losses Republican: unknown. British: 8 killed, 8 wounded.
Result British victory
A British force with naval support attacked and took Port-Républicain from the French Republicans.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicolas Ponce / Alexis-Nicolas Pérignon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Invasion of Corsica)
Siege of San Fiorenzo Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Saint-Florent
7 to 20 February 1794 · San Fiorenzo (Saint-Florent), Corsica
Fought between Great Britain and Corsica against France
Commanders David Dundas and Robert Linzee (Britain); Pasquale Paoli (Corsica); Antoine Gentili (France)
Forces British and Corsican: 1,400 men and the Mediterranean Fleet. French: 700 men and 2 frigates.
Losses British: 42 killed, 127 wounded. French: 102 killed or wounded, 101 captured, 2 frigates sunk.
Result Anglo-Corsican victory
A first British attack in autumn 1793 was beaten off by the tower at Torra di Fornali. In February 1794 Hood mounted a joint attack from the sea and by amphibious landings. Over two weeks British artillery drove the French from their defences one by one and destroyed the French shipping in the harbour, and on 18 February the garrison withdrew to Bastia.
Why it is remembered It opened the British conquest of Corsica.
Sources differ One account says the garrison withdrew on 18 February; another account gives the end date as 20 February.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Sunda Strait campaign of January 1794 Fleet battle
2 January to 9 February 1794 · Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra, and Bencoolen
Fought between East India Company and the Dutch Republic against France
Commanders Charles Mitchell (East India Company); Kerwal (Dutch Republic); Jean-Marie Renaud (France)
Forces East India Company and Dutch: 6 armed merchant ships, 2 corvettes and 1 brig. French: 4 frigates, 1 corvette and 1 brig, with privateers.
Ships Amazone
Losses East India Company: 3 killed, 2 wounded, 1 merchant ship captured. French: 11 killed, 25 wounded, 1 frigate and 1 corvette captured.
Result Inconclusive
French privateers and frigates from Isle de France preyed on trade in the Sunda Strait, so the East India Company sent a squadron of armed merchant ships to drive them off. On 22 January it captured two large privateers, and on 24 January it fought a larger French squadron in the strait without result, before the Dutch frigate Amazone joined. The French later attacked Bencoolen on 9 February and took an East Indiaman in the harbour.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Heather; J.Stephenson; William Heather, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 10 April 1795 Fleet battle
10 to 11 April 1795 · Western Approaches, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Rear-Admiral John Colpoys (Britain); Captain Beenst (France)
Forces British: 5 ships of the line and 2 frigates. French: 3 frigates.
Ships HMS Astraea, HMS Hannibal, Gloire, Gentille, Fraternité
Losses British: 8 killed or wounded. French: 40 killed or wounded, 2 frigates captured.
Result British victory
Colpoys's squadron, part of the blockade of Brest, intercepted three French frigates, which split up. HMS Astraea caught Gloire and beat her in a close fight of just under an hour. On the morning of 11 April HMS Hannibal caught Gentille, whose captain surrendered at once. Fraternité escaped.
Why it is remembered Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture of Gloire.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 22 August 1795 Fleet battle
22 August 1795 · Off Eigerøya, Norway, entrance to the Skagerrak
Fought between Great Britain against the Batavian Republic
Commanders Captain James Alms (Britain); Captain Arnold Christiaan Leopold van Dirckinck (Batavian Republic)
Forces British: 4 frigates (the main account lists 1 ship of the line and 3 frigates). Batavian: 2 frigates and 1 cutter.
Ships HMS Stag, Alliantie, Argo
Losses British: 5 killed, 18 wounded. Batavian: 2 killed, 15 wounded, Alliantie captured.
Result British victory
Alms's squadron, patrolling the Skagerrak, chased a Batavian squadron along the Norwegian coast to cut it off from neutral waters. HMS Stag caught the rearmost ship Alliantie and after an hour forced her to strike. The rest escaped to Eigerøya thanks to a fierce rearguard by the frigate Argo.
Why it is remembered Nicholas Pocock painted the action.
Sources differ One account describes the British force as four frigates; another account gives 1 ship of the line and 3 frigates.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pockock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Mediterranean campaign of 1793 to 1796)
Action of 24 June 1795 Single-ship action
24 June 1795 · Western Mediterranean, midway between Menorca and Toulon
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain George Henry Towry (Britain); Jean-Baptiste Perrée (France)
Forces British: the small frigates HMS Dido and HMS Lowestoffe. French: the larger frigates Minerve and Artémise.
Ships HMS Dido, HMS Lowestoffe, Minerve, Artémise
Losses British: 6 killed, 16 wounded. French: 30 killed and wounded, Minerve captured.
Result British victory
Scouting frigates from both fleets met between Menorca and Toulon. Minerve tried to ram Dido, whose rigging caught on the French bowsprit, and the crews fought hand to hand for 15 minutes until the bowsprit broke. Lowestoffe then raked Minerve and left her unmanageable. Artémise withdrew, and Lowestoffe battered the isolated Minerve into surrender.
Why it is remembered Minerve served in the Royal Navy under the same name until the French retook her in 1803. Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture in 1817.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Mediterranean campaign of 1793 to 1796)
Action of 8 March 1795 Single-ship action
8 March 1795 · Off Cap Corse, Ligurian Sea
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Louis Lejoille (France); Captain Adam Littlejohn, killed (Britain)
Forces French: the 32-gun frigate Alceste, later helped by the frigate Vestale and the 74-gun Duquesne, with the French Mediterranean Fleet in distant support. British: the damaged 74-gun HMS Berwick, jury rigged and mounting 64 guns.
Ships HMS Berwick, Alceste, Vestale, Duquesne
Losses French: 8 wounded. British: 1 killed, 4 wounded, Berwick captured.
Result French victory
Berwick, left behind at San Fiorenzo after a winter accident, was following Hotham's fleet when she ran into Martin's French fleet. The frigate Alceste reached her first and most of the fighting was between the two. Littlejohn was killed after an hour, and with the ship unmanageable and more French ships closing, the surviving officers surrendered.
Why it is remembered Berwick served in the French Navy for ten years until she was retaken at Trafalgar. Days later the fleets met at the Battle of Genoa.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lieutenant William Elliott; Valentine Green, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Cornwallis's Retreat Fleet battle
Also known as 28 to 29 Prairial an III
16 to 17 June 1795 · Off the west coast of Brittany, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Vice-Admiral William Cornwallis (Britain); Vice-admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse (France)
Forces British: 5 ships of the line and 2 frigates. French: 12 ships of the line and 11 frigates.
Ships HMS Royal Sovereign
Losses British: 12 wounded. French: 29 killed or wounded.
Result British victory (the squadron escaped intact)
After Cornwallis's squadron attacked a French convoy off Brittany, Villaret brought out the main French fleet. Cornwallis fled for open water, but after a day's chase two badly loaded ships slowed him and the French van came within range on 17 June. Cornwallis turned back to protect his rearguard and placed his flagship HMS Royal Sovereign between the two forces. Believing from British signals that the Channel Fleet was near, Villaret broke off.
Why it is remembered British historians have held it up as a model of courage and coolness against heavy odds. Thomas Luny painted the action. The French fleet was beaten at Groix six days later.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Mediterranean campaign of 1793 to 1796)
Battle of Genoa (1795) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Noli; Bataille de Gênes; Lord Hotham's Action
13 to 14 March 1795 · Gulf of Genoa, Ligurian Sea
Fought between Great Britain and Naples against France
Commanders Vice-Admiral William Hotham (Britain); Counter-admiral Pierre Martin (France)
Forces Anglo-Neapolitan: 14 ships of the line. French: 13 ships of the line.
Ships Sans Culotte, Ça Ira, Censeur, HMS Illustrious
Losses Anglo-Neapolitan: 74 killed, 254 wounded. French: 400 to 750 killed or wounded, 2 ships of the line captured.
Result Anglo-Neapolitan victory
Martin's fleet sailed for Genoa, taking a British ship of the line on the way, and then turned back when Hotham pursued. For two days Hotham's leading ships fought running actions with the French rear. Martin's flagship Sans Culotte lost touch overnight, and when he withdrew, Ça Ira and Censeur were left behind and forced to surrender. Hotham declined to pursue further, despite Captain Horatio Nelson's urging.
Why it is remembered Nelson's frustration at Hotham's caution is often recalled. HMS Illustrious was later wrecked on the Italian coast.
Sources differ One account gives the Anglo-Neapolitan fleet as 13 ships of the line; another account gives 14. French casualties range from 400 to 750.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Battle of Groix Fleet battle
Also known as Lord Bridport's Action
23 June 1795 · Off the island of Groix, Bay of Biscay
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Admiral Alexander Hood, Lord Bridport (Britain); Vice-admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse (France)
Forces British: 14 ships of the line. French: 12 ships of the line.
Ships HMS Royal George, HMS Queen Charlotte, HMS Sans Pareil, Peuple, Alexandre, Formidable, Tigre
Losses British: 31 killed, 113 wounded. French: 670 killed or wounded, 3 ships of the line captured.
Result British victory
Bridport's fleet, covering the Royalist landing at Quiberon, met Villaret's fleet returning to Brest. Villaret ran for the anchorage off Groix, but his slower ships were overhauled one by one, and Alexandre, Formidable and Tigre were taken with very heavy casualties. Fearing for his ships on the rocky coast, Bridport broke off after a few hours, and Villaret retreated to Lorient.
Why it is remembered British historians have seen it as a lost chance to destroy the French Atlantic fleet. Formidable became HMS Belleisle. Thomas Whitcombe painted the action in 1816.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Pyrenees (War of the First Coalition)
Battle of the Gulf of Roses Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 14 February 1795; Combat du golfe de Rosas
14 February 1795 · Gulf of Roses, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Juan de Lángara (Spain); Captain Guet, surrendered (France)
Forces Spanish: the 112-gun ship of the line Reina María Luisa. French: the frigate Iphigénie.
Ships Reina María Luisa, Iphigénie, Montañés
Losses Spanish: minor. French: 280 killed or wounded, Iphigénie captured.
Result Spanish victory
On Lángara's orders the Spanish three-decker Reina María Luisa chased the French frigate Iphigénie for over 24 hours and forced her to strike. Later the 74-gun Montañés, escorting the prize, was attacked by eight French ships of the line and two frigates flying Spanish colours; she reached Sant Feliu de Guíxols and drove them off, losing three men killed.
Why it is remembered The Montañés defence, in which she fired 1,100 rounds, became a noted Spanish feat.
Sources differ The main account dates the Montañés action to 30 March 1795 while also saying it was several days after the capture of 14 February.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Mediterranean campaign of 1793 to 1796)
Battle of the Hyères Islands Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille des îles d'Hyères
13 July 1795 · Off the Îles d'Hyères, south of France
Fought between Great Britain and Naples against France
Commanders William Hotham and Horatio Nelson (Britain); Pierre Martin (France)
Forces Anglo-Neapolitan: 23 ships of the line, 2 frigates, 1 corvette, 3 brigs and 1 cutter. French: 19 ships of the line, 7 frigates, 1 corvette and 4 brigs.
Ships Alcide
Losses Anglo-Neapolitan: 11 killed, 28 wounded. French: about 300 killed or wounded, 1 ship of the line destroyed.
Result Anglo-Neapolitan victory
Martin's fleet, sighted off Cap Corse by Nelson's flying squadron, fell back towards the Îles d'Hyères. On 13 July the British van caught the French stragglers and cut off the rearmost ship Alcide, which surrendered, caught fire and blew up with heavy loss of life. Hotham declined to attack the rest of the French fleet.
Why it is remembered Hotham's caution was criticised by his officers and later historians. It was the last fleet action in the Mediterranean before the Battle of the Nile in 1798.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Serres, Dominic, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition; Chouannerie
Invasion of France (1795) Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Quiberon; Quiberon expedition
23 June to 21 July 1795 · Quiberon peninsula, Brittany
Fought between French Royalists, Chouans and Great Britain against the French Republic
Commanders Joseph-Geneviève de Puisaye, Louis Charles d'Hervilly (died of wounds), Georges Cadoudal, Charles de Sombreuil (executed), Vincent de Tinténiac (killed) (Royalists); Alexander Hood, John Borlase Warren (Britain); Lazare Hoche, Jean Baptiste Canclaux (Republic)
Forces Royalist and British: 15,000 Chouans, 5,437 émigrés, 80 cannon, 9 British warships and 60 transports. Republican: 13,000 men.
Losses Royalists: around 5,000 dead and 6,332 captured. Republicans: unknown.
Result French Republican victory
A British squadron landed émigré counter-revolutionary troops on the Quiberon peninsula on 23 June 1795 to support the Chouannerie and Vendée revolt and raise western France against the Republic. Hoche's Republican army contained and then crushed the landing, which was finally repulsed on 21 July.
Why it is remembered The failure dealt a disastrous blow to the royalist cause; the émigré commander Sombreuil was among those executed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Paul-Émile Boutigny, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Invasion of the Cape Colony Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Muizenberg; Slag om Muizenberg
10 June to 15 September 1795 · Simon's Town and Muizenberg, Dutch Cape Colony
Fought between Great Britain against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Vice-Admiral Sir George Elphinstone and James Henry Craig (Britain); Governor Abraham Josias Sluysken and Robert Gordon, both surrendered (Dutch)
Forces British: 1,800 regulars, 5 ships of the line, 2 sloops and 14 troopships. Dutch: 3,600 regulars and militia, 1 frigate and 1 brig.
Ships HMS Monarch
Losses British: 4 to 5 killed, 54 wounded. Dutch: unknown killed, wounded or captured, 1 frigate and 1 brig captured.
Result British victory
After France overran the Dutch Republic, Elphinstone's squadron arrived off Simon's Town in June 1795. Talks failed and British troops landed on 7 August, fighting a short battle at Muizenberg. Skirmishing went on until a larger British force landed in September, and Governor Sluysken surrendered the colony.
Why it is remembered It gave Britain the Cape, then the only viable South African port on the route to the East Indies, until 1802. A Batavian squadron sent to retake it surrendered without a fight a year later.
Sources differ British killed are given as 4 to 5.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Battle of the Levant Convoy Convoy battle
Also known as Action of 7 October 1795
7 October 1795 · Off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Commodore Joseph de Richery (France); Commodore Thomas Taylor (Britain)
Forces French: 6 ships of the line and 3 frigates. British: 3 ships of the line, 1 frigate and 31 merchant ships.
Ships HMS Censeur
Losses French: unknown. British: 1 ship of the line (HMS Censeur) and 30 merchant ships captured.
Result French victory
Richery's squadron, sent from Toulon to attack the Newfoundland fisheries, fell on the weakly escorted British Levant convoy. HMS Censeur lost a topmast as Taylor formed line and was quickly overwhelmed, and Taylor withdrew, leaving the merchant ships to the French frigates. Only one merchant ship escaped.
Why it is remembered Richery was blockaded in Cádiz for nearly a year before escaping to raid the fisheries off Maritime Canada.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition (Low Countries theatre)
Capture of the Dutch fleet at Den Helder Other action
23 January 1795 · Nieuwediep, near Den Helder, Dutch Republic
Fought between France against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Jan Willem de Winter and Louis Lahure (France); Captain Hermanus Reintjes (Dutch Republic)
Forces French: the 8th Hussar Regiment and a voltigeur company of the 15th Line Infantry. Dutch: 5 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 6 corvettes and 4 cutters frozen at anchor.
Losses French: none. Dutch: all 14 to 18 warships captured.
Result French victory
During the French invasion of the Dutch Republic, French hussars approached the Dutch fleet frozen in the ice of the Nieuwediep, some crossing the ice. They negotiated an agreement that the Dutch warships would stay at anchor, and the fleet passed into French hands.
Why it is remembered It is one of the very rare captures of a fleet by cavalry. Charles Mozin painted the scene in 1836.
Sources differ One account speaks of 14 Dutch warships; another account lists 18 (5 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 6 corvettes and 4 cutters).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles Louis Mozin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 12 May 1796 Fleet battle
12 May 1796 · Off the Texel, North Sea
Fought between Great Britain against the Batavian Republic
Commanders Captain Lawrence Halstead (Britain); Batavian commander unknown
Forces British: 3 frigates and 1 brig-sloop. Batavian: 1 frigate, 3 brigs and 1 cutter.
Ships HMS Phoenix, HMS Pegasus, HMS Sylph, Argo, Duke of York, Mercuur, Echo, Gier
Losses British: 1 killed, 3 wounded. Batavian: 6 killed, 28 wounded, 1 frigate, 1 brig and 1 cutter captured, 2 brigs wrecked.
Result British victory
A Batavian squadron returning from Norway was attacked off the Dutch coast by a squadron detached from Duncan's fleet. Halstead in HMS Phoenix cut off the frigate Argo, which surrendered in 20 minutes. In the chase that followed Phoenix took the cutter Duke of York, Sylph took the brig Mercuur, and Pegasus drove the brigs Echo and Gier ashore.
Why it is remembered It was part of the British blockade of the Texel that led to the Battle of Camperdown a year later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War (1796 to 1808), War of the First Coalition
Action of 13 October 1796 Single-ship action
13 October 1796 · Off Cabo de Gata, near Cartagena, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Captain Richard Bowen (Britain); Frigate Captain Tomás de Ayalde, surrendered (Spain)
Forces The British 32-gun frigate HMS Terpsichore against the Spanish 34-gun frigate Mahonesa
Ships HMS Terpsichore, Mahonesa
Losses British: 4 wounded. Spanish: 30 killed, 30 wounded, 250 captured, Mahonesa captured.
Result British victory
Bowen in Terpsichore was returning to Gibraltar after shadowing a Spanish fleet when Ayalde in Mahonesa offered battle. The ships fought at close quarters for an hour and forty minutes; Mahonesa suffered far worse, tried to escape and surrendered after a chase of 20 minutes.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle of the Anglo-Spanish War, eight days after Spain declared war. Mahonesa was too damaged to repair. Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, War of the First Coalition
Action of 19 December 1796 Single-ship action
19 to 20 December 1796 · Off Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Commodore Horatio Nelson (Britain); Commodore Don Jacobo Stuart (Spain)
Forces British: the frigates HMS Minerve and HMS Blanche. Spanish: the frigates Sabina and Ceres, later supported by the frigates Matilde and Perla and the 112-gun Príncipe de Asturias.
Ships HMS Minerve, HMS Blanche, Sabina, Ceres, Matilde, Perla, Príncipe de Asturias
Losses British: 7 killed, 44 wounded. Spanish: 19 killed, 58 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Nelson, on his way to evacuate the British garrison of Elba, met Stuart's frigates off Murcia. Minerve fought Sabina for three hours until she surrendered, while Blanche drove off Ceres. When a larger Spanish squadron appeared, Nelson abandoned his prize, which was quickly retaken, and sailed away.
Why it is remembered Nelson went on to evacuate Elba and rejoined Jervis just before the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown, British School, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 31 May 1796 Convoy battle
31 May 1796 · Off Arma di Taggia and Bussana, Ligurian coast of Italy
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Commodore Horatio Nelson (Britain); Enseigne de vaisseau Pioch (France)
Forces British: a squadron led by the 64-gun HMS Agamemnon, using ships' boats. French: 2 gunboats and 5 transports, covered by a shore battery.
Ships HMS Agamemnon, Génie, Numéro Douze, Bonne-Mère, Vierge de Consolation, Jean Baptiste, St. Anne de Paix
Losses British: 1 killed, 3 wounded. French: all 7 vessels captured (one destroyed).
Result British victory
Nelson learned that the French were sending supplies by sea for the siege of Mantua and went to intercept them. A convoy of seven sail anchored under a shore battery; Nelson sent in the boats, and after brief resistance from the armed tartane Génie, a gunboat and the battery, all seven were taken. The cargoes included brass siege guns and mortars.
Why it is remembered It cut off siege artillery bound for the French army in Italy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Action of 9 September 1796 Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 8 September 1796
8 to 9 September 1796 · Off north west Sumatra, near Banda Aceh, Indian Ocean
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Contre-amiral Pierre César Charles de Sercey (France); Richard Lucas (Britain)
Forces French: 6 frigates. British: 2 ships of the line of 74 guns, HMS Arrogant and HMS Victorious.
Ships HMS Arrogant, HMS Victorious, Vertu, Seine
Losses French: 42 killed, 104 wounded. British: 24 killed, 84 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Sercey's frigate squadron, raiding British trade, had attacked shipping at Banda Aceh and was heading for Penang when two British 74s found it. On 9 September the French frigates formed line and engaged Arrogant and then Victorious, keeping them apart. Both sides were damaged and disengaged by late morning; the British went to Madras for repairs and Sercey eventually sheltered at Batavia.
Sources differ The Wikidata label gives 8 September 1796; one account gives the action as 9 September, with another account giving 8 to 9 September.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: François Geoffroi Roux, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Atlantic raid of June 1796 Blockade and raiding
4 to 22 June 1796 · Western Approaches, near the Scilly Isles and off Cape Clear, Ireland
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Thomas Williams (Britain); Jean Moulston (France)
Forces British: 3 frigates (HMS Unicorn, HMS Santa Margarita and HMS Dryad). French: 3 frigates (Tribune, Tamise, Proserpine) and the corvette Légère.
Ships HMS Unicorn, HMS Santa Margarita, HMS Dryad, Tribune, Tamise, Proserpine, Légère
Losses British: 4 killed, 10 wounded. French: 99 killed, 79 wounded, 3 frigates and 1 corvette captured.
Result British victory
British frigates from Cork hunted a French raiding squadron. Santa Margarita caught and took Tamise after a furious duel, and Unicorn took Tribune at 22:30 after a second hard fight. Five days later Dryad took Proserpine off Cape Clear in 45 minutes, and Légère was captured without a fight nine days after that.
Why it is remembered All four French ships were bought into the Royal Navy. Nicholas Pocock painted the capture of Tribune by Unicorn in 1797.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Capitulation of Saldanha Bay Fleet battle
17 August 1796 · Saldanha Bay, Cape Colony
Fought between Great Britain against the Batavian Republic
Commanders Vice-Admiral Sir George Elphinstone (Britain); Schout-bij-nacht Engelbertus Lucas, surrendered (Batavian Republic)
Forces British: 8 ships of the line, 1 frigate and 5 sloops. Batavian: 3 ships of the line, 2 frigates, 3 sloops and 1 merchant ship.
Losses British: none. Batavian: 1,972 men and all 9 vessels captured.
Result British victory
A Batavian squadron sent to the East Indies, with orders to retake the Cape if necessary, arrived after a six month voyage short of water and with crews close to mutiny. It anchored in Saldanha Bay, where Elphinstone's larger fleet trapped it on 15 August. With his crews in open revolt, Lucas surrendered unconditionally on 17 August.
Why it is remembered Elphinstone was made Baron Keith. Lucas died before his court-martial. A 1796 cartoon mocked the surrender as Dutch perfidy rewarded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Isaac Cruikshank, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
French expedition to Ireland (1796) Landing or siege
Also known as Expédition d'Irlande; Bantry Bay expedition
December 1796 to January 1797 · Approaches to Brest and Bantry Bay, Ireland
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders General Lazare Hoche and Morard de Galles (France); Robert Kingsmill and Captain Sir Edward Pellew (Britain)
Forces French: 12,000 to 25,000 troops, 17 ships of the line, 13 frigates, 6 corvettes and 7 troopships. British: 13 warships.
Ships Droits de l'Homme
Losses French: 2,230 killed or drowned, 1,000 captured, 2 ships of the line wrecked, 1 frigate captured, 2 frigates scuttled, 1 frigate wrecked, 1 corvette captured, 4 troopships captured and 1 troopship sunk. British: unknown.
Result Anglo-Irish victory (the invasion failed)
France sent Hoche's army from Brest to land at Bantry Bay and join the United Irishmen. In one of the stormiest winters of the century the fleet was scattered on leaving port, one ship was wrecked with heavy loss, and the commanders were blown far off course. Most ships reached Bantry Bay, but landings were impossible in the weather and within a week the fleet broke up and straggled home through storms and British patrols.
Why it is remembered No French soldier reached Ireland except as a prisoner. James Gillray mocked the failure in a cartoon, and the French tried again in 1798.
Sources differ French troop numbers range from 12,000 to 25,000.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Newfoundland expedition Raid
Also known as Expédition à Terre-Neuve; Expedición a Terranova
28 August to 5 September 1796 · Newfoundland, Labrador and Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Fought between France and Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery and José Solano y Bote (France and Spain); Sir James Wallace (Britain)
Forces Franco-Spanish: 17 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 1,500 regular troops and about 7,000 sailors. British: 1 ship of the line, 2 frigates and 2 sloops.
Losses French and Spanish: unknown. British: about 600 captured and 127 merchant vessels captured, sunk or destroyed.
Result Franco-Spanish victory
Richery's squadron sailed from Cádiz with a Spanish escort under Solano. Finding St. John's defended, with a boom and fireships prepared, Richery landed instead at Bay Bulls on 4 September and burnt it. The fleet then destroyed fishing vessels and stations along the coast, including Placentia Bay, and lingered at Saint Pierre and Miquelon before sailing home.
Why it is remembered It did heavy damage to the Newfoundland fisheries and caused great alarm in England.
Sources differ One account describes the combined squadron as 20 vessels; another account gives 17 ships of the line and 3 frigates.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Action of 13 January 1797 Single-ship action
Also known as Naufrage du Droits de l'Homme
13 to 14 January 1797 · Off the coast of Brittany, Bay of Biscay
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Sir Edward Pellew and Robert Reynolds, captured (Britain); Jean-Baptiste Raymond de Lacrosse (France)
Forces British: the 44-gun HMS Indefatigable and the 36-gun HMS Amazon. French: the 74-gun Droits de l'Homme.
Ships HMS Indefatigable, HMS Amazon, Droits de l'Homme
Losses British: 3 killed, 34 wounded, 6 drowned, 250 captured, Amazon wrecked. French: 253 killed or wounded, 400 to 900 drowned, Droits de l'Homme wrecked.
Result British victory
Returning from the failed expedition to Ireland, Droits de l'Homme was caught by two British frigates off Ushant. They fought for more than 15 hours in a rising gale; the seas were so high that the French ship could not open her lower gun ports. Badly damaged, she lost control and was driven onto a sandbar and destroyed. Amazon also ran aground trying to claw off the lee shore.
Why it is remembered Between 400 and 1,000 of the 1,300 people aboard Droits de l'Homme died.
Sources differ One account gives French deaths as between 400 and 1,000; another account gives 253 killed or wounded and 400 to 900 drowned.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Léopold Le Guen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War (1796 to 1808), War of the First Coalition
Action of 25 January 1797 Single-ship action
Also known as Acción del 25 de enero de 1797
25 January 1797 · Gulf of Cádiz, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders George Stewart, 8th Earl of Galloway (Britain); Captain Alonso de Torres y Guerra (Spain)
Forces British: 3 fifth rate frigates and 1 sixth rate sloop. Spanish: the third rate ship of the line San Francisco de Asís.
Ships San Francisco de Asís
Losses British: unknown, ships badly damaged. Spanish: 2 killed, 12 wounded.
Result Spanish victory
A British squadron of three frigates and a corvette attacked and chased the Spanish 74 San Francisco de Asís for several hours. After an intermittent but fierce exchange of fire the damaged British ships withdrew, and San Francisco de Asís returned to Cádiz with only minor damage.
Why it is remembered Torres y Guerra was promoted for his success. A painting of the action hangs in the Naval Museum of Madrid.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, War of the First Coalition
Action of 26 April 1797 Convoy battle
26 April 1797 · Conil Bay, off Conil de la Frontera, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Captain George Martin (Britain)
Forces British: the ship of the line HMS Irresistible and the frigate HMS Emerald. Spanish: the frigates Santa Elena and Ninfa.
Ships HMS Irresistible, HMS Emerald, Santa Elena, Ninfa
Losses British: 1 killed, 1 wounded. Spanish: 18 killed, 30 wounded, Santa Elena wrecked and Ninfa captured.
Result British victory
Two Spanish frigates carrying treasure from Havana to Cádiz were caught by ships of the British blockade and chased into rocky Conil Bay, where they surrendered after a brief fight. Santa Elena was wrecked on the shore and Ninfa was captured.
Why it is remembered The treasure had been taken off by a Spanish fishing boat before the battle and escaped capture. Ninfa was recommissioned in the Royal Navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dr. Blofeld, based on work by Miguillen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, War of the First Coalition
Assault on Cádiz Landing or siege
June to July 1797 · Cádiz, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson and Lord Jervis (Britain); José de Mazarredo and Federico Gravina (Spain)
Forces British: Jervis's fleet and Nelson's inshore squadron. Spanish: forts, batteries and gunboats (fuerzas sutiles).
Ships HMS Victory
Losses British: 3 armed boats sunk, Victory's launch driven ashore. Spanish: 3 armed boats captured.
Result Spanish victory
After Cape St. Vincent the British blockaded Cádiz and bombarded the city in early June, doing slight damage, to force Mazarredo's fleet out. The Spanish built gunboats and small craft to guard the harbour entrance. After a series of failed attacks led by Nelson, and under heavy fire from the forts, the British withdrew in early July.
Why it is remembered The blockade of Cádiz itself lasted until 1802. Thomas Buttersworth painted Nelson's inshore squadron.
Sources differ One account gives June 1797; another account gives June to July 1797.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Buttersworth, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Bali Strait incident Other action
28 January 1797 · Entrance to the Bali Strait, Dutch East Indies
Fought between East India Company against France
Commanders Commodore James Farquharson (East India Company); Contre-amiral Pierre César Charles de Sercey (France)
Forces East India Company: 6 East Indiamen, among them Alfred. French: 6 frigates.
Ships Alfred, Forte
Losses None on either side. One East Indiaman was wrecked in a storm in the Flores Sea the next day.
Result British success: the French withdrew
Six East Indiamen bound for China met Sercey's frigate squadron at the entrance to the Bali Strait. Knowing he could not outrun the French, Farquharson bluffed, forming his merchant ships in line of battle as if they were ships of the line. Sercey, ordered not to risk his squadron, retreated and returned to Île de France, where he learned of his mistake.
Why it is remembered A convoy of merchant ships escaped a superior naval squadron by bluff alone.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean-Baptiste d'Après de Mannevillette, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Battle of Camperdown Fleet battle
Also known as Zeeslag bij Kamperduin
11 October 1797 · Off Camperduin, Dutch coast, North Sea
Fought between Great Britain against the Batavian Republic
Commanders Admiral Adam Duncan and Vice-admiral Richard Onslow (Britain); Vice-admiral Jan Willem de Winter, surrendered, Hermanus Reijntjes and Bloys van Treslong (Batavian Republic)
Forces British: 16 ships of the line, 2 frigates, 1 sloop, 4 cutters and 1 lugger. Batavian: 15 ships of the line, 6 frigates, 4 brigs and 1 aviso.
Ships HMS Venerable, HMS Monarch, Vrijheid, Jupiter, Haarlem, Alkmaar, Delft, Wassenaar, Hercules, Gelijkheid, Admiraal Tjerk Hiddes De Vries, Monnikkendam, Ambuscade
Losses British: 203 killed, 622 wounded. Batavian: 540 killed, 620 wounded, 3,775 captured, 9 ships of the line and 2 frigates captured.
Result British victory
De Winter took the Batavian fleet to sea while Duncan was resupplying at Yarmouth, and Duncan caught it off Camperduin on its return. Attacking in two groups, the British broke the Batavian line at the rear and van; the rear was overwhelmed and the flagships fought it out to windward. De Winter's Vrijheid and ten other ships struck. Gales on the voyage home wrecked two prizes.
Why it is remembered It broke the Batavian Navy as an independent force and was the most significant British and Batavian battle of the war. Duncan was made Viscount Duncan of Camperdown, and the battle was painted by Whitcombe, Loutherbourg and others.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, War of the First Coalition
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1797) Fleet battle
14 February 1797 · Off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Admiral Sir John Jervis, William Waldegrave, Charles Thompson, William Parker, Commodore Horatio Nelson (wounded) (Britain); José de Córdoba y Ramos, Francisco Javier Morales, Francisco Winthuysen (killed), Juan de Mondragón, Conde de Amblimont (killed) (Spain)
Forces British: 15 ships of the line, 5 frigates, 1 sloop and 1 cutter. Spanish: 25 ships of the line, 7 frigates, 1 brig and 4 merchantmen.
Ships HMS Victory, HMS Captain, HMS Culloden, HMS Excellent, HMS Orion, HMS Irresistible, Santísima Trinidad, San Nicolás, San José, Salvador del Mundo, San Ysidro
Losses British: 73 killed, 227 wounded. Spanish: 430 killed, 856 wounded, 3,000 captured, 4 ships of the line captured.
Result British victory
Jervis's fleet met Córdoba's larger Spanish fleet off Cape St. Vincent. Nelson took HMS Captain out of the line to block the Spanish, then boarded San Nicolás and crossed from her to capture San José. The British took four ships of the line, and the Spanish fleet returned to Cádiz, where it was blockaded until 1802.
Why it is remembered Jervis was made Earl St. Vincent and Nelson was knighted; Nelson's double boarding became known as his patent bridge for boarding enemy vessels. Córdoba was dismissed. George Jones painted Nelson boarding the San Josef.
Sources differ The fourth prize is named San Isidro or San Ysidro in different parts of the main account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Cleveley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Battle of Fishguard Landing or siege
Also known as Last invasion of mainland Britain
22 to 24 February 1797 · Near Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Lord Cawdor and Thomas Knox (Britain); Colonel William Tate, captured, and Jean-Joseph Castagnier (France)
Forces British: 300 reservists, 250 militia and 150 sailors. French: 600 regulars, 800 irregulars, 2 frigates, 1 corvette and 1 lugger.
Losses British: light. French: 33 killed or wounded, 1,360 captured, 1 frigate and 1 corvette captured.
Result British victory
As part of Hoche's plan to support the United Irishmen, a French force under Colonel William Tate landed in Wales, aiming to march on Bristol. After brief clashes with hastily gathered British forces and local people, Tate surrendered unconditionally on 24 February. In a related naval action the British captured a frigate and a corvette of the expedition.
Why it is remembered It is the most recent landing on British soil by a hostile foreign force and is often called the last invasion of mainland Britain.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Baker, James, 18th. cent Bluck, J., fl. 1791 to 1819, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition and Haitian Revolution
Battle of Jean-Rabel Raid
15 to 21 April 1797 · Moustique Inlet and Jean-Rabel, north coast of Saint-Domingue (Haiti)
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders William Ogilvy and Hugh Pigot (Britain); Commander Simon Billiette (France)
Forces British: the ships of the line HMS Thunderer and HMS Valiant, then a squadron of three frigates and two smaller vessels. French: the frigate Harmonie.
Ships HMS Thunderer, HMS Valiant, Harmonie
Losses British: none. French: Harmonie destroyed, 9 merchant ships captured.
Result British victory
Two British ships of the line attacked and destroyed the French frigate Harmonie in Moustique Inlet. Four days later boats from a British frigate squadron attacked Jean-Rabel itself and took many merchant ships that French privateers had seized.
Why it is remembered It reduced privateering and secured British control of the northern Caribbean sea lanes, though Britain withdrew from Saint-Domingue later that year.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the First Coalition
Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797) Landing or siege
22 to 25 July 1797 · Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson, wounded (Britain); Antonio Gutiérrez de Otero y Santayana (Spain)
Forces British: 4,000 regulars and sailors, 3 ships of the line, 1 fourth rate, 3 frigates, 1 cutter and 1 bomb vessel, 400 guns. Spanish: 1,700 regulars, militia and sailors with 91 guns.
Losses British: 250 dead, 128 wounded, about 300 captured, 1 cutter sunk. Spanish: 30 dead, 40 wounded.
Result Spanish victory
Nelson launched an amphibious assault on the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on 22 July 1797. The attack was defeated, and on 25 July the survivors of the landing party withdrew under a truce, having lost several hundred men.
Why it is remembered Nelson was wounded in the arm, which was partly amputated, a lasting reminder of his failure. The British attack was painted in 1848.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francisco de Aguilar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, War of the First Coalition
Capture of Trinidad Landing or siege
Also known as Invasion of Trinidad
18 to 21 February 1797 · Trinidad
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Sir Ralph Abercromby and Henry Harvey (Britain); Governor José María Chacón and Sebastián de Apodaca, both surrendered (Spain)
Forces British: 10,000 soldiers and marines, 9 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 3 post ships and 3 sloops. Spanish: 2,500 soldiers, marines and sailors, 4 ships of the line and 1 frigate.
Losses British: 1 killed. Spanish: 2,500 deserted or captured, 1 ship of the line captured, 3 ships of the line and 1 frigate scuttled.
Result British victory
After Spain allied with France, a British fleet of 18 warships invaded Trinidad. The Spanish scuttled most of their squadron, and within a few days Governor Chacón surrendered the island to Abercromby.
Why it is remembered Trinidad passed into British hands; the same expedition was repelled at Puerto Rico.
Sources differ One account dates the invasion to 18 February 1797, another account to 21 February, and a painting caption to 17 February.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Action of 14 December 1798 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat de l'HMS Ambuscade contre la Bayonnaise
14 December 1798 · Off the Gironde, Bay of Biscay
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Jean Richer (France); Henry Jenkins (Britain)
Forces French: the 24-gun corvette Bayonnaise. British: the 32-gun frigate HMS Ambuscade.
Ships Bayonnaise, HMS Ambuscade
Losses French: 25 killed, 30 wounded. British: 15 killed, 39 wounded, Ambuscade captured.
Result French victory
The corvette Bayonnaise, outgunned and outmanoeuvred by the frigate HMS Ambuscade, boarded her and captured her.
Why it is remembered Louis-Philippe Crépin painted the fight in 1801.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Louis-Philippe Crépin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, French Revolutionary Wars
Action of 15 July 1798 Single-ship action
Also known as Combate de Cartagena (1798)
15 July 1798 · Off Cartagena, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Captain Manley Dixon (Britain); Commodore Felix O'Neil (Spain)
Forces British: the ship of the line HMS Lion. Spanish: 4 frigates.
Ships HMS Lion, Santa Dorotea
Losses British: 2 wounded. Spanish: 20 killed, 32 wounded, Santa Dorotea captured.
Result British victory
HMS Lion met a Spanish frigate squadron returning to Cartagena from an unsuccessful raid. O'Neil failed to co-ordinate his ships, and Santa Dorotea fell out of line and was attacked and quickly forced to surrender, while the other frigates fired ineffectually at long range and then turned for port.
Why it is remembered Santa Dorotea was bought into the Royal Navy. The Spanish made no further expeditions into the Mediterranean that year. Thomas Whitcombe illustrated the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (Mediterranean campaign of 1798)
Action of 18 August 1798 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat du Généreux et du HMS Leander
18 August 1798 · Off the western shore of Crete
Fought between France against Great Britain
Commanders Captain Louis-Jean-Nicolas Lejoille (France); Captain Thomas Thompson, wounded (Britain)
Forces French: the ship of the line Généreux. British: the fourth rate HMS Leander, with Captain Edward Berry aboard as a passenger.
Ships Généreux, HMS Leander
Losses French: 100 killed, 188 wounded. British: 35 killed, 57 wounded, Leander captured.
Result French victory
Leander was carrying Nelson's despatches after the Battle of the Nile when she was caught off Crete by Généreux, one of the four French survivors of that battle. They fought from 09:00; a French boarding attempt at 10:30 was beaten off with heavy loss, but after another five hours the dismasted Leander surrendered. Lejoille's men looted the prisoners and forced them to help sail Leander to Corfu.
Why it is remembered Lejoille was praised in France but condemned in Britain for his conduct, while Thompson and Berry were knighted. A Russian squadron retook Leander at Corfu in 1799 and the Tsar returned her to Britain; Généreux was captured off Malta in 1800.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles Henry Seaforth, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (Irish Rebellion of 1798)
Action of 24 October 1798 Single-ship action
24 October 1798 · North Sea, 30 nautical miles north west of the Texel
Fought between Great Britain against the Batavian Republic
Commanders Captain Richard King (Britain); Meindert van Neirop (Batavian Republic)
Forces British: the frigate HMS Sirius. Batavian: the frigate Furie and the corvette Waakzaamheid, carrying troops and military supplies.
Ships HMS Sirius, Furie, Waakzaamheid
Losses British: 1 wounded. Batavian: 8 killed, 14 wounded, Furie and Waakzaamheid captured.
Result British victory
Two Dutch ships carrying French soldiers and supplies for the Irish rebellion were caught hours after leaving the Texel, two miles apart. Sirius ran down the smaller Waakzaamheid, which surrendered without a fight, then overhauled Furie, which surrendered within half an hour.
Why it is remembered It ended the last continental attempt to land soldiers in Ireland and was the last action of the Irish Rebellion. Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture.
Sources differ Thomas Whitcombe's painting is captioned 23 October; the main account gives 24 October 1798.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (Mediterranean campaign of 1798)
Action of 27 June 1798 Single-ship action
27 June 1798 · Strait of Sicily
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Edward Foote (Britain); Frigate Captain Guillaume-François-Joseph Bourdé, surrendered (France)
Forces British: the 38-gun frigate HMS Seahorse. French: the 32-gun frigate Sensible, carrying wounded troops and loot from Malta.
Ships HMS Seahorse, Sensible
Losses British: 2 killed, 16 wounded. French: 25 killed, 55 wounded, Sensible captured.
Result British victory
Seahorse, on her way to join Nelson, sighted Sensible on 26 June and chased her for 12 hours. Catching the overladen French frigate, she inflicted heavy casualties until Sensible struck.
Why it is remembered It gave the British the first conclusive evidence that the French meant to invade Egypt, though Foote could not find Nelson before the Battle of the Nile. James E. Buttersworth painted the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: James E. Buttersworth, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars
Action of 30 June 1798 Single-ship action
29 to 30 June 1798 · Bay of Biscay, off La Tranche-sur-Mer, Vendée coast
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Charles Stirling (Britain); Julien Bigot (France)
Forces British: the frigates HMS Jason, HMS Pique and HMS Mermaid. French: the 40-gun frigate Seine, carrying 280 soldiers from Île de France.
Ships HMS Jason, HMS Pique, HMS Mermaid, Seine
Losses British: 9 killed, 18 wounded, Pique wrecked. French: 170 killed, 100 wounded, Seine captured.
Result British victory
Seine, returning from the Indian Ocean, was spotted by the inshore squadron off Brittany. Pique caught her at 23:00 and they fought for over two and a half hours. Chasing on through the night, all three frigates ran onto the sandbanks off La Tranche-sur-Mer and kept firing while aground until Mermaid arrived and Seine surrendered. Pique could not be refloated and was burnt.
Why it is remembered Casualties on the crowded decks of Seine were very heavy. John Fairburn published a print of Jason capturing Seine in 1798.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars
Action of 30 May 1798 Single-ship action
30 to 31 May 1798 · Off the mouth of the Dives, Normandy, English Channel
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir Francis Laforey (Britain); Etienne Pévrieu (France)
Forces British: the fifth rate HMS Hydra, a bomb vessel and a cutter. French: the corvettes Confiante and Vésuve and a cutter.
Ships HMS Hydra, Confiante, Vésuve
Losses British: none. French: Confiante destroyed.
Result British victory
A British blockading force caught two French ships trying to slip from Le Havre to Cherbourg. After a brief exchange both ran ashore near the mouth of the Dives. Boarding parties burnt the badly damaged Confiante the next morning, while troops on shore protected Vésuve until she could be taken into Sallenelles.
Why it is remembered Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture of Confiante in 1816.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Siege of Corfu (1798 to 1799) Landing or siege
4 November 1798 to 3 March 1799 · Corfu, Ionian Islands
Fought between Russia, the Ottoman Empire and the Pashalik of Yanina against France
Commanders Fyodor Ushakov and Ivan Selivachev (Russia); Kadir Bey and Ali Pasha of Ioannina (Ottoman); Louis Chabot, surrendered (France)
Forces Allied: 6,200 to 8,000 men, 12 ships of the line, 11 frigates and smaller vessels. French: 3,700 to 4,000 men, 150 coastal guns, 2 ships of the line, 1 frigate, 1 bomb vessel, 1 brig and 4 small vessels.
Ships Leander
Losses Allied: 300 to 400 killed and wounded. French: 700 to 1,000 killed, wounded or captured, 2,931 capitulated, 1 ship of the line, 1 frigate and 15 other vessels captured, 636 guns and mortars taken.
Result Russo-Ottoman victory
A joint Russian and Turkish fleet under Ushakov besieged the French garrison in the fortified island of Corfu, whose defences were in poor condition. The garrison capitulated on 3 March 1799.
Why it is remembered The Russians recovered the captured British ship Leander at Corfu and returned her to Britain.
Sources differ French killed and wounded are given as 500 killed and wounded plus 500 captured by one source, and 700 lost by another.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: André Grasset de Saint-Sauveur, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (Mediterranean campaign of 1798)
French invasion of Malta Landing or siege
10 to 12 June 1798 · Malta and Gozo
Fought between France against the Knights Hospitaller of Malta
Commanders Napoleon Bonaparte, with Junot, Desaix, Baraguey d'Hilliers, Vaubois and Reynier (France); Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch, who surrendered (Order of St John)
Result French victory; the Order capitulated
Bonaparte's expedition landed on Malta and Gozo and met some resistance from the Order and the Maltese militia. In less than a day the French held the whole archipelago except the fortified harbour area around Valletta. Discontent among the Order's French members and the Maltese population led to a truce and then to the Order's capitulation.
Why it is remembered It ended 268 years of Hospitaller rule in Malta. A Maltese uprising followed, and the two-year blockade of the French garrison ended with its surrender to the British in 1800 and the start of 164 years of British rule.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: GOTTFRIED BAUMANN & CO., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars
Battle of the Îles Saint-Marcouf Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of St Marcou
7 May 1798 · Îles Saint-Marcouf, off the Cotentin coast, Normandy
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Charles Price (Britain); A. M. Muskein (France)
Forces British: a garrison of 500. French: 5,000 to 6,000 men in 52 vessels, over 50 of them landing craft.
Losses British: 1 killed, 4 wounded. French: 900 killed or drowned, 300 wounded, 500 captured, 6 to 7 vessels sunk.
Result British victory
The French launched a massed amphibious assault with new landing craft against the British garrison on the southern island, which supplied Royal Navy patrols. Wind and tide kept British warships away, but shore batteries and musket fire stopped any French soldier from landing and killed nearly 1,000 men in the boats, and fire from the northern island added to the losses as they withdrew.
Why it is remembered The French had been testing equipment and tactics meant for an invasion of Britain. Afterwards the British closely blockaded the Cotentin ports.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Quasi-War
Capture of La Croyable Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 7 July 1798; USS Delaware vs La Croyable
7 July 1798 · Great Egg Harbor Bay, New Jersey
Fought between United States against France
Commanders Captain Stephen Decatur, Sr. (United States); French commander unknown
Forces American: the sloop of war USS Delaware, 180 men and 20 guns. French: the privateer schooner La Croyable, 70 men and 12 to 14 guns.
Ships USS Delaware, La Croyable, Alexander Hamilton
Losses None on either side. La Croyable captured.
Result American victory
On her first day at sea Delaware learned that a French privateer had ransacked the merchant ship Alexander Hamilton. Posing as a merchant vessel, she drew La Croyable into pursuit; when the French realised their mistake they fled, but were pinned against the shore of Great Egg Harbor Bay and surrendered after a few shots.
Why it is remembered It was the first capture of any ship by the new United States Navy. La Croyable became USS Retaliation, the only American naval vessel captured by the French in the Quasi-War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Siege of Malta (1798 to 1800) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Siege of Valletta; French blockade; L-Imblokk tal-Franċiżi
2 September 1798 to 4 September 1800 · Valletta and the Three Cities, Malta
Fought between Maltese insurgents, Great Britain and Portugal against France
Commanders Emmanuele Vitale, Francesco Caruana, Vincenzo Borg (Malta); Horatio Nelson and Alexander Ball (Britain); Domingos Xavier, Marquess of Nisa (Portugal); Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois, surrendered, Jean-Baptiste Perrée, killed, Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, surrendered (France)
Forces Allied: about 10,000 Maltese, 16 British ships and 5 Portuguese ships. French: 6,000 to 7,000.
Ships Guillaume Tell
Losses Maltese: 300. British: light. French: 4,000 surrendered and 2,000 killed, wounded, sick or dead of disease. About 20,000 Maltese civilians died of disease.
Result Allied victory
After the Nile, British and Portuguese ships blockaded the French garrison in Valletta while the Maltese rose against French rule. Starvation and disease wore down the garrison. A relief convoy under Perrée was destroyed in February 1800, and in March the ship of the line Guillaume Tell was caught and forced to surrender after breaking out. Vaubois surrendered on 4 September 1800.
Why it is remembered It led to the British Malta Protectorate.
Sources differ One account gives the French garrison as 3,000; another account gives 6,000 to 7,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: www.timesofmalta.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, French Revolutionary Wars
Raid on Manila Raid
January 1798 (arrival 13 January) · Manila Bay and the mouth of the Pasig River, Spanish Philippines
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Captain Edward Cooke and Captain Pulteney Malcolm (Britain); Ignacio María de Álava (Spain)
Forces British: the frigates HMS Sybille and HMS Fox. Spanish: unknown.
Ships HMS Sybille, HMS Fox
Losses British: 6 killed, 16 wounded. Spanish: 1 killed, 4 wounded, 3 gunboats captured.
Result Spanish gunboats captured; the treasure ship had already been unloaded and was not taken
After escorting a convoy to China, Cooke took two frigates into Manila Bay disguised as French ships. He lured boatloads of Spanish officials aboard and took them prisoner, learning that the treasure ship had been unloaded and the Spanish squadron was under repair. His boats then took a squadron of gunboats at the mouth of the Pasig River without bloodshed. He released his prisoners and later made an unsuccessful attack on Zamboanga.
Why it is remembered It was a false flag operation to protect the vital China Fleet.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Emmanuel Roquette, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition (Mediterranean campaign of 1798)
Capture of Minorca (1798) Landing or siege
Also known as Capture of Menorca
7 to 15 November 1798 · Menorca, Balearic Islands
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Captain John Duckworth and Colonel Charles Stuart (Britain); Governor Juan Nepomuceno de Quesada, surrendered (Spain)
Forces British: 6,000 troops and 20 warships. Spanish: over 4,284 troops and 8 frigates.
Losses British: unknown. Spanish: 4,284 captured, 4 frigates captured, killed and wounded unknown.
Result British victory
A British expedition landed on Menorca on 7 November 1798 and, after several skirmishes, forced the outnumbered Spanish garrison to surrender by 15 November.
Why it is remembered Britain held the island for almost four years as a major naval base, returning it to Spain under the Treaty of Amiens in 1802.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John Thomas Serres, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (Mediterranean campaign of 1798, French invasion of Egypt)
Battle of the Nile Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Aboukir Bay; Bataille d'Aboukir
1 to 3 August 1798 · Aboukir Bay, about 20 miles north east of Alexandria, Egypt
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, wounded (Britain); Vice-admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers, killed (France)
Forces British: 14 ships of the line and 1 sloop. French: 13 ships of the line and 4 frigates.
Ships HMS Vanguard, HMS Goliath, HMS Culloden, Orient, Guerrier, Conquérant, Spartiate, Aquilon, Peuple Souverain, Tonnant, Heureux, Mercure, Généreux, Sérieuse
Losses British: 218 killed, 677 wounded. French: 2,000 to 5,000 killed or wounded, 3,000 to 3,900 captured, 9 ships of the line captured, 1 destroyed and 1 scuttled, 1 frigate sunk and 1 scuttled.
Result Decisive British victory
After landing Napoleon's army in Egypt, Brueys anchored his fleet in Aboukir Bay. Nelson arrived late on 1 August and attacked at once. One British division, led by HMS Goliath, passed between the French line and the shore while the other engaged from seaward, catching the French van in a crossfire. At about 22:00 the flagship Orient blew up, and only two ships of the line and two frigates escaped from the 17 French ships engaged.
Why it is remembered It left the Royal Navy dominant in the Mediterranean, trapped Napoleon's army in Egypt and helped bring on the War of the Second Coalition. Nelson was made Baron Nelson, and Felicia Hemans' 1826 poem Casabianca keeps the battle in popular memory.
Sources differ French killed and wounded range from 2,000 to 5,000 and captured from 3,000 to 3,900. A history of the campaign says eleven French ships of the line and two frigates were eliminated.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (blockade of Brest)
Battle of the Raz de Sein Single-ship action
21 April 1798 · Mouth of the Raz de Sein, near Brest, Brittany
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Alexander Hood, killed (Britain); Captain Louis Lhéritier, surrendered (France)
Forces One British 74, HMS Mars, against one French 74, Hercule
Ships HMS Mars, Hercule
Losses British: 22 killed, 60 wounded, 8 missing. French: 290 killed or wounded, Hercule captured.
Result British victory
Hercule, newly commissioned at Lorient and bound for Brest, was chased by ships of Bridport's blockading fleet. Unable to pass the Raz de Sein against the tide, Lhéritier anchored and waited. At 21:15 Mars ran alongside, and for more than an hour the two ships fired into each other so close that the guns could not be run out. Hood was mortally wounded, and Hercule surrendered after her attempts to board failed.
Why it is remembered It is a rare example of a fight between two ships of about equal strength with no outside help. Hercule served in the Royal Navy until 1810. John Christian Schetky painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John Christian Schetky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French invasion of Egypt and Syria
Battle of Shubra Khit Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Chobrakit; Battle of Chebreïss
13 July 1798 · Shubra Khit, on the Nile, Egypt
Fought between France against the Ottoman Empire (Mamluks)
Commanders Napoleon and Jean-Baptiste Perrée (France); Murad Bey and Nicola the Greek, Nile flotilla (Ottoman)
Forces French: 23,000 men, 3 gunboats, 1 xebec, 1 galley and 20 smaller vessels (7 in action). Ottoman: 16,000 men and 7 gunboats.
Losses French: 420 to 520 killed or wounded, 3 vessels lost. Ottoman: 700 to 800 killed or wounded, 1 gunboat destroyed and 6 scuttled.
Result French victory
On the march to Cairo the French army met Murad Bey's Mamluk cavalry and infantry and formed squares that the cavalry could not break. On the river a French flotilla under Perrée fought and repelled the Ottoman Nile flotilla.
Why it is remembered It was the second major engagement of the French invasion of Egypt.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, French Revolutionary Wars
Battle of St. George's Caye Fleet battle
3 to 10 September 1798 · St. George's Caye, off the coast of British Honduras (Belize)
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders John Moss and Thomas Barrow (Britain); Arturo O'Neill (Spain)
Forces British: 13 vessels (4 sloops, 2 schooners and 7 gunboats), 700 troops and armed slaves. Spanish: 35 vessels and 2,500 soldiers and sailors.
Losses Unknown on both sides.
Result British victory
A Spanish force of 35 vessels attempted to take the British settlement off the coast of Belize. The fighting lasted from 3 to 10 September, and the Spanish were defeated in the final battle on 10 September.
Why it is remembered It was the last Spanish attempt to take the area, and St. George's Caye Day is a national public and bank holiday in Belize.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (Irish Rebellion of 1798)
Battle of Tory Island Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Donegal; Battle of Lough Swilly; Warren's Action
12 October 1798 · Off Tory Island, County Donegal, Ireland
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Sir John Borlase Warren (Britain); Jean Bompart, surrendered (France)
Forces British: 3 ships of the line and 5 frigates. French: 1 ship of the line and 9 frigates.
Losses British: 15 killed, 72 wounded. French: 460 killed or wounded, 1 ship of the line and 3 frigates captured.
Result British victory
A French squadron carrying reinforcements for the Irish rebellion left Brest unaware that Humbert's force had already surrendered. After a long chase the British caught it off the Donegal coast and defeated it piecemeal, taking four ships. Frigate patrols took three more over the next fortnight; of ten French ships only two frigates and a schooner got home.
Why it is remembered It was the last French attempt to invade any part of the British Isles. Wolfe Tone was recognised aboard the captured French flagship, arrested, tried for treason and died in prison in Dublin.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock (1799), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Barbary to Portuguese conflicts
Action of 15 August 1799 Convoy battle
15 August 1799 · Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Regency of Algiers against Portugal
Commanders Haji Muhammad Tabah (Algiers); Inácio P. Pinto, captured (Portugal)
Forces Algerian: 1 armed vessel with 350 men. Portuguese: 1 brigantine escorting merchant vessels (3 yachts per the main account).
Losses Portuguese: the brigantine captured, 1 yacht sunk or captured, over 70 men captured. Algerian: unknown.
Result Algerian victory
A Portuguese brigantine sailing with merchant ships was intercepted by an Algerian ship. The brigantine and a merchant ship were captured.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, War of the Second Coalition
Action of 16 October 1799 Blockade and raiding
16 to 17 October 1799 · Off Vigo and Muros, Galicia, Spain
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders William Pierrepont (Britain); Juan de Mendoza and Antonio Pillon, both surrendered (Spain)
Forces British: 4 frigates, including HMS Naiad and HMS Ethalion. Spanish: the treasure frigates Thetis and Santa Brígida.
Ships HMS Naiad, HMS Ethalion, Thetis, Santa Brígida
Losses British: 1 killed, 10 wounded. Spanish: 3 killed, 17 wounded, both frigates captured.
Result British victory
Two Spanish frigates carrying silver and trade goods from Spanish America were sighted by HMS Naiad near Vigo and soon surrounded by British frigates. They split up: Ethalion took Thetis after a short fight on 16 October, and Santa Brígida was caught among the rocks near Muros on the morning of 17 October.
Why it is remembered The cargoes, worth at least £618,040, were paraded to the Bank of England and produced one of the largest prize awards ever made. Thomas Whitcombe painted Ethalion engaging Thetis.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Action of 18 June 1799 Fleet battle
18 June 1799 · Off Toulon, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Lord Keith and John Markham (Britain); Counter-admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée (France)
Forces British: 3 ships of the line and 2 frigates detached from Keith's fleet of 30 ships. French: 3 frigates and 2 brigs.
Losses British: unknown. French: 3 frigates and 2 brigs captured.
Result British victory
Perrée's squadron, returning to Toulon from Syria, ran into Lord Keith's fleet. After a running fight of 28 hours, the British detachment overhauled the French frigates and brigs, which surrendered to the overwhelming force.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Lawrence, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, French Revolutionary Wars
Action of 19 January 1799 Convoy battle
19 January 1799 · Off Punta Europa, Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa (Spain); British commander unknown
Forces Spanish: 1 mistico and 14 gunboats. British: 1 third rate of 74 guns, 1 gun-brig, 3 gunboats, 4 merchant ships and 3 merchant brigs.
Losses British: 1 gunboat sunk, 1 gunboat captured, 1 merchant ship and 2 merchant brigs captured, 120 prisoners. Spanish: minor.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish squadron of 14 gunboats led by a mistico attacked a British convoy off Punta Europa. The escorts failed to protect it, losing two gunboats, and three merchant vessels were taken.
Why it is remembered Mourelle de la Rúa was promoted to frigate captain for the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Florián de Ocampo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Action of 28 February 1799 Single-ship action
28 February 1799 · Off the mouth of the Hooghly River, Bay of Bengal
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Edward Cooke, mortally wounded (Britain); Hubert Le Loup de Beaulieu, killed (France)
Forces One British frigate, HMS Sybille, against the large French frigate Forte
Ships HMS Sybille, Forte
Losses British: 6 killed, 16 wounded. French: 65 killed, 80 wounded, Forte captured.
Result British victory
Sybille was sent from Madras to stop Forte, which was raiding shipping off Calcutta, and found her at anchor at the mouth of the Hooghly with two captured merchant ships. Beaulieu was killed by the first raking broadside, but Forte's crew fought on for more than two hours until she was a wreck. Cooke was hit by grapeshot and died of his wounds three months later.
Why it is remembered Forte served in the Royal Navy until she was wrecked in the Red Sea two years later. Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, War of the Second Coalition
Action of 6 February 1799 Single-ship action
6 February 1799 · Off Alcúdia, Majorca
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Post-Captain James Bowen (Britain); Pablo Pérez (Spain)
Forces British: the ship of the line HMS Leviathan and the frigate HMS Argo. Spanish: the frigates Santa Theresa and Proserpine.
Ships HMS Leviathan, HMS Argo, Santa Theresa, Proserpine
Losses British: unknown. Spanish: 530 captured, Santa Theresa captured.
Result British victory
A British force under James Bowen attacked two Spanish frigates near Alcúdia and captured Santa Theresa.
Sources differ One account gives 6 February 1799; another gives 6 May 1799.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Buttersworth, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (as given by the source)
Action of 7 July 1799 Single-ship action
7 July 1799 · Bay of Gibraltar
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Lieutenant Frederick Lewis Maitland, captured (Britain); Spanish commander unknown
Forces Spanish: the 34-gun frigate Nuestra Señora del Carmen. British: the 18-gun hired armed cutter Penelope.
Ships Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Penelope
Losses British: Penelope captured. Spanish: unknown.
Result Spanish victory
The Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Carmen captured the British hired armed cutter Penelope under Lieutenant Frederick Lewis Maitland in the Bay of Gibraltar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Action of 9 February 1799 Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 9 February 1799 (South Africa)
9 February 1799 · About 100 nautical miles off the south east coast of present-day Natal, South Africa, Indian Ocean
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain Henry Lidgbird Ball (Britain); Emanuel-Hippolite Le Jolliff, surrendered (France)
Forces The British frigate HMS Daedalus against the 32-gun privateer frigate Prudente
Ships HMS Daedalus, Prudente
Losses British: 2 killed, 11 wounded. French: 27 killed, 22 wounded, Prudente captured.
Result British victory
Prudente, a former navy frigate sold to a private raiding company on Île de France, was attacking British trade off South Africa when HMS Daedalus found her. After a five hour chase Daedalus raked her stern and disabled her, and after another hour at close range Prudente surrendered.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Rear Admiral John William Schmidt (Ret.) (1906, 1981), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French invasion of Egypt and Syria; French Revolutionary Wars
Siege of Acre (1799) Landing or siege
20 March to 21 May 1799 · Acre, Ottoman Syria
Fought between Ottoman Empire and Great Britain against France
Commanders Jazzar Pasha, Haim Farhi (Ottoman); Sidney Smith, Antoine de Phélippeaux (Britain); Napoleon Bonaparte, Jean-Baptiste Kléber (France)
Forces Ottoman and British: a garrison of 5,000, a relief army of 35,000 to 40,000 and two British ships of the line, HMS Tigre and HMS Theseus, with gunboats. French: 12,000 to 13,000.
Ships HMS Tigre, HMS Theseus, Dangereuse, Deux Frères, Foudre, Marie-Rose, Negresse, Torride, Vierge-de-Grâce
Losses Ottoman and British: 2,000. French: 4,000 to 4,500 (2,300 killed, 2,200 wounded or ill); seven gunboats carrying siege artillery captured.
Result Anglo-Ottoman victory
Commodore Sidney Smith captured the French flotilla of gunboats bringing Napoleon's siege artillery from Egypt, and Phélippeaux turned the captured guns against the French. Tigre and Theseus anchored so their broadsides covered the defences while shallower British gunboats worked inshore, helping to repel repeated French assaults, and Ottoman reinforcements from Rhodes landed. After a failed final assault on 10 May, Napoleon retreated on 21 May 1799.
Why it is remembered It was the turning point of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and Syria, together with the Battle of the Nile, and his first major strategic defeat.
Sources differ French losses are given as 4,000 or 4,500.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Sutherland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Spanish War, War of the Second Coalition
Cutting out of the Hermione Raid
Also known as Capture of Hermione
25 October 1799 · Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
Fought between Great Britain against Spain
Commanders Captain Edward Hamilton (Britain); Captain Ramón Echalaz, captured (Spain)
Forces British: about 100 men in boats from the frigate HMS Surprise. Spanish: about 400 men and the frigate Hermione in a heavily guarded port.
Ships HMS Surprise, Hermione
Losses British: 12 wounded. Spanish: 120 killed, 97 wounded, 231 captured, Hermione captured.
Result British victory
HMS Hermione had been handed to the Spanish by her crew after a vicious mutiny and lay in the guarded harbour of Puerto Cabello. Edward Hamilton of HMS Surprise led a boat attack to cut her out and recaptured her.
Why it is remembered It recovered a frigate lost to mutiny. Nicholas Pocock painted the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Macau Incident (1799) Convoy battle
27 January 1799 · Wanshan (Ladrones) Archipelago, off Macau, South China Sea
Fought between Great Britain against Spain and France
Commanders Captain William Hargood (Britain); Ignacio María de Álava (Spain)
Forces British: 2 ships of the line, including HMS Intrepid, and 1 frigate. Franco-Spanish: 2 ships of the line and 4 frigates.
Ships HMS Intrepid
Losses None on either side.
Result Inconclusive; the allied squadron withdrew and the China convoy sailed safely
A Spanish squadron from Manila, joined by two French frigates, sailed to attack the British China convoy gathering at Macau. Hargood, though outnumbered, went out to meet them and chased them through the Wanshan Archipelago until contact was lost. Each side said the other had refused battle.
Why it is remembered Hargood went on to escort the valuable China convoy safely westwards.
Sources differ Both sides claimed that the other refused battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Battle of Port Louis Single-ship action
11 December 1799 · Mouth of the Tombeau River, near Port Louis, Isle de France (Mauritius)
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Captain John Osborn and Captain William Hotham (Britain); Frigate Captain Jean-Marthe-Adrien l'Hermite, surrendered (France)
Forces British: the 74-gun HMS Tremendous and the 50-gun HMS Adamant. French: the 40-gun frigate Preneuse.
Ships HMS Tremendous, HMS Adamant, Preneuse
Losses British: none. French: Preneuse destroyed.
Result British victory
Returning from a three month raiding cruise, Preneuse was intercepted by the British blockade squadron off Isle de France. L'Hermite drove her onto the beach at the mouth of the Tombeau River. After a brief exchange of fire she surrendered, and British boats took off the survivors and burnt the wreck.
Why it is remembered Preneuse was the last significant French warship in the region; Sercey watched her burn from the shore and retired from service. Auguste Mayer painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition and Barbary to Portuguese conflicts
Portuguese expedition to Tripoli Raid
11 May 1799 · Tripoli, Ottoman Tripolitania
Fought between Portugal against Tripolitania
Commanders Donald Campbell and José Maria de Almeida (Portugal); Yusuf Karamanli (Tripoli)
Forces Portuguese: the 64-gun ship of the line Afonso de Albuquerque with a launch and 3 armed cutters. Tripolitan: 1 polacca of 18 guns.
Ships Afonso de Albuquerque
Losses Portuguese: 1 wounded. Tripolitan: 1 vessel captured and burnt, 25 killed and many wounded.
Result Portuguese victory
Campbell took the ship of the line Afonso de Albuquerque to Tripoli to force the Bey to break with France. After a naval attack on the port, the Bey handed over the French residents and later signed a truce, the Peace of Tripoli.
Why it is remembered The American government praised it as a model for dealing with the Barbary powers, and José Francisco Cardoso celebrated it in a poem in 1800.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: José Francisco Cardoso, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Quasi-War
USS Constellation vs L'Insurgente Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 9 February 1799
9 February 1799 · Off Nevis, Caribbean Sea
Fought between United States against France
Commanders Commodore Thomas Truxtun (United States); Michel-Pierre Barreaut, surrendered (France)
Forces One American frigate, USS Constellation, against one French frigate, L'Insurgente
Ships USS Constellation, L'Insurgente
Losses American: 2 killed, 2 wounded. French: 29 killed, 41 wounded, L'Insurgente captured.
Result American victory
Truxtun, sailing apart from his squadron in his flagship Constellation, met L'Insurgente between Puerto Rico and Saint Kitts. After a chase through a storm he forced an action of an hour and fourteen minutes, with heavy broadsides and musket fire, until the French frigate surrendered.
Why it is remembered L'Insurgente became USS Insurgent, American morale rose, and Truxtun was honoured on his return. John William Schmidt painted the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Rear Admiral John William Schmidt (Ret.) (1906, 1981), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland (War of the Second Coalition)
Vlieter incident Other action
30 August 1799 · De Vlieter, between Texel and the mainland, near Wieringen
Fought between Great Britain against the Batavian Republic
Commanders Andrew Mitchell (Britain); Schout-bij-nacht Samuel Story, surrendered (Batavian Republic)
Forces British: 17 ships. Batavian: 8 ships of the line, 3 frigates and 1 sloop.
Losses British: none. Batavian: 8 ships of the line, 3 frigates and 1 sloop surrendered.
Result British victory
During the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, the Batavian fleet under Samuel Story surrendered to the Royal Navy in the tidal channel of De Vlieter without a fight.
Why it is remembered A whole fleet was given up without battle. Robert Dodd made an engraving of the scene in 1800.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Quasi-War; War of Knives
Action of 1 January 1800 Convoy battle
1 January 1800 · Bight of Léogâne, near the island of Gonâve, Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti)
Fought between United States against Haitian picaroons allied to France
Commanders William Maley, David Porter (United States); André Rigaud (picaroons)
Forces 1 armed American schooner escorting 4 merchant ships against 14 armed barges with 400 to 500 picaroons
Ships USS Experiment, Mary
Losses United States: 2 merchant ships captured, 1 killed (the captain of the schooner Mary), 1 wounded. Picaroons: 3 barges sunk, many killed.
Result American victory
On André Rigaud's orders to attack all foreign shipping, a squadron of armed barges attacked the schooner USS Experiment and her convoy of four merchant ships near Gonâve. The picaroons captured two merchant ships before withdrawing, and Experiment saved the other two and escorted them to a friendly port.
Why it is remembered The picaroons suffered heavily but went on attacking American shipping until Rigaud was driven from power by Toussaint L'Ouverture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Bainbridge Hoff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (as given by the source)
Action of 10 December 1800 Single-ship action
10 December 1800 · Off Ceuta, near the Bay of Gibraltar
Fought between Spain against Great Britain
Commanders Don Miguel Villalba (Spain); Lieutenant Charles Niven, wounded (Britain)
Forces Spanish: the privateer gunboat San Francisco Javier (Poderoso), 3 guns and 43 men. British: the hired armed brig Sir Thomas Pasley, 2 six-pounders and 14 carronades.
Ships San Francisco Javier (Poderoso), Sir Thomas Pasley
Losses British: 3 dead, 8 wounded, the brig captured. Spanish: unknown, minor.
Result Spanish victory
The brig Sir Thomas Pasley, carrying despatches for Lisbon, Gibraltar and Malta, was approached off Ceuta by a Spanish gunboat using sails and sweeps. The gunboat lay astern, and in the calm the British could not bring their bow guns to bear and replied only with small arms. The Spanish boarded at the third attempt and took the prize to Ceuta and then Algeciras.
Why it is remembered Niven, wounded three times, was honourably acquitted at his court-martial.
Sources differ One account gives the brig's crew as 45, another account 58. One account says she left Plymouth on 20 December, after the action date. Another account gives the location as the Bay of Gibraltar, one account as off Ceuta.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Action of 31 March 1800 Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of the Guillaume Tell
31 March 1800 · Malta Channel, off Malta
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Manley Dixon, Sir Edward Berry (Britain); Denis Decrès (France)
Forces 2 British ships of the line, 1 frigate, 2 brigs and 1 bomb vessel against 1 French ship of the line carrying over 900 men
Ships Guillaume Tell, HMS Penelope, HMS Lion
Losses Britain: 18 killed, 104 wounded. France: 200 killed or wounded, Guillaume Tell captured.
Result British victory
After eighteen months of siege at Valletta, Counter-Admiral Villeneuve sent Counter-Admiral Decrès to sea in the large ship of the line Guillaume Tell to sail for Toulon under cover of darkness on 30 March. The blockading frigate HMS Penelope found her and raked her stern repeatedly, slowing her until Berry's squadron came up. Decrès fought for more than three hours and beat off two British ships before he was forced to surrender.
Why it is remembered Guillaume Tell was the last survivor of the French fleet at the Nile, and her long defence against heavy odds was praised in both Britain and France. The capture is the subject of a painting by Thomas Luny.
Sources differ The main account caption of the Luny painting dates the capture to 30 March 1800, the main account to 31 March 1800.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Action of 4 August 1800 Convoy battle
4 August 1800 · Off Trindade, off the coast of Brazil
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Rowley Bulteel (Britain); Jean-François Landolphe (France)
Forces 1 British ship of the line escorting a merchant convoy, with 8 merchant ships engaged, against 3 French frigates
Ships HMS Belliqueux, Exeter, Concorde, Médée
Losses Britain: none. France: 2 frigates captured.
Result British victory
Landolphe's three frigates, which had been raiding British trade off West Africa, closed on a British convoy escorted by HMS Belliqueux. The convoy formed a line of battle and Landolphe, taking it for a fleet of warships, turned away. Belliqueux ran down his flagship Concorde, which struck with little resistance, and that night the East Indiaman Exeter came alongside the frigate Médée and, using lights to pose as a ship of the line, persuaded her captain to surrender.
Why it is remembered It was the only occasion in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars on which a British merchant ship captured a large French warship.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (Anglo-Spanish War)
Action of 7 April 1800 Convoy battle
Also known as Action of 6 to 7 April 1800
5 to 7 April 1800 · Off Cádiz, Spain
Fought between Britain against Spain
Commanders John Thomas Duckworth (Britain); Fraquin Porcel, Manuel Norates (Spain)
Forces 2 British ships of the line and 1 frigate against 3 Spanish frigates escorting 13 merchant ships
Ships HMS Leviathan, HMS Swiftsure, HMS Emerald, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Santa Florentina, Santa Sabina
Losses Britain: none. Spain: 2 frigates and 9 merchant ships captured, 23 killed, 28 wounded.
Result British victory
A Spanish convoy bound for the Americas left Cádiz on 3 April 1800 and met Duckworth's blockading squadron two days later. In light winds the British chased the scattered ships, and on 7 April the frigates Nuestra Señora del Carmen and Santa Florentina mistook Leviathan and Emerald for part of their own convoy and were forced to surrender after a short, fierce fight. Santa Sabina escaped and the unprotected merchant ships were taken one by one.
Why it is remembered It was a heavy blow to Spanish trade with the colonies, with most of the convoy sent into Gibraltar as prizes.
Sources differ One account says 13 vessels of the 16-ship convoy were captured; another account lists 2 frigates and 9 merchant ships captured.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Raid on Dunkirk Raid
7 July 1800 · Dunkirk anchorage, northern France
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Henry Inman (Britain); Jean Castagnier (France)
Forces 2 British frigates, 1 sloop and 4 fireships against 4 French frigates
Ships HMS Dart, Désirée
Losses Britain: 18 killed and wounded, 4 fireships destroyed. France: 100 killed and wounded, 1 frigate captured.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy force attacked a French frigate squadron at anchor in Dunkirk with fireships, boats and several experimental weapons. The heavily armed sloop HMS Dart carried the frigate Désirée, but the fireships achieved little. Three other French frigates cut their cables and ran aground in the shoals; all were later refloated.
Why it is remembered Several experimental weapons were tried in combat for the first time, with mixed success. The capture of the Désirée was painted by Thomas Whitcombe.
Sources differ The main account says the exact British casualty totals are uncertain.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition (Anglo-Spanish War)
Ferrol Expedition Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Brión
25 to 26 August 1800 · Ferrol, Galicia, Spain
Fought between Britain against Spain
Commanders Sir John Borlase Warren, Sir James Pulteney, Sir Edward Pellew (Britain); Count Donadio, Juan de Mondragón (Spain)
Forces 15,000 British troops and 5 ships of the line against 4,000 Spanish troops and 6 ships of the line
Losses Britain: 16 killed, 68 wounded. Spain: 37 killed, 102 wounded.
Result Spanish victory
A British expedition landed near Ferrol, a major Spanish naval base with a shipyard and dry dock, and tried to take it on 25 and 26 August 1800. The attempt failed.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition (Marengo campaign)
Siege of Genoa (1800) Landing or siege
19 April to 4 June 1800 · Genoa, Ligurian Republic
Fought between Austria and Britain against France and Liguria
Commanders Michael von Melas, Peter Karl Ott, Lord Keith (Austria and Britain); André Masséna, Jean-de-Dieu Soult (France)
Forces 24,000 Austrian troops and a British squadron of 1 ship of the line, 2 frigates, 1 brig-sloop and 1 cutter against 12,000 French troops
Losses France: 4,000 to 8,000 in the siege. Austria and Britain: 6,000 to 6,500 in the siege. Thousands of Genoa's inhabitants died of starvation or disease.
Result Anglo-Austrian victory
An Austrian army besieged Masséna's French garrison in Genoa while a Royal Navy squadron under Lord Keith blockaded the port and bombarded the city, notably on 20 May 1800. Masséna made frequent sorties, but famine forced him to surrender on 4 June.
Why it is remembered While the Austrians were tied down at Genoa, Napoleon crossed into Italy and won the Battle of Marengo.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Joseph John Skelton, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition; Quasi-War
Invasion of Curaçao (1800) Landing or siege
22 July to 25 September 1800 · Curaçao, Dutch West Indies
Fought between Batavian Republic, United States and Britain against France
Commanders Johan Lausser (Batavian Republic); Moses Brown, Henry Geddes (United States); Frederick Watkins (Britain); Louis-François Jeannet, Maurice Bresseau (France)
Forces 1 frigate, 2 ship-sloops and shore defences against 16 French vessels (2 brig-sloops, 3 schooners and 11 others) and at least 1,400 troops, sailors and militia
Ships HMS Nereide, USS Patapsco, USS Merrimack
Losses United States: 2 wounded. France: 150 killed or wounded, an unknown number of ships damaged.
Result Allied victory; British occupation of Curaçao
French forces landed on Curaçao on 22 July 1800 and on 5 September took a fort covering Willemstad. On 10 September the Dutch governor surrendered the island to the British frigate HMS Nereide, and on 23 September the American sloop USS Patapsco sailed into the harbour and landed men to reinforce the town. After a day and night of cannon and musket fire the French withdrew from the island.
Why it is remembered The British occupied the colony, and the action was one of the few in which American and British forces acted together during the Quasi-War.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition (Siege of Malta)
Battle of the Malta Convoy Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille du convoi de Malte
18 February 1800 · Off Malta, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Great Britain against France
Commanders Rear-Admiral Lord Nelson (Britain); Counter-admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée, killed (France)
Forces British: 3 ships of the line and 1 frigate. French: 1 ship of the line, 3 corvettes and 3 transports.
Ships HMS Alexander, HMS Success, Généreux
Losses British: 1 killed, 9 wounded. French: 21 killed, 15 wounded, Généreux and 1 transport captured.
Result British victory
Perrée's convoy from Toulon tried to slip food, arms and reinforcements into besieged Valletta. HMS Alexander sighted it and Nelson's squadron gave chase. Most French ships escaped, but a transport was taken and the much smaller frigate HMS Success engaged the flagship Généreux, mortally wounding Perrée, until the British ships of the line came up and Généreux surrendered.
Why it is remembered No supplies reached Malta, which surrendered on 4 September 1800. Généreux, a survivor of the Nile, was finally taken.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: E.H. Dyason (British, FL. 1885 to 1886), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Quasi-War
Battle of Puerto Plata Harbor Raid
Also known as Batalla del puerto de Puerto Plata
11 May 1800 · Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo
Fought between United States against France and Spain
Commanders Silas Talbot, Isaac Hull, Daniel Carmick (United States)
Forces About 100 American marines and sailors in 1 sloop against 1 French corvette and 1 Spanish fort
Ships USS Sally, Sandwich, USS Constitution
Losses United States: unknown. France and Spain: 1 corvette captured, 1 fort captured.
Result American victory
About a hundred marines and sailors from the frigate USS Constitution were carried into Puerto Plata in the sloop USS Sally. They boarded the French corvette Sandwich at anchor, which surrendered after a brief firefight, and then stormed the Spanish Fortaleza San Felipe and spiked its guns.
Sources differ The image caption calls Sandwich a French privateer; the main account calls her a French corvette.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Quasi-War
USS Boston vs Berceau Single-ship action
Also known as Action between USS Boston and Berceau
12 October 1800 · About 600 miles north east of Guadeloupe
Fought between United States against France
Commanders George Little (United States); Louis-André Senez (France)
Forces 1 American frigate of 32 guns and 220 men against 1 French corvette of 24 guns and 180 men
Ships USS Boston, Berceau
Losses United States: 7 killed, 8 wounded. France: 50 to 80 killed, 18 wounded, 82 to 112 taken prisoner, Berceau captured.
Result American victory
Boston chased the corvette Berceau and caught her in the late afternoon. The two ships shot away each other's rigging until both were unmanageable and drifted apart, repaired their damage and fought again after dark for more than an hour. Having lost her fore and main masts and repelled boarding attempts, Berceau struck her colours.
Why it is remembered The action had been fought two weeks after peace was agreed, so Berceau was repaired at American expense and returned to France. Charges that the French officers were plundered led to a court martial and most of Boston's officers were dismissed from the navy.
Sources differ French figures give 4 killed and 17 wounded aboard Berceau. American and French reports differ on the times the action began and ended, and the French report describes an additional intermediate engagement.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Julian Oliver Davidson (1853, 1894) [1], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Quasi-War
USS Constellation vs La Vengeance Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 1 February 1800
1 to 2 February 1800 · Off Saint Kitts, near Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea
Fought between United States against France
Commanders Commodore Thomas Truxtun (United States); François Marie Pitot (France)
Forces American: the frigate USS Constellation, 336 men and 38 guns. French: the frigate La Vengeance, 380 men and 40 guns.
Ships USS Constellation, La Vengeance
Losses American: 14 dead, 25 wounded, ship severely damaged. French: 28 to 160 dead, 110 wounded, ship severely damaged.
Result Inconclusive
Truxtun sailed his flagship Constellation towards Guadeloupe to seek out French warships and met Pitot's La Vengeance, which tried to flee. In a heavy engagement La Vengeance struck her colours twice, but Constellation could not take her, and she escaped after Constellation's mainmast fell. Pitot reached Curaçao and Truxtun went to Jamaica for repairs.
Why it is remembered Truxtun returned home to a hero's welcome.
Sources differ French dead are given as anywhere from 28 to 160.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Irwin John David Bevan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Quasi-War
USS Enterprise vs Flambeau Single-ship action
25 October 1800 · Off Dominica, Caribbean Sea
Fought between United States against France
Commanders John Shaw (United States)
Forces 1 American schooner with 83 men and 12 six-pounder guns against 1 French brig with 110 men and 12 eight-pounder guns
Ships USS Enterprise, Flambeau
Losses United States: 3 killed, 7 wounded. France: 7 killed, 33 wounded, 70 taken prisoner, Flambeau captured.
Result American victory
The schooner USS Enterprise, though outgunned, engaged the French brig Flambeau off Dominica and took her as a prize after a short fight. Enterprise went on to capture the French vessels Pauline and Guadaloupeenne.
Why it is remembered It is described as the final battle between French and American forces in the Quasi-War, and it made the name of John Shaw.
Sources differ One account caption calls Flambeau a privateer; another account calls her a French brig.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
Action of 1 August 1801 Single-ship action
Also known as First naval battle of Tripoli
1 August 1801 · Between Tripoli and Malta
Fought between United States against Tripolitania
Commanders Andrew Sterett (United States); Rais Mahomet Rous (Tripoli)
Forces 1 American schooner with 90 men against 1 Tripolitan polacca with 80 men
Ships USS Enterprise, Tripoli
Losses United States: none. Tripoli: 30 killed, 30 wounded, Tripoli disabled.
Result American victory
Sailing to Malta for supplies from the blockade of Tripoli, the schooner USS Enterprise met the polacca Tripoli. The Tripolitans fought stubbornly and feigned surrender three times in a three hour action before the polacca was taken. Sterett had no orders to take prizes and released her.
Why it is remembered It was the first American victory of the war and lifted morale in the United States. The action is the subject of an 1878 painting by William Bainbridge Hoff.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Bainbridge Hoff (died 1903), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars
Action of 19 February 1801 Single-ship action
19 February 1801 · Off Ceuta, Spanish North Africa
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Robert Barlow (Britain); Commodore Saulnier (France, killed)
Forces 1 British frigate against 1 French frigate carrying more than 400 soldiers
Ships HMS Phoebe, Africaine
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 12 wounded. France: 200 killed, 143 wounded, Africaine captured.
Result British victory
The frigate Africaine sailed from Rochefort with more than 400 soldiers for the French army trapped in Egypt and tried to pass along the North African coast. HMS Phoebe found the overladen ship off Ceuta on the afternoon of 19 February and in a two hour action reduced her to a wreck, her broadsides cutting through the soldiers crowded on deck. Africaine was taken into Mahón and later served in the Royal Navy.
Why it is remembered It was one of a series of actions that stopped France from reinforcing its army in Egypt after the Battle of the Nile.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean-Baptiste Henri Durand-Brager, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars
Action of 24 June 1801 Single-ship action
24 June 1801 · 21 nautical miles north east of Cape Derna, Libya
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Honoré Ganteaume, Louis-Marie Le Gouardun, Pierre-Paulin Gourrège (France); Benjamin Hallowell (Britain)
Forces 2 French ships of the line and 1 frigate engaged, with 2 more ships of the line in support, against 1 British ship of the line
Ships HMS Swiftsure
Losses France: 33 killed and wounded. Britain: 2 killed, 8 wounded, Swiftsure captured.
Result French victory
HMS Swiftsure, sailing west near Cape Derna, met Ganteaume's squadron returning from a failed attempt to reinforce Egypt. The faster French ships caught her, and Hallowell turned to try to disable the leading three before the rest arrived. His sluggish ship could not answer the French manoeuvres and within two hours she was surrounded and he surrendered.
Why it is remembered It was a rare French success in the Mediterranean after the Nile. Swiftsure served in the French Navy and was recaptured at Trafalgar in 1805; Hallowell was court martialled and honourably acquitted.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Action of 6 May 1801 Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of El Gamo; Combat du Speedy et du Gamo
6 May 1801 · Off Barcelona, Spain
Fought between Britain against Spain
Commanders Lord Cochrane (Britain); Francisco de Torres (Spain, killed)
Forces 1 British brig-sloop of 14 guns and 54 men against 1 Spanish xebec-frigate of 32 guns and 319 men
Ships HMS Speedy, El Gamo
Losses Britain: 3 killed, 9 wounded. Spain: 14 killed, 305 captured, El Gamo captured.
Result British victory
Lord Cochrane's brig-sloop HMS Speedy fought and captured the much larger Spanish xebec-frigate El Gamo off Barcelona. Captain Francisco de Torres was among the 14 Spaniards killed, and the rest of the crew were taken prisoner. El Gamo was later sold to the Regency of Algiers.
Why it is remembered The gulf in size between the two ships makes it one of the best known single-ship actions of the age of sail. It is shown in the 1845 painting The Capture of the El Gamo.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Clarkson Frederick Stanfield, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French invasion of Egypt and Syria
Battle of Abukir (1801) Landing or siege
Also known as Landing at Aboukir
8 March 1801 · Abu Qir Bay, near the Nile Delta, Egypt
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir Ralph Abercromby, Sidney Smith, Lord Keith (Britain); Louis Friant (France)
Forces 6,000 British troops landed from a fleet of 7 ships of the line, 5 frigates and a dozen smaller warships, against 1,800 to 2,500 French troops
Losses Britain: 102 killed, 515 wounded, 123 missing. France: 400 killed or wounded.
Result British victory
Keith's fleet carried Abercromby's expeditionary force to Abu Qir Bay to drive the remaining French troops out of Egypt. Gales and heavy seas held the transports in the bay for several days before the troops could land. On 8 March they went ashore under fire and defeated Friant's defenders.
Why it is remembered It opened the campaign that ended the French occupation of Egypt. The landing is shown in the 1802 picture The Landing of British Troops at Aboukir.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Philip James de Loutherbourg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French invasion of Egypt and Syria
Battle of Alexandria (1801) Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Canope; Battle of Canopus
21 March 1801 · Near the ruins of Nicopolis, on the spit between the Mediterranean and Abukir, near Alexandria, Egypt
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir Ralph Abercromby (mortally wounded), John Hely-Hutchinson, John Moore, Sidney Smith, Frederick Maitland (Britain); Jacques-François Menou, François Lanusse (killed), Jean Reynier (France)
Forces 12,000 to 14,200 British troops, 35 cannon and several gunboats against 10,000 to 16,000 French troops and 46 cannon
Losses Britain: 243 killed, 1,253 wounded, 32 missing. France: 1,700 to 5,000 killed, wounded, captured or missing.
Result British victory
Abercromby's entrenched army, landed in Egypt earlier that month, met an assault by Menou's French army near Alexandria. After several hours of hard fighting the French were routed. British gunboats under Frederick Maitland fired into the French attacks and caused part of their losses.
Why it is remembered Abercromby was mortally wounded. His successor Hely-Hutchinson went on to besiege Alexandria, which surrendered in September 1801. The battle is the subject of a painting by Philip James de Loutherbourg.
Sources differ Sources differ on the French strength, from 10,000 to 16,000 men, with one source giving 20,000 engaged in total.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Philip James de Loutherbourg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition; English Wars
Battle of Copenhagen (1801) Fleet battle
Also known as First Battle of Copenhagen
2 April 1801 · Off Copenhagen, Øresund
Fought between Britain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Sir Hyde Parker, Lord Nelson (Britain); Olfert Fischer, Steen Andersen Bille (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 12 British ships of the line, 4 frigates, 1 post ship, 4 sloops, 7 bomb vessels and 2 fireships against 7 Danish ships of the line, 4 frigates, 3 prams, 3 radeaus and 1 floating battery, supported by the Tre Kroner fort
Ships HMS Elephant, HMS London, HMS Defiance, HMS Agamemnon, HMS Russell, HMS Bellona, HMS Glatton, HMS Monarch, HMS Ganges, HMS Amazon, HMS Edgar, HMS Ardent, HMS Polyphemus, HMS Isis, Dannebroge, Holsteen, Sjælland, Prøvesteenen, Indfødsretten, Nyborg, Aggershuus
Losses Britain: 254 to 274 killed, 688 to 737 wounded. Denmark-Norway: 367 killed, 635 wounded, 1,779 captured; 6 ships of the line, 2 frigates, 1 pram and 3 radeaus captured, 1 ship of the line destroyed, 2 prams sunk.
Result British victory
Fearing that the Danish fleet would join France, a British fleet attacked the line of Danish ships and floating batteries moored before Copenhagen. Agamemnon, Russell and Bellona grounded before or during the attack, forcing hurried changes to the line, and the Danes fought hard. When Parker signalled a recall at 1.30 pm, Nelson, in HMS Elephant, ignored it, holding his telescope to his blind eye; the Danish flagship Dannebroge caught fire and blew up with the loss of 250 men, and after Nelson sent a flag of truce a 24 hour ceasefire was agreed. Denmark accepted British terms on hearing that Tsar Paul I had been assassinated, which ended the League of Armed Neutrality.
Why it is remembered Nelson's blind eye to the recall signal became one of the best known stories of his career. The battle is shown in paintings by Robert Dodd and Christian Mølsted, a memorial stone stands just north of Copenhagen, and the wreck of Dannebroge was found by Danish maritime archaeologists in 2026.
Sources differ British casualties are given as a range of 254 to 274 killed and 688 to 737 wounded. Some Danish historians dispute the claim that much of the Danish line had fallen silent by about 2 pm.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition (Algeciras campaign)
First Battle of Algeciras Fleet battle
6 July 1801 · Algeciras Bay, Spain
Fought between France and Spain against Britain
Commanders Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois (France); Sir James Saumarez, Solomon Ferris (Britain)
Forces 3 French ships of the line, 1 frigate and 14 Spanish gunboats with shore batteries against 6 British ships of the line and 1 sloop
Ships HMS Hannibal
Losses France: 161 killed, 324 wounded. Spain: 11 killed, 5 gunboats sunk. Britain: 121 killed, 240 wounded, 14 missing, 600 captured, HMS Hannibal captured.
Result Franco-Spanish victory
Saumarez found Linois's squadron at anchor in Algeciras on its way to Cádiz and attacked at once through the shoals of the bay. Linois used Spanish batteries and warping to hold his line, and the French ships were driven ashore to avoid capture. In light winds HMS Hannibal grounded under heavy fire and, after Saumarez withdrew the rest of his squadron, Captain Ferris surrendered her.
Why it is remembered It was a British defeat that led directly to the Second Battle of Algeciras six days later.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (East Indies theatre)
Battle of Mahé Single-ship action
19 August 1801 · Harbour of Mahé, Seychelles
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Charles Adam (Britain); Pierre Guiyesse (France)
Forces 1 British frigate of 38 guns against 1 French frigate of 36 guns supported by a shore battery
Ships HMS Sibylle, Chiffonne, Flèche, HMS Victor
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 1 wounded. France: 23 killed, 30 wounded, Chiffonne captured.
Result British victory
The new French frigate Chiffonne was sent to the western Indian Ocean to attack ships supplying the British Red Sea squadron and anchored at Mahé for repairs, behind coral reefs and a hastily built battery. HMS Sibylle found her there, worked through the reefs and came alongside, and after a brief, hard fight Guiyesse surrendered. A month later the French brig Flèche, on the same mission from the same harbour, was intercepted and sunk by HMS Victor.
Why it is remembered These were the last significant actions of the war in the Indian Ocean before the Peace of Amiens. The capture is the subject of a painting by Thomas Whitcombe.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars (Anglo-Spanish War)
Raid on Oropesa Raid
Also known as Raid on Oropeso
9 June 1801 · Oropesa del Mar, eastern Spain
Fought between Britain against Spain
Commanders Thomas Cochrane, George Pulling (Britain)
Forces 2 British brigs (given in the main account as 1 sloop and 1 brig) against a 12-gun fort, 1 xebec, 1 felucca, 4 gunboats and 12 merchant vessels
Ships HMS Kangaroo, HMS Speedy
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 7 wounded. Spain: 1 xebec and 2 gunboats sunk, 3 brigs captured, the rest driven ashore; casualties unknown.
Result British victory
HMS Kangaroo and HMS Speedy chased an armed Spanish convoy into Oropesa. They silenced a fort of twelve guns, then sank or drove ashore every Spanish vessel except three brigs, which they captured.
Sources differ One account calls both British ships brigs; another account lists 1 sloop and 1 brig.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Juan Emilio Prades Bel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · French Revolutionary Wars
Siege of Porto Ferrajo Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Portoferraio
May to October 1801 · Porto Ferrajo (Portoferraio), Elba, Tuscany
Fought between Tuscany and Britain against France
Commanders Carlo de Fisson (Tuscany); George Airey, Sir John Borlase Warren (Britain); Jean Victor Tharreau, François Watrin (France)
Forces French besiegers of 1,500 men, later more than 5,000, with a squadron of French frigates, against a heavily outnumbered Tuscan garrison supported by a small British squadron
Losses France: all the frigates sent to blockade the port were lost to British warships.
Result Anglo-Tuscan victory; the island was granted to France by the Treaty of Amiens in March 1802
After occupying mainland Tuscany, the French besieged the fortress of Porto Ferrajo on Elba and tried to starve it out with the help of frigates off the coast. British warships kept the garrison supplied, intercepted French convoys and took every French frigate sent to blockade the port in a series of one-sided actions. Reinforced by Warren and Airey, the defenders made sallies, and the siege dragged on until the preliminary articles of peace were signed in October.
Why it is remembered The town was still in Tuscan hands at the peace, but the final Treaty of Amiens gave Elba to France.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: James Daniell, Francis Jukes and James Weir, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition
Raids on Boulogne (1801) Raid
Also known as Raid on Boulogne
4 and 15 to 16 August 1801 · Boulogne, northern France
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Horatio Nelson (Britain); Louis-René Latouche Tréville (France)
Forces 6 British ships of the line, 7 frigates, 11 sloops, 7 bomb vessels, 32 brigs and many gunboats against 24 French brigs and lugger-rigged flats and 1 schooner
Losses Britain: 44 killed, 126 wounded, 20 captured, 4 deserted, 6 gunboats sunk. France: 10 killed, 30 wounded, 2 to 4 luggers sunk.
Result French victory
Nelson tried to destroy the French flotilla at Boulogne thought to be gathered for an invasion of England. On 4 August his bomb vessels bombarded the French line, but the British suffered more and withdrew. On the night of 15 to 16 August about seventy boats with nearly 2,000 men in four divisions attacked the flotilla and were beaten off by Latouche Tréville's defenders.
Why it is remembered It was a rare failure for Nelson. The repulse is shown in a painting by Louis-Philippe Crépin.
Sources differ One account mentions five bomb vessels on 4 August; another account lists seven. One account dates the boat attack to the night of 16 August, another account to 15 to 16 August.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Second Coalition (Algeciras campaign)
Second Battle of Algeciras Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Gut of Gibraltar
12 to 13 July 1801 · Gut of Gibraltar, Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Britain against Spain and France
Commanders Sir James Saumarez, Richard Goodwin Keats (Britain); Juan de Mondragón (Spain); Charles-Alexandre Linois, Amable Troude (France)
Forces 6 British ships of the line and 2 frigates against 9 Spanish and French ships of the line and 3 frigates
Ships HMS Superb, HMS Venerable, Real Carlos, San Hermenegildo, Saint Antoine, Formidable
Losses Britain: 18 killed, 101 wounded. Spain and France: about 2,000 killed or wounded, 500 captured, 2 ships of the line destroyed, 1 ship of the line captured, 1 frigate sunk.
Result British victory
Six days after the First Battle of Algeciras, a combined Franco-Spanish squadron sailed west from Algeciras and Saumarez's repaired squadron gave chase. On a moonless night HMS Superb passed through the Spanish rear, set the 112-gun Real Carlos on fire and captured Saint Antoine; in the darkness Real Carlos engaged her compatriot San Hermenegildo, the fire spread and both ships blew up with enormous loss of life. HMS Venerable then fought a long duel with the French Formidable and was driven ashore, and the rest of the combined squadron reached Cádiz.
Why it is remembered Coming days after Saumarez's defeat at Algeciras, it restored the balance in the region, and the heavy Spanish losses weakened the Franco-Spanish alliance before the Treaty of Amiens. In France Troude was praised and promoted for his defence of Formidable, which is shown in an 1832 painting.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 12 July 1801; another account gives 12 to 13 July. Another account calls the result an Anglo-Portuguese victory, and the battle was celebrated in France as a victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Tây Sơn-Nguyễn War
Battle of Thị Nại (1801) Fleet battle
Also known as Trận Thị Nại
27 February 1801 · Thị Nại Lagoon, Quy Nhơn, Bình Định, Vietnam
Fought between Nguyễn lords under Nguyễn Ánh against the Tây Sơn dynasty
Commanders Nguyễn Ánh, Lê Văn Duyệt, Võ Di Nguy (killed), Nguyễn Văn Trương, Nguyễn Văn Thành, Tống Phước Lương, with the French officers Vannier, Chaigneau and de Forçanz (Nguyễn); Võ Văn Dũng, Vũ Văn Thành (Tây Sơn)
Forces Nguyễn: about 8,000 to 12,000 men in roughly 300 vessels, including the European style ships Phượng phi (Le Phénix), Long phi (Le Dragon) and Bằng phi (L'Aigle). Tây Sơn: about 50,000 men, about 30 large ships including the flagship Định Quốc, and about 700 smaller vessels.
Ships Phượng phi (Le Phénix), Long phi (Le Dragon), Bằng phi (L'Aigle), Định Quốc
Losses Nguyễn: from over 600 to about 4,000 dead, among them Võ Di Nguy. Tây Sơn: about 20,000 men (some sources say 40,000), hundreds of guns and most of the fleet.
Result Decisive Nguyễn victory; the Tây Sơn navy was effectively destroyed
Nguyễn forces entered the lagoon at night, captured a Tây Sơn patrol boat and learned the password, then attacked the anchored Tây Sơn fleet with fire ships and torches. Võ Di Nguy was killed by gunfire and Lê Văn Duyệt pressed on with the attack. Most of the Tây Sơn ships burned and their crews were largely destroyed.
Why it is remembered Nguyễn histories call it the foremost feat of arms of the Nguyễn restoration. It gave Nguyễn Ánh control of the coast and opened the way for his advance on Phú Xuân.
Sources differ Tây Sơn losses are given as about 20,000 or 40,000 men and from 700 to 1,800 vessels; Nguyễn losses from over 600 to about 4,000.
Sources vi.wikipedia.org
Image: Unknown Vietnamese painter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · English Wars
Battle of West Kay Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Fugleklippen; Slaget ved Fugleklippen
3 March 1801 · Off West Kay skerry, near Saint Thomas, Danish West Indies
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Britain
Commanders Carl Wilhelm Jessen (Denmark-Norway); John Perkins (Britain)
Forces 1 Danish brig and 1 schooner against 1 British post ship and 1 privateer
Ships Lougen
Losses Britain: 8 killed, 10 wounded. Denmark-Norway: 1 killed, 3 wounded.
Result Danish victory
A Danish brig and schooner fought a British post ship and a privateer off the skerry of West Kay near Saint Thomas and drove them off.
Why it is remembered It is a rare Danish naval victory in the Caribbean and is shown in a painting by Conrad Christian Parnemann.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Conrad Christian Parnemann, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
Action of 17 June 1802 Single-ship action
17 June 1802 · Off Cape Palos, south east Spain
Fought between Tripolitania against the United States
Commanders Andrew Morris (United States, captured)
Forces 1 American brig against 3 Tripolitan vessels with 110 men
Ships Franklin
Losses United States: Franklin captured, 9 men taken prisoner. Tripoli: none.
Result Tripolitan victory
Three Tripolitan vessels captured the brig Franklin off Cape Palos and took her master, Andrew Morris, and his crew prisoner.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Rev. Thomas Davidson 1856 to 1923 (ed.), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Barbary and Portuguese conflicts
Action of 8 May 1802 Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 27 May 1802
8 May 1802 · Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Algiers against Portugal
Commanders Raïs Hamidou (Algiers); João Luís de Seguin Deshon (Portugal, killed)
Forces 1 Algerian frigate of 40 to 44 guns with 300 crew and 150 janissaries against 1 Portuguese frigate of 36 to 44 guns with 282 to 300 men
Losses Algiers: 36 killed, 40 wounded. Portugal: 50 killed, 67 wounded, the rest of the crew captured.
Result Algerian victory
A Portuguese frigate commanded by the French-born João Luís de Seguin Deshon was attacked and captured by an Algerian frigate commanded by the corsair Raïs Hamidou.
Sources differ The English account dates the action to 8 May 1802; the French and Spanish accounts date it to 27 May 1802. One account gives the frigates as 44 and 36 guns; another gives ranges.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
First Battle of Tripoli Harbor Fleet battle
16 May 1802 · Tripoli harbour, Libya
Fought between Sweden and the United States against Tripolitania
Commanders Rudolf Cederström (Sweden); Daniel McNeill (United States); Burak Rouse (Tripoli)
Forces 3 frigates (1 American, 2 Swedish) against 7 Tripolitan corsairs
Ships USS Boston
Losses Sweden and United States: none. Tripoli: 1 corsair grounded.
Result Inconclusive
The American frigate USS Boston and two Swedish frigates enforcing the blockade of Tripoli were engaged by Tripolitan corsairs. The allies damaged the Tripolitan squadron and the harbour fortifications, then withdrew and resumed the blockade.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean-Jérôme Baugean, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
Action of 2 June 1803 Raid
2 June 1803 · Near Tripoli, Libya
Fought between United States against Tripolitania
Commanders David Porter (wounded), James Lawrence, John Downes (United States)
Forces 50 American men in 9 boats against 1,000 Tripolitan men
Losses United States: 15 killed or wounded. Tripoli: unknown.
Result Tripolitan victory
American boats attacked Tripolitan vessels carrying wheat with the aim of burning them. The raid failed and the wheat cargo was saved.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alonzo Chappell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
Action of 22 June 1803 Single-ship action
Also known as Second naval battle of Tripoli
22 June 1803 · Near Tripoli, Libya
Fought between United States against Tripolitania
Commanders John Rodgers (United States)
Forces 1 American frigate and 1 schooner against 1 Tripolitan polacre and 9 gunboats
Ships USS John Adams, USS Enterprise
Losses United States: unknown. Tripoli: 1 polacre destroyed.
Result American victory
USS John Adams and USS Enterprise, of the squadron blockading Tripoli, engaged a Tripolitan polacre and nine gunboats. After a sharp action of forty-five minutes the gunboats drew off and the polacre was abandoned. The Tripolitans reboarded her, the Americans engaged again, and the polacre was destroyed in a large explosion.
Why it is remembered The success persuaded Commodore Richard Valentine Morris to lift the blockade four days later, which let the Tripolitans regroup; President Jefferson removed him from command.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (blockade of Saint-Domingue)
Action of 28 June 1803 Single-ship action
28 June 1803 · Off Môle-Saint-Nicolas, Saint-Domingue
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Jean-Baptiste Philibert Willaumez, Jean-Pierre Bargeau (France); Henry William Bayntun, Charles Brisbane, John Hills (Britain)
Forces 1 French frigate and 1 corvette, both partly armed en flûte, against 3 British 74-gun ships of the line
Ships Poursuivante, Mignonne, HMS Hercule
Losses France: 10 killed, 15 wounded, Mignonne captured. Britain: unknown.
Result Inconclusive
In the opening engagement of the blockade of Saint-Domingue, the frigate Poursuivante and corvette Mignonne, unaware that war had broken out, met three British ships of the line. Mignonne was overhauled and captured. Poursuivante, sailing close inshore, outmanoeuvred HMS Hercule, raked her with a broadside and escaped into Môle-Saint-Nicolas.
Why it is remembered A frigate escaping a ship of the line earned Willaumez high praise, and in 1819 Louis-Philippe Crépin was commissioned to paint the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Louis-Philippe Crépin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
Action of 31 October 1803 Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of USS Philadelphia
31 October 1803 · Near Tripoli, Libya
Fought between Tripolitania against the United States
Commanders William Bainbridge, David Porter (United States, both captured); Murad Reis (Tripoli)
Forces 1 American frigate against 9 Tripolitan vessels
Ships USS Philadelphia
Losses United States: Philadelphia captured, 307 men taken prisoner. Tripoli: none.
Result Tripolitan victory
While enforcing the blockade of Tripoli, the frigate USS Philadelphia ran aground chasing a Tripolitan ship. She was captured by the Tripolitans and her entire crew was enslaved.
Why it is remembered The loss of Philadelphia was a major and humiliating setback for the United States in the war.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars; Haitian Revolution
Blockade of Saint-Domingue Blockade and raiding
18 June to 6 December 1803 · Cap-Français and Môle-Saint-Nicolas, northern Saint-Domingue (Haiti)
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders John Duckworth, John Loring (Britain); Donatien de Rochambeau, Louis Marie de Noailles (mortally wounded), Latouche Tréville (France)
Forces 7 British ships of the line, 5 frigates and 2 brigs against 7,000 French troops, 2 ships of the line, 6 frigates and 35 other vessels
Ships HMS Blanche, Poursuivante, HMS Hercule
Losses Britain: unknown. France: 6,000 captured; 1 ship of the line, 4 frigates and 31 other vessels captured. Also 6 American and 2 Danish merchant ships captured.
Result British victory
When war resumed in 1803, Royal Navy squadrons blockaded the French garrisons of Cap-Français and Môle-Saint-Nicolas, already hemmed in on land by Dessalines's Indigenous Army. The British captured a convoy ship and a frigate in June, and on 24 July Commodore Loring intercepted the main French squadron trying to break out; one ship of the line was trapped against the coast and taken under fire from rebel shore batteries. Starving, Rochambeau's garrison at Cap-Français surrendered to the British, and Noailles, escaping from Môle-Saint-Nicolas in small vessels, was intercepted and mortally wounded.
Why it is remembered The surrender of the last French towns led directly to the founding of independent Haiti on 1 January 1804.
Sources differ One account dates the British deployment from the outbreak of war on 18 May 1803; another account gives the blockade as 18 June to 6 December 1803.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Louis-Philippe Crépin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Linois's expedition to the Indian Ocean Blockade and raiding
March 1803 to 13 March 1806 · Indian Ocean, from Isle de France to the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois (France); Nathaniel Dance (East India Company)
Forces The French ship of the line Marengo and three frigates
Ships Marengo
Losses France: Linois's squadron was captured at the action of 13 March 1806.
Result French failure: little damage to British trade, and the squadron captured on its way home
Linois sailed for the Indian Ocean in Marengo with three frigates in March 1803 and, when war broke out, slipped past a British squadron to reach Isle de France. From there he raided British trade for three years, taking individual merchant ships and the trading post of Bencoolen. He withdrew from the undefended China Fleet at Pulo Aura in February 1804 and was beaten off at Vizagapatam in September 1804, and on his voyage home he was captured by a British squadron on 13 March 1806.
Why it is remembered The cruise caused alarm across the region but did little real damage, and is known more for its failures. Napoleon refused to exchange Linois, who remained a prisoner until 1814.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 11 July 1804 Raid
11 July 1804 · Off Le Lavandou, Bay of Hyères, southern France
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders John Thompson (Britain)
Forces 10 boats from 3 British frigates against 12 French settees chained to the beach and covered by a 3-gun battery
Ships HMS Narcissus, HMS Seahorse, HMS Maidstone
Losses Britain: 4 killed, 23 wounded. France: 11 settees burnt, 1 captured.
Result British victory
At night ten boats from the frigates Narcissus, Seahorse and Maidstone, led by Lieutenant John Thompson, attacked twelve French settees moored with chains to the beach at Le Lavandou under a three-gun battery. They destroyed most of the French craft, but at a heavy cost.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 25 November 1804 Single-ship action
25 November 1804 · Off Cádiz, Spain
Fought between Britain against Spain
Commanders Richard Strachan (Britain)
Forces 1 British ship of the line against 1 Spanish frigate
Ships HMS Donegal, Amfitrite
Losses Spain: Amfitrite captured with 380 men. Britain: unknown.
Result British victory
Off Cádiz, the British ship of the line HMS Donegal fought and captured the Spanish frigate Amfitrite.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Captain George Pechell Mends (?), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 5 October 1804 Fleet battle
5 October 1804 · Off Cabo de Santa Maria, southern Portugal
Fought between Britain against Spain
Commanders Graham Moore (Britain); José de Bustamante (Spain)
Forces 4 British frigates against 4 Spanish frigates
Losses Britain: 9 killed or wounded. Spain: 349 killed or wounded, 600 captured, 3 frigates captured, 1 frigate destroyed.
Result British victory
Though Britain and Spain were at peace, Moore's squadron was sent to stop Bustamante's frigates, which were carrying gold from Montevideo to Cádiz. The British destroyed one Spanish frigate and captured the other three, and none of the gold reached Spain.
Why it is remembered The attack caused outrage in Spain, and in December 1804 Charles IV declared war on Britain. Francis Sartorius painted the action in 1807.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francis Sartorius, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
Action of 7 July 1804 Raid
7 July 1804 · Near Tripoli, Libya
Fought between United States against Tripolitania
Commanders James R. Caldwell, John Sword Dorsey (United States)
Forces 3 American brigs, 1 schooner and 2 boats against 1 Tripolitan galiot and 1,000 men ashore
Ships USS Vixen
Losses United States: 2 killed, 2 wounded. Tripoli: unknown.
Result Tripolitan victory
A Tripolitan galiot carrying wheat was forced ashore by American ships as she tried to enter Tripoli. An American attempt to capture or destroy her was beaten off and the Tripolitans saved the cargo.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Raid on Boulogne (1804) Raid
Also known as Attack on Boulogne
2 to 3 October 1804 · Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Lord Keith, Sir Sidney Smith (Britain)
Losses Britain: unknown. France: 1 vessel lost.
Result Little material damage to the French flotilla
The Royal Navy attacked the French invasion flotilla anchored in the fortified port of Boulogne using a range of new devices made by the American inventor Robert Fulton with Admiralty backing. Despite its ambitious aims the assault did little damage to the French ships in the harbour.
Why it is remembered It was an early trial of Fulton's explosive devices in war, and it may have added to French doubts that an invasion of Britain could succeed in the face of the Royal Navy.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars, Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810
Invasion of Surinam (1804) Landing or siege
25 April to 5 May 1804 · Surinam, Dutch Guiana
Fought between Britain against the Batavian Republic
Commanders Samuel Hood, Sir Charles Green (Britain); Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van Batenburg (Batavian Republic)
Forces British: more than 2,000 soldiers and 31 ships. Batavian: a weak garrison of unknown size.
Result British victory; the colony was captured
A British expeditionary force under Samuel Hood and Sir Charles Green attacked the Dutch colony of Surinam on 25 April 1804. By 5 May the weak Batavian garrison had been overcome and the colony captured.
Why it is remembered The colony fell within ten days, and Green was appointed governor of Surinam.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Pulo Aura Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille de Poulo Aura
15 February 1804 · Off Pulo Aura, South China Sea
Fought between East India Company against France and the Batavian Republic
Commanders Nathaniel Dance (East India Company); Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois (France)
Forces 29 East India Company merchant ships and 1 armed brig against 1 French ship of the line, 2 frigates, 1 corvette and 1 brig
Ships Marengo, Ganges
Losses East India Company: 1 killed, 1 wounded. France: none.
Result British victory
Linois, told by Dutch informants when the East India Company's China Fleet would leave Canton, found the convoy in February 1804. Its only warship escort was the armed brig Ganges, so Commodore Dance formed his East Indiamen into a line of battle and flew flags suggesting Royal Navy ships were present. After a brief exchange of fire Linois broke off, and Dance chased him for two hours until the convoy was safe.
Why it is remembered George III knighted Dance and he received large rewards, while Napoleon and Linois's own officers condemned Linois for failing to press his attack on a convoy carrying millions of pounds of cargo. Robert Dodd painted the action in 1804.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 14 February 1804; another account, the painting's title and a third account on Linois's expedition give 15 February 1804. A third account on Linois's expedition counts the convoy as 16 East Indiamen and 14 other vessels.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
Second Battle of Tripoli Harbor Raid
Also known as Blockade of Tripoli
3 August to 10 September 1804 · Tripoli harbour, Libya
Fought between United States and the Kingdom of Sicily against Tripolitania
Commanders Edward Preble, Stephen Decatur, James Decatur (killed), Richard Somers (killed) (United States); Yusuf Karamanli (Tripoli)
Forces 1 American frigate, 3 brigs, 3 schooners, 2 bomb vessels and 6 gunboats with 1,060 men against 1 Tripolitan brig, 2 schooners, 2 galleys, 19 gunboats and shore batteries of 115 guns
Ships USS Constitution, USS Syren, USS Argus, USS Vixen, USS Nautilus, USS Enterprise, USS Scourge, USS Intrepid
Losses United States: 30 killed, 20 wounded, 2 vessels destroyed, 1 boat sunk. Tripoli: 47 killed, 27 captured, 2 gunboats sunk, 3 gunboats captured.
Result Tripolitan victory
On 3 August Preble sent six gunboats against the Tripolitan gunboats; Stephen Decatur's attack captured three and sank one, but his brother James was fatally shot. On 7 August an American gunboat's magazine blew up, killing 10, and further night attacks and bombardments followed in late August and early September. On 4 September the fire ship USS Intrepid, packed with explosives and commanded by Richard Somers, blew up as she entered the harbour, killing all 13 aboard, and on 10 September Preble called off the attack.
Why it is remembered Karamanli was not subdued, but Preble's attacks were praised in America and Europe. A monument honours the officers who fell, among them Somers, Caldwell, James Decatur, Wadsworth, Israel and Dorsey.
Sources differ One account gives 30 American dead, while the deaths listed in another account add up to 29. The cause of the Intrepid explosion is not confirmed; a third account says it was most likely Tripolitan fire. One account gives Tripoli 25,000 men, a figure out of line with the rest of a third account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Service Depicted: Other Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Vizagapatam Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Visakhapatnam; Combat de Vizagapatam
18 September 1804 · Approaches to Visakhapatnam harbour, Bay of Bengal, India
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois (France); James Lind (Britain)
Forces 1 French ship of the line and 2 frigates against 1 British fourth rate, 2 East Indiamen and shore batteries
Ships Marengo, HMS Centurion
Losses France: 5 killed, 6 wounded. Britain: 1 killed, 9 wounded, 1 merchant ship destroyed, 1 merchant ship captured.
Result Indecisive: Linois took one merchant ship but withdrew, and Marengo needed six months of repairs
Learning that East Indiamen lay at Visakhapatnam, Linois attacked at dawn, unaware that the escort was now the fourth rate HMS Centurion. One Indiaman ran ashore in panic and the other was captured, leaving Centurion to fight alone, at first under cover of the shore batteries. After four hours Marengo, kept well offshore by the shoals, withdrew, and the damaged Centurion was unable to pursue.
Why it is remembered It was another failure for Linois's raiding squadron, which had to return to Isle de France for repairs.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (Trafalgar campaign)
Action of 10 August 1805 Single-ship action
10 August 1805 · Off Cape Finisterre, Spain
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Thomas Baker (Britain); Pierre Milius (France)
Forces 1 British frigate of 36 guns against 1 French frigate of 44 guns
Ships HMS Phoenix, Didon
Losses Britain: 12 killed, 28 wounded. France: 27 killed, 44 wounded, 260 captured, Didon captured.
Result British victory
The British frigate HMS Phoenix engaged the larger French frigate Didon off Cape Finisterre. After an hour of fighting Didon surrendered.
Why it is remembered The action is the subject of a painting by Francis Sartorius the younger.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francis Sartorius (the younger), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 15 July 1805 Single-ship action
15 July 1805 · Off the Chausey islands, Normandy, France
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Joseph Collet (France); Georges Ker, James Garrety (Britain)
Forces 8 French oared gunboats against 2 British gun-brigs
Ships HMS Plumper, HMS Teazer
Losses France: none (Collet slightly wounded by a splinter). Britain: both gun-brigs captured.
Result French victory
The British gun-brigs Plumper and Teazer were becalmed off Chausey and attacked by French gunboats under oars. The gunboats manoeuvred freely around them, and their long guns outranged the British carronades, so both brigs were forced to surrender.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (Napoleon's planned invasion of Britain)
Battle of Blanc-Nez and Gris-Nez Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Gris-Nez and Blanc-Nez
18 July 1805 · Off Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, northern France
Fought between Batavian Republic and France against Britain
Commanders Carel Hendrik Ver Huell (Batavian Republic); Lord Keith (Britain)
Forces 21 Batavian and French gunboats and 3 prams with 180 guns, supported by French shore batteries, against 45 British warships with at least 900 guns
Losses Batavian Republic and France: 10 to 16 killed, 60 to 70 wounded. Britain: 260 wounded, number killed unknown.
Result Franco-Batavian victory
A Batavian and French flotilla under Ver Huell sailed along the coast towards Boulogne, where the invasion flotilla was gathering. Keith's fleet attacked it several times off Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, but the flotilla, covered by French batteries ashore, held off the attacks and reached Boulogne.
Why it is remembered The flotilla's passage is shown in an 1806 painting by Martinus Schouman.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Martinus Schouman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (Trafalgar campaign)
Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805) Fleet battle
Also known as Calder's Action
22 July 1805 · Off Cape Finisterre, Galicia, Spain
Fought between Britain against France and Spain
Commanders Robert Calder (Britain); Pierre-Charles Villeneuve (France); Federico Gravina (Spain)
Forces 15 British ships of the line, 2 frigates, 1 lugger and 1 cutter against 20 French and Spanish ships of the line and 7 frigates
Ships HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Windsor Castle, HMS Malta, HMS Hero, Firme, San Rafael, Bucentaure, Argonauta, Formidable, Algésiras, Atlas, Pluton, España
Losses Britain: 41 killed, 162 wounded. France and Spain: 158 killed, 320 wounded, 1,200 captured, 2 ships of the line captured.
Result Inconclusive
Calder's fleet intercepted Villeneuve's combined fleet returning from the West Indies. HMS Hero led the British line into the enemy at about 17.15, and in failing light and thick, patchy fog the action became a confused melee in which HMS Malta was surrounded by five Spanish ships. The British took the Spanish Firme and San Rafael, but Calder broke off at 20.25 and did not renew the action on 23 and 24 July.
Why it is remembered Calder was court martialled and severely reprimanded for not renewing the battle, while Villeneuve chose not to go on to Brest, ending hopes of clearing the Channel for an invasion of Britain. William Anderson painted the action.
Sources differ The ship-by-ship tables in the main account give British losses as 39 killed and 159 wounded and Franco-Spanish wounded as 340, against the totals of 41, 162 and 320. Villeneuve's own figures add 800 sick.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Anderson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (Trafalgar campaign)
Battle of Cape Ortegal Fleet battle
Also known as Strachan's Action
4 November 1805 · Off Cape Ortegal, north west Spain, Bay of Biscay
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir Richard Strachan (Britain); Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley (France)
Forces 4 British ships of the line and 4 frigates against 4 French ships of the line
Ships HMS Caesar, HMS Hero, HMS Courageux, HMS Namur, HMS Santa Margarita, HMS Aeolus, HMS Phoenix, HMS Révolutionnaire, Formidable, Duguay-Trouin, Mont Blanc, Scipion
Losses Britain: 24 killed, 111 wounded. France: 730 killed or wounded, all 4 ships of the line captured.
Result British victory
Dumanoir had escaped from Trafalgar with the van and turned north for the French Atlantic ports. A British frigate led him towards Strachan's squadron, whose frigates harried and slowed the French until the ships of the line caught up. After several hours of hard fighting Strachan doubled the French line with frigates and ships of the line, and all four French ships surrendered.
Why it is remembered It was the final action of the Trafalgar campaign and was seen as completing Nelson's victory. All four prizes joined the Royal Navy; Duguay-Trouin became HMS Implacable and Formidable became HMS Brave. Thomas Whitcombe painted the action.
Sources differ One account gives French losses as 730 killed or wounded; the French order of battle estimates more than 910.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Battle off Cape Palos (1805) Convoy battle
Also known as Action of 4 February 1805; batalla del cabo de Palos (1805); action of Arrow and Acheron
4 February 1805 · Western Mediterranean; off Cape Palos, Spain (Wikidata) or off Cape Caxine on the Algerian coast (Wikipedia)
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Commander Richard Budd Vincent (HMS Arrow) and Commander Arthur Farquhar (HMS Acheron) (Britain); captains of the frigates Hortense and Incorruptible not named in the sources (France)
Forces The sloop HMS Arrow (carronades, 24 32-pounders when built) and the bomb vessel HMS Acheron (8 guns), escorting a convoy of some 25 to 30 merchant vessels, against the French frigates Hortense and Incorruptible with troops aboard
Ships HMS Arrow, HMS Acheron, Hortense, Incorruptible, Adventure, Dutchess of Rutland
Losses Britain: Arrow sunk, 13 killed and 27 wounded (at least two of them died later) out of 132 aboard; Acheron captured and burnt, three or four killed and eight wounded out of 67; three convoy ships taken and scuttled, and the leaking brig Adventure destroyed by the British themselves. France: Hortense had 10 killed.
Result French victory; both escorts lost, but most of the convoy escaped
The French frigates were sighted early on 3 February and caught up with the convoy on the 4th. Arrow cast off the leaking brig Adventure, which was destroyed, and the two escorts placed themselves between the convoy and the enemy. Hortense engaged Acheron first, Incorruptible joined about two hours later, and after another hour Vincent struck, with Arrow taking water and four guns dismounted; she sank as boats from Incorruptible took off survivors, and Acheron struck about a quarter of an hour later.
Why it is remembered Courts martial acquitted both commanders with honour and both were promoted post captain; Lloyd's Patriotic Fund gave each a sword worth £100. In 1847 the Naval General Service Medal was issued with the clasps 'Arrow 3 Feby. 1805' and 'Acheron 3 Feby. 1805'.
Sources differ Place: Wikidata and the title of a Royal Collection picture give Cape Palos, while the Wikipedia account places the action off Cape Caxine, Algeria, and mentions Cape Palos only as the position of HMS Fisgard and Wasp, which did not help. Date: the action was on 4 February, but the medal clasps read 3 February 1805, the day the French were first sighted.
Image: Francis Sartorius, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · First Barbary War
Battle of Derna (1805) Landing or siege
27 April to 12 June 1805 · Derna, Cyrenaica, Libya
Fought between United States and Tripolitan rebels against Tripolitania
Commanders William Eaton (wounded), Presley O'Bannon, Hamet Karamanli (United States and rebels); Mustafa Bey, Hassan Bey (Tripoli)
Forces 7 US Marines, 3 seamen, 70 Greek mercenaries, 450 Arabs and 3 US warships (a sloop, a brig and a schooner) against a garrison of 800 and a relief force of 1,200
Losses Americans: 2 killed, 3 wounded. Greeks: 10 wounded. Arabs: 68 to 78 killed and wounded. Tripoli: 68 to 78 killed, 120 wounded.
Result American victory
William Eaton and Marine Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon led a small mercenary army 521 miles across the Libyan Desert from Alexandria to the port of Derna, supported at sea by a sloop, a brig and a schooner. They took the town from a much larger garrison and held it against a relief force.
Why it is remembered It is described as the first foreign military intervention in United States history.
Sources differ One account dates the fighting to April to May 1805; another account gives 27 April to 12 June 1805.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (Trafalgar campaign)
Battle of Diamond Rock Landing or siege
Also known as Bataille du rocher du Diamant; Batalla de la roca del Diamante
31 May to 2 June 1805 · Diamond Rock, off Martinique, approaches to Fort-de-France
Fought between France and Spain against Britain
Commanders Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, Julien Cosmao (France); Federico Gravina (Spain); James Maurice (Britain)
Forces 2 French and Spanish ships of the line, 1 frigate, 1 corvette, 1 schooner and 11 gunboats against the British garrison of Diamond Rock, commissioned as a stone frigate
Ships HMS Diamond Rock
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 1 wounded, 104 captured, Diamond Rock captured. France and Spain: 50 to 400 killed or wounded, 5 gunboats sunk.
Result Franco-Spanish victory
For over a year a British garrison on Diamond Rock had used guns hauled onto its cliffs to harass shipping bound for Fort-de-France. When Villeneuve's combined fleet reached Martinique in May 1805, he was persuaded to send a flotilla under Cosmao to retake it. The defenders, short of water, held the summit for several days against attackers who had no scaling ladders, and finally negotiated their surrender when water and ammunition ran out.
Why it is remembered Because the rock was legally a Royal Navy vessel, Maurice was court martialled for the loss of his ship and honourably acquitted. The capture is the subject of an 1837 painting by Auguste Mayer.
Sources differ Franco-Spanish casualties are given only as a range of 50 to 400 killed or wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Auguste Étienne François Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
L'Hermite's expedition Blockade and raiding
October 1805 to September 1806 · West African coast and the Atlantic Ocean
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Jean-Marthe-Adrien l'Hermite (France)
Forces 1 French ship of the line, 2 frigates and 1 corvette
Ships Régulus
Losses France: 1 frigate captured in the Bay of Biscay on 27 September 1806; another badly damaged by a hurricane.
Result Little effect on British trade
L'Hermite sailed from Lorient in October 1805 to raid British merchant ships and slave ships off West Africa and to draw British ships away from the blockade of Cádiz. He took individual merchant ships and, in January 1806, a small British naval brig, but the promised reinforcements never came after Trafalgar. He refitted in neutral Brazil, and on the way home in August 1806 a hurricane scattered the squadron: one frigate limped into a United States port, l'Hermite reached Brest in Régulus, and the other frigate was captured on 27 September.
Why it is remembered It was a diversion for the Trafalgar campaign that achieved little.
Sources differ The main account has l'Hermite sail in October 1805; the main account on the Atlantic campaign of 1806 says he had been raiding the African coast since August 1805.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Franco-Haitian War
Siege of Santo Domingo (1805) Landing or siege
February to April 1805 · City of Santo Domingo, Hispaniola
Fought between France against Haiti
Commanders Jean-Louis Ferrand (France); Jean-Jacques Dessalines (Emperor Jacques I), Henri Christophe (Haiti)
Forces 2,000 French regulars and 6 French frigates against 21,000 Haitian regulars and militia
Losses Unknown on both sides.
Result French victory
A Haitian army under Emperor Jacques I besieged Ferrand's French garrison in Santo Domingo for three weeks. The siege ended when six French Navy frigates arrived to support the city.
Why it is remembered The French victory was followed by the events known as the Beheadings of Moca.
Sources differ One account places the siege in March 1805; another account gives February to April 1805.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dessalines, Jean-Jacques, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (Trafalgar campaign)
Battle of Trafalgar Fleet battle
21 October 1805 · Off Cape Trafalgar, south west Spain
Fought between Britain against France and Spain
Commanders Horatio Nelson (killed), Cuthbert Collingwood (Britain); Pierre-Charles Villeneuve (France, captured); Federico Gravina (Spain, died of wounds)
Forces 27 British ships of the line, 4 frigates, 1 schooner and 1 cutter against 33 French and Spanish ships of the line, 5 frigates and 2 brigs
Ships HMS Victory, HMS Royal Sovereign, HMS Belleisle, HMS Temeraire, HMS Conqueror, HMS Neptune, Bucentaure, Redoutable, Santísima Trinidad, Achille, Santa Ana, Principe de Asturias, Fougueux, Intrépide, San Agustín, Argonauta, Aigle, Berwick, Monarca, Neptuno, Indomptable
Losses Britain: 458 killed, 1,208 wounded, no ships lost. France and Spain: 4,395 killed, 2,541 wounded, 7,000 to 8,000 captured, 17 ships of the line captured and 1 destroyed.
Result British victory
Villeneuve's combined fleet left Cádiz on 18 October 1805 and met Nelson's fleet off Cape Trafalgar. Nelson attacked in two columns, led by HMS Victory and Collingwood's HMS Royal Sovereign, which broke the allied line in three and cut the rear off from the flagship Bucentaure while the van sailed on. The leading British ships suffered heavy fire on the approach and Nelson was shot by a French musketeer and died shortly before the end; Redoutable, Bucentaure and the great Santísima Trinidad surrendered and Achille blew up. In the storm that followed, many prizes sank, were wrecked or were scuttled, and some were retaken.
Why it is remembered The victory confirmed British naval supremacy and ended French plans to invade Britain, and Nelson's death made him a national hero. His signal “England expects that every man will do his duty” is still quoted, and the battle was painted by Turner in 1822 and by Clarkson Stanfield in 1836.
Sources differ Allied losses are given as 18 ships captured or destroyed in one account, 17 captured and 1 destroyed in another account, and 20 vessels taken in a third account. A fourth account also gives the allied fleet as nearly 30,000 men with 2,568 guns in one section and 2,632 guns in another.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Clarkson Frederick Stanfield, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (Atlantic campaign of 1806)
Action of 13 March 1806 Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille du Cap-Vert
13 March 1806 · Mid-Atlantic, given in the main account as off the Canary Islands
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir John Borlase Warren (Britain); Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois (France, captured)
Forces 7 British ships of the line and 1 frigate against 1 French ship of the line and 1 frigate
Ships Marengo, Belle Poule, HMS London, HMS Amazon
Losses Britain: 14 killed, 27 wounded. France: 69 killed, 107 wounded, Marengo and Belle Poule captured.
Result British victory
Returning to France after three years in the Indian Ocean, Linois saw distant sails at 3 am and closed in Marengo, hoping for a merchant convoy. By the time he saw that it was Warren's squadron he could not outrun the flagship HMS London, while the frigate Belle Poule was run down by HMS Amazon. Both French ships surrendered after three and a half hours of bloody fighting.
Why it is remembered It ended Linois's three-year raiding cruise. Napoleon never exchanged him and refused to employ him at sea again.
Sources differ One account places the action in the mid-Atlantic; another account gives off the Canary Islands.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition
Action of 21 April 1806 Single-ship action
21 April 1806 · Off the south east coast of southern Africa, beyond the Cape of Good Hope
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders César-Joseph Bourayne (France); John Osborn (Britain)
Forces 1 French 40-gun frigate against 2 British ships of the line escorting a convoy
Ships Cannonière, HMS Tremendous
Losses France: 7 killed, 25 wounded. Britain: none.
Result Inconclusive; the French frigate escaped
The French frigate Cannonière met a strongly escorted British convoy and turned away, but was caught by the 74-gun HMS Tremendous. Bourayne handled his ship so skilfully that Tremendous's batteries were rarely brought to bear and was himself threatening to rake her. Cannonière broke away and escaped.
Why it is remembered Bourayne's seamanship against a much stronger ship is the subject of an 1835 painting.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810)
Action of 23 August 1806 Single-ship action
23 August 1806 · Off Havana, Cuba
Fought between Britain against Spain
Commanders Charles Lydiard, Charles Brisbane (Britain); Pedro Pablo de Sanguineto y Basso (Spain, killed)
Forces 2 British frigates against 1 Spanish frigate, 12 gunboats and 1 shore battery
Ships HMS Anson, HMS Arethusa, Pomona
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 32 wounded. Spain: 317 captured, Pomona captured, 6 gunboats captured, 3 gunboats destroyed.
Result British victory
Off Havana the British frigates HMS Anson and HMS Arethusa attacked the Spanish frigate Pomona, which was supported by gunboats and a shore battery. Pomona was captured, the battery silenced and the gunboats defeated.
Why it is remembered The capture is the subject of a painting by Thomas Whitcombe.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Atlantic campaign of 1806)
Action of 25 September 1806 Convoy battle
25 September 1806 · Off Rochefort, Bay of Biscay
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir Samuel Hood (Britain, wounded); Éléonore-Jean-Nicolas Soleil (France)
Forces 6 British ships of the line and 1 brig against 5 French frigates and 2 corvettes carrying troops and stores
Ships HMS Monarch, HMS Centaur, HMS Mars, HMS Windsor Castle
Losses Britain: 9 killed, 29 wounded. France: 4 frigates captured; killed and wounded unknown.
Result British victory
A French squadron bound for the West Indies with troops and supplies was sighted by Hood's blockading squadron a few hours after leaving Rochefort. The heavily laden French ships were overhauled after a five hour chase in strong winds and split up: one frigate ran north and was caught by HMS Mars, while another with the two corvettes outran HMS Windsor Castle. The main body fought Monarch and Hood's flagship Centaur hard, severely wounding Hood, but surrendered one by one.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Joseph R. Hamble / John Heaviside Clark / Edward Orme, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 9 July 1806 Single-ship action
9 July 1806 · Little Basses Reef, off the southern coast of Ceylon
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Robert Plampin (Britain); Jacques Perroud (France)
Forces 1 British 74-gun ship of the line and 1 16-gun brig against 1 French 34-gun privateer frigate
Ships Bellone, HMS Powerful, HMS Rattlesnake
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 11 wounded. France: 1 killed, 6 to 7 wounded, Bellone captured.
Result British victory
The privateer Bellone was chased off Ceylon by the brig HMS Rattlesnake, and in the afternoon a third ship appeared: HMS Powerful, a 74 disguised as an East Indiaman. Light winds and Rattlesnake's pursuit kept Bellone from escaping, and Powerful opened fire at 5 pm. Bellone held out for nearly two hours and did more damage than she received before she was taken.
Why it is remembered Bellone was taken into the Royal Navy, and the action later raised questions among historians about the efficiency of British gunnery.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Java campaign of 1806 to 1807)
Raid on Batavia (1806) Raid
27 November 1806 · Batavia (Jakarta), Java
Fought between Britain against the Kingdom of Holland
Commanders Sir Edward Pellew (Britain); F. W. C. van de Sande (Holland)
Forces 4 British ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 brig against 1 Dutch frigate, 1 corvette, 6 brigs, 22 merchant ships and 1 gun battery
Ships Phoenix, HMS Terpsichore, Sir Francis Drake
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 4 wounded. Holland: 1 frigate, 6 brigs and 20 merchant ships destroyed, 1 corvette and 2 merchant ships captured.
Result British victory
Pellew brought a squadron to Batavia to destroy the Dutch squadron, only to find that its ships of the line had left for Griessie a month before. The frigate Phoenix and six smaller warships in the bay were driven ashore by their crews to avoid action, and the British burnt the wrecks.
Why it is remembered It weakened Batavia as a Dutch base and was followed in 1807 by the raid on Griessie. It is the subject of an 1824 painting showing the frigates Sir Francis Drake and Terpsichore attacking Phoenix.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition
Battle of Blaauwberg Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Cape Town
8 to 18 January 1806 · Bloubergstrand, near Cape Town, Cape Colony
Fought between Britain against the Batavian Republic and France
Commanders David Baird, Home Riggs Popham (Britain); Jan Willem Janssens (Batavian Republic)
Forces 5,399 British troops, 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates, 3 brigs and 9 troopships against 3,122 troops, 1 ship of the line and 1 frigate
Losses Britain: 15 killed, 189 wounded, 36 drowned. Batavian Republic and France: 337 to 700 killed, wounded, captured or missing; 1 ship of the line and 1 frigate scuttled.
Result British victory; British occupation of the Cape Colony
A British expedition landed near Cape Town and defeated the Batavian defenders, and the Dutch ship of the line and frigate at the Cape were scuttled. The British then signed a treaty under the Treaty Tree in Woodstock, Cape Town, which gave them control of the colony.
Why it is remembered The Cape Colony became a permanent part of the British Empire after the Congress of Vienna, with long consequences for southern Africa. The bicentenary was commemorated in January 2006.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Third Coalition (Atlantic campaign of 1806)
Battle of San Domingo Fleet battle
Also known as Duckworth's Action
6 February 1806 · Off the southern coast of Santo Domingo, Hispaniola
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir John Duckworth, Alexander Cochrane (Britain); Corentin Urbain de Leissègues (France)
Forces 7 British ships of the line, 2 frigates and 2 brigs against 5 French ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 corvette
Ships HMS Superb, HMS Northumberland, HMS Spencer, HMS Agamemnon, HMS Canopus, HMS Donegal, HMS Atlas, Impérial, Alexandre, Diomède, Jupiter, Brave
Losses Britain: 74 killed, 264 wounded, no ships lost. France: 1,510 killed or wounded, 1,156 captured, 3 ships of the line captured and 2 wrecked.
Result British victory
Duckworth's squadron found Leissègues at anchor off Santo Domingo, and the French tried to escape west towards Nizao. The British closed in two divisions; Alexandre, Brave and Jupiter surrendered after heavy fighting, while the flagship Impérial and Diomède were driven ashore, abandoned and later burned. Few of the French escaped.
Why it is remembered It was the last major battle between British and French ships of the line in open water in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Jupiter served in the Royal Navy as HMS Maida, and the action was painted by Nicholas Pocock in 1808.
Sources differ Le Moniteur Universel reported that the British had nine ships of the line and lost two, a claim contradicted by Leissègues's own report.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · British invasions of the River Plate
Action of 2 June 1807 Single-ship action
2 to 3 June 1807 · Mouth of the Paraná Guazú, off Punta Gorda, River Plate
Fought between Spain against Britain
Commanders Francisco Pareja (killed), Francisco de Castro (Spain); G. Douglas (Britain)
Forces 1 Spanish felucca and 1 privateer sloop against 1 British schooner with 2 armed boats
Losses Spain: 1 killed, 8 wounded. Britain: 2 wounded, schooner disabled.
Result Spanish victory; Spanish shipping kept its passage to Buenos Aires through the Paraná
A Royal Navy schooner and two armed boats searching for Spanish shipping at the mouth of the Uruguay River met a Spanish naval felucca and a privateer sloop at the mouth of the Paraná Guazú. The British schooner was disabled.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Russo-Turkish War of 1806 to 1812 (Second Archipelago Expedition)
Battle of Athos Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Monte Sancto; Battle of Lemnos
1 to 2 July 1807 · Between Mount Athos and Lemnos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Dmitry Senyavin, Aleksey Greig (Russia); Seydi Ali Pasha, Bekir Bey (Ottoman Empire, captured)
Forces 10 Russian ships of the line with 754 guns against 10 Ottoman ships of the line, 5 frigates, 3 sloops and 2 brigs with 1,196 guns
Ships Rafail, Sadd al-bahr
Losses Russia: 78 killed, 172 wounded, no ships lost. Ottoman Empire: 3 ships of the line, 3 frigates and 2 sloops lost, over 1,000 killed and wounded, 774 prisoners.
Result Russian victory
On 1 July Senyavin caught the Ottoman fleet near Lemnos and attacked in two lines of five ships, aiming at the Ottoman flagships in the centre of the column. After a long exchange of broadsides the Russians broke off at noon and the Ottomans fled north towards Thasos, losing the frigate Sadd al-bahr on the way. On 2 July the Russians chased the stragglers, and several Ottoman ships ran aground and were burnt.
Why it is remembered Soon afterwards the Treaties of Tilsit sent Senyavin's fleet back to the Baltic. The battle was painted by Alexey Bogolyubov.
Sources differ One account gives Russian losses as 78 killed and 172 wounded; another account gives 79 killed and 189 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexey Bogolyubov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Events leading to the War of 1812
Chesapeake-Leopard affair Single-ship action
22 June 1807 · Off Norfolk, Virginia
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders Salusbury Humphreys (Britain); James Barron (United States)
Forces 1 British fourth rate against 1 American frigate
Ships HMS Leopard, USS Chesapeake
Losses Britain: none. United States: 4 killed, 17 wounded, Chesapeake damaged.
Result British victory
HMS Leopard pursued the frigate USS Chesapeake to search her for Royal Navy deserters. Chesapeake was caught unprepared, received several broadsides and surrendered after firing a single shot. Four of her crew were taken off and tried for desertion, and one was hanged.
Why it is remembered The attack caused an uproar in the United States and calls for war. Barron was court martialled and relieved of command, and Jefferson's failure to win redress led to the Embargo of 1807.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Fred S. Cozzens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Copenhagen (1807) Landing or siege
Also known as Bombardment of Copenhagen; Second Battle of Copenhagen
16 August to 7 September 1807 · Copenhagen, Denmark
Fought between Britain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders James Gambier, Lord Cathcart (Britain); Ernst Peymann (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 25,000 British troops and 25 vessels against 10,000 Danish troops, 18 ships of the line, 16 frigates, 9 brigs and 26 gunboats
Losses Britain: 42 killed, 145 wounded, 24 missing. Denmark-Norway: 300 killed or wounded; 18 ships of the line, 16 frigates, 9 brigs and 26 gunboats captured. Civilians: 195 killed, 768 wounded.
Result British victory
Fearing that France would seize the large Danish navy, Britain sent an army under Lord Cathcart and a fleet under Admiral Gambier to Copenhagen. British troops landed at Vedbæk on 16 August, besieged the city and defeated a Danish army at Køge on 29 August. A bombardment beginning on 2 September set the city on fire, the defenders sued for peace on 5 September and surrendered two days later, and most of the Danish navy was sailed to England while ships on the stocks were destroyed.
Why it is remembered It drove Denmark into alliance with France and began the Gunboat War and the Anglo-Russian War. It gave rise to the verb to Copenhagenize, meaning the pre-emptive seizure of a nation's fleet at anchor, and Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg painted the burning city in 1808.
Sources differ One account gives 18,000 soldiers and 17 warships and the British arrival on 15 August; another account gives 25,000 men and 25 vessels and dates the battle from 15 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Russo-Turkish War of 1806 to 1812 (Second Archipelago Expedition)
Battle of the Dardanelles (1807) Fleet battle
22 May 1807 (10 May Old Style) · Mouth of the Dardanelles
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Dmitry Senyavin (Russia); Seyid Ali (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 10 Russian ships of the line and 1 frigate against 8 Ottoman ships of the line, 6 frigates and more than 50 smaller vessels
Ships Tverdyi, Uriil, Venus
Losses Russia: 26 killed, 56 wounded, no ships lost. Ottoman Empire: up to 2,000 killed and wounded, ships driven aground.
Result Russian victory
Seyid Ali's squadron left the Dardanelles on 19 May and threatened the Russian base at Tenedos, but withdrew. When the wind changed on 22 May, Senyavin, in Tverdyi, attacked the retreating Ottomans at about 6 pm and the fleets fought at close range near the mouth of the strait until about 9 pm. Next day Russian ships fired on three Ottoman ships of the line being towed into the strait and drove them aground.
Why it is remembered The Ottomans failed to break the Russian blockade, which lasted until the Battle of Athos a month later.
Sources differ One account says 2 Ottoman ships were grounded; another account describes three aground on 22 May and three ships of the line driven aground on 23 May. One account gives more than 50 smaller Ottoman vessels, a third account 55.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexey Bogolyubov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Turkish War of 1807 to 1809
Dardanelles operation (1807) Raid
Also known as Duckworth's passage of the Dardanelles
19 February to 3 March 1807 · Dardanelles and the approaches to Constantinople
Fought between Britain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders John Duckworth, Sir Sidney Smith (Britain); Selim III (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 8 British ships of the line, 2 frigates and 2 bomb vessels against 1 Ottoman ship of the line, 4 frigates, 4 corvettes, 2 brigs, 2 gunboats and the forts and shore batteries
Ships HMS Canopus, HMS Standard, HMS Thunderer, HMS Glatton, HMS Lucifer, HMS Meteor
Losses Britain: 42 killed, 235 wounded, 4 missing; 6 ships of the line and 1 frigate damaged. Ottoman Empire: 4 frigates and 1 redoubt destroyed; 11 men, 1 corvette, 1 gunboat, 1 boat and 2 guns captured.
Result Ottoman victory
To keep the Ottoman Empire out of the war at Russia's request, Britain demanded the expulsion of the French envoy Sebastiani and sent Duckworth's squadron to threaten Constantinople. Duckworth forced the passage of the Dardanelles on 19 February 1807 under orders to bombard the capital and seize the Ottoman fleet. The assault on the city's defences failed and the squadron came back out through the strait, damaged, by early March; four Russian ships of the line under Senyavin joined only after the exit.
Why it is remembered It was a failed attempt to coerce Constantinople by sea. Thomas Whitcombe painted the squadron forcing the Dardanelles.
Sources differ One account says Collingwood chose eight ships of the line and four frigates; another account gives 8 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 2 bomb vessels.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Java campaign of 1806 to 1807)
Raid on Griessie Raid
Also known as Raid on Gresik
5 to 11 December 1807 · Griessie (Gresik), near Surabaya, Java
Fought between Britain against the Kingdom of Holland
Commanders Sir Edward Pellew (Britain); William Cowell (Holland)
Forces 2 British ships of the line, 2 frigates and 4 sloops against 3 Dutch ships of the line, 1 merchant ship and 1 gun battery
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 4 wounded. Holland: 3 ships of the line and 1 merchant ship scuttled, 1 gun battery destroyed.
Result British victory
Pellew's squadron appeared off Griessie on 5 December 1807 and demanded the surrender of the Dutch ships of the line sheltering there. Cowell refused and seized the boat party carrying the message, and Pellew advanced up the river, exchanging fire with a battery on Madura. The governor at Surabaya overruled Cowell and agreed to surrender, but Cowell had already scuttled the ships, and the British burnt the wrecks and destroyed the stores and the battery.
Why it is remembered It destroyed the last Dutch naval force in the East Indies and completed British control of the route to China.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: James Northcote, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810)
Invasion of the Danish West Indies (1807) Landing or siege
Also known as Second British invasion of the Danish West Indies
22 to 25 December 1807 · Saint Thomas and Saint Croix, Danish West Indies
Fought between Britain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Alexander Cochrane (Britain); Hans Lillienskjøld (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 5 British ships of the line, 7 frigates, 7 sloops, 1 schooner and 2 brigs; Danish strength unknown
Losses Britain: minimal. Denmark-Norway: all forces surrendered.
Result British victory
A British fleet took Saint Thomas on 22 December and Saint Croix on 25 December 1807. The Danes did not resist and the invasion was bloodless.
Why it is remembered Britain held the islands until 20 November 1815, when they were returned to Denmark.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Fourth Coalition; Franco-Swedish War
Siege of Kolberg (1807) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Colberg; Siege of Kołobrzeg
20 March to 2 July 1807 · Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), Pomerania
Fought between France and allies against Prussia, with British and Swedish naval support
Commanders Claude Victor-Perrin, Édouard Mortier, Louis Henri Loison, Pietro Teulié (killed) (France and allies); August von Gneisenau, L. M. von Lucadou, Joachim Nettelbeck, Ferdinand von Schill (Prussia)
Forces 14,000 French and allied troops against 6,000 Prussians with 230 guns, supported by a British vessel and a Swedish frigate of 46 guns
Losses France and allies: 5,000 killed, wounded or captured. Prussia: 3,000 killed, wounded or captured.
Result Siege lifted by the Peace of Tilsit
French, Italian, Polish and German troops besieged Kolberg, the last Prussian fortress in Pomerania, from March 1807. Gneisenau's garrison held the eastern approaches around the Wolfsberg sconce, with a British and a Swedish vessel firing in support from the Baltic, while the besiegers later turned on the port north of the town. Fighting stopped on 2 July when Prussia accepted peace after the Russian defeat at Friedland.
Why it is remembered Kolberg was one of the few Prussian fortresses still held at the end of the war, and the siege became a Prussian myth later used in Nazi propaganda. A memorial to Nettelbeck and Gneisenau once stood in the town.
Sources differ The French figure of 41 guns is marked as dubious in the main account.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810)
Capture of the Jeune Richard Single-ship action
1 October 1807 · Off Barbados, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders William Rogers (Britain)
Forces 1 British packet ship against 1 French privateer with a much larger crew
Ships Windsor Castle, Jeune Richard
Losses Britain: 13 killed or wounded. France: 54 killed or wounded, Jeune Richard captured.
Result British victory
The packet ship Windsor Castle, under her acting captain William Rogers, beat off repeated attacks by the privateer Jeune Richard. Rogers then boarded her, overpowered her much larger crew, drove them below decks and took the privateer as a prize.
Why it is remembered The victory was widely reported and Rogers and his crew were hailed as heroes and richly rewarded. Samuel Drummond painted the capture in 1808.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Samuel Drummond, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 10 November 1808 Single-ship action
10 November 1808 · Off Lorient, Bay of Biscay
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Michael Seymour (Britain); Jacques Pinsum (France, killed)
Forces 1 British frigate, with 2 more ships arriving at the end, against 1 French frigate carrying over 100 soldiers and supplies for Martinique
Ships HMS Amethyst, Thétis, HMS Triumph, HMS Shannon
Losses Britain: 19 killed, 51 wounded. France: 135 killed, 102 wounded, Thétis captured.
Result British victory
The frigate Thétis sailed for Martinique with flour, military stores and over 100 soldiers, but was seen by HMS Amethyst of the inshore squadron before she had cleared the coast. Seymour closed with her while using heavy, accurate gunfire to keep the soldiers from boarding, and after more than six hours, with over 130 French dead including the captain, Amethyst's crew stormed and took her. HMS Triumph and HMS Shannon arrived minutes later and helped secure the prize.
Why it is remembered The loss weakened Martinique, which was invaded and taken in January 1809. Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Action of 2 March 1808 Single-ship action
2 March 1808 · Off Scarborough, North Sea
Fought between Britain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders George Langford (Britain); Jørgen Jørgensen (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 1 British 18-gun brig-sloop against 1 Danish 28-gun two-decker brig
Ships HMS Sappho, Admiral Juel
Losses Britain: 2 wounded. Denmark-Norway: 1 killed, 2 wounded, Admiral Juel captured.
Result British victory
HMS Sappho sighted the Danish brig Admiral Juel steering to intercept merchant ships and chased her. After a short engagement Sappho captured her.
Why it is remembered The action was painted by Francis Sartorius the younger.
Sources differ The Danish vessel appears in sources as Admiral Juel, Admiral Yawl, Admiral Yorol and Admiral Juul. The main account says no ship of this name served in the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy and that she was a privateer.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francis Sartorius, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 4 April 1808 Convoy battle
4 April 1808 · Off Rota, Bay of Cádiz, Spain
Fought between Britain against Spain
Commanders Murray Maxwell (Britain)
Forces 2 British frigates and 1 brig-sloop against a Spanish convoy escorted by 20 gunboats and shore batteries
Ships HMS Alceste, HMS Mercury, HMS Grasshopper
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 2 wounded. Spain: 2 gunboats destroyed, 7 merchant ships captured.
Result British victory
HMS Alceste, HMS Mercury and HMS Grasshopper intercepted a large Spanish convoy off Rota, protected by twenty gunboats and batteries along the shore, and defeated it.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Battle of Alvøen Single-ship action
16 May 1808 · Off Alvøen, near Bergen, Norway
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Britain
Commanders Bielke (Denmark-Norway); George Edmund Byron Bettesworth (Britain, killed)
Forces 5 Norwegian gunboats against 1 British frigate
Ships HMS Tartar, Gelderland
Losses Denmark-Norway: 4 killed. Britain: 2 killed, including Captain Bettesworth, 12 wounded.
HMS Tartar came to Bergen looking for the Dutch privateer Gelderland, which was under repair in the harbour. On 16 May the five gunboats that made up Bergen's whole naval force rowed out and placed themselves between the town and the frigate, which lay becalmed in thick fog off Alvøen. In about an hour of fighting Tartar lost two men, among them her captain.
Why it is remembered It is an example of the gunboats Denmark-Norway built for coastal defence after losing its fleet at Copenhagen in 1807. The battle is shown in a contemporary painting.
Sources differ One account gives British losses as 2 killed; another account adds 12 wounded. A third account does not state a clear victor in its summary.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Finnish War
Battle of Bockholmssund Fleet battle
Also known as Sjöstriden vid Bockholmssund; Sjöstriden vid Fårskinnsholmarna
4 July 1808 · Bockholm sound, approaches to Åbo (Turku), Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders King Gustav IV Adolf, Klas Hjelmstierna, Captain Wirsén (Sweden); Pyotr Konovnitsyn (Russia)
Forces 19 Swedish gun sloops and 4 galleys, later joined by 10 more gun sloops and 6 galleys, against 22 Russian gun sloops, 6 yawls, 150 sharpshooters and four shore batteries
Ships Amadis
Losses Sweden: 12 men. Russia: 25 men. Several vessels damaged on both sides.
Result Inconclusive; the Swedish attack was broken off
After Rimito Kramp, Hjelmstierna's flotilla blockaded the Erstafjärd at the entrance to Åbo. King Gustav IV Adolf arrived in the yacht Amadis and ordered a probe against the Russian flotilla in the Bockholm sound, and Captain Wirsén's eight gun sloops were sent round its left flank but were spotted. Under Swedish fire the Russian craft fell back behind shore batteries on Runsala, Bockholmen and Hirvisalo, and darkness and the batteries forced the Swedes to break off at half past eleven at night.
Why it is remembered The Swedish king was present in person.
Sources differ The Swedish account dates the battle to 4 July 1808 but says the king arrived on 4 June.
Sources Wikipedia (SV)
Image: Per Krafft the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Peninsular War
Evacuation of La Romana's division Other action
August 1808 · Nyborg, Funen, and Langeland, Denmark
Fought between Spain and Britain against France and Denmark-Norway
Commanders Marquis of La Romana (Spain); Richard Goodwin Keats (Britain); Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (France)
Forces 13,500 Spanish troops and a British squadron against 30,000 French and Danish troops
Ships HMS Superb, HMS Edgar, HMS Snipe, HMS Musquito, Fama, Søe-Ormen
Losses Spain: 4,500 captured (the troops who could not escape). France and Denmark: none given; the Danish brig Fama and the small Søe-Ormen overwhelmed at Nyborg.
Result Anglo-Spanish success
When Napoleon put his brother on the Spanish throne, La Romana's Spanish division serving in Denmark arranged in secret with Commodore Keats to escape. On 7 August 1808 the Spanish troops seized Nyborg, where boats from HMS Edgar attacked and overwhelmed the Danish brig Fama and the smaller Søe-Ormen; Keats took about 57 small craft to ferry the troops to Langeland. The convoy sailed to Gothenburg, and after a stormy voyage about 9,000 Spanish troops landed at Santander in October 1808.
Why it is remembered It returned a Spanish division to fight against France in the Peninsular War. The troops' oath is shown in an 1870 painting by Manuel Castellano.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Manuel Castellano, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Battle of Falsterbo (1808) Convoy battle
Also known as Sjöslaget vid Falsterbo 1808
20 October 1808 · Øresund, between Dragør and Skanör
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Britain
Commanders Johan Cornelius Krieger (Denmark-Norway); John Barrett (Britain)
Forces About 25 Danish gunboats and several smaller boats against the British 64-gun ship of the line Africa, escorting with Thunder and two brigs a convoy of 137 merchant ships
Ships HMS Africa, HMS Thunder
Losses Britain: Africa badly damaged, her commander killed. Totals not given.
Result Danish success; Africa was badly damaged but the convoy later passed
Danish gunboats attacked the convoy escort HMS Africa around midday. At about 1.30 pm the wind died, leaving Africa unable to bring her broadsides to bear, and the gunboats took up positions her guns could not reach and kept up their fire until dusk at about 6.45 pm. Africa withdrew badly damaged to Karlskrona for repairs.
Why it is remembered It showed how oared gunboats could cripple a becalmed ship of the line.
Sources differ The Swedish account dates the battle to 20 October 1808 in another account and 18 October in a third account. A third account says Africa was shot to pieces, another account that she was badly damaged and escaped.
Sources Wikipedia (SV)
Image: Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Finnish War
Fighting at Kahiluoto Fleet battle
Also known as Striderna vid Kahiluoto; Sjöstriderna vid Kahiluoto
26 September to 2 October 1808 · Channel west of Kahiluoto island, Finland
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Major Sjöholm (Sweden)
Forces 10 Swedish gun sloops and 1 mortar launch against Russian forces about four times as strong
Result Swedish success
A Swedish flotilla of ten gun sloops and a mortar launch under Major Sjöholm beat back daily Russian attempts, made with four times their strength, to force the channel west of Kahiluoto.
Why it is remembered The Swedish stand protected the landing at Helsinge.
Sources Wikipedia (SV)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Dano-Swedish War of 1808 to 1809
Battle of Furuholm Fleet battle
28 April 1808 · Furuholmen, outside Strömstad, Sweden
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders G. H. Nordberg (Sweden); Lorentz Fisker (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 5 Swedish gun sloops with 249 men and 27 guns against 16 Dano-Norwegian gun sloops and 11 gun yawls with 750 to 1,000 men and 77 guns
Losses Sweden: 4 killed, 6 to 7 severely wounded. Denmark-Norway: 10 killed, 4 severely wounded, 0 or 3 boats sunk.
Result Swedish victory
A Dano-Norwegian gunboat flotilla attacked five Swedish gun sloops at Furuholmen outside Strömstad and was beaten off despite its much greater strength.
Sources differ Sources differ on whether the Dano-Norwegians lost no boats or three boats sunk.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Finnish War
Battle of Grönvikssund Fleet battle
Also known as Skärgårdsslaget vid Grönvikssund
30 August 1808 · Grönvikssund, near Kustavi, Finnish archipelago
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Johan Ludvig Brant, Paul Adolf Sölfverarm, Carl Ulrik af Klercker (Sweden); Selivanov, Myakin (Russia)
Forces 35 Swedish gun sloops against 20 Russian gun sloops and 4 gun yawls
Losses Sweden: 2 vessels sunk, 225 killed or wounded. Russia: 9 gun sloops sunk, 114 killed or wounded (incomplete figure).
Result Swedish victory
Brant sent 35 gun sloops to secure the waters north of the Åland archipelago and met the Russian archipelago fleet at Grönvikssund. After a six hour artillery duel the Swedes gained the upper hand with the help of the wind, and the Russians fell back south towards Åbo. Nightfall ended the Swedish pursuit.
Why it is remembered The Swedish account calls it a major Swedish victory that halted the Russian advance northwards through the archipelago.
Sources differ The Russian casualty figure of 114 killed or wounded is marked as incomplete; the Swedish account gives no casualty figures.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipedia (SV)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Finnish War
Battle of Kimito Strait Fleet battle
Also known as Sjöstriden vid Kimitosundet
21 July 1808 · Eastern mouth of the Kimito sound, by Stora and Lilla Tallholmen, near Sandöström, Finland
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders Captain Hayden (Russia); Paul Adolf Sölfverarm (Sweden)
Forces A Russian division of 1 hemmema, 1 brig, 1 yacht, 2 gun sloops, 40 yawls and 24 transports, with several hundred jäger infantry and field guns ashore, against 12 Swedish gun sloops
Losses Sweden: 46 killed and wounded, several gun sloops damaged. Russia: unknown.
Result Russian victory; the Russian division forced the passage
Blocked at Jungfrusund, the third division of the Russian archipelago fleet tried to slip round the Swedes through the narrow sound between Kimito island and the mainland, clearing old obstructions at Strömma on the way. Sölfverarm was sent to the eastern mouth of the sound to block it, but his obstructions were only half finished when Hayden attacked on 21 July. His gun sloops held the gap for three hours until fire from Russian jägers on the shore forced him back to Sandöström.
Why it is remembered Its outcome threatened the rear of the Swedish squadron in the Erstafjärd and led to the Battle of Sandöström.
Sources Wikipedia (SV)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Russian War
Battle of the Nargö Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Nargen
23 June 1808 (11 June Old Style) · Off Naissaar (Nargö), northern Estonia
Fought between Britain against Russia
Commanders Walter Bathurst (Britain); Gabriel Nevelsky (Russia, captured)
Forces 1 British frigate against 1 Russian cutter
Ships HMS Salsette, Opyt
Losses Britain: unknown. Russia: 2 killed, 11 wounded, Opyt captured.
Result British victory
The Russian cutter Opyt met the British frigate HMS Salsette off the island of Naissaar and was captured after a fight.
Why it is remembered It was one of the few direct clashes of the Anglo-Russian War. The fight is shown in an 1888 painting by Leonid Blinov.
Sources differ The main account gives 11 June 1808 Old Style (23 June New Style); the caption of the Blinov painting gives 11 July 1808.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Blinov, Leonid Demyanovich (1868 to 1903), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Finnish War
Battle of Palva Sund Fleet battle
18 September 1808 · Palva Sund, near Velkua, Finnish archipelago
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders Aleksey Yefimovich Myasoyedov (Russia); Salomon von Rajalin (Sweden)
Forces 70 to 80 Russian gun sloops against 31 Swedish gun sloops
Losses Sweden: 30 killed, 54 wounded, 1 gun sloop sunk. Russia: 200 killed, wounded or captured, 3 gun sloops sunk.
Result Russian victory
A Russian archipelago flotilla of 70 to 80 gun sloops fought 31 Swedish gun sloops near Velkua and won.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Finnish War
Battle of Rimito Kramp Fleet battle
30 June to 2 July 1808 · Southern end of the Airisto (Erstan), Finnish archipelago
Fought between Sweden against Russia
Commanders Klas Hjelmstjerna (Sweden); Selivanov, Myakin (Russia)
Forces 4 Swedish galleys, 15 gun sloops and 4 sloops, later joined by 4 more galleys, against 4 Russian gun sloops and 3 gun yawls, later joined by 5 gun sloops
Losses Sweden: 1 gun sloop sunk, 2 damaged. Russia: 2 gun yawls damaged.
Swedish and Russian archipelago flotillas fought at the southern end of the Airisto over three days. Afterwards Hjelmstjerna's flotilla took up a position at Fårskinnsholmarna, blocking the entrance to Åbo.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipedia (SV)
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Peninsular War
Siege of Roses (1808) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Rosas
7 November to 5 December 1808 · Roses (Rosas), Catalonia, Spain
Fought between France and Italy against Spain and Britain
Commanders Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr, Honoré Reille (France); Domenico Pino (Italy); Peter O'Daly (Spain); Thomas Cochrane (Britain)
Forces 23,000 French and Italian troops (over 13,000 at the siege itself) against 3,500 Spanish and Catalan defenders with 58 guns, supported by 1 British third rate, 1 frigate and 2 bomb ketches
Ships HMS Imperieuse
Losses France and Italy: 1,000. Spain: 3,166 and 58 guns captured.
Result French victory
Gouvion Saint-Cyr's corps, marching to relieve the French in Barcelona, besieged the haven of Roses, its citadel and the headland Trinity Castle. British warships under Captain Hallowell bombarded the French lines, and men from Cochrane's frigate HMS Imperieuse helped Catalan troops hold the castle. The French siege lines still closed in and the citadel capitulated; the British took the castle's defenders off by sea.
Why it is remembered Cochrane's defence of Trinity Castle is one of the better known episodes of his career; the siege itself delayed the French advance on Barcelona.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Battle of Saltholm Convoy battle
9 June 1808 · Off Saltholm, Øresund, near Copenhagen
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Britain
Commanders Johan Krieger (Denmark-Norway); George Wood (Britain)
Forces 21 Dano-Norwegian gunboats and 7 mortar boats against 3 British brig-sloops and 1 bomb vessel escorting 70 merchant ships
Ships HMS Turbulent, HMS Piercer, HMS Charger, HMS Thunder
Losses Britain: HMS Turbulent and 12 or 13 merchant ships captured. Denmark-Norway: unknown.
Result Dano-Norwegian victory
A convoy of 70 merchant ships left Malmö under escort and was attacked off Saltholm by Danish and Norwegian gunboats. In a near calm the oared gunboats rowed up and boarded several merchantmen, while the rearmost escort HMS Turbulent and the bomb vessel Thunder fought them. The battle lasted twenty minutes; Turbulent was dismasted and struck, but her resistance let most of the convoy escape.
Why it is remembered It was the only convoy to suffer a heavy loss to the Danish gunboats, and merchants in Hull published a protest against the Royal Navy. Wood was acquitted at his court martial.
Sources differ Sources give 12 or 13 merchant ships captured.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Finnish War
Battle of Sandöström Fleet battle
Also known as Skärgårdsslaget vid Sandöström
2 to 3 August 1808 · Sandöström sound at Karuna, near Kimito, Åbo archipelago, Finland
Fought between Russia against Sweden
Commanders Lodewijk van Heiden, Pyotr Dodt (Russia); Önnert Jönsson (mortally wounded), Klas Hjelmstjerna, Paul Adolf Sölfverarm (Sweden)
Forces 12 Russian gun sloops and 38 gun yawls against 22 Swedish gun sloops and a 4-gun battery on Rövarholmen
Losses Russia: 121 killed, 200 wounded, 35 vessels damaged. Sweden: 36 killed, 93 wounded, 12 vessels damaged.
Result Russian victory
The Russian archipelago fleet attacked the Swedish gun sloops holding the Sandöström sound. Using their greater numbers and boats sent round the flanks, the Russians broke the Swedish line and stormed the battery on Rövarholmen, and the Swedish commander Önnert Jönsson was mortally wounded. The Swedes withdrew under Sölfverarm, partly covered by Hjelmstjerna's reinforcements.
Why it is remembered The victory allowed the Russian archipelago fleets to join forces.
Sources differ The English account gives the Russians 12 gun sloops and 38 gun yawls; the Swedish account gives 11 gun sloops and 44 gun yawls. The Swedish account gives no overall casualty figures.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipedia (SV)
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Anglo-Turkish War of 1807 to 1809
Battle of Skopelos Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 5 to 6 July 1808
5 to 6 July 1808 · Off Skopelos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Britain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders John Stewart (Britain); Scandril Küçük Ali, Duragardi Ali (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 1 British 38-gun frigate against 1 Ottoman 52-gun frigate and 1 26-gun corvette
Ships HMS Seahorse, Bedr-i Zafer, Alis Fezzan
Losses Britain: 5 killed, 10 wounded. Ottoman Empire: 170 killed, 200 wounded, Bedr-i Zafer captured.
Result British victory
The British frigate HMS Seahorse fought the larger Ottoman frigate Bedr-i Zafer and the corvette Alis Fezzan off Skopelos. Bedr-i Zafer surrendered after a hard fight, while Alis Fezzan drew off damaged.
Why it is remembered The capture is the subject of a painting by Thomas Buttersworth.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Buttersworth, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Peninsular War
Capture of the Rosily Squadron Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Poza de Santa Isabel
9 to 14 June 1808 · Cádiz harbour, Spain
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, Tomás de Morla (Spain); François Étienne de Rosily-Mesros (France)
Forces 5 Spanish ships of the line, 1 frigate, numerous gunboats and at least 2,000 sailors and militia against 5 French ships of the line and 1 frigate with 4,000 sailors
Losses France: 13 killed, 46 wounded, 3,676 captured, 5 ships of the line and 1 frigate captured. Spain: 4 killed, 50 wounded, 15 gunboats sunk.
Result Spanish victory
Rosily's squadron had stayed in Cádiz under British blockade since Trafalgar. After the Second of May uprising in Madrid turned Spain against France, Spanish ships, gunboats and batteries engaged the French squadron for five days, and on 14 June Rosily surrendered all his ships.
Why it is remembered It removed the last French squadron from Cádiz at the start of the Peninsular War. The surrender is shown in a painting of Rosily yielding to Apodaca.
Sources differ One account says 4,000 seamen surrendered; another account gives 3,676 captured.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Battle of Zealand Point Single-ship action
22 March 1808 · Off Zealand, Kattegat, Denmark
Fought between Britain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders George Parker (Britain); Carl Wilhelm Jessen (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 3 British ships of the line and 1 frigate against 1 Danish ship of the line
Losses Britain: 5 killed, 48 wounded, 1 missing. Denmark-Norway: 55 killed, 88 wounded, 1 ship of the line destroyed.
Result British victory
Three British ships of the line and a frigate intercepted the last Danish ship of the line off Zealand. After a fight in which she lost 55 killed and 88 wounded, she was destroyed and her captain, Carl Wilhelm Jessen, surrendered.
Why it is remembered It cost the Danish navy its last ship of the line. The battle is shown in a painting by A. G. Gross.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810)
Action of 10 February 1809 Single-ship action
8 to 10 February 1809 · Atlantic Ocean north of the Leeward and Virgin Islands
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Hugh Pigot (Britain); Jean-Baptiste-Augustin Rousseau (France, killed)
Forces 2 British frigates and 3 brig-sloops against 1 French frigate
Ships Junon, HMS Horatio, HMS Latona
Losses Britain: 7 killed, 33 wounded. France: 130 killed or wounded, Junon captured.
Result British victory
The French frigate Junon, carrying trade goods from the Îles des Saintes to France, was sighted in the Virgin Islands on 8 February and chased north into the Atlantic for two days. HMS Horatio and HMS Latona brought her to action in a bitter running fight, and the badly damaged Junon surrendered.
Why it is remembered Junon served in the Royal Navy under the same name until a French convoy recaptured and destroyed her less than a year later.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Mauritius campaign of 1809 to 1811)
Action of 18 November 1809 Convoy battle
18 November 1809 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between France against the East India Company
Commanders Jacques Hamelin (France); John Stewart (East India Company)
Forces 2 French frigates and 1 brig against 3 East Indiamen
Ships Windham, Manche, Vénus, HMS Magicienne
Losses France: none. East India Company: 4 killed, 2 wounded, 3 merchant ships captured.
Result French victory
Part of Hamelin's raiding squadron met a convoy of three East Indiamen bound for India. The largest, Windham, attacked the frigate Manche and duelled her for an hour before escaping, while the other two Indiamen surrendered after token resistance. Windham was caught five days later by Hamelin's flagship Vénus.
Why it is remembered A cyclone a month later scattered the squadron, and British prisoners helped save Vénus; Windham was recaptured by HMS Magicienne off Isle de France. The loss of this and other convoys led the Royal Navy to strengthen its forces in the Indian Ocean by 1810.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810)
Action of 22 January 1809 Single-ship action
22 January 1809 · Off Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Samuel Pechell (Britain); Pierre-Nicolas Lahalle (France)
Forces 2 British frigates and 1 sloop against 1 French frigate under a shore battery
Ships Topaze, HMS Cleopatra, HMS Hazard, HMS Confiance
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 1 wounded. France: 12 killed, 14 wounded, Topaze captured.
Result British victory
The frigate Topaze, carrying flour from Brest for Cayenne, was driven off by HMS Confiance and took refuge under the batteries of Guadeloupe. Found at anchor off Pointe-Noire by the brig HMS Hazard, she was attacked by two frigates led by Pechell in HMS Cleopatra and captured despite heavy fire from the battery above the anchorage.
Why it is remembered It was part of the blockade before the invasion of Martinique, which began six days later.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 27 February 1809 Single-ship action
27 February 1809 · 12 nautical miles off Toulon, France
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Bernard Dubourdieu, François-Gilles Montfort (France); Charles Otter (Britain)
Forces 2 French frigates against 1 British frigate
Ships Pénélope, Pauline, HMS Proserpine
Losses France: none. Britain: 1 killed, 12 wounded, Proserpine captured.
Result French victory
The frigates Pénélope and Pauline came out of Toulon to catch HMS Proserpine, which was watching the port. Pénélope crept up undetected and then posed as a British frigate arriving to relieve Proserpine, getting within gun range before she was recognised. With Pauline's help she forced Proserpine to strike after an hour's fight.
Why it is remembered Proserpine served in the French Navy until 1865. Otter was held prisoner until 1814, then court martialled and honourably acquitted. The action is illustrated by Antoine Roux.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Mauritius campaign of 1809 to 1811)
Action of 31 May 1809 Convoy battle
31 May 1809 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between France against the East India Company
Commanders Jean Féretier (France); John Dale (East India Company)
Forces 1 French frigate against 3 East Indiamen
Ships Caroline
Losses France: 1 killed, 4 wounded. East India Company: 6 killed, 4 wounded, 2 merchant ships captured.
Result French victory
The French frigate Caroline attacked an East India Company convoy of three Indiamen carrying goods worth over 500,000 pounds. The merchant ships fought with their own guns but were defeated one by one, and only the smallest escaped.
Why it is remembered It was the first of a series of attacks on valuable convoys by French cruisers from Isle de France and Isle Bonaparte.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 6 April 1809 Single-ship action
6 April 1809 · Bay of Biscay
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Michael Seymour, Robert Mends (Britain); Jean Dupotet (France)
Forces 1 British frigate, with HMS Emerald and HMS Arethusa in support, against 1 French 40-gun frigate
Ships HMS Amethyst, HMS Emerald, HMS Arethusa, Niémen
Losses Britain: 8 killed, 38 wounded. France: 47 killed, 73 wounded, Niémen captured.
Result British victory
The new frigate Niémen left Brest on 5 April with naval stores for the squadron at Isle de France and was sighted at once by frigates watching for her. HMS Amethyst kept contact through the night and brought her to action the next morning, and both ships were badly damaged in a hard fight. When HMS Arethusa arrived, the French captain surrendered.
Why it is remembered The loss of Niémen's stores hampered the French squadron at Isle de France. Mends of Arethusa claimed the victory, starting a lasting quarrel with Seymour. The action was engraved by Robert Dodd.
Sources differ Captain Mends of Arethusa claimed the victory, which Seymour of Amethyst disputed.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Fifth Coalition
Battle of the Basque Roads Raid
Also known as Battle of Aix Roads; Bataille de l'île d'Aix; Affaire des brûlots
11 to 24 April 1809 · Basque Roads, off the Île d'Aix and the mouth of the Charente, near Rochefort, France
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders James Gambier, Lord Cochrane (Britain); Zacharie Allemand (France)
Forces 11 British ships of the line, 7 frigates, 4 brig-sloops, 2 bomb vessels, 6 brigs, 1 schooner, 2 cutters, 3 rocket barges and fireships against 11 French ships of the line and 4 frigates
Ships HMS Imperieuse, HMS Caledonia, HMS Mediator, HMS Aetna, HMS Pallas, HMS Unicorn, HMS Aigle, HMS Emerald, HMS Beagle, HMS Indefatigable, HMS Revenge, HMS Valiant, HMS Theseus, HMS Caesar, Océan, Ville de Varsovie, Tonnerre, Aquilon, Calcutta, Indienne
Losses Britain: 13 killed, 30 wounded. France: 150 to 200 killed or wounded; Ville de Varsovie, Tonnerre, Aquilon, the storeship Calcutta and the frigate Indienne destroyed.
Result British victory
After failing to break out of the Bay of Biscay, the French Atlantic Fleet anchored in the Basque Roads, watched by Gambier's fleet. On the night of 11 April Cochrane led fireships and explosion vessels into the roads; HMS Mediator broke the boom, and in panic most of the French ships cut their cables and ran aground. Gambier refused to bring in the main fleet, so Cochrane fought on for days with little support and destroyed several ships, while most of the French refloated and escaped up the Charente.
Why it is remembered Cochrane publicly attacked Gambier, who was cleared by a court martial packed with his supporters, and Cochrane's naval career was ruined; historians have almost all condemned Gambier. In France several captains were court martialled and Jean-Baptiste Lafon of Calcutta was shot. Thomas Whitcombe painted the destruction of the French fleet.
Sources differ One account lists 3 ships of the line destroyed, 1 ship of the line scuttled and 1 frigate scuttled; another account names five ships destroyed, one of them a storeship. French casualties are an estimate, the exact figure being unknown.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810)
Invasion of Martinique (1809) Landing or siege
30 January to 24 February 1809 · Martinique, French West Indies
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir Alexander Cochrane, George Beckwith (Britain); Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse (France)
Forces 10,000 British troops with 6 ships of the line, 8 frigates and 9 brigs against 4,900 French troops and 3 brigs
Losses Britain: 97 killed, 365 wounded, 18 missing. France: 900 killed, wounded or missing.
Result British victory
A British expedition landed on the southern and northern coasts of Martinique, defeated the French regulars in the central highlands and routed the militia in the south. By 9 February only Fort Desaix, guarding Fort-de-France, still held out. After a 15 day bombardment its garrison, with 200 casualties, surrendered.
Why it is remembered It cost France an important naval base in the West Indies. A French relief squadron arrived too late and was scattered in April 1809, and Guadeloupe was taken the following year.
Sources differ One account gives the expedition as 29 ships; another account lists 23 warships (6 ships of the line, 8 frigates, 9 brigs).
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Les Sables-d'Olonne Fleet battle
24 February 1809 · Off Les Sables-d'Olonne, Bay of Biscay, France
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Robert Stopford (Britain); Pierre Roch Jurien (France)
Forces 3 British ships of the line, 1 frigate and 1 sloop against 3 French frigates under shore batteries
Ships HMS Defiance
Losses Britain: 3 killed, 31 wounded. France: 24 killed, 51 wounded; all three frigates driven ashore.
Result British victory
Jurien's three frigates left Lorient to join Willaumez's fleet from Brest, missed the rendezvous and were chased by Stopford's blockading squadron. They anchored under the batteries of Les Sables-d'Olonne, but Stopford attacked at 9 am on 24 February with HMS Defiance in the main account. The French ships were overwhelmed one by one and by shortly after noon all three had been driven ashore with heavy losses.
Why it is remembered Two days later Willaumez's fleet was trapped in the Basque Roads, where it was attacked in April.
Sources differ One account dates the French sailing and the battle to 23 February in its first line and the attack to 24 February. British histories say all three frigates were destroyed; French histories say they were salvaged but found beyond repair, and another account lists 1 frigate wrecked.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Peninsular War
Battle of Maguelone Convoy battle
25 October 1809 · Off Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, near Sète, France; the convoy was later attacked off Roses
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Cuthbert Collingwood (Britain); François-André Baudin (France)
Forces 15 British ships of the line and 5 frigates against 3 French ships of the line, 2 frigates and several transports
Ships Robuste
Losses France: 2 ships of the line run aground and scuttled; most of the convoy later destroyed and 3 ships captured at Roses.
Result British victory
A French squadron escorting a convoy was chased by British ships and, covering the convoy's retreat, tried to escape through the shallows near Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone. Two French ships of the line ran aground and were stripped of guns and equipment and scuttled by their crews, while the rest reached Toulon. On 1 November a British cutting-out party attacked the convoy off Roses, destroying most of it and taking three ships.
Why it is remembered The loss of the stranded Robuste is shown in a painting by Antoine Roux.
Sources differ One account describes a six-ship British squadron; another account gives 15 ships of the line and 5 frigates.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: François Geoffroi Roux, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Piracy in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 Raid
September to December 1809 · Strait of Hormuz and Ras Al Khaimah, Persian Gulf
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against the Al Qasimi of Ras Al Khaimah
Commanders John Wainwright, Lionel Smith (Britain); Hassan bin Rahma, Hassan bin Ali (Al Qasimi)
Forces A Royal Navy and East India Company squadron led by the frigate HMS Chiffonne, with troops from Bombay, against about 2,000 Al Qasimi
Ships HMS Chiffonne, Minerva
Losses Britain: at Ras Al Khaimah 5 killed and 34 wounded; in later operations 70 killed and wounded. Al Qasimi: at Ras Al Khaimah 50 vessels burned; in later operations 50 killed and 31 vessels burned.
Result British victory, with limited lasting effect
After attacks on British shipping increased, a joint Royal Navy and East India Company force under Captain John Wainwright was sent against the Al Qasimi. It destroyed three Al Qasimi bases and over 80 vessels, among them the largest Al Qasimi ship, the converted merchantman Minerva, and attacked Ras Al Khaimah and the fort of Luft. The British re-embarked without consolidating their gains, and many vessels escaped into uncharted inlets.
Why it is remembered Attacks resumed by 1811, and Wainwright's reports on the poor charts led to better British surveys of the Gulf.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John Heaviside Clark / After Richard Temple, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Fifth Coalition
Battle of the Procida Canal Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille navale de Procida; Battaglia del Canale di Procida
26 June 1809 · Channel between Procida and Ischia and the Phlegraean peninsula, entrance to the Gulf of Naples
Fought between Kingdom of Naples (French Empire) against Britain
Commanders Giovanni Caracciolo, Alfonso Sozi Carafa (Naples); George Martin, Thomas Staines, Robert Mitford (Britain)
Forces 47 Neapolitan gunboats, 1 frigate and 1 corvette against 12 British gunboats, 11 frigates, 1 brig and 1 cutter
Losses Naples: 8 gunboats sunk, 5 captured. Britain: 1 brig sunk and 1 other vessel.
Result Neapolitan victory
A Neapolitan flotilla of gunboats with a frigate and a corvette fought a British force in the Procida channel at the northern entrance to the Gulf of Naples on 26 June 1809.
Sources differ The French account claims a Neapolitan victory although it gives heavier Neapolitan losses; its figure of 11 British frigates is unconfirmed by any other source opened.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Charles Landseer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Roquebert's expedition to the Caribbean Convoy battle
Also known as Action of 13 December 1809
13 to 18 December 1809 · East of Antigua, and Anse à la Barque, Guadeloupe
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Dominique Roquebert (France); John Shortland (Britain, mortally wounded), Volant Vashon Ballard, Samuel James Ballard (Britain)
Forces 2 French 40-gun frigates and 2 20-gun flûtes against HMS Junon and the brig HMS Observateur on 13 December; later a British squadron including the 74-gun HMS Sceptre
Ships Renommée, Clorinde, Loire, Seine, HMS Junon, HMS Observateur, HMS Sceptre
Losses 13 December: France 21 killed, 18 wounded; Britain 20 killed, 40 wounded, Junon destroyed. At Anse à la Barque both French flûtes were destroyed.
Result French victory on 13 December, but the storeships were destroyed and the mission failed
Four French ships carrying supplies and troops for blockaded Guadeloupe were intercepted east of Antigua by the frigate HMS Junon on 13 December; she was overwhelmed and burnt, and her captain mortally wounded. Roquebert took the flûtes Loire and Seine within sight of Guadeloupe and left them, and the brig HMS Observateur raised the alarm. A British squadron drove the flûtes into Anse à la Barque, where, after HMS Sceptre arrived, two frigates attacked them and both surrendered and were destroyed by fire.
Why it is remembered It was the last French attempt to resupply Guadeloupe, which was invaded and taken a month later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: English School, early 19th century, unknown artist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Mauritius campaign of 1809 to 1811)
Raid on Saint-Paul Raid
21 September 1809 · Saint-Paul, Isle Bonaparte (Réunion)
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against France
Commanders Josias Rowley, Henry Sheehy Keating (Britain); Nicolas Ernault des Bruslys (France)
Forces 604 British troops, 1 ship of the line, 3 frigates, 1 sloop and 1 schooner against 1 French frigate, 1 brig, 7 to 8 merchant ships and 5 gun batteries
Ships Caroline
Losses Britain: 15 killed, 58 wounded, 3 missing. France: 1 frigate, 1 brig and 7 to 8 merchant ships captured.
Result British victory
British storming parties took the batteries above Saint-Paul, which let Rowley's squadron sail into the bay and seize the frigate Caroline and the East Indiamen she had captured in May. The British then withdrew under pressure from the island's main garrison, burning warehouses holding over 500,000 pounds of silk taken from British ships.
Why it is remembered It rehearsed the methods used in the invasion of Isle Bonaparte in July 1810. Governor des Bruslys later took his own life. Thomas Whitcombe painted the capture of Saint-Paul in 1812.
Sources differ One account dates the launch of the operation to 20 September 1809; another account gives 21 September.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Piracy in Asia
Battle of the Tiger's Mouth Fleet battle
Also known as Batalha da Boca do Tigre; Battle of Humen
September 1809 to January 1810 · Humen Strait (Boca do Tigre), Pearl River Delta, China
Fought between Portugal against the Guangdong Pirate Confederation
Commanders José Pinto Alcoforado de Azevedo e Sousa (Portugal); Cheung Po Tsai, under Ching Shih (pirates)
Forces 1 Portuguese frigate, 5 brigs and 1 lorcha against 300 to 700 pirate junks
Losses Portugal: light. Pirates: heavy.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese flotilla based at Macau fought a series of engagements in the Humen Strait against the Red Flag Fleet of the pirate leader Ching Shih, commanded by her second in command Cheung Po Tsai. The pirates suffered several defeats between September 1809 and January 1810 and formally surrendered in February 1810.
Why it is remembered After her fleet surrendered, Ching Shih gave herself up to the Guangzhou authorities in return for a general pardon, ending her career as one of the most powerful pirates in history.
Sources differ The pirate fleet is given only as a range of 300 to 700 junks.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810)
Troude's expedition to the Caribbean Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 14 to 17 April 1809
February to July 1809; main action 14 to 17 April 1809 · Îles des Saintes to off Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir Alexander Cochrane (Britain); Amable Troude (France)
Forces 5 British ships of the line, 2 frigates and 1 brig-sloop against 3 French ships of the line and 2 frigates
Ships D'Hautpoul, HMS Recruit, Félicité, Furieuse, HMS Latona, HMS Bonne Citoyenne
Losses Britain: 11 killed, 40 wounded. France: 80 to 90 killed or wounded, D'Hautpoul captured; later the frigates Félicité and Furieuse also captured.
Result British victory
Troude's squadron left Lorient in February 1809 to relieve Martinique, arrived too late and was blockaded in the Îles des Saintes, where British troops landed and set up mortar batteries. Breaking out on the night of 14 April, the French were spotted, and the brig HMS Recruit hung on to the rearmost ship of the line D'Hautpoul until the British squadron overwhelmed her in a three day running fight that ended off Puerto Rico. The other two ships of the line reached Cherbourg, but the frigate Félicité surrendered to HMS Latona in June and Furieuse was taken by the smaller HMS Bonne Citoyenne in July.
Why it is remembered Furieuse was taken into the Royal Navy. The chase of D'Hautpoul by Recruit is shown in an engraving by G. W. Terry.
Sources differ One account gives 45 British and nearly 100 French casualties; another account gives 51 British (11 killed, 40 wounded) and 80 to 90 French.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Maurin (Antoine ?), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 15 November 1810 Single-ship action
12 to 16 November 1810 · Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, Baie de la Seine, Normandy
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Pulteney Malcolm (Britain); Bernard-Louis Rosseau, Louis-Henri Fraycinet-Saulce (France)
Forces 2 British ships of the line and 2 frigates against 2 French frigates under shore batteries
Ships HMS Donegal, HMS Revenge, HMS Diana, HMS Niobe, Elisa, Amazone
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 9 wounded. France: 1 killed; Elisa later destroyed.
Result British victory
The frigates Elisa and Amazone left Le Havre to join the squadron at Cherbourg, were chased by HMS Diana and HMS Niobe and anchored under the batteries of La Hougue and Tatihou. On 15 November, with HMS Donegal and HMS Revenge arrived, Malcolm attacked four times under heavy fire and withdrew, then sent boats in at night with the new Congreve rockets; none is recorded as hitting, but both frigates shifted position and grounded. Amazone later escaped to Le Havre, while Elisa was set on fire and destroyed by Diana's boats on 23 December.
Why it is remembered It was an early use of Congreve rockets against ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Stewardson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Mauritius campaign of 1809 to 1811)
Action of 3 July 1810 Convoy battle
3 July 1810 · Off the Comoro Islands, Indian Ocean
Fought between France against the East India Company
Commanders Guy-Victor Duperré (France); Henry Meriton (East India Company)
Forces 2 French frigates and 1 brig against 3 East Indiamen
Ships Windham, Ceylon, Astell
Losses France: 22 killed, 38 wounded. East India Company: 20 killed, 76 wounded, 2 merchant ships captured.
Result French victory
Duperré's frigates attacked a convoy of three East Indiamen near the Comoros. Ceylon and the British flagship Windham held off the French long enough for Astell to escape, then surrendered after both sides had lost 20 or more killed.
Why it is remembered It was the third successful French attack on an Indian Ocean convoy in just over a year, the second capture of Windham, and the last successful attack on a British convoy in the Indian Ocean in the Napoleonic Wars.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 3 May 1810 Single-ship action
3 May 1810 · Bay of Naples
Fought between Britain against France and Naples
Commanders Jahleel Brenton, George Willes, George Hoste (Britain); Raffaele de Cosa (Naples)
Forces 1 British frigate against 1 frigate, 1 corvette, 1 brig, 1 cutter and 7 gunboats
Ships HMS Spartan, Sparviere
Losses Britain: 10 killed, 22 wounded. France and Naples: Sparviere captured.
Result British victory
The British frigate HMS Spartan under Jahleel Brenton fought a squadron of eleven French and Neapolitan warships in the Bay of Naples and captured the brig Sparviere.
Why it is remembered Thomas Whitcombe painted the action in 1811.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Peninsular War
Siege of Cádiz Landing or siege
5 February 1810 to 24 August 1812 · Cádiz, Spain
Fought between Spain, Britain and Portugal against France
Commanders Manuel Lapeña, José de Zayas, Duke of Alburquerque (Spain); Thomas Graham (Britain); Claude Victor-Perrin, Jean-de-Dieu Soult (France)
Forces 17,000 to 18,000 Spanish, 3,000 to 4,000 British and 1,700 Portuguese troops with 16 warships against 60,000 to 70,000 French troops and 30 to 35 warships
Losses Allies: 896 dead, 3,706 wounded. France: 4,500 to 5,500 dead or wounded, 30 vessels destroyed.
Result Coalition victory
After taking Seville, French armies under Victor and Soult besieged the naval base of Cádiz, seat of the Spanish government, for two and a half years, bombarding the city. Relief attempts by sea failed at Fuengirola in 1810 and, from Tarifa in 1811, won the Battle of Barrosa without lifting the siege. The French withdrew from Andalusia after their defeat at Salamanca in 1812.
Why it is remembered During the siege the Cortes of Cádiz drew up a new, liberal constitution, and the city's survival kept the Spanish government alive.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carlos Múgica y Pérez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Mauritius campaign of 1809 to 1811)
Battle of Grand Port Fleet battle
20 to 27 August 1810 · Grand Port, Isle de France (Mauritius)
Fought between France against Britain
Commanders Guy-Victor Duperré (wounded), Jacques Hamelin (France); Samuel Pym (Britain)
Forces 5 French frigates, 1 corvette, 1 brig and 2 merchant ships against 4 British frigates and 1 troopship
Ships HMS Sirius, HMS Iphigenia, HMS Néréide, HMS Magicienne, Bellone, Minerve, Victor, Ceylon, Windham, Vénus, Manche, Astrée, Entreprenant
Losses France: 37 killed, 112 wounded, 1 merchant ship captured. Britain: 105 killed, 163 wounded, 2 frigates scuttled, 2 frigates and 1 troopship captured.
Result French victory
Pym's frigates seized the Île de la Passe at the entrance to Grand Port, but Duperré's squadron forced its way past into the anchorage, which could only be reached through narrow channels between reefs. When Pym attacked on 22 and 23 August, Sirius and Magicienne grounded and were later burnt to avoid capture, Néréide was battered into surrender by Bellone, and Iphigenia could not get within effective range. Iphigenia was taken as she tried to leave by Hamelin's squadron arriving from Port Napoleon.
Why it is remembered It was one of the worst British naval defeats of the Napoleonic Wars and is the only naval battle commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe. A monument to the British and French sailors killed was erected at Grand Port in 1899.
Sources differ French losses are given as 37 killed in one account and 36 in another account; British wounded as 163 in the order of battle and 168 in the aftermath section. Iphigenia's surrender is dated 27 August in one place and 28 August in another.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Caribbean campaign of 1803 to 1810)
Invasion of Guadeloupe (1810) Landing or siege
28 January to 6 February 1810 · Guadeloupe, French West Indies
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir Alexander Cochrane (Britain); Jean Augustin Ernouf (France)
Forces 6,700 British troops and 3 ships of the line against 3,000 to 4,000 French troops
Losses Britain: 52 killed, 250 wounded, 7 missing. France: 500 to 600 killed or wounded, 2,500 to 3,500 captured.
Result British victory
A British expedition landed on opposite sides of Guadeloupe on 28 January 1810 and found that much of the militia had deserted. The troops pushed quickly inland until they met strong resistance on the Beaupère to St. Louis ridge outside Basse-Terre, where the French were beaten on 3 February. Ernouf opened surrender talks the next day.
Why it is remembered Guadeloupe was the last French colony in the Americas, and its capture completed the British conquest of the French Caribbean.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Henry Brooke, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Mauritius campaign of 1809 to 1811)
Invasion of Isle Bonaparte Landing or siege
Also known as Prise de l'île Bonaparte
7 to 9 July 1810 · Isle Bonaparte (Réunion), Mascarene Islands
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against France
Commanders Josias Rowley, Henry Sheehy Keating (Britain); Chrysostôme de Sainte-Suzanne (France)
Forces 3,650 British regulars and 5 frigates against 576 French regulars and 2,717 militia
Losses Britain: 22 killed, 79 wounded. France: unknown.
Result British victory; British occupation of Isle Bonaparte
Using Rodrigues as a base, Rowley and Keating landed two forces of sailors, soldiers, sepoys and Royal Marines on beaches either side of the capital, Saint-Denis, on 7 July 1810. Several men drowned in the heavy surf, but most got ashore and marched inland, attacking French outposts. Seeing that his demoralised garrison could not hold Saint-Denis before the militia mustered, Colonel Sainte-Suzanne surrendered the island.
Why it is remembered It took away one of the two bases of Hamelin's frigate squadron and prepared the way for the invasion of Isle de France.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Mauritius campaign of 1809 to 1811)
Invasion of Isle de France Landing or siege
Also known as Invasion of Mauritius
29 November to 3 December 1810 · Grand Baie and Port Napoleon, Isle de France (Mauritius)
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against France
Commanders Albemarle Bertie, John Abercromby (Britain); Charles Decaen, Edmé-Martin Vandermaesen, Jean Dornal de Guy (France)
Forces 6,848 British regulars and sailors with 1 ship of the line, 12 frigates, 9 brigs, 5 smaller warships and 50 troopships against 1,300 French regulars, 10,000 militia, 6 frigates, 1 corvette, 1 brig and 2 avisos
Losses Britain: 28 killed, 94 wounded, 45 missing, 3 brigs sunk. France: casualties unknown; 6 frigates, 1 corvette, 1 brig and 2 avisos captured, with 209 heavy guns.
Result British victory; British occupation of Isle de France
After Hamelin's capture in September 1810, Rowley built up his forces and Admiral Bertie led a large expedition that landed at Grand Baie. The troops marched inland against weak opposition and won a series of small engagements before Governor Decaen surrendered Port Napoleon and the island.
Why it is remembered It removed the last French territory in the Indian Ocean. Britain kept the island as Mauritius, which remained British until 1968.
Sources differ One account says five French frigates were captured; another account gives six.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Battle of Silda Single-ship action
Also known as Affæren ved Silden; Affæren ved Stadt
23 July 1810 · Near the island of Silda, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
Fought between Britain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Richard Byron (Britain); Gabriel Heiberg (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 2 British frigates against 2 Dano-Norwegian schooners and 1 gunboat
Ships HMS Belvidera
Losses Britain: unknown. Denmark-Norway: 4 killed, 1 schooner captured, 1 gunboat scuttled.
Result British victory
Two British frigates, one of them HMS Belvidera, attacked Dano-Norwegian gunboats near Silda and captured or destroyed several of them.
Sources differ One account says three or four gunboats were captured or destroyed; another account lists 2 schooners and 1 gunboat engaged, with 1 schooner captured and 1 gunboat scuttled. The Dano-Norwegian and British accounts of the battle differ.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 24 March 1811 Single-ship action
24 to 25 March 1811 · Near the Gatteville lighthouse, Cape Barfleur, Normandy
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders James Macnamara (Britain); Bernard-Louis Rosseau (France)
Forces 1 British ship of the line, 2 frigates and 2 brig-sloops against 1 French frigate
Ships HMS Berwick, HMS Amelia, HMS Niobe, HMS Goshawk, HMS Hawk, Amazone
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 1 wounded. France: Amazone destroyed.
Result British victory
The frigate Amazone left Le Havre on the evening of 23 March for Cherbourg and was sighted at dawn rounding Cape Barfleur by HMS Berwick, which chased her into a bay west of the Gatteville lighthouse. Berwick and the smaller ships could not get close through the rocks and shoals, and the British planned a boat attack overnight. Next day Captain Rosseau set his ship on fire to prevent her capture.
Why it is remembered It ended the career of the last of the two Le Havre frigates whose sister Elisa had been destroyed at La Hougue in 1810.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John Christian Schetky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Adriatic campaign of 1807 to 1814)
Action of 29 November 1811 Convoy battle
Also known as Combat de Pelagosa; Battle of Pelagosa
29 November 1811 · Off Lissa (Vis), Adriatic Sea
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Murray Maxwell, James Alexander Gordon (Britain); François Montfort (France)
Forces 3 British frigates and 1 sloop against 2 French frigates and 1 storeship carrying cannon from Corfu to Trieste
Ships HMS Alceste, HMS Active, HMS Unite, HMS Kingfisher, Pomone, Persanne, Pauline
Losses Britain: 18 killed, 43 wounded. France: 100 killed or wounded, 300 captured, Pomone and Persanne captured.
Result British victory
Maxwell's frigates intercepted a French convoy carrying cannon from Corfu to Trieste. HMS Alceste and HMS Active engaged the frigate Pomone, which surrendered, Gordon of Active losing a leg, while HMS Unite chased and took the storeship Persanne. The frigate Pauline escaped badly damaged to Ancona.
Why it is remembered It was the first squadron action in the Adriatic since Lissa, and it has been suggested that it helped turn Napoleon's plans for 1812 from the Balkans towards Russia. The fight is shown in an 1837 painting by Pierre-Julien Gilbert.
Sources differ French casualties are given as 100 killed or wounded in one account and as at least 50 in the order of battle; the figure of 300 captured is not supported by another account. Accounts differ on whether Persanne suffered any casualties.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (invasion of Java)
Action of 31 July 1811 Raid
31 July 1811 · Mouth of the Indramayo river, Java
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Robert Maunsell (Britain)
Forces The boats of the British sloop Procris, with 2 flat boats, against 6 French gunboats escorting a convoy of 40 or 50 proas
Ships HMS Procris
Losses Britain: 11 wounded. France: 5 gunboats captured, 1 blown up.
Result British victory
Commander Maunsell of the sloop Procris found a convoy of 40 or 50 proas escorted by six French gunboats at the mouth of the Indramayo. His boats boarded and took five gunboats in quick succession and the sixth blew up, but the convoy escaped up the shallow, muddy river.
Why it is remembered The boat action is the subject of a painting by William John Huggins.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William John Huggins, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Battle of Anholt Landing or siege
27 March 1811 · Anholt island, Kattegat, Denmark
Fought between Britain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders James Wilkes Maurice (Britain); Jørgen Conrad de Falsen (captured), Ketil Melstedt (killed) (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 381 British marines and seamen, 1 frigate, 1 schooner and 1 brig-sloop against 1,000 Dano-Norwegian troops, 18 gunboats and 2 troopships
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 30 wounded. Denmark-Norway: 54 killed, 639 captured, 2 gunboats and 2 troopships captured.
Result British victory
Britain had held Anholt since 1809, using it in place of the lighthouse the Danes had closed. In March 1811 a Dano-Norwegian force landed from gunboats to retake it, but poor planning and supply failures left it badly beaten by Maurice's small garrison of marines and seamen.
Why it is remembered The victory won the Royal Marines many supporters among senior naval officers. Britain held Anholt until the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, and a monument to the battle stands in the island's village.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 25 to 27 March 1811; another account gives 27 March 1811.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Battle of Grimstad Bay Raid
Also known as Bataljen på Grimstad havn
16 March 1811 · Grimstad harbour, southern Norway
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Britain
Forces Norwegian volunteers with small cannon against the boats of 1 British frigate
Ships Frau Maria
Losses Britain: several killed or wounded. Denmark-Norway: unknown.
Result Norwegian victory
Boats from a British frigate enforcing the blockade of Norway rowed into Grimstad and seized the ship Frau Maria as a prize, taking her into the Vikkilen inlet. Townspeople fired on them with small cannon set up on the wharves and on Biodden.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815
Battle of Khakeekera Fleet battle
Also known as Maarakat Khakeekera
March 1811 · Al Khuwayr, north west of Qatar, Persian Gulf
Fought between Bahrain and Kuwait against the Emirate of Diriyah (First Saudi State)
Commanders Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa (Bahrain); Jaber I Al-Sabah (Kuwait); Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalhami, Ibn Ufaysan (Diriyah)
Forces 200 Bahraini and Kuwaiti ships against 60 ships of Diriyah
Losses Bahrain and Kuwait: 1,000 dead. Diriyah: 300 dead.
Result Bahraini and Kuwaiti victory
The combined fleets of Bahrain and Kuwait fought the forces of the First Saudi State, led by Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalhami, ruler of Dammam and some villages in Qatar, off the north west coast of Qatar. The battle ended in a Bahraini victory.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Adriatic campaign of 1807 to 1814)
Battle of Lissa (1811) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Vis; Bataille de Lissa; Battaglia di Lissa; Viška bitka
13 March 1811 · Off the island of Vis (Lissa), Adriatic Sea
Fought between Britain against France and the Kingdom of Italy
Commanders William Hoste (Britain); Bernard Dubourdieu (France, killed)
Forces 3 British frigates and 1 post ship against 6 French and Italian frigates, 1 brig, 2 schooners, 1 xebec and 2 gunboats carrying a battalion of Italian troops
Ships HMS Amphion, HMS Active, HMS Volage, HMS Cerberus, Favorite, Corona, Bellona, Flore, Danaé, Carolina
Losses Britain: 45 killed, 145 wounded. France and Italy: about 700 killed, wounded or captured; Favorite destroyed, Corona and Bellona captured.
Result British victory
Dubourdieu brought a dozen ships and Italian troops to seize Vis, the base from which Hoste's squadron was disrupting French shipping. As the enemy bore down, Hoste hoisted the signal “Remember Nelson”, then manoeuvred to drive the flagship Favorite ashore, where she was destroyed and Dubourdieu killed. Corona and Bellona were captured; Flore struck but sailed away, and the rest scattered to Lesina.
Why it is remembered It has been called one of the most brilliant naval achievements of the war, won against a much larger force. The captains received a commemorative medal, and a Lissa clasp was added to the Naval General Service Medal in 1849.
Sources differ British losses of 45 killed and 145 wounded exclude five men killed fighting the fire aboard Corona. French and Italian losses are an estimate of no less than 700, the precise figure being unknown.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Events leading to the War of 1812
Little Belt affair Single-ship action
16 May 1811 · Off North Carolina, Atlantic coast of the United States
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders John Rodgers (United States); Arthur Bingham (Britain)
Forces 1 American frigate of 56 guns against 1 British sloop of 20 guns
Ships USS President, HMS Little Belt
Losses Britain: 11 killed, 21 wounded, Little Belt badly damaged. United States: 1 wounded, President slightly damaged.
Result American victory
On the night of 16 May 1811 the frigate USS President chased the British sloop HMS Little Belt off North Carolina. After an exchange of fire Little Belt was badly damaged with 32 casualties.
Why it is remembered It was one of the incidents that led to the War of 1812.
Sources differ One account says President lost one man; another account gives 1 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Argentine War of Independence
Battle of San Nicolás Fleet battle
2 March 1811 · Paraná River, near San Nicolás, Argentina
Fought between Spanish royalists of Montevideo against the revolutionary government of Buenos Aires
Commanders Jacinto Romarate (royalists); Juan Bautista Azopardo (Buenos Aires)
Forces 7 royalist ships against 3 revolutionary ships
Losses Buenos Aires: all 3 ships captured. Royalists: unknown.
Result Royalist victory
A royalist flotilla from Montevideo attacked the first flotilla raised by the revolutionary government of Buenos Aires on the Paraná River and captured all three of its ships.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval engagement between the two sides in the Río de la Plata region after the revolution.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Mauritius campaign of 1809 to 1811)
Battle of Tamatave Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Madagascar; Action of 20 May 1811
20 May 1811 · Off Tamatave, Madagascar
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Charles Marsh Schomberg (Britain); Dominique Roquebert (France, killed)
Forces 3 British frigates and 1 brig-sloop against 3 French frigates
Ships Renommée, Clorinde, Néréide
Losses Britain: 25 killed, 86 wounded. France: 156 killed or wounded, Renommée captured; Néréide surrendered five days later.
Result British victory
Roquebert's frigates, sent from Brest with troops and supplies before news arrived that Isle de France had fallen, found the island in British hands and escaped a trap. Schomberg's squadron caught them off Tamatave on 20 May, and in light winds the French at first did severe damage to the disorganised British ships. When the breeze rose Schomberg pressed his attack, and Roquebert sacrificed his flagship Renommée and his own life so that Clorinde and the damaged Néréide could escape; Néréide was found at Tamatave five days later and surrendered.
Why it is remembered It was the last action of the Mauritius campaign and confirmed British command of the seas east of the Cape for the rest of the war. Thomas Whitcombe illustrated the night action in 1820.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Peninsular War
Siege of Tarragona (1811) Landing or siege
5 May to 29 June 1811 · Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
Fought between France against Spain and Britain
Commanders Louis Gabriel Suchet (France); Juan Senen de Contreras (Spain); Edward Codrington (Britain)
Forces 18,000 French troops against 18,000 Spanish troops supported by a British naval squadron
Losses France: 4,300. Spain: 18,000, nearly all the defenders killed or captured.
Result French victory
Suchet's Army of Aragon besieged the Spanish garrison of the port of Tarragona. Codrington's British squadron fired on the French siege works and brought large numbers of reinforcements into the city by sea. Suchet's troops nevertheless stormed the defences and killed or captured almost all the defenders.
Why it is remembered The capture is shown in an 1836 painting by Jean-Charles-Joseph Rémond.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jean-Charles-Joseph Rémond, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Maritime fur trade
Battle of Woody Point Other action
Also known as Destruction of the Tonquin
15 to 16 June 1811 · Clayoquot Sound, off Woody Point, Vancouver Island, Canada
Fought between Tla-o-qui-aht (Nuu-chah-nulth) against the Pacific Fur Company
Commanders Jonathan Thorn (Pacific Fur Company, killed)
Forces 1 American barque with 23 men and 10 cannon against Tla-o-qui-aht in 2 war canoes
Ships Tonquin
Losses Pacific Fur Company: 29 killed, the ship destroyed. Tla-o-qui-aht: about 200 killed or wounded.
Result Ship destroyed
The Tonquin, a merchant ship of the Astor Expedition, came to Clayoquot Sound to trade for furs. After an argument during the bartering, the Tla-o-qui-aht boarded and captured the ship and killed most of the crew. One remaining sailor then blew her up by firing the powder magazine.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars
Action of 22 May 1812 Single-ship action
22 May 1812 · Off Groix, near Lorient, Brittany
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Henry Hotham, John Weeks (Britain); Jean-Baptiste-Henri Féretier, Nicolas Morice (France)
Forces 1 British 74-gun ship of the line and 1 brig against 2 French frigates and 1 brig
Ships HMS Northumberland, Ariane, Andromaque, Mameluck
Losses Britain: 33 killed and wounded. France: killed and wounded unknown, Ariane and Andromaque destroyed.
Result British victory
Returning from a raiding cruise in the Atlantic, the frigates Ariane and Andromaque and the brig Mameluck tried to slip into Lorient past HMS Northumberland. After an exchange of fire that damaged every ship, the frigates tried to lose her through a shallow pass and ran aground. Northumberland repaired her damage, came back and set Andromaque ablaze, and Ariane's crew burnt her and escaped in Mameluck.
Why it is remembered Féretier and Morice were found guilty of negligence and barred from command for three years. Thomas Whitcombe painted the destruction of the frigates in 1816.
Sources differ One account places the action off Groix; another account gives off Penmarch.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Whitcombe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Argentine War of Independence
Combat of the Paraná River (1812) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Combate del río Paraná
4 August 1812 · Near La Bajada (present-day Paraná), Entre Ríos, Argentina
Fought between United Provinces of the Río de la Plata against Spanish royalist privateers from Montevideo
Forces An embarked detachment of the Regimiento de Patricios against royalist privateers
Result Victory for the United Provinces; captured Paraguayan vessels recovered
Royalist privateers from Montevideo who had seized Paraguayan vessels were attacked near La Bajada by a detachment of the Regimiento de Patricios embarked in boats. The patriot force recovered the captured Paraguayan vessels.
Why it is remembered It was one of the defensive actions of the riverside towns of the Argentine Litoral against royalist privateers.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
First Battle of Sacket's Harbor Raid
Also known as First Battle of Sackett's Harbor
19 July 1812 · Sackets Harbor, New York, Lake Ontario
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders Hugh Earl (Britain); Melancthon Woolsey (United States)
Forces 2 British sloops of war, 1 brig and 2 schooners against a shore battery, regular troops, artillery, 3,000 militia and 1 brig
Losses Britain: 8 killed, 1 sloop of war badly damaged, unknown damage to other ships. United States: none.
Result American victory
A British squadron on Lake Ontario attacked the village of Sackets Harbor and its shipbuilding yard. The American defenders, with a shore battery and a brig, drove the squadron off.
Why it is remembered It was the first engagement between American and British forces in the war. The yard it protected built 12 warships during the conflict.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Irwin John David Bevan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of HMS Caledonia and HMS Detroit Raid
9 October 1812 · Near Fort Erie, Upper Canada (Ontario), Niagara River
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Jesse D. Elliott (United States); Frédérick Rolette (Britain)
Forces 100 American sailors and soldiers against 66 men in 2 brigs
Ships Caledonia, Detroit
Losses United States: 6 killed, 9 wounded. Britain: 2 killed, 5 wounded, 64 captured, 1 brig captured, 1 brig destroyed.
Result American victory
One hundred American sailors and soldiers crossed the Niagara River at night to two British brigs anchored near Fort Erie. They stormed the decks and took both vessels and their cargo. One brig was kept and the other destroyed.
Why it is remembered A successful boarding raid early in the war on the lakes frontier.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown engraver (The Port Folio, December 1814), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of HMS Frolic Single-ship action
Also known as USS Wasp vs HMS Frolic
18 October 1812 · Atlantic Ocean
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Jacob Jones (United States); Thomas Whinyates (Britain, wounded)
Forces 1 American 18-gun sloop with 135 men against 1 British 18-gun brig-sloop with 110 men
Ships USS Wasp, HMS Frolic
Losses United States: 3 killed, 8 wounded, Wasp damaged. Britain: 30 killed, over 60 wounded, Frolic severely damaged and captured.
Result American victory, though both ships were then taken by a British ship of the line
The sloop USS Wasp fought and captured the brig-sloop HMS Frolic in the Atlantic. Shortly afterwards a British ship of the line came upon the scene and captured both ships.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Colombian War of Independence
Battle of Iscuandé Fleet battle
28 to 29 January 1812 · Iscuandé river, Popayán Province, New Granada (now Nariño Department, Colombia)
Fought between Confederated Cities of the Cauca Valley against Spain
Commanders José Ignacio Rodríguez (Patriots); Miguel Tacón y Rosique (Spain)
Forces Some small boats and 190 troops against 1 brigantine, 1 gunboat, several smaller vessels and 200 troops
Losses Patriots: 12 killed, 15 wounded. Spain: 80 killed, wounded or captured.
Result Patriot victory
Patriot forces in small boats fought a Spanish force with a brigantine, a gunboat and smaller craft on the Iscuandé river over two days. The patriots won.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval engagement of the Colombian War of Independence and led to the freeing of the Colombian Pacific coast from Spanish control. A bicentennial plaque in Santiago de Cali commemorates it.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Kingston Harbour Fleet battle
10 November 1812 · Kingston Harbour, Kingston, Upper Canada, Lake Ontario
Fought between United States against Britain and Upper Canada
Commanders Isaac Chauncey (United States); Hugh Earle and John Vincent (Britain)
Forces American: USS Oneida and the schooners Pert, Growler, Julia, Conquest, Hamilton and Governor Tompkins, over 500 men. British: HMS Royal George with regulars, Royal Newfoundland Fencibles and Canadian militia, over 1,000 men.
Ships USS Oneida, USS Pert, USS Growler, USS Julia, USS Conquest, USS Hamilton, USS Governor Tompkins, HMS Royal George
Losses American: 2 killed, at least 7 wounded. British: 1 killed, at least 8 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Chauncey's American squadron on Lake Ontario attacked British naval forces in Kingston harbour, where Oneida engaged Royal George. British ships, shore batteries and Canadian militia from Kingston defended the harbour.
Why it is remembered It was the only time the British stronghold at Kingston was attacked during the war, and the only time shots were ever fired from Fort Henry.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of La Guaira (1812) Blockade and raiding
11 December 1812 · Off La Guaira, Venezuela
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Charles W. Wooster (United States); Captain Alexander (Britain, killed)
Forces 1 American privateer schooner against 1 British letter of marque brig
Ships Saratoga, Rachel
Losses United States: 2 wounded, schooner damaged. Britain: 3 killed, 1 wounded, 31 captured, brig captured.
Result American victory
The American privateer Saratoga fought and captured the British letter of marque brig Rachel at the Spanish port of La Guaira.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Adam Weingartner, New York, working in 1849 to 1863, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War
Battle of Lyngør Single-ship action
6 July 1812 · Off Lyngør, Skagerrak coast of Norway
Fought between Britain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders James Stewart (Britain); Hans Peter Holm (Denmark-Norway, wounded)
Forces 1 British ship of the line and 3 brig-sloops against 1 Dano-Norwegian frigate and 3 brigs
Ships Najaden
Losses Britain: 9 killed, 26 wounded, 2 missing. Denmark-Norway: 133 killed, 88 wounded, Najaden destroyed.
Result British victory
A British squadron of one ship of the line and three brig-sloops found the frigate Najaden sheltering off Lyngør and destroyed her in a fierce engagement.
Why it is remembered Najaden was the last major warship of Denmark-Norway.
Sources differ One account gives Dano-Norwegian wounded as 87; another account gives 88.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Adriatic campaign of 1807 to 1814)
Battle of Pirano Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Grado
22 February 1812 · Off Pirano and Grado, northern Adriatic
Fought between Britain against France and Italy
Commanders John Talbot (Britain); Jean-Baptiste Barré (France)
Forces 1 British ship of the line and 1 brig-sloop against 1 French ship of the line, 3 brigs and 2 gunboats
Ships HMS Victorious, Rivoli
Losses Britain: 26 killed, 99 wounded. France and Italy: 400 killed or wounded, Rivoli captured, 1 brig destroyed.
Result British victory
The new ship of the line Rivoli, just completed at Venice, was meant to restore French strength in the Adriatic. HMS Victorious blockaded Venice, and when Rivoli slipped out under cover of fog on her maiden voyage Talbot chased her and forced her to surrender after a five hour fight in which more than half her crew were killed or wounded.
Why it is remembered It ended French hopes of challenging British control of the Adriatic. Thomas Luny painted the action.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Gunboat War (Napoleonic Wars)
Battle of Tromsø Raid
Also known as Battle of Pølsehavna
2 August 1812 · Off Tromsø, northern Norway
Fought between Britain against Denmark and Norway
Commanders Lord George Stuart (Britain); Hans Carl Bodenhoff (Denmark and Norway)
Forces The 38-gun frigate HMS Horatio and a cutting out party of 80 men against the 4-gun cutter No. 97 and the 6-gun schooner No. 114
Ships HMS Horatio, cutter No. 97, schooner No. 114
Losses Britain: 9 killed, 16 wounded. Denmark and Norway: 5 to 10 killed, 13 wounded, cutter and schooner captured.
Result British victory
The cutter No. 97 fired on HMS Horatio and fled to Tromsø once she recognised the frigate. The next day Stuart sent 80 men in boats to cut out No. 97 and the schooner No. 114 under Bodenhoff. Both were taken, with an American prize in the harbour, but British losses were heavy and Stuart returned to England.
Why it is remembered It was the last British engagement in Norwegian waters in the Gunboat War and helped lead the Admiralty to forbid risky attacks on foreign coasts. Bodenhoff became known as the lion of Tromsø.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere Single-ship action
19 August 1812 · About 400 miles south east of Halifax, Nova Scotia
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Isaac Hull (United States); James Richard Dacres (Britain)
Forces 1 American 44-gun frigate mounting 56 guns with 480 men against 1 British 38-gun frigate mounting 44 guns with 272 men
Ships USS Constitution, HMS Guerriere
Losses United States: 7 killed, 7 wounded. Britain: 15 killed, 78 wounded, 257 captured, Guerriere destroyed.
Result American victory
HMS Guerriere, sailing to Halifax for a refit, met USS Constitution a month after the war's first engagement. In an exchange of broadsides Guerriere's masts were brought down and she was left sinking. Constitution's crew took off the British sailors, set Guerriere on fire and returned to Boston.
Why it is remembered The victory was an important boost to American morale. During the battle a British shot is said to have bounced off Constitution's side, prompting a sailor to shout that her sides were made of iron. Thomas Birch painted the engagement.
Sources differ One account gives Guerriere's broadside as 526 lb; another account's comparison table gives 528 lb.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
USS Essex vs HMS Alert Single-ship action
13 August 1812 · Atlantic Ocean
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders David Porter (United States); T. L. P. Laugharne (Britain)
Forces The frigate USS Essex against the 20-gun sloop HMS Alert
Ships USS Essex, HMS Alert
Losses United States: none. Britain: Alert and her cargo captured.
Result American victory
Porter kept his gunports closed so that Laugharne took Essex for a merchantman and brought Alert within pistol shot. Essex then ran out her carronades and fired a single broadside. The fight lasted about eight minutes before Alert surrendered.
Why it is remembered Alert was the first American capture of the war. Porter allowed Laugharne to take her to Newfoundland to land his crew before she was handed over at New York, and she stayed in United States service until 1829.
Sources differ One account calls Essex a 32-gun frigate; another account calls her a 36-gun frigate.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
USS United States vs HMS Macedonian Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of HMS Macedonian
25 October 1812 · Atlantic Ocean, near Madeira
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Stephen Decatur (United States); John Surman Carden (Britain)
Forces The 44-gun heavy frigate USS United States with 428 sailors and marines against the 38-gun frigate HMS Macedonian with 301
Ships USS United States, HMS Macedonian
Losses United States: 7 killed, 5 wounded. Britain: 43 killed, 71 wounded, Macedonian captured.
Result American victory
The heavy frigate United States under Decatur met the frigate Macedonian near Madeira. After a long and bloody action Carden surrendered, and the Americans brought Macedonian back to the United States.
Why it is remembered Macedonian was the first British warship ever brought into an American harbour. Thomas Birch painted the engagement in 1813.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (War of the Sixth Coalition)
Action of 5 November 1813 Fleet battle
5 November 1813 · Off Toulon, France
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Edward Pellew (Britain); Julien Cosmao-Kerjulien, under Maxime Julien Émeriau de Beauverger (France)
Forces 5 British ships of the line and 4 frigates against 13 French ships of the line and 1 brig
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 14 wounded. France: 17 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A French fleet left Toulon for exercises while the British blockading force was away. Returning when the wind changed, its rear was attacked by the British inshore squadron, later joined by ships from the main fleet. After an exchange of fire the French reached Toulon.
Why it is remembered A brief clash during the long British blockade of Toulon, painted in 1830.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Adriatic campaign)
Siege of Cattaro Landing or siege
14 October 1813 to 3 January 1814 · Cattaro (now Kotor, Montenegro), Illyrian Provinces
Fought between Britain, Montenegro and Sicily against France
Commanders William Hoste, Petar I Petrović-Njegoš (Britain and Montenegro); Jean-Joseph Gauthier (France)
Forces 800 men, 1 frigate, 1 brig and 3 gunboats against a garrison of 600
Losses Britain and allies: 20 killed and wounded. France: 600 captured.
Result Anglo-Montenegrin victory
A Royal Navy detachment under Captain William Hoste and Montenegrin forces besieged the French garrison of the mountain fortress of Cattaro. The French surrendered on 3 January 1814.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Action off Charles Island Blockade and raiding
14 July 1813 · Off Banks' Bay, Charles Island, Galapagos Islands
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders David Porter (United States); William Stavers (Britain)
Forces 1 American frigate and 2 sloops of war against 3 armed British whaling brigs
Losses United States: none. Britain: 89 men captured (48 paroled after the battle), 3 brigs captured.
Result American victory
An American squadron of three vessels under David Porter attacked three British armed whalers off Charles Island and captured them.
Why it is remembered One of the few actions of the war in the Pacific. It involved Marine Lieutenant John M. Gamble, the first United States Marine to command an American warship.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Craney Island Landing or siege
22 June 1813 · Craney Island, near Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders George Cockburn, John Borlase Warren (Britain); Robert B. Taylor (United States)
Forces British: 2,500 infantry and marines and a company of French Royalists. American: 596 infantry, marines and sailors with 91 guns.
Losses British: 3 killed, 16 wounded, 62 missing. American: none.
Result American victory
British forces under Cockburn and Warren attempted an amphibious landing on Craney Island and were repulsed by the American defenders under Robert B. Taylor.
Why it is remembered The defence kept Norfolk and Portsmouth, two major hubs of American commerce, from British attack.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Argentine War of Independence
Battle of El Bellaco stream Raid
Also known as Combate de arroyo El Bellaco
14 January 1813 · Mouth of the El Bellaco stream on the Uruguay River, near Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos, Argentina
Fought between United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (local militia) against Spanish royalists from Montevideo
Commanders José Ignacio González, Gregorio Samaniego, José Santos Lima (Patriots); royalist commander not named
Forces About 30 militia, later joined by Samaniego's men and 25 militia from Gualeguay, against armed royalist sailing vessels
Ships Nuestra Señora del Rosario
Losses Royalists: 4 killed, 3 wounded, 21 prisoners, 2 missing, 3 vessels captured. Patriots: none.
Result Patriot victory
Royalist armed vessels from Montevideo were raiding the river settlements, and two anchored in the stream to load charcoal. Militia from Gualeguaychú and Gualeguay gathered and made a surprise attack, boarding three armed sailing vessels including the schooner Nuestra Señora del Rosario.
Why it is remembered One of the local militia actions that defended the river towns of Entre Ríos. A captured flag was placed as a trophy in the church of San Antonio in Gualeguay.
Sources differ One account lists 2 royalists missing; another account says two men jumped into the river and escaped.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Raid on Havre de Grace Landing or siege
3 May 1813 · Havre de Grace, Maryland, at the mouth of the Susquehanna River
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders George Cockburn, John Lawrence, George Augustus Westphal (Britain); John O'Neill (United States)
Forces 150 Royal Marines, Royal Artillery and seamen from a Royal Navy squadron against fewer than 40 Maryland militiamen
Losses Britain: 1 wounded. United States: 1 killed.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy squadron under Rear Admiral Cockburn attacked Havre de Grace from the water. The landing party routed the defenders, sacked and burnt several buildings and withdrew.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of HMS Boxer Single-ship action
Also known as Enterprise and Boxer
5 September 1813 · Off Pemaquid Point, near Bristol, Maine
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders William Burrows (United States); Samuel Blyth (Britain)
Forces The brig USS Enterprise against the gun-brig HMS Boxer
Ships USS Enterprise, HMS Boxer
Losses United States: Enterprise damaged; Burrows killed. Britain: Boxer captured; Blyth killed.
Result American victory
The American brig Enterprise, built as a schooner in Maryland in 1799 and rebuilt as a brig, met the British gun-brig Boxer off the coast of Maine. Enterprise defeated and captured her, and both commanders were killed.
Why it is remembered Boxer was auctioned for $9,775 for her captors and became a local merchantman. Enterprise was wrecked in the West Indies in 1823, but her name passed to later United States Navy ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Irwin John David Bevan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of HMS Dominica Single-ship action
5 August 1813 · Off Bermuda, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between United States (privateer) against Britain
Commanders Dominique Diron (privateer Decatur); George Wilmot Barette (Britain)
Forces The American privateer schooner Decatur against the Royal Navy schooner HMS Dominica, which was escorting a merchant ship
Ships Decatur, HMS Dominica
Losses Decatur: 5 killed, 15 wounded, ship damaged. Dominica: 18 killed (Barette among them), 70 captured including 42 wounded, ship captured.
Result American victory
The privateer Decatur engaged the schooner Dominica while she was escorting a merchant ship off Bermuda. After a long and hard fight Dominica was captured.
Why it is remembered A notable single-ship action of the war, in which a privateer took a Royal Navy warship.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Adam Weingartner (New York), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Action off James Island Blockade and raiding
28 May 1813 · Off James Island, Galapagos Islands
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders John Downes (United States)
Forces 1 American warship against 3 British whaling brigs
Losses United States: none. Britain: 2 killed, 6 wounded, 75 captured (freed after the battle), 3 brigs captured.
Result American victory
An American warship captured three British whalers off James Island. Only one of the whalers resisted, giving a brief single-ship action.
Why it is remembered One of the few actions of the war fought in the Pacific. The British later recovered all three whalers.
Sources differ One account calls the American ship a frigate; another account calls her a sloop.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Lake Erie Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Put-in-Bay
10 September 1813 · Lake Erie, near Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Oliver Hazard Perry, Jesse Elliott (United States); Robert Heriot Barclay, Robert Finnis (Britain)
Forces 9 American vessels (3 brigs, 5 schooners, 1 sloop) against 6 British vessels (3 sloops, 1 brig, 2 schooners)
Ships Lawrence, Niagara, Caledonia, Scorpion, Ariel, Somers, Porcupine, Tigress, Trippe, Detroit, Queen Charlotte, General Hunter, Lady Prevost, Little Belt, Chippeway
Losses United States: 27 killed, 96 wounded. Britain: 41 killed, 93 wounded, 306 captured, all 6 vessels captured; Finnis killed.
Result American victory
Perry's flagship Lawrence was reduced to a wreck and struck her colours after he had been rowed half a mile under fire to the brig Niagara. From Niagara he renewed the action, and all six British vessels were captured. Perry reported to General Harrison: “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”
Why it is remembered It gave the Americans control of the lake for the rest of the war, allowing them to retake Detroit and win the Battle of the Thames. Perry's “Don't Give Up the Ship” flag became an icon; the battle is marked by Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay and a monument at Presque Isle, and a reconstructed Niagara is at Erie.
Sources differ Perry's message of victory described the British force inaccurately compared with the actual British order of battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Henry Powell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812 (Chesapeake campaign)
Ocracoke raid Landing or siege
Also known as Attack on the Port of Ocracoke
11 to 16 July 1813 · Portsmouth and Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders George Cockburn (Britain)
Forces Royal Navy force under Rear-Admiral Cockburn
Result British victory
A Royal Navy force under Rear-Admiral George Cockburn made an amphibious attack on Ocracoke and Portsmouth, North Carolina, in support of the blockade of Chesapeake Bay. The raid succeeded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John James Halls, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Argentine War of Independence
Paranacito combat Raid
Also known as Combate del Paranacito (1813)
8 February 1813 · Paranacito river, near its mouth on the Uruguay River, near Villa Paranacito, Entre Ríos, Argentina
Fought between United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (local militia) against Spanish royalists from Montevideo
Commanders Gregorio Samaniego (Patriots); Manuel Moreno, master of the royalist sloop
Forces 20 militiamen and 2 sergeants against the sloop Nuestra Señora del Carmen, armed with a 6-pounder, a swivel gun and a few muskets
Ships Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Losses Royalists: 3 killed, 2 wounded, the rest of the crew captured, sloop captured. Patriot losses not stated.
Result Patriot victory
Royalist armed vessels from Montevideo were raiding the river settlements while most patriot forces were tied down elsewhere. On orders from José Gutiérrez, Captain Samaniego led militia from Gualeguaychú against the royalist sloop Nuestra Señora del Carmen and captured her.
Why it is remembered One of the militia actions that defended the river towns of Entre Ríos against royalist raids.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Rappahannock River Raid
3 April 1813 · Rappahannock River, Virginia
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders James Polkinghorne (Britain); William Stafford (United States)
Forces 17 British armed boats with several hundred men against 4 American privateer schooners
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 11 wounded, 2 armed boats sunk. United States: 6 killed, 10 wounded, about 100 captured, 4 schooners captured.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy force blockading the Rappahannock sent several hundred men in boats against four American privateers. The British took all four schooners.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Irwin John David Bevan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Mexican War of Independence
Battle of Salvatierra Other action
16 April 1813 (Good Friday) · Salvatierra, Guanajuato, Mexico, on the Lerma River
Fought between Mexico against Spain
The main account describes a naval battle at Salvatierra, a town on the banks of the Lerma River. It gives no further detail of forces or outcome.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Second Battle of Sacket's Harbor Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Sacket's Harbor
28 to 29 May 1813 · Sackets Harbor, New York, Lake Ontario
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders George Prevost, James Lucas Yeo (Britain); Jacob Brown, Woolcott Chauncey (United States)
Forces About 870 British infantry and 2 field guns carried by 3 sloops of war, 2 brigs and 1 schooner, against about 500 regulars, 900 militia, 2 field guns and 2 schooners
Losses Britain: 30 killed, 200 wounded, 35 wounded prisoners, some warships damaged. United States: 69 killed, 84 wounded, 154 captured, 3 guns captured.
Result American victory
A British force crossed Lake Ontario to take Sackets Harbor, the main dockyard and base of the American squadron on the lake. American regulars, militia, marines and sailors drove the attack back. Naval stores were destroyed and American warships were damaged by their own side during the defence.
Why it is remembered The dockyard it saved built twelve warships during the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Benson John Lossing, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of St. Michaels Landing or siege
Also known as First Battle of St. Michaels
10 August 1813 · St. Michaels, Eastern Shore of Maryland, Chesapeake Bay
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders George Cockburn, James Polkinghorne (Britain); Perry Benson (United States)
Forces 300 British sailors, marines and infantry in a boat flotilla against 500 Maryland militia with shore batteries
Losses Britain: 29 casualties and damage to at least one barge. United States: none.
Result American victory
British forces landed before dawn and disabled one battery, then returned to their boats and brought the flotilla closer to the town. Two more militia batteries opened fire, and a boom across the harbour mouth kept the boats back. After exchanging fire the British withdrew to Kent Island.
Why it is remembered The town was a target for its shipbuilding. Local legend says the people hung lanterns in the trees so that the British gunners overshot the town.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Chilean War of Independence
Capture of the frigate Nueva Limeña Blockade and raiding
Also known as Captura de la fragata Nueva Limeña
6 August 1813 · Off Coquimbo, Chile
Fought between The armed brig Potrillo against the merchant frigate Nueva Limeña
Forces The armed brig Potrillo, cruising as a privateer, against the merchant frigate Nueva Limeña
Ships Potrillo, Nueva Limeña
Losses Nueva Limeña captured.
Result Nueva Limeña captured by Potrillo
The merchant frigate Nueva Limeña had mutinied off the Peruvian coast and meant to join the Chilean revolutionaries. Off Coquimbo she was captured by the armed brig Potrillo, which was cruising as a privateer along the Chilean coast.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: DesconocidoUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Chilean War of Independence (Patria Vieja)
Capture of the Spanish frigate Thomas Blockade and raiding
Also known as Captura del transporte Thomas; Fragata Thomas
8 June 1813 · Chile
Fought between Chilean patriots against Spanish royalists
Commanders Nicolás García (Patriots)
Forces 2 gunboats and some feluccas against a transport frigate
Ships Thomas
Losses Royalists: the transport Thomas captured with her officers, stores and money.
Result Patriot victory
A patriot party under Lieutenant Nicolás García, with two gunboats and some feluccas, captured the transport frigate Thomas. She was carrying commanders, officers, munitions and money for the royalist Brigadier Antonio Pareja.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of USS Chesapeake Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Boston Harbor; Shannon and Chesapeake
1 June 1813 · Off Boston, Massachusetts
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders Philip Broke (Britain); James Lawrence (United States)
Forces HMS Shannon, 38-gun frigate with 48 guns and 330 sailors and marines, against USS Chesapeake, 38-gun frigate with 49 guns and 379 sailors and marines
Ships HMS Shannon, USS Chesapeake
Losses Britain: 23 killed, 56 wounded. United States: 48 killed, 99 wounded, 232 captured, Chesapeake captured.
Result British victory
Chesapeake sailed out of Boston to meet Shannon, which had been cruising offshore for weeks. In ten to fifteen minutes Shannon's gunfire shot away Chesapeake's wheel and fore topsail halyard, swept her quarterdeck and mortally wounded Lawrence, and the British boarded and took her. Broke was badly wounded on the forecastle but survived. Chesapeake was taken to Halifax and commissioned into the Royal Navy.
Why it is remembered Lawrence's dying order, “Don't give up the ship”, became an enduring American naval motto, and the defeat ended a run of American frigate victories. Chesapeake was broken up in 1819 and her timbers were used in the Chesapeake Mill at Wickham.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Chilean War of Independence
Battle of Valparaíso (1813) Single-ship action
Also known as Combate naval de Valparaíso (1813)
2 May 1813 · Off Valparaíso, Chile
Fought between Chile against Spain
Forces The Chilean frigate Perla and brig Potrillo against the Spanish frigate Warren
Ships Perla, Potrillo, Warren
Losses Chile: Potrillo captured; Perla lost to mutiny.
Result Spanish victory
The first Chilean squadron, the frigate Perla and the brig Potrillo, sailed against the Spanish frigate Warren, which was blockading Valparaíso. Perla's crew rose in favour of the Spanish crown, and together with Warren they captured Potrillo.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval action in the Pacific during the Spanish American wars of independence, and it ended Chile's first attempt at a navy.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: Nowland Van Powell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Adriatic campaign)
Siege of Zara (1813) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Zadar; Blockade of Zara
22 November to 5 December 1813 · Zara (now Zadar, Croatia), Illyrian Provinces
Fought between Britain and Austria against France and Napoleonic Italy
Commanders George Cadogan, Franjo Ksaver Tomašić (Britain and Austria); Claude Roize (France)
Forces 2,900 men and 2 frigates against 2,000 men and 12 gunboats
Ships HMS Havannah
Losses Britain and Austria: low. France: 600 captured, 238 cannon captured, 12 gunboats sunk (later salvaged).
Result Anglo-Austrian victory
An Anglo-Austrian force under George Cadogan in HMS Havannah blockaded and bombarded French-held Zara. The garrison surrendered within two weeks.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Raid on Alexandria Raid
29 August to 2 September 1814 · Alexandria, Virginia, and the Potomac River
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders James Alexander Gordon (Britain); John Rodgers, James Monroe, Charles Simms (United States)
Forces 6 British warships: the frigates Seahorse and Euryalus, the bomb vessels Devastation, Aetna and Meteor and the rocket vessel Erebus
Ships HMS Seahorse, HMS Euryalus, HMS Devastation, HMS Aetna, HMS Meteor, HMS Erebus
Losses Britain: 7 killed, 38 wounded. United States: 11 killed, 19 wounded; 22 merchant ships and large stocks of goods taken.
Result British victory
Gordon's squadron came up the Potomac, and after a bombardment the garrison of Fort Washington blew up the fort and retreated. Alexandria surrendered its merchant ships and goods, and the British occupied the town for three days. On the way back downriver the squadron passed militia batteries and beat off two fireship attacks sent by Commodore Rodgers.
Why it is remembered The raid brought much plunder at little cost, but it delayed Gordon's return to the main fleet and gave the defenders of Baltimore time to prepare.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Argentine War of Independence (naval campaign of 1814)
Battle of Arroyo de la China Fleet battle
Also known as Combate de Arroyo de la China
28 March 1814 · Mouth of the Arroyo de la China, near Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos, Argentina
Fought between Spanish royalists against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders Jacinto de Romarate (royalists); Tomás Nother (United Provinces)
Forces The royalist squadron against a light division of the United Provinces
Losses The United Provinces division suffered heavy losses.
Result Royalist victory
Romarate's royalist squadron fought a light patriot division under Captain Tomás Nother at the mouth of the stream. The royalists won and inflicted heavy losses.
Why it is remembered The royalist victory had little effect on the outcome of the 1814 campaign.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: óleo de Felipe Goulu (1786 to 1854), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812, Chesapeake campaign
Battle of Baltimore Landing or siege
Also known as Bombardment of Fort McHenry
12 to 14 September 1814 · Baltimore, Maryland, and Fort McHenry at the entrance to Baltimore Harbor
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders Robert Ross (killed), Alexander Cochrane, Arthur Brooke (Britain); Samuel Smith, John Stricker, George Armistead (United States)
Forces British: 5,000 infantry, marines and sailors ashore and 19 warships. American: 22,000 to 25,000 in total, including 1,000 infantry and militia with 20 guns at Fort McHenry.
Ships HMS Terror, HMS Volcano, HMS Meteor, HMS Devastation, HMS Aetna, HMS Erebus
Losses British: 39 to 46 killed, 252 to 296 wounded, 1 missing (at Fort McHenry, 1 wounded). American: 28 killed, 163 wounded, 50 captured (at Fort McHenry, 4 killed and 24 wounded).
Result American victory
British troops landed and fought the Americans at North Point, where General Ross was killed, while the fleet moved against the harbour. The Americans sank a line of merchant ships to block the harbour entrance. The bomb vessels and the rocket ship Erebus bombarded Fort McHenry for about 25 hours, firing roughly 1,500 to 1,800 rounds, but did little damage, and a night boat landing west of the fort gave only a short diversion. The fort held, and the British withdrew by land and sea.
Why it is remembered The defence ended the British Chesapeake campaign and saved the third largest city in the United States. Watching the bombardment, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem “Defence of Fort M'Henry”, which became the words of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, the national anthem.
Sources differ Casualty figures are given as ranges in the source: British 39 to 46 killed and 251 to 296 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Original uploader was Dr.frog at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Argentine War of Independence
Battle of Buceo Fleet battle
14 to 17 May 1814 · Off Montevideo, Uruguay, Río de la Plata
Fought between United Provinces of the Río de la Plata against Spain
Commanders William Brown (United Provinces); Admiral Sierra (Spain)
Forces 7 United Provinces ships against 7 Spanish ships and 6 schooners
Ships Hercules, Zephyr, Nancy, Julietta, Belfast, Agreeable, Trinidad, Hyena, Mercurio, Neptuno, Mercedes, Palomo, San José, Cisne
Losses United Provinces: 4 killed, 1 ship lost. Spain: 5 ships burnt, 2 captured on 17 May, a further ship surrendered later, 500 prisoners.
Result United Provinces victory
Brown's fleet, led by his flagship Hercules, fought the Spanish squadron off Montevideo over four days. On 16 May Belfast captured Neptuno, Palomo and San José, and the Spanish lost most of their remaining ships by burning or capture.
Why it is remembered A decisive victory that let the patriots blockade Montevideo from the sea and brought about the city's surrender. Brown was promoted to admiral.
Sources differ The English account says two Spanish ships were captured on 17 May in one place and three captured on 16 May in another. The Spanish commander is called Sierra in another account and Sienna in a ship list.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Raid on Chesconessex Creek Landing or siege
25 June 1814 · Chesconessex Creek, Virginia, Chesapeake Bay
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders George Urmston, James Scott (Britain); John G. Joynes (United States)
Forces Several hundred Royal Marines, Colonial Marines and sailors landed from HMS Albion, Dragon and Endymion, against the Virginia militia garrison of one fort
Ships HMS Albion, HMS Dragon, HMS Endymion
Result British victory
A British landing force from three Royal Navy ships came ashore near the fort, guided by a man who had escaped slavery under the garrison commander. The fort fired one round from its six-pounder and the garrison fled. The British destroyed the fort and nearby guardhouses and returned to their ships with the cannon.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Engagements on Lake Huron Raid
13 August to 6 September 1814 · Lake Huron, around Mackinac Island and the Nottawasaga River
Fought between Britain and the Ojibwa against the United States
Commanders Miller Worsley, Andrew Bulger (Britain); Arthur Sinclair, George Croghan, Daniel Turner (United States)
Ships Nancy
Losses Britain: 3 killed, 9 wounded, 1 schooner destroyed, 3 guns captured. United States: 6 killed, 6 wounded, 2 gunboats captured.
Result British and Indigenous victory
After failing to retake Fort Mackinac, the Americans tried to starve its garrison by destroying the supply schooner Nancy and blockading the island with two gunboats. In early September Royal Navy sailors and soldiers from Mackinac captured both gunboats by surprise.
Why it is remembered It left Britain in control of Lake Huron, and its Native American allies in control of the northwest, to the end of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Fayal Raid
26 to 27 September 1814 · Horta, Faial Island, Azores
Fought between United States (privateer) against Britain
Commanders Samuel Chester Reid (United States); Robert Lloyd, William Matterface (Britain)
Forces The privateer brig General Armstrong with 90 sailors against 1 British ship of the line, 1 frigate, 1 brig-sloop and 12 armed boats
Ships General Armstrong
Losses United States: 2 killed, 7 wounded, General Armstrong scuttled. Britain: 36 killed (Matterface among them), 93 wounded, 2 armed boats sunk, 2 captured.
Result General Armstrong scuttled after beating off two boat attacks; the outcome is treated as disputed
A Royal Navy squadron bound for Jamaica and Louisiana attacked the privateer General Armstrong at anchor in Horta. The Americans repulsed two attacks by armed boats, then scuttled their ship the next morning to prevent capture. The island's governor and the American consul prevented a British landing.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: N. Currier (Firm), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Fort Oswego (1814) Landing or siege
6 May 1814 · Fort Ontario and Oswego, New York, Lake Ontario
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders James Lucas Yeo, Karl Viktor Fischer, William Mulcaster (Britain); George Mitchell (United States)
Forces 550 soldiers, 400 marines, 200 sailors and 8 warships against 242 regulars, 25 United States Navy men and 200 militia
Losses Britain: 17 to 18 killed, 63 to 69 wounded. United States: 6 to 21 killed, 38 wounded, 25 to 60 captured.
Result British victory
A British force carried by eight warships raided Fort Ontario and the village of Oswego. The raid was only partly successful.
Sources differ Casualty figures are given as ranges in the source.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Havell senior, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Hampden Landing or siege
3 September 1814 · Hampden, Maine, on the Penobscot River
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders Robert Barrie, John Coape Sherbrooke (Britain); Charles Morris (United States)
Forces HMS Dragon, Sylph and Peruvian with the transport Harmony and a prize tender, carrying about 750 men, against the frigate USS Adams and about 725 men
Ships HMS Dragon, HMS Sylph, HMS Peruvian, USS Adams
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 8 wounded, 1 missing. United States: 12 to 40 killed, wounded or missing, 70 captured, USS Adams destroyed by her own crew.
Result British victory
Barrie's force came up the Penobscot and landed three miles below Hampden, where USS Adams lay under repair. The American militia broke, and Morris spiked his guns and blew up his ship before withdrawing his crew overland. The British went on to Bangor, burning 14 merchant ships and taking others as prizes.
Why it is remembered It was part of the campaign to make eastern Maine the colony of New Ireland; revenue from the occupation funded a military library in Halifax and Dalhousie College.
Sources differ One account gives 70 Americans captured; another account gives 84 prisoners.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Irwin John David Bevan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of HMS Epervier Single-ship action
29 April 1814 · Off Cape Canaveral, Florida
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Lewis Warrington (United States); Richard Wales (Britain)
Forces The ship-rigged sloop of war USS Peacock against the Cruizer-class brig-sloop HMS Epervier
Ships USS Peacock, HMS Epervier
Losses United States: 2 wounded. Britain: 8 killed, 15 wounded, Epervier captured.
Result American victory
Peacock met Epervier, which was escorting a merchant convoy off Cape Canaveral. After a one-sided cannonade Epervier surrendered, but the convoy escaped.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of the Sixth Coalition (Napoleonic Wars)
Battle of Jobourg Single-ship action
26 to 27 March 1814 · Off Jobourg, Normandy, English Channel
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders Sir Michael Seymour, Edmund Palmer (Britain); Pierre-Henri Philibert, Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars (France)
Forces 1 British ship of the line, 1 frigate and 1 brig-sloop against 2 French frigates
Ships HMS Hannibal, HMS Hebrus, HMS Sparrow, Étoile, Sultane
Losses Britain: 14 killed, 26 wounded. France: 40 killed, 73 wounded, 2 frigates captured.
Result British victory
Returning to Saint Malo after a raiding cruise, the frigates Étoile and Sultane were intercepted near the Île de Batz. The damaged Sultane was run down by Hannibal and surrendered without a fight. Hebrus caught Étoile off Jobourg early on 27 March, and after more than two hours of close fighting inshore Étoile struck.
Why it is remembered It was the last naval engagement of the War of the Sixth Coalition. Both French frigates were taken into the Royal Navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812 (Chesapeake campaign)
Raid on Kinsale Raid
3 August 1814 · Mundy's Point and Kinsale, Yeocomico River, Virginia
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders George Cockburn and James Scott (Britain); William Henderson (United States)
Forces About 500 British marines and sailors, including 120 Colonial Marines, against Virginia militia of unknown number
Losses British: at least 1 killed. American: 8 killed
Result British victory
A British force of about 500 marines and sailors, 120 of them Colonial Marines, raided along the Yeocomico River in Virginia's Northern Neck in two phases, first landing at Mundy's Point and then advancing upriver to the village of Kinsale.
Why it is remembered It was one of Cockburn's raids in the Chesapeake in 1814, in which the Colonial Marines took part.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John James Halls, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Lake Borgne Fleet battle
14 December 1814 · Lake Borgne, Louisiana
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders Nicholas Lockyer (Britain); Thomas ap Catesby Jones (United States)
Forces 42 British rowing boats against 5 American gunboats, 1 sloop and 1 schooner
Losses Britain: 17 killed, 77 wounded, 1 boat sunk. United States: 41 killed or wounded, 6 boats' crews captured, 5 gunboats and 1 sloop captured, 1 schooner scuttled.
Result British victory
A British force in 42 rowing boats attacked the small American gunboat flotilla on Lake Borgne and captured it.
Why it is remembered The victory let the British land their troops unopposed nine days later and begin the land offensive on New Orleans.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Lyde Hornbrook, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Argentine War of Independence (Second Banda Oriental campaign)
Battle of Martín García (1814) Landing or siege
Also known as Combate de Martín García
10 to 15 March 1814 · Martín García Island, Río de la Plata
Fought between United Provinces of the Río de la Plata against Spanish royalists
Commanders William Brown (United Provinces); Jacinto de Romarate (Spain)
Forces 1 frigate, 1 corvette, 1 brigantine, 2 schooners, 1 felucca and 1 sloop with 91 guns, 415 sailors and 177 troops, against 3 brigantines, 1 sloop, 3 gunboats, 1 landing craft and 4 minor vessels with 39 guns and 430 troops
Losses United Provinces: 1 vessel damaged, 23 killed, 35 wounded. Royalists: 1 minor vessel captured, 10 killed, 17 wounded, 47 prisoners.
Result United Provinces victory
In a first naval clash the leading patriot vessel ran aground and the royalists had the better of it. Brown's men then stormed the island, and Romarate's squadron withdrew.
Why it is remembered It split the royalist forces and gave the United Provinces control of the inland waterways, opening the way to the blockade and surrender of Montevideo after the Battle of Buceo.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Plattsburgh Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Lake Champlain
11 September 1814 (land operations 6 to 11 September) · Plattsburgh Bay, Lake Champlain, New York
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Thomas Macdonough, Robert Henley, Alexander Macomb (United States); George Downie, Daniel Pring, George Prevost (Britain)
Forces Afloat: 1 American corvette, 1 brig, 1 schooner, 1 sloop and 10 gunboats against 1 British frigate, 1 brig, 2 sloops and 12 gunboats. Ashore: 3,500 Americans against 11,000 British.
Ships Saratoga, Eagle, Ticonderoga, Preble, Confiance, Linnet, Chubb, Finch
Losses United States: 104 killed, 116 wounded. Britain: 168 killed, 220 wounded, 317 captured, 234 deserted; 1 frigate, 1 brig and 2 sloops captured; Downie killed.
Result American victory
Downie's squadron attacked Macdonough's anchored ships shortly after dawn. In a hard fight Downie was killed; Macdonough then cut his bow anchor and hauled on kedge anchors laid out earlier to spin Saratoga round and bring her fresh broadside to bear. Confiance and then Linnet surrendered, and Prevost abandoned the land attack and retreated to Canada.
Why it is remembered It ended the last British invasion of the northern states and denied Britain territorial claims at the Ghent peace talks. Macdonough became known as the Hero of Lake Champlain, and three United States Navy ships were named Lake Champlain.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Benjamin Tanner / Hugh Reinagle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Napoleonic Wars (Adriatic campaign)
Siege of Ragusa (1814) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Dubrovnik
19 to 27 January 1814 · Ragusa (now Dubrovnik, Croatia), Illyrian Provinces
Fought between Britain, Austria and Ragusan insurgents against France
Commanders William Hoste, Todor Milutinović, Biagio Caboga (allies); Joseph de Montrichard (France)
Forces 400 men, 1 frigate and 1 brig against a garrison of 600
Losses Allies: 41 killed or wounded. France: 70 killed or wounded, 530 captured.
Result Anglo-Austrian victory
Ragusan insurgents, Austrian Croat troops and a Royal Navy force under Captain William Hoste besieged the French garrison of Ragusa. The French surrendered after eight days.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Sinking of HMS Avon Single-ship action
1 September 1814 · English Channel
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Johnston Blakeley (United States); James Arbuthnot (Britain)
Forces The ship-rigged sloop of war USS Wasp against the Cruizer-class brig-sloop HMS Avon, with the brig-sloop Castilian nearby
Ships USS Wasp, HMS Avon, HMS Castilian
Losses United States: 3 wounded. Britain: 10 killed, 29 wounded, Avon sunk.
Result American victory
Wasp engaged Avon in the Channel and forced her to surrender. Other British brig-sloops came up and prepared to engage, so the Americans could not take possession. Avon sank shortly after the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carlton T. Chapman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Sinking of HMS Reindeer Single-ship action
28 June 1814 · English Channel
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Johnston Blakeley (United States); William Manners (Britain)
Forces The ship-rigged sloop of war USS Wasp against the Cruizer-class brig-sloop HMS Reindeer
Ships USS Wasp, HMS Reindeer
Losses United States: 9 killed, 15 wounded. Britain: 25 killed, 42 wounded, Reindeer captured and burnt; Manners killed.
Result American victory
Wasp fought Reindeer until well over half of the brig's crew, including Commander Manners, had been killed or wounded and she struck her colours. Reindeer was too badly damaged to save, so the Americans burnt her.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Valparaíso (1814) Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of USS Essex
28 March 1814 · Off Valparaíso, Chile
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders James Hillyar (Britain); David Porter (United States)
Forces The frigate HMS Phoebe and sloop HMS Cherub against the frigate USS Essex and sloop USS Essex Junior
Ships USS Essex, USS Essex Junior, HMS Phoebe, HMS Cherub
Losses Britain: 5 killed, 10 wounded. United States: 58 killed, 60 wounded, 156 captured, both ships captured.
Result British victory
HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub fought USS Essex and USS Essex Junior off Valparaíso. The British won and captured both American ships.
Why it is remembered The action is the subject of a painting of about 1819.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Second Barbary War
Battle off Cape Gata Single-ship action
17 June 1815 · Off Cape Gata, south east Spain
Fought between United States against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Stephen Decatur Jr. (United States); Raïs Hamidou (Algiers)
Forces 3 American frigates, 2 sloops, 2 brigantines and 2 schooners against 1 Algerine frigate
Ships Meshuda
Losses United States: 10 killed, 30 wounded. Algiers: 30 killed, many wounded, 406 captured, frigate captured; Hamidou killed.
Result American victory
Decatur's squadron met the Algerine flagship, the frigate Meshuda, under Admiral Hamidou. After a sharp action the frigate was captured.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle of the Second Barbary War and a decisive American victory over the Algerine navy.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · Second Barbary War
Battle of Cape Palos (1815) Single-ship action
19 June 1815 · Off Cape Palos, Spain
Fought between United States against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Stephen Decatur Jr. (United States)
Forces 1 American sloop, 1 brigantine and 2 schooners against 1 Algerine brig
Losses United States: none. Algiers: 23 killed, about 80 captured, brig captured, 1 boat sunk.
Result American victory
An American squadron under Commodore Decatur attacked and captured an Algerian brig off Cape Palos.
Why it is remembered It was the last battle of the Second Barbary War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: unattributed, apparently from U.S. National Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of East India Company ship Nautilus Single-ship action
30 June 1815 · Off Java
Fought between United States against the East India Company
Commanders Lewis Warrington (United States); Charles Boyce (East India Company)
Forces The sloop of war USS Peacock against the East India Company brig Nautilus
Ships USS Peacock, Nautilus
Losses United States: none. East India Company: 7 killed, 6 wounded, brig captured and later released.
Result American victory
Warrington knew the war had ended, but attacked Nautilus when Boyce refused to strike his colours. Peacock's fire caused several casualties and forced a surrender. Warrington released the brig after Boyce produced documents about the treaty.
Why it is remembered It was the last military engagement of the War of 1812, fought six months after the Treaty of Ghent.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Battle of Fort Peter Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Fort Point Peter
13 to 14 January 1815 · Fort Peter, St. Marys River, Camden County, Georgia
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders George Cockburn (Britain); Abraham A. Massias, Daniel Newnan (United States)
Forces 1,500 British troops supported by a squadron of 1 third rate, 1 fourth rate, 4 fifth rates, 2 bomb ketches and 2 schooners, against 160 men, 8 guns and 2 gunboats
Ships HMS Albion, HMS Dragon, HMS Regulus, Brune, HMS Severn, Hebrus, Rota, Primrose, HMS Terror, HMS Devastation, HMS Canso, HMS Whiting
Losses Britain: 3 killed, 5 wounded. United States: 1 killed, 4 wounded, 9 missing, 8 guns, 2 gunboats and 12 merchantmen captured.
Result British victory
A British force attacked Forts St. Tammany and Peter on the Georgia side of the St. Marys River and destroyed Fort Peter. The occupation of coastal Camden County let the British blockade American traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Why it is remembered It came after the Treaty of Ghent was signed but before it was ratified, and formed part of the British occupation of St. Marys and Cumberland Island.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Beechey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812 (New Orleans campaign)
Bombardment of Fort St. Philip (1815) Landing or siege
9 to 18 January 1815 · Fort St. Philip, Louisiana
Fought between Britain against the United States
Commanders Hugh Pigot (Britain); Walter H. Overton (United States)
Forces 1 British sloop of war, 1 brig of war, 1 schooner, 2 bomb vessels mounting four mortars and 2 bumboats, against a garrison of 406 men with 35 guns and 1 gunboat
Losses Britain: none. United States: 2 killed, 7 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Two Royal Navy bomb vessels shelled the fort from beyond the range of its solid shot for ten days, while its only mortar lacked ammunition. Supply boats brought shells, and on 17 January the fort's mortar replied against the bomb vessels. The British then withdrew.
Why it is remembered A riverine action among the last hostilities of the War of 1812.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of HMS Cyane and HMS Levant Single-ship action
20 February 1815 · About 100 miles east of Madeira, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders Charles Stewart (United States); Gordon Falcon, George Douglas (Britain)
Forces The frigate USS Constitution with 450 crew against two sixth rates, HMS Cyane with 175 men and HMS Levant with 135
Ships USS Constitution, HMS Cyane, HMS Levant
Losses United States: 6 killed, 9 wounded. Britain: 19 killed, 42 wounded, 249 prisoners, Cyane captured, Levant captured and later recaptured.
Result American victory
Constitution fought Cyane and Levant together. After exchanges of broadsides and musket fire both British ships surrendered. When a British squadron appeared at Porto Praya in the Cape Verde Islands, Levant failed to escape and was recaptured.
Why it is remembered The war had already ended with the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent a few days before, but neither side knew it.
Sources Wikipedia
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815 · War of 1812
Capture of HMS Penguin Single-ship action
23 March 1815 · Off Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic
Fought between United States against Britain
Commanders James Biddle (United States); James Dickenson (Britain)
Forces USS Hornet against the brig-sloop HMS Penguin, two ships of almost equal strength
Ships USS Hornet, HMS Penguin
Losses United States: 2 killed, 7 wounded. Britain: 1 killed (Dickenson), 28 wounded, 90 captured, Penguin captured and burnt.
Result American victory
Hornet's gunnery proved far better than Penguin's. After Dickenson was killed Penguin rammed Hornet in an attempt to board, but the ships separated and Penguin surrendered when her foremast fell. She was too badly damaged to save and was burnt.
Why it is remembered One of several actions fought after the Treaty of Ghent had ended the war.
Sources differ One account calls Hornet a brig; another account calls her a sloop of war.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Suppression of Barbary slavery and piracy
Bombardment of Algiers (1816) Landing or siege
27 August 1816 · Algiers
Fought between Britain and the Netherlands against the Deylik of Algiers
Commanders Edward Pellew, Lord Exmouth, David Milne (Britain); Theodorus Frederik van Capellen (Netherlands); Omar Agha, Ali Khodja, Hussein Khodja (Algiers)
Forces 5 ships of the line, 10 frigates (5 of them Dutch), 1 corvette, 8 sloops, 4 bomb vessels and 1 aviso, against shore batteries of 224 seaward guns, 4 frigates, 5 corvettes and 40 gunboats
Ships HMS Queen Charlotte, HMS Impregnable, HMS Albion, HMS Minden, HMS Superb, HMS Leander, HMS Severn, HMS Glasgow, HMS Granicus, HMS Hebrus, HMS Belzebub, HMS Fury, HMS Hecla, HMS Infernal, Melampus, Diana, Frederica Sophia Wilhelmina, Dageraad, Amstel, Eendracht
Losses Britain: 141 killed, 742 wounded. Netherlands: 13 killed, 52 wounded. Algiers: 500 to 5,000 military and civilian casualties including 300 to 2,000 killed; 4 frigates and 5 corvettes destroyed, 28 gunboats sunk, 12 beached.
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
Exmouth anchored his flagship Queen Charlotte about 80 yards off the mole and opened fire as soon as an Algerian gun fired at 15:15. Forty gunboats tried to board the flagship and most were sunk. By 19:30 the shipping in the harbour had been destroyed, and Impregnable, anchored out of position, suffered 50 killed and 164 wounded. The fleet withdrew at about 22:15 after firing more than 50,000 round shot and 960 mortar shells.
Why it is remembered The Dey freed more than 3,000 slaves and signed a treaty against enslaving Europeans, though the practice did not end until the French conquest of Algeria. It is shown in paintings by George Chambers, Thomas Luny and Martinus Schouman.
Sources differ Algerine casualties are given only as a wide range, 500 to 5,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Chambers, Sen. (1803 to 1840), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Seminole Wars
Battle of Negro Fort Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Prospect Bluff; Battle of African Fort
27 July 1816 · Prospect Bluff, Apalachicola River, Spanish Florida
Fought between United States and Creek allies against fugitive slaves and Choctaw
Commanders Andrew Jackson, Edmund Gaines, Duncan L. Clinch (United States); Garçon (killed)
Forces American: 267 men and 2 gunboats, with Creek allies. Defenders: 334 people, including women and children.
Losses American: 3 killed, 1 captured. Defenders: 334 killed, wounded and captured, including women and children.
Result American and Creek victory; the fort was destroyed
The British had built the fort in 1814 to support operations against the United States, and it became a refuge for escaped slaves. On 27 July 1816 an American force with two gunboats attacked it, and a heated cannon ball landed in the magazine, causing a huge explosion that destroyed the fort. Colonel Clinch reported salvaging about 2,500 muskets, 50 carbines and 400 pistols, which were given to the Creeks.
Why it is remembered It is the only time in its history that the United States destroyed a community of escaped slaves in another country.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Seminole Wars
Battle of Ocheesee Convoy battle
15 December 1817 to mid March 1818 · Ocheesee bluffs, Apalachicola River, Spanish Florida (now Torreya State Park)
Fought between Red Stick Creeks against the United States
Commanders Neamathla (Red Sticks); Andrew Jackson (United States)
Result The convoy was released once the Creeks withdrew
Red Stick Creek marksmen fired from both banks on vessels carrying supplies upriver to Forts Gaines, Scott and Hughes. The sailors could not show themselves, so the convoy was halted, Fort Hughes was abandoned and the garrison of Fort Scott went on half rations. The vessels stayed pinned down until Jackson's advance into Florida in March 1818, by which time the Creeks had withdrawn.
Why it is remembered It is described as the longest sustained engagement of the Seminole Wars. Jackson built Fort Gadsden afterwards to prevent a repeat.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles Bird King, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Venezuelan War of Independence
Battle of Pagallos Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Pagallos; Battle of Pagayos
8 July 1817 · Orinoco River, near the island of Pagallos, Venezuela
Fought between Venezuelan patriots against Spain
Commanders Antonio Díaz, Luis Brión, Fernando Díaz (Patriots); Antonio Ambaredes (Spain)
Forces Patriot vessels carrying supplies for Bolívar's army against 11 royalist ships
Losses Patriots: heavy losses; Fernando Díaz killed.
Result Patriot victory
Patriot ships under Antonio Díaz, carrying materiel for Simón Bolívar's army, were attacked on the Orinoco by eleven royalist ships. The patriots suffered heavily but drove the royalists out of the river.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alberto Urdaneta, Antonio Rodríguez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Chilean War of Independence
Battle of Talcahuano (1818) Convoy battle
Also known as Combate naval de Talcahuano; Capture of the frigate María Isabel
28 to 29 October 1818 · Bay of Concepción, near Talcahuano, Chile
Fought between Chile against Spain
Commanders Manuel Blanco Encalada (Chile); Dionisio Capaz (Spain)
Forces Chilean squadron of San Martín, Lautaro, Chacabuco and Araucano, later joined by Galvarino and Intrépido, against the frigate María Isabel and a convoy of about ten transports carrying some 2,000 troops
Ships María Isabel, San Martín, Lautaro, Chacabuco, Araucano, Galvarino, Intrépido
Losses Spain: María Isabel and five transports captured. Chile: 27 killed, 22 wounded.
Result Chilean victory
Warned through Buenos Aires after a mutiny aboard one of the transports, Blanco Encalada's squadron entered the Bay of Concepción. María Isabel fired a broadside, ran aground near Rocuant island and was boarded; a Spanish landing party from Concepción was driven off and the frigate was refloated on the next tide. Five transports were later taken as they arrived.
Why it is remembered María Isabel became the Chilean O'Higgins, and the victors received a commemorative badge.
Sources differ One account lists no Chilean casualties; another account gives 27 killed and 22 wounded. Same action as (Capture of the Cádiz Expedition).
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: probably: Contreras de la Cruz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Chilean War of Independence
Battle of Valparaíso (1818) Single-ship action
Also known as Combate naval de Valparaíso (1818)
27 April 1818 · Near Valparaíso, Chile
Fought between Chile against Spain
Forces The Chilean frigate Lautaro against the royalist frigate Esmeralda and the brig Pezuela
Ships Lautaro, Esmeralda, Pezuela
Result Both sides claimed victory; the royalist blockade of Valparaíso ended
The Chilean frigate Lautaro fought the royalist frigate Esmeralda and the brig Pezuela near Valparaíso. Both sides claimed a tactical victory, but the action ended the royalist blockade of the port.
Sources differ Chilean and royalist accounts each claim the victory.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: DesconocidoUnknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · West Indies anti-piracy operations
Capture of the schooner Bravo Single-ship action
31 August 1819 · Gulf of Mexico, off southern Florida
Fought between United States against Caribbean pirates
Commanders Jairus Loomis (United States); Jean La Farges (pirates)
Forces The revenue cutters USRC Alabama and USRC Louisiana, each with a single pivot gun, against the schooner Bravo
Ships USRC Alabama, USRC Louisiana, Bravo
Losses United States: the first officer and three crew of Louisiana wounded. Pirates: several killed, the rest captured, Bravo captured.
Result American victory
The new revenue cutters Alabama and Louisiana sighted Bravo off southern Florida and gave chase. Bravo resisted in a brief exchange of fire, then the Americans boarded her and took the crew prisoner.
Why it is remembered Bravo's commander, Jean La Farges, was a lieutenant of Jean Lafitte and was hanged in Louisiana on 25 May 1820.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dr. John Tilley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Spanish American wars of independence
Los Andes vs Prueba Single-ship action
Also known as Combate naval de Cabo Manglares
12 to 13 May 1820 (Chilean sources) or 14 to 15 May 1820 (Spanish sources) · Off the Esmeraldas River, Cape Manglares and Gorgona island (present Ecuador and Colombia)
Fought between Chile against Spain
Commanders Juan Illingworth (Chile); Antonio Vacaro (Spain)
Forces The Chilean privateer corvette Los Andes, 24 guns, against the Spanish frigate Prueba, 48 guns
Ships Los Andes, Prueba
Losses Unknown on both sides; Illingworth wounded.
Result Indecisive
The Chilean privateer Los Andes fought the Spanish frigate Prueba over two days in two different places off the coast of present Ecuador and Colombia.
Sources differ Chilean and Spanish historians differ on the date, the starting place, the course of the action and its result. Chilean sources give 12 to 13 May 1820; Spanish sources 14 to 15 May 1820.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Chilean War of Independence
Capture of Valdivia Landing or siege
Also known as Toma de Valdivia
3 to 4 February 1820 · Corral Bay, near Valdivia, Chile
Fought between Chile against Spain
Commanders Thomas Cochrane, Jorge Beauchef, Guillermo Miller (Chile); Colonel Manuel Montoya, Fausto del Hoyo (Spain)
Forces The Chilean ships O'Higgins, Intrépido and Moctezuma with about 310 troops, against about 1,606 royalists with 110 guns in 15 forts and batteries
Ships O'Higgins, Intrépido, Moctezuma, Potrillo, Dolores
Losses Chile: 7 killed and 25 wounded (or 39 killed and wounded); the brigantine Intrépido lost aground. Spain: about 100 killed and 106 taken prisoner.
Result Chilean victory
Cochrane approached Corral Bay pretending to be part of an expected Spanish convoy and landed troops at Aguada del Inglés under fire. After dark Beauchef's men stormed the forts one after another, taking Castillo de Corral at midnight in hand to hand fighting. Next day Moctezuma and Intrépido entered the bay under fire, the remaining garrisons fell back, and the Spanish abandoned Valdivia.
Why it is remembered It removed an important Spanish naval base that could threaten the new Chilean republic.
Sources differ Chilean losses are given as 7 killed and 25 wounded and as 39 killed and wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unnamed painter (died 1891), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · West Indies anti-piracy operations
Action of 9 November 1822 Single-ship action
9 November 1822 · About 45 miles east of Matanzas, Cuba
Fought between United States against pirates
Commanders William Howard Allen (United States)
Forces The schooner USS Alligator and 3 boats against 3 pirate schooners
Ships USS Alligator, Revenge
Losses United States: 4 killed (Allen mortally wounded), 3 wounded. Pirates: about 14 killed, 1 schooner captured.
Result Indecisive; captured merchant ships recovered, pirates escaped
Pirates had seized several vessels near Matanzas and were holding them for ransom. The water was too shallow for Alligator, so Allen led her boats against the schooner Revenge and forced the pirates to abandon her. The other pirates fought their way out of the bay, and with Allen mortally wounded the pursuit stopped, but five captured merchant ships were freed.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Greek War of Independence
Burning of the Ottoman flagship off Chios Raid
18 June 1822 · Off Chios, Aegean Sea
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Konstantinos Kanaris, Andreas Pipinos (Greece); Nasuhzade Ali Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 2 Greek fire ships against 2 Ottoman ships of the line
Ships Mansur al-liwa
Losses Ottoman Empire: about 2,000 killed, including the Kapudan Pasha; 1 ship of the line destroyed. Greek losses unknown.
Result Greek victory
At night two Greek fire ships set fire to the 84-gun Ottoman flagship Mansur al-liwa, which blew up. About 2,000 men died, among them Kapudan Pasha Nasuhzade Ali Pasha.
Why it is remembered It was carried out in reprisal for the Chios massacre two months earlier.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Greek War of Independence
Battle of Nauplia (1822) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Spetses; Naval Battle of Nauplia
8 to 13 September 1822 (Old Style; 20 to 25 September New Style) · Gulf of Nauplia (Argolic Gulf), Greece
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Andreas Miaoulis (Greece); Kara Mehmet Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 56 Greek ships and 16 fire ships against 84 Ottoman ships
Losses Greece: 2 fire ships spent. Ottoman Empire: 1 brig lost.
Result Greek victory
The Ottoman fleet was sent to destroy the Greek forces at Hydra and Spetses and relieve the besieged garrison of Nauplia. Miaoulis split his fleet into three squadrons to lure it into narrow waters. In three attempts over six days the Ottomans failed to break through amid distant cannon fire; on 8 September a fire ship under Kosmas Barbatsis drove off the Ottoman flagship, and on 13 September a fire ship sank an Ottoman brig, after which the Ottoman fleet withdrew.
Why it is remembered The Ottoman vice admiral was beheaded for the defeat, and Nauplia's garrison surrendered in December. Miaoulis was given a hero's welcome.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Greek War of Independence
Battle of Patras (1822) Fleet battle
Also known as Naval Battle of Patras; Ναυμαχία της Πάτρας
20 February 1822 (8 February Old Style) · Off Patras, Greece
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire and its North African vassals
Commanders Andreas Miaoulis, Lazaros Pinotsis, Giannis Vulgaris (Greece); Pepe Ali Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 63 Greek ships, mostly armed merchantmen from Hydra, Spetses and Psara, against about 108 Ottoman ships
Losses Greece: no ships lost, about 20 wounded. Ottoman Empire: one frigate put out of action and about 130 killed, according to Greek sources; two ships ran aground entering Zakynthos.
Result Greek victory
The Greek squadrons sailed through a storm and attacked at dawn as the Ottoman fleet tried to leave the roadstead of Patras. Miaoulis's brig engaged several frigates, one of which lost her mainmast. After about six hours a change of wind let the Ottoman fleet break away and take refuge at British-held Zakynthos.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first times the Greek fleet fought a line battle with guns rather than fireships, and historian Vakalopoulos called it the first real naval battle of the war. It also showed that Greek guns were too few and too light to defeat the Ottoman fleet.
Sources differ The main account calls it a Greek victory; historian Dimitris Fotiadis argues neither side clearly won.
Sources Wikipedia (RU)
Image: Иоаннис Алтамурас, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Brazilian War of Independence
Battle of 4 May Fleet battle
4 May 1823 · Open sea off Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Fought between Brazil against Portugal
Commanders Thomas Cochrane (Brazil); João Campos (Portugal)
Forces 1 Brazilian ship of the line, 2 frigates, 2 corvettes and 2 fire ships against 1 Portuguese ship of the line, 2 frigates, 3 corvettes, 3 troopships, 1 lugger, 1 brig, 1 schooner and 1 smack
Losses None on either side.
Result Inconclusive
The Imperial Brazilian Navy under the British admiral Thomas Cochrane met the Portuguese fleet at sea off Salvador. Neither side suffered losses.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marinha do Brasil, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Brazilian War of Independence
Battle of Itaparica Landing or siege
7 to 9 January 1823 · Itaparica Island, Bahia, Brazil
Fought between Brazil against Portugal
Commanders Antônio de Sousa Lima, João das Botas (Brazil); Joaquim José da Cunha, João Félix Pereira de Campos (Portugal)
Forces 3,257 Brazilian soldiers and 2 gunboats against 1,200 Portuguese soldiers, 2 brigs, 1 schooner, 1 barque and 35 gunboats and small vessels
Losses Unknown on both sides.
Result Brazilian victory
A Portuguese force of 42 vessels under the fleet commander João Félix Pereira de Campos attacked Itaparica Island. The Itaparica Battalion under Antônio de Sousa Lima defended it from the São Lourenço Fort and a line of trenches and small batteries along the beaches, and the attack failed.
Why it is remembered The victory was important to Brazil's eventual success in Bahia, where fighting went on until 2 July 1823.
Sources differ One account says 42 Portuguese vessels; another account lists 39 (2 brigs, 1 schooner, 1 barque and 35 gunboats or small vessels).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marinha do Brasil, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Venezuelan War of Independence
Battle of Lake Maracaibo Fleet battle
Also known as Naval Battle of the Lake
24 July 1823 · Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela
Fought between Gran Colombia against Spain
Commanders José Prudencio Padilla, Nicholas Joly (Gran Colombia); Ángel Laborde (Spain)
Ships Independiente, Mars, San Carlos, Esperanza
Losses Gran Colombia: 44 killed (8 officers), 164 wounded (14 officers). Spain: 437 captured (69 officers), 1 brig-schooner destroyed.
Result Colombian victory
The royalist squadron lay at anchor in a line parallel to the shore. Padilla's ships closed in two wings without firing, cutting off retreat to the bay, and the royalists opened fire at 15:45. Padilla's brig Independiente ran into San Carlos, which decided the action; the brig-schooner Esperanza blew up and most of the larger royalist ships were captured, while three schooners escaped.
Why it is remembered It was the last battle of the Venezuelan War of Independence and of the Spanish American wars of independence; Spanish forces capitulated on 3 August and left Venezuela on 5 August. 24 July is Navy Day in Venezuela and Colombia and a regional holiday in Zulia.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: José María Espinosa Prieto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Brazilian War of Independence
Battle of Montevideo (1823) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalha Naval de Montevidéu
21 October 1823 · Río de la Plata, off Montevideo, Uruguay
Fought between Brazil against Portugal
Commanders Pedro Antônio Nunes (Brazil); José Maria de Sousa Tavares (Portugal)
Forces 1 Brazilian corvette, 3 brigs and 3 schooners against a Portuguese force of 2 corvettes, 1 brig and 1 schooner
Losses Neither side lost a ship.
Result Inconclusive
The Portuguese force at Montevideo, which had endured the Brazilian blockade, tried to break it on 21 October. After heavy fighting in which no ship was lost, the Portuguese returned to port.
Why it is remembered One of the few conventional naval battles of the war. Montevideo, the last Portuguese stronghold in the Cisplatina, surrendered a month later.
Sources differ One account describes the Portuguese force as a captured schooner and three armed transports; another account gives 2 corvettes, 1 brig and 1 schooner.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Trajano Augusto de Carvalho, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Peruvian War of Independence
Battle of Callao (1824) Fleet battle
Also known as Combate naval del Callao (1824)
7 October 1824 · Off Callao, Peru
Fought between Spain against Peru and Gran Colombia
Commanders Roque Guruceta (Spain); Martin Guisse (Peru and Gran Colombia)
Forces The Spanish naval division against the combined Peruvian and Gran Colombian squadrons blockading Callao
Result Spanish victory; the republican ships withdrew
The combined squadrons of Peru and Gran Colombia under Admiral Martin Guisse were blockading Callao. The Spanish naval division under Captain Roque Guruceta came out, fought them and put the republican ships to flight.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: Ángel Cortellini Sánchez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Greek War of Independence
Battle of Gerontas Fleet battle
Also known as Ναυμαχία του Γέροντα
10 September 1824 (29 August Old Style) · Off Leros, south east Aegean Sea
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, Tunis and Tripoli
Commanders Andreas Miaoulis, Dimitrios Papanikolis (Greece); Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 70 to 75 Greek warships, 9 of them fire ships, with 800 guns, against an Ottoman armada given as about 100 ships (the main account's most probable estimate lists 1 ship of the line, 18 frigates, 14 corvettes, 70 brigs and schooners, 30 small craft and 151 transports, not all engaged)
Losses Ottoman: one 44-gun frigate destroyed, 1,300 killed, the Tunisian admiral and an Egyptian colonel captured. Greek losses unknown.
Result Greek victory
A Greek fleet of about 75 ships under Miaoulis met an Ottoman armada with contingents from Egypt, Tunisia and Tripoli near Leros, and defeated it.
Why it is remembered One of the most decisive naval actions of the Greek War of Independence, it kept Samos under Greek control.
Sources differ One account gives 100 Ottoman ships; another account gives a much larger estimate including transports.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Greek War of Independence
Battle of Samos Fleet battle
Also known as Ναυμαχία της Σάμου (Greek)
5 to 17 August 1824 · Off the island of Samos, eastern Aegean
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Georgios Sachtouris and Konstantinos Kanaris (Greece); Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Losses Greek: 6 fireships spent, 3 dead. Ottoman: 3 ships and 100 guns destroyed, about 1,000 killed
Result Greek victory
After the destruction of Psara, the Ottoman fleet and troops gathered on the Anatolian coast, apparently intending to take Samos, while the Greek fleet under Sachtouris guarded the island. After minor engagements on earlier days, the Ottomans tried to push the Greeks out of the straits. The first Greek fireship attack failed, but Kanaris's fireship reached an Ottoman frigate, whose crew abandoned her; her magazine blew up, damaging nearby ships and causing casualties ashore. When the Ottomans renewed the attack the Greeks destroyed two more vessels, a Tunisian brig of war and a Tripolitanian corvette.
Why it is remembered With the victory at the Strait of Gerontas nearby, it secured Samos for the time being. The island was later left out of independent Greece and became an autonomous principality under Ottoman suzerainty until the Balkan Wars.
Sources differ One account gives 5 August 1824 (Julian calendar); another account gives 5 to 17 August, with the decisive fighting on 17 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Panagiotis Zographos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Greek War of Independence
Battle of Andros (1825) Fleet battle
1 June 1825 (20 May Old Style) · Off Andros, Aegean Sea
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Georgios Sachtouris (Greece); Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 20 Greek warships and 8 fire ships against 51 Ottoman vessels
Losses Greece: 3 fire ships expended, 3 fire ship crew killed and 4 wounded. Ottoman: flagship, 1 frigate and 1 corvette destroyed, more than 550 killed.
Result Greek victory
Two Greek fire ships set fire to the Ottoman flagship, a 66-gun double-banked frigate, and another fire ship burned a 34-gun frigate. The Ottoman fleet scattered, and the Greeks captured a sloop and five Austrian cargo ships carrying supplies for the siege of Missolonghi.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dionysios Tsokos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Greek War of Independence
Battle of Sphacteria (1825) Landing or siege
8 May 1825 · Sphacteria, Messenia, Greece
Fought between Greece against Egypt
Commanders Anastasios Tsamados, Anagnostaras, Alexandros Mavrokordatos (Greece); Ibrahim Pasha (Egypt)
Forces 1,000 Greeks and 8 ships against 3,000 Egyptians and about 45 ships
Losses Greece: 350 killed, including Tsamados and Anagnostaras. Egyptian losses unknown.
Result Egyptian victory
Egyptian forces under Ibrahim Pasha, supported by about 45 ships, attacked the Greek force on the island of Sphacteria. The Greeks were defeated with heavy loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Konstantinos Volanakis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · West Indies anti-piracy operations
Capture of the sloop Anne Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of the Ana
5 March 1825 · Boca del Infierno, off Bahía de Jobos, between Salinas and Guayama, Puerto Rico
Fought between Denmark, Spain and the United States against Roberto Cofresí's pirates
Commanders John D. Sloat, Tomás Renovales, Garrett J. Pendergrast, Juan Bautista Pierety, Salvador Pastoriza (allies); Roberto Cofresí (pirates)
Forces 1 American schooner with 140 sailors and marines, 3 Spanish and Danish sloops and a supporting frigate, against 3 pirate sloops and 1 schooner
Ships Anne, USS Grampus, San José y las Animas, La Invencible
Losses Allies: about 2 wounded, 1 sloop damaged. Pirates: about 3 killed, 6 wounded, Anne captured.
Result Anne disabled and captured; the pirates fled ashore and were taken
An alliance of Spanish Puerto Rico, Danish Saint Thomas and the United States Navy hunted Cofresí's flotilla after repeated attacks on their shipping. A trap at Boca del Infierno caught his flagship, the sloop Anne. Surprised and outnumbered, the pirates abandoned her and escaped ashore, where they were captured and tried.
Why it is remembered Cofresí was executed and became known as the last of the West India pirates; his capture marked the success of the anti-piracy operations.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Paul Gerard Miller (1875 to 1952), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Sardinian-Tripolitanian war of 1825
Battle of Tripoli (1825) Landing or siege
Also known as Battaglia navale di Tripoli
26 to 27 September 1825 · Tripoli, Libya
Fought between Kingdom of Sardinia against Tripolitania
Commanders Francesco Sivori (Sardinia); Yusuf Karamanli (Tripoli)
Forces 2 Sardinian frigates, 1 corvette and 1 brig against 1 brig, 2 schooners and shore batteries
Losses Sardinia: 2 killed, 5 wounded. Tripoli: 60 killed, 80 wounded, 1 brig and 2 schooners destroyed.
Result Sardinian victory
Tripoli demanded more tribute, and the King of Sardinia sent a squadron to force a better treaty. When the demands stood, the squadron attacked the city, sank several vessels and landed a force to attack the town.
Why it is remembered After heavy naval losses Tripoli quickly agreed to a peace treaty favourable to Sardinia, ending the war.
Sources differ One account says the Sardinians sank several vessels; another account result line says two were destroyed, while the casualty line lists a brig and two schooners.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Banco de Ortiz Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Stuck Ships
2 May 1826 · Ortiz Bank, Río de la Plata
Fought between Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders James Norton (Brazil); William Brown (United Provinces)
Forces 1 Brazilian frigate, 3 corvettes and 9 schooners against 1 Argentine corvette, 4 brigs and 1 schooner
Result Indecisive
Brazilian and Argentine squadrons fought on the Ortiz Bank. Neither side gained a decisive result.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre y Alexandre Emile Lapie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Colonia del Sacramento (1826) Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Colônia do Sacramento
26 February to 14 March 1826 · Colonia del Sacramento, Cisplatina (now Uruguay)
Fought between Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and Uruguayan insurgents
Commanders Manuel Rodrigues, Frederico Mariath (Brazil); William Brown, Ramón Cáceres, Juan Antonio Lavalleja (United Provinces)
Forces 1,500 Brazilian soldiers with 1 brig, 1 brigantine and 2 schooners, against 400 besieging troops and 1 frigate, 1 barque, 3 brigs, 1 schooner, 1 pilot boat and 8 gunboats with over 110 guns
Losses Brazil: 32 killed, 52 wounded, 1 brig sunk. United Provinces: 200 to 500 killed, wounded and captured, 1 brig sunk, 3 gunboats captured.
Result Brazilian victory
Colonia del Sacramento was held by Brazil and besieged on land by Uruguayan insurgents. Admiral Brown made a series of attempts from the water to take the town between 26 February and 14 March 1826, and all of them failed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Liam Quinn from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Los Pozos Fleet battle
Also known as Combat de los Pozos
11 June 1826 · Río de la Plata, off Buenos Aires
Fought between Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders James Norton (Brazil); William Brown (United Provinces)
Forces 31 Brazilian warships against 1 Argentine frigate, 3 brigs and 8 gunboats
Losses Brazil: none. United Provinces: 1 killed.
Result Inconclusive
The larger Brazilian fleet tried to destroy the Argentine squadron, which had been raiding shipping around Montevideo and attacking isolated Brazilian warships. The action off Buenos Aires was indecisive.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Punta Colares Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Corales
9 February 1826 · Río de la Plata, off Punta Colares
Fought between Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders Rodrigo José Ferreira Lobo (Brazil); William Brown (United Provinces)
Forces 3 Brazilian corvettes, 5 brigs, 2 brigantines, 2 schooners and 2 gunboats with about 155 guns, against 1 Argentine corvette, 4 brigs, 2 schooners and 12 gunboats with about 126 guns
Losses Brazil: 3 killed, 5 wounded. United Provinces: 6 killed, 15 wounded. No ships lost on either side.
Result Inconclusive
The Brazilian fleet under Admiral Lobo and Brown's squadron fought for about seven hours from around 10 in the morning. Neither side lost a ship.
Why it is remembered It was the first major naval engagement of the Cisplatine War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: José Murature (died 1880), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Quilmes Fleet battle
Also known as Combate de Quilmes
29 to 30 July 1826 · Río de la Plata, off Quilmes, Argentina
Fought between Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders James Norton (Brazil); William Brown (United Provinces)
Forces 1 Brazilian frigate, 4 corvettes, 3 brigs, 4 schooners and 3 gunboats with 208 guns, against 1 Argentine frigate, 5 brigs, 3 schooners and 9 gunboats with 138 guns
Losses Brazil: 6 killed, 24 wounded. United Provinces: 1 frigate sunk, 30 to 100 killed, 70 to 100 wounded.
Result Brazilian victory
The Brazilian fleet under the British admiral James Norton engaged Brown's squadron at dawn on 30 July. The fighting lasted three hours and cost the Argentines a frigate.
Sources differ One account says the fighting began at dawn on 30 July; another account dates the battle 29 to 30 July. Argentine casualties are given only as ranges.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · British punitive expeditions against the Habr Awal
British attack on Berbera (1827) Landing or siege
10 to 11 January 1827 · Berbera, Isaaq Sultanate (now Somaliland)
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against the Isaaq Sultanate (Habr Awal)
Commanders Gordon Bremer, W. C. Jervoise (Britain); C. J. Maillard (East India Company); Farah Guled (Habr Awal)
Forces 250 men with 2 corvettes and 1 sloop against 2,000 to 2,500 men and several buggalows
Losses Britain: 1 killed. Habr Awal: unknown.
Result British victory
A Royal Navy and East India Company force with two corvettes and a sloop attacked Berbera.
Why it is remembered It was the culmination of earlier British punitive expeditions against the Habr Awal.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lieutenant John Septimus Roe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Carmen de Patagones Landing or siege
Also known as Batalla de Carmen de Patagones
7 March 1827 · Carmen de Patagones, southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Fought between United Provinces of the Río de la Plata against Brazil
Commanders Martín Lacarra, Santiago Jorge Bynnon, Sebastián Olivera (United Provinces); James Shepherd, William Eyre, Joaquim M. Lisboa (Brazil)
Forces 1 brigantine, 1 smack, 2 schooners, 2 privateer whalers and about 500 men and militia, against 2 Brazilian corvettes, 1 brigantine, 1 schooner and 654 men
Losses United Provinces: 4 killed, 13 wounded, 4 guns destroyed. Brazil: 100 killed and wounded, 1 corvette sunk, 3 ships and 28 guns captured, 579 prisoners; Shepherd killed.
Result United Provinces victory
A Brazilian naval expedition attacked the town of Carmen de Patagones and was defeated by local militia and a small flotilla. The Brazilians lost a corvette sunk and three ships captured, and most of the force was taken prisoner.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Frans Van Riel (1879 to 1950), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Aegean anti-piracy operations of the United States
Battle of Doro Passage Single-ship action
16 October 1827 · Doro Passage, between Andros and Negroponte (Euboea), Aegean Sea
Fought between United States against Greek pirates
Commanders Benjamin Cooper, Louis M. Goldsborough (United States)
Forces 1 American schooner against 1 pirate brig and 5 mistikos
Ships Comet
Losses Pirates: about 85 killed or wounded, 1 brig captured.
Result American forces recovered the British brig Comet
Pirates seized the British merchant brig Comet in the Doro Passage. American sailors retook her.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: I. K. Vasdravellis, circa 1820, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Ensenada combat (1827) Fleet battle
Also known as Combate de Ensenada de Barragán
June 1827 · Ensenada de Barragán, Río de la Plata, Argentina
Fought between United Provinces of the Río de la Plata against Brazil
Forces The Argentine navy against the Brazilian squadron blockading Buenos Aires
A minor engagement at Ensenada de Barragán between the Argentine navy and the Brazilian squadron that was blockading the port of Buenos Aires.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: Unidentified photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Greek War of Independence
Battle of Itea Raid
Also known as Battle of Agali; Ναυμαχία της Ιτέας
30 September 1827 · Off Itea, Gulf of Corinth, Greece
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire and Egypt
Commanders Frank Abney Hastings (Greece)
Forces 4 Greek ships against 3 schooners, 3 brigs, 3 transports and 1 gunboat
Losses Ottoman: 7 ships destroyed, 2 captured. Greek losses unknown.
Result Greek victory
A small Greek squadron under the British philhellene Frank Abney Hastings raided an Ottoman flotilla anchored near Itea and destroyed or captured nine of its vessels.
Sources differ One account places the battle in the Gulf of Corinth; another account says Aegean Sea.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ioannis Poulakas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Juncal Fleet battle
Also known as Batalha de Aquila; Batalha do Arbolito; Combat de Juncal
8 to 9 February 1827 · Juncal Island, Uruguay River
Fought between United Provinces of the Río de la Plata against Brazil
Commanders William Brown (United Provinces); Sena Pereira (Brazil)
Forces 1 Argentine brigantine, 5 schooners, 1 smack and 8 gunboats with 69 guns and 745 to 780 men, against 1 Brazilian brigantine, 11 schooners and 5 gunboats with 61 guns and 750 men
Losses United Provinces: no ships lost, 17 killed. Brazil: 12 ships captured, including the flagship with its admiral, and 3 burnt; casualties unknown.
Result United Provinces victory
Two squadrons of roughly equal strength fought over two days near Juncal Island. Better command and gunnery gave Brown a decisive win: of 17 Brazilian vessels, 12 were captured and 3 burnt, and no Argentine vessel was lost.
Why it is remembered It destroyed the Brazilian Third Division, which had controlled the Uruguay River, and was Argentina's greatest naval victory of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Martín García (1827) Fleet battle
18 January 1827 · Río de la Plata, off Martín García Island
Fought between Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders Frederico Mariath (Brazil); William Brown (United Provinces)
Forces First engagement: 1 Brazilian corvette and 1 schooner with about 24 guns. Second engagement: 1 corvette, 3 brigs and 4 schooners with about 87 guns. United Provinces: 2 brigs, 5 schooners and 8 gunboats with about 45 guns.
Losses Brazil: 6 killed, 10 wounded. United Provinces: at least 1 brig damaged.
Result Brazilian victory
A small Argentine fleet attacked two Brazilian ships off Martín García and withdrew after an hour. The Brazilians were reinforced and the Argentines attacked again.
Sources differ One account calls the second action indecisive; another account gives a Brazilian victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Monte Santiago Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Monte Santiago
7 to 8 April 1827 · Ensenada coast, Río de la Plata, Argentina
Fought between Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders James Norton (Brazil); William Brown (United Provinces)
Forces 1 Brazilian frigate, 2 corvettes, 5 brigs, 8 schooners, 1 lugger and 1 patache with 229 guns, against 1 Argentine corvette, 2 brigs and 1 schooner with 65 guns
Losses Brazil: 30 to 40 killed or wounded. United Provinces: 2 brigs sunk, 1 schooner damaged, 54 killed, 160 wounded.
Result Brazilian victory
Norton's much larger Brazilian squadron fought Brown's ships off the Ensenada coast, and the Argentines lost their best ships. Captain Francis Drummond, engaged to Brown's daughter Elisa, died on deck firing the guns of his stranded ship rather than retreat.
Why it is remembered Argentine historians count it among the bravest naval actions in the country's history. Afterwards the Argentine navy could only raid commerce, and the Brazilian blockade of Buenos Aires hurt the economy badly.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Edoardo de Martino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
San Blas Expedition Other action
14 to 22 September 1827 · San Blas Bay, south-east of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Fought between Empire of Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders William Eyre, captured (Brazil)
Forces Brazil: the corvette Maceió and the brigs Caboclo and Independência ou Morte
Ships Maceió, Caboclo, Independência ou Morte
Losses Brazilian: the corvette Maceió and the brig Independência ou Morte lost, 40 to 50 men drowned and 83 captured. Argentine: none
Result Victory for the United Provinces
During the Brazilian blockade of the Río de la Plata, Eyre was sent to San Blas Bay to destroy or capture the Argentine privateer Gaviota. On 20 September Maceió and Independência ou Morte ran aground on sandbanks but got off; the next day both grounded again, and strong tides wrecked them over the nights of 21 and 22 September. Caboclo rescued 41 men, while 83 who left the wrecks, Eyre among them, surrendered to the Argentine garrison at Patagones.
Why it is remembered The expedition failed mainly through the shallow seabed and strong tides of the bay rather than through enemy action.
Sources differ Drowned: 40 by one figure, 50 by another.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Gran Colombia-Peru War
Battle of Cruces Landing or siege
22 to 24 November 1828 · Las Cruces Castle, near Guayaquil, Ecuador
Fought between Peru against Gran Colombia
Commanders Martin George Guisse, José Boterín, Hipólito Bouchard (Peru); Thomas Charles Wright, Juan Illingworth (Gran Colombia)
Forces The Peruvian frigate Presidente, corvette Libertad and schooner Peruviana against the Gran Colombian schooner Guayaquileña, brig Adela and the Guayaquil batteries
Ships Presidente, Libertad, Peruviana, Guayaquileña, Adela
Losses Peru: 13 casualties; Guisse killed. Gran Colombia: 1 brig sunk, 1 schooner captured, batteries captured.
Result Peruvian victory
The Peruvian squadron fought the Gran Colombian ships and shore batteries at Las Cruces near Guayaquil over three days. Admiral Guisse was killed, but the Colombian brig was sunk, the schooner captured and the batteries taken.
Why it is remembered The blockade of Guayaquil that followed gave Peru command of the sea and ended the naval campaign of the war; the Peruvian army later occupied Guayaquil.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Spanish attempts to reconquer Mexico
Battle of Mariel Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille de Mariel
10 to 11 February 1828 · Near Mariel, Cuba
Fought between Mexico against Spain
Commanders David Henry Porter (Mexico); Melitón Pérez del Camino (Spain)
Forces The Mexican brig Guerrero against a Spanish frigate
Ships Guerrero
Losses Mexico: 80 killed, Guerrero captured; Porter killed. Spain: unknown, frigate damaged.
Result Spanish victory
The Mexican brig Guerrero fought a Spanish frigate near the Cuban port of Mariel. Guerrero was lost to the Spanish and her commander was killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cisplatine War
Battle of Ponta de Santiago Fleet battle
15 January 1828 · Ensenada de Barragán, Río de la Plata, Argentina
Fought between Brazil against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Commanders James Norton (Brazil); William Brown (United Provinces)
Forces 2 Brazilian brigs and 1 schooner with about 40 guns against 5 Argentine schooners with about 30 guns
Losses Brazil: 2 killed, some wounded. United Provinces: 1 schooner damaged.
Result Indecisive
An Argentine flotilla under Brown was intercepted by Brazilian ships blockading Buenos Aires. No ship was sunk and the Argentines withdrew to port.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Gran Colombia-Peru War
Battle of Punta Malpelo Single-ship action
Also known as Combat de Punta Malpelo
31 August 1828 · Punta Malpelo, near Guayaquil
Fought between Peru against Gran Colombia
Commanders Carlos García del Postigo (Peru); Claudio Johnston, Archibald Taylor (Gran Colombia)
Forces 1 Peruvian corvette against 1 Gran Colombian corvette and 1 schooner
Losses Peru: 43 killed and wounded. Gran Colombia: 60 killed and wounded, 1 corvette captured.
Result Peruvian victory
A Peruvian corvette fought two Gran Colombian vessels near Guayaquil and captured the Colombian corvette.
Why it is remembered It was the first major action of the Peruvian Navy as an independent force.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Tripolitanian-Neapolitan War
Bombardment of Tripoli (1828) Landing or siege
23 to 29 August 1828 · Tripoli, Libya
Fought between Kingdom of the Two Sicilies against Tripoli
Commanders Baron Alphonso Sosi de Caraffa (Two Sicilies); Yusuf Karamanli (Tripoli)
Forces 1 Neapolitan ship of the line, 2 frigates, 2 corvettes, 1 brig, 1 schooner and 12 gunboats and mortar boats, against 20 Tripolitanian vessels and shore batteries
Result Tripolitanian victory
When Naples refused the Pasha's demand for money, he declared war and the Neapolitan squadron blockaded the coast from 23 August. Its attempts to enter the harbour and bombard the city were repelled by the Tripolitanian fleet over several days. Having suffered losses and made no progress, the squadron sailed for Naples on 29 August.
Why it is remembered Through French mediation in October, Naples finally accepted Tripoli's demands.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Austrian expedition against Morocco (1829) Raid
Also known as Attack on Larache
3 June 1829 (expedition to 19 March 1830) · Larache, Morocco, with bombardments of Asilah and Tétouan
Fought between Austrian Empire against Morocco
Commanders Franz Bandiera, Paul Zimburg von Reinerz (Austria); Abd al-Rahman (Morocco)
Forces The Austrian corvettes Carolina and Adria, brig Veneto and schooner Enrichetta, with a landing party of 136 men, against Moroccan forces of about 2,000 and several warships
Ships Carolina, Adria, Veneto, Enrichetta, Veloce
Losses Austria: 22 killed, 14 wounded. Morocco: about 150 men; 2 brigs burnt.
Result Austrian victory
Morocco had seized an Austrian merchant ship and her crew. Bandiera's squadron bombarded Larache on 3 June 1829 while a landing party of 136 men went into the harbour and set fire to two anchored Moroccan brigs; most Austrian losses came during the withdrawal. Asilah and Tétouan were also bombarded.
Why it is remembered A preliminary peace was signed at Gibraltar on 2 February 1830, and on 19 March 1830 the old treaties were renewed and the merchant ship Veloce returned.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexander Kircher (1867 to 1939), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Suppression of the Atlantic slave trade (West Africa Squadron)
Capture of the Veloz Passagera Blockade and raiding
7 September 1830 · Near Prince's Island (Príncipe), West Africa
Fought between Britain against a Spanish slave ship
Commanders William Broughton (Britain); Jozé Antonio de la Vega (Veloz Passagera)
Forces The 18-gun sloop of war HMS Primrose against the 20-gun slave ship Veloz Passagera
Ships HMS Primrose, Veloz Passagera
Losses Britain: 3 killed, 12 wounded, Primrose damaged. Veloz Passagera: 43 killed, 20 wounded, ship captured.
Result British victory
HMS Primrose, patrolling against the slave trade, engaged and captured the more heavily armed Spanish slave ship Veloz Passagera near Prince's Island.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Liberal Wars
Battle of the Tagus (1831) Landing or siege
Also known as Combat du Tage
11 July 1831 · Mouth of the Tagus, Lisbon, Portugal
Fought between France against the Miguelite government of Portugal
Commanders Albin Roussin (France)
Forces 6 French ships of the line, 3 frigates and 3 corvettes against forts and a Miguelite squadron of 1 ship of the line, 3 frigates, 3 corvettes, 3 brigs and 1 brigantine
Losses France: 3 killed, 11 wounded. Miguelites: casualties unknown; 1 ship of the line, 3 frigates, 3 corvettes, 3 brigs and 1 brigantine captured.
Result French victory
A French fleet forced the entrance of the Tagus, subduing the forts that defended it, and arrived off Lisbon. The Miguelite squadron was captured.
Why it is remembered It forced the regime of Miguel I to recognise the July Monarchy and accept French demands, and cost Miguel most of his navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pierre-Julien Gilbert (1783 to 1860), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Anti-piracy operations
First Sumatran expedition Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Quallah Battoo; Battle of Kuala Batu
6 to 9 February 1832 · Kuala Batee (Quallah Battoo), Aceh, Sumatra
Fought between United States against the Chiefdom of Kuala Batee
Commanders Commodore John Downes (United States); Ulèebalang Po Muhammad (Kuala Batee)
Forces The frigate USS Potomac with 282 sailors and marines landed in boats; about 500 warriors in 5 forts with 3 proas
Ships USS Potomac, Friendship
Losses United States: 2 killed and 11 wounded. Kuala Batee: about 150 warriors and about 300 civilians killed or wounded, 5 forts destroyed and 3 proas sunk.
Result American victory
In February 1831 three proas attacked the American merchantman Friendship off Kuala Batu, killing her first officer and two crew and plundering her cargo. In reprisal Commodore Downes brought the frigate Potomac and landed 282 men in boats, who stormed the five forts while the frigate bombarded the town. US troops looted and killed civilians, and Downes was criticised for making no attempt to negotiate.
Why it is remembered It stopped attacks on American shipping on that coast for six years, until the Second Sumatran expedition of 1838.
Sources differ The main account gives about 300 civilians killed or wounded and also says about 300 more were killed in the final bombardment, so the totals are inconsistent.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Suppression of the Atlantic slave trade (Blockade of Africa)
Capture of the brig Brillante Blockade and raiding
About 1832 · Off West Africa
Fought between Britain against slave traders
Commanders Homans (Brillante)
Forces Four Royal Navy vessels against the slave brig Brillante, 10 guns and 60 men
Ships Brillante
Losses About 600 enslaved Africans murdered by Brillante's captain before capture; Brillante captured.
Result British victory; Brillante captured
Brillante had beaten off British patrols at least twice, once forcing a cruiser's crew to abandon ship and once repulsing a sloop's boats. Four naval vessels finally surrounded her. Before they reached her, Captain Homans had about 600 enslaved people tied to the anchor and thrown overboard, and the British took the ship without resistance.
Why it is remembered It was considered a significant feat of the Blockade of Africa. Homans had landed 5,000 enslaved people in Brazil and Cuba over ten voyages.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Liberal Wars
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1833) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Saint-Vincent (1833)
5 July 1833 · Off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal
Fought between Portuguese Liberals against the Miguelites
Commanders Charles Napier (Liberals); Manuel Marreiros (Miguelites)
Forces 3 Liberal frigates, 1 corvette, 1 brig and 1 schooner with 176 guns, against 4 Miguelite ships of the line, 1 frigate, 1 xebec, 3 corvettes and 1 brig with 372 guns
Ships Rainha de Portugal
Losses Liberals: 90 killed or wounded. Miguelites: 300 killed or wounded; 4 ships of the line, 1 frigate and 1 corvette captured.
Result Liberal victory
After an exchange of fire Napier judged that his smaller squadron could not last and steered straight at the Miguelite fleet. His crews, mostly discharged Royal Navy men, boarded and won in hand to hand fighting. Four ships of the line, a frigate and a corvette were taken, and the rest of the Miguelite fleet withdrew.
Why it is remembered It destroyed Dom Miguel's last naval force, and Lisbon, cut off from supply by sea, soon capitulated. Napier was made Viscount and later Count of Cape St Vincent.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Antoine Léon Morel-Fatio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Ingham incident Single-ship action
Also known as Montezuma Affair
14 June 1835 · Gulf of Mexico, off Brazos Santiago, Texas
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Ezekiel Jones (United States); Juan Calvi (Mexico)
Forces The revenue cutter USRC Ingham against the Mexican warship schooner Montezuma
Ships USRC Ingham, Montezuma, Martha, Columbia
Losses None on either side; Montezuma run aground.
Result United States victory
The Mexican warship Montezuma, patrolling against smuggling into Texas, had captured the American merchant ship Martha and the Texan ship Columbia. The revenue cutter Ingham went after her, and after a bloodless engagement Montezuma was deliberately run aground to avoid capture.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval battle between Mexico and the United States.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Texas Revolution
San Felipe incident (1835) Single-ship action
1 September 1835 · Off Brazoria, Texas, Gulf of Mexico
Fought between Texian rebels against Mexico
Commanders William A. Hurd (Texians); Thomas Thompson (Mexico)
Forces The armed merchant ship San Felipe and the Laura against the Mexican Navy schooner Correo de Mejico
Ships San Felipe, Laura, Correo de Mejico
Losses Mexico: Correo de Mejico captured with her captain and crew.
Result Texian victory
Thomas McKinney armed the merchant ship San Felipe and sent her from New Orleans with munitions for the Texian rebels, with Stephen F. Austin aboard. As she transferred cargo to the Laura, the Mexican warship Correo de Mejico approached; both ships fired on her and captured her after a day-long chase. Captain Hurd took Thompson and his crew to New Orleans as pirates.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval battle of the Texas Revolution, and removing Thompson, who had been seizing smugglers, opened the way for more arms to reach the rebels.
Sources differ One account lists the Texian force as a schooner and a steamer; another account calls San Felipe a merchant ship.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · War of the Confederation (prelude)
Capture of Confederate ships (1836) Raid
Also known as Captura de Buques de la Confederación
21 August 1836 (night) · Callao, Peru
Fought between Chile against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation
Commanders Pedro Angulo Novoa (Chile)
Forces Chilean sailors aboard the brig Aquiles against the unarmed barque Santa Cruz, brig Arequipeño and schooner Peruviana at anchor
Ships Aquiles, Santa Cruz, Arequipeño, Peruviana
Losses Confederation: Santa Cruz, Arequipeño and Peruviana seized.
Result Chilean success
Without a declaration of war, Chilean sailors from the brig Aquiles seized three Confederation ships anchored at Callao. Only the Santa Cruz had a crew aboard, and it resisted.
Why it is remembered Protector Santa Cruz had the Chilean envoy arrested. A treaty arranged through a British diplomat was rejected by the Chilean minister Portales, who was seeking a reason for war.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Texas Revolution
Battle of Matamoros (1836) Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 3 April 1836
3 April 1836 · Off Matamoros (Los Brazos de Santiago), Tamaulipas, Gulf of Mexico
Fought between Texas against Mexico
Commanders Jeremiah Brown (Texas)
Forces The Texas Navy schooner Invincible against the Mexican Navy brig Montezuma
Ships Invincible, Montezuma
Losses Mexico: Montezuma lost. Texas: Invincible damaged.
Result Texan victory
Invincible outmanoeuvred the Mexican brig Montezuma off Matamoros and hit her repeatedly. Montezuma ran aground and was abandoned.
Why it is remembered Matamoros was the main supply base for Santa Anna's army, which was defeated at San Jacinto later that month.
Sources differ One account says Montezuma ran aground and was abandoned; another account records her as sunk.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Texas and Mexico naval conflict after the Texas Revolution
Battle of the Brazos River Single-ship action
Also known as Action of 17 April 1837
17 April 1837 · Brazos River, off Velasco, Texas
Fought between Mexico against the Republic of Texas
Commanders Francisco López (Mexico); George Wheelwright (Texas)
Forces 2 Mexican brigs against 1 Texan schooner
Losses Mexico: 2 killed, 2 brigs damaged. Texas: 1 wounded, schooner captured.
Result Mexican victory
Two Mexican Navy brigs engaged a Texian Navy schooner off Velasco and captured her with her commander.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Texas and Mexico naval conflict after the Texas Revolution
Battle of Galveston Harbor (1837) Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Galveston Bay
26 August 1837 · Off Galveston, Texas
Fought between Mexico against the Republic of Texas
Commanders Henry L. Thompson (Texas)
Forces 2 Mexican brigs against 2 Texan schooners
Losses Mexico: 1 brig damaged. Texas: 1 schooner sunk, 1 schooner grounded.
Result Mexican victory
Two Mexican brigs fought two Texan schooners off Galveston. One schooner was sunk and the other grounded.
Why it is remembered It ended the First Texas Navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · War of the Confederation
Battle of San Lorenzo Island Single-ship action
Also known as Combate de la Isla San Lorenzo
· Off San Lorenzo Island, Peru
Fought between Peru-Bolivian Confederation against Chile
Forces The Confederation schooner Yanacocha against the Chilean brig Aquiles
Ships Yanacocha, Aquiles
A naval skirmish off San Lorenzo Island between the Confederation schooner Yanacocha and the Chilean brig Aquiles.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: Unknown artist (Armada de Chile), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · War of the Confederation
Battle of Callao (1838) Fleet battle
24 November 1838 · Callao, Peru
Fought between Chile against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation
Commanders Santiago J. Bynnon (Chile); Jean Blanchet, San Julián (Confederation)
Forces 2 Chilean schooners and 1 brig against 1 Confederation corvette, 1 schooner and 3 gunboats
Losses Unknown on both sides.
The Chilean ships blockading Callao under Commander Bynnon fought the Confederation privateer squadron under Jean Blanchet.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · War of the Confederation
Battle of Islay Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Islay; Combate Naval de Islay
12 to 13 January 1838 · Off Islay, southern Peru
Fought between Chile against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation
Commanders Roberto Simpson (Chile); Juan José Panizo (Confederation)
Forces Chile: 1 frigate, 2 corvettes and 2 brigantines. Confederation: 1 corvette and 2 brigantines
Ships Monteagudo, Libertad, Valparaíso, Aquiles, Arequipeño (Chile); Socabaya, Junín, Fundador (Confederation)
Losses No casualties, damage or ship losses are recorded in the sources used
Result Inconclusive; both sides claimed victory
A Chilean squadron, sent after Peru rejected the Treaty of Paucarpata, surprised the Confederate squadron near Islay. The Confederate ships made off to the north and Simpson chased them through the night. Panizo repeatedly brought his ships round to fire on the pursuers, slowing the chase so that the slower brig Junín could escape, and darkness ended the action. The Chilean squadron reached Callao on 17 January.
Why it is remembered Peruvian historians count it a Confederate success because Panizo saved every ship from a stronger enemy; Chilean historians treat it as a minor action that did not change the course of the war.
Sources differ The Wikipedia text calls the Chilean force five battleships, while the main account gives one frigate, two corvettes and two brigantines.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · War of the Confederation
Capture of the schooner Peruviana Raid
Also known as Captura de la goleta Peruviana
3 January 1838 · Callao, Peru
Fought between Peru-Bolivian Confederation against Chile
Ships Peruviana
Result Peruviana recaptured by the Confederation
The schooner Peruviana was retaken at Callao and returned to the Confederation squadron. She had been seized at her anchorage the year before in a night raid made without a declaration of war.
Sources differ The main account says the earlier raid was made by a Chilean squadron under Victorino Garrido; the main account on the 1836 seizure names Pedro Angulo Novoa aboard the brig Aquiles and dates it 21 August 1836, not the year before 1838.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: Álvaro Casanova Zenteno, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Pastry War
Battle of Veracruz (1838) Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of San Juan de Ulúa
27 November to 5 December 1838 · San Juan de Ulúa and Veracruz, Mexico
Fought between France against Mexico
Commanders Charles Baudin, François d'Orléans, Prince de Joinville (France); Antonio López de Santa Anna, Mariano Arista, Antonio Gaona, Manuel Rincón (Mexico)
Forces 4 French frigates, 2 corvettes, 8 brigs and 2 bomb ketches with about 3,000 men, against a garrison of 3,229 and the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa
Ships Néréide, Iphigénie, Gloire, Médée, Créole, Naïade, Vulcain, Cyclope
Losses France: 4 killed, 29 wounded in the bombardment; 8 killed, 56 wounded in the raid. Mexico: over 220 killed in the fortress; 31 killed, 26 wounded in the raid by Santa Anna's account; Arista captured, Santa Anna badly wounded.
Result French victory
After talks failed, Baudin's frigates and bomb ketches opened fire on San Juan de Ulúa at 14:30 on 27 November and kept it up until 20:00. Shells from the mortars and Paixhans guns silenced the citadel, which surrendered on 28 November. When Mexico still refused French demands, about 1,500 men landed at Veracruz on 5 December, captured General Arista and wounded Santa Anna.
Why it is remembered The rapid fall of the fortress to light warships stunned observers and marked the start of the era of shell artillery. It also raised Santa Anna's standing and added to Mexico's political instability.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · British conquest of Aden
Aden Expedition Landing or siege
19 January 1839 · Aden and Sira Island, Yemen
Fought between Britain (East India Company) against the Sultanate of Lahej
Commanders Henry Smith (Britain); Muhsin ibn al-Fadl (Lahej)
Forces 700 infantry with 1 frigate, 1 corvette, 1 brig and 1 schooner, against 700 infantry, 33 guns and the fort on Sira Island
Losses Britain: none, 1 corvette damaged. Lahej: 150 killed or wounded, 139 captured, 33 guns and the fort captured.
Result British victory
Britain wanted Aden as a coaling station on the new Suez to Bombay steamer route, and the Sultan of Lahej resisted. A small force of warships and East India Company troops defeated the defenders of the fortress on Sira Island and occupied the port.
Why it is remembered The Sultan and his family fled to Lahej, and Aden passed under British control.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · War of the Confederation
Battle of Casma Fleet battle
Also known as Combat de Casma
12 January 1839 · Bay of Casma, Peru, about 370 km north of Callao
Fought between Chile against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation
Commanders Roberto Simpson (Chile); Jean Blanchet (Confederation)
Forces The Chilean Confederación (22 guns), Santa Cruz (20) and Valparaíso (20) against the privateers Mexicana (12), Peru (10), Arequipeño (6) and Edmond (5)
Ships Confederación, Santa Cruz, Valparaíso, Mexicana, Peru, Arequipeño, Edmond
Losses Chile: 8 killed, 8 wounded. Confederation: 13 killed, 70 prisoners, Arequipeño captured; Blanchet killed.
Result Chilean victory
The Confederation offered 200,000 pesos for the destruction of the Chilean fleet, and four privateers manned by Peruvian infantry and mostly French sailors attacked the Chilean squadron while it was taking on firewood in Casma Bay. The Chileans inflicted heavy losses, captured Arequipeño and killed Blanchet. The other privateers escaped under French colours, were stopped by a French warship, and the squadron was disbanded.
Why it is remembered It gave Chile naval supremacy in the south east Pacific, and Simpson was promoted to commodore.
Sources differ Both sides claimed victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Álvaro Casanova Zenteno, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
First Battle of Chuenpi Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Chuenpee; Battle of Chuanbi; 穿鼻之戰
3 November 1839 · Entrance of the Humen strait (the Bogue), Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain against Qing China
Commanders Charles Elliot, Henry Smith (Britain); Lin Zexu, Guan Tianpei (China)
Forces 1 British frigate and 1 sloop against 16 war junks and 13 fire rafts
Ships HMS Volage, HMS Hyacinth
Losses Britain: 1 wounded, both ships lightly damaged. China: 15 killed, 1 junk blown up, 3 junks sunk, 1 fire raft sunk, several junks damaged.
Result British victory
The British frigates HMS Hyacinth and HMS Volage opened fire on Chinese ships at the mouth of the Bogue that they took to be hostile. One junk blew up and three were sunk.
Why it is remembered A minor action near the start of the First Opium War, named after Chuenpi island.
Sources differ One account calls both British ships frigates; another account lists 1 frigate and 1 sloop.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Battle of Kowloon Single-ship action
Also known as 九龍海戰
4 September 1839 · Off the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong (then Guangdong province), China
Fought between Britain against Qing China
Commanders Charles Elliot, Henry Smith, Joseph Douglas (Britain); Lai Enjue (China)
Forces 4 British boats, the cutter Louisa, the schooner Pearl and a pinnace from HMS Volage among them, against 3 war junks and a shore fort
Ships Louisa, Pearl
Losses Britain: 3 wounded. China: 2 killed, 6 wounded.
Result Stalemate
Chinese war junks were enforcing a ban on food sales to the British after a Chinese man died in a brawl with British sailors. Elliot sailed to Kowloon in the cutter Louisa and demanded provisions; when his ultimatum expired the British opened fire on three junks, which replied with support from a fort onshore. The British boats ran short of ammunition and withdrew, then returned and re-engaged, and the junks went back to their station.
Why it is remembered It was the first armed clash of the First Opium War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: John H. Collins, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Battle of the Barrier Landing or siege
Also known as 澳門之戰
19 August 1840 · The Barrier (Portas do Cerco), Macao, China
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against Qing China
Commanders Henry Smith (Britain); Yi Zhongfu (China)
Forces 2 British sloops, 1 frigate, 1 steamer and 1 transport with a 380-man landing force, against 2,000 troops, a 17-gun battery and 8 junks
Ships HMS Hyacinth, HMS Larne, HMS Druid, Louisa, Enterprise, Nazareth Shah
Losses Britain: 4 wounded. China: 50 to 60 killed, 100 to 120 wounded.
Result British victory
Hyacinth, Larne, the cutter Louisa and the steamer Enterprise anchored in Fisherman's Bay and fired over 600 shot at a 17-gun battery about 600 yards away, silencing it in under an hour. A brigade of 380 marines, seamen from Druid and Bengal Volunteers then landed and routed the Chinese, burning their barracks. The British re-embarked that evening.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: "Drawn on wood by E. T. Wigan", p. xviii, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Battle of Amoy Landing or siege
26 August 1841 · Amoy (Xiamen) and Gulangyu Island, Fujian, China
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against Qing China
Commanders Hugh Gough, William Parker (Britain)
Forces 15 British ships and 2,500 troops against 26 junks and 5,600 to 10,000 troops
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 15 wounded. China: more than 60 killed, 500 guns and 26 junks captured.
Result British victory
A British fleet and landing force attacked Amoy and captured the forts on Xiamen and on nearby Gulangyu Island.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Battle of the Bogue Landing or siege
Also known as 虎門之戰
23 to 26 February 1841 · Humen strait (the Bogue), Pearl River Delta, Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against Qing China
Commanders Gordon Bremer, Charles Elliot (Britain); Guan Tianpei, Qishan (China)
Forces 12 British ships and 1,037 men against 30 junks, 2,000 men, more than 506 guns and 3 forts
Losses Britain: 5 wounded. China: more than 500 killed or wounded, 506 guns and 3 forts captured; Guan Tianpei killed.
Result British victory
The British made an amphibious attack at the Bogue and captured the forts on Anunghoy and North Wangtong islands.
Why it is remembered It opened the Pearl River to the British fleet, which went on to capture Canton the following month.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Adolphus Knell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Battle of Canton (May 1841) Landing or siege
Also known as Second Battle of Canton
21 to 30 May 1841 · Canton (Guangzhou), Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain (with the East India Company) against Qing China
Commanders Hugh Gough (Britain); Yishan and Yang Fang (China)
Forces Britain: 6,000 men, 2 steamers and 7 other ships. China: 45,000 men and 4 forts
Losses British: 15 killed, 112 wounded. Chinese: 1,000 killed, 1,750 wounded, 4 forts captured
Result British victory
In May 1841 a British force under Hugh Gough, with two steamers and seven other ships, fought Qing forces at Canton from 21 to 30 May; on 24 May British ships sailed toward the besieged city. Four Chinese forts were captured.
Why it is remembered It was the second battle for Canton in the First Opium War and ended with four Chinese forts in British hands.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Battle of First Bar Landing or siege
27 February 1841 · First Bar Island, Pearl River, Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain (with the East India Company) against Qing China
Commanders Gordon Bremer and Thomas Herbert (Britain); Hsiang-fu, killed, and Yung-fu (China)
Forces Britain: 2 steamers, 4 corvettes and 1 bomb ketch. China: over 2,000 troops, over 40 war junks, the former East Indiaman Cambridge and batteries mounting 47 guns
Ships HMS Calliope, HMS Herald, HMS Alligator, HMS Sulphur, HMS Modeste, the steamers Madagascar and Nemesis (Britain); Cambridge (China)
Losses British: 1 seaman killed by the accidental discharge of a musket, 8 wounded. Chinese: about 300 killed, 98 guns captured and the Cambridge destroyed
Result British victory
HMS Modeste closed to within 300 yards of the shore and fired broadsides before the rest of the squadron joined in, while the steamers Madagascar and Nemesis set much of the Chinese camp alight with shells and rockets. After about an hour the batteries were nearly silent, and seamen and marines landed and stormed the works. A boarding party under Lieutenant Watson of HMS Calliope took the Cambridge, a former East Indiaman of 34 guns flying a Chinese admiral's flag; she was set on fire and blew up after dark. More than 40 war junks upriver stayed out of range.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the capture and burning of the Cambridge, a former British East Indiaman serving as a Chinese flagship, in one of the Pearl River actions of the First Opium War.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Second Battle of Chuenpi Landing or siege
Also known as Second Battle of Chuenpee; 第二次穿鼻之戰
7 January 1841 · Humen strait (the Bogue), Pearl River Delta, Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain and the East India Company against Qing China
Commanders Gordon Bremer, Charles Elliot (Britain); Guan Tianpei, Qishan (China)
Forces 3 British ships of the line, 3 frigates, 2 paddle frigates, 1 corvette, 2 sloops and 1 bomb ketch with 1,500 men, against 15 junks, 2,000 men and 2 forts
Losses Britain: 38 wounded. China: 277 killed, 467 wounded, 100 captured, 11 junks destroyed, 191 guns and 2 forts captured.
Result British victory
The British made an amphibious attack at the Bogue and took the forts on the islands of Chuenpi and Taikoktow, destroying eleven junks.
Why it is remembered The talks that followed produced the Convention of Chuenpi on 20 January, under which Elliot announced the cession of Hong Kong Island; Britain took possession on 26 January 1841 and held it until 1997.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Battle of Whampoa Landing or siege
2 March 1841 · Whampoa Island (now Pazhou Island), Pearl River, near Canton, China
Fought between Britain (with the East India Company) against Qing China
Commanders Gordon Bremer and Edward Belcher (Britain); Chinese commander unknown
Forces Britain: 1 ship of the line, 2 corvettes and 1 bomb ketch. China: 250 troops and 25 guns
Ships HMS Sulphur, HMS Wellesley
Losses British: 1 killed. Chinese: 15 to 20 killed
Result British victory
HMS Sulphur under Captain Edward Belcher, towed by three boats of HMS Wellesley under Lieutenant Richard Symonds, was reconnoitring when a Chinese battery opened fire. The tow was cast off, the boats' crews landed, and Sulphur's guns drove the defenders into the jungle. The British took the forts, destroyed the guns and blew up the works and magazines; one Wellesley seaman died of grapeshot wounds.
Why it is remembered It was one of a series of British attacks on the Qing defences of the Pearl River in early 1841, coming a few days after the Battle of First Bar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Drawn by Thomas Allom. Engraved by W. A. Le Petit., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · African Slave Trade Patrol
Ivory Coast expedition Landing or siege
Also known as Liberia expedition
June to December 1842 · Ivory Coast and Liberia, West Africa
Fought between United States against the Bereby people
Commanders Matthew C. Perry (United States); Ben Crack-O (Bereby)
Forces 1 American frigate, 2 sloops of war and 1 brigantine with 50 marines and 150 sailors
Losses Bereby: 8 villages destroyed, including Little Bereby; Ben Crack-O killed.
Result American victory
After attacks on the American merchant ships Mary Carver and Edward Barley, Congress approved a punitive expedition under Commodore Perry. His force destroyed the fortified town of Little Bereby and killed the chief held responsible.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Mary Carver Affair Raid
24 April 1842 · Near Little Bereby, Côte d'Ivoire
Fought between Bereby against an American merchant ship
Commanders Eben Farwell (Mary Carver); Ben Crack-O (Bereby)
Forces Bereby warriors in canoes against the American merchant schooner Mary Carver
Ships Mary Carver
Losses Mary Carver: 5 killed, ship captured and plundered.
Result Bereby victory
Bereby warriors in canoes attacked the American merchant ship Mary Carver near Little Bereby, killed her crew and plundered the ship.
Why it is remembered It provoked the United States Navy's Ivory Coast expedition later that year.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Capture of Monterey Landing or siege
19 to 21 October 1842 · Monterey, Alta California, Mexico (now California, United States)
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Thomas ap Catesby Jones, James Armstrong, Cornelius Stribling (United States); Mariano Silva, Juan B. Alvarado (Mexico)
Forces 150 American marines and sailors from the Pacific Squadron against 29 soldiers, 25 militia, 11 guns and a fort
Losses None on either side; the fort was surrendered.
Result Inconclusive; the town was returned to Mexico the next day
Acting on false news that the United States and Mexico were at war, Commodore Jones sailed from Lima to Monterey to take the capital before any British cession. He landed, received the Mexican surrender and took the fort. The next morning a newspaper showed the two countries were at peace, and Jones handed the town back.
Why it is remembered Jones went to Los Angeles to apologise to the governor and was temporarily relieved of command.
Sources differ One account says Jones sailed with three warships; another account lists 1 frigate and 1 sloop of war.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Opium War
Battle of Woosung Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Wusong
16 June 1842 · Mouth of the Wusong River (now the Huangpu), Jiangsu, China
Fought between Britain (with the East India Company) against Qing China
Commanders Hugh Gough and William Parker (Britain); Chen Huacheng, killed (China)
Forces Britain: 14 ships. China: 19 ships and 4,000 to 5,000 troops
Ships HMS Cornwallis
Losses British: 3 killed, 25 wounded. Chinese: hundreds killed or wounded, 250 guns captured
Result British victory
British warships, HMS Cornwallis among them, moved close inshore and bombarded the forts while the troop transports stood about four miles off. Within two hours British fire had silenced the Chinese guns, and Royal Marines and seamen landed, seized the works and spiked the guns. Most of the garrison fled, but Chen Huacheng fought on until he was killed.
Why it is remembered The capture of Woosung and Baoshan opened the way to Shanghai, which the British took with little resistance on 19 June.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Rundle Burges Watson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Franco-Moroccan War
Bombardment of Mogador Landing or siege
15 to 17 August 1844 · Mogador (Essaouira) and Mogador island, Morocco
Fought between France against Morocco
Commanders François d'Orléans, Prince de Joinville (France); Laarbi Torres, Omar Laalaj, Ahmed ben al-Shiker (Morocco)
Forces 15 French warships and 1,200 soldiers against 400 to 500 troops and about 120 guns
Losses France: 14 killed, 64 wounded. Morocco: 200 killed, 160 captured; Omar Laalaj killed.
Result French victory
French naval forces under the Prince de Joinville attacked the city of Mogador and the island facing it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Sarkis Diranian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Franco-Moroccan War
Bombardment of Tangier Landing or siege
6 August 1844 · Tangier, Morocco
Fought between France against Morocco
Commanders François d'Orléans, Prince de Joinville (France); Ben Abbou (Morocco)
Forces 15 French warships and 13 other ships against 1,000 cavalry and 105 guns
Losses France: 3 killed, 17 wounded. Morocco: 150 killed, 400 wounded.
Result French victory
A French squadron under the Prince de Joinville bombarded Tangier after Morocco refused to end its support for Abd El-Kader in Algeria.
Why it is remembered It was followed by the Battle of Isly on 14 August and the bombardment of Mogador by the same fleet.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Dominican War of Independence
Battle of Tortuguero Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Tortuguero
15 April 1844 · Puerto Tortuguero, Azua Province, Dominican Republic
Fought between Dominican Republic against Haiti
Commanders Juan Bautista Cambiaso, Juan Bautista Maggiolo, Juan Alejandro Acosta (Dominican Republic)
Forces 3 Dominican schooners, Separación Dominicana, María Chica and San José, against the Haitian brigantine Pandora and the schooners La Mouche and Le Signifie
Ships Separación Dominicana, María Chica, San José, Pandora, La Mouche, Le Signifie
Losses Dominican Republic: none. Haiti: 1 brigantine and 2 schooners sunk.
Result Dominican victory
Three Dominican schooners under Juan Bautista Cambiaso met three Haitian vessels at Tortuguero and sank all three.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval battle of the Dominican War of Independence and gave the Dominican Republic naval supremacy over Haiti for the rest of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alejandro Bonilla, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Uruguayan Civil War (Great Siege of Montevideo)
USS Congress incident Other action
29 September 1844 (confrontation); diplomatic incident to 25 May 1845 · Río de la Plata
Fought between United States against the Argentine Confederation
Commanders Philip Voorhees, John Tyler, John C. Calhoun (United States); Juan Manuel de Rosas, Felipe Arana, Juan Fitton O'Connor (Argentine Confederation)
Forces United States: a frigate and a brigantine, 64 guns. Argentine Confederation: a frigate, a brigantine and a schooner, 35 guns
Ships USS Congress
Result Status quo ante; the Argentine blockade of Montevideo resumed and Voorhees was prosecuted
During the Great Siege of Montevideo, United States Navy ships under Philip Voorhees confronted the Argentine naval squadron blockading the city in the Río de la Plata on 29 September 1844. The confrontation became a diplomatic dispute that lasted into 1845.
Why it is remembered The Argentine blockade of Montevideo was resumed and Voorhees was prosecuted.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Flagstaff War
Battle of Kororāreka Landing or siege
Also known as Burning of Kororāreka
11 March 1845 · Kororāreka (now Russell), Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Fought between British colonial forces against Māori led by Hōne Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti
Commanders David Robertson-Macdonald, wounded, George Phillpotts, Edward Barclay, John Campbell and Cornthwaite Hector (British side); Hōne Heke, Te Ruki Kawiti and Pūmuka, killed (Māori)
Forces About 90 sailors and marines (HMS Hazard and Royal Marines), about 52 soldiers of the 96th Regiment and about 70 armed civilians, against about 600 Māori warriors
Ships HMS Hazard
Losses British military: 11 killed and about 22 wounded on 11 March. Civilians: about 13 killed and more than 13 wounded between 11 and 17 March. Māori: about 34 killed
Result Māori victory; the town fell
War broke out between the British authorities and a small group of Māori after the establishment of British control. On 11 March 1845 Māori warriors under Hōne Heke, Te Ruki Kawiti and Pūmuka attacked Kororāreka, defended by sailors and marines of HMS Hazard, soldiers of the 96th Regiment and armed townsmen. The defence failed and the town fell to the Māori.
Why it is remembered It is remembered as the burning of Kororāreka, present-day Russell, and for Hōne Heke's removal of the British colours from Flagstaff Hill.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Moriori at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Anglo-Bruneian War (anti-piracy operations)
Marudu expedition Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Marudu Bay; Langkon War
17 to 20 August 1845 · Marudu Bay, northern Borneo
Fought between United Kingdom against the Kingdom of Marudu under Sharif Uthman
Commanders Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane and Captain Talbot (United Kingdom); Sharif Uthman, wounded, with Sharif Rum, Sharif Yassin and other leaders (Marudu)
Forces A Royal Navy squadron of eight ships, of which Vixen, Pluto, Nemesis, Wolverine and Cruiser entered the bay, with nine gunboats, 24 guns and fewer than 1,000 men; about 1,000 Marudu warriors with 11 guns in two forts behind a river boom
Ships Vixen, Pluto, Nemesis, Wolverine, Cruiser
Losses Marudu: about 240 killed or wounded, including 5 leaders. Britain: 6 to 8 killed and about 20 wounded.
Result British victory
Talbot's boats reached a boom of wood and iron about 200 m from the forts and cut through it with axes under fire. Rocket parties landed on the right bank damaged the stockade, and once the British broke through most defenders fled. The Marudu forces burned their town and vessels, and the British looted and burned the fort.
Why it is remembered James Brooke and Cochrane justified the attack by calling Marudu a pirate base, a charge later questioned. Sharif Uthman was carried off wounded and his fate is uncertain.
Sources differ One account lists one fort with 11 guns; another account describes two forts with three and eight guns. Accounts that Sharif Uthman died of a neck wound are questioned.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles Bethune, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata
Battle of Vuelta de Obligado Landing or siege
Also known as Bataille de la Vuelta de Obligado
20 November 1845 · Vuelta de Obligado, Paraná River, San Pedro district, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Fought between Argentine Confederation against Britain and France
Commanders Lucio Norberto Mansilla, Francisco Crespo (Argentina); Samuel Inglefield (Britain); François Tréhouart (France)
Forces 11 British and French warships against 2,160 men, 4 shore batteries, 1 brigantine and 2 gunboats, with three chains across the river on 24 boats
Ships Gorgon, Firebrand, Philomel, Comus, Dolphin, Fanny, San Martín, Fulton, Expéditive, Pandour, Procida, Republicano, Restaurador, Lagos
Losses Argentina: 150 killed, 90 wounded, brigantine Republicano lost, 21 guns and 20 barges taken. Britain and France: 28 killed, 95 wounded, several warships badly damaged.
Result Anglo-French tactical success; the passage was forced
Rosas's forces stretched three chains across the Paraná on 24 boats, guarded by four batteries and the brigantine Republicano and two gunboats. The allied squadron opened with heavy gunfire and rockets at dawn; the chain barges were burnt and Republicano was blown up by her commander. Fulton passed through a gap in the barrier, and landing parties took the bluff and its guns.
Why it is remembered The allies won the passage but not their aims, and treaties later recognised Argentine authority over its rivers. 20 November is commemorated in Argentina as the Day of National Sovereignty, a national holiday since 2010.
Sources differ The English account gives no clear result.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War
First Battle of Tabasco Landing or siege
24 to 26 October 1846 · Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Matthew C. Perry and French Forrest (United States); Juan B. Traconis (Mexico)
Forces United States: 7 ships and a landing force of 700. Mexico: 253
Ships USS Mississippi (Perry's flagship)
Losses American: 2 killed, 2 wounded, 2 drowned. Mexican: 5 killed
Result Mexican victory
In October 1846 Commodore Perry's squadron tried to capture towns along the Tabasco coast. From 24 to 26 October seven ships and a landing force of 700 attacked Villahermosa, defended by 253 Mexican troops under Juan B. Traconis, and the attack ended in a Mexican victory.
Why it is remembered Perry returned in June 1847 and took the town in the Second Battle of Tabasco.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Battle of Punta Quebracho Landing or siege
Also known as Combate de la Angostura del Quebracho
4 June 1846 · Quebracho narrows of the Paraná River, Puerto General San Martín, Santa Fe, Argentina
Fought between Argentine Confederation against an Anglo-French naval squadron
Commanders General Lucio Norberto Mansilla (Argentine Confederation)
Forces Argentine artillery and troops on the high river banks against a larger Anglo-French squadron
Result Argentine Confederation victory
An Anglo-French squadron, sent to impose free trade on the interior of the country, was attacked on the Paraná by Mansilla's forces, who used the high cliffs and the narrowness of the river at the Quebracho narrows against the larger enemy force.
Why it is remembered It is commemorated every 4 June at Puerto General San Martín, where the site is a national historic place and a school, a cultural centre and a stadium are named after the battle.
Sources lacapital.com.ar
Image: Carlos Pellegrini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War
First Battle of Tuxpan Landing or siege
18 April 1847 · Tuxpan River and town of Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Matthew C. Perry (United States); Martín Perfecto de Cos (Mexico)
Forces Perry's Mosquito Fleet with a landing force of 1,519 men and 4 field guns, against 300 to 400 defenders in five batteries
Losses United States: 3 killed, 11 wounded. Mexico: unknown.
Result United States victory
Perry's small craft towed 30 barges up the Tuxpan River on 18 April. By 3 p.m. they had taken two downriver forts and the forts at the edge of the town, which surrendered by 4 p.m. Perry removed the guns, destroyed the works and left the town on 22 April, keeping two craft to blockade the river.
Why it is remembered It was the only major battle of the war at Tuxpan.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Sarony & Major., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War
Bombardment of Guaymas Landing or siege
20 October 1847 · Guaymas, Sonora, Gulf of California, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Elie A. F. La Vallette (United States); Antonio Campuzano (Mexico)
Forces The first-class frigate USS Congress and the sloop USS Portsmouth against a coastal fort and shore batteries
Ships USS Congress, USS Portsmouth
Losses None known on either side.
Result United States victory; the Mexican garrison evacuated Guaymas
Faced with the threat of bombardment, Colonel Campuzano secretly withdrew the garrison and its guns by night. Next morning the two ships bombarded the fort and town, and La Vallette landed to find them abandoned. Lacking men to hold the town, he demolished its seaward defences and left Portsmouth off the harbour to dominate it and collect duties.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War
Battle of Mulegé Landing or siege
2 October 1847 · Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Thomas O. Selfridge and Tunis Craven (United States); Manuel Pineda Muñoz (Mexico)
Forces United States: 17 marines and 54 seamen from USS Dale. Mexico: about 100 militia
Ships USS Dale
Losses American: 2 wounded. Mexican: none
Result Mexican victory
On 2 October 1847 marines and sailors from USS Dale landed at Mulegé and fought the Mexican militia. They took a hill near the town, but the action is counted a Mexican victory.
Why it is remembered It was one of several small actions fought by American sailors and marines on the coast of Baja California during the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William H. Meyers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War
Bombardment of Punta Sombrero Landing or siege
31 October 1847 · Punta Sombrero, Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Tunis Craven (United States)
Forces The schooner Libertad against a Mexican shore battery
Ships Libertad
Losses United States: schooner damaged. Mexico: unknown.
Result United States victory; the shore battery was silenced
After a Mexican attack on a United States Navy warship, the schooner Libertad bombarded the Mexican shore battery at Punta Sombrero and silenced it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Henry Meyers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War
Second Battle of Tabasco Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Villahermosa
15 to 16 June 1847 · San Juan Bautista (now Villahermosa), Tabasco, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Matthew C. Perry and David D. Porter (United States); Domingo Echagaray and Claro Hidalgo (Mexico)
Forces United States: 8 vessels, 1,050 marines and 7 field guns. Mexico: over 600 soldiers
Losses American: 6 wounded, 3 missing. Mexican: about 30
Result United States victory
As part of the blockade of Mexico's Gulf ports, Perry returned to Tabasco with eight vessels and over a thousand marines, landed at San Juan Bautista, now Villahermosa, and defeated the Mexican defenders on 15 and 16 June 1847.
Why it is remembered It reversed the American failure at Villahermosa in October 1846.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War
Second Battle of Tuxpan Landing or siege
June 1847 (exact date unknown) · Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Matthew C. Perry (United States); Mexican commander unknown
Forces A landing force of marines, sailors and artillery from Perry's Mosquito Fleet against Mexican infantry and militia
Losses American: 1 sailor killed, 6 wounded (2 severely). Mexican: unknown
Result United States victory
During the American occupation and blockade of Tuxpan, a landing force from Perry's Mosquito Fleet fought Mexican soldiers or militia at the town. One American sailor was killed and six were wounded.
Why it is remembered It was the second of three small battles at Tuxpan; another skirmish there on 30 June is known as the Third Battle of Tuxpan.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Bombardment of Tourane (1847) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Tourane
15 April 1847 · Off Tourane (Da Nang), Vietnam
Fought between France against Vietnam (Đại Nam)
Commanders Augustin de Lapierre, Charles Rigault de Genouilly (France); Nguyễn Tri Phương (Vietnam)
Forces The French warships Gloire and Victorieuse against 6 Vietnamese corvettes
Ships Gloire, Victorieuse
Losses France: 1 killed, 1 wounded. Vietnam: 40 killed or drowned, 90 wounded, 104 missing, 4 corvettes sunk, 1 damaged.
Result French victory
Gloire and Victorieuse had been sent to Tourane to negotiate the release of two French Catholic missionaries. Several Vietnamese vessels made a surprise attack, and the French ships fought back, sinking four corvettes and badly damaging a fifth.
Why it is remembered It worsened relations between France and Vietnam, and a decade later France launched the Cochinchina Campaign of 1858 to 1862, beginning French colonial rule.
Sources differ One account calls both French ships frigates; another account lists 1 frigate and 1 corvette. One account gives just under 230 Vietnamese casualties; another account figures add up to 234.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War
Siege of Veracruz Landing or siege
9 to 29 March 1847 · Veracruz, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Winfield Scott, David Conner and Matthew C. Perry (United States); Juan Esteban Morales (Mexico)
Forces United States: 8,600. Mexico: 3,360
Losses American: 13 killed, 55 wounded. Mexican: 80 to 350 killed, 50 wounded and 3,000 captured; 1,000 to 10,000 civilians killed
Result American victory; the port surrendered
On 9 March 1847 United States forces made an amphibious landing near Veracruz, Mexico's key seaport, and laid siege to it, with Winfield Scott, David Conner and Matthew C. Perry among the commanders. The port surrendered twenty days later.
Why it is remembered The capture opened the way for the American march inland to Mexico City.
Sources differ Mexican military dead are given as 80 to 350, and civilian dead as 1,000 to 10,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayot / After Carl Nebel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Mexican-American War (Pacific Coast campaign)
Siege of San José del Cabo Landing or siege
22 January to 14 February 1848 · San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexico
Commanders Charles Heywood, wounded (United States); Manuel Pineda Muñoz (Mexico)
Forces United States: 27 marines, 15 seamen and 20 Californio militia, relieved by 102 sailors and marines from USS Cyane. Mexico: about 300
Ships USS Cyane
Losses American: 3 killed, 4 wounded, 8 captured. Mexican: 13 to 35 killed
Result American victory; the siege was lifted
Mexican militia besieged a small garrison of American marines, sailors and Californio militia in San José del Cabo for over three weeks. In the final engagement half of the garrison, together with a landing party from the reinforcing warship Cyane, broke the siege.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the three-week defence by a small mixed garrison, relieved by a landing party from USS Cyane.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Spanish-Moro conflict (anti-piracy operations)
Spanish expedition to Balanguingui Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Balanguingui
16 to 22 February 1848 · Balanguingui Island, Sulu Archipelago, Philippines
Fought between Spain and the Captaincy General of the Philippines against the Moro pirates of Balanguingui
Commanders Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa, Brigadier José Ruiz de Apodaca (Spain); Moro commander unknown
Forces 19 Spanish warships, including 2 steamers with the flagship Reina de Castilla, 2 schooners, 3 brigs, gunboats and feluccas, with infantry, artillery, engineers, about 150 Zamboanga auxiliaries and Filipino vintas; about 1,000 Moros with 124 guns in 4 forts and about 150 proas
Ships Reina de Castilla
Losses Spain: 22 killed according to one account, 229 to 237 killed or wounded according to another account. Moros: about 450 killed, 6 captured, about 150 proas destroyed and 124 guns taken.
Result Spanish victory
The fleet sailed from Manila, gathered more forces at Zamboanga and reached Balanguingui on 12 February 1848. On 16 February troops landed at low tide and took Fort Balanguingui after a naval bombardment; Fort Sipac fell to a bloody assault on 19 February and the last fort was surprised on 21 February. The Spanish then burned about 150 proas and seven villages and dismantled the forts.
Why it is remembered It broke a main base of the Sulu sea raiders, freed several hundred captives and brought a decline in piracy against Spanish and Dutch possessions. Clavería was made Count of Manila.
Sources differ Spanish losses: 22 killed in one account, 229 to 237 killed or wounded in another account. Captives freed: about 550 in the introduction, about 250 in the aftermath section.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Fernández Muñoz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Schleswig War
Battle of Eckernförde Landing or siege
5 April 1849 · Eckernförde Bay, near Kiel, Schleswig
Fought between Schleswig-Holstein against Denmark
Commanders Eduard Julius Jungmann, Ernest II (Schleswig-Holstein); Frederik Paludan, Christian Krieger (Denmark)
Forces 91 artillerymen with 10 shore guns against the ship of the line Christian VIII (84 guns), the frigate Gefion (48 guns), the steamers Hekla and Geiser and 3 smaller vessels
Ships Christian VIII, Gefion, Hekla, Geiser
Losses Schleswig-Holstein: 4 killed, 14 wounded. Denmark: 231 killed, 89 wounded, 936 captured; 1 ship of the line destroyed and 1 small ship captured; Krieger killed.
Result Schleswig-Holstein victory
A Danish squadron led by the ship of the line Christian VIII and the frigate Gefion attacked the shore batteries at Eckernförde. The batteries defeated it, and the Danes lost two ships, with their surviving crews taken prisoner.
Sources differ One account says two Danish ships were lost; another account lists one ship of the line destroyed and one small ship captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marinelieutenant Th. Vilh. Pedersen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · First Schleswig War
Battle of Heligoland (1849) Fleet battle
4 June 1849 · Off Heligoland, German Bight, North Sea
Fought between German Confederation against Denmark
Commanders Karl Rudolf Brommy (German Confederation); Andreas Polder (Denmark)
Forces 1 German steam frigate and 2 steam corvettes against 2 Danish sailing frigates, 1 sailing corvette and 1 steamer
Ships Barbarossa, Lübeck, Hamburg, Valkyrien, Rota, Thetis, Gejser
Losses None on either side.
Result Inconclusive
Brommy took his three serviceable ships out to attack the Danish blockaders off the Weser and exchanged heavy but harmless fire with the corvette Valkyrien. Valkyrien entered Heligoland's waters and British gunners fired a warning shot to stop the action. When Rota, Thetis and Gejser came up, the Germans withdrew to Cuxhaven, and the blockade went on.
Why it is remembered It was the only battle fought by the German Reichsflotte. Later German naval advocates cited the British warning shot as proof of British untrustworthiness.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Piracy in Asia
Battle of Tonkin River Fleet battle
20 to 22 October 1849 · Mouth of the Tonkin River, near Hai Phong, Vietnam
Fought between Britain, Qing China and the Nguyen dynasty against the pirates of Shap Ng-tsai
Commanders John C. Hay (Britain); Admiral Wong (China); Shap Ng-tsai (pirates)
Forces 2 British sloops of war, 1 brig and 8 Chinese war junks against 64 pirate war junks and about 1,400 pirates
Losses Britain: none killed, 2 sloops and 1 brig damaged. Pirates: about 2,400 killed or wounded, about 300 captured, 58 junks sunk.
Result British, Chinese and Tonkinese victory
A British expedition with Qing naval support and Tonkinese help attacked Shap Ng-tsai's pirate fleet at the mouth of the Tonkin River. Over three days the pirate fleet was destroyed.
Sources differ One account gives over 2,000 pirate losses; another account gives about 2,400 killed or wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Piracy in East Asia
Battle of Tysami Fleet battle
28 to 29 September 1849 · Off Tysami, Harlaim Bay, China
Fought between Britain against the pirates of Chui A-poo
Commanders John C. Hay (Britain); Chui A-poo (pirates)
Forces 1 British brig, 1 sloop of war and 1 steamer against 14 war junks
Losses Britain: 3 killed, 7 wounded, a brig and a steamer damaged. Pirates: about 250 killed or wounded, 4 war junks sunk.
Result British victory
A British China Squadron force engaged Chui A-poo's pirate fleet of fourteen war junks off Tysami and sank four of them.
Why it is remembered It led to the larger Battle of Pinghoi Creek, in which Chui A-poo's fleet was destroyed.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · African Slave Trade Patrol
Johanna Expedition Raid
Also known as Anjouan Expedition
August 1851 · Matsamudu, Johanna Island (Anjouan), Comoros, Indian Ocean
Fought between United States against the Sultanate of Johanna (Anjouan)
Commanders William Pearson (United States); Sultan Selim (Johanna)
Forces 1 American sloop of war with sailors and marines against 1 fort and 1 blockhouse
Losses United States: none. Johanna: 1 fort and 1 blockhouse damaged; loss of life unknown.
Result American victory; the Johannans surrendered property to the United States and signed a most favoured nation treaty
The merchant ship Maria and her captain were seized at Johanna Island. The United States Navy sent a sloop of war to free the captain, who was still being held, and to demand compensation. When Sultan Selim refused, the Americans briefly bombarded the island's fortifications.
Why it is remembered It took place during the American anti-slavery patrols off Africa but had nothing to do with slavery, and it ended with a treaty between the United States and the sultanate.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William H. Meyer, United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Capture of Manuel Briones Single-ship action
1851 or 1852 · Off the coast of Ecuador, Guayaquil
Fought between Sweden and Ecuador against the pirates of Manuel Briones
Commanders Christian Adolf Virgin (Sweden); Barroterán (Ecuador); Manuel Briones (pirates)
Forces 1 Swedish frigate with Ecuadorian soldiers against pirates
Losses Ecuador: at least 4 soldiers executed. Pirates: 1 whaler and 1 smaller vessel captured, 6 executed including Briones.
Result Swedish and Ecuadorian victory
Manuel Briones's pirates set out to attack the coming Flores expedition. Swedish and Ecuadorian forces caught them in a brief action and captured their vessels.
Sources differ The date is given only as 1851 or 1852.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Bombardment of Salé (1851) Landing or siege
Also known as Bombardement de Salé
26 to 27 November 1851 · Salé, Morocco
Fought between France against Morocco
Commanders Louis Dubourdieu (France); Abdelhadi Zniber (Morocco)
Forces 5 French warships against about 40 batteries at Salé and Rabat
Losses France: 4 killed, 18 wounded, 2 ships damaged. Morocco: 18 to 22 killed, 47 wounded, two thirds of them civilians.
Result Disputed: a French military success but a Moroccan political one
People of Salé had looted goods saved from a capsized French merchant ship, and France demanded repayment. When none came, Dubourdieu's squadron opened fire on 26 November. After seven hours the Moroccan batteries were badly damaged, and the French went on shelling the city into the next day, damaging the Great Mosque.
Why it is remembered Morocco agreed on 29 November to pay 100,000 francs. Both sides claimed victory, since the revolt against the governor that France had hoped for did not happen.
Sources differ Both sides claimed victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Platine War
Battle of the Tonelero Pass Landing or siege
Also known as Passage of the Tonelero
17 December 1851 · Near the cliff of Acevedo, Paraná River, Argentina
Fought between Brazil against the Argentine Confederation
Commanders John Pascoe Grenfell (Brazil); Lucio Norberto Mansilla (Argentine Confederation)
Forces 8 Brazilian warships: the steam corvettes Dom Pedro, Dom Pedro II, Dom Afonso and Recife towing the sailing corvettes Dona Francisca and União, with the brig Calíope, carrying half the 1st Imperial Infantry Division; against 2,000 soldiers with 16 guns
Ships Dom Afonso, Dom Pedro, Dom Pedro II, Recife, Dona Francisca, União, Calíope
Losses Brazil: 4 killed, 5 wounded, several ships damaged. Argentina: 8 killed and 20 wounded by Brazilian accounts, 1 killed by Argentine accounts.
Result Brazilian victory
Grenfell's squadron ran past Mansilla's batteries at the Tonelero pass with troops aboard. For an hour the Argentines fired more than 450 rounds, and the ships replied. The troops were landed at Diamante, Entre Ríos, and Mansilla, expecting a landing at his position, abandoned his guns.
Why it is remembered Bartolomé Mitre and Domingo Faustino Sarmiento were aboard Grenfell's flagship Dom Afonso.
Sources differ Some sources say the Argentine guns did little damage to the ships, others that they caused heavy damage. Argentine losses are 8 killed and 20 wounded in Brazilian accounts and 1 killed in Argentine accounts.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Eduardo de Martino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Anti-piracy operations in China
Battle of Nam Quan Single-ship action
10 May 1853 · Off Nam Quan, China, South China Sea
Fought between Britain and Qing China against Chinese pirates
Forces 1 British sloop of war, helped by an unknown number of armed Chinese civilians ashore, against 1 lorcha, 7 war junks and about 500 pirates
Losses British: 3 killed, the sloop damaged. Chinese civilians: unknown. Pirates: about 500 killed or wounded; 3 war junks sunk, 4 war junks and 1 lorcha captured.
Result British and Chinese victory
A Royal Navy sloop of war came upon eight pirate vessels near Nam Quan and defeated them, with help from armed Chinese civilians on land. Several merchant ships the pirates had captured were present, and all but one were retaken.
Why it is remembered A small but decisive action in the British campaign against piracy on the China coast.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War
Battle of Pitsunda Single-ship action
Also known as Combat de Pitsounda
9 November 1853 · Off the port of Pitsunda, eastern Black Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Forces The Russian frigate Flora against 3 Ottoman steam frigates
Ships Flora
Result Russian victory
Off Pitsunda the Russian frigate Flora was attacked by three Ottoman steam frigates. She drove off their attacks.
Why it is remembered A Crimean War action in which a single Russian sailing frigate held off three steam frigates, three weeks before the Battle of Sinop.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Alexeï Bogolioubov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War
Battle of Sinop Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Sinope
30 November 1853 (18 November Old Style) · Sinop harbour, northern coast of Anatolia, Black Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Pavel Nakhimov (Russia); Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, captured, and Adolphus Slade (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 6 Russian ships of the line, 2 frigates and 3 armed steamers against 7 Ottoman frigates, 3 corvettes, 2 armed steamers and coastal artillery
Losses Russia: 37 killed, 229 wounded, no ships lost. Ottoman Empire: 3,000 to 5,000 killed; 1 frigate and 1 steamer sunk, 6 frigates and 3 corvettes run aground, about 2 shore batteries destroyed. Only one steamer escaped.
Result Russian victory
A Russian squadron under Admiral Nakhimov attacked an Ottoman squadron at anchor in Sinop harbour. The Russians used guns firing explosive shells, and every Ottoman frigate and corvette was sunk or forced aground. Only one steamer escaped and the Russians lost no ships. Nearly 3,000 Turks were killed when Nakhimov's ships fired on the town after the battle.
Why it is remembered The battle helped bring France and Britain into the war on the Ottoman side, and it showed the power of explosive shells against wooden hulls, leading to their wide adoption and indirectly to the ironclad warship. Russia commemorates it as one of its Days of Military Honour, and Alexey Bogolyubov painted it.
Sources differ One account says nearly 3,000 Turks were killed in the firing on the town; another account gives 3,000 to 5,000 Ottoman killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexey Bogolyubov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Anti-piracy operations in China
1854 expedition to Coulan Raid
Mid-November 1854 · Coulan Bay, Pearl River Delta, China
Fought between Britain, Qing China, Portugal and the United States against Chinese pirates
Commanders Douglas O'Callaghan (Britain); Zhang Yutang (Qing China); Eduardo Scarnichia (Portugal); George Henry Preble (United States)
Forces 1,000 troops, 3 warships and 3 steamships against an unknown pirate force
Losses Coalition: 1 killed. Pirates: 50 to 60 killed, 13 captured, 53 junks destroyed, 50 guns captured.
Result Coalition victory
An international force under the British Captain Douglas O'Callaghan attacked pirates in Coulan Bay. It destroyed three batteries and 53 junks.
Why it is remembered It marked a high point of cooperation between the Western powers and China against piracy before the Second Opium War.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War (Åland War)
Battle of Bomarsund Landing or siege
3 to 16 August 1854 · Bomarsund, Åland Islands, Baltic Sea
Fought between Britain and France against Russia
Commanders Charles Napier (Britain); Alexandre Deschenes (France); Jakob Bodisco (Russia)
Forces Anglo-French: 32,000 men and 25 paddle sloops. Russian: 3,000
Ships HMS Hecla, HMS Odin, HMS Valorous
Losses Anglo-French: 85 killed and wounded. Russian: 53 killed and wounded, 2,000 captured
Result Anglo-French victory; the fortress was captured and destroyed
An earlier bombardment on 21 June 1854 by HMS Hecla, Odin and Valorous was indecisive. In late July the British fleet surrounded the fortress, and on 8 August about 7,000 French troops landed south of Bomarsund and about 2,000 French troops and 900 British marines to the north. Batteries were set up ashore; the French took the tower of Brännklint, which then blew up under Russian fire, and British guns destroyed the tower of Notvik. After about eight hours of bombardment had opened a breach, the commandant surrendered on 16 August with about 2,000 men.
Why it is remembered Charles Davis Lucas earned the first Victoria Cross here by throwing a live shell overboard before it exploded. Bricks from the demolished fortress were used for the Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki, prisoners held at Lewes are commemorated by the Russian Memorial there, and the Treaty of Paris of 1856 demilitarised the Åland Islands.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Antoine Léon Morel-Fatio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Bombardment of Greytown Raid
Also known as Bombardment of San Juan del Norte
13 July 1854 · Greytown (San Juan de Nicaragua), Mosquito Coast, Caribbean coast of Central America
Fought between United States against the town of Greytown, Mosquitia
Commanders George N. Hollins (United States)
Forces 1 American sloop of war against no defenders
Ships USS Cyane
Losses None on either side; the town was destroyed.
Result American victory
The sloop of war USS Cyane was sent to demand $24,000 in reparations for damage to an American steamboat company and an apology for an insult to the American minister Solon Borland. When the town could not pay within 24 hours, Captain Hollins fired 177 rounds into it and sent marines ashore to burn what was left. The residents had fled into the woods, so no one was killed or injured.
Why it is remembered A minor incident with a major effect on American foreign policy: it enforced the Monroe Doctrine and began the decline of Mosquitia as a British protectorate.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War
Bombardment of Odessa (1854) Landing or siege
22 April 1854 · Odessa, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire
Fought between Britain and France against Russia
Commanders James Dundas (Britain); Dmitri Osten-Sacken (Russia)
Forces 8 steam paddle frigates, 1 screw frigate, 1 screw corvette, 1 sailing frigate, 1 screw ship and 6 rocket-firing ship's boats against shore batteries and troops
Losses Britain and France: 5 killed, 15 wounded. Russia: not stated.
Result British and French victory
A joint British and French squadron of warships attacked the Russian port of Odessa. A picture of the bombardment shows the explosion of the Imperial Mole.
Why it is remembered An early Allied attack on the Russian Black Sea coast in the Crimean War, about six months before the siege of Sevastopol began.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Greatbach; H W Nicholls, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War
Siege of Petropavlovsk Landing or siege
30 August to 5 September 1854 (18 to 24 August Old Style) · Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka peninsula, Russia
Fought between Britain and France against Russia
Commanders David Price, killed, and Frederick Nicolson (Britain); Febvrier Despointes (France); Vasily Zavoyko and Yevfimy Putyatin (Russia)
Forces 6 British and French warships with about 2,600 men and 218 guns against 920 to 1,013 Russian men, 40 shore guns, the frigate Aurora (22 guns) and the transport Dvina (5 guns)
Ships Aurora, Dvina, Anadyr, Sitka
Losses Britain: 26 killed and missing, 79 wounded. France: 26 killed and missing, 78 wounded (official Allied figures). Russia: 37 killed, 78 wounded; the cargo ship Anadyr and the transport Sitka lost.
Result Russian victory
British and French naval forces in the Pacific tried to capture the Russian port of Petropavlovsk on Kamchatka. The attack failed and the squadron withdrew.
Why it is remembered The main action of the Crimean War in the Pacific, and an Allied defeat in which the British commander, David Price, died. Cannon used in the defence are preserved in the town.
Sources differ One account gives 105 British and 104 French casualties; another account totals 209 by official Allied figures, while a Russian estimate puts Allied killed and wounded at up to 400. Allied strength is given as 1,700 or 2,600 men including the landing party.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War
Siege of Sevastopol (1854 to 1855) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Sebastopol
17 October 1854 to 11 September 1855 · Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian Empire
Fought between France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia against Russia
Commanders Saint-Arnaud, Canrobert and Pélissier (France); Lord Raglan, Lord Lyons, James Simpson and William Codrington (Britain); Alfonso La Marmora (Sardinia); Totleben, Gorchakov, Menshikov, and the admirals Kornilov, Nakhimov and Istomin, all three killed (Russia)
Forces Allies: 67,000 in October 1854, 175,000 by July 1855. Russia: garrison of 36,600 in October 1854 and 43,000 in May 1855, with 42,000 more in the Crimea and 8,886 naval gunners.
Losses France: 10,240 killed in action, 20,000 died of wounds, 50,000 died of disease. Britain: 2,755 killed in action, 2,019 died of wounds, 16,323 died of disease. Sardinia: 2,050 dead from all causes. Russia: 102,000 killed, wounded and dead of disease.
Result Allied victory
The Allies landed at Eupatoria on 14 September 1854 and marched on Sevastopol, home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The siege lasted from October 1854 to September 1855, with battles at Balaklava, Inkerman, the Tchernaya, the Redan and the Malakoff. The Allied fleets bombarded the city six times: on 17 October 1854 and on 9 April, 6 June, 17 June, 17 August and 5 September 1855.
Why it is remembered One of the last classic sieges in history and the final episode of the Crimean War. It inspired Tolstoy's Sebastopol Sketches, the first Russian feature film Defence of Sevastopol, Franz Roubaud's panorama and the name of the Boulevard de Sébastopol in Paris.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Valentin Ramirez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War (Åland War)
Skirmish of Halkokari Landing or siege
7 June 1854 · Cape Halkokari, Kokkola, Gulf of Bothnia, Finland
Fought between Britain against Russia (Grand Duchy of Finland)
Commanders James Hanway Plumridge, squadron commander (Britain); Alexander Jakob von Wendt and Anders Donner (Finland)
Forces A British landing force in nine gunboats from Vulture and Odin against two infantry companies, two guns and about 100 local volunteers behind a palisade
Ships Vulture, Odin
Losses British: 52 casualties including captured, of whom 16 or 18 died; 2 of the 9 gunboats lost. Finnish and Russian losses: not stated.
Result Finnish and Russian victory; Kokkola was saved
Rear Admiral Plumridge's paddle frigates had been burning ships, shipyards and tar stores along the Finnish coast. Vulture and Odin could not come within about 11 kilometres of Kokkola, so they sent a landing force in boats. Defenders hidden behind a palisade at Halkokari ambushed it, and in a fight of 45 minutes the British lost two of their nine gunboats. A second British attack on Kokkola in 1855, the Battle of Davidsberg, was also repelled.
Why it is remembered Nine British dead are buried in the Maria graveyard in Kokkola, a monument stands at Halkokari, and a captured British launch is displayed in the town, in 2020 apparently the only captured Royal Navy boat on show anywhere.
Sources differ British dead are given as 16 or 18.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Wladimir Swertschkoff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War
Battle of Kinburn (1855) Landing or siege
17 October 1855 · Kinburn Spit, south shore of the Dnieper and Bug estuary, Black Sea, now Ukraine
Fought between France and Britain against Russia
Commanders Armand Joseph Bruat (France); Edmund Lyons (Britain); Maxim Kokhanovitch (Russia)
Forces 10 ships of the line, 3 French ironclad floating batteries and 8,000 soldiers against 1,500 Russian soldiers and 80 guns
Losses France and Britain: 2 killed, 25 wounded. Russia: about 400.
Result French and British victory
An Anglo French ground force besieged the Russian forts on the tip of the Kinburn Peninsula while a combined fleet bombarded them. Three French ironclad batteries made the main attack. Although hit often, they destroyed the main Russian fortress in about three hours with very few casualties.
Why it is remembered It was the first use of modern ironclad warships in action. It persuaded navies to build armoured warships and began a naval arms race between France and Britain that lasted more than a decade.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: 1855 anonymous print, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Anti-piracy operations in China
Battle of the Leotung Fleet battle
19 August 1855 · Gulf of Leotung, Pearl River Delta area, China
Fought between Britain against Chinese pirates
Commanders Charles Turner and Edward W. Vansittart (Britain)
Forces 1 British brig and 1 steamer against 2 lorchas and about 37 war junks
Losses Britain: none killed; the brig and the steamer damaged. Pirates: about 300 killed or wounded; 2 lorchas and 6 war junks sunk, about 5 war junks damaged.
Result British victory
In 1855 the Royal Navy carried out a series of operations in the Gulf of Leotung to suppress piracy. In this action a brig and a steamer defeated a much larger pirate fleet.
Why it is remembered One of several battles in the 1855 British campaign against piracy in the area, in which hundreds of pirates were killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War (Åland War)
Bombardment of Sveaborg Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Sveaborg
9 to 11 August 1855 · Sveaborg (Suomenlinna), off Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland
Fought between Britain and France against Russia
Commanders Richard Dundas (Britain); Charles Pénaud (France); Aleksei Sorokin (Russia)
Forces 80 British and French ships against 15,000 Russian soldiers and 1,500 guns
Losses Russia: 260 killed or wounded. Britain and France: 1 killed, 15 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A joint British and French fleet bombarded the Russian fortress of Sveaborg from beyond the range of its guns. After 48 hours of bombardment the attackers withdrew without trying to land.
Why it is remembered A long-range bombardment of the fortress of Sveaborg in the Baltic theatre of the Crimean War, which ended without a landing or a decision.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Crimean War
Siege of Taganrog Landing or siege
3 June to 24 November 1855 · Taganrog, Sea of Azov, Russian Empire
Fought between Britain and France against Russia
Commanders Edmund Lyons (Britain); Armand Joseph Bruat and Béral de Sedaiges (France); Yegor Tolstoy, Ivan Krasnov and Yevgeny Pfeilizer-Frank (Russia)
Forces Britain: 2 paddle gunboats, 1 armed raft, 1 paddle tug, 1 steam packet and 12 armed launches; France: 2 paddle gunboats and 4 launches. Russia: 3,200 men, 3 warships, 2 barges and 3 armed launches.
Ships Unylaya, Sekstant, Akkerman
Losses Russia: 470 killed and wounded, including civilians; 3 warships destroyed. Britain and France: 1 wounded, 3 taken prisoner, 1 gunboat destroyed.
Result Disputed; the military depot at Taganrog was destroyed
British and French ships in the Sea of Azov set out to destroy the supply lines of the Russian army. Taganrog, a major supply hub, was attacked on 3 June 1855 and its military depot destroyed, part of a series of raids on every Russian supply base in the area except Rostov-on-Don, which shoals kept out of reach.
Why it is remembered Some Russian histories give the name siege of Taganrog to the whole Anglo French naval campaign in the Sea of Azov from June to November 1855.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Anti-piracy operations in China
Battle of Ty-ho Bay Fleet battle
4 August 1855 · Off Tai O, Hong Kong
Fought between Britain, the United States and Portugal against Chinese pirates
Commanders William Fellowes (Britain); William McCluney (United States); José da Silva Carvalho (Portugal)
Forces 1 steamer, 1 sloop, 1 screw frigate and about 6 armed boats with sailors and marines against 36 war junks
Losses Coalition: 9 killed, about 6 wounded. Pirates: about 500 killed or wounded, about 1,000 captured, 20 war junks sunk.
Result Coalition victory
A British, American and Portuguese force attacked a pirate fleet of armed war junks off Tai O to rescue merchant vessels the pirates had captured. The coalition defeated the pirates. Seven captured merchant ships were freed; two were badly damaged and burned.
Why it is remembered One of the last major battles between Chinese pirate fleets and Western navies, and one of the first joint operations by British and American forces.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Second Opium War
Battle of the Barrier Forts Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of the Pearl River Forts
16 to 22 November 1856 · Pearl River near Canton (Guangzhou), China
Fought between United States against Qing China
Commanders Andrew Hull Foote and James Armstrong (United States); Ye Mingchen (China)
Forces 50 marines and 237 sailors ashore, 2 sloops and 1 steam frigate, which was not engaged, against 5,000 garrison troops and 3,000 others
Ships USS Portsmouth, USS Levant, USS San Jacinto
Losses United States: 10 killed, 22 wounded, 2 sloops damaged. China: 250 to 500 killed or wounded, 176 guns lost, 4 forts captured.
Result American victory
The United States Navy made an amphibious assault on four forts, the Barrier Forts, guarding the Pearl River near Canton. The sloops Portsmouth and Levant attacked on 21 November with men from the steam frigate San Jacinto, and all four forts were taken.
Why it is remembered The British, who wanted to capture Canton, considered it an important battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: A. Poinsett; John Henry Bufford (1810, 1870), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Second Opium War
Battle of the Bogue (1856) Landing or siege
12 to 13 November 1856 · Humen strait (the Bogue), Pearl River, Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain against Qing China
Commanders Michael Seymour (Britain); Ye Mingchen (China)
Forces Britain: 6 ships. China: 2,000 men in four forts (500 in each) with 410 guns
Losses British: 1 killed, 5 wounded. Chinese: unknown; 410 guns lost and 4 forts captured
Result British victory
Seymour's ships attacked the forts guarding the Humen strait, capturing the forts on the Wangtong Islands on 12 November and those on Anunghoy Island the next day.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first British operations of the Second Opium War, following the attacks on Canton in October and November 1856.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: The Illustrated London News, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Second Opium War
Battle of Canton (1856) Landing or siege
23 October to 5 November 1856 · Canton (Guangzhou) and the Pearl River, Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain against Qing China
Commanders Michael Seymour (Britain); Ye Mingchen (China)
Forces Britain: 9 ships and 580 men. China: unknown
Ships Coromandel, Barracouta, Encounter, Sampson
Losses British: 2 killed, 12 wounded. Chinese: 18 to 19 killed and wounded
Result British victory
On 23 October Coromandel and Barracouta took the four Barrier Forts in the Pearl River with little opposition, and Sampson and Barracouta then took the Blenheim and Macao forts. Over the next days the Dutch Folly, Bird's Nest and Shameen forts were taken and marines landed to guard the foreign factories. From 27 October Encounter shelled the yamen of Commissioner Ye Mingchen, and on 29 October about 400 marines and seamen breached the city wall, entered Canton and re-embarked at sunset. The bombardment of government buildings went on daily until 5 November.
Why it is remembered The first shot of the Second Opium War was fired from Coromandel in this action.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Filibuster War (National War against William Walker)
Battle of San Juan del Sur Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille de San Juan del Sur; Seegefecht vor San Juan del Sur
23 November 1856 · Off San Juan del Sur, Pacific coast of Nicaragua
Fought between American filibusters of William Walker against Costa Rica
Commanders Callender Irvine Fayssoux (filibusters); Antonio Valleriesta, a Peruvian (Costa Rica)
Forces The filibuster schooner Granada, 2 six-pounder guns and 28 men, against the Costa Rican brig Once de Avril, 4 nine-pounder guns and 114 men
Ships Granada, Once de Avril
Losses Filibusters: unknown. Costa Rica: the brig destroyed, about 70 killed, most survivors wounded.
Result Filibuster victory
The Costa Rican brig and the filibuster schooner fought for four hours. With the brig in a hopeless position, her magazine exploded and threw the crew into the sea. The filibusters picked up about forty survivors, most badly burned, among them Valleriesta, and soon released them.
Why it is remembered It is the only naval battle Costa Rica has ever fought. Fayssoux was made captain and given a hacienda near Rivas as a reward.
Sources differ Sources differ on the brig's end: some say her captain fired the magazine rather than surrender, others that an American shot hit it.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Auteur inconnuUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Puget Sound War (Yakima War)
Battle of Seattle (1856) Landing or siege
26 January 1856 · Seattle, Elliott Bay, Puget Sound, Washington Territory
Fought between United States settlers and Navy against a coalition of Native American tribes
Commanders Guert Gansevoort (United States); Chief Leschi, allegedly (tribal coalition)
Forces Settlers supported by the guns and marines of the sloop of war USS Decatur against a coalition of tribes, possibly including the Nisqually, Klickitat, Yakama and Puyallup
Ships USS Decatur
Losses United States: 2 or 3 killed. Native Americans: unknown; they later admitted, according to T. S. Phelps, to 28 dead and 80 wounded.
Result United States victory
A coalition of Native American tribes attacked the four-year-old settlement of Seattle. The settlers were backed by artillery fire and marines from USS Decatur, anchored in Elliott Bay. The fighting lasted a single day.
Why it is remembered An episode of the Puget Sound War in the early history of Seattle; Lieutenant Phelps of Decatur drew a map of the town during the battle.
Sources differ One account gives two settler deaths; another account gives 3 killed, counting a deserter from the ship killed by a settler.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Second Opium War
Capture of the French Folly Fort Fleet battle
6 November 1856 · French Folly Fort, Pearl River, near Canton (Guangzhou), China
Fought between Britain against Qing China
Commanders Michael Seymour (Britain); Ye Mingchen (China)
Forces Britain: 2 steamers and 14 small boats (2 launches, 2 barges, 3 pinnaces, 6 cutters and a gig). China: 23 war junks and the fort
Ships Barracouta, Coromandel
Losses British: 6 killed, 15 wounded. Chinese: unknown; the fort captured
Result British victory
Chinese war junks gathered under the French Folly Fort on the Pearl River near Canton. The British attacked with the steamers Barracouta and Coromandel and the boats of the squadron, dispersed the 23 junks and captured the fort in an action of nearly an hour.
Why it is remembered The British consul Harry Parkes reported a very hot Chinese resistance and praised the bravery of both sides.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860
Battle of Tres Forcas Landing or siege
Also known as Gefecht von Tres Forcas
7 August 1856 · Cape Tres Forcas, Rif coast of Morocco
Fought between Prussia against Moroccans of the Rif coast
Commanders Prince Adalbert of Prussia, wounded; Eduard von Knorr, wounded (Prussia)
Forces The corvette SMS Danzig with 2 boats and a landing party of 14 officers and 53 petty officers, sailors and marines
Ships SMS Danzig
Losses Prussia: 7 killed, 22 wounded, 2 boats damaged; three of the dead were left ashore. Moroccans: not stated.
Result Moroccan victory
On her way to the Danube, Danzig explored the Rif coast, where pirates had fired on the Prussian warship Flora in 1852. Her two boats came under fire, and Danzig closed to 600 metres of the shore to support them. Prince Adalbert led a landing party up a rock face nearly 40 metres high and drove the Moroccans back to a plateau, but their reinforcements forced him to withdraw to the shore.
Why it is remembered One of the first examples of Prussian or German gunboat diplomacy. The Prussian Navy raised an eagle monument to the dead at Gibraltar in 1863, and the landing was praised for decades in the Prussian and German navies despite its failure. Alexander Kircher painted it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexander Kircher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Second Opium War
Battle of Escape Creek Fleet battle
25 to 27 May 1857 · Escape Creek (East River), Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain against Qing China
Commanders Commodore Charles Elliot (Britain); Admiral Sonhay (China)
Forces 13 gunboats and 7 cutters and gigs against 41 war junks
Losses Britain: 31 killed or wounded, 1 gig destroyed. China: 27 junks captured or destroyed.
Result British victory
Commodore Elliot's squadron chased the Chinese war junks up Escape Creek. When the British ships grounded as the river narrowed, the crews continued the chase in the ships' boats until all the junks had been overhauled.
Why it is remembered It cleared the Chinese war junks from Escape Creek a few days before the Battle of Fatshan Creek.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Second Opium War
Battle of Fatshan Creek Fleet battle
Also known as 佛山水道之戰
1 June 1857 · Fatshan Creek, Foshan, Guangdong, China
Fought between Britain against Qing China
Commanders Rear Admiral Sir Michael Seymour (Britain)
Forces Over 1,900 marines and sailors, 1 screw sloop, 1 paddle steamer and 7 gunboats against 1 fort with 25 guns and 100 war junks
Losses Britain: 13 killed, 44 wounded, 1 launch destroyed, 1 gunboat damaged. China: the fort and its 25 guns captured, 2 war junks destroyed, 70 to 80 war junks captured.
Result British victory
Rear Admiral Seymour sought out the Cantonese fleet of Qing China and destroyed it, advancing in the ships' boats against a fort and about a hundred war junks. He then moved on towards Canton.
Why it is remembered It destroyed the Cantonese fleet before the capture of Canton. Oswald Walters Brierly painted the advance of the British boats.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Edmund Walker after Oswald Walters Brierly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Second Opium War
First Battle of Taku Forts (1858) Landing or siege
Also known as 第一次大沽口之戰
20 May 1858 · Taku Forts, mouth of the Hai River, Tianjin, China
Fought between Britain and France against Qing China
Commanders Michael Seymour (Britain); Charles Rigault de Genouilly (France); Tan Ting-siang (China)
Forces 1,032 British and 700 French (land force) with a squadron of gunboats against 1,000 Chinese
Losses Britain: 5 killed, 16 wounded. France: 6 killed, 61 wounded. China: unknown.
Result British and French victory
A British and French squadron of gunboats under Rear Admiral Seymour attacked the Taku Forts on the Hai River and took them.
Why it is remembered The forts were handed back to the Qing army after the Treaties of Tianjin, which led to the Second Battle of Taku Forts in 1859. Antoine Léon Morel-Fatio painted the attack in 1867.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Antoine Léon Morel-Fatio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Cochinchina campaign
Siege of Tourane Landing or siege
1 September 1858 to 22 March 1860 · Tourane (Da Nang), Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Fought between France and Spain against Vietnam (Đại Nam)
Commanders Charles Rigault de Genouilly and François Page (France); Nguyễn Tri Phương, Lê Đình Lý and Đào Trí (Vietnam)
Forces 1 frigate of 50 guns, 2 corvettes of 12 guns, 5 steam gunboats, 5 steam transports, 1 despatch vessel, 1,000 French marine infantry, 550 Spanish infantry and 450 Filipino chasseurs against 2,000 Vietnamese, rising to 10,000
Losses France and Spain: 128 killed or wounded, about 300 dead of cholera. Vietnam: more than 1,000 killed.
Result Vietnamese victory
A joint French and Spanish expedition under Admiral Rigault de Genouilly captured Tourane in September 1858. The Vietnamese then besieged the force in the city, and it was eventually forced to evacuate in March 1860.
Why it is remembered A Vietnamese success at the start of the French and Spanish Cochinchina campaign: the invaders took the city but could not hold it.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Second Opium War
Second Battle of Taku Forts (1859) Landing or siege
Also known as 第二次大沽口之戰
24 to 26 June 1859 · Taku Forts, mouth of the Hai River, Tianjin, China
Fought between Britain and France, with American help, against Qing China
Commanders James Hope, wounded (Britain); Josiah Tattnall III (United States); Sengge Rinchen (China)
Forces 1,160 British troops ashore, 11 gunboats and 4 steamships against 4,000 Chinese, 60 guns and 6 forts
Losses Britain: 3 gunboats sunk and 3 grounded; 81 to 519 killed, 345 to 456 wounded. France: 12 killed, 23 wounded. United States: 1 killed, 1 wounded, 1 launch damaged. China: 32 killed or wounded.
Result Qing victory
A British and French force tried to seize the Taku Forts on the Hai River and failed. A chartered American steamship arrived and helped the British and French in the attack.
Why it is remembered A defeat for Britain and France in the Second Opium War, notable for the help given to them by a chartered American steamship.
Sources differ British killed are given as anywhere from 81 to 519 and wounded as 345 to 456.
Sources Wikipedia
Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860 · Reform War
Battle of Antón Lizardo Single-ship action
6 March 1860 · Off Antón Lizardo, Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico
Fought between United States and the Mexican Liberals against the Mexican Conservatives
Commanders Thomas Turner (United States); Tomás Marín Sabalza (Mexican Conservatives)
Forces 1 American sloop of war and 2 steamers with 280 men of the Navy, Army and Marines against 1 sloop of war and 1 steamer
Losses United States: 1 killed, 3 wounded, the sloop and a steamer damaged. Conservatives: about 30 wounded, the sloop of war captured and the steamer run aground.
Result American and Liberal victory
Rear Admiral Tomás Marín, a Mexican Navy officer, mutinied, escaped to Havana and formed a squadron there to attack merchant ships and blockade Veracruz. The Liberal government of Benito Juárez declared him a pirate and allowed foreign navies to attack his ships. American warships already patrolling the Gulf of Mexico engaged his squadron off Antón Lizardo, captured his sloop of war and drove his steamer aground.
Why it is remembered An intervention by the United States Navy on the side of the Juárez government in Mexico's civil war between Liberals and Conservatives.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: published by 東洋文化協會 (The Eastern Culture Association), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Aquia Creek Landing or siege
29 May to 1 June 1861 · Potomac River at Aquia Creek, Stafford County, Virginia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders James H. Ward (Union); Daniel Ruggles (Confederacy)
Forces 1 Union sloop of war and 3 gunboats against 2 shore batteries with 13 guns
Ships USS Pawnee, Live Yankee, Freeborn, Anacostia, Lioness
Losses Union: up to 9 wounded, a sloop and a gunboat damaged. Confederacy: 1 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Union gunboats exchanged fire with Confederate shore batteries placed to block traffic on the lower Potomac and protect the railhead at Aquia Landing. Neither side did much damage or caused serious casualties, and the Union ships could not dislodge the batteries.
Why it is remembered On 7 July 1861 the Confederates first used naval mines, without success, off the Aquia Landing batteries. The National Park Service lists the engagement among the 384 principal battles of the Civil War.
Sources differ Casualty figures vary: the National Park Service gives 0 to 10 for both sides together, one source gives 1 Confederate wounded, and others do not mention casualties.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Cochinchina campaign (1858 to 1862)
Capture of Biên Hòa Landing or siege
16 December 1861 · Biên Hòa, now in Đồng Nai Province, Vietnam
Fought between France and Spain against the Nguyễn dynasty of Vietnam
Commanders Louis-Adolphe Bonard (France); Diego Domenech (Spain); Nguyen Ba Nghi (Vietnam)
Ships L'Avalanche, L'Alarme, Fusée
Losses Franco-Spanish: 2 dead, several wounded. Vietnamese: unknown
Result Franco-Spanish victory
French gunboats, among them L'Avalanche, L'Alarme and Fusée, attacked the forts and dams defending Biên Hòa, and the town was taken by the allied force on 16 December 1861.
Why it is remembered It was an important allied victory in the campaign that ended with the founding of the French colony of Cochinchina.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Cockle Creek Single-ship action
5 October 1861 · Off Chincoteague, Virginia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Alexander Murray (Union)
Forces USS Louisiana with 98 men against the schooner Venus and two sloops with more than 300 men
Ships USS Louisiana, Venus
Result Union victory
A minor naval engagement off Chincoteague, Virginia, between USS Louisiana and Confederate vessels, which the Union won.
Why it is remembered One of the early small naval actions of the American Civil War on the Virginia coast.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Gloucester Point (1861) Single-ship action
7 May 1861 · Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown on the York River, Virginia
Fought between United States (Union) against Virginia
Commanders Garrett J. Pendergrast, Thomas O. Selfridge Jr. (Union); William B. Taliaferro, William C. Whittle, John Thompson Brown (Virginia)
Forces Union: the gunboat USS Yankee. Virginia: a shore battery garrison of 60 to 70 men.
Ships USS Yankee
Losses None on either side.
Result Inconclusive
As the Union blockade was extended to Virginia, Lieutenant Selfridge in USS Yankee was ordered to reconnoitre the new fortifications at Gloucester Point. The gunboat and the battery exchanged shots without casualties, Selfridge reporting that his guns were too small to damage the battery.
Why it is remembered It was the first reported exchange of fire of the Civil War after the surrender of Fort Sumter, and John Thompson Brown is credited with firing the first cannon shot of the war in Virginia.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown, US Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Forts Hatteras and Clark
28 to 29 August 1861 · Hatteras Inlet, Outer Banks, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Silas H. Stringham and Benjamin F. Butler (Union); Samuel Barron, who surrendered, and William F. Martin (Confederacy)
Forces 7 Union warships and 935 men against 900 Confederates in Fort Clark and Fort Hatteras
Losses Union: 1 killed, 2 wounded. Confederacy: 4 killed, 20 wounded, 691 captured.
Result Union victory
The Confederates had built Fort Clark and Fort Hatteras on the Outer Banks to protect their commerce raiders. Flag Officer Stringham's fleet bombarded them while keeping on the move, so the forts' guns could not reply effectively. Despite bad weather the fleet landed troops under General Butler, who took the surrender of Flag Officer Barron.
Why it is remembered The first combined operation of the Union Army and Navy, and the first application of the naval blockade strategy. It gave the Union access to the North Carolina Sounds, much reduced commerce raiding and cheered a Northern public demoralised by the First Battle of Bull Run.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of the Head of Passes Raid
12 October 1861 · Head of Passes, Mississippi River Delta, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Fought between Confederate States against the United States (Union)
Commanders George N. Hollins (Confederacy); John Pope (Union)
Forces 1 Confederate ironclad, 6 gunboats and 3 fire rafts against 3 Union sloops of war, 1 schooner and 1 gunboat
Ships CSS Manassas
Losses No casualties on either side. Union: 2 sloops of war and 1 schooner damaged. Confederacy: the ironclad damaged.
Result Confederate victory
After moonset in the early hours of 12 October 1861, the Confederate river defence fleet, known locally as the mosquito fleet, raided the Union blockade squadron at anchor at the Head of Passes. Three fire rafts were lit and followed the ironclad ram CSS Manassas into the attack. The Union ships fled in disorder down Southwest Pass. After sunrise Commodore Hollins, short of ammunition and fuel, withdrew upriver.
Why it is remembered A bloodless Confederate success against the Union blockade, made by the ironclad ram Manassas early in the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Mathias Point Landing or siege
27 June 1861 · Mathias Point, Potomac River, King George County, Virginia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders James H. Ward, killed, James C. Chaplin and J. P. K. Mygatt (Union); Daniel Ruggles, John M. Brockenbrough and R. M. Mayo (Confederacy)
Forces Two Union gunboats and a landing party of 36 to 50 men against 400 to 500 Confederates
Ships USS Thomas Freeborn
Losses Union: 1 killed, 4 wounded. Confederacy: none.
Result Confederate victory
Two Union gunboats tried to stop the Confederates installing a battery at Mathias Point on the Potomac. A landing party was beaten back before it could unload its guns from USS Thomas Freeborn. Covered by her guns, Commander Ward ordered a second landing, which was also repulsed, and Ward was killed.
Why it is remembered Ward was the first Union Navy officer killed in the war. The Confederates held the point until March 1862.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Cochinchina campaign
Capture of Mỹ Tho Landing or siege
Also known as Prise de Mỹ Tho
12 April 1861 (operations from 1 April) · Mỹ Tho and the Arroyo de la Poste, Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam
Fought between France and Spain against Vietnam (Nguyễn dynasty)
Commanders François Page, Bourdais, killed, and Le Couriault du Quilio (France)
Forces About 200 French sailors, 30 Spanish soldiers and a mountain mortar at first, later reinforced with chasseurs, sailors, marine infantry and guns; the avisos Monge and Echo, the gunboats Alarme and Mitraille, small gunboats Nos. 16, 18, 20, 22 and 31, and Admiral Page's flotilla on the Mekong
Ships Monge, Alarme, Mitraille, Echo, Gunboat No. 18
Losses France: Capitaine de frégate Bourdais killed; no totals given. Vietnam: not stated.
Result French and Spanish victory
French gunboats and landing parties fought their way along the Arroyo de la Poste towards Mỹ Tho from 1 April, taking two forts at the creek's entrance and destroying Vietnamese stockades. On 9 April Vietnamese fireships were towed aside and grounded, and on 10 April Bourdais was killed leading Gunboat No. 18 against Fort No. 5, which the defenders then abandoned. On 12 April Page's flotilla arrived up the Mekong and the town was occupied without a shot.
Why it is remembered An important allied victory in the Cochinchina campaign, which ended with the French colony of Cochinchina and nearly a century of French rule in Vietnam. The captured fort was renamed Fort Bourdais.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Piracy in Asia
North Star affair Blockade and raiding
13 to 14 May 1861 · Off Ling Ting, Hong Kong, South China Sea
Fought between Britain against Chinese pirates
Commanders Voight (Britain)
Forces 1 British brig against 1 pirate junk
Ships North Star
Losses British: 8 killed, 1 wounded, among them a Royal Navy officer. Pirates: none.
Result The merchant ship was robbed and released; the pirates escaped
Chinese pirates attacked the British merchant brig North Star. Several men were killed, including a Royal Navy officer, and the pirates escaped with 4,000 dollars' worth of gold.
Why it is remembered A piracy attack on a British merchant ship in Chinese waters in which a Royal Navy officer died.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Pig Point Landing or siege
5 June 1861 · Pig Point, near Suffolk, Virginia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders John Faunce (Union); Robert B. Pegram and John C. Owens (Confederacy)
Forces The Union gunboat USRC Harriet Lane against a Confederate shore battery
Ships USRC Harriet Lane
Losses Union: 5 wounded. Confederacy: none.
Result Confederate victory, or inconclusive; the Union gunboat withdrew
After Lincoln extended the Union blockade to Virginia, Harriet Lane was ordered to attack the battery at Pig Point. Because of shallow water her shots fell short, and after five men were wounded she withdrew.
Why it is remembered One of the earliest naval actions of the American Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Port Royal Landing or siege
7 November 1861 (fleet assembled from 3 November) · Port Royal Sound, South Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Samuel F. Du Pont and Thomas W. Sherman (Union); Thomas F. Drayton, Stephen Elliott Jr. and Josiah Tattnall III (Confederacy)
Forces 77 Union vessels and 12,653 troops against 44 guns, 3,077 troops and 4 gunboats
Losses Union: 8 killed, 23 wounded. Confederacy: 11 killed, 48 wounded, 4 missing.
Result Union victory
A storm on the way south cost the expedition the means to land the army, so the battle became a contest between ships' guns and the forts. Du Pont ordered his ships to steam in an ellipse, firing on Fort Walker and then Fort Beauregard, but most ships soon took enfilading positions against Fort Walker. By early afternoon most of its guns were out of action, its gunners fled, and a landing party from the flagship took the fort. Fort Beauregard was abandoned and occupied the next day.
Why it is remembered One of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, it gave the Union Port Royal Sound between Savannah and Charleston. Loss of life was low despite the heavy fire.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: W.T. Crane, after a Confederate officer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Cochinchina campaign
Bombardment of Qui Nhơn Landing or siege
31 July 1861 · Qui Nhơn, south central coast of Vietnam
Fought between United States against Vietnam (Đại Nam)
Commanders James F. Schenck and Frederick K. Engle (United States)
Forces 1 American sloop of war against 1 fort with about 1 gun
Losses United States: none. Vietnam: unknown; the fort destroyed.
Result American victory
An American warship went to southern Vietnam to search for missing American citizens and was met with cannon fire on arrival at Qui Nhơn. In reply she bombarded the fort until it was reduced.
Why it is remembered A brief American clash with Vietnam during the French and Spanish conquest of the south.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Sewell's Point Landing or siege
18, 19 and 21 May 1861 · Sewell's Point, Norfolk County, Virginia, southern Chesapeake Bay
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Henry Eagle and Daniel L. Braine (Union); Walter Gwynn and Peyton H. Colquitt (Confederacy)
Forces 2 Union gunboats against 1 shore battery of three 32-pounder guns
Ships USS Monticello, USS Thomas Freeborn
Losses About 10 in all by National Park Service figures; little damage to either side.
Result Inconclusive; the Union gunboats withdrew
USS Monticello, supported by USS Thomas Freeborn, exchanged fire with the Confederate battery on Sewell's Point over several days. Little damage was done to either side and the gunboats withdrew.
Why it is remembered One of the earliest Union Navy actions against Confederate forces, sometimes called the first gunfire of the Union Navy in the war, though USS Yankee had exchanged fire with Virginia batteries at Gloucester Point on 7 May 1861.
Sources differ One account gives 18, 19 and 21 May; another account gives 18 to 19 May. The National Park Service gives 10 casualties; other sources give no Confederate casualties and at least six Union sailors wounded aboard Monticello.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: American Battlefield Protection Program, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Cockpit Point Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Freestone Point; Battle of Shipping Point
3 January 1862 · Cockpit Point, Potomac River, Prince William County, Virginia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Robert H. Wyman (Union); Samuel G. French (Confederacy)
Forces 2 Union gunboats against 50 men in 4 batteries
Ships USS Anacostia, USS Yankee, USS Jacob Bell, USS Seminole, CSS Page
Losses Not stated; Yankee slightly damaged in the shelling of 1 January.
Result Inconclusive
From late 1861 Confederate batteries along the Potomac banks, 37 heavy guns by mid December, tried to close the river and isolate Washington. Union gunboats shelled them, Jacob Bell and Seminole at Freestone Point in September 1861 and Anacostia and Yankee at Cockpit Point in January 1862, without either side gaining an advantage. On 9 March 1862 a landing party from Anacostia and Yankee found the batteries abandoned, destroyed them and found CSS Page blown up.
Why it is remembered Part of the Confederate blockade of the Potomac, which closed the river to shipping for nearly five months.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 3 January 1862; another account describes the shelling of Cockpit Point on 1 January.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Corpus Christi Landing or siege
12 to 18 August 1862 · Corpus Christi and Corpus Christi Bay, Texas
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders John W. Kittredge (Union); Alfred Marmaduke Hobby and Charles G. Lovenskiold (Confederacy)
Forces Union: 1 bark, 1 sloop of war, 1 schooner, 1 steamer, 1 yacht and 100 sailors with 1 gun ashore. Confederacy: 1 sloop of war, 2 schooners, 1 steamer, 700 militia, 5 guns and 1 fort.
Losses Union: about 2 wounded; a sloop of war, a steamer and a yacht damaged. Confederacy: 1 killed, 1 wounded; 1 schooner captured, and 1 schooner, 1 sloop of war and 1 steamer scuttled; the fort damaged.
Result Union tactical victory, Confederate strategic victory
United States Navy blockaders fought a small land and sea action in and around Corpus Christi Bay and bombarded the town. They defeated the Confederate vessels operating there but were driven back when they landed on the coast.
Why it is remembered A small battle of the Union blockade of the Texas coast in which the Union won on the water but failed ashore.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War (Peninsula Campaign)
Battle of Drewry's Bluff Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Fort Darling; Battle of Fort Drewry
15 May 1862 · Drewry's Bluff, James River, Chesterfield County, Virginia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders John Rodgers (Union); Ebenezer Farrand, William Mahone and John Taylor Wood (Confederacy)
Forces 3 Union ironclads and 2 gunboats against 1 fort and 1 shore battery with about 8 guns
Ships USS Monitor, USS Galena, USRC Naugatuck
Losses Union: 27 killed or wounded, 2 ironclads and 2 gunboats damaged. Confederacy: 15 killed or wounded, the fort damaged.
Result Confederate victory
Union warships, including the ironclads Monitor and Galena and the revenue cutter Naugatuck, steamed up the James River to test the defences of Richmond. They met submerged obstacles, and the guns of Fort Darling on Drewry's Bluff badly damaged Galena and forced the ships to turn back.
Why it is remembered It stopped a Union naval advance on the Confederate capital, Richmond.
Sources differ One account counts four Union warships; another account gives 3 ironclads and 2 gunboats.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War (Burnside Expedition)
Battle of Elizabeth City Fleet battle
10 February 1862 · Pasquotank River near Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Stephen C. Rowan (Union); William F. Lynch (Confederacy)
Forces 13 Union gunboats against 5 Confederate gunboats, 1 schooner and a four-gun battery at Cobb's Point with about 34 men
Losses Union: 2 killed, 7 wounded, 2 steamers damaged. Confederacy: 5 killed, 7 wounded, 34 captured; 1 steamer sunk, 1 armed tug captured, and 1 steamer, 1 armed tug and 1 schooner scuttled.
Result Union victory
Straight after the Battle of Roanoke Island, gunboats of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron attacked the Confederate Mosquito Fleet on the Pasquotank River, supported by a shore battery at Cobb's Point. The Confederate fleet was captured, sunk or scattered.
Why it is remembered It destroyed the Mosquito Fleet and gave the Union Elizabeth City and its waters.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
First Battle of Memphis Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Rams
6 June 1862 · Mississippi River just north of Memphis, Tennessee
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Charles H. Davis and Charles Ellet Jr., mortally wounded (Union); James E. Montgomery and M. Jeff Thompson (Confederacy)
Forces 5 Union ironclads and 4 rams against 8 Confederate rams
Ships USS Benton, USS Louisville, USS Carondelet, USS Cairo, USS St. Louis, USS Queen of the West, USS Monarch, USS Lancaster, USS Switzerland, CSS General Beauregard, CSS General Bragg, CSS General Sterling Price, CSS General Earl Van Dorn, CSS General M. Jeff Thompson, CSS Colonel Lovell, CSS General Sumter, CSS Little Rebel
Losses Union: 1 ram disabled, 1 man mortally wounded. Confederacy: 7 rams destroyed or captured, about 100 killed or wounded, about 150 captured.
Result Union victory
A Union flotilla of ironclads and rams met the Confederate River Defense Fleet on the Mississippi just above Memphis, watched by many of the city's people. Seven of the eight Confederate rams were destroyed or captured, and Confederate naval power on the river was all but wiped out.
Why it is remembered It was the last time civilians with no military experience were allowed to command ships in combat, a milestone in the professionalism of the United States Navy. A. R. Waud drew it as the Battle of the Rams.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alfred Rudolph Waud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
First Battle of Sabine Pass Landing or siege
Also known as Bombardment of Fort Sabine
24 to 25 September 1862 · Fort Sabine, below Sabine City (now Sabine Pass), Jefferson County, Texas
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Frederick Crocker (Union); Josephus S. Irvine (Confederacy)
Forces 2 Union schooners and 1 steamer against 28 artillerists, about 30 cavalry and four guns in Fort Sabine
Losses None on either side.
Result Union victory
Ships of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron bombarded the Confederate fort below Sabine City, the high point of a series of skirmishes at the mouth of the Sabine River, and Sabine Pass was captured. The aim was to tighten the blockade and stop Confederate troops moving along the coast to reinforce Galveston.
Why it is remembered The first Union Navy bombardment of the Confederate fort below Sabine City, part of an effort to open the way for the invasion of Texas attempted almost a year later at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: American Battlefield Protection Program, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Fort Donelson Landing or siege
11 to 16 February 1862 · Fort Donelson, Cumberland River, Stewart County, Tennessee
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote (Union); John B. Floyd, Gideon J. Pillow and Simon Bolivar Buckner, captured (Confederacy)
Forces 24,531 Union troops, 4 ironclads and 3 timberclads against 16,171 Confederates
Losses Union: 507 killed, 1,976 wounded, 208 captured or missing; 4 ironclads damaged, 2 heavily. Confederacy: 327 killed, 1,127 wounded, 12,392 captured or missing.
Result Union victory
After taking Fort Henry, Grant marched on Fort Donelson. On 14 February Foote's gunboats tried to reduce the fort by gunfire but were driven off with heavy damage by its water batteries. A Confederate breakout attack on 15 February opened an escape route, but the commanders pulled back, Floyd and Pillow escaped, and Buckner accepted Grant's demand for unconditional surrender.
Why it is remembered It opened the Cumberland River to invasion, brought most of Kentucky and much of Tennessee under Union control, and made Grant a major general, known as Unconditional Surrender Grant.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johnston, William Preston, No known restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Fort Henry Landing or siege
6 February 1862 · Fort Henry, Tennessee River, Stewart County, Tennessee
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote (Union); Lloyd Tilghman, captured (Confederacy)
Forces 15,000 Union troops and 7 ships against 3,000 to 3,400 Confederates and 17 heavy guns
Ships USS Essex
Losses Union: about 40 casualties; one ironclad seriously and one moderately damaged; 48 killed and wounded aboard the ironclad Essex, including 19 soldiers. Confederacy: 79 casualties and 90 surrendered; the rest of the garrison escaped to Fort Donelson.
Result Union victory
Grant landed two divisions north of the fort and planned to attack it on 6 February while Flag Officer Foote's gunboats bombarded it. Accurate naval gunfire, heavy rain and a poorly sited fort almost flooded by the rising river led General Tilghman to surrender to Foote before the army arrived. Union ironclads then raided upriver, destroying Confederate shipping and railway bridges.
Why it is remembered The first important Union victory in the Western Theater and Grant's first, it opened the Tennessee River to Union traffic and led to the Battle of Fort Donelson.
Sources differ The main account gives 40 Union casualties but also 48 killed and wounded aboard Essex alone.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Currier and Ives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Siege of Fort Macon Landing or siege
23 March to 26 April 1862 · Fort Macon, Outer Banks, Carteret County, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders John G. Parke and Commander Samuel Lockwood (Union); Colonel Moses J. White (Confederacy)
Forces Union: 3,259 men of the 3rd Division, Department of North Carolina, with ships of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Confederacy: a garrison of 450, 263 fit for duty
Ships USS Daylight, USS State of Georgia, USS Chippewa, the bark Gemsbok
Losses Union: 2 killed, 5 wounded, 8 captured. Confederate: 8 killed, 16 wounded, about 400 captured
Result Union victory; the fort surrendered
Burnside's troops invested the masonry fort guarding the channel to Beaufort with siege works and opened accurate fire on 25 April. Hearing the guns, Commander Lockwood brought the steamers Daylight, State of Georgia and Chippewa and the bark Gemsbok into action, but heavy seas spoiled their aim and they withdrew after about an hour; two ships were hit, with little damage. The shore batteries breached the walls and dismounted 19 guns, and that afternoon Colonel White raised a white flag. Union troops took over the fort the next morning.
Why it is remembered The fort commanded the channel to Beaufort, and its capture was part of Burnside's North Carolina Expedition.
Sources differ Losses: the main account gives Union 2 killed, 5 wounded and 8 captured, and Confederate 8 killed and 16 wounded; the aftermath section of the same article gives Union 1 killed and 3 wounded, and Confederate 7 killed outright, 2 died of wounds and 16 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Siege of Fort Pulaski Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Fort Pulaski; siege and reduction of Fort Pulaski
10 to 11 April 1862 (end of a siege of 112 days) · Fort Pulaski, Cockspur Island, mouth of the Savannah River, Georgia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Samuel F. Du Pont, David Hunter and Quincy A. Gillmore (Union); Robert E. Lee, Josiah Tattnall III and Charles H. Olmstead (Confederacy)
Forces Union: 15 warships, 36 transports, 10,000 men and 36 guns including rifled Parrotts and James rifles. Confederacy: 3 warships, 2 transports, a garrison of 385 men and 48 guns.
Losses Union: 1 killed, several wounded. Confederacy: several mortally wounded, 363 captured.
Result Union victory
Union forces on Tybee Island, supported by naval operations, besieged Fort Pulaski for 112 days. On 10 and 11 April 1862 they bombarded it for 30 hours with rifled guns until the garrison surrendered.
Why it is remembered The rifled guns used here made existing coastal forts obsolete. The surrender closed Savannah as a port, though the Confederates kept the city itself safe from attack by sea for the rest of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip Fleet battle
18 to 28 April 1862 · Forts Jackson and St. Philip, Mississippi River below New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders David G. Farragut, David Dixon Porter and Benjamin F. Butler (Union); Johnson K. Duncan, John K. Mitchell and John A. Stephenson (Confederacy)
Forces Much of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron with Porter's flotilla of mortar schooners, and 18,000 army troops, against the two forts and the Confederate gunboats and River Defense Fleet
Losses Union: 229 killed and wounded, 1 armed steamer and 1 mortar boat lost. Confederacy: 782 killed and wounded; every ship lost except 1 gunboat and 1 ram.
Result Union victory
Farragut's fleet entered the Mississippi from the Gulf and on 18 April Porter's mortar schooners began a largely ineffective bombardment of the forts. On the night of 24 April much of the fleet ran past the forts; one Union warship was lost and three turned back, while the Confederate gunboats were almost destroyed. New Orleans was taken with little further resistance, and the men of Fort Jackson mutinied and forced its surrender.
Why it is remembered The decisive battle for New Orleans, the largest city of the Confederacy. Its loss was a blow from which the Confederacy never recovered.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Galveston Harbor (1862) Landing or siege
4 October 1862 · Galveston, Texas
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders William B. Renshaw (Union); Joseph J. Cook (Confederacy)
Forces Five Union naval vessels against a Confederate artillery regiment
Ships USRC Harriet Lane
Losses None on either side.
Result Union victory; Union troops occupied Galveston
Five Union vessels under Commander Renshaw approached Galveston, whose defences had lost most of their guns, and sent Harriet Lane into the bay under a flag of truce. Misunderstandings led to artillery fire before a four-day truce was agreed, which the Confederates used to evacuate the city. When the truce expired, Union troops landed and raised the United States flag.
Why it is remembered It gave the Union the port of Galveston, which the Confederates retook on 1 January 1863 in the Battle of Galveston.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Hampton Roads Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack; Battle of Ironclads
8 to 9 March 1862 · Hampton Roads, off Sewell's Point, Virginia
Fought between Confederate States against the United States (Union)
Commanders Franklin Buchanan, wounded, and Catesby ap Roger Jones (Confederacy); John Marston and John Worden (Union)
Forces Confederacy: the ironclad Virginia, 2 wooden warships, 1 gunboat, 2 tenders and 1 shore battery. Union: the ironclad Monitor, 5 frigates, 6 auxiliary boats, 2 forts and 1 shore battery.
Ships CSS Virginia (ex USS Merrimack), USS Monitor, USS Congress, USS Cumberland, USS Minnesota
Losses Union: 261 killed, 108 wounded; 2 frigates sunk, 2 frigates, the ironclad and 3 auxiliary boats damaged. Confederacy: 7 killed, 17 wounded; the ironclad and a gunboat damaged.
Result Inconclusive; the blockade remained in place
On 8 March the Confederate ironclad ram Virginia, built on the hull of the burned frigate Merrimack, destroyed the wooden Union ships Congress and Cumberland and was about to attack the grounded Minnesota when darkness and the falling tide stopped her. Overnight the Union ironclad Monitor arrived. On 9 March the two ironclads fought for about three hours without doing serious damage to each other, and both withdrew.
Why it is remembered The first battle between ironclad warships. Britain and France stopped building wooden-hulled warships, monitors were built on the pattern of the original, heavy guns firing in all directions became standard, and rams were built into warship hulls for the rest of the century.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Kurz and Allison, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Island Number Ten Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Island No. 10
28 February to 8 April 1862 · Island Number Ten and New Madrid, Kentucky Bend of the Mississippi River, Missouri and Tennessee
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders John Pope and Andrew H. Foote (Union); John P. McCown and William W. Mackall (Confederacy)
Forces 23,000 Union troops, 6 gunboats and 11 mortar rafts against about 7,000 Confederates
Ships USS Carondelet, USS Pittsburg
Losses Union: 23 killed, 50 wounded, 5 missing. Confederacy: about 30 killed and wounded, 7,000 surrendered.
Result Union victory
After Pope took New Madrid, Union gunboats and mortar rafts bombarded Island No. 10 for three weeks while the army dug a canal to bypass it. Carondelet ran past the batteries on the night of 4 April and Pittsburg two nights later, and with their support Pope's army crossed the river and trapped the Confederates. The island garrison surrendered to Foote and the flotilla.
Why it is remembered The first time the Confederate Army lost a position on the Mississippi in battle. It opened the river to the Union Navy as far as Fort Pillow.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Photo #: KN-969 (Color), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Joint Expedition Against Franklin Landing or siege
Also known as Action at Crumpler's Bluff; Battle of Crumpler's Bluff
3 October 1862 · Blackwater River near Franklin, Virginia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders C. W. Flusser, Edmund R. Colhoun, Charles A. French, Samuel P. Spear (Union); Dennis Dozier Ferebee, J. K. Marshall, Edward Graham, Collet Leventhorpe (Confederate)
Forces Union: three gunboats and 1,300 infantry with an artillery section. Confederate: 10,000 to 12,000 infantry
Losses Union: five killed, 21 wounded. Confederate: estimated 70 to 100
Result Confederate victory
A Union flotilla was to support an army advance on Franklin, Virginia, but delays meant the gunboats started before the army was ready. On 3 October 1862 they found themselves on the Blackwater River facing far larger Confederate infantry forces and had to retreat. An army reconnaissance force nearby attacked the town expecting naval support, not knowing the gunboats had withdrawn, and also failed.
Why it is remembered Afterwards Navy officers questioned the use of gunboats in joint expeditions where they could not support themselves.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Naval Historical Center, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Lucas Bend Fleet battle
11 January 1862 · Lucas Bend, Mississippi River, four miles north of Columbus, Kentucky
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Andrew Hull Foote and William D. Porter (Union); George N. Hollins and John Rodgers (Confederacy, as given in the main account)
Forces 2 Union ironclad gunboats against 3 Confederate cottonclad gunboats, 1 floating battery and a shore battery at Columbus
Ships USS Essex, USS St. Louis, CSS General Polk, CSS Ivy, CSS Jackson, CSS New Orleans
Losses Union: none. Confederacy: unknown.
Result Inconclusive; the Confederate ships escaped
The Union ironclads Essex and St. Louis, carrying troops down the Mississippi in fog, met the Confederate gunboats General Polk, Ivy and Jackson and the floating battery New Orleans at Lucas Bend. After an hour of skirmishing the Confederate ships fell back to the shelter of the battery at Columbus, where the Union ships could not follow.
Why it is remembered One of the first occasions on which the new ironclads clearly outclassed timber-armoured warships, and one of the last engagements in which such ships played a major part.
Sources differ One account says a Union commander was wounded; another account gives no Union casualties.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Piracy in Asia
Battle off Mukah Single-ship action
23 May 1862 · Off Mukah, northern coast of Borneo, South China Sea
Fought between Raj of Sarawak against Moro pirates
Commanders John Brooke, Rajah Muda of Sarawak
Forces 1 Sarawak steamer and 1 gunboat against 6 pirate prahus
Losses Sarawak: about 1 killed and 2 wounded; the steamer and gunboat damaged. Pirates: about 100 killed or wounded, 4 prahus sunk, 1 damaged.
Result Sarawak victory
After pirates had kidnapped Sarawak subjects, two small Sarawak gunboats met the pirates off Mukah. John Brooke, heir to the White Rajah, led his force to defeat the six pirate ships and rescue the captives.
Why it is remembered An unusual action in which the heir to the Raj of Sarawak led a naval fight against pirates.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War (Burnside Expedition)
Battle of New Bern Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of New Berne
14 March 1862 · Near New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Ambrose Burnside and Stephen C. Rowan (Union); Lawrence O'B. Branch (Confederacy)
Forces 13 infantry regiments (11,000 men) and 14 gunboats against 6 infantry regiments (4,000 men) and 1 cavalry regiment
Losses Union: 90 killed, 380 wounded, 1 missing. Confederacy: 64 killed, 101 wounded, 413 men and nine guns captured or missing.
Result Union victory
General Burnside's Coast Division, accompanied by gunboats of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, which advanced up the river and passed the barricade, attacked the Confederate breastworks below New Bern. The Union troops broke through a weak point in the centre of the line, the militia gave way and the whole Confederate force retreated to Kinston.
Why it is remembered New Bern stayed under Union control for the rest of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Herbert Eugene Valentine,, Artist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Plum Point Bend Fleet battle
10 May 1862 · Plum Point Bend, Mississippi River, near Osceola, Arkansas, above Fort Pillow, Tennessee
Fought between Confederate States against the United States (Union)
Commanders J. E. Montgomery (Confederacy); Charles Henry Davis (Union)
Forces 8 Confederate cottonclad rams of the River Defense Fleet against 7 Union ironclads and 1 mortar boat of the Western Flotilla
Ships USS Cincinnati, USS Mound City, USS Carondelet, USS Benton, CSS General Bragg, CSS General Sterling Price, CSS General Sumter, CSS General Earl Van Dorn
Losses Union: 2 ironclads sunk, later raised; 4 men killed or wounded. Confederacy: about 12 men killed or wounded; several ships damaged.
Result Confederate victory
Each day the Union sent one mortar boat with a guard ironclad downriver to shell Fort Pillow. On 10 May the Confederate rams attacked while most Union ironclads had no steam up. General Bragg, General Sterling Price and General Sumter rammed the guard ship Cincinnati, which sank, and General Earl Van Dorn rammed Mound City, which was run onto a shoal and sank. The Union ironclads then moved into shallow water out of reach, and the Confederates, outgunned, withdrew.
Why it is remembered One of the few fleet actions of the Civil War. The Union strengthened its ships at the waterline afterwards; the River Defense Fleet was destroyed a month later at Memphis.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War (Burnside Expedition)
Battle of Roanoke Island Landing or siege
7 to 8 February 1862 · Roanoke Island and Croatan Sound, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Ambrose Burnside and Louis M. Goldsborough (Union); Henry A. Wise, in hospital, Henry M. Shaw and William F. Lynch (Confederacy)
Forces About 10,000 Union troops with gunboats of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and army gunboats, against about 3,000 Confederates, the gunboats of the Mosquito Fleet, four forts and two batteries
Losses Union: 37 killed, 214 wounded, 13 missing. Confederacy: 23 killed, 58 wounded, 62 missing, about 2,500 captured, 30 guns captured.
Result Union victory
On the first day the Union gunboats fought the forts, with some help to the defenders from the Mosquito Fleet. Late in the day Burnside's troops landed unopposed with six naval howitzers. On 8 February they were halted by a battery in the centre of the island, then outflanked it through swamps the Confederates thought impassable. The forts were taken from the rear and Colonel Shaw surrendered.
Why it is remembered The amphibious opening of the Burnside Expedition, which gave the Union control of the island and the sounds around it.
Sources differ One account gives about 2,000 Confederate soldiers; another account gives 3,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Currier and Ives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of St. Charles Landing or siege
17 June 1862 · St. Charles, White River, Arkansas
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Graham Fitch and Augustus Kilty, wounded (Union); Joseph Fry, captured (Confederacy)
Forces 2 Union ironclads, 2 timberclads and the 46th Indiana Infantry against two Confederate batteries and part of the 29th Arkansas Infantry
Ships USS Mound City, CSS Maurepas
Losses Union: aboard USS Mound City, all but about 25 of some 175 men killed or wounded. Confederacy: not stated.
Result Union victory
A Union naval force went up the White River to resupply General Curtis's army. The Confederates built two batteries at St. Charles and scuttled three ships, including CSS Maurepas, to block the river. While the 46th Indiana attacked by land and took the position, a Confederate shot pierced a steam drum of the ironclad Mound City and scalding steam filled the ship.
Why it is remembered The shot that hit Mound City has been called the deadliest shot of the war. Part of the battlefield is on the National Register of Historic Places as the St. Charles Battle Site.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexander Simplot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Tampa Landing or siege
Also known as Yankee Outrage at Tampa
30 June to 1 July 1862 · Tampa Bay and Fort Brooke, Tampa, Florida
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders A. J. Drake (Union); John William Pearson (Confederacy)
Forces 1 Union gunboat against 1 Confederate artillery company in Fort Brooke
Ships USS Sagamore
Losses None on either side.
Result Confederate victory
The gunboat USS Sagamore entered Tampa Bay and demanded the surrender of Fort Brooke, which Captain Pearson refused. That evening she began a long-range bombardment of the fort and town, and the fort answered with its three larger guns. Neither side did real damage, and after more rounds the next morning Sagamore returned to her blockade station.
Why it is remembered A small episode in the Union blockade of Tampa, a port used by blockade runners, followed by heavier Union attacks in October 1862 and May 1864.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: American Battlefield Protection Program, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Cochinchina campaign (1858 to 1862)
Capture of Vĩnh Long Landing or siege
22 March 1862 · Vĩnh Long, Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam
Fought between France and Spain against the Nguyễn dynasty of Vietnam
Commanders Louis-Adolphe Bonard and Lieutenant-Colonel Reboul (France); Carlos Palanca Gutiérrez (Spain); Vietnamese commander unknown
Forces 2 despatch vessels, 9 gunboats, 700 French and 300 Spanish infantry
Result French and Spanish victory
A Franco-Spanish force carried by 2 despatch vessels and 9 gunboats attacked the citadel of Vĩnh Long in the Mekong Delta and took it on 22 March 1862.
Why it is remembered It was the last major allied victory of the Cochinchina campaign, which ended with the founding of the French colony of Cochinchina and nearly a century of French dominance in Vietnam.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: afrer M. H. Lugeol, Prehom. Peulot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Second French intervention in Mexico
Battles of Acapulco Landing or siege
Also known as First Battle of Acapulco
10 to 12 January 1863 (first battle) · Bay of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
Fought between France against the Mexican Republicans, with the United States neutral
Commanders Eugène Le Bris Durumain and Rear Admiral Adolphe Bouët (France); Diego Álvarez Benítez, Juan Álvarez and Luis Ghilardi (Mexico); John Augustus Sutter Jr. (United States, neutral)
Forces 4 French warships and 100 marines of the French naval division of the Pacific against a garrison of about a dozen; the American warship Saranac present
Ships Pallas, USS Saranac
Losses Mexico: 12 or 13 dead. France: possibly none.
Result French victory; the city was evacuated and three forts put out of action
The French Pacific division entered the Bay of Acapulco on 10 January 1863 and shelled the town and its forts. According to accounts, John Sutter Jr. raised the American flag on a boat, crossed under the gunfire to the French flagship Pallas and persuaded Admiral Bouët to stop shelling civilian houses. The city was evacuated.
Why it is remembered Acapulco, a key Pacific port, changed hands several times during the French intervention, and its population fell from 6,000 to 2,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War (Vicksburg campaign)
Battle of Arkansas Post Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Fort Hindman
9 to 11 January 1863 · Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, Arkansas River, Arkansas
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders John A. McClernand and David D. Porter (Union); Thomas J. Churchill, who surrendered (Confederacy)
Forces About 30,000 Union troops with Porter's Mississippi Squadron against about 5,000 Confederates
Losses Union: 1,092. Confederacy: 60 killed, about 80 wounded, 4,791 captured.
Result Union victory
Confederates raiding from Fort Hindman had captured a Union supply vessel, so McClernand and Sherman moved against it with Porter's fleet. Troops landed downriver on 9 January, and Porter's warships bombarded the fort on 10 January and again on 11 January as the army attacked. The assault was repulsed, but white flags appeared along parts of the Confederate line, Union troops pressed in amid the confusion, and General Churchill surrendered.
Why it is remembered A large surrender of Confederate troops early in the Vicksburg campaign; Grant at first disapproved of the operation and soon took command of the campaign from McClernand.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Currier & Ives., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
First Battle of Charleston Harbor Landing or siege
7 April 1863 · Entrance to Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Samuel Francis Du Pont (Union); P. G. T. Beauregard (Confederacy)
Forces 9 Union ironclads, seven of them Passaic class monitors, with New Ironsides and Keokuk, against 2 Confederate ironclads and 385 guns ashore
Ships USS New Ironsides, USS Keokuk
Losses Union: 1 killed, 21 wounded, 1 ship sunk and most others damaged. Confederacy: 5 killed, 8 wounded.
Result Confederate victory
Du Pont's ironclads attacked the forts at the harbour entrance late in the afternoon. In less than two hours of firing they could not get past even the first line of defences, and when the tide turned Du Pont broke off. One ship was left sinking and most of the rest damaged, and after consulting his captains he did not renew the attack.
Why it is remembered The Navy Department had hoped for a stunning success that would prove armoured ships with heavy guns could reduce traditional forts. The attack failed and was not renewed.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
First Battle of Fort McAllister Landing or siege
27 January to 3 March 1863 · Fort McAllister, Bryan County, Georgia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Percival Drayton, John L. Worden and Daniel Ammen (Union); John B. Gallie, killed, and George Wayne Anderson (Confederacy)
Forces The Union monitors Montauk, Patapsco, Passaic and Nahant against the fort's garrison
Ships USS Montauk, USS Patapsco, USS Passaic, USS Nahant
Losses Unknown on both sides; the Confederate commander John B. Gallie was killed.
Result Confederate victory
Rear Admiral Du Pont, commanding the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, sent his new monitors in a series of attacks on Fort McAllister to test them before a major operation against Charleston. The fort held.
Why it is remembered A trial of the new monitors against a fort, ahead of the attack on Charleston Harbor.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Fort Brooke Raid
16 to 18 October 1863 · Tampa and the Hillsborough River, Florida
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders A. A. Semmes (Union navy); John S. Westcott (Confederacy)
Forces USS Tahoma and USS Adela against Company A, 2nd Florida Infantry
Ships USS Tahoma, USS Adela
Losses Union: 16. Confederate: unknown
Result Union victory
A minor engagement fought in and around Tampa from 16 to 18 October 1863. Its main result was the destruction of two Confederate blockade runners that had been hidden upstream on the Hillsborough River.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the destruction of the two blockade runners hidden up the Hillsborough River.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: American Battlefield Protection Program, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Galveston Landing or siege
Also known as Second Battle of Galveston
1 January 1863 · Galveston, Texas
Fought between Confederate States against the United States (Union)
Commanders John B. Magruder and Leon Smith (Confederacy); William B. Renshaw, killed, and Isaac S. Burrell (Union)
Forces 2 Confederate cottonclad gunboats and infantry against 6 Union gunboats and infantry
Ships USRC Harriet Lane, USS Westfield, CS Bayou City
Losses Union: about 420 captured, 1 gunboat captured, 1 gunboat destroyed. Confederacy: 26 killed, 117 wounded.
Result Confederate victory
Confederate forces under General Magruder attacked the Union troops occupying Galveston by land and water. The cottonclad Bayou City captured Harriet Lane, and the Union commander Renshaw blew up the stranded Westfield to keep her from the enemy. Union troops ashore thought the fleet was surrendering and laid down their arms.
Why it is remembered It returned Galveston to Confederate hands three months after the Union took it in the Battle of Galveston Harbor.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alfred Hudson Guernsey / Henry Mills Alden, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Action off Galveston Light Single-ship action
11 January 1863 · Off Galveston Lighthouse, Texas, Gulf of Mexico
Fought between Confederate States against the United States (Union)
Commanders Raphael Semmes (Confederacy); Homer C. Blake (Union)
Forces The Confederate sloop of war CSS Alabama against the Union steamer USS Hatteras
Ships CSS Alabama, USS Hatteras
Losses Union: 2 killed, 5 wounded, 118 captured; Hatteras sunk. Confederacy: 2 wounded; Alabama damaged.
Result Confederate victory
The Confederate raider Alabama met the Union steamer Hatteras off the Galveston lighthouse and sank her in a short fight. Most of the Union crew were taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered A short action in which the Confederate commerce raider Alabama sank a Union warship in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War (Vicksburg campaign)
Battle of Grand Gulf Landing or siege
29 April 1863 · Grand Gulf, Mississippi River, Mississippi
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders David D. Porter (Union); John S. Bowen (Confederacy)
Forces 7 Union ironclads and about 10,000 men on transports against 4,200 Confederates in Forts Wade and Cobun
Losses Union: 75 to 80. Confederacy: 18 to 22, including the commander of Fort Wade.
Result Confederate victory
To clear the way for Grant's army to cross the Mississippi south of Vicksburg, seven ironclads of Porter's Mississippi Squadron bombarded the Confederate forts at Grand Gulf. They silenced Fort Wade and killed its commander, but the position held, and Grant crossed instead at Bruinsburg the next day.
Why it is remembered After the Union victory at Port Gibson, Grand Gulf was abandoned and became a Union supply point on the road to Vicksburg. The battlefield is preserved as Grand Gulf Military State Park.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Bakumatsu
Bombardment of Kagoshima Landing or siege
Also known as Anglo-Satsuma War (Satsu-Ei Sensō, 薩英戦争)
15 to 17 August 1863 · Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain, Japan
Fought between Britain against the Satsuma Domain
Commanders Augustus Kuper (Britain); Shimazu Hisamitsu (Satsuma)
Forces 7 British warships against Satsuma coastal batteries
Losses Britain: 13 killed, 59 wounded. Satsuma: 5 killed, 3 merchant ships and 5 junks destroyed.
Result Indecisive; the British withdrew, Satsuma claimed victory and later met some British demands
A Royal Navy squadron under Sir Augustus Kuper came to Kagoshima to obtain compensation for the Namamugi incident of 1862. Fired on by Satsuma's coastal batteries, the British bombarded the city but could not win a decisive result and withdrew two days later.
Why it is remembered Satsuma declared victory, and after negotiations met some of the British demands over the Namamugi incident.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: E. Roevens after special artist and correspondent in Japan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Portland Harbor Raid
27 June 1863 · Off Portland, Maine
Fought between Confederate States against the United States (Union)
Commanders Charles Read (Confederacy); Jacob McLellan (Union)
Forces 1 Confederate schooner against 1 revenue cutter and 2 steamers
Ships USRC Caleb Cushing
Losses Union: the cutter Caleb Cushing scuttled, 2 steamers damaged. Confederacy: 25 captured, the schooner captured.
Result Union victory
Confederate raiders under Charles Read captured the revenue cutter Caleb Cushing at Portland and later scuttled and burned her. Two civilian steamers went after them, and the Confederates and their schooner were captured.
Why it is remembered A Confederate raid in the waters of Maine in which a United States revenue cutter was captured and destroyed.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Second Battle of Charleston Harbor Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Charleston Harbor; Siege of Fort Wagner; Battle of Morris Island
18 July to 7 September 1863 · Charleston, South Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Quincy Gillmore and John A. Dahlgren (Union); P. G. T. Beauregard and Roswell S. Ripley (Confederacy)
Forces X Corps and the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron against the garrisons of Fort Wagner and Fort Sumter
Losses Union: 358. Confederacy: 655.
Result Inconclusive
A combined Union Army and Navy force attacked the Confederate defences of Charleston in the late summer of 1863, besieging Fort Wagner on Morris Island and bombarding Fort Sumter.
Why it is remembered A combined army and navy siege of the defences of Charleston that ended inconclusively after seven weeks.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Second Battle of Fort Sumter Landing or siege
7 to 8 September 1863 · Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
Fought between United States against the Confederate States
Commanders Quincy Gillmore (Union); P. G. T. Beauregard (Confederate)
Forces Union: a naval landing party of 413 men, with Marines. Confederate: 320 infantrymen.
Losses Union: 117. Confederate: 9.
Result Confederate victory
Union batteries on Morris Island bombarded Fort Sumter at the mouth of Charleston Harbor until it was a pile of rubble. Expecting an assault, Beauregard replaced the artillerymen and all but one of the guns with 320 infantrymen, who repulsed a Union naval landing party that tried to enter the fort through the breach in the wall facing Morris Island.
Why it is remembered Although the fort was reduced to ruins, the Confederate flag still flew over it.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Second Battle of Sabine Pass Landing or siege
8 September 1863 · Sabine Pass, Jefferson County, Texas
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders William B. Franklin and Frederick Crocker (Union); Richard W. Dowling and Leon Smith (Confederacy)
Forces 5,000 Union infantry, 4 gunboats and 18 transports against 46 Confederate gunners with 4 reinforcements, 6 guns and 1 fort
Losses Union: more than 350 killed, wounded or captured; gunboats captured and destroyed. Confederacy: none.
Result Confederate victory
A Union army and navy force tried to invade Texas through Sabine Pass. The small Confederate garrison of the fort drove off the attack, and the Union Navy lost gunboats captured and destroyed.
Why it is remembered Often called the most one-sided Confederate victory of the war. In 1876 Jefferson Davis called it the most remarkable battle in military history.
Sources differ One account says three Union gunboats were lost, two captured and one destroyed; another account lists 2 gunboats captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Shimonoseki campaign
Battle of Shimonoseki Straits Single-ship action
Also known as Shimonoseki Kaisen (下関海戦)
16 July 1863 · Shimonoseki Straits, Honshu, Japan
Fought between United States against the Chōshū Domain
Commanders David McDougal (United States); Mōri Takachika (Chōshū)
Forces 1 American screw sloop with 198 sailors and marines against 4 shore batteries, 1 barque, 1 brig and 1 steamer
Ships USS Wyoming, Daniel Webster, Lanrick, Lancefield
Losses United States: 4 killed, 7 wounded, the sloop considerably damaged. Chōshū: about 40 killed; 1 brig and 1 steamer sunk, the barque damaged, 4 shore batteries damaged.
Result American tactical victory; Wyoming withdrew
Captain McDougal took USS Wyoming into the strait alone and engaged the American-built but poorly manned ships of the Chōshū clan. In almost two hours of fighting he sank two vessels and badly damaged the third before withdrawing.
Why it is remembered A prelude to the larger Shimonoseki campaign of 1863 and 1864 by the foreign powers, during the troubled years of Japan's opening to the West.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Wassaw Sound Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of CSS Atlanta
17 June 1863 · Wassaw Sound, Chatham County, Georgia
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders John Rodgers (Union); William A. Webb (Confederacy)
Forces 2 Union monitors and 1 gunboat against 1 Confederate ironclad ram and 2 wooden steamers
Ships CSS Atlanta, USS Weehawken, USS Nahant, USS Cimmerone
Losses Union: none. Confederacy: 1 killed, 16 wounded, the ironclad captured.
Result Union victory
The Confederate ram Atlanta tried to break the Union blockade and ran aground in Wassaw Sound. After a short fight with the monitors Weehawken and Nahant she surrendered.
Why it is remembered Captain Rodgers became a national hero, was promoted to commodore and received the Thanks of Congress.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War (Vicksburg campaign)
Yazoo Pass expedition Landing or siege
3 February to 12 April 1863 (attacks on Fort Pemberton 11 to 16 March) · Yazoo Pass, Coldwater and Tallahatchie rivers, Fort Pemberton near Greenwood, Mississippi
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Watson Smith, later James P. Foster, and Leonard F. Ross (Union); William W. Loring (Confederacy)
Forces 8 Union gunboats, 2 rams and 1 mortar raft with army troops against 2,000 Confederates and 8 guns
Result Confederate victory
To outflank Vicksburg, the Union breached a levee on the Mississippi and sent a flotilla through Moon Lake, the Yazoo Pass and the Coldwater and Tallahatchie rivers towards the Yazoo. Natural obstacles slowed it to as little as ten miles a day, giving the Confederates time to build a fort near Greenwood. The ironclads were repulsed there on three separate days, and with the ground flooded the troops could not help. The force withdrew and was back by 12 April.
Why it is remembered A failed attempt by Grant and Porter to bypass the defences of Vicksburg through the flooded Mississippi Delta; the naval commander's very poor health was an important factor in its failure.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Albemarle Sound Fleet battle
5 May 1864 · Albemarle Sound, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Melancton Smith (Union); James W. Cooke (Confederacy)
Forces 8 Union gunboats against 1 Confederate ironclad and 2 steamers
Ships CSS Albemarle, USS Sassacus
Losses Union: 31 killed or wounded. Confederacy: 57 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Three Confederate warships, led by the ironclad Albemarle, engaged eight Union gunboats in Albemarle Sound. USS Sassacus rammed Albemarle. The fight ended without a decision at sunset.
Why it is remembered An indecisive fight between the Confederate ironclad Albemarle and a Union gunboat squadron on the North Carolina coast.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Ambush of the steamboat J. R. Williams Raid
Also known as Ambush at Pleasant Bluff
15 June 1864 · Pleasant Bluff, Arkansas River, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma)
Fought between Confederate States and Native American allies against the United States (Union)
Commanders Stand Watie (Confederacy); Horace Cook (Union)
Forces 400 Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Creek troops against 26 Union men aboard the steamboat
Ships J. R. Williams
Losses Union: 4 killed, 6 captured. Confederacy: not stated.
Result Confederate victory
Confederate Native American troops under the Cherokee general Stand Watie ambushed the Union supply steamboat J. R. Williams on the Arkansas River, striking at the Union Army's supply line.
Why it is remembered It is popularly called the only naval battle in the landlocked state of Oklahoma.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Bahia incident Raid
Also known as Incidente da Bahia
7 October 1864 · Port of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States, in neutral Brazil
Commanders Napoleon Collins (Union); T. K. Porter (Confederacy); Antônio Gomes (Brazil)
Forces 1 Union sloop of war against 1 Confederate sloop of war, with 2 Brazilian forts and 1 paddle steamer present
Ships USS Wachusett, CSS Florida
Losses Union: 3 wounded, the sloop damaged. Confederacy: about 5 killed, about 9 wounded, 60 captured, the sloop captured. Brazil: none.
Result Union victory; the Americans withdrew from Salvador
The Union sloop Wachusett attacked and cut out the Confederate warship Florida in the harbour of Salvador, Bahia, and took her away.
Why it is remembered The attack in a neutral harbour violated Brazilian neutrality and caused a diplomatic incident between the United States and Brazil.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: F. Guterkunst, United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Cherbourg (1864) Single-ship action
Also known as Battle off Cherbourg; Sinking of CSS Alabama; Combat naval à Cherbourg
19 June 1864 · Off Cherbourg, France, English Channel
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders John Winslow (Union); Raphael Semmes (Confederacy)
Forces The screw sloop USS Kearsarge with 163 men against the screw sloop CSS Alabama with 149 men
Ships USS Kearsarge, CSS Alabama, Deerhound, Couronne
Losses Union: 1 died of wounds, 2 wounded. Confederacy: Alabama sunk; 19 dead (9 killed in action, 10 drowned), 21 wounded, about 70 captured.
Result Union victory
After five commerce-raiding cruises, Alabama put into Cherbourg on 11 June 1864 for repairs, and Kearsarge arrived to watch her. On 19 June Alabama came out, escorted by the French ironclad Couronne. Outside French waters the two ships circled each other seven times in just over an hour of firing; Kearsarge, with chain cable hung along her sides, fired more slowly and more accurately. Holed below the waterline, Alabama sank, and the British yacht Deerhound picked up Semmes and others and carried them to Southampton.
Why it is remembered It ended the career of the Confederate commerce raider Alabama. Édouard Manet painted the battle. The wreck was found by the French minesweeper Circé in 1984 at 60 metres, and more than 300 artefacts, including the ship's bell, were raised in 2002.
Sources differ One account says about 38 to 41 Confederate sailors were rescued by the British yacht; another account says about 30. Kearsarge's casualties are given as 1 died of wounds and 2 wounded, or 3 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
First Battle of Fort Fisher Landing or siege
24 to 27 December 1864 · Fort Fisher, New Hanover County, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Benjamin Butler and David D. Porter (Union); William H. C. Whiting and William Lamb (Confederacy)
Forces The Expeditionary Corps of the Army of the James and the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron against Hoke's Division and the Fort Fisher garrison
Losses 320 in all.
Result Confederate victory
The Union tried to take Fort Fisher, which guarded Wilmington, the South's last major Atlantic port. The navy first tried to blow down the fort's walls by detonating a ship filled with powder, which failed, then bombarded the fort for two days. On the second day troops began to land, but Butler, hearing of Confederate reinforcements and facing worsening weather, called off the attack and declared the fort impregnable.
Why it is remembered Butler was relieved of command on 8 January 1865, and a new expedition under Alfred H. Terry took the fort a week later.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Second Schleswig War
Battle of Heligoland (1864) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Helgoland; Seegefecht bei Helgoland
9 May 1864 · Off Heligoland, German Bight, North Sea
Fought between Denmark against Austria and Prussia
Commanders Edouard Suenson (Denmark); Wilhelm von Tegetthoff (Austria)
Forces 2 Danish screw frigates and 1 screw corvette against 2 Austrian screw frigates, 1 Prussian aviso and 2 Prussian gunboats
Ships SMS Schwarzenberg, SMS Radetzky, Niels Juel, Jylland, Hejmdal
Losses Denmark: 14 killed, 54 wounded, 1 frigate damaged. Austria and Prussia: 36 killed, 108 wounded, 2 frigates damaged.
Result Disputed: a Danish tactical success, but the Danish blockade was lifted
Austria sent the steam frigates Schwarzenberg and Radetzky to help the small Prussian Navy break the Danish blockade of the German North Sea ports. Off Heligoland, then a neutral British island, Tegetthoff attacked Suenson's squadron with his two frigates while the slower Prussian ships lagged behind. His flagship Schwarzenberg caught fire three times, and the last fire forced him to take shelter in neutral waters. An armistice followed three days later and the blockade was ended.
Why it is remembered The last battle fought by squadrons of wooden ships and the last major action by Danish warships. Jylland survives at Ebeltoft as the last wooden-hulled screw warship, and Josef Carl Püttner painted the battle.
Sources differ Historians differ: some call it a Danish tactical victory, others an Austro-Prussian strategic victory because the blockade was lifted, others inconclusive.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Josef Carl Püttner (1821, 1881), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Second Schleswig War
Battle of Jasmund (1864) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Rügen
17 March 1864 · East of the Jasmund peninsula, Rügen, Bay of Pomerania
Fought between Denmark against Prussia
Commanders Edvard van Dockum (Denmark); Eduard von Jachmann (Prussia)
Forces 1 Danish ship of the line, 1 steam frigate and 2 steam corvettes against a Prussian squadron of 2 steam warships, 1 paddle steamer and 6 gunboats
Ships Sjælland, Loreley, Nymphe
Losses Denmark: 6 dead, 16 wounded. Prussia: 5 dead, 8 wounded, 1 ship damaged.
Result Danish tactical victory; the blockade of the Prussian coast was maintained
The Prussian squadron sortied from the coast of Rügen to attack the Danish ships blockading the eastern Prussian coast. In a two-hour action the stronger Danish squadron forced the Prussians to withdraw, with damage and light casualties on both sides. More Danish warships arrived afterwards and the blockade held.
Why it is remembered A Danish naval success that made no difference to the war, which was decided by Prussian and Austrian victories on land. Alexander Kircher painted Sjælland engaging Loreley and Nymphe.
Sources differ One account gives the Prussian squadron as a screw frigate and a screw corvette with the steamer and gunboats; another account gives 2 steam corvettes.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alexander Kircher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Mobile Bay Fleet battle
5 August 1864 · Mobile Bay, Alabama
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders David G. Farragut and Gordon Granger (Union); Franklin Buchanan and Richard L. Page (Confederacy)
Forces 12 Union wooden ships, 2 gunboats, 4 ironclad monitors and 5,500 men against 3 Confederate gunboats, 1 ironclad, 1,500 men and Forts Morgan, Gaines and Powell
Ships CSS Tennessee, USS Tecumseh
Losses Union: 151 killed, 177 wounded, 1 ironclad sunk, 1 dispatch vessel destroyed. Confederacy: 13 killed, 22 wounded, 1,587 captured; 1 gunboat captured, 1 gunboat destroyed and the ironclad captured.
Result Union victory
Farragut's fleet ran past the forts at the entrance to Mobile Bay and through a minefield that had just sunk one of his monitors. The Confederate squadron was reduced to the ironclad Tennessee, which fought the whole Union fleet alone and did more damage than she received, but was finally reduced to a motionless hulk and surrendered. The three forts surrendered within days.
Why it is remembered It closed Mobile, the last important Confederate port on the Gulf east of the Mississippi, and with the fall of Atlanta helped Lincoln's re-election. Farragut's order, remembered as “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”, became famous; it was his last battle.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 5 August 1864; another account gives 2 to 23 August, to the fall of Fort Morgan.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Julian O. Davidson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Capture of Plymouth (1864) Landing or siege
29 to 31 October 1864 · Plymouth, Roanoke River and Middle River, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders William H. Macomb and William B. Cushing (Union)
Forces 9 Union gunboats and 1 torpedo boat against 3,500 Confederates with 22 guns in 3 shore batteries
Ships CSS Albemarle
Losses Union: 6 killed, 9 wounded, 3 gunboats damaged. Confederacy: 37 captured, 22 guns and 3 batteries captured.
Result Union victory
After CSS Albemarle was sunk in a commando raid led by Lieutenant William B. Cushing, Union naval forces attacked Plymouth, held by Confederate artillery. After three days of fighting the Confederates withdrew, and the navy landed men and occupied the town.
Why it is remembered It followed the sinking of the ironclad Albemarle and brought Plymouth under Union control. Alexander C. Stuart painted the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Rainbow Bluff Expedition Other action
9 December 1864 · Roanoke River below Rainbow Bluff, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Rear Admiral David Porter and Lieutenant Colonel Innis N. Palmer (Union)
Forces The Union gunboats Wyalusing and Otsego and the tug Bazely against Confederate river mines and the position on Rainbow Bluff
Ships USS Wyalusing, USS Otsego, Bazely
Losses Union: Otsego and Bazely sunk. Confederacy: none.
Result Confederate victory
A Union naval expedition went up the Roanoke River towards Rainbow Bluff. Confederate river mines sank the gunboat Otsego and blew up the tug Bazely, and with the Confederate position reinforced the Union force abandoned the expedition.
Why it is remembered An example of Confederate mines turning back a Union river expedition late in the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Frederick Gutekunst, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chincha Islands War
Action of 17 November 1865 Single-ship action
Also known as Combate del 17 de noviembre de 1865
17 November 1865 · Off Tomé, Concepción Bay, Chile
Fought between Chile against Spain
Forces The unarmed Chilean tug Independencia against a Spanish gunboat with 2 guns
Ships Independencia, Resolución
Losses Spain: about 50 taken prisoner, the gunboat captured. Chile: none.
Result Chilean victory
The Chilean tug Independencia captured a gunboat belonging to the Spanish frigate Resolución off Tomé.
Why it is remembered A minor Chilean success in the Chincha Islands War, nine days before the Battle of Papudo.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chincha Islands War
Action of Calderilla Raid
Also known as Acción militar de Calderilla; 1865 Calderilla clashes
27 December 1865 · Calderilla, near Caldera, Chile
Fought between Spain against Chile
Forces Boats and armed launches from the Spanish frigates Berenguela and Numancia against Chilean infantry of the 4th Line and artillery ashore
Ships Berenguela, Numancia
Losses Chile: none reported. Spain: three sailors killed, according to Chilean claims.
Result Chilean victory; the Spanish failed to take the steamer
Spanish boats from Berenguela and a steam launch from Numancia tried to cut out a Chilean steamer and towed her away, but Chilean soldiers saw them and opened fire. The launches withdrew and left the steamer stranded. Berenguela came in under steam and fired on the Chilean positions, which had been reinforced with artillery, and the Spanish withdrew when Numancia arrived.
Why it is remembered A failed Spanish attempt to reduce Chile's war capacity by seizing one of its ships.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Corrientes campaign)
Battle of Corrientes Raid
13 April to 25 May 1865 · Corrientes, Paraná River, Corrientes Province, Argentina
Fought between Paraguay against Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay
Commanders Pedro Ignacio Meza and Wenceslao Robles (Paraguay); Wenceslao Paunero and Bartolomé Mitre (Argentina); Joaquim M. Lisboa (Brazil)
Forces Paraguay: 37,000 soldiers and 5 warships. Allies: 10,000 Argentine soldiers and 4 frigates, 15,000 Brazilian soldiers and 17 warships, 1 Uruguayan ironclad.
Ships Tacuarí, Paraguarí, Marqués de Olinda, Ygurey, Yporá, 25 de Mayo, Gualeguay
Losses Paraguay: more than 400 dead left behind on 25 May. Argentina: the ships 25 de Mayo and Gualeguay captured.
Result Allied victory
On 13 April 1865 a Paraguayan squadron of five ships under Pedro Ignacio Meza arrived at Corrientes and seized the Argentine ships 25 de Mayo and Gualeguay, which were under repair. Paraguayan troops occupied the city the next day. On 25 May an Argentine force of 725 men under General Paunero attacked the city, and the Paraguayans withdrew to Empedrado.
Why it is remembered The invasion of Corrientes brought Argentina and Uruguay into the war alongside Brazil in the Triple Alliance, and its failure led to the allied invasion of Paraguay.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jules Gaildrau / Louis Paul Pierre Dumont, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chincha Islands War
Battle of Papudo Single-ship action
Also known as Naval Battle of Papudo; Combate naval de Papudo
26 November 1865 · Off Papudo, 55 miles north of Valparaíso, Chile
Fought between Chile against Spain
Commanders Juan Williams Rebolledo (Chile); Luis Fery, captured (Spain)
Forces The Chilean corvette Esmeralda, 18 guns, against the Spanish schooner Virgen de Covadonga, 3 guns
Ships Esmeralda, Virgen de Covadonga, Villa de Madrid
Losses Spain: 4 dead, 22 wounded, 122 captured, the schooner captured. Chile: none.
Result Chilean victory
Esmeralda, flying a British flag, closed with Covadonga, whose captain took her for a British ship. She then opened fire, and her gunners proved more accurate. After about half an hour Covadonga, badly hit, tried to escape, and Fery surrendered. The Chileans took the schooner and the correspondence of the Spanish admiral, Juan Manuel Pareja.
Why it is remembered Admiral Pareja took his own life aboard his flagship Villa de Madrid two days later. Arturo Prat, Juan José Latorre and Carlos Condell served in Esmeralda, and Covadonga joined the Chilean Navy and later fought at the Battle of Iquique.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Somerscales, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Corrientes campaign)
Battle of Paso de Cuevas Landing or siege
12 August 1865 · Cuevas pass, Paraná River, Corrientes Province, Argentina
Fought between Brazil and Argentina against Paraguay
Commanders Francisco M. Barroso (Brazil); José Murature (Argentina); José María Bruguez (Paraguay)
Forces 12 Brazilian ships with 60 guns, 3 frigates, 3 corvettes, 5 gunboats and a transport, with 1 Argentine gunboat, against 3,000 Paraguayan soldiers with 34 guns
Losses Allies: 24 killed, 42 wounded. Paraguay: unknown.
Result Allied victory; the warships passed
A day after running past Bruguez's guns at Bella Vista, the allied fleet continued down the Paraná so as not to be cut off from its supply base. At the Cuevas pass it again came under fire from 3,000 of Bruguez's men with 34 guns and forced its way through with losses.
Why it is remembered The last naval combat of the Argentine Navy against a foreign nation before the Falklands War. José Murature painted the battle.
Sources differ The account of Riachuelo gives 21 Brazilian killed at Cuevas; the main account gives 24 killed and 42 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Corrientes campaign)
Battle of Paso de Mercedes Landing or siege
Also known as Combate de Paso de Mercedes
11 August 1865 · Bella Vista on the Paraná River, west of Mercedes, Corrientes Province, Argentina
Fought between Brazil against Paraguay
Commanders Francisco M. Barroso (Brazil); José María Bruguez (Paraguay)
Forces 12 Brazilian ships with 60 guns against 3,000 Paraguayan soldiers with 34 guns on the bank
Losses Brazil: 20 killed and wounded. Paraguay: 2 killed, 8 wounded.
Result Brazilian victory; the warships passed
Paraguayan batteries under José María Bruguez at Bella Vista fired on the Brazilian squadron as it ran down the Paraná, and the warships forced their way past.
Why it is remembered The first of two passages the Brazilian squadron forced past Bruguez's riverbank guns after Riachuelo, followed the next day by Paso de Cuevas.
Sources differ One account gives 11 August 1865; a contemporary engraving used in another account dates the forcing of the Mercedes pass to 18 June 1865.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Antonio Luiz von Hoonholtz (1837 to 1931), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Corrientes campaign)
Battle of Riachuelo Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Riachuelo; Batalha Naval do Riachuelo
11 June 1865 · Paraná River at the mouth of the Riachuelo stream, near Corrientes, Argentina
Fought between Brazil against Paraguay
Commanders Francisco Manuel Barroso (Brazil); Pedro Ignacio Meza, mortally wounded (Paraguay)
Forces Brazil: 1 frigate, 4 corvettes and 4 gunboats with 58 guns. Paraguay: 2 corvettes, 6 steamers and 7 barges with 44 guns, plus 22 guns and 2 Congreve rocket batteries ashore.
Ships Amazonas, Belmonte, Jequitinhonha, Parnaíba, Ypiranga, Araguari, Tacuarí, Paraguarí, Marqués de Olinda, Salto Guairá, Yporá, Pirabebé
Losses Brazil: 104 killed, 123 wounded, 20 missing; the Jequitinhonha lost. Paraguay: about 750 casualties; 4 steamers and 7 barges sunk.
Result Brazilian victory
Eight Paraguayan steamers from Humaitá under Captain Meza, towing gun barges, opened fire on the Brazilian squadron at anchor as they passed downstream. In the confusion Jequitinhonha turned the wrong way, Belmonte was left alone and disabled, and Jequitinhonha ran aground. Admiral Barroso then counter-attacked in the frigate Amazonas, ramming and disabling Paraguarí and then ramming Marqués de Olinda and Salto. Paraguay lost four steamers and all its barges.
Why it is remembered The decisive naval battle of the Paraguayan War, which began to turn the tide in favour of the allies. Barroso signalled that Brazil expected every man to do his duty, and Victor Meirelles painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Oscar Pereira da Silva / After Victor Meirelles, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Second Battle of Fort Fisher Landing or siege
13 to 15 January 1865 · Fort Fisher, south of Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina
Fought between United States (Union) against the Confederate States
Commanders Alfred H. Terry and David D. Porter (Union); Braxton Bragg, William H. C. Whiting, mortally wounded, Robert Hoke and William Lamb, who surrendered (Confederacy)
Forces 9,632 Union soldiers and 58 ships with 2,261 sailors and marines against 1,900 men in Fort Fisher and Hoke's Division of 6,400
Losses Union: army 111 killed, 540 wounded, 13 missing; navy 88 killed, 271 wounded, 34 missing; 1,057 in all. Confederacy: 583 killed and wounded and the whole Fort Fisher garrison of 1,900 captured.
Result Union victory
A Union army, navy and marine force attacked Fort Fisher, the last major coastal stronghold of the Confederacy, after the failure of the first attempt in December. The fleet supported the assault, and on 15 January the fort was taken and its garrison captured.
Why it is remembered Called the Gibraltar of the South and the last major coastal stronghold of the Confederacy, Fort Fisher had kept a port open for blockade runners supplying the Army of Northern Virginia.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Mato Grosso campaign)
Capture of the gunboat Anhambaí Single-ship action
Also known as Capture of the Amambaí
6 January 1865 · São Lourenço River near Morro do Caracará, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Fought between Paraguay against Brazil
Commanders José Guimarães, captured (Brazil)
Forces 2 Paraguayan corvettes against 1 Brazilian gunboat with 34 soldiers
Ships Anhambaí, Yporá, Río Apa
Losses Brazil: the gunboat and all her crew captured. Paraguay: unknown.
Result Paraguayan victory
After people evacuated from Fort Coimbra and Corumbá had landed at Sará, the Paraguayan corvettes Yporá and Río Apa attacked the Brazilian gunboat Anhambaí on the São Lourenço River. Yporá rammed her and drove her against the bank, and she was captured.
Why it is remembered A Paraguayan success in the Mato Grosso campaign of the Paraguayan War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hugo Diaz Lavigne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · American Civil War
Battle of Trent's Reach Fleet battle
23 to 25 January 1865 · Trent's Reach, James River, Henrico County, Virginia
Fought between Confederate States against the United States (Union)
Commanders John K. Mitchell and Charles W. Read (Confederacy); William A. Parker, Henry H. Pierce and Ulysses S. Grant (Union)
Forces Confederacy: 3 ironclads, 5 gunboats and 3 torpedo boats, with about 16 guns in 2 shore batteries. Union: 1 monitor, 2 gunboats, 1 torpedo boat and 1 torpedo launch, with about 30 guns in Fort Brady and 4 shore batteries.
Losses Union: 3 killed, about 40 wounded; a monitor, a gunboat and the fort damaged. Confederacy: 4 to 10 killed, 15 wounded; 1 gunboat and 1 torpedo boat sunk, 3 ironclads, 3 gunboats and 1 torpedo boat damaged.
Result Union victory
A Confederate flotilla came down the James River, bombarded Fort Brady and engaged the Union ships, aiming to break through to City Point, Grant's base for the siege of Petersburg. It broke through the boom at Trent's Reach, but after two days of fighting withdrew upriver without reaching its objective.
Why it is remembered One of the last major naval battles of the American Civil War. Alfred Waud sketched the Confederate ships breaking the boom.
Sources differ Confederate killed are given as 4 to 10.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chincha Islands War
Battle of Abtao Fleet battle
7 February 1866 · Abtao island, Gulf of Ancud, near the Chiloé Archipelago, Chile
Fought between Spain against Peru and Chile
Commanders Claudio Alvargonzález Sánchez and Juan Bautista Topete (Spain); Manuel Villar Olivera, Miguel Grau and Manuel Ferreyros (Peru); Manuel Thomson (Chile)
Forces 2 Spanish frigates against 1 frigate, 2 corvettes and 1 schooner of the allied fleet
Ships Reina Blanca, Villa de Madrid
Losses Spain: 6 wounded. Peru and Chile: 2 to 12 killed, 1 to about 20 wounded.
Result Inconclusive
The allied ships lay at anchor behind Abtao island in shallow water the Spanish ships could not enter. The action was limited to a long-range exchange of fire, in which the Spanish gunnery was more accurate and damaged the Chilean and Peruvian ships.
Why it is remembered The allied squadron, whose officers included Miguel Grau, held its protected anchorage. Federico Castellón Martínez painted the Spanish frigates in action; the painting is in the Naval Museum of Madrid.
Sources differ Allied losses are given as 2 to 12 killed and 1 to about 20 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Federico Castellón Martínez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chincha Islands War
Battle of Callao Landing or siege
Also known as Combate del Dos de Mayo
2 May 1866 · Callao, Peru
Fought between Spain against Peru
Commanders Casto Méndez Núñez, wounded (Spain); Mariano I. Prado (Peru)
Forces 1 Spanish ironclad, 5 frigates and 1 corvette against 2 small Peruvian ironclads, 3 gunboats, 52 shore guns and 3,000 infantry and cavalry
Ships Paquete de Maule
Losses Spain: 43 killed, 83 wounded, 68 lightly wounded. Peru: sources vary, from 180 to 200 killed and wounded, to 83 to 90 killed and 260 wounded, to more than 350 killed, to 2,000 killed and wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Admiral Méndez Núñez's squadron bombarded the fortified port of Callao and its batteries, then withdrew.
Why it is remembered The last battle between Spanish and Peruvian forces in the war, remembered in South America as the Dos de Mayo.
Sources differ Peruvian and American sources say the Spanish withdrew without doing notable damage to the city; Spanish accounts and French observers say they first silenced almost all the coastal guns. Peruvian losses vary widely between sources.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903
General Sherman incident Other action
Also known as 제너럴셔먼호 사건
9 August to 2 September 1866 · Taedong River, Pyongyang, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the American merchant ship General Sherman
Commanders Regent Daewongun, Bak Gyusu and Yi Hyon-ik (Korea); Captain Page, killed (General Sherman)
Forces Korean troops, 1 turtle ship and 9 fire ships against the armed merchant ship General Sherman
Ships SS General Sherman
Losses General Sherman: 19 killed, the ship destroyed. Korea: 1 killed, 6 fire ships destroyed; 7 civilians killed.
Result General Sherman destroyed and her crew killed
The American merchant ship General Sherman sailed up the Taedong River trying to open trade with Korea and ignored orders to leave. Her crew took the Korean official Yi Hyon-ik hostage, and when angry civilians attacked the ship she fired her guns on them. Korean troops and an improvised warship were driven off, but waves of fire ships finally set her alight, and her crew were killed on the shore.
Why it is remembered It led in part to the American expedition to Korea of 1871, sent to learn the ship's fate.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chincha Islands War
Battle of Huite Landing or siege
Also known as Combat de Huite; Combate de Huite
2 March 1866 · Huite estuary, east coast of Chiloé Island, Chile
Fought between Spain against Chile
Commanders Casto Méndez Núñez and Juan Bautista Topete (Spain); Major Jorge Wood (Chile)
Forces The Spanish armoured frigate Numancia and screw frigate Blanca against 200 Chilean soldiers of the 4th Ancud battalion ashore
Ships Numancia, Blanca
Losses None on either side.
Result Inconclusive; the Spanish ships withdrew to a safer anchorage
During the second Spanish expedition to Chiloé, the frigates Numancia and Blanca under Admiral Méndez Núñez exchanged fire with Chilean troops under Major Jorge Wood on the east coast of Chiloé Island. Neither side suffered losses, and the Spanish squadron withdrew to a safer anchorage.
Why it is remembered A minor episode of the second Spanish expedition to Chiloé in the war with Chile and Peru.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Unknown artist (El Museo Universal), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War
Battle of Jaguarí Single-ship action
Also known as Combate do Jaguari
23 March 1866 · Mouth of the Jaguari River on the Paraná River, Argentina and Paraguay
Fought between Paraguay against Brazil
Commanders Joaquim Marques Lisboa (Brazil)
Forces 1 Paraguayan steamer and 1 towed flat-bottomed boat against the Brazilian steamer Cisne with the ironclad Tamandaré and the gunboats Beberibe and Henrique Martins
Ships Cisne, Tamandaré, Beberibe, Henrique Martins, Gualeguai
Losses Brazil: 1 ship damaged; Tamandaré ran aground. Paraguay: unknown.
Result Brazilian victory
Admiral Marques Lisboa and Generals Osório, Mitre and Flores were reconnoitring the Paraná aboard the steamer Cisne under escort. The Paraguayan steamer Gualeguai and a towed boat found the flotilla at the mouth of the Jaguari and opened fire without causing damage, but Tamandaré ran aground on Itapiru island.
Why it is remembered The reconnaissance fixed the site where the Triple Alliance troops later landed to invade Paraguay.
Sources differ The main account names the escort as Tamandaré, Beberibe and Henrique Martins; a picture of the reconnaissance names Tamandaré, Mearim and Henrique Martins.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Third Italian War of Independence
Battle of Lissa (1866) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Vis; Bitka kod Visa; Seeschlacht von Lissa
20 July 1866 · Off the island of Lissa (Vis), Adriatic Sea
Fought between Austria against Italy
Commanders Wilhelm von Tegetthoff (Austria); Carlo Pellion di Persano (Italy)
Forces Austria: 4 ironclads, 3 armoured frigates, 1 ship of the line, 5 screw frigates, 1 screw corvette and smaller vessels. Italy: 9 ironclads, 1 armoured frigate, 2 armoured corvettes, 7 screw frigates and smaller vessels.
Ships Erzherzog Ferdinand Max, Kaiser, Habsburg, Drache, Kaiser Max, Prinz Eugen, Don Juan d'Austria, Salamander, Re d'Italia, Affondatore, Re di Portogallo, Palestro, Maria Pia, Castelfidardo, Ancona, San Martino, Principe di Carignano, Terribile, Formidabile, Varese
Losses Austria: 38 killed, 138 wounded. Italy: 612 killed, 36 wounded, 19 captured; 1 armoured frigate and 1 gunboat sunk.
Result Austrian victory
The Italian fleet attacking Lissa was met by Tegetthoff's Austrian fleet. Persano moved his flag from Re d'Italia to Affondatore without signalling, which confused his fleet and opened a gap that Tegetthoff exploited. Re d'Italia, her rudder shot away, was rammed by the Austrian flagship Erzherzog Ferdinand Max and sank in about three minutes. The wooden ship of the line Kaiser rammed Re di Portogallo and survived heavy damage. The Austrians relieved Lissa after sinking two Italian warships.
Why it is remembered The first battle fought with ironclads on a large scale. Too much was later made of ramming, though only one ship was sunk that way. Persano was dismissed in disgrace while Tegetthoff was promoted and honoured. Carl Frederik Sørensen painted the battle in 1868.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carl Frederik Sørensen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chincha Islands War
Capture of the Paquete de Maule Blockade and raiding
Also known as Apresamiento del Paquete del Maule
6 March 1866 · Gulf of Arauco, Chile
Fought between Spain against Chile
Commanders Juan Bautista Topete (Spain); Luis Alfredo Lynch Solo de Zaldívar, captured (Chile)
Forces The Spanish steam frigate Blanca, 39 guns, against the unarmed Chilean sidewheel steamer Paquete de Maule
Ships Blanca, Paquete de Maule, Independencia
Losses Chile: 134 captured, the steamer captured. Spain: none.
Result Spanish victory
The unarmed Chilean auxiliary steamer Paquete de Maule, sailing from Lota for Montevideo with 126 sailors meant to complete the crews of the Peruvian ironclads Huáscar and Independencia, was captured by the Spanish frigate Blanca. She flew British colours and her crew claimed to be British, but the Spanish arrested them. The small Chilean vessel Independencia, which had accompanied her, escaped into shallow water.
Why it is remembered The Spanish armed the steamer with two guns and used her at the Battle of Callao, then burned and scuttled her near San Lorenzo Island on 10 May 1866 when they withdrew.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chincha Islands War
Bombardment of Valparaíso Raid
31 March 1866 · Valparaíso, Chile
Fought between Spain against Chile
Commanders Casto Méndez Núñez (Spain)
Forces 1 Spanish ironclad, 5 frigates and 1 corvette against an undefended port
Losses Chile: 2 killed, 10 wounded, 33 ships sunk. Spain: none.
Result Spanish victory
The Spanish fleet shelled, burned and destroyed the undefended port of Valparaíso.
Why it is remembered The Spanish fleet destroyed an undefended port and sank 33 ships in it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Gibbons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Mato Grosso campaign)
Battle of Alegre Fleet battle
Also known as Naval Battle of Alegre; Combate do Alegre
11 July 1867 · São Lourenço River near Corumbá, now Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Fought between Brazil against Paraguay
Commanders Antônio João da Costa (Brazil)
Forces 2 Brazilian gunboats, 6 flat-bottomed boats and 840 soldiers against 3 Paraguayan gunboats
Ships Jauru
Losses Brazil: 33 casualties, 1 gunboat sunk. Paraguay: unknown; 1 gunboat burned.
Result Brazilian victory; the Paraguayan ships withdrew
After the Brazilians retook Corumbá, a small Paraguayan squadron of steamers came up the river after them and attacked by surprise. The Brazilians under Lieutenant Colonel Antônio João da Costa beat them off. The Brazilian steamer Jauru was lost and retaken during the fight.
Why it is remembered It is shown on the monument to the heroes of Laguna and Dourados in Rio de Janeiro.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Humaitá campaign)
Passage of Curupayty (1867) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Curupaiti; Passagem de Curupaiti; Paso de Curupayty
15 August 1867 · Curupayty Fort, Paraguay River, Paraguay
Fought between Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay against Paraguay
Commanders Joaquim José Inácio (Brazil); Francisco Solano López (Paraguay)
Forces 18 Brazilian warships and 3 flat-bottomed boats against Curupayty Fort with 35 guns
Losses Allies: 25 casualties, 1 warship damaged. Paraguay: 1 dead, 2 wounded.
Result Brazilian and allied victory
A Brazilian squadron forced its way upriver past the guns of the fort at Curupayty on the Paraguay River. A second passage on 13 February 1868 brought monitors up to join the ships that had passed first, forming the squadron that forced the Passage of Humaitá.
Why it is remembered It opened the way for the Passage of Humaitá. Júlio Raison painted the passage.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Humaitá campaign)
Assault on the battleships Barroso and Rio Grande Raid
Also known as Assault on the battleships at Tagy
9 July 1868 · Tagy ravine, left bank of the Paraguay River
Fought between Paraguay against the Empire of Brazil
Commanders Francisco Lino Cabriza (Paraguay); Artur Silveira da Mota, Antônio Joaquim, killed, Mena Barreto (Brazil)
Forces 270 Paraguayan bogavantes in 20 canoes, against the Brazilian ironclad Barroso and monitor Rio Grande, supported by the 40th Fatherland Volunteers Corps ashore
Ships Barroso, Rio Grande
Losses Paraguay: 74 (42 killed, 32 captured). Brazil: 11 (three killed, eight wounded)
Result Brazilian victory
Francisco Solano López wanted to capture Brazilian ironclads. At 11.50 pm on 9 July 1868, 270 Paraguayan boarders in canoes attacked Barroso and Rio Grande at anchor near Tagy. The attacks on the two ships did not come at the same time, so each could support the other with her guns, and army infantry ashore joined in. The Paraguayans reached the decks but were quickly driven off.
Why it is remembered After the failure, the last defenders of the fortress of Humaitá tried to escape into the Chaco and were surrounded and defeated, and the fortress was soon occupied. The assault is the subject of a painting in Brazil's National Historical Museum.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Eduardo de Martino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (Humaitá campaign)
Assault on the battleships Cabral and Lima Barros Raid
Also known as Abordagem aos couraçados Lima Barros e Cabral; Asalto a los acorazados Cabral y Lima Barros
2 March 1868 · Tagy, left bank of the Paraguay River
Fought between Paraguay against Brazil
Commanders Ignacio Genes (Paraguay); Joaquim da Costa, killed (Brazil)
Forces 1,100 Paraguayan soldiers in 22 canoes against 6 Brazilian ironclads
Ships Cabral, Lima Barros, Silvado, Brazil, Mariz e Barros, Herval
Losses Paraguay: 100 to 400 killed and wounded, 14 canoes lost. Brazil: 16 killed, 55 wounded, 15 captured.
Result Brazilian victory
At dawn Paraguayan canoes, lashed in pairs, disguised with branches and each carrying about 50 soldiers, approached the Brazilian ironclads Lima Barros and Cabral to board them. Other ironclads, Silvado, Brazil, Mariz e Barros and Herval, came to their aid and swept the boarders with grapeshot.
Why it is remembered An attempt by Paraguayan soldiers in canoes to board and capture two Brazilian ironclads.
Sources differ Paraguayan losses are given as 100 to 400 killed and wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Angelo Agostini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Boshin War
Battle of Awa Fleet battle
Also known as Awa oki kaisen (阿波沖海戦)
28 January 1868 · Awa Bay, near Osaka, Japan
Fought between Tokugawa shogunate against Satsuma and the Imperial court
Commanders Enomoto Takeaki (shogunate); Akatsuka Genroku (Satsuma)
Forces 3 shogunate warships against 1 Satsuma warship and 2 transports
Ships Kasuga, Kaiyō
Losses Satsuma: 1 transport destroyed. Shogunate: unknown.
Result Shogunate victory
Ships of the Tokugawa navy under Enomoto Takeaki met Satsuma vessels loyal to the Imperial court in Awa Bay, one day after the land Battle of Toba-Fushimi began. The shogunate ships destroyed a Satsuma transport; pictures show the Satsuma Kasuga engaging the shogunate Kaiyō.
Why it is remembered The second naval battle in Japanese history between modern naval forces, after Shimonoseki Straits in 1863, and one of the few Tokugawa successes of the Boshin War.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Paraguayan War (siege of Humaitá)
Passage of Humaitá Landing or siege
Also known as Passagem de Humaitá
19 February 1868 · Fortress of Humaitá, Paraguay River, Paraguay
Fought between Brazil against Paraguay
Commanders Delfim Carlos de Carvalho (Brazil); Paulino Alén (Paraguay)
Forces 3 Brazilian armoured ships, each with a river monitor lashed alongside, against the fortress of Humaitá with 8 river batteries and contact mines
Ships Bahia, Barroso, Tamandaré, Rio Grande, Alagoas, Pará
Losses Brazil: 10 wounded in the squadron. Paraguay: unknown. In a land diversion the same day about 150 and about 1,200 were killed or wounded.
Result Brazilian victory
Six Brazilian armoured ships ran past the guns of Humaitá in darkness in three pairs: Barroso with Rio Grande, Bahia with Alagoas, and Tamandaré with Pará. The river was high and passed over the chain boom. Alagoas lost her tow and was hit in the engine but got through, and at dawn the ships were struck hard by an unsuspected battery at Timbó.
Why it is remembered Some neutral observers had thought it almost impossible. It cut the fortress's supply by river, restored the reputation of the Brazilian navy and the Empire's credit, and led the Paraguayans to evacuate Asunción; some authors see it as the turning point of the war. Humaitá fell on 25 July 1868.
Sources differ The main account lists land diversion losses of about 150 and about 1,200 killed or wounded without clearly assigning them to a side.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Trajano Augusto de Carvalho, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Boshin War
Battle of Miyako Bay Raid
Also known as Miyako-wan Kaisen (宮古湾海戦)
6 May 1869 · Miyako Bay, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Fought between Ezo Republic against Imperial Japan
Commanders Arai Ikunosuke, Eugène Collache and Kōga Gengo, killed (Ezo Republic); Masuda Toranosuke and Shirō Nakajima (Imperial navy)
Forces 3 Ezo steam warships with 500 samurai against 1 Imperial steam ironclad, 7 steam warships and 2,500 men
Ships Kōtetsu
Losses Ezo Republic: 15 killed, 1 warship scuttled. Imperial navy: 4 killed, 3 warships damaged.
Result Imperial victory
Samurai loyal to the former Tokugawa shogunate, under the flag of the Ezo Republic, tried to seize the ironclad Kōtetsu, flagship of the Imperial forces, in Miyako Bay. The attempt failed.
Why it is remembered A failed attempt to capture the Imperial flagship Kōtetsu, part of the wider Battle of Hakodate at the end of the Boshin War.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Piracy in North America
Battle of Boca Teacapan Raid
17 June 1870 · Boca Teacapan and the Teacapan Estuary, Sinaloa, Mexico
Fought between United States against Mexican pirates
Commanders Willard H. Brownson and Jonathan Wainwright, killed (United States); Plácido Vega Daza (pirates)
Forces About 25 marines and 50 sailors in 6 armed boats against about 160 pirates, 4 guns, a shore battery and 1 steamer
Losses United States: 2 killed, 8 wounded, 3 boats damaged. Pirates: 6 to 8 captured, the steamer captured.
Result American victory; the pirate ship was destroyed
A United States Navy expedition went after a Mexican pirate ship that had been raiding in the Pacific. Sailors and marines in small boats chased the pirates into the Boca Teacapan and 42 miles up the Teacapan Estuary over several days, then defeated them at their hideout and destroyed the ship.
Why it is remembered A long boat expedition by the United States Navy against piracy on Mexico's Pacific coast.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Franco-Prussian War
Battle of Havana (1870) Single-ship action
Also known as Combat du Bouvet et du Meteor; Gefecht vor Havanna
9 November 1870 · Off Havana, Cuba
Fought between North German Confederation against France
Commanders Eduard von Knorr (North German Confederation); Alexandre Franquet (France)
Forces The German gunboat Meteor against the French aviso Bouvet
Ships Meteor, Bouvet
Losses Germany: 2 killed, 1 wounded, the gunboat damaged. France: 3 wounded, the aviso damaged.
Result Indecisive
Meteor had slipped the French blockade and sailed from Nassau to Havana, then Spanish and neutral. Bouvet waited outside the harbour and her captain issued a challenge, which the German captain accepted. At the Spanish authorities' demand the ships fought a safe distance from Havana. Neither could do serious damage, and when a German shot briefly disabled Bouvet's engine she withdrew to neutral waters.
Why it is remembered The only naval engagement of the Franco-Prussian War. Both captains were promoted for their conduct, and Christopher Rave painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Christopher Rave (1881, 1933), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Franco-Prussian War
Battle of Putziger Wiek Raid
Also known as Seegefecht in der Putziger Wiek
23 August 1870 · Putziger Wiek (Bay of Puck), near Danzig
Fought between North German Confederation against France
Commanders Johannes Weickhmann (North German Confederation); Vice Admiral Louis Edouard Bouët-Willaumez (France)
Forces The German corvette Nymphe, 17 guns, against the anchored armoured ships of the French Baltic Squadron, including Surveillante and Thétis
Ships Nymphe, Surveillante, Thétis
Losses None known on either side.
Result Indecisive
The French armoured ships anchored in line in the bay. At about 1.15 in the morning Nymphe, out from Neufahrwasser, fired a broadside at the first ship from about 1.1 nautical miles, then turned and fired her other broadside. Finding the French ready, Weickhmann withdrew at full steam, and after a few shots the French gave up the chase. Nymphe was back in Neufahrwasser by about 3 a.m.
Why it is remembered A night attack by a single German corvette on the anchored French Baltic Squadron. Weickhmann later received the Iron Cross, Second Class.
Sources differ A German newspaper report of October 1870 claimed a shell killed 18 men on a French ship; the main account treats this as unverified.
Sources Wikipedia (DE)
Image: Autor/-in unbekanntUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · United States expedition to Korea
Battle of Ganghwa Landing or siege
Also known as Shinmiyangyo
10 to 11 June 1871 · Ganghwa Island, Korea
Fought between United States against Joseon Korea
Commanders John Rodgers and Winfield Schley (United States); Eo Jae-yeon, killed, and Eo Jae-sun, killed (Korea)
Forces 651 American troops with 6 howitzers, 1 frigate, 2 sloops of war and 2 gunboats against 300 Korean troops, 40 guns, 6 forts and 4 shore batteries
Losses United States: 3 killed, 10 wounded, 1 gunboat damaged. Korea: 243 killed, 20 captured and later released; 40 guns captured, 5 forts and 4 batteries destroyed.
Result American victory
Five warships of the Asiatic Squadron sailed from Japan to learn the fate of the General Sherman's crew and to seek a trade treaty. When guns of a Korean fort opened fire on them, the mission turned to fighting, and American troops landed and captured the forts of Ganghwa Island.
Why it is remembered The largest engagement of the American expedition to Korea in 1871.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903
Nukapu Expedition Landing or siege
October 1871 to February 1872 · Nukapu, Solomon Islands, South Pacific
Fought between Britain against the people of Nukapu
Commanders Albert Hastings Markham (Britain)
Forces A Royal Navy warship with a landing party against the islanders and their war canoes
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 2 wounded. Nukapu: 20 to 30 killed.
Result British victory
After the missionary John Coleridge Patteson was killed by people of Nukapu, a Royal Navy warship was sent to the island. She sank a group of hostile war canoes and landed men to attack a fortified village.
Why it is remembered A British punitive expedition after the killing of the missionary John Coleridge Patteson.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Cantonal Rebellion
Battle of Portmán Fleet battle
Also known as Battle off Cartagena; Battle of Escombrera Island; Combate naval de Portmán
11 October 1873 · Off Cape Palos near Portmán, Cartagena, Spain
Fought between Spanish First Republic against the Canton of Cartagena
Commanders Miguel Lobo y Malagamba (Republic); Juan Contreras y Román (Canton)
Forces Republic: 1 armoured frigate, 3 screw frigates, 2 paddle gunboats and 2 screw schooners. Canton: 2 armoured frigates, 1 armoured corvette and 1 paddle gunboat.
Losses Republic: 11 dead, 32 wounded. Canton: 12 dead, 38 wounded. No ships lost.
Result The Cantonal squadron withdrew; the blockade held
The Cantonal squadron sailed from Cartagena to break the central government's blockade. The two fleets fought off Cape Palos, and although no ships were lost on either side, the Cantonal ships failed to break through and returned to Cartagena.
Why it is remembered A fleet action in a Spanish civil conflict, shown in The Illustrated London News in November 1873.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903
Ganghwa Island incident Landing or siege
Also known as Japanese Battle of Ganghwa; Un'yō incident (운요호 사건, Unyo-ho sageon); Kōka-tō jiken (江華島事件)
20 September 1875 · Ganghwa Island and Yeongjong Island, Korea
Fought between Japan against Joseon Korea
Commanders Inoue Yoshika (Japan); Lee Min-deok (Korea)
Forces 1 Japanese gunboat and 22 sailors and marines ashore against 500 Korean infantry with artillery
Ships Un'yō
Losses Japan: 1 killed, 1 wounded. Korea: 35 killed, 16 captured, 36 guns captured, 1 fort destroyed.
Result Japanese victory
An armed clash between Korea and the Japanese gunboat Un'yō near Ganghwa Island, in which marines from Un'yō landed and attacked the fort on Yeongjong Island.
Why it is remembered It led to the Treaty of Ganghwa between Japan and Korea.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War between Buganda and Buvuma
Battles of Lake Victoria (1875) Fleet battle
Also known as Batailles du lac Victoria
1875 · Around Innghira island, northern Lake Victoria
Fought between Kingdom of Buganda against its vassal state Buvuma
Forces Huge fleets of canoes on both sides
Result Buganda victory
The kingdom of Buganda fought its vassal Buvuma entirely on the northern part of Lake Victoria, around Innghira island, with huge fleets of canoes. Three bloody naval battles were fought before Buganda won with a fortified vessel the Buvuma could not destroy.
Why it is remembered A rare example of naval warfare in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Auteur inconnuUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Russo-Turkish War (1877 to 1878) and Romanian War of Independence
Action off Măcin Air and submarine attack
25 to 26 May 1877 · Danube near Măcin, Romania
Fought between Romania and Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Forces 1 Romanian torpedo boat with a mixed Romanian and Russian crew and 3 Russian torpedo boats, 6 officers and 40 sailors, against 2 Ottoman monitors and 1 paddle steamer
Losses Ottoman Empire: 1 monitor sunk, casualties unknown. Romania and Russia: none.
Result Romanian and Russian victory
Four torpedo boats, one of them Romanian with a mixed Romanian and Russian crew, attacked Ottoman monitors near Măcin and sank one of them without loss.
Why it is remembered The first time in history that a torpedo craft sank its target without being sunk itself. Dimitrie Știubei's painting of the attack hangs in the Romanian Navy Museum at Constanța.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dimitrie Știubei, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903
Battle of Pacocha Single-ship action
29 May 1877 · Off Ylo (Ilo), Peru, Pacific Ocean
Fought between Britain against Peruvian rebels
Commanders Algernon de Horsey (Britain); Luis Germán Astete (rebels)
Forces The British frigate HMS Shah, the corvette HMS Amethyst and 2 boats against the rebel-held monitor Huáscar
Ships HMS Shah, HMS Amethyst, Huáscar
Losses Rebels: 1 killed. Britain: unknown.
Result Inconclusive
The British warships Shah and Amethyst engaged the Peruvian monitor Huáscar, then in rebel hands, off Ylo. Neither side did significant damage.
Why it is remembered The first combat use of the self-propelled torpedo. William Frederick Mitchell painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Battle of Angamos Fleet battle
Also known as Combate Naval de Angamos
8 October 1879 · Punta Angamos, near Mejillones, about 80 km north of Antofagasta (then Bolivia, now Chile)
Fought between Chile against Peru
Commanders Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas and Juan José Latorre (Chile); Rear Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario, killed (Peru)
Forces 2 Chilean armoured frigates, 2 corvettes and 2 transports against the Peruvian monitor Huáscar and the corvette Unión
Ships Huáscar, Unión, Almirante Cochrane, Blanco Encalada
Losses Chile: 1 killed, 9 wounded. Peru: 31 killed, 4 missing, 162 captured; Huáscar captured.
Result Chilean victory
Riveros trapped Grau at Punta Angamos, and Grau ordered Unión to escape while Huáscar gave battle. Latorre in Almirante Cochrane shelled Huáscar for almost two hours with armour-piercing Armstrong guns, and Grau was killed. Blanco Encalada joined the fight, and after almost three hours the battered Huáscar was boarded and captured.
Why it is remembered It gave Chile command of the sea for the rest of the war and opened the way for the invasion of Tarapacá. Huáscar was repaired, served under the Chilean flag and is now a floating museum at Talcahuano.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Somerscales, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Battle of Chipana Single-ship action
12 April 1879 · Off Huanillos, then the Bolivian coast (now Chile)
Fought between Chile against Peru
Commanders Juan José Latorre (Chile); Aurelio García y García (Peru)
Forces The Chilean corvette Magallanes against the Peruvian corvette Unión and gunboat Pilcomayo
Ships Magallanes, Unión, Pilcomayo
Losses No injuries on either side; Magallanes slightly damaged.
Result Inconclusive
Unión and Pilcomayo found Magallanes on her way to Iquique. Pilcomayo dropped out with boiler trouble, and after a two-hour running gun duel Unión developed engine problems and gave up the chase. Magallanes escaped with minor damage and delivered her papers to Iquique.
Why it is remembered The first naval engagement between Chile and Peru in the War of the Pacific.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
First Battle of Antofagasta Raid
Also known as Bombardment of Antofagasta
26 May 1879 · Antofagasta, Chile
Fought between Peru against Chile
Commanders Miguel Grau (Peru); Justo Arteaga Cuevas and Carlos Condell (Chile)
Forces The Peruvian ironclad Huáscar against three 150-pounder shore guns and the schooner Virgen de Covadonga
Ships Huáscar, Virgen de Covadonga
Losses Peru: 1 killed, 2 wounded. Chile: 1 gun, 220 killed or wounded.
Result Peruvian victory
Huáscar made a night raid on Antofagasta, exchanging fire with the shore guns and the schooner Covadonga.
Why it is remembered The first night raid of the war and the first of Huáscar's raids on Chilean ports and ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Battle of Iquique Single-ship action
Also known as Combate naval de Iquique
21 May 1879 · Off the port of Iquique, Peru (now Chile)
Fought between Peru against Chile
Commanders Miguel Grau (Peru); Arturo Prat Chacón, killed (Chile)
Forces The Peruvian ironclads Huáscar and Independencia against the Chilean corvette Esmeralda and schooner Covadonga
Ships Esmeralda, Huáscar, Covadonga, Independencia
Losses Peru: 8 killed and wounded. Chile: 143 killed and wounded, 57 captured; Esmeralda sunk.
Result Peruvian victory
The Peruvian monitor Huáscar attacked the old wooden corvette Esmeralda off Iquique and rammed her three times. At the first ramming Prat leapt aboard Huáscar and was shot dead; a second boarding party also failed. Esmeralda sank after the third ramming, her last gun fired by Midshipman Ernesto Riquelme, after four hours of combat. Grau had boats pick up the survivors.
Why it is remembered Prat's death made him a national hero, and 21 May has been Chile's Day of Naval Glories since 1905. Grau returned Prat's diary, uniform and sword to his widow and is remembered in both countries as the Gentleman of the Seas. Thomas Somerscales painted the sinking of Esmeralda.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Somerscales, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Bombardment of Pisagua Landing or siege
18 April 1879 · Pisagua, Tarapacá, Peru
Fought between Chile against Peru
Commanders Juan Rebolledo (Chile); José Becerra (Peru)
Forces Chile: the ironclad Blanco Encalada and the corvette Chacabuco with about 60 embarked marines. Peru: 300 soldiers
Ships Blanco Encalada, Chacabuco
Losses Peru: at least 6 soldiers wounded; several civilians killed, including five women and two children, and others injured. Chile: at least 1 dead and 6 wounded
Result Inconclusive
As part of Chile's naval operations on the Peruvian coast, the ironclad Blanco Encalada and the corvette Chacabuco, carrying about 60 marines, attacked and bombarded the port of Pisagua, held by about 300 Peruvian soldiers.
Why it is remembered It caused the first civilian casualties of the War of the Pacific.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: La ilustracion Española y Americana. NUM. XXXV, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Battle of Punta Gruesa Single-ship action
21 May 1879 · Punta Gruesa, near Iquique, Peru (now Chile)
Fought between Chile against Peru
Commanders Carlos Condell (Chile); Juan Guillermo More (Peru)
Forces The Chilean schooner Covadonga against the Peruvian ironclad Independencia
Ships Covadonga, Independencia, Huáscar
Losses Chile: 3 dead, 5 wounded. Peru: 5 dead, 5 wounded; Independencia lost.
Result Chilean victory
Condell ran south in the slow Covadonga to draw Independencia away from Huáscar, his marksmen keeping up an accurate fire during a chase of over three hours. More twice tried to ram and twice broke off in shallow water. Near Punta Gruesa Covadonga scraped over a reef, and on the third attempt Independencia struck it and was wrecked. Huáscar arrived, chased Covadonga until dusk, and returned to salvage the wreck's guns before Independencia was burned.
Why it is remembered Peru lost one of its most powerful warships on the same day as the Battle of Iquique; many sources treat the action as the second part of that battle.
Sources differ The account of Iquique says Condell ordered survivors shot at Punta Gruesa; the account of Punta Gruesa does not mention this.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Somerscales, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Second Battle of Antofagasta Raid
28 August 1879 · Antofagasta, Chile
Fought between Peru against Chile
Commanders Miguel Grau and Carlos de los Heros, killed (Peru); Erasmo Escala, Juan José Latorre and Aureliano Sánchez, killed (Chile)
Forces The Peruvian ironclad Huáscar against the Chilean corvettes Abtao and Magallanes and shore guns of 300 and 150 pounds
Ships Huáscar, Abtao, Magallanes
Losses Peru: 1 killed, 1 wounded. Chile: 10 killed, 12 wounded, Abtao damaged.
Result Peruvian victory
Huáscar attacked Antofagasta again, fighting the corvettes Abtao and Magallanes and the shore batteries, and damaged Abtao.
Why it is remembered Another of Huáscar's raids on the Chilean coast in 1879; officers were killed on both sides.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Antonio Bisama Cuevas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Second Battle of Iquique Single-ship action
Also known as Segundo combate naval de Iquique
10 July 1879 · Iquique, Tarapacá, Peru (now Chile)
Fought between Peru against Chile
Commanders Miguel Grau (Peru); Enrique Simpson and Juan José Latorre (Chile)
Forces The Peruvian ironclad Huáscar against 1 Chilean ironclad, 1 gunboat and 1 transport of the blockading squadron
Ships Huáscar
Losses Peru: 2 wounded. Chile: 5 wounded, 1 transport damaged.
Result Indecisive
Huáscar came upon the 2nd Chilean Naval Squadron blockading Iquique, and the two forces fought without a decision.
Why it is remembered One of Huáscar's actions against the Chilean blockade during the naval campaign of 1879.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer (Museo Naval del Perú), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Capture of the Pilcomayo Single-ship action
Also known as Captura de la cañonera Pilcomayo
18 November 1879 · Off Mollendo, Arequipa, Peru
Fought between Chile against Peru
Commanders Galvarino Riveros and Luis Anacleto Castillo (Chile); Nicolás Portal, Carlos Ferreyros, who surrendered, and Manuel Villavicencio (Peru)
Forces The Chilean ironclad Blanco Encalada against the Peruvian corvette Unión, gunboat Pilcomayo and transport Chalaco
Ships Blanco Encalada, Pilcomayo, Unión, Chalaco
Losses Peru: 2 lightly wounded, 167 captured, Pilcomayo captured. Chile: none.
Result Chilean victory
The Chilean ironclad Blanco Encalada caught the Peruvian gunboat Pilcomayo off Mollendo and captured her after a brief fight.
Why it is remembered A further loss for the Peruvian Navy six weeks after Angamos.
Sources differ One account calls Pilcomayo a corvette; others call her a gunboat.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Capture of the steamer Rímac Blockade and raiding
Also known as Hunt and seizure of the Chilean transport Rímac
23 July 1879 · Off Antofagasta, Chile
Fought between Peru against Chile
Commanders Miguel Grau and Aurelio García y García (Peru); Ignacio Luis Gana, who surrendered (Chile)
Forces The Peruvian ironclad Huáscar and corvette Unión against the Chilean transport Rímac
Ships Huáscar, Unión, Rímac
Losses Chile: 7 killed and wounded, 351 captured, Rímac captured. Peru: none.
Result Peruvian victory
During the raids of Huáscar, the Peruvian ships Huáscar and Unión hunted down and seized the Chilean armed transport Rímac, with all her cargo and crew, including a squadron of the Carabineros de Yungay.
Why it is remembered The news caused a political crisis in Chile and the resignation of several officials, among them Rear Admiral Juan Williams Rebolledo, commander of the Chilean Navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: La Ilustracion Espanola ... , 22 de septiembre de 1879, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · War of the Pacific
Rupture of the Blockade of Arica Blockade and raiding
Also known as Doble ruptura del bloqueo de Arica; Seconde bataille navale d'Arica
17 March 1880 · Arica, Tarapacá, Peru (now Chile)
Fought between Peru against Chile
Commanders Manuel Villavicencio and José Lagomarsino (Peru); Juan José Latorre and Carlos Condell (Chile)
Forces The Peruvian corvette Unión, with Peruvian forces given in the main account as 2 ironclads and 1 transport, against 2 Chilean corvettes and 5 land batteries with 13 guns
Ships Unión
Losses Peru: 1 killed, 8 wounded. Chile: 9 killed, 18 wounded.
Result Peruvian victory
Commander Manuel Villavicencio took the corvette Unión through the Chilean blockade of Arica and out again, breaking it twice in less than eight hours.
Why it is remembered A Peruvian corvette broke the Chilean blockade of Arica twice in one day.
Sources differ One account names only the corvette Unión; another account gives the Peruvian force as 2 ironclads and 1 transport. Another account casualty figures are identical to those given for the Naval Battle of Arica of 27 February 1880.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: La ilustracion Española y Americana. Año XXIV. NUM XXII, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Anglo-Egyptian War
Bombardment of Alexandria Landing or siege
11 to 13 July 1882 · Alexandria, Egypt
Fought between Britain against the Egyptian nationalists of Ahmed 'Urabi
Commanders Beauchamp Seymour (Britain); Ahmed 'Urabi (Egypt)
Forces 9 British battleships, 1 torpedo boat, 1 steamer and 5 gunboats against 11 Egyptian forts
Losses Britain: 6 killed, 27 wounded. Egypt: 600 to 700 killed, 250 to 350 wounded; an unknown number of civilians killed and large parts of the city destroyed by the bombardment and fires.
Result British victory
The British Mediterranean Fleet had gathered at Alexandria, with a French flotilla, to support the khedive against 'Urabi's nationalist uprising. After anti-European riots in June the Egyptian army began fortifying the harbour and refused an ultimatum to stop. The British fleet then bombarded the city for ten and a half hours without French help, and British sailors and marines occupied Alexandria two days later.
Why it is remembered It led to the British invasion of Egypt, which stayed under British influence until 1952. Historians still argue whether Admiral Seymour exaggerated the threat from the batteries to force the hand of Gladstone's government.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Tonkin campaign
Capture of Nam Định (1883) Landing or siege
27 March 1883 · Nam Định, northern Vietnam
Fought between France against Vietnam, the Black Flag Army and Qing China
Commanders Henri Rivière (France); Vũ Trọng Bình, Lê Văn Điếm, Hồ Bá Ôn and Vĩnh Thông Chất (Vietnam)
Forces 6 French gunboats, 500 marine infantry, 20 Cochinchinese riflemen and 60 sailors against 6,200 Vietnamese soldiers and 600 Chinese under Black Flag command
Losses France: 4 wounded, one of whom died; a gunboat lightly damaged. Vietnam: heavy; 98 guns captured.
Result French victory
In a short campaign in the last week of March 1883, Commandant Henri Rivière took a flotilla of gunboats and a battalion of marine infantry against Nam Định, the second city of Tonkin, and captured its citadel.
Why it is remembered A sharp escalation of French ambitions in Tonkin. China began covertly supporting Vietnam, which led in the end to the Sino-French War.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Tonkin campaign
Battle of Thuận An Landing or siege
20 August 1883 · Thuận An forts, near Huế, central Vietnam
Fought between France against Vietnam (Nguyễn dynasty)
Commanders Amédée Courbet (France)
Forces 7 French ships, 2 gunboats, 2 ironclads, 1 cruiser, 1 transport and 1 troopship, against Vietnamese forts and guns
Losses France: 12 wounded; a gunboat and an ironclad lightly damaged. Vietnam: 2,500 killed and wounded; many guns captured.
Result French victory; Treaty of Huế
A French landing force under Admiral Courbet, supported by his warships, stormed the coastal forts guarding the river approaches to Huế, the Vietnamese capital.
Why it is remembered It let France dictate a treaty recognising a French protectorate over Tonkin. The attack did more than anything else to make war between France and China inevitable, and sowed the seeds of the Cần Vương uprising of 1885.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles-Lucien Huard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Sino-French War
Battle of Fuzhou Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Foochow; Battle of the Pagoda Anchorage; Combat naval de Fou-Tchéou; Battle of Mawei (馬江海戰)
23 August 1884 (operations to 28 August) · Pagoda Anchorage, Mawei harbour, 15 km south east of Fuzhou, China
Fought between France against Qing China
Commanders Amédée Courbet (France); Zhang Peilun (China)
Forces 13 French ships of the Far East Squadron against 22 ships of the Fujian Fleet, 11 of them Western style and the rest junks
Ships Volta, Triomphante, Duguay-Trouin, Villars, d'Estaing, Lynx, Aspic, Vipère, Torpedo Boat No. 45, Torpedo Boat No. 46, Yangwu, Fupo, Fuxing, Fusheng, Jiansheng, Yixin, Zhenwei, Chenhang, Yongbao, Feiyun, Ji'an
Losses France: 10 killed, 48 wounded (23 to 31 August). China: 796 killed, 150 wounded, 51 missing; 9 ships sunk and more than 10 damaged; 2,000 to 3,000 Chinese casualties for the whole operation.
Result French victory
Courbet attacked at about 2 p.m., when the Chinese ships swung on the tide. Torpedo Boat No. 46 struck the flagship Yangwu with a spar torpedo, and Fupo was crippled by a launch from Volta. In about three hours nine of the eleven Western-style ships of the Fujian Fleet were lost. The French then bombarded the Foochow Navy Yard and fought their way down the Min River, destroying the batteries on its banks.
Why it is remembered The opening battle of the Sino-French War, in which one of China's four regional fleets was virtually destroyed in an afternoon.
Sources differ Chinese casualties are given as 796 killed, 150 wounded and 51 missing for the battle, and 2,000 to 3,000 for the whole operation.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Sino-French War (Keelung Campaign)
Battle of Tamsui Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Danshui; Battle of Hobe
2 to 8 October 1884 · Tamsui, northern coast of Taiwan
Fought between France against Qing China
Commanders Sébastien Lespès (France); Sun Kaihua, Zhang Gaoyuan, Liu Chaoyou and Tio Li-xieng (China)
Forces 6 French ships of the Far East Squadron and 600 marines against 2,000 to 4,000 Chinese with artillery batteries
Losses France: 17 killed, 49 wounded. China: 80 killed, 200 wounded.
Result Chinese victory
French warships bombarded Tamsui from 2 October 1884, and a French attack with 600 marines was defeated by Qing forces.
Why it is remembered A significant French defeat on Taiwan during the Sino-French War.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Sino-French War
Battle of Shipu Raid
Also known as 石浦海戰
14 February 1885 · Shipu Bay, near Ningbo, China
Fought between France against Qing China
Commanders Amédée Courbet, with the launches under Palma Gourdon and Émile Duboc (France); Wu Ankang (China)
Forces 2 French ironclads, 3 cruisers and 1 gunboat, with two torpedo launches, against 3 Chinese cruisers, 1 frigate and 1 sloop
Ships Bayard, Triomphante, Nielly, Éclaireur, Aspic, Saône, Yuyuan, Chengqing, Kaiji, Nanchen, Nanrui
Losses France: 1 killed. China: the frigate Yuyuan sunk by torpedo and the sloop Chengqing sunk, apparently by Chinese fire.
Result French victory
At night, at the start of the Chinese New Year, two French torpedo launches under Gourdon and Duboc entered Shipu Bay. They were spotted and came under heavy rifle fire, but their spar torpedoes exploded against the frigate Yuyuan and crippled her. Both launches escaped and were picked up by Saône the next morning. The sloop Chengqing was also sunk.
Why it is remembered A French torpedo boat success of the Sino-French War; Gourdon and Duboc were decorated.
Sources differ The Chinese later said Chengqing was scuttled; eyewitnesses describe an explosion, and she was probably hit by a Chinese shell.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Sino-French War
Battle of Zhenhai Landing or siege
Also known as 鎮海之役
1 March 1885 · Zhenhai, 12 miles downstream from Ningbo, China
Fought between France against Qing China
Commanders Amédée Courbet (France); Ouyang Lijian, Xue Fucheng, Liu Bingzhang and Wu Ankang (China)
Forces 2 French ironclads, 1 cruiser and 1 troopship against 3 Chinese cruisers, 1 sloop, 1 transport, 2 gunboats and shore batteries
Losses Minimal on both sides.
Result Disputed
Courbet's Far East Squadron and the Chinese warships and shore batteries at Zhenhai exchanged fire.
Why it is remembered Still commemorated in China as an important Chinese victory of the Sino-French War; a monument with cannon stands at Zhenhai.
Sources differ French sources treat the encounter as a minor incident; Chinese sources consider it a striking defensive victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Scramble for Africa
Blockade of Zanzibar Blockade and raiding
November 1888 to October 1889 · East African coast, Sultanate of Zanzibar
Fought between Germany, Britain, Portugal and Italy against the Sultanate of Zanzibar
Commanders Karl August Deinhard (Germany); Edmund Fremantle (Britain); Augusto de Castilho (Portugal); Francesco Preve (Italy); Sultan Khalifa bin Said (Zanzibar)
Forces 25 warships, a turret ironclad, 3 cruisers, 8 corvettes, 10 gunboats, a sloop and 2 avisos, with about 4,200 men
Losses Minimal on both sides.
Result Coalition victory
A coalition led by Germany blockaded the coast of the Sultanate of Zanzibar to force Sultan Khalifa bin Said to enforce the treaties banning the sea-borne slave trade and the illegal arms trade from his East African lands.
Why it is remembered An international naval operation against the slave and arms trade off East Africa, following the Anglo-German agreement of 1886.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chilean Civil War of 1891
Battle of Caldera Bay Air and submarine attack
Also known as Sinking of Blanco Encalada
23 April 1891 · Caldera Bay, Chile
Fought between Balmaceda government against the Congressional junta
Commanders Carlos E. Moraga and Juan Fuentes (government); Luis A. Goñi (Congress)
Forces 2 government torpedo boats of the Almirante Lynch class against the Congressional armoured frigate Blanco Encalada and 2 transports
Ships Blanco Encalada, Almirante Lynch, Almirante Condell
Losses Congress: Blanco Encalada sunk with 182 killed, a transport damaged. Government: 1 torpedo boat damaged.
Result Balmacedist victory
Two government torpedo boats attacked the Congressional armoured frigate Blanco Encalada in Caldera Bay. Both torpedoes from Almirante Condell missed, but one from Almirante Lynch hit and the frigate sank in minutes with the loss of 182 men.
Why it is remembered Blanco Encalada was the first ironclad sunk by a self-propelled torpedo. The action led navies to build up torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers quickly. The Congressional side still won the war that August.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Archivo de uso publico, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Chilean Civil War of 1891
Battle of Viña del Mar Landing or siege
Also known as Action of 23 August 1891; Acción del 23 de agosto de 1891
23 August 1891 · Viña del Mar and Fort Callao, Chile
Fought between Congressional rebels against the government of Balmaceda
Commanders Colonel Estanislao del Canto (rebels); General Orozimbo Barbosa (government)
Forces The rebel army supported from the sea by the cruiser Esmeralda and the Almirante Cochrane, against government troops in Fort Callao
Ships Esmeralda, Almirante Cochrane
Result The rebels did not take Viña del Mar but cut the railway and moved on Valparaíso
After defeating government troops at the mouth of the Aconcagua, the rebel army advanced on Valparaíso but was held at Viña del Mar by reinforced government troops. On the morning of 23 August rebel artillery opened fire, supported from the sea by Esmeralda and Almirante Cochrane, which silenced most of the batteries of Fort Callao. The rebels failed to take Viña del Mar but seized the railway inland, cutting off government reinforcements, and marched around the town towards Valparaíso.
Why it is remembered A step in the rebel advance on Valparaíso, in which warships supported the army from the sea.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 23 August 1891; another account gives 21 August.
Sources Wikipedia (NL)
Image: Scientific American Supplement, No. 829, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Argentine Revolution of 1893
Battle of El Espinillo Single-ship action
Also known as Combate naval de El Espinillo
29 September 1893 · Paraná River off El Espinillo Island, Entre Ríos, opposite Rosario, Argentina
Fought between Argentine federal government against rebels of the Radical Civic Union
Commanders Manuel José María Mansilla (government); Gerardo Vallotta (rebels)
Forces 1 ironclad and 1 torpedo boat (government) against 1 ironclad (rebels)
Ships Los Andes
Losses Government: none. Rebels: 1 ironclad disabled. Four seamen (1 loyal, 3 rebels) had been killed in earlier actions.
Result Government victory
During the Radical Civic Union rising of 1893, warships of the Argentine Navy that had joined the rebels met loyal warships on the Paraná River beside El Espinillo Island, across the river from Rosario. The government ironclad and torpedo boat engaged the rebel ironclad, which was disabled.
Why it is remembered It is described as the largest battle involving armoured naval units in Argentina, fought between two parts of the same navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893
Paknam Incident Single-ship action
13 July 1893 · Paknam, mouth of the Chao Phraya River, Siam
Fought between France against Siam
Commanders Captain Borey (France); Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu (Siam)
Forces 1 French aviso, 1 gunboat and 1 steamer against 2 Siamese forts with 10 guns, 2 gunboats, 2 gun flats and 1 barque
Losses France: 3 killed, 3 wounded. Siam: 16 killed, 20 wounded.
Result French victory
Three French ships entered the Chao Phraya River at Paknam in breach of Siamese territory. A Siamese fort and gunboats fired warning shots, and the French won the fight that followed; a contemporary illustration shows the French ships anchored at their legation afterwards.
Why it is remembered France then blockaded Bangkok, which ended the crisis.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Michelet / After Alexandre Jean-Baptiste Brun, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · First Sino-Japanese War
Battle of Pungdo Fleet battle
Also known as Hoto-oki kaisen
25 July 1894 · Off Pungdo island, near Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea
Fought between Japan against Qing China
Commanders Tsuboi Kōzō, Itō Sukeyuki (Japan); Fang Boqian (China)
Forces 3 Japanese protected cruisers against 2 Chinese protected cruisers, 1 gunboat and 1 transport
Ships Yoshino, Naniwa, Akitsushima, Jiyuan, Kwang-yi, Tsao-kiang, Kowshing
Losses Japan: 1 protected cruiser damaged. China: about 1,100 killed and wounded; 1 protected cruiser destroyed, 1 gunboat captured, 1 transport sunk, 1 protected cruiser damaged. More than 800 Chinese troops died aboard the transport Kowshing.
Result Japanese victory
Japan aimed to blockade the Bay of Asan, through which the Chinese garrison at Asan was supplied by sea. Three Japanese cruisers met the Chinese ships off Pungdo: Jiyuan was badly damaged but escaped, Kwang-yi was beached and destroyed, and the gunboat Tsao-kiang surrendered to Akitsushima. Naniwa, under Tōgō Heihachirō, sank the British-owned transport Kowshing with the Chinese troops aboard.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval battle of the First Sino-Japanese War, and the sinking of the chartered British transport Kowshing drew wide attention.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Kobayashi Kiyochika, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Brazilian Naval Revolt
Rio de Janeiro Affair Single-ship action
9 to 21 January 1894 · Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Fought between United States against the Brazilian navy rebels
Commanders Andrew Benham, Willard Brownson (United States); Saldanha da Gama (rebels)
Forces United States: 2 gunboats, 3 cruisers. Rebels: 2 coastal battleships, 4 cruisers, 1 monitor, 1 gunboat, 7 torpedo boats, 9 auxiliary cruisers and 1 fort
Ships Detroit
Losses United States: none. Rebels: 1 ironclad heavily damaged. Two American merchant ships were slightly damaged by rifle fire.
Result American victory; the rebel blockade ended and Rio de Janeiro reopened to American commerce
During the Brazilian Naval Revolt, rebel ships attacked American merchant ships in the harbour of Rio de Janeiro three times. A bloodless engagement followed between a United States Navy warship and an ironclad of Rear Admiral Saldanha da Gama's rebel fleet. The Americans achieved their aim, and Gama offered to surrender his fleet to them, though the offer was never pursued.
Why it is remembered It ended the rebel interference with American shipping at Rio and reopened the port to American trade.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · First Sino-Japanese War
Battle of the Yalu River Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Yellow Sea; Battle of Haiyang Island; Battle of Dadonggou; Huáng Hǎi Hǎizhàn; Kōkai-kaisen
17 September 1894 · Yellow Sea off the mouth of the Yalu River, Korea Bay
Fought between Japan against Qing China
Commanders Itō Sukeyuki, Tsuboi Kōzō (Japan); Ding Ruchang, Liu Buchan, Deng Shichang, killed (China)
Forces Japan: 7 protected cruisers, 1 belted cruiser, 2 ironclads, 1 gunboat, 1 transport. China: 2 ironclad battleships, 1 coastal battleship, 2 armoured cruisers, 3 protected cruisers, 1 composite cruiser, 2 light cruisers, 1 gunboat, 2 torpedo boats
Ships Matsushima, Hashidate, Itsukushima, Chiyoda, Yoshino, Naniwa, Takachiho, Akitsushima, Fusō, Hiei, Akagi, Saikyō Maru, Dingyuan, Zhenyuan, Zhiyuen, Jingyuan, Laiyuan, Jiyuan, Chaoyong, Yangwei, Kwan Chia, Pingyuan
Losses Japan: 380 killed and wounded; 5 protected cruisers and 1 ironclad damaged. China: 1,350 killed and wounded; 1 protected cruiser, 1 armoured cruiser and 2 light cruisers sunk, 1 composite cruiser scuttled.
Result Japanese victory
The day after the Japanese victory on land at Pyongyang, the Imperial Japanese Navy met the Chinese Beiyang Fleet in the Yellow Sea off the mouth of the Yalu. The Japanese quick-firing guns told heavily and the Chinese formation broke down. Zhiyuen sank with her captain Deng Shichang after a failed attempt to ram, Jingyuan and Chaoyong burned, and Yangwei and Kwan Chia ran aground. The Japanese flagship Matsushima was badly hit and Admiral Itō shifted his flag to Hashidate.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval engagement of the war and gave Japan command of the sea; the surviving Chinese ships were later destroyed at Weihaiwei.
Sources differ The main account notes that contemporary sources do not agree on the exact numbers and composition of either fleet.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · First Sino-Japanese War
Battle of Weihaiwei Landing or siege
Also known as Ikaiei-no-tatakai
20 January to 12 February 1895 · Weihai, Shandong Province, China
Fought between Japan against Qing China
Commanders Ōyama Iwao, Itō Sukeyuki, Ōdera Yasuzumi, killed (Japan); Li Hongzhang, Ding Ruchang, Liu Buchan (China)
Forces Japan: about 25,000 men, 13 cruisers, 5 gunboats, 15 torpedo boats. China: about 10,000 men, 2 battleships, 1 coastal battleship, 7 cruisers, 6 gunboats, 13 torpedo boats, 7 other vessels
Losses Japan: unknown. China: 4,000 killed; 1 battleship captured, 1 battleship scuttled, 1 coastal battleship captured, 3 protected cruisers scuttled, 1 protected cruiser captured, 6 gunboats captured, 6 torpedo boats destroyed, 7 torpedo boats captured.
Result Japanese victory
In early January 1895 Japanese troops landed in eastern Shandong behind the Chinese naval base at Weihaiwei. In a combined attack by land and sea forces the Japanese destroyed the forts and sank much of the Chinese Beiyang Fleet. The Chinese commanders Ding Ruchang and Liu Buchan took their own lives.
Why it is remembered With Shandong and Liaoning in Japanese hands, China faced a threat to Beijing and sued for peace, ending the war in April 1895.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Action of 13 June 1898 Single-ship action
13 June 1898 · Off Cienfuegos, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the United States
Commanders Juan de Carranza (Spain); Willard Herbert Brownson (United States)
Forces 3 Spanish gunboats against 1 American auxiliary cruiser
Ships USS Yankee, Diego Velázquez, Lince, Cometa
Losses Spain: 6 wounded, 1 gunboat damaged. United States: 2 wounded, 1 auxiliary cruiser damaged.
Result Spanish victory
The Spanish gunboat Diego Velázquez left Cienfuegos to inspect a suspicious steamer, which proved to be the American auxiliary cruiser USS Yankee. Though much weaker in armament, Diego Velázquez got back to Cienfuegos, where the small gunboats Lince and Cometa joined her. Yankee then withdrew.
Why it is remembered A minor action of the war in Cuba, counted as a Spanish success.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Action of 25 April 1898 Single-ship action
25 April 1898 · Off Cárdenas, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the United States
Commanders Antonio Pérez Rendón (Spain); William Ledyard Rodgers (United States)
Forces Spanish gunboat Ligera against American torpedo boat USS Foote
Ships USS Foote, Ligera
Losses Spain: Ligera damaged. United States: Foote seriously damaged.
Result Spanish victory
The American torpedo boat Foote and the Spanish gunboat Ligera exchanged fire near Cárdenas. Foote was seriously damaged and forced to withdraw.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle of the Spanish-American War and the first Spanish naval success.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Battle of the Aguadores Landing or siege
1 July 1898 · Aguadores River, near Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the United States and Cuban rebels
Commanders Henry Duffield, William Sampson (United States); Spanish commander unknown
Forces United States: 2,700 men, 1 armoured cruiser, 2 gunboats. Spain: 274 men
Ships USS New York
Losses United States: 10 killed and wounded. Spain: none.
Result Spanish victory
Duffield's column attacked along the Aguadores River as a feint to draw Spanish troops away from San Juan Hill and El Caney. Poor coordination with the North Atlantic Fleet made its bombardment of the Spanish positions ineffective. Spanish rifle fire stopped the 33rd Michigan Regiment at the wrecked bridge and Duffield withdrew to Siboney.
Why it is remembered No Spanish troops were moved to Aguadores, and the claim that the feint prevented reinforcement of the San Juan Heights is not supported.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Battle of Cárdenas Fleet battle
11 May 1898 · Port of Cárdenas, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the United States
Commanders Mariano Mateu, Antonio Rendón (Spain); Chapman C. Todd, John Bernadou, Frank Newcomb (United States)
Forces Spain: 2 gunboats and 1 armed tug. United States: 2 torpedo boats, 2 gunboats and 1 revenue cutter
Ships USRC Hudson, Winslow
Losses Spain: 1 wounded. United States: 5 killed, 3 wounded; 1 torpedo boat disabled, 1 gunboat damaged.
Result Spanish victory
An American squadron of five ships attacked three small Spanish vessels in the port of Cárdenas. The attack failed at an unusually high cost to the Americans, with one torpedo boat disabled.
Why it is remembered The reverse dissuaded the US Navy from further attacks on the port.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: http://www.uscg.mil/history/people/NewcombFrankHFinal.pdf, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Battle of Cienfuegos Raid
Also known as Raid on Cienfuegos
11 May 1898 · Off Cienfuegos, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the United States
Commanders Francisco Cróquer (Spain); Bowman McCalla, Cameron Winslow (United States)
Forces United States: 1 unprotected cruiser, 1 gunboat, 1 revenue cutter and 2 steam launches. Spanish strength unknown
Losses Spain: none. United States: 2 killed, 15 wounded.
Result Spanish victory
The US Navy sent a cable cutting expedition to Cienfuegos to tighten its blockade of Cuba. Men in boats from the American ships came under fire from the Spanish defenders.
Why it is remembered An early attempt to cut Spain's undersea telegraph links with Cuba.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
First Battle of Cárdenas Blockade and raiding
8 May 1898 · Off Cárdenas, Cuba
Fought between United States against Spain
Commanders John Bernadou (United States); Antonio Rendón (Spain)
Forces United States: 1 gunboat, 1 torpedo boat. Spain: 2 gunboats, 1 armed tug
Ships USS Machias
Losses United States: none. Spain: 2 gunboats and 1 armed tug damaged.
Result American victory
Three Spanish vessels tried to lift the American blockade of Cárdenas. Two United States Navy warships drove them back into harbour.
Why it is remembered A small blockade action that kept the port of Cárdenas closed.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
First Battle of Manzanillo Fleet battle
30 June 1898 · In and outside the harbour of Manzanillo, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the United States
Commanders Joaquín Barreda (Spain); Lucien Young (United States)
Forces Spain: 4 gunboats, 3 pontoons, 3 field guns. United States: 2 gunboats, 1 armed tug
Ships USS Wompatuck
Losses Spain: 2 killed, 4 wounded, 1 gunboat damaged. United States: 1 killed, 2 wounded; 2 gunboats and 1 armed tug damaged.
Result Spanish victory
Three American gunboats attacked a squadron of Spanish gunboats and auxiliaries in and outside the harbour of Manzanillo. After a series of engagements the Americans were forced to retire.
Why it is remembered The first of three attacks on Manzanillo in 1898.
Sources differ One account speaks of three American gunboats; another account lists 2 gunboats and 1 armed tug.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Battle of Guantánamo Bay Landing or siege
6 to 14 June 1898 · Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
Fought between United States and Cuban rebels against Spain
Commanders Bowman McCalla (United States); Félix Pareja Mesa (Spain)
Forces United States: 923 men, 1 unprotected cruiser, 2 auxiliary cruisers, 1 gunboat, 1 steamship. Spain: 5,000 men, 2 gunboats
Losses United States and Cuba: 29 killed and wounded; 1 unprotected cruiser damaged. Spain: 208 killed and wounded, 18 captured; 2 gunboats damaged.
Result American and Cuban victory
American and Cuban forces, supported by US warships, seized the harbour of Guantánamo Bay and routed the Spanish troops defending it. United States Marines raised the American flag on Cuban soil on 11 June.
Why it is remembered The bay served the later operations at Santiago and Puerto Rico, and the United States naval base at Guantánamo Bay dates from it.
Sources differ One account gives 6 to 14 June 1898; another account gives 6 to 10 June 1898.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Battle of Manila Bay Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cavite; Batalla de Cavite
1 May 1898 · Manila Bay, off Manila, Philippines
Fought between United States against Spain
Commanders George Dewey (United States); Patricio Montojo y Pasarón (Spain)
Forces United States: 4 protected cruisers, 2 gunboats, 1 revenue cutter, 2 transports. Spain: 2 protected cruisers, 5 unprotected cruisers, 5 gunboats, 1 transport
Ships USS Olympia, USS Baltimore, USS Raleigh, USS Boston, USS Concord, USS Petrel, McCulloch, Reina Cristina, Castilla, Don Antonio de Ulloa, Don Juan de Austria, Isla de Cuba, Isla de Luzon, Marques del Duero
Losses United States: 1 dead of illness (a heart attack), 9 wounded, 1 protected cruiser damaged. Spain: 77 killed, 271 wounded; 2 protected cruisers scuttled, 5 unprotected cruisers, 1 gunboat and 1 transport sunk.
Result American victory
The US Asiatic Squadron under Commodore Dewey steamed into Manila Bay on 1 May and engaged the Spanish Pacific Squadron, which Montojo had kept close to the shore so that survivors could swim to safety. American gunnery was far superior and the whole Spanish squadron, mostly older cruisers and gunboats, was destroyed. Montojo ordered his flagship Reina Cristina and other ships scuttled to keep them out of American hands.
Why it is remembered It was the first major engagement of the Spanish-American War, one of the most one-sided naval battles on record, and marked the end of the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: James Gale Tyler (1855, 1931), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Battle of Nipe Bay Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de la bahía de Nipe
21 July 1898 · Nipe Bay, Cuba
Fought between United States against Spain
Commanders John J. Hunker (United States); Spanish commander unknown
Forces United States: 1 auxiliary cruiser, 2 gunboats, 1 tug. Spain: the sloop of war Jorge Juan and 3 gunboats, supported by forts
Ships USS Annapolis, Jorge Juan
Losses United States: none. Spain: 1 sloop sunk, 1 gunboat scuttled.
Result American victory
Four United States Navy warships entered Nipe Bay and fought the Spanish sloop of war Jorge Juan and three gunboats, which were supported by the forts guarding the harbour. Jorge Juan was sunk and a gunboat was scuttled.
Why it is remembered One of the last naval actions of the war in Cuban waters.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Bombardment of San Juan Landing or siege
Also known as First Battle of San Juan
12 May 1898 · San Juan Bay, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fought between United States against Spain
Commanders William T. Sampson (United States); Manuel Macías y Casado (Spain)
Forces United States: 2 battleships, 1 armoured cruiser, 2 unprotected cruisers, 1 auxiliary cruiser, 2 monitors, 1 torpedo boat, 1 collier, 2 yachts. Spain: 2,500 infantry, 29 guns, a castle, 2 forts, a shore battery and 2 gunboats
Ships Amiral Rigault de Genouilly
Losses United States: 2 killed, 7 wounded; 1 battleship and 1 cruiser damaged. Spain: 2 killed, 38 wounded; the castle, 2 forts and a battery damaged. Civilians: 5 killed, 18 wounded.
Result Spanish victory
United States Navy warships engaged the Spanish fortifications of San Juan. Both sides suffered damage and casualties, and the French cruiser Amiral Rigault de Genouilly, a neutral in the harbour, was slightly damaged by American fire.
Why it is remembered It was the first major action of the Puerto Rican campaign.
Sources differ One account dates the bombardment to 12 May 1898; another account gives 12 to 18 May 1898.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carlton Theodore Chapman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Battle of Santiago de Cuba Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla naval de Santiago de Cuba
3 July 1898 · Off Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Fought between United States against Spain
Commanders William T. Sampson, Winfield Scott Schley (United States); Pascual Cervera y Topete, captured, Fernando Villaamil, killed (Spain)
Forces United States: battleships, 2 armoured cruisers and 2 armed yachts. Spain: 4 armoured cruisers and 2 destroyers
Ships USS New York, USS Brooklyn, USS Texas, USS Iowa, USS Indiana, USS Oregon, USS Gloucester, USS Vixen, Infanta Maria Teresa, Almirante Oquendo, Vizcaya, Cristóbal Colón, Furor, Plutón
Losses United States: 1 killed, 1 wounded. Spain: 343 killed, 151 wounded, 1,889 captured; 4 armoured cruisers and 2 destroyers lost.
Result American victory
Cervera's squadron, blockaded in Santiago harbour, steamed out on the morning of 3 July in an attempt to reach the open sea. The American battleships and cruisers pursued along the coast. The flagship Infanta Maria Teresa and Almirante Oquendo were beached in flames, Vizcaya was beached after an explosion, the destroyers Furor and Plutón were sunk or driven ashore, and Cristóbal Colón ran aground after her captain surrendered. The Americans pulled 1,889 Spanish sailors from the water, Cervera among them.
Why it is remembered The destruction of the Spanish squadron sealed the American victory in Cuba. The victory was followed by a long public dispute between Sampson and Schley over who deserved the credit, which reached Theodore Roosevelt.
Sources differ One account gives the American squadron as four battleships and two armoured cruisers; another account gives five battleships, two armoured cruisers and two armed yachts. One account says the Americans suffered two men killed or wounded; another account gives 1 killed and 1 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Benjamín Núñez González, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Second Battle of Manzanillo Fleet battle
1 July 1898 · Harbour of Manzanillo, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the United States
Commanders Joaquín Barreda (Spain); Adolph Marix (United States)
Forces Spain: 3 gunboats, 3 pontoons. United States: 1 armed tug, 1 patrol yacht
Ships USS Scorpion
Losses Spain: 3 wounded. United States: 1 armed tug damaged.
Result Spanish victory
Two American vessels tried and failed to destroy the Spanish ships in the harbour of Manzanillo.
Why it is remembered The second of three attacks on Manzanillo in 1898.
Sources differ One account speaks of two American gunboats; another account lists an armed tug and a patrol yacht.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Naval Historical Center photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Second Battle of San Juan Blockade and raiding
22 June 1898 · Off San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fought between United States against Spain
Commanders Charles Sigsbee (United States); Spanish commander unknown
Forces 1 American auxiliary cruiser against 1 Spanish unprotected cruiser and 1 destroyer
Ships Terror
Losses United States: 1 auxiliary cruiser damaged. Spain: 2 killed, 5 wounded, 1 destroyer damaged.
Result American victory
Two Spanish vessels came out of San Juan to try to break the American blockade of the port. They were engaged by an American auxiliary cruiser and the Spanish destroyer Terror was damaged.
Why it is remembered One of three naval actions off San Juan in 1898.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Third Battle of Manzanillo Fleet battle
18 July 1898 · Harbour of Manzanillo, Cuba
Fought between United States against Spain
Commanders Chapman C. Todd, Adolph Marix (United States); Joaquín Gómez de Barreda (Spain)
Forces United States: 4 gunboats, 2 armed tugs, 1 patrol yacht. Spain: 4 gunboats, 3 pontoons used as floating batteries, 3 transports, 3 field guns and 3 battalions of infantry
Ships USS Helena
Losses United States: 1 armed tug damaged. Spain: 3 killed, 14 wounded; 4 gunboats, 3 pontoons and 3 transports destroyed.
Result American victory
A stronger American squadron returned to Manzanillo and sank or destroyed every Spanish vessel in the harbour without losing a ship. The Spanish hold-out at Manzanillo was then bombarded.
Why it is remembered The bombardment led to the surrender of the city and the end of Spanish naval presence on the island.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Detroit Publishing Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Spanish-American War
Third Battle of San Juan Blockade and raiding
28 June 1898 · San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fought between Spain against the United States
Commanders Spanish commander unknown; William H. Emory Jr. (United States)
Forces Spain: 1 unprotected cruiser, 2 gunboats, 1 blockade runner, with a castle and a fort. United States: 1 auxiliary cruiser
Ships SS Antonio Lopez
Losses Spain: 1 blockade runner lost, 5 wounded. United States: none.
Result Inconclusive; the Spanish took off the supplies but the blockade runner was lost
An American auxiliary cruiser intercepted the Spanish blockade runner Antonio Lopez off San Juan. A Spanish squadron came out to help her and took off her supplies and crew, but the American warship engaged the runner and forced her aground, where she burned out.
Why it is remembered A small blockade action in which the cargo was saved but the ship was lost.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Second Samoan Civil War
Siege of Apia Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Apia
14 to 30 March 1899 · Apia, Upolu, Samoa
Fought between Samoans loyal to Malietoa Tanumafili I, Britain and the United States against the Samoan followers of Mata'afa Iosefo, supported by Germany
Commanders Albert Kautz (United States); Leslie Stuart (Britain); Mata'afa Iosefo (Mataafans)
Forces Allies: 2,260 men ashore, with 3 cruisers and 1 corvette. Mataafans: 4,000
Losses Allies: 9 killed, 10 to 15 wounded. Mataafans: about 27 killed.
Result Allied victory
Samoan forces loyal to Malietoa Tanumafili I were besieged at Apia by a larger rebel force loyal to Mata'afa Iosefo. Landing parties from four British and American warships supported Malietoa, and United States Marines manned a naval gun ashore. After several days of fighting the rebels were defeated.
Why it is remembered An episode of great power rivalry in Samoa in which warships' landing parties decided a local civil war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Thousand Days' War
Battle of the Magdalena River Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla del río Magdalena; Battle of Los Obispos; Battle of Gamarra
24 October 1899 · Magdalena River at Los Obispos, near Gamarra, Colombia
Fought between Colombian Conservative government against Liberal rebels
Commanders Diego de Castro (government); Domiciano Nieto, Manuel N. Vásquez, Nicanor Guerra, Efraín Mejía, all killed (rebels)
Forces Government: 2 gunboats. Rebels: 1 dredger, 7 passenger steamships, 500 men
Ships Colombia, Hércules
Losses Government: minimal. Rebels: more than 200 killed.
Result Conservative victory
The Liberal Party rose against the government on 17 October 1899 and tried to seize the Magdalena River, cutting river transport to Bogotá. Its flotilla of converted passenger steamers and a dredge held up the Conservative advance for a time. On the night of 24 October two government gunboats under General Diego de Castro destroyed the rebel flotilla.
Why it is remembered It was the first major battle of the Thousand Days' War. A painting of it by Francisco Valiente dates from 1899.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francisco Valiente, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Philippine-American War
Battle of Mabitac Landing or siege
Also known as Labanan sa Mabitac; Batalla de Mabitac
17 September 1900 · Mabitac, Laguna, on the shore of Laguna de Bay, Philippines
Fought between First Philippine Republic against the United States
Commanders Juan Cailles (Philippines); Benjamin F. Cheatham Jr. (United States)
Forces Philippines: about 300 (Filipino account) or 800 (American estimate). United States: about 300 men of the 37th and 15th Volunteer Infantry, with several gunboats
Losses Philippines: 11 killed, 20 wounded (American estimate) or 2 dead, 3 wounded (Filipino claim). United States: 21 killed, 23 wounded (American claim) or 180 dead and wounded (Filipino estimate).
Result Filipino victory
American infantry advancing from Siniloan along a flooded causeway came under heavy fire from Filipino trenches and were pinned down in waist-deep water for about 90 minutes. A US Navy gunboat on the lake gave supporting fire, and the Filipino account says troops tried to land on the flank from the gunboats but were driven back. Cheatham withdrew and Cailles later slipped away to avoid envelopment.
Why it is remembered It was one of the heaviest American defeats of the war; Cailles allowed Cheatham to recover the bodies of eight fallen scouts.
Sources differ Strength and losses differ sharply between the American figures and the Filipino account in the Philippine Revolutionary Records.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Boxer Rebellion
Battle of the Taku Forts (1900) Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Dagu Forts (大沽口砲臺之戰)
16 to 17 June 1900 · Taku (Dagu) Forts at the mouth of the Hai River, near Tianjin, China
Fought between Eight-Nation Alliance (Russia, Britain, Japan, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) against Qing China
Commanders Yakov Hildebrandt (Russia); Christopher Cradock (Britain); Hugo von Pohl (Germany); Lo Jung-Kuang (Qing)
Forces Allied: 900 men and 10 ships. Qing: 1,000 soldiers and sailors and 4 destroyers.
Losses Allied: 172 killed and wounded. Qing: unknown.
Result Allied victory; the forts were captured
European and Japanese naval forces attacked the Qing forts guarding the approach to Tianjin and captured them after a brief but bloody battle.
Why it is remembered The loss of the forts led the Qing government to side with the Boxers and order its army to resist all foreign forces in China. The Allies held the forts until the end of the Boxer Rebellion in September 1901.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Fritz Neumann / Adam Cuerden, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903
Venezuelan crisis of 1902 to 1903 Blockade and raiding
Also known as Venezuelan naval blockade of 1902 to 1903
9 December 1902 to 19 February 1903 · Coast of Venezuela
Fought between Britain, Germany and Italy against Venezuela
Commanders Cipriano Castro (Venezuela)
Losses Venezuela's small navy was quickly disabled.
Result Compromise: the blockade was lifted and Venezuela committed 30% of its customs duties to settling claims
Britain, Germany and Italy blockaded Venezuela after President Cipriano Castro refused to pay foreign debts and damages owed to European citizens. The blockade quickly disabled the Venezuelan navy, but Castro held out and agreed in principle to arbitration. Under American pressure the blockading powers accepted a compromise signed on 13 February 1903, which lifted the blockade.
Why it is remembered The Hague arbitration that followed favoured the blockading powers, and American fear of further European intervention led to the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.
Sources Wikipedia
Ironclads, 1861 to 1903 · Venezuelan crisis of 1902 to 1903
Bombardment of Fort San Carlos Landing or siege
17 January 1903 · Fort San Carlos de la Barra, entrance to Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela
Fought between Venezuela against Germany
Commanders Jorge Antonio Bello (Venezuela); Richard Eckermann (Germany)
Forces Germany: 1 light cruiser, 1 gunboat. Venezuela: 1 fort with 4 guns
Losses Germany: 1 gunboat damaged. Venezuela: 3 to 6 wounded. Civilians: 25 to 40 killed.
Result Venezuelan victory
Two warships of the Imperial German Navy tried to force their way into Lake Maracaibo. After a brief exchange of fire with the garrison of Fort San Carlos de la Barra they were driven off.
Why it is remembered The bombardment featured on the front page of Le Petit Parisien and added to the international criticism of the blockade.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Le Petit Parisien, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Battle of Chemulpo Bay Fleet battle
9 February 1904 · Off Chemulpo (now Incheon), Korea
Fought between Japan against Russia
Commanders Uryū Sotokichi (Japan); Vsevolod Rudnev (Russia)
Forces Japan: 1 armoured cruiser, 5 protected cruisers, 1 aviso, 8 torpedo boats. Russia: the protected cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Korietz
Ships Varyag, Korietz
Losses Russia: 33 killed, 97 wounded; both ships scuttled after the battle. Japan: no casualties reported by the Japanese.
Result Japanese victory
At the opening of the Russo-Japanese War a Japanese squadron under Uryū Sotokichi engaged the Russian protected cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Korietz off Chemulpo. Both Russian ships were scuttled after the battle.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first actions of the Russo-Japanese War.
Sources differ Japanese sources report no casualties; Russian sources claim 1 Japanese torpedo boat and about 30 men lost.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Alexander Marshall (?) (1876 to 1906), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Dogger Bank incident Other action
Also known as North Sea Incident; Russian Outrage; Incident of Hull
21 to 22 October 1904 · Dogger Bank, North Sea
Fought between Russian Baltic Fleet against British fishing trawlers from Hull (mistaken for Japanese torpedo boats)
Forces The Russian Baltic Fleet against unarmed British trawlers
Ships Aurora
Losses British: 2 fishermen killed, 6 injured; 1 trawler sunk and 5 damaged. Russian: 1 sailor and an Orthodox priest aboard the cruiser Aurora killed by friendly fire.
Result Russia paid £66,000 in compensation after an international commission of inquiry
On its way to the Far East, the Russian Baltic Fleet mistook trawlers from Kingston upon Hull on the Dogger Bank for Japanese torpedo boats and opened fire. In the confusion Russian ships also fired on each other. One trawler was sunk and five damaged.
Why it is remembered The incident almost led to war between Britain and Russia and was settled by an international commission of inquiry under the Hague Convention.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Artist unknown; publisher: the Valentine Series, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Hitachi Maru Incident Blockade and raiding
Also known as Hitachi-maru jiken
15 June 1904 · Tsushima Strait
Fought between Russia against Japan
Commanders Petr Bezobrazov (Russia)
Forces 3 Russian armoured cruisers of the Vladivostok squadron against 3 unarmed Japanese transports
Ships Hitachi Maru
Losses Japan: 2 ships sunk, 1 grounded; 1,334 killed, 112 wounded. Russia: none.
Result Russian victory
The Vladivostok based Russian armoured cruiser squadron made a commerce raiding sortie into the Tsushima Strait and caught three Japanese military transports. Two were sunk and one ran aground, with heavy loss of life.
Why it is remembered The sortie cost Japan 1,334 dead without loss to the Russian cruisers.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Battle of Korsakov Single-ship action
20 August 1904 · Off Korsakov, southern Sakhalin
Fought between Japan against Russia
Commanders Takagi Sukeichi, Sentō Takenaka (Japan); Mikhail von Schultz (Russia)
Forces Japanese cruisers Chitose and Tsushima against the Russian protected cruiser Novik
Ships Novik, Chitose, Tsushima
Losses Japan: Tsushima damaged. Russia: Novik scuttled.
Result Japanese victory
After the Russian Pacific Squadron was scattered at the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the protected cruiser Novik tried to escape from Port Arthur and join the Russian cruiser squadron at Vladivostok. The Japanese cruisers Chitose and Tsushima caught her off Korsakov on Sakhalin. Tsushima was damaged and Novik was scuttled.
Why it is remembered It ended Novik's attempt to reach Vladivostok after the Yellow Sea battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Battle of Port Arthur Raid
Also known as Ryojunkō Kaisen
8 to 9 February 1904 · Off Port Arthur, Manchuria, China
Fought between Japan against Russia
Commanders Tōgō Heihachirō, Dewa Shigetō, Kamimura Hikonojō, Nogi Maresuke (Japan); Oskar Starck, Yevgeni Alekseyev, Wilgelm Vitgeft (Russia)
Forces Japan: 6 pre-dreadnought battleships, 9 armoured cruisers, 15 destroyers, 20 torpedo boats. Russia: 7 pre-dreadnought battleships, 1 armoured cruiser, 5 protected cruisers and escorts
Ships Mikasa, Shikishima, Fuji, Hatsuse, Retvizan, Tsesarevich, Pallada, Novik, Petropavlovsk, Poltava, Diana, Askold, Pobeda, Sevastopol, Boyarin
Losses Japan: 90 men and slight damage. Russia: about 150 casualties, 7 ships damaged.
Result Inconclusive
Japanese destroyers made a surprise night attack on the Russian fleet at anchor at Port Arthur, hitting Retvizan, Tsesarevich and Pallada with torpedoes. Next morning the Japanese fleet, with Mikasa as flagship, engaged the Russian ships and shore batteries, and several ships on both sides were damaged before the Japanese withdrew. No warship was sunk in the gun action.
Why it is remembered It opened the Russo-Japanese War; Japan declared war the following day.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Sinking of Hatsuse and Yashima Other action
Also known as Уничтожение японских броненосцев «Хацусэ» и «Ясима»
15 May 1904 · Yellow Sea, off Port Arthur
Fought between Russia against Japan
Commanders F. N. Ivanov, commanding the minelayer Amur (Russia)
Forces Russian minelayer Amur, which laid 50 mines the day before, against a Japanese battleship squadron
Ships Amur, Hatsuse, Yashima, Shikishima
Losses Japan: battleships Hatsuse and Yashima lost; 493 dead aboard Hatsuse. No figure is given for Yashima.
Result Russian success
On 14 May the minelayer Amur, hidden by fog, laid 50 mines about 11 miles off Port Arthur, further out than the 8 miles approved by Vitgeft. Next day Hatsuse struck mines and sank, and Yashima struck a mine soon after and lost power. Shikishima towed her away, but after her crew had left she capsized and sank, out of sight of Russian observers, and Japan kept the loss secret for a long time.
Why it is remembered It is counted as the greatest success of the Russian Pacific Squadron: Japan lost two of its six battleships in one day.
Sources Wikipedia (RU) · Wikipedia (JA)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Battle off Ulsan Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Japanese Sea; Battle of the Korean Strait; Urusan'oki kaisen
14 August 1904 · Off Ulsan, Korea
Fought between Japan against Russia
Commanders Kamimura Hikonojō (Japan); Karl Jessen (Russia)
Forces 4 Japanese armoured cruisers and 2 protected cruisers against 3 Russian armoured cruisers
Ships Izumo, Azuma, Tokiwa, Iwate, Naniwa, Takachiho, Rossia, Gromoboi, Rurik
Losses Japan: 44 killed, 71 wounded; 3 cruisers slightly damaged. Russia: 343 killed, 652 wounded; 1 armoured cruiser sunk, 2 damaged.
Result Japanese victory
At dawn the Japanese 2nd Fleet caught the Vladivostok cruiser squadron returning north and concentrated its fire on Rurik, which lost her steering and most of her officers. Rossia and Gromoboi tried to cover her, but she was scuttled. Kamimura pursued the other two for about three hours before turning for Busan.
Why it is remembered Fought four days after the Battle of the Yellow Sea, it ended the Vladivostok squadron's threat to Japanese shipping.
Sources differ The main account states that Jessen decided to scuttle Rurik, while the Russian view is that her crew scuttled her after her steering was destroyed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Nakamura Factory of Haibara, Tokyo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Battle of the Yellow Sea Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of 10 August; Kōkai kaisen
10 August 1904 · Yellow Sea, off the Shandong Peninsula, China
Fought between Japan against Russia
Commanders Tōgō Heihachirō, Dewa Shigetō (Japan); Wilgelm Vitgeft, killed, Pavel Ukhtomsky (Russia)
Forces Japan: 5 battleships, 6 armoured cruisers, 8 protected cruisers, 18 destroyers, 30 torpedo boats. Russia: 6 battleships, 4 protected cruisers, 14 destroyers
Ships Mikasa, Asahi, Fuji, Shikishima, Nisshin, Kasuga, Yakumo, Tsesarevich, Retvizan, Pobeda, Peresvet, Sevastopol, Poltava, Askold, Pallada, Diana, Novik
Losses Japan: 226 killed and wounded; 2 battleships severely and 1 slightly damaged, 1 protected cruiser slightly damaged. Russia: 340 killed and wounded; 1 battleship severely and 5 slightly damaged; several ships interned in neutral ports.
Result The Russian breakout was foiled and the fleet returned to Port Arthur
The Russian squadron at Port Arthur tried to break out and join the Vladivostok cruisers. Tōgō's fleet engaged it, and a 305 mm salvo struck the flagship Tsesarevich, killing Admiral Vitgeft and his staff and jamming her steering, so that she swung back into her own line. The Russian formation broke up; most of the battleships returned to Port Arthur, while Tsesarevich reached Tsingtao, Askold Shanghai and Diana Saigon, where they were interned.
Why it is remembered It ended the Port Arthur squadron's last real attempt to escape; four days later the Battle off Ulsan ended the Vladivostok sortie.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russo-Japanese War
Battle of Tsushima Fleet battle
Also known as Naval Battle of the Sea of Japan
27 to 28 May 1905 · Tsushima Strait, between Korea and Japan
Fought between Japan against Russia
Commanders Tōgō Heihachirō, Kamimura Hikonojō, Kataoka Shichirō (Japan); Zinovy Rozhestvensky, captured, Nikolai Nebogatov, surrendered, Oskar Enqvist (Russia)
Forces Japan: 4 battleships, 29 cruisers, 4 gunboats, 21 destroyers, 45 torpedo boats, 22 auxiliaries. Russia: 8 battleships, 3 coastal battleships, 9 cruisers, 9 destroyers, 9 auxiliaries
Ships Mikasa, Fuji, Asahi, Asama, Knyaz Suvorov, Oslyabya, Imperator Aleksandr III, Borodino, Oryol, Navarin, Sissoi Veliky, Admiral Nakhimov, Vladimir Monomakh, Nikolai I, Apraksin, Senyavin, Izumrud, Donskoi, Grozniy, Byedoviy, Buyniy
Losses Japan: 117 dead, 583 injured; 3 torpedo boats sunk. Russia: 5,045 dead, 803 injured, 6,016 captured; 6 battleships, 1 coastal battleship and 14 other ships sunk; 2 battleships, 2 coastal battleships and 1 destroyer captured; 6 ships disarmed.
Result Japanese victory
The Russian Second Pacific Squadron had sailed some 18,000 nautical miles from the Baltic to reach Vladivostok. Tōgō's Combined Fleet met it in the Tsushima Strait on the afternoon of 27 May; Rozhestvensky was wounded early, and four Russian battleships, among them the flagship Knyaz Suvorov, were sunk by sunset. Japanese destroyers and torpedo boats attacked through the night, and on the morning of 28 May Nebogatov surrendered. All eleven Russian battleships were lost, and only one cruiser and two destroyers reached Vladivostok.
Why it is remembered It was the only decisive battle fought between modern steel battleship fleets and the first in which wireless played a critical part; it forced Russia to seek peace at Portsmouth in 1905. Tōgō's flagship Mikasa is preserved as a museum ship at Yokosuka, and the battle is the subject of the 1969 film Battle of the Japan Sea.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · French conquest of Morocco
Bombardment of Casablanca Landing or siege
Also known as Bombardement de Casablanca; قصف الدار البيضاء
5 to 7 August 1907 · Casablanca, Morocco
Fought between France against Morocco
Commanders Antoine Drude, Joseph Philibert (France); Abd al-Aziz al-Alawi, Abu Bakr bin Bouzid (Morocco)
Forces French cruisers, among them Galilée, Du Chayla and Gloire, and landing parties
Ships Galilée, Du Chayla, Gloire
Losses An estimated 1,500 to 7,000 Moroccan dead.
Result French conquest and occupation of Casablanca
On 30 July 1907 Shawiya tribesmen opposed to the French presence attacked European workers on the railway to the port. When the cruiser Galilée landed a party of 75 men on 5 August, the city rose. Galilée and Du Chayla shelled Casablanca with mélinite, hitting residential districts, especially the Tnaker quarter.
Why it is remembered It destroyed much of the city and opened a western front in the French conquest of Morocco.
Sources differ Estimates of Moroccan deaths range from 1,500 to 7,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Joseph Boussuge, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918
Revolt of the Lash Other action
Also known as Revolta da Chibata
22 November 1910 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Fought between Mutinous sailors of the Brazilian Navy against the Brazilian government
Commanders João Cândido (mutineers)
Forces Mutineers held two dreadnoughts, one new cruiser and an older coastal defence ship
Result Amnesty granted and corporal punishment ended; many mutineers later discharged, jailed or sent to the Amazon rubber regions
Sailors, mostly Afro-Brazilian and mixed race men, rose against the flogging of crewmen by white officers. Led by João Cândido, they seized both of Brazil's new dreadnoughts, a new cruiser and a coastal defence ship in Rio de Janeiro harbour and demanded an end to what they called slavery in the navy. Congress, led by Senator Rui Barbosa, passed an amnesty and abolished corporal punishment.
Why it is remembered It ended flogging in the Brazilian Navy, though many of the mutineers were later punished despite the amnesty.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Italo-Turkish War
Battle of Preveza Raid
29 to 30 September 1911 · Off Preveza and at Gomenítza, Ionian Sea
Fought between Italy against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Guido Biscaretti di Ruffia (Italy); Captain Tevfik (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 5 Italian destroyers against 4 Ottoman torpedo boats and 1 armed yacht
Losses Italy: none. Ottoman Empire: about 10 killed; 3 torpedo boats sunk, 1 armed yacht captured.
Result Italian victory
On 29 September five Italian destroyers met two Ottoman torpedo boats off Preveza, drove one aground and chased the other into port. Next day they raided Gomenítza, sank two more torpedo boats at anchor and took an armed yacht as a prize.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval action of the Italo-Turkish War. Austria-Hungary protested, and Italy later cited the dispute when it declared war on Austria-Hungary in 1915.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Italo-Turkish War
Battle of Tripoli Landing or siege
3 to 10 October 1911 · Tripoli, Tripolitania (now Libya)
Fought between Italy against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Luigi Faravelli, Umberto Cagni (Italy); Neshat Bey (Ottoman Empire)
Forces Italy: 1,700 troops, 4 battleships, 4 armoured cruisers, 1 protected cruiser. Ottoman Empire: 3,000 troops, 1 gunboat
Result Italian victory; Tripoli occupied
An Italian squadron arrived off Tripoli and landing forces of Italian Navy sailors went ashore and captured the city.
Why it is remembered It began the land campaign in Libya and the Italian colonisation of the country.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Italo-Turkish War
Battle of Beirut Raid
24 February 1912 · Off Beirut, Ottoman Empire (now Lebanon)
Fought between Italy against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Paolo Thaon di Revel (Italy); Ottoman commander unknown
Forces 2 Italian armoured cruisers against 1 Ottoman corvette and 1 torpedo boat
Ships Giuseppe Garibaldi, Francesco Ferruccio, Avnillah, Angora
Losses Italy: none. Ottoman Empire: 1 corvette, 1 torpedo boat and 6 lighters sunk; 49 to 55 killed, 108 wounded. Civilians: 66 killed.
Result Italian victory
Fearing that Ottoman ships at Beirut could threaten the approaches to the Suez Canal, Italy sent two armoured cruisers to destroy them. They sank the casemate corvette Avnillah and six lighters, withdrew, then returned and sank the torpedo boat Angora. The city suffered significant damage.
Why it is remembered It removed all Ottoman naval forces from the region and secured the approaches to the Suez Canal for Italy.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First Balkan War
Battle of Elli Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Dardanelles; Ναυμαχία της Έλλης; İmroz Deniz Muharebesi
16 December 1912 (3 December Old Style) · Off the mouth of the Dardanelles, Aegean Sea
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Pavlos Kountouriotis (Greece); Ramiz Bey (Ottoman Empire)
Forces Greece: 1 armoured cruiser, 3 ironclad battleships, 4 destroyers. Ottoman Empire: 3 battleships, 1 ironclad, 1 protected cruiser, 4 destroyers
Ships Averof, Hydra, Spetsai, Psara, Aetos, Ierax, Panthir, Barbaros Hayreddin, Turgut Reis, Mesudiye
Losses Greece: 2 killed. Ottoman Empire: 18 killed, 41 wounded; 1 battleship damaged.
Result Greek victory
The Ottoman fleet came out of the Dardanelles and met the Greek fleet. Impatient with his slow old ironclads, Kountouriotis hoisted the Z flag for independent action and took Averof ahead alone at 20 knots, crossing the Ottoman line and concentrating fire on the flagship Barbaros Hayreddin. The Ottoman fleet withdrew in disorder into the Straits.
Why it is remembered It was the largest sea battle of the Balkan Wars. It left the Aegean to Greece, opened the way to Lesbos, Chios, Lemnos and Samos, and stopped Ottoman reinforcement by sea.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Vasileios Hatzis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First Balkan War
Battle of Kaliakra Single-ship action
Also known as Attack of the Drazki; Атаката на Дръзки
21 November 1912 · Black Sea, 32 miles off Varna, near Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria
Fought between Bulgaria against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Captain Dimitar Dobrev (Bulgaria); Captain Rauf Orbay (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 4 Bulgarian torpedo boats (Drazki, Letyashti, Smeli, Strogi) against the Ottoman cruiser Hamidiye and 2 destroyers
Ships Drazki, Letyashti, Smeli, Strogi, Hamidiye
Losses Bulgaria: 1 torpedo boat damaged, 1 wounded. Ottoman Empire: Hamidiye damaged; 8 killed, 30 wounded.
Result Bulgarian victory
The Ottoman navy was blockading the Bulgarian coast and Hamidiye had threatened to destroy Varna and Balchik. On 21 November four Bulgarian torpedo boats attacked an Ottoman convoy. The torpedoes of Letyashti, Smeli and Strogi missed and Smeli was hit by a 150 mm shell, but Drazki closed to within 100 metres and her torpedoes tore a 10 square metre hole in Hamidiye's starboard side. The cruiser stayed afloat thanks to her crew, strong bulkheads, working pumps and a calm sea, and was repaired within months.
Why it is remembered After the attack the Ottoman blockade of the Bulgarian coast was much loosened, and Bulgaria remembers it as the Attack of the Drazki.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Italo-Turkish War
Battle of Kunfuda Bay Fleet battle
7 to 8 January 1912 · Kunfuda Bay, Red Sea, Arabia
Fought between Italy against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Osvaldo Paladini (Italy); Ottoman commander unknown
Forces Italy: protected cruiser Piemonte and destroyers Artigliere and Garibaldino. Ottoman Empire: 6 gunboats, 1 armed tug, 1 armed yacht
Ships Piemonte, Artigliere, Garibaldino
Losses Italy: none. Ottoman Empire: 6 gunboats destroyed, 1 tug sunk, 1 yacht captured; 4 dhows captured.
Result Italian victory
Cruising the Red Sea, the Italian cruiser Piemonte and two destroyers found six Ottoman gunboats, a tug and a yacht in the harbour at Kunfuda. In more than three hours of fighting five Ottoman vessels were sunk and three damaged gunboats were run aground to save them from sinking. The Italians returned the next morning and destroyed the rest; the sunken yacht was later raised and taken by Italy.
Why it is remembered Italy then blockaded the Ottoman Red Sea ports until the end of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First Balkan War
Capture of Lemnos Landing or siege
18 to 21 October 1912 · Lemnos, northern Aegean Sea
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Pavlos Kountouriotis (Greece)
Losses The small Ottoman garrison was taken prisoner.
Result Greek occupation of Lemnos and naval blockade of the Dardanelles
Greek forces occupied Lemnos, at the entrance of the Dardanelles, against little resistance and took the small Ottoman garrison prisoner. Mudros Bay became a forward base from which the Greek navy blockaded the Straits.
Why it is remembered It was the opening action between Greece and the Ottoman Empire in the Aegean and gave Greece the base for its naval dominance there. Greek possession of the island was confirmed by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First Balkan War
Blockade of Montenegro Blockade and raiding
10 April to 14 May 1913 · Montenegrin and Albanian coast from Bar to the mouth of the Drin, later to Durrës, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy and Britain against Montenegro
Commanders Sir Cecil Burney, Maximilian Njegovan, Paul Stupar (blockading powers); King Nicholas I, Prince Danilo, Prince Peter, Janko Vukotić, Radomir Vešović (Montenegro)
Forces A multinational squadron including the Austrian Aspern and Zenta, the British Dublin and 3rd Battle Squadron, the French Edgar Quinet, the German Breslau and the Italian Ammiraglio di Saint Bon
Ships Aspern, Zenta, Dublin, Edgar Quinet, Breslau, Ammiraglio di Saint Bon
A multinational squadron summoned by the Great Powers and commanded by Sir Cecil Burney blockaded the Montenegrin ports. Its purpose was to stop Montenegrin reinforcements and supplies from reaching the Albanian coast.
Why it is remembered A joint naval action by the Great Powers to control the outcome of the First Balkan War on the Albanian coast.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Baron Franz Nopcsa (1877 to 1933), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First Balkan War
Battle of Lemnos Fleet battle
Also known as Ναυμαχία της Λήμνου; Mondros Deniz Muharebesi
18 January 1913 (5 January Old Style) · Off Lemnos, Aegean Sea
Fought between Greece against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Pavlos Kountouriotis (Greece); Ramiz Bey (Ottoman Empire)
Forces Greece: 1 armoured cruiser, 3 ironclad battleships, 7 destroyers. Ottoman Empire: 2 pre-dreadnought battleships, 1 ironclad, 1 protected cruiser, 5 destroyers
Ships Averof
Losses Greece: 1 wounded. Ottoman Empire: 41 killed, 104 wounded; 2 battleships and 1 ironclad damaged.
Result Greek victory
The Ottoman fleet made its second and last attempt to break the Greek blockade of the Dardanelles and regain control of the Aegean. The Greek fleet under Kountouriotis, with the armoured cruiser Averof, defeated it and forced it back to its base inside the Dardanelles.
Why it is remembered It was the last naval battle of the First Balkan War; the Ottoman fleet did not come out again during the war, leaving the Aegean and its islands to Greece.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 22 September 1914 Air and submarine attack
Also known as Sinking of the Live Bait Squadron
22 September 1914 · Broad Fourteens, southern North Sea
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Otto Weddigen (Germany); John Drummond, Wilmot Nicholson, Robert Johnson, killed (Britain)
Forces German submarine U-9 against 3 British armoured cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Squadron
Ships U-9, HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue, HMS Cressy
Losses Britain: 1,459 killed; 3 armoured cruisers sunk. Germany: none.
Result German victory
Three obsolete cruisers, manned mainly by Royal Naval Reserve men, were patrolling the southern North Sea when U-9 torpedoed Aboukir. Hogue was hit while picking up Aboukir's survivors, and Cressy was torpedoed soon after. Neutral ships and trawlers, among them the Dutch steamers Flora and Titan, rescued 837 men.
Why it is remembered The losses caused a public outcry in Britain and damaged the Royal Navy's reputation; the Admiralty began to take the U-boat threat seriously.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Mexican Revolution
Action of 9 April 1914 Air and submarine attack
Also known as Air attack on the gunboats at Topolobampo; bombardeo aéreo de Topolobampo; primer combate aeronaval
April 1914 (9, 14 or 15 April according to different accounts) · Topolobampo Bay, Sinaloa, Gulf of California, Mexico
Fought between Constitutionalists against the Huertista federal navy
Commanders Captain Gustavo Salinas Camiña, pilot, with the naval mechanic Teodoro Madariaga (Constitutionalists); Captain Torres of the gunboat Guerrero (Huertistas)
Forces One Constitutionalist biplane, the Glenn L. Martin pusher Sonora, against the federal gunboats Guerrero and Morelos
Ships Guerrero, Morelos, Tampico
Losses None on either side
Result No damage was done. Accounts differ on the effect: one says the blockade of Topolobampo continued, another that the attack caused panic aboard Guerrero and forced her to withdraw.
The Constitutionalist gunboat Tampico lay partly sunk and blockaded inside the bar at Topolobampo, watched by the federal gunboats Guerrero and Morelos. Salinas Camiña took off from an airfield behind the port in the biplane Sonora, which railway mechanics in Hermosillo had adapted to carry bombs, and flew over the two gunboats under rifle fire from their crews. From a height of more than 900 metres he dropped improvised bombs made of pipe, dynamite and grenades (five, in one account); none hit, though a couple burst near Guerrero.
Why it is remembered It is counted among the first naval actions involving aircraft and is called in Mexico the first aerial bombing in the country. The federal gunboats later had to leave the blockade to coal and resupply, and Tampico then fought Guerrero in the Fourth Battle of Topolobampo.
Sources differ Date: 9 April 1914 in the deleted the English account article; 14 April 1914 according to Ray Acosta, who found that J.H. Klein Jr's 1918 eyewitness account in US Naval Institute Proceedings had confused the date (Mex Files); 15 April 1914 according to Luz Noticias. Targets: both gunboats in the account of Wikipedia, only Guerrero in Luz Noticias. Result: 'Huertista victory, blockade continues' (Wikipedia) against a forced withdrawal of Guerrero (Luz Noticias).
Sources Wikidata · web.archive.org · mexfiles.net · luznoticias.mx
Image: Hopkins, No known copyright restrictions (Flickr Commons), via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Antivari Fleet battle
Also known as Action off Antivari
16 August 1914 · Off Antivari (Bar), Montenegro, Adriatic Sea
Fought between France and Britain against Austria-Hungary
Commanders Augustin Lapeyrère (France); Paul Pachner (Austria-Hungary)
Forces France and Britain: 2 dreadnoughts, 10 pre-dreadnoughts, 6 armoured cruisers, 1 protected cruiser, more than 20 destroyers. Austria-Hungary: 1 protected cruiser, 1 destroyer
Ships SMS Zenta, SMS Ulan
Losses France and Britain: 2 pre-dreadnoughts and 2 destroyers damaged. Austria-Hungary: 173 killed, more than 50 wounded; 1 protected cruiser sunk, 1 destroyer damaged.
Result Anglo-French victory
The old Austrian protected cruiser Zenta and the destroyer Ulan were blockading the Montenegrin port of Antivari when a large Anglo-French force that had entered the Adriatic surprised and cut them off. Zenta fought on and was sunk, giving Ulan the chance to escape, which she took. The Austrian fleet at Cattaro did not come out.
Why it is remembered Zenta's fight to cover Ulan's escape is the remembered part of the action. The French blockade of the Adriatic that followed was soon abandoned for lack of supplies.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Harry Heusser (1881, 1943), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Atlantic U-boat campaign of World War I Blockade and raiding
Also known as First Battle of the Atlantic
8 August 1914 to 20 October 1918 · Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the seas around the British Isles and the coast of France
Fought between Germany against the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada, Brazil and other Allied navies
Forces German U-boats of the Imperial German Navy against Allied navies and merchant shipping
Ships SM U-20, RMS Lusitania
Losses Allies: about 4,000 ships and 8 million tons of shipping. Germany: 178 U-boats and 5,000 men
Result Allied victory
German submarines first attacked the warships of the British Grand Fleet enforcing the blockade of Germany, then turned on Allied merchant shipping when the blockade extended to food. The Allies answered with escorted convoys, the Dover Barrage and the North Sea Mine Barrage, decoy ships, indicator loops and air patrols. The campaign failed to cut Britain's supplies before the United States entered the war, and the U-boat bases were abandoned in late 1918.
Why it is remembered Known as the First Battle of the Atlantic, it cost the Allies about 4,000 ships and forced the adoption of escorted convoys, barrages and decoy ships. The sinking of RMS Lusitania by U-20 was part of it.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Bombardment of Belgrade Landing or siege
Also known as Бомбардовање Београда; Die Bombardierung von Belgrad
28 to 29 July 1914 · Belgrade, Serbia, from the Danube and Sava rivers
Fought between Austria-Hungary against Serbia
Commanders Colonel Emil von Baumgartner, Fregattenkapitän Friedrich Grund (Austria-Hungary); Major Vojislav Tankosić (Serbia)
Forces Austria-Hungary: 14th Infantry Brigade, the Danube Flotilla with 3 river monitors, and artillery at Zemun and Bežanija. Serbia: elements of the 18th Infantry Regiment, Chetnik units and about 200 border guards
Ships SMS Bodrog, SMS Temes, SMS Szamos
Losses Austria-Hungary: several killed or drowned. Serbia: one reported. Civilian casualties minimal.
Result Opening of hostilities on the Serbian front
Shortly after midnight on the day Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, the river monitor Bodrog opened fire on Belgrade, joined by Temes and Szamos and by artillery across the Sava.
Why it is remembered Bodrog's fire is widely regarded as the first shot of the First World War. News of the bombardment led Tsar Nicholas II to order general mobilisation.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Black Sea raid Raid
29 October 1914 · Russian Black Sea coast, including Sevastopol and Novorossiysk
Fought between Ottoman Empire, with German support, against Russia
Commanders Wilhelm Souchon (Ottoman Empire); Andrei Eberhardt (Russia)
Forces Ottoman Empire: 1 battlecruiser, 1 light cruiser, 1 protected cruiser, 1 torpedo cruiser, 4 destroyers, 1 gunboat. Russia: shore defences, 1 pre-dreadnought, 1 minelayer, 1 gunboat, 3 destroyers
Losses Ottoman Empire: 1 battlecruiser damaged. Russia: 1 minelayer scuttled, 1 gunboat sunk, 1 destroyer damaged, a number of merchant ships damaged or destroyed; human losses unknown.
Result Ottoman victory; Ottoman entry into the First World War
War Minister Enver Pasha, unable to win his government over to war, arranged with Admiral Souchon for the Ottoman fleet to put to sea on the pretext of manoeuvres. Instead of provoking an incident, Souchon raided the Russian coast, causing little lasting damage. Enver blocked attempts in Istanbul to apologise.
Why it is remembered Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire on 2 November, followed by Britain and France three days later.
Sources differ The number of merchant ships lost is disputed: Erickson and Sondhaus give 6, Dowling and Tucker 6 sunk and about 12 damaged, while McMeekin and Miller give 14 sunk at Novorossiysk alone, later lowered by McMeekin to 12. The Ottoman press claimed 75 sailors captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Cape Sarych Fleet battle
18 November 1914 · Off Cape Sarych, Crimea, Black Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Andrei Eberhardt (Russia); Wilhelm Souchon (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 5 Russian pre-dreadnought battleships against an Ottoman battlecruiser and a light cruiser
Losses Russia: 34 killed, 24 wounded; 1 battleship damaged. Ottoman Empire: 13 to 115 killed, 58 wounded; 1 battlecruiser damaged.
Result Russian victory; the Ottoman battlecruiser withdrew
Two modern Ottoman warships, a battlecruiser and a light cruiser under the German admiral Souchon, met the Russian Black Sea Fleet with five older pre-dreadnoughts off Cape Sarych. After a short action in which both sides took hits, the battlecruiser withdrew.
Why it is remembered A short action in which the older Russian battleships drove off a far more modern opponent.
Sources differ Ottoman dead are given as between 13 and 115; the figures of 115 killed and 58 wounded were later obtained by Russian intelligence.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Cocos Single-ship action
9 November 1914 · Off Direction Island and North Keeling Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean
Fought between Australia against Germany
Commanders John Glossop (Australia); Karl von Müller (Germany)
Forces Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney against German light cruiser SMS Emden and her collier Buresk
Ships HMAS Sydney, SMS Emden, SS Buresk, HMAS Melbourne, HMS Minotaur, Ibuki, Ayesha, Empress of Russia
Losses Australia: 4 killed, 16 wounded; Sydney damaged. Germany: 134 killed, 69 wounded, 157 captured; Emden wrecked, Buresk scuttled.
Result Australian victory
Emden, which had captured or sunk 25 civilian ships, shelled Madras and destroyed two warships at Penang, sent a party ashore to wreck the wireless and cable station on Direction Island. The station got off a distress call, and HMAS Sydney was detached from a nearby troop convoy. Emden opened fire first at long range and scored several hits, but Sydney's heavier guns wrecked her in about an hour and a half, and von Müller ran her aground on North Keeling Island. When her ensign stayed up, Sydney fired two more salvoes; the German landing party escaped in the schooner Ayesha and eventually reached Constantinople.
Why it is remembered The defeat of the last German warship in the region let Australian warships go to other theatres and allowed troopships to sail unescorted between Australia and the Middle East.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Horace Nicholls, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Coronel Fleet battle
Also known as Seeschlacht bei Coronel
1 November 1914 · Off Coronel, central Chile
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Maximilian von Spee (Germany); Christopher Cradock, killed, John Luce (Britain)
Forces Germany: 2 armoured cruisers, 3 light cruisers. Britain: 2 armoured cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 1 armed merchant cruiser
Ships HMS Good Hope, HMS Monmouth, HMS Glasgow, HMS Otranto, SMS Scharnhorst, SMS Gneisenau, SMS Leipzig, SMS Dresden, SMS Nürnberg
Losses Britain: 1,660 killed, with no survivors from Good Hope or Monmouth; 2 armoured cruisers sunk, 1 light cruiser damaged. Germany: 3 wounded.
Result German victory
Von Spee's East Asia Squadron met Cradock's squadron off the Chilean coast, probably as a result of misunderstandings, since neither admiral expected to meet the other in full force. Cradock understood his orders as requiring him to fight to the end. The armoured cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth were sunk with all hands, while Glasgow and Otranto escaped. The victory cost von Spee almost half of his irreplaceable ammunition.
Why it is remembered Shock at the British losses led the Admiralty to send two modern battlecruisers, which destroyed von Spee's squadron at the Falkland Islands on 8 December. A memorial in Coronel and the Coronel Memorial Library at Royal Roads University in Canada recall the dead.
Sources differ The main account gives 1,660 British dead; the plaque on the 1989 memorial in Coronel gives 1,418.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Raid on Cuxhaven Air and submarine attack
Also known as Christmas Raid; Weihnachtsangriff
25 December 1914 · Cuxhaven and the Heligoland Bight, Germany
Fought between Britain against Germany
Forces Seaplanes of the Royal Naval Air Service carried by Royal Navy seaplane tenders, with the Harwich Force and the 8th Submarine Flotilla in support
Result Damage to shore installations
Royal Navy seaplane tenders carried aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service within range of the German coast on Christmas Day. The seaplanes flew over the Cuxhaven area, aiming at the Zeppelin base at Nordholz, and dropped bombs that damaged shore installations.
Why it is remembered It was a British ship based air raid on the German Navy, mounted from seaplane tenders at sea.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Norman Wilkinson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of the Falkland Islands Fleet battle
8 December 1914 · Off the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Doveton Sturdee, John Luce (Britain); Maximilian von Spee, killed (Germany)
Forces Britain: 2 battlecruisers, 3 armoured cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 1 armed merchant cruiser, 1 grounded pre-dreadnought. Germany: 2 armoured cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 3 colliers
Ships HMS Invincible, HMS Inflexible, HMS Carnarvon, HMS Cornwall, HMS Kent, HMS Macedonia, HMS Bristol, HMS Glasgow, SMS Scharnhorst, SMS Gneisenau, SMS Nürnberg, SMS Leipzig, SMS Dresden, SS Baden, SS Santa Isabel, SS Seydlitz
Losses Britain: 10 killed, 19 wounded; 2 battlecruisers and 2 armoured cruisers damaged. Germany: 1,871 killed, 215 captured; 2 armoured cruisers and 2 light cruisers sunk, 2 colliers scuttled.
Result British victory; destruction of the German East Asia Squadron
After the British defeat at Coronel, a force under Sturdee was sent to find von Spee's squadron and had arrived at Stanley the day before the Germans came to raid it. In clear, calm weather the British battlecruisers and cruisers chased the German ships through the day. All except Dresden and the collier Seydlitz were caught and sunk, and von Spee was killed.
Why it is remembered It destroyed the German East Asia Squadron five weeks after Coronel. The battle is marked every 8 December as a public holiday in the Falkland Islands, and William Lionel Wyllie painted it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Lionel Wyllie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Mexican Revolution
First Battle of Topolobampo Single-ship action
4 March 1914 · Off Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Gulf of California, Mexico
Fought between Constitutionalist rebels against the Huertista federal government
Commanders Hilario Malpica (Constitutionalists); Navio Torres (Huertistas)
Forces 1 Constitutionalist gunboat against 2 federal gunboats
Losses None on either side.
Result Huertista victory; the rebel gunboat was forced back into Topolobampo harbour
A gunboat that had mutinied and joined the Constitutionalist rebels fought two federal gunboats off Topolobampo on the morning of 4 March. The action was bloodless, and the rebel ship was driven back into the harbour. Both sides flew the same Mexican ensign.
Why it is remembered It was one of the few naval battles of the Mexican Revolution and the first of the naval campaign in the Gulf of California.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Mexican Revolution
Fourth Battle of Topolobampo Single-ship action
16 June 1914 · Off Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Gulf of California, Mexico
Fought between Constitutionalist rebels against the Huertista federal government
Commanders Hilario Malpica, killed (Constitutionalists); Navio Torres (Huertistas)
Forces 1 Constitutionalist gunboat against 1 Huertista gunboat
Losses Constitutionalists: 7 killed, about 30 wounded, unknown captured; 1 gunboat sunk. Huertistas: unknown wounded; 1 gunboat damaged.
Result Huertista victory
A Huertista gunboat sank a Constitutionalist gunboat off Topolobampo. The rebel commander Hilario Malpica was killed. United States Navy observers drew a map of the action.
Why it is remembered It was the last naval battle of the Topolobampo campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lieutenant Vance D. Chapline, United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Heligoland Bight Fleet battle
28 August 1914 · Heligoland Bight, south eastern North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders David Beatty, Reginald Tyrwhitt, Roger Keyes, William Goodenough (Britain); Franz Hipper, Leberecht Maass, killed (Germany)
Forces Britain: 5 battlecruisers, 8 light cruisers, 33 destroyers, 8 submarines. Germany: 6 light cruisers, 19 torpedo boats, 12 minesweepers
Ships SMS Mainz, SMS Cöln, SMS Ariadne, SMS V187, SMS Strassburg, SMS Stettin, SMS Frauenlob
Losses Britain: 35 killed, 55 wounded; 1 light cruiser and 3 destroyers damaged. Germany: 712 killed, 530 injured, 336 captured; light cruisers Ariadne, Cöln and Mainz and torpedo boat V187 sunk; 3 light cruisers and 3 torpedo boats damaged.
Result British victory
Tyrwhitt and Keyes planned to ambush the German destroyer patrols off the German coast with 31 destroyers, two cruisers and submarines. Supported at longer range by Goodenough's light cruisers and Beatty's battlecruisers, which Jellicoe sent at the last minute, the British caught the Germans by surprise. Three German light cruisers and a torpedo boat were sunk.
Why it is remembered It was the first Anglo-German naval battle of the war and was hailed as a great victory in Britain. The Kaiser afterwards restricted the High Seas Fleet from risking contact with superior forces.
Sources differ One account gives 530 German injured; another account gives 149 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War (East African campaign)
Battle of Lake Nyasa Single-ship action
13 August 1914 · Lake Nyasa, Africa
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Captain Edmund Rhoades (Britain); Captain Berndt (Germany)
Forces British gunboat SS Gwendolen against German gunboat Hermann von Wissman
Ships SS Gwendolen, Hermann von Wissman
Losses Britain: none. Germany: no human losses; 1 gunboat temporarily disabled.
Result British victory
The British gunboat Gwendolen engaged the German gunboat Hermann von Wissman on Lake Nyasa and put her temporarily out of action.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first naval engagements of the First World War.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Bombardment of Madras Raid
22 September 1914 · Madras (now Chennai), British India
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl von Müller (Germany)
Forces German light cruiser SMS Emden
Ships SMS Emden
Losses British side: 1 steamer sunk; 5 killed, 26 wounded; 5 oil tanks and 346,000 gallons of fuel destroyed. Germany: none.
Result German victory
On the night of 22 September Emden quietly approached Madras and entered the harbour area. Von Müller lit up six large oil tanks of the Burmah Oil Company with his searchlights and opened fire at 3,000 yards. In ten minutes Emden hit five tanks, then withdrew unharmed.
Why it is remembered Von Müller meant it as a demonstration to disturb British trade and prestige. The word Emden entered Tamil and Malayalam to describe someone powerful, frightening and ill intentioned.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Odensholm Single-ship action
Also known as Combat de l'île d'Odensholm; loss of SMS Magdeburg
26 August 1914 · Off Odensholm island, entrance to the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea
Fought between Russia against Germany
Commanders R. Habenicht (Germany)
Forces Russian cruisers Bogatyr and Pallada against the German cruiser Magdeburg and destroyer V26
Ships Magdeburg, V26, Bogatyr, Pallada
Losses Germany: Magdeburg lost; Habenicht and 56 sailors taken prisoner.
Result Russian victory
In fog at night the German cruiser Magdeburg ran aground off Odensholm, and neither her crew nor the destroyer V26 could free her. The Russian lighthouse crew raised the alarm, and while the Germans were preparing to scuttle her two Russian cruisers arrived; V26 escaped and the Russians partly destroyed Magdeburg. Russian officers recovered copies of the German naval code from the cabin and from the sea, together with maps and the signal book.
Why it is remembered One code book was sent to London; with British work in Room 40 it let the Allies read German naval signals while the Germans did not know their codes were compromised.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Unknown photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Raid on Odessa Raid
Also known as Battle of Odesa; Bataille d'Odessa (1914)
29 October 1914 · Port of Odessa, Black Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Russia
Commanders Ayasofyali Ahmet, Ahmet Saffet (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 2 Ottoman destroyers against 1 Russian minesweeper and 2 gunboats
Ships Muâvenet-i Milliye
Losses Ottoman Empire: unknown. Russia: 1 minesweeper and 1 gunboat sunk, 1 gunboat damaged.
Result Ottoman victory
Two Ottoman destroyers attacked the Russian port of Odessa as part of a wider Ottoman naval operation against the Russian Black Sea Fleet and targets ashore. They sank a minesweeper and a gunboat in the harbour.
Why it is remembered Its main consequence was Russia's declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire on 1 November 1914.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Bombardment of Papeete Raid
22 September 1914 · Port of Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Fought between Germany against France
Commanders Maximilian von Spee (Germany); Maxime Destremau (France)
Forces Germany: armoured cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. France: 160 infantry, 2 shore batteries, 1 gunboat, 1 freighter
Ships SMS Scharnhorst, SMS Gneisenau, Zélée, Walküre
Losses France: gunboat Zélée and freighter Walküre sunk; Papeete badly damaged; 2 civilians killed. Germany: none.
Result German victory; the French destroyed the coal stocks before the Germans could take them
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau entered the port of Papeete to seize its coal, sank the French gunboat Zélée and the freighter Walküre, and bombarded the town's defences. The French shore batteries resisted but were outgunned, and they set fire to the coal piles at the start of the action. Several buildings were destroyed and the town's economy was badly disrupted.
Why it is remembered It revealed the cruisers' position to the British Admiralty, which led to the Battle of Coronel, and the ammunition spent there contributed to their destruction at the Falklands.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Penang Raid
Also known as Бой у Пенанга; Combat de Penang; Schlacht von Penang
28 October 1914 · Penang Strait, off Penang, British Malaya
Fought between Germany against Russia and France
Commanders Karl von Müller (Germany); I. A. Cherkassov (Russia); Félix Théroinne, killed (France)
Forces German light cruiser SMS Emden against 1 Russian protected cruiser, 1 French cruiser and 2 destroyers
Ships SMS Emden, Zhemchug
Losses Russia and France: 135 killed, 157 wounded; 1 protected cruiser and 1 destroyer sunk. Germany: none.
Result German victory
During her commerce raiding operations in the Indian Ocean, Emden entered the Penang Strait by surprise and sank two Allied warships, the Russian cruiser Zhemchug and a destroyer. The French and Russians lost 135 killed; the Germans suffered no casualties.
Why it is remembered It was the only battle of the First World War fought in British Malaya.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau Other action
Also known as Naval Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau
4 to 10 August 1914 · Mediterranean Sea, ending at the Dardanelles
Fought between Britain and France against Germany
Commanders Berkeley Milne, Ernest Troubridge (Britain); A. B. de Lapeyrère (France); Wilhelm Souchon (Germany)
Forces Britain and France: 3 battlecruisers, 4 armoured cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 14 destroyers. Germany: 1 battlecruiser, 1 light cruiser
Ships SMS Goeben, SMS Breslau
Losses Britain and France: none. Germany: 4 sailors.
Result German victory; the German ships reached Constantinople
At the outbreak of war, ships of the British Mediterranean Fleet tried to intercept the German battlecruiser Goeben and light cruiser Breslau, which had bombarded Philippeville on the Algerian coast. The German ships evaded them and passed through the Dardanelles to Constantinople, where they were handed over to the Ottoman Empire and renamed Yavuz Sultan Selim and Midilli. Their German commander then sent them to attack Russian positions, bringing the Ottoman Empire into the war on the side of the Central Powers.
Why it is remembered Though almost bloodless, the failed pursuit ended the careers of the two British admirals in charge. Churchill later wrote that Goeben had brought more slaughter, misery and ruin than any ship before her.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Wilhelm Malchin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Río de Oro Single-ship action
Also known as Sinking of SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse
26 August 1914 · Off Río de Oro, Spanish Sahara, north west Africa
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Henry T. Buller (Britain); Max Reymann (Germany)
Forces British protected cruiser HMS Highflyer against German auxiliary cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse
Ships HMS Highflyer, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 6 wounded; Highflyer damaged. Germany: Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse scuttled.
Result British victory
The British cruiser Highflyer attacked the German auxiliary cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off Río de Oro on the coast of north west Africa. The German ship was scuttled.
Why it is remembered A German auxiliary cruiser lost in the first month of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Norman Wilkinson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War (East African campaign)
Battle of the Rufiji Delta Other action
October 1914 to 11 July 1915 · Rufiji Delta, German East Africa (now Tanzania)
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Max Looff (Germany); Sidney Robert Drury-Lowe (Britain)
Forces Germany: light cruiser SMS Königsberg, 1 supply ship, 1 freighter. Britain: 1 pre-dreadnought, 4 cruisers, 2 monitors, smaller craft, 1 blockship and 10 aircraft
Ships SMS Königsberg
Losses Germany: 33 killed, mostly by disease; light cruiser, supply ship and freighter sunk. Britain: 6 aircraft destroyed, mostly through attrition.
Result British victory
The German light cruiser Königsberg took refuge in the Rufiji delta and was blockaded there by British warships, which sank a ship in the river mouth to trap her. Over several months the British made a series of attempts to destroy her, using monitors and aircraft, and finally succeeded in July 1915.
Why it is remembered It ended the threat from Königsberg after a blockade of some nine months, in which the British used monitors and aircraft against her.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Paul Teschinsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby Raid
16 December 1914 · Scarborough, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool and Whitby, north east England
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Franz Hipper, Friedrich Ingenohl (Germany); George Warrender, David Beatty (Britain)
Forces Germany: 4 battlecruisers, 1 armoured cruiser, 4 light cruisers, 18 destroyers. Britain: 2 coastal batteries, 6 dreadnoughts, 4 battlecruisers, 4 armoured cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 2 scout cruisers, 7 destroyers
Ships Derfflinger, Von der Tann, Seydlitz, Moltke, Blücher, Kolberg, HMS Patrol, HMS Doon, HMS Forward, HMS C9
Losses Germany: 8 sailors killed, 12 wounded; 1 armoured cruiser and 2 light cruisers damaged. Britain: 122 civilians killed, 443 wounded; 5 soldiers and 2 sailors killed, 14 servicemen wounded; 1 scout cruiser and 3 destroyers damaged.
Result German victory
German battlecruisers shelled the English coast. Derfflinger and Von der Tann bombarded Scarborough and then Whitby, while Seydlitz, Moltke and Blücher shelled Hartlepool, where the scout cruiser Patrol was hit and beached; Kolberg laid mines off Flamborough Head. The British fleet failed to intercept the raiders.
Why it is remembered The civilian deaths caused outrage in Britain against the German Navy, and against the Royal Navy for failing to stop it. Remember Scarborough became a recruiting slogan.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Edith Kemp-Welch (1870, 1941), Public domain, via Wikipedia (en)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Mexican Revolution
Second Battle of Topolobampo Blockade and raiding
13 March 1914 · Off Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Gulf of California, Mexico
Fought between Constitutionalist rebels against the Huertista federal government
Commanders Lieutenant Hilario Malpica (Constitutionalists); Captain Navio Torres (Huertistas)
Forces 1 Constitutionalist gunboat against 2 federal gunboats
Losses None on either side.
Result The blockade was not lifted
A rebel Constitutionalist gunboat tried to break the federal blockade of Topolobampo. The attack pushed the federal gunboats further off but did not lift the blockade.
Why it is remembered The second of four naval actions off Topolobampo in 1914.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle off Texel Fleet battle
Also known as Action off Texel; Action of 17 October 1914
17 October 1914 · Off the Dutch island of Texel, North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Captain Cecil Fox (Britain); Korvettenkapitän Georg Thiele, killed (Germany)
Forces 1 British light cruiser and 4 destroyers against 4 German torpedo boats of the 7th Half Flotilla
Ships HMS Undaunted, HMS Lance, HMS Lennox, HMS Legion, HMS Loyal, S115, S117, S118, S119
Losses Britain: no deaths; 4 or 5 wounded, 3 destroyers lightly damaged. Germany: 218 killed, 31 captured; all 4 torpedo boats sunk.
Result British victory
A British light cruiser and four destroyers on routine patrol met the German 7th Half Flotilla on its way to lay mines off the British coast. The outgunned German boats tried to flee, then fought a desperate action, and all four were sunk.
Why it is remembered It stopped the mining of busy shipping lanes such as the mouth of the Thames and shook German faith in their torpedo boat flotillas in the North Sea.
Sources differ One account gives 5 British wounded; another account says only four British sailors were wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Mexican Revolution
Third Battle of Topolobampo Single-ship action
31 March 1914 · Off Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Gulf of California, Mexico
Fought between Constitutionalist rebels against the Huertista federal government
Commanders Captain Hilario Malpica (Constitutionalists); Captain Navio Torres (Huertistas)
Forces 1 Constitutionalist gunboat against 1 Huertista gunboat
Ships Tampico
Losses Constitutionalists: no casualties; gunboat Tampico sunk. Huertistas: 3 wounded; 1 gunboat damaged.
Result Huertista victory
After failing in the first two battles, the Constitutionalist gunboat Tampico again tried to break the federal blockade of Topolobampo. She was sunk by a Huertista gunboat in an action lasting a few hours.
Why it is remembered The third of four naval actions off Topolobampo in 1914.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Trindade Single-ship action
Also known as Sinking of SMS Cap Trafalgar
14 September 1914 · South Atlantic
Fought between Britain against Germany
Forces British armed merchant cruiser HMS Carmania against German auxiliary cruiser Cap Trafalgar, both converted ocean liners
Ships HMS Carmania, Cap Trafalgar
Losses Germany: Cap Trafalgar sunk.
Result British victory
Cap Trafalgar, a Hamburg Süd liner launched in 1913 and converted into an auxiliary cruiser, met the British armed liner HMS Carmania in the South Atlantic. After a fierce action Cap Trafalgar was sunk.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle between two former ocean liners.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Siege of Tsingtao Landing or siege
Also known as Belagerung von Tsingtau; 青島の戦い; 青岛战役
27 August to 7 November 1914 · Qingdao (Tsingtao), Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory, China
Fought between Japan and Britain, with French naval support, against Germany and Austria-Hungary
Commanders Mitsuomi Kamio, Sadakichi Kato (Japan); Nathaniel Barnardiston (Britain); Alfred Waldeck, surrendered (Germany)
Forces Japan and Britain: 24,500 men, 1 seaplane carrier, 5 battleships, 2 battlecruisers, 1 protected cruiser, 2 destroyers, 2 aircraft. Germany and Austria-Hungary: 3,750 men, 1 protected cruiser, 1 unprotected cruiser, 1 torpedo boat, 4 gunboats, 2 aircraft
Losses Japan and Britain: 727 killed, 1,335 wounded; 1 protected cruiser and 1 destroyer sunk, 1 battleship damaged, 1 aircraft destroyed. Germany and Austria-Hungary: 199 killed, 504 wounded, 3,047 captured; 2 cruisers, 1 torpedo boat and 4 gunboats scuttled. Chinese civilians: 98 killed, 30 wounded by Japanese forces.
Result Anglo-Japanese victory; Japanese occupation of Qingdao
Japan and Britain attacked the German port of Qingdao from Jiaozhou Bay, with a seaplane carrier, battleships and cruisers supporting the troops ashore. The German garrison held out for more than two months before surrendering, and its warships were scuttled.
Why it is remembered It was the first clash between Japanese and German forces, the first Anglo-Japanese operation of the war, and the only major land battle in the Asian and Pacific theatre.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Raid on Yarmouth Raid
3 to 4 November 1914 · Off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Franz von Hipper (Germany); David Beatty (Britain)
Forces Germany: 3 battlecruisers, 2 armoured cruisers, 4 light cruisers. Britain: 3 destroyers, 1 minesweeper, 3 submarines
Ships HMS D5
Losses Britain: 21 killed, 3 wounded; 1 submarine sunk; 3 fishing trawlers sunk. Germany: 235 killed, in the loss of an armoured cruiser on German mines.
Result Inconclusive
German ships laying mines off Great Yarmouth were interrupted by British destroyers and shelled the town, but their shells fell on the beach and did little damage. The British submarine D5 struck a mine and sank as she left harbour to attack. On the way home a German armoured cruiser struck two German mines outside her own port and sank.
Why it is remembered The German shells fell on the beach and did little harm; the heaviest loss of the day was the German cruiser sunk on her own side's mines.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Atelier Heinr. Meents, Wilhelmshaven, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Zanzibar Raid
20 September 1914 · Zanzibar harbour, Indian Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Max Looff (Germany); John Ingles (Britain)
Forces German light cruiser SMS Königsberg against the British protected cruiser HMS Pegasus and the picket tug HMS Helmuth
Ships SMS Königsberg, HMS Pegasus, HMS Helmuth
Losses Germany: none. Britain: 39 killed, 55 wounded; Pegasus sunk, Helmuth damaged.
Result German victory
While coaling in the Rufiji delta, Königsberg learned that HMS Pegasus had put in at Zanzibar for repairs. She slipped past the picket ship Helmuth and opened fire on Pegasus, which was taken by surprise and badly damaged before she could reply. Königsberg's guns outranged those of Pegasus, which sank later that day.
Why it is remembered A one sided early success for the German cruiser in East Africa.
Sources differ One account gives 38 British dead; another account gives 39 killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 10 May 1915 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Bosporus
10 May 1915 · Black Sea, about 25 miles north of the Bosporus
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Andrei Eberhardt (Russia); Richard Ackermann (Ottoman Empire)
Forces 5 Russian pre-dreadnought battleships against the Ottoman battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim
Ships Yavuz Sultan Selim
Losses Russia: none. Ottoman Empire: Yavuz Sultan Selim lightly damaged.
Result Indecisive; the Russian operation was disrupted
During a Black Sea Fleet operation to shell the Bosporus forts, the Russian pre-dreadnought squadron met the battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim. After a brief exchange of fire the Ottoman ship withdrew.
Why it is remembered The battlecruiser's sortie interrupted the Russian bombardment, though she did no significant damage to the Russian fleet.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Bombardment of Ancona Raid
23 to 24 May 1915 · Ancona and nearby coast and islands, Adriatic Sea, Italy
Fought between Austria-Hungary against Italy
Forces Austria-Hungary: 3 dreadnoughts, 8 pre-dreadnoughts, 2 scout cruisers, more than 9 destroyers and more than 8 torpedo boats. Italy: 1 armed merchant cruiser, 1 protected cruiser, 1 destroyer, 2 airships, 1 flying boat
Losses Austria-Hungary: 1 scout cruiser damaged; dead unknown. Italy: 63 killed; 1 destroyer sunk, 1 airship damaged.
Result Austro-Hungarian victory
In response to Italy's declaration of war, the Austro-Hungarian Navy attacked and bombarded military and civilian targets across Ancona and other communities and islands nearby.
Why it is remembered It was Austria-Hungary's immediate answer to Italy's entry into the war, and August von Ramberg painted it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: August von Ramberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Baralong incidents Other action
19 August and 24 September 1915 · Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Godfrey Herbert, A. Wilmot-Smith (Britain); Bernd Wegener, killed, Klaus Hansen, killed (Germany)
Forces British Q-ship HMS Baralong, with 2 steamers, against 2 German U-boats
Ships HMS Baralong, U-27, U-41, Nicosian
Losses Britain: 2 steamers damaged. Germany: U-27 and U-41 sunk; all survivors of U-27 shot.
Result British success
The Q-ship Baralong sank U-27 while she was attacking the merchant ship Nicosian. About a dozen of the U-boat's crew escaped from the sinking boat, and Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert ordered them to be fired on; all were shot by Baralong's crew and marines, including several who had reached Nicosian. A month later Baralong, under Andrew Wilmot-Smith, sank U-41 in an incident also described as a British war crime.
Why it is remembered The killing of the U-27 survivors is remembered as a war crime.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War (East African campaign)
Battle for Lake Tanganyika Single-ship action
26 December 1915 to July 1916 · Lake Tanganyika, Africa
Fought between Britain and Belgium against Germany
Commanders Geoffrey Spicer-Simson (Britain); Georges Moulaert (Belgium); Gustav Zimmer (Germany)
Forces Britain: 2 steamers and 3 armed boats, including the motor boats Mimi and Toutou. Belgium: 1 steamer, 1 armed boat, 1 armed barge, 1 whaler, 4 aircraft. Germany: 2 steamers, 1 ferry, dhows, a fort and shore batteries
Ships HMS Mimi, HMS Toutou, Kingani (later HMS Fifi), Hedwig von Wissmann, Graf von Götzen, Alexandre del Commune (later HMS Vengeur)
Losses Britain: no human losses; 1 armed boat damaged. Belgium: 1 steamer sunk (later raised). Germany: about 12 killed, 2 wounded, 32 captured; 1 steamer sunk, 1 ferry scuttled, 1 steamer captured.
Result British and Belgian victory
The British motor boats Mimi and Toutou were shipped to South Africa and carried by rail, river and overland through the bush to the lake, under Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Spicer-Simson. On 26 December 1915 they damaged and captured the German steamer Kingani, which became HMS Fifi, and in a second action they sank Hedwig von Wissmann. The large German ship Graf von Götzen was attacked without result by Belgian aircraft and later scuttled.
Why it is remembered It ended German dominance of Lake Tanganyika, and control of the lake passed to the British and Belgians.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Dogger Bank Fleet battle
24 January 1915 · Near the Dogger Bank, North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders David Beatty (Britain); Franz Hipper (Germany)
Forces Britain: 5 battlecruisers, 7 light cruisers, 35 destroyers. Germany: 3 battlecruisers, 1 armoured cruiser, 4 light cruisers, 18 torpedo boats, 1 Zeppelin
Ships HMS Lion, HMS Princess Royal, HMS Tiger, HMS New Zealand, HMS Indomitable, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Moltke, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Blücher, SMS Kolberg, SMS Rostock, SMS Stralsund, SMS Graudenz
Losses Britain: 47 killed and wounded; 1 battlecruiser and 1 destroyer disabled. Germany: 1,034 killed and wounded, 189 captured; Blücher sunk, 2 battlecruisers damaged.
Result British victory
Having decoded German wireless signals, the British knew a German raiding squadron was heading for the Dogger Bank and sent Beatty's battlecruisers to intercept. The Germans fled for home and were caught in a long stern chase. A shell from Lion started an ammunition fire in Seydlitz that knocked out both rear turrets and killed 165 men, and the rearmost German ship, Blücher, was disabled; Lion herself was put out of action. Beatty's flag signals were misread as an order to finish off Blücher, so the British broke off the pursuit and the rest of the German squadron escaped.
Why it is remembered Both sides replaced officers judged to have done badly and changed equipment and procedures in the light of it. The flooding of Seydlitz's magazines by Wilhelm Heidkamp saved her from blowing up.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
First Battle of Durazzo Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Durazzo (1915)
28 to 29 December 1915 · Off Durazzo (now Durrës), Albania, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Italy, Britain and France against Austria-Hungary
Commanders Rear Admiral Bellini (Italy); Heinrich Seitz (Austria-Hungary)
Forces Allies: 4 light cruisers, 9 destroyers, 1 submarine. Austria-Hungary: 1 light cruiser, 5 destroyers, 1 submarine
Ships HMS Dartmouth
Losses Allies: 1 submarine sunk, 1 light cruiser damaged. Austria-Hungary: 2 destroyers sunk, 1 light cruiser and 1 destroyer damaged.
Result Allied (Italian) victory
Ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy fought Italian, British and French warships off Durazzo at the end of December 1915. The Austro-Hungarians lost two destroyers.
Why it is remembered An action of the Adriatic campaign in which Austria-Hungary lost two destroyers.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Gotland Fleet battle
2 July 1915 (19 June Old Style) · Off Gotland, Sweden, Baltic Sea
Fought between Russia and Britain against Germany
Commanders Mikhail Bakhirev (Russia); Johannes von Karpf (Germany)
Forces Russia: 3 armoured cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 1 destroyer, with 1 British submarine. Germany: 3 armoured cruisers, 1 cruiser, 2 light cruisers, 7 torpedo boats
Ships SMS Albatross, SMS Roon, SMS Augsburg, SMS Lübeck, SMS Prinz Adalbert, SMS Prinz Heinrich, Admiral Makarov, Bayan, Oleg, Bogatyr, Rurik, Novik, HMS E9
Losses Germany: 2 armoured cruisers damaged, 1 cruiser run aground; 27 dead, 49 wounded. Russia: minor damage.
Result Russian and British victory
The Russians intercepted and decoded Karpf's wireless report, and Bakhirev dropped a planned bombardment of Klaipėda to hunt the German minelayers. The damaged minelayer Albatross was ordered to seek shelter in Swedish waters, but Bogatyr and Oleg caught her and she ran aground on fire near Östergarn. The British submarine E9 torpedoed Prinz Adalbert as she came out to reinforce the German squadron, but she was not sunk.
Why it is remembered It is regarded as the first use of Russian signals intelligence in battle. It was fought off the coast of neutral Sweden.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of the Gulf of Riga Fleet battle
8 to 20 August 1915 · Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea
Fought between Russia and Britain against Germany
Commanders Vasily Kanin (Russia); Franz von Hipper (Germany)
Forces Russia: 1 battleship, 1 armoured cruiser, 16 destroyers, 4 gunboats, 1 minelayer, 6 submarines. Germany: 4 battleships, 3 battlecruisers, 2 armoured cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 56 torpedo boats, 14 minesweepers
Ships Slava
Losses Russia: 150 killed, wounded and captured; 2 gunboats sunk; 1 battleship and 1 destroyer damaged. Germany: 65 killed and wounded; 1 destroyer, 1 torpedo boat and 3 minesweepers sunk; 1 battlecruiser damaged.
Result Russian and British victory; the German fleet withdrew
The German High Seas Fleet entered the Gulf of Riga to destroy the Russian naval forces there before landing troops to help take Riga. The German fleet failed in its objective and returned to its bases.
Why it is remembered Riga stayed in Russian hands until the German Army took it on 1 September 1917.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War (Sweden neutral)
Hvalen incident Other action
21 October 1915 · Øresund
Fought between Sweden against Germany
Commanders Captain B. Zander (Sweden)
Forces Swedish submarine HSwMS Hvalen against 3 German auxiliary cruisers, one of which opened fire
Ships HSwMS Hvalen
Losses Sweden: 1 sailor killed; Hvalen damaged. Germany: none.
Result Settled diplomatically
While on patrol, the Swedish submarine Hvalen was mistaken for an enemy vessel by a German auxiliary cruiser and fired on. One Swedish sailor was killed.
Why it is remembered A brief clash between a neutral navy and a belligerent that was settled by diplomacy without escalating.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Kirpen Island Single-ship action
10 December 1915 · Off Kefken Island, Ottoman Empire, Black Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Forces 3 Russian destroyers (Derzky, Gnevny, Bespokoiny) against 2 Ottoman gunboats (Taşköprü, Yozgat)
Ships Derzky, Gnevny, Bespokoiny, Taşköprü, Yozgat, UC-13
Losses Ottoman Empire: 2 gunboats sunk. Russia: unknown.
Result Russian victory
On 29 November 1915 the German U-boat UC-13 ran aground off the mouth of the Sakarya River in bad weather while shadowing Russian merchant ships. Admiral Souchon sent two gunboats to recover the wreck. The Russian destroyers Derzky, Gnevny and Bespokoiny met the gunboats Taşköprü and Yozgat and, firing quickly and accurately, sank both.
Why it is remembered A small Black Sea action fought over the wreck of a stranded German U-boat.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Raid on Lowca and Parton Raid
16 August 1915 · Harrington Coke toluene works near Lowca and Parton, Cumbrian coast, England
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Rudolf Schneider (Germany)
Forces German submarine U-24
Ships U-24
Losses Britain: minimal damage to the works; a local dog killed. Germany: none.
Result Indecisive
The German submarine U-24 fired 55 shells at the Harrington Coke toluene works near Lowca and Parton on the Cumbrian coast, then left without British interference. The damage was minimal.
Why it is remembered It was one of the few naval operations in the Irish Sea in the war and probably the first time Britain was bombarded by a submarine. It also figured in the spying case against Hildegare Burnyeat, the German born wife of the MP William Burnyeat, who was convicted and later pardoned.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Más a Tierra Single-ship action
14 March 1915 · Cumberland Bay, Más a Tierra, Juan Fernández Islands, Chile
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders John Luce (Britain); Fritz Lüdecke (Germany)
Forces British armoured cruiser HMS Kent, light cruiser HMS Glasgow and auxiliary cruiser Orama against the German light cruiser SMS Dresden
Ships HMS Kent, HMS Glasgow, Orama, SMS Dresden
Losses Britain: 15 wounded. Germany: 4 killed, 14 wounded, 315 interned; Dresden scuttled.
Result British victory
A British squadron cornered the German light cruiser Dresden in Cumberland Bay at the Chilean island of Más a Tierra, and she was scuttled.
Why it is remembered Dresden was the last remnant of the German East Asia Squadron, which had escaped from the Falkland Islands.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action off Noordhinder Bank Single-ship action
Also known as Battle off Noordhinder Bank
1 May 1915 · Noordhinder Bank, southern North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Forces 4 British naval trawlers, later supported by 4 destroyers of the Harwich Force, against 2 German A-class torpedo boats of the Flanders Flotilla
Ships Columbia
Losses Britain: trawler Columbia sunk. Germany: both torpedo boats sunk.
Result British victory
Two German torpedo boats sent to rescue the crew of a seaplane forced down with engine trouble went on to attack four British naval trawlers. They sank Columbia with a torpedo, and return fire from the other trawlers damaged one torpedo boat, which temporarily lost steam. Four British destroyers then arrived and sank both torpedo boats as they turned for home.
Why it is remembered The loss demoralised the German Flanders Flotilla; the A-class boats were relegated to coastal patrol and heavier V25-class torpedo boats were sent instead.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Otranto Barrage Blockade and raiding
1915 to the end of the First World War · Strait of Otranto, between Brindisi and Corfu, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Allies (mainly Britain and France, with Italy, Australia and the United States) against Austria-Hungary and Germany
Commanders Commodore Algernon Walker-Heneage-Vivian, Rear Admiral Alfredo Acton (Allies); Commodore Miklós Horthy (Austria-Hungary)
Forces Over 200 vessels at its height, including up to 60 drifters armed with a 6-pounder gun and depth charges, with destroyers and aircraft in support
Ships SMS Novara, SMS Helgoland, SMS Saida, Csepel, Balaton, UC-25, HMS Dartmouth, HMS Bristol, Boutefeu, Gowanlea, SMS Szent István
Losses In the raid of 14 and 15 May 1917, 14 of 47 drifters on duty were sunk and three seriously damaged; the French destroyer Boutefeu was mined and sank with all hands. Submarines caught: U-6 in the nets; UB-53, and probably UB-44 and U-30, sunk by mines.
Result Surface ships were kept in the Adriatic, but submarines from Cattaro passed with little hindrance
From 1915 the Allies stretched lines of net-laying drifters across the Strait of Otranto, backed by destroyers and aircraft, to stop the Austro-Hungarian fleet and submarines leaving the Adriatic. Austria-Hungary raided the line repeatedly, most heavily on 14 and 15 May 1917, when Horthy's cruisers sank 14 drifters and then fought British, Italian and French ships in the Battle of the Otranto Straits; Novara was disabled and Horthy badly wounded. A planned battleship attack in June 1918 was cancelled after SMS Szent István was torpedoed and sunk by an Italian torpedo boat on 10 June.
Why it is remembered Skipper Joseph Watt won the Victoria Cross defending his drifter Gowanlea against Novara. The barrage has been called a large sieve through which U-boats passed with impunity.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 19 August 1916 Fleet battle
18 to 20 August 1916 · North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders John Jellicoe, David Beatty (Britain); Reinhard Scheer, Franz von Hipper (Germany)
Forces Britain: 29 battleships, 6 battlecruisers, 5 armoured cruisers, 26 light cruisers, 70 destroyers, 1 minelayer, 1 seaplane carrier, 1 submarine. Germany: 18 battleships, 2 battlecruisers, 7 light cruisers, 56 torpedo boats, 2 Zeppelins, 3 submarines
Losses Britain: 39 killed; 2 light cruisers sunk. Germany: 1 battleship damaged.
Result Indecisive
After Jutland, the High Seas Fleet came out again to try to catch part of the Grand Fleet, this time with strong reconnaissance: four Zeppelins scouted between Scotland and Norway, four more ahead of the German ships, and 24 submarines watched the English coast, the southern North Sea and the Dogger Bank. The British lost two light cruisers and the Germans had one battleship damaged.
Why it is remembered It was one of two German attempts in 1916 to engage part of the Grand Fleet after Jutland.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 29 February 1916 Single-ship action
29 February 1916 · North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Thomas Wardle (Britain); Rudolf Tietze (Germany)
Forces Britain: 1 light cruiser, 2 armed merchant cruisers, 1 destroyer. Germany: the auxiliary cruiser SMS Greif
Ships RMS Alcantara, SMS Greif
Losses Britain: 72 killed; Alcantara sunk. Germany: 187 killed, 125 captured; Greif sunk.
Result British victory
The German commerce raider Greif tried to break out through the North Sea, and Jellicoe sent warships to intercept her. The armed merchant cruiser Alcantara fought Greif at close range and both were badly damaged before British reinforcements arrived. Both ships sank.
Why it is remembered A close range duel between two armed merchant ships in which both were lost.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Template:Charles Dixon, R.A., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 5 November 1916 Air and submarine attack
5 November 1916 · Off Horn Reef, North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Noel Laurence (Britain)
Forces British submarine HMS J1 against a German squadron of 4 battleships
Ships HMS J1
Losses Britain: none. Germany: 2 battleships damaged; casualties unknown.
Result British victory
In the months after Jutland the Royal Navy submarine J1 attacked a squadron of German dreadnoughts off Horn Reef and damaged two battleships.
Why it is remembered It is regarded as marking a major shift in German naval policy.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 8 January 1916 Single-ship action
8 January 1916 · Black Sea
Fought between Russia against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Andrei Eberhardt (Russia); Wilhelm Souchon (Ottoman Empire)
Forces Russia: dreadnought Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya and 2 destroyers. Ottoman Empire: battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim and 1 collier
Ships Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya, Yavuz Sultan Selim
Losses Ottoman Empire: 1 collier sunk, Yavuz Sultan Selim damaged. Russia: none.
Result Russian victory
The Russian dreadnought Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya met the Ottoman battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim in the Black Sea. After a brief exchange of fire the Ottoman ship withdrew, and a collier was sunk.
Why it is remembered A brief clash between a Russian dreadnought and the Ottoman battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Russian Post, Publishing and Trade Centre "Marka", Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Bombardment of Balchik (1916) Landing or siege
Also known as Морски бой при Балчик (1916)
13 December 1916 · Off Balchik, Bulgarian Black Sea coast
Fought between Russia against Bulgaria
Forces A detachment of ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet against Bulgarian coastal and field artillery, aircraft and naval forces
Losses Bulgaria: 4 civilians killed, 5 wounded; heavy damage to the port and civilian buildings. Russia: no serious damage.
Result Russian success
A Russian naval detachment fought Bulgarian coastal guns, aircraft and naval units for about an hour and a half off Balchik. The Russian ships shelled and destroyed the port and the mill of a local industrial company, both important to the supply of the Bulgarian army in Dobruja, and withdrew under their own power.
Why it is remembered Because it did not fit the official view of Russian friendship, the action was censored and barely studied in Bulgaria under Communist rule from 1944 to 1989.
Sources bg.wikipedia.org
Image: Australian armed forces, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Dogger Bank (1916) Fleet battle
10 February 1916 · Near the Dogger Bank, North Sea
Fought between Germany against Britain
Forces Three German torpedo boat flotillas against the British 10th Sloop Flotilla
Ships HMS Arabis, HMS Arethusa
Losses Britain: sloop HMS Arabis sunk; light cruiser HMS Arethusa lost on a mine on the way back to port.
Result German victory
Three German torpedo boat flotillas sortied into the North Sea and met the British 10th Sloop Flotilla near the Dogger Bank, mistaking the minesweeping sloops for cruisers. Outgunned, the British tried to escape, and Arabis was sunk in the chase. As the Harwich Force cruisers returned to port, Arethusa struck a mine, ran aground and broke in two.
Why it is remembered The Germans inflated the victory by claiming to have sunk two cruisers.
Sources differ German reports claimed two cruisers sunk; the ship sunk was the sloop Arabis.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Dover Strait Raid
Also known as First Battle of Dover Strait
26 to 27 October 1916 · Dover Strait
Fought between Germany against Britain
Forces Two and a half flotillas of German torpedo boats of the Flanders Flotilla against the destroyers and drifters of the Dover Barrage
Ships HMS Flirt
Losses Britain: 1 destroyer, 1 transport and several drifters lost. Germany: minor damage to 1 torpedo boat.
Result German victory
German torpedo boats raided the Dover Strait to disrupt the Dover Barrage and destroy any Allied shipping they found. The destroyer HMS Flirt challenged them and was sunk, and the Germans attacked the barrage drifters. A flotilla of British destroyers sent to repel them was also fought off, and the Germans withdrew.
Why it is remembered A successful German night raid on the Dover Barrage.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War (Romanian Campaign)
Flămânda Offensive Landing or siege
Also known as Flămânda Maneuver
29 September to 5 October 1916 · Ryahovo, across the Danube from Flămânda, Ruse Province, Bulgaria
Fought between Romania against Germany, Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary
Commanders Alexandru Averescu and Constantin Niculescu-Rizea (Romania); August von Mackensen and Robert Kosch (Germany); Karl Lucich (Austria-Hungary)
Losses Austro-Hungarian: 1 river monitor disabled, 2 river monitors and 1 patrol boat damaged, 1 barge sunk and 1 damaged, 3 killed and 5 wounded. Other losses unknown
Result Central Powers victory; Romanian withdrawal
The Romanian 3rd Army crossed the Danube at Flămânda into Bulgaria, supported by Romanian coastal artillery, in an attempt to stop Mackensen's offensive from the south. Austro-Hungarian Danube monitors were engaged: one was disabled and two damaged, and a patrol boat and two barges were also hit. The battle ended as a tactical victory for the Central Powers and the Romanians withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was a major Romanian attempt to halt the Central Powers' southern offensive in 1916, and one of the river actions of the Danube front.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Funchal Raid
3 and 16 December 1916 · Port of Funchal, Madeira
Fought between Germany against Portugal
Commanders Max Valentiner (Germany); Sales Henriques (Portugal)
Forces German submarine U-38 against the Portuguese coastal batteries
Ships U-38
Losses Portugal and the Allies: 13 killed, 38 injured; 3 Allied ships and 1 Portuguese ship sunk. Germany: none.
Result German victory
On 3 December 1916 the German submarine U-38 attacked the port of Funchal, sank three Allied ships and one Portuguese ship, and shelled the town before the Portuguese coastal batteries could respond. On 16 December she returned and bombarded the town again, damaging the telegraph station.
Why it is remembered It brought the war at sea directly to Madeira.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Jutland Fleet battle
Also known as Skagerrakschlacht; Battle of the Skagerrak
31 May to 1 June 1916 · North Sea, off the coast of Denmark's Jutland Peninsula
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Sir John Jellicoe, Sir David Beatty (Britain); Reinhard Scheer, Franz Hipper (Germany)
Forces Britain: 151 combat ships, including 28 dreadnought battleships, 9 battlecruisers, 8 armoured cruisers, 26 light cruisers and 78 destroyers. Germany: 99 combat ships, including 16 dreadnought battleships, 5 battlecruisers, 6 pre-dreadnoughts, 11 light cruisers and 61 torpedo boats
Ships HMS Iron Duke, HMS Lion, HMS Indefatigable, HMS Queen Mary, HMS Invincible, HMS Defence, HMS Warrior, HMS Nestor, HMS Nomad, HMS Petard, SMS Lützow, SMS Wiesbaden, SMS Pommern, SMS Frauenlob, SMS Elbing, V27, V29
Losses Britain: 6,094 killed, 674 wounded, 177 captured; 3 battlecruisers, 3 armoured cruisers and 8 destroyers sunk (113,300 tons). Germany: 2,551 killed, 507 wounded; 1 battlecruiser, 1 pre-dreadnought, 4 light cruisers and 5 torpedo boats sunk (62,300 tons).
Result Inconclusive; both sides claimed victory
The Germans planned to use Hipper's battlecruisers to lure Beatty's squadrons onto the guns of the High Seas Fleet, but British signal intelligence warned of the operation and Jellicoe sailed early with the Grand Fleet. In the afternoon of 31 May Beatty lost Indefatigable and Queen Mary to magazine explosions before turning back and drawing the Germans onto the Grand Fleet. Between 18:30 and nightfall the two fleets, some 250 ships, clashed twice, and Invincible and Defence were sunk. In the night Scheer broke through the British light forces and returned to port; fourteen British and eleven German ships were sunk, with 9,823 casualties.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval battle of the war, the only full scale clash of battleships, and the last major battle fought mainly by battleships. Britain lost more ships and men but kept the German fleet contained, and Germany turned to unrestricted submarine warfare, which helped bring the United States into the war in 1917.
Sources differ The outcome is disputed: both sides claimed victory and some accounts call it inconclusive. British wounded are given as 674 in one account and 510 in another.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Night action at the Battle of Jutland Fleet battle
31 May to 1 June 1916 · North Sea, off Denmark, towards Horns Reef
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Sir John Jellicoe, Sir David Beatty (Britain); Reinhard Scheer, Franz Hipper (Germany)
Forces The British Grand Fleet against the German High Seas Fleet
Ships SMS Pommern, SMS Frauenlob, SMS Elbing, SMS Lützow, SMS Posen, SMS Westfalen, SMS Rostock, HMS Southampton, HMS Tipperary, HMS Sparrowhawk, HMS Broke, HMS Marksman, HMS Turbulent
Losses Ships lost in the night included the German Frauenlob, Elbing and Lützow and the British destroyers Tipperary, Sparrowhawk and Turbulent; Pommern was torpedoed and broke up.
Result The German fleet escaped to its home waters
After dark Scheer took the shortest route home, by Horns Reef, which meant passing across the rear of the British fleet. German torpedo boats made diversionary attacks, and better German searchlights, star shell and recognition signals told in a series of confused clashes with the British light forces. Frauenlob was torpedoed by Southampton, Elbing was torpedoed and then rammed by Posen, Turbulent was rammed by Westfalen, and Pommern was torpedoed by the Twelfth Flotilla. Jellicoe did not receive the specific Admiralty intelligence about Horns Reef, many destroyer encounters went unreported, and the German fleet reached its own minefields by about 03:30.
Why it is remembered The escape of the High Seas Fleet in the night denied Jellicoe the renewed battle he hoped for next morning.
Sources differ One account gives the night action as a British victory, while accounts of Jutland as a whole call it inconclusive. One gives 510 British wounded, another 674.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: photographer not identified, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft Raid
Also known as Lowestoft Raid
24 to 25 April 1916 · North Sea, off Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, England
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Friedrich Boedicker, Reinhard Scheer (Germany); Reginald Tyrwhitt, David Beatty, John Jellicoe (Britain)
Forces A German battlecruiser squadron with cruisers and destroyers, backed by the High Seas Fleet at sea; British local forces, with the battlecruisers and Grand Fleet too distant to intervene
Losses Britain: 25 killed, 19 wounded; 2 light cruisers damaged, 1 submarine sunk, 200 houses shelled. Germany: 11 killed; 1 cruiser damaged, 1 submarine sunk, 1 submarine captured.
Result Inconclusive
A German battlecruiser squadron under Rear Admiral Boedicker bombarded Yarmouth and Lowestoft, hoping to draw out British ships that could be destroyed by the battlecruisers or by the High Seas Fleet waiting at sea. The nearby British forces were too small to challenge them and largely kept clear, and the Germans withdrew before British battlecruisers or the Grand Fleet could arrive.
Why it is remembered One of the German coastal raids that preceded the Battle of Jutland a month later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hans Bohrdt (11 February 1857, 19 December 1945), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 10 March 1917 Blockade and raiding
10 March 1917 · Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain and New Zealand
Commanders Nikolaus Schlodien (Germany); Archibald Smith, killed (Otaki)
Forces German merchant raider SMS Möwe against the defensively armed New Zealand Shipping Company cargo ship Otaki and a second steamer
Ships SMS Möwe, Otaki
Losses British side: 6 killed, 200 captured; 1 steamer sunk, 1 scuttled. Germany: 5 killed, 10 wounded; Möwe badly damaged.
Result German victory
The German raider Möwe met the cargo ship Otaki, which carried a defensive gun. Otaki fought back and was sunk, but Möwe was badly damaged; Otaki's master Archibald Smith was among the dead.
Why it is remembered A defensively armed cargo ship was sunk only after badly damaging the German raider.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 11 to 12 December 1917 Convoy battle
11 to 12 December 1917 · North Sea, off Bergen, Norway, and the British east coast war channel
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Reinhard Scheer, Paul Heinrich (Germany); J. R. C. Cavendish, Vincent Molteno (Britain)
Forces Germany: 3rd Half-Flotilla (G101, G103, G104, V100) and the 5 destroyers of the 4th Half-Flotilla. Britain: Pellew, Partridge, Ouse and Garry, with escort trawlers
Ships HMS Pellew, HMS Partridge, HMS Ouse, HMS Garry, G101, G103, G104, V100
Losses Britain: Partridge sunk with 97 killed and 52 captured; Pellew 4 killed; 61 naval and merchant prisoners in all; the six ship convoy off Norway destroyed, and one freighter sunk on the British coast. Germany: 3 wounded.
Result German victory
The German 2nd Flotilla, with the biggest and most modern destroyers, attacked the Scandinavian convoy route in two places. Off Norway the 3rd Half-Flotilla destroyed a convoy of six ships escorted by two destroyers and four trawlers. On the British east coast the 4th Half-Flotilla sank one freighter, damaged another and attacked four trawlers.
Why it is remembered It followed the action off Lerwick as a second German success against the Scandinavian convoys.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 15 August 1917 Single-ship action
15 August 1917 · Off the Humber estuary, North Sea
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Thomas Crisp, killed, and William Manning, missing (Britain); possibly Karsten von Heydebreck (Germany)
Forces 2 British armed smacks, Nelson and Ethel & Millie, against 1 German U-boat, believed to be UC-63
Ships Nelson, Ethel & Millie, UC-63
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 7 missing; both smacks sunk. Germany: unknown.
Result Both British vessels sunk
A German U-boat, believed to be UC-63, fought the two armed fishing smacks Nelson and Ethel & Millie in the North Sea off the Humber. Both smacks were sunk; Thomas Crisp was killed and William Manning was posted missing.
Why it is remembered An action between a U-boat and armed fishing boats.
Sources differ The identity of the U-boat is uncertain; it is believed to have been UC-63.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 15 October 1917 Single-ship action
15 October 1917 · Off Mine Head, Ireland, Celtic Sea
Fought between United States against Germany
Commanders W. N. Vernou (United States); Victor Dieckmann (Germany)
Forces American destroyer USS Cassin against German submarine U-61
Ships USS Cassin, U-61
Losses United States: 1 killed, 9 wounded; Cassin damaged. Germany: U-61 damaged.
Result American victory
The American destroyer Cassin and the German submarine U-61 fought off Mine Head, Ireland. Cassin was damaged, with one man killed and nine wounded, and U-61 was also damaged.
Why it is remembered An action between an American destroyer and a German U-boat off the Irish coast.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 16 March 1917 Single-ship action
16 March 1917 · About 200 miles north east of the Faroe Islands, Norwegian Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Francis Martin-Leake (Britain); Hans von Laffert, killed (Germany)
Forces British armoured cruiser HMS Achilles and armed boarding steamer SS Dundee against the German auxiliary cruiser SMS Leopard
Ships HMS Achilles, SS Dundee, SMS Leopard
Losses Britain: 6 killed, the men of a boarding party. Germany: Leopard sunk with all 319 hands.
Result British victory
Leopard was the former British steamer Yarrowdale, captured by Möwe in 1916 and converted into a raider. Sailing in March 1917 to relieve Möwe, she tried to slip round the north of Scotland past the British Northern Patrol. Caught at a serious disadvantage by Achilles and Dundee, she made a determined attempt to fight and was sunk with all hands, together with a British boarding party.
Why it is remembered No one aboard Leopard survived.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 17 March 1917 Raid
17 March 1917 · Strait of Dover near the Goodwin Sands, and the harbours of Ramsgate and Margate
Fought between Germany against Britain
Forces Two flotillas of German torpedo boats from Flanders against British drifters and destroyers
Ships HMS Paragon, HMS Llewellyn
Losses Britain: HMS Paragon sunk, HMS Llewellyn damaged. Germany: no casualties.
Result German victory
Two German torpedo boat flotillas left the Flanders coast and split up. One attacked the British drifters and destroyers patrolling near the Goodwin Sands, torpedoing the destroyers Paragon and Llewellyn; the other shelled Ramsgate and Margate and the shipping in their harbours. Paragon sank and the Germans withdrew without loss.
Why it is remembered One of a series of German torpedo boat raids from Flanders on the Dover Strait.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 17 November 1917 Single-ship action
17 November 1917 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between United States against Germany
Commanders Frank Berrien, Arthur S. Carpender (United States); Gustav Amberger (Germany)
Forces US destroyers USS Fanning and USS Nicholson against German submarine U-58
Ships USS Fanning, USS Nicholson, U-58
Losses Germany: 2 killed, 39 captured; U-58 sunk. United States: none.
Result American victory
Two United States Navy destroyers engaged the German submarine U-58 in the North Atlantic. The U-boat was sunk and her crew taken off; two Germans died.
Why it is remembered A photograph of U-58's crew abandoning their boat recorded the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 4 May 1917 Air and submarine attack
4 May 1917 · North Sea
Fought between Britain and Australia against Germany
Commanders John Dumaresq (Australia); Hermann Kraushaar (Germany)
Forces Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney, British light cruiser HMS Dublin and 4 destroyers against the Zeppelin L.43 and 2 submarines
Ships HMAS Sydney, HMS Dublin, L.43
Losses None on either side.
Result Indecisive
A naval force led by HMAS Sydney was attacked by the Zeppelin L.43 and several German submarines. The action ended when the Zeppelin had dropped all its bombs and the cruisers had used all their anti-aircraft ammunition.
Why it is remembered It was a naval and air engagement between cruisers and a Zeppelin, without casualties on either side.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Charles David Jones Bryant, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Operation Albion Landing or siege
12 to 20 October 1917 · West Estonian Archipelago (Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu), Baltic Sea
Fought between Germany against Russia and Britain
Commanders Oskar von Hutier, Hugo von Kathen, Ludwig von Estorff, Ehrhard Schmidt (Germany); Mikhail Bakhirev, Vasily Altvater (Russia)
Forces Germany: 1 battlecruiser, 10 dreadnoughts, 9 light cruisers, 1 mine cruiser, 50 torpedo boats, 6 U-boats, 19 transports, 6 airships, 102 aircraft and 24,500 soldiers. Russia: 2 pre-dreadnoughts, 3 cruisers, 21 destroyers, 3 gunboats, 3 submarines and 24,000 soldiers
Ships Slava, Grom, HMS C32, S 64
Losses Germany: torpedo boat S 64, 7 minesweepers and 9 trawlers and auxiliaries lost, 5 aircraft shot down; 156 navy and 54 army killed, 60 navy and 141 army wounded. Russia: battleship Slava, destroyer Grom and British submarine C32 lost; 20,130 captured, 141 guns and 40 aircraft lost.
Result German victory
After extensive operations to clear mines and silence coastal batteries, German troops landed at Tagga Bay on Saaremaa on 12 October and secured the island by 16 October. Muhu was evacuated by the Russians on 20 October and Hiiumaa was taken after a landing. The Russian Baltic Fleet withdrew from the Suur Strait after its losses at the Battle of Moon Sound.
Why it is remembered It gave Germany the islands that dominated the central and northern Baltic. The Germans claimed 20,000 prisoners and 100 guns.
Sources differ The German claim was 20,000 prisoners and 100 guns; one account gives 20,130 captured and 141 guns lost. Another account says Hiiumaa was landed on 12 October after two failed attempts and taken next day.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action off Bjerregaard Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Bjerregård; Seegefecht vor Bjerregaard; Kampen ved Bjerregaard
1 September 1917 · Off Bjerregaard, west coast of Denmark, near Horns Reef
Fought between Britain against Germany
Forces Britain: about 10 warships. Germany: 2 U-boats, 4 auxiliary minesweepers, 2 naval aircraft
Losses Germany: 4 auxiliary minesweepers.
Royal Navy ships clashed with German naval forces and naval aircraft off the Danish coast at Bjerregaard. Four German auxiliary minesweepers were driven ashore on the Danish coast.
Why it is remembered Willy Stöwer painted the action.
Sources Wikipedia (DE)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action off Lerwick Convoy battle
17 October 1917 · North Sea, off Lerwick, Shetland
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Max Leonhardi, Siegfried Westerkamp (Germany); Charles Fox, killed, Edward Brooke (Britain)
Forces German light minelaying cruisers SMS Brummer and Bremse against a convoy of 12 merchant ships escorted by 2 destroyers and 2 naval trawlers
Ships SMS Brummer, SMS Bremse
Losses Britain: 135 Royal Navy men killed; 2 destroyers sunk. Neutral shipping: 36 mariners killed; 9 freighters sunk.
Result German victory
Brummer and Bremse attacked a westbound Scandinavian convoy of colliers and other merchant ships off Shetland. Both escorting destroyers left the convoy to engage the superior German force and were sunk, and nine neutral Scandinavian ships were sunk without time for their crews to abandon ship. Room 40 had uncovered the cruisers' call signs, but the Admiralty did not pass on the information promptly, and other British ships were not in a position to intercept.
Why it is remembered The British called the attack on neutral ships an outrage, and Beatty severely criticised the Admiralty for failing to pass on the code breakers' intelligence. The Germans denied firing on survivors in the water despite gunshot wounds found on some.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Moon Sound Fleet battle
16 October to 3 November 1917 · West Estonian Archipelago and Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea
Fought between Germany against Russia and Britain
Commanders Ehrhard Schmidt (Germany); Mikhail Bakhirev (Russia)
Forces Germany: 10 battleships, 1 battlecruiser, 9 light cruisers, 1 mine cruiser, 50 destroyers, 6 submarines. Russia: 2 pre-dreadnoughts, 3 cruisers, 3 gunboats, 21 destroyers, with 3 British submarines
Ships Slava
Losses Germany: 156 killed, 60 wounded; 2 dreadnoughts damaged, 1 torpedo boat and 7 minesweepers sunk. Russia: 1 pre-dreadnought heavily damaged and scuttled, 1 destroyer and 1 submarine sunk; casualties unknown.
Result German victory
During Operation Albion the German fleet fought the much weaker Russian naval forces in and around Moon Sound to destroy them and occupy the West Estonian Archipelago. The Russian pre-dreadnought Slava was crippled by German fire off Saaremaa on 17 October and scuttled, and the Russians withdrew.
Why it is remembered The Germans achieved both of their aims, destroying the Russian forces and taking the islands.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Scuttling of SMS Cormoran Other action
7 April 1917 · Apra Harbor, Guam
Fought between United States against Germany
Commanders Roy Campbell Smith (United States); Adalbert Zuckschwerdt (Germany)
Forces United States: auxiliary cruiser USS Supply and shore artillery. Germany: the interned auxiliary cruiser Cormoran
Ships SMS Cormoran, USS Supply
Losses Germany: 9 killed; Cormoran scuttled; the surviving crew captured. United States: none.
Result American victory
The German raider Cormoran had been interned at Guam. When the United States entered the war she was scuttled in Apra Harbor; nine Germans died and the surviving crew were captured.
Why it is remembered It was the only hostile encounter between American and German forces in the Pacific during the First World War.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Second Battle of Dover Strait Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Dover Strait (1917)
20 to 21 April 1917 · Dover Strait
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Edward Evans (Britain); Theophil Gautier (Germany)
Forces British destroyers HMS Broke and HMS Swift against 6 German torpedo boats
Ships HMS Broke, HMS Swift, G42
Losses Britain: 21 killed; Broke severely damaged, Swift slightly damaged. Germany: 71 killed, 141 taken prisoner; 2 torpedo boats sunk.
Result British victory
Two Royal Navy destroyers met a superior force of German torpedo boats in the Dover Strait at night. Broke rammed G42, and two German torpedo boats were sunk while both British destroyers were damaged.
Why it is remembered Two British destroyers defeated a superior force of German torpedo boats.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Second Battle of Heligoland Bight Fleet battle
Also known as Action in the Helgoland Bight; Zweite Seeschlacht bei Helgoland
17 November 1917 · Heligoland Bight, North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Trevylyan Napier, William Pakenham (Britain); Ludwig von Reuter (Germany)
Forces Britain: 3 battlecruisers, 8 light cruisers, 10 destroyers. Germany: 2 battleships, 4 light cruisers, 8 destroyers, 14 minesweepers
Ships HMS Calypso
Losses Britain: 22 killed, 43 wounded; 1 light cruiser damaged. Germany: 21 killed, 40 wounded, 22 taken prisoner; 1 minesweeper sunk, 2 light cruisers damaged.
Result Indecisive
British and German squadrons fought an inconclusive engagement in the Heligoland Bight. The British light cruiser Calypso was severely damaged, and the Germans lost a minesweeper.
Why it is remembered William Lionel Wyllie drew Calypso in the action.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Lionel Wyllie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of the Strait of Otranto Raid
15 May 1917 · Strait of Otranto, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Austria-Hungary and Germany against Italy, Britain and France
Commanders Miklós Horthy, wounded (Austria-Hungary); Alfredo Acton (Italy)
Forces Austria-Hungary and Germany: 1 armoured cruiser, 3 scout cruisers, 4 destroyers, 3 submarines. Allies: 2 light cruisers, 1 protected cruiser, 3 scout cruisers, 10 destroyers, 1 seaplane carrier, 47 drifters
Ships Novara, Saida, Helgoland, Csepel, Balaton, Sankt Georg, Budapest, U-4, U-27, UC-25, HMS Dartmouth, HMS Bristol, Aquila, Carlo Mirabello, Marsala, Borea, Boutefeu, Europa
Losses Allies: 2 destroyers, 14 drifters and 1 cargo ship sunk; 1 light cruiser, 1 destroyer, 4 drifters and 1 cargo ship damaged. Austria-Hungary: 2 scout cruisers damaged.
Result Tactical Austro-Hungarian victory; strategically indecisive
Horthy led three light cruisers and two destroyers in a raid on the Otranto Barrage of drifters, nets and mines, aiming to open the way for U-boats into the Mediterranean. They sank 14 drifters, and in a separate action the Italian destroyer Borea was sunk; the French destroyer Boutefeu struck a mine laid by UC-25. An Allied force from three navies heavily damaged Novara, but the approach of the Austro-Hungarian relief force led Acton to break off.
Why it is remembered It was the largest surface action in the Adriatic in the First World War.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 14 October 1918 Convoy battle
14 October 1918 · Atlantic Ocean, 200 miles from Ponta Delgada, Azores
Fought between Portugal against Germany
Commanders Carvalho Araújo, killed (Portugal); Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière (Germany)
Forces Portuguese naval trawler NRP Augusto de Castilho escorting the civilian steamer São Miguel, against the German submarine U-139
Ships NRP Augusto de Castilho, São Miguel, U-139
Losses Portugal: Augusto de Castilho sunk; 6 dead and several wounded. Germany: U-139 damaged; casualties unknown.
Result The Portuguese trawler was sunk but the steamer was protected
The German submarine U-139 attacked the Portuguese steamer São Miguel and her escort, the naval trawler Augusto de Castilho. The trawler fought the submarine and was sunk, with her commander Carvalho Araújo among the dead, but the steamer was saved.
Why it is remembered The trawler was lost with her commander, but the steamer she was escorting was saved.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 14 to 15 February 1918 Raid
Also known as Action of 15 February 1918
14 to 15 February 1918 · Strait of Dover minefield, English Channel
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Ludwig von Schröder, Oskar Heinecke (Germany); Roger Keyes, A. E. Berry (Britain)
Forces Germany: 4 destroyers and 4 torpedo boats. Britain: 58 drifters, 10 trawlers and 2 paddle minesweepers of the Dover Patrol
Ships G 102
Losses Britain: 22 killed, 54 missing, 13 wounded; 1 trawler, 7 drifters and 1 paddle minesweeper sunk, 6 drifters damaged. Germany: G 102 slightly damaged.
Result German victory
A German destroyer flotilla struck the vessels of the Dover Patrol guarding the minefield in the Strait of Dover. It sank a trawler, seven drifters and a paddle minesweeper and withdrew with only slight damage to G 102.
Why it is remembered A one sided night raid on the small craft of the Dover Patrol.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photographer not identified., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 18 June 1918 Blockade and raiding
Also known as Acció del 18 de juny de 1918
18 June 1918 · Near Bermuda, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against the United States and the Allies
Forces A German U-boat against an Allied merchant ship and an American auxiliary cruiser
Losses Allies: 1 merchant ship sunk.
Result Merchant ship sunk; the American auxiliary cruiser survived
A U-boat of the Imperial German Navy attacked two Allied ships near Bermuda. It sank a merchant ship but could not destroy the American auxiliary cruiser that came to the merchant ship's aid.
Why it is remembered A U-boat attack far out in the western Atlantic.
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 21 May 1918 Single-ship action
Also known as Acció del 21 de maig de 1918
21 May 1918 · Atlantic Ocean, off Spain
Fought between United States against Germany
Forces An American armed yacht against a German U-boat
An American armed yacht fought a German U-boat in the Atlantic off the coast of Spain.
Why it is remembered A small anti-submarine action of the US Navy in European waters.
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 4 April 1918 Convoy battle
Also known as Acció del 4 d'abril de 1918
4 April 1918 · Atlantic Ocean
Fought between United States against Germany
Forces Three armed troop transports of the US Army and Navy against an unidentified German U-boat
Losses Germany: the U-boat sunk. United States: no damage.
Result American victory
An unidentified German U-boat attacked three armed American troop transports somewhere in the Atlantic. It failed to damage them and was sunk.
Why it is remembered An attack on armed troop transports in which the U-boat, not the transports, was lost.
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 5 September 1918 Single-ship action
Also known as Acció del 5 de setembre de 1918
5 September 1918 · North Atlantic, about 170 nautical miles off the coast of France
Fought between United States against Germany
Forces A German U-boat against American warships
A German U-boat and American warships fought an action in the North Atlantic about 170 nautical miles off the French coast.
Why it is remembered One of the US Navy's anti-submarine actions in the Atlantic in 1918.
Sources Viquipèdia (CA)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of 8 May 1918 Single-ship action
Also known as Action du 8 mai 1918; Azione dell'8 maggio 1918
8 May 1918 · Off Algiers, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between United States and Britain against Germany
Forces An American armed yacht and a British destroyer against the German submarine UB-70
Ships UB-70
Losses Germany: UB-70, credited as sunk.
Result Allied victory
An American armed yacht and a British destroyer met the German submarine UB-70 off Algiers and engaged her.
Why it is remembered The action was first judged inconclusive and only later counted a victory, when the Allied warships were credited with sinking UB-70.
Sources differ The result was at first considered inconclusive before the sinking of UB-70 was credited to the Allied ships.
Sources Wikipédia (FR) · Wikipedia (IT)
Image: Publishers' Photo Service., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Bakar mockery Raid
Also known as Beffa di Buccari; Bakar raid
10 to 11 February 1918 · Bakar, Austria-Hungary (now Croatia), Adriatic Sea
Fought between Italy against Austria-Hungary
Commanders Costanzo Ciano (Italy)
Forces 3 Italian motor torpedo boats against the coastal defences of Bakar
Losses Austria-Hungary: 1 cargo ship slightly damaged. Italy: none.
Result Italian propaganda victory
Three Italian motor torpedo boats made a raid into the Austro-Hungarian harbour of Bakar. Little material damage was done; one cargo ship was slightly hit.
Why it is remembered A bold venture that lifted Italian morale, which was low after the defeat at Caporetto a few months before.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
First Ostend Raid Raid
Also known as Operation ZO (Ostend)
23 to 24 April 1918 · Ostend, Belgium
Fought between Britain and France against Germany
Commanders Hubert Lynes, Alfred Godsal (Britain)
Forces A British raiding force with two obsolete cruisers as blockships against German shore defences
Losses Unknown; German losses negligible.
Result German victory
In conjunction with the Zeebrugge Raid, the Royal Navy tried to block the canal entrance at Ostend, which led to Bruges, by sinking two obsolete cruisers in its mouth. The German marines defending the port were well prepared and drove the British assault ships off course, and the operation was abandoned at the last stage.
Why it is remembered It was a complete failure. A second attack three weeks later sank a blockship at the canal entrance but did not close Bruges, which was only cleared when Allied troops liberated it in the last days of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
German bombardment of Monrovia Raid
9 to 10 April 1918 · Monrovia, Liberia
Fought between Germany against Liberia and Britain
Commanders Hermann Gerke (Germany); President Daniel Edward Howard and Mayor Thomas J. R. Faulkner (Liberia)
Forces German submarine U-154 with two 105 mm guns against the Liberian armed schooner Lark and the British steamer SS Burutu
Ships U-154, Lark, SS Burutu
Losses Liberia: schooner Lark (President Howard) sunk; 4 to 7 civilians killed. Britain: SS Burutu damaged; 1 passenger killed, 1 boy drowned, 3 passengers injured. Germany: none.
Result French wireless station and several buildings destroyed; the bombardment ended when a British steamer appeared
The German submarine U-154 arrived off Monrovia and demanded that the Liberian government destroy the French wireless station and haul down the French flag. When the ultimatum was not met, she shelled the city, destroying the station and several buildings in the centre and killing residents. The arrival of a British steamer ended the bombardment.
Why it is remembered It brought the First World War to the capital of Liberia.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Battle of Imbros Raid
20 January 1918 · Off Imbros, Aegean Sea
Fought between Britain and Greece against the Ottoman Empire and Germany
Commanders Henry F. Kitchener (Britain); Aristeidis Moraitinis (Greece); Hubert Paschwitz (Ottoman Empire and Germany)
Forces Allies: 2 monitors, 2 destroyers, 12 aircraft. Ottoman Empire: 1 battlecruiser, 1 light cruiser, 1 protected cruiser, 4 destroyers, 10 aircraft
Ships Yavuz Sultan Selim, Midilli, HMS Raglan, HMS M28, HMS Tigress, HMS Lizard
Losses Allies: 139 killed; monitors Raglan and M28 sunk; 1 aircraft destroyed. Ottoman Empire: 330 killed, 172 captured; Midilli sunk, Yavuz Sultan Selim disabled, 1 destroyer damaged, 3 aircraft destroyed.
Result Allied victory
With no heavy Allied warships nearby, Yavuz Sultan Selim and Midilli sortied from the Dardanelles and sank the British monitors Raglan and M28 at Imbros before heading for the base at Mudros. On the way they ran into a minefield: Midilli was sunk and Yavuz Sultan Selim was heavily damaged. She beached herself inside the Dardanelles and endured days of air attack before being towed to safety.
Why it is remembered With its most modern cruiser sunk and its only battlecruiser out of action, the Ottoman Navy lost its offensive power for the rest of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · Russian Civil War
Battle of Lake Baikal Fleet battle
16 August 1918 · Lake Baikal, off Mysovsk, Siberia
Fought between Czechoslovak Legion against Soviet Russia
Commanders Radola Gajda (Czechoslovak Legion)
Forces Czechoslovak Legion: 2 steamships armed with 4 howitzers. Soviet forces: the ships Baikal and Angara, the defences of Mysovsk and an armoured train
Ships Baikal, Angara
Losses Czechoslovak Legion: 19 killed or missing. Soviet forces: Baikal severely damaged; harbour and railway station destroyed.
Result Czechoslovak victory
The Czechoslovak Legion armed two steamships with howitzers and fought the Soviet ships Baikal and Angara, the defences of Mysovsk and an armoured train on Lake Baikal. Baikal was severely damaged and the harbour and railway station were destroyed.
Why it is remembered A naval battle fought by the Czechoslovak Legion in the heart of Siberia.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Attack on Orleans Blockade and raiding
21 July 1918 · Atlantic Ocean off Orleans, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States
Fought between Germany against the United States
Commanders Richard Feldt (Germany)
Forces The German submarine U-156 against the tug Perth Amboy, three barges and the schooner Lansford, with United States Navy seaplanes in support
Ships U-156, Perth Amboy, Lansford
Losses United States: tug Perth Amboy damaged, the schooner Lansford and three barges sunk. Germany: none.
Result German victory
The U-boat U-156 surfaced off Orleans and fired on a tug towing three barges and a schooner. The tug was badly damaged and the barges and schooner were sunk. United States Navy flying boats from a nearby base bombed the submarine but scored no hits. Some shells fell ashore around Orleans.
Why it is remembered It was the only attack on the contiguous United States during the war, and the first time the country had been shelled by a foreign power since the Siege of Fort Texas in 1846.
Sources differ One account says two flying boats attacked the U-boat; another account lists 9 Curtiss HS seaplanes. One account says several crewmen were wounded; another account says there were no casualties.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Action of Premuda Raid
Also known as Battle of Premuda; Impresa di Premuda; Entreprise de Premuda
10 June 1918 · Off the island of Premuda, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Italy against Austria-Hungary
Commanders Luigi Rizzo, with Armando Gori and Giuseppe Aonzo; Lorenzo Cusani (Italy); Miklós Horthy (Austria-Hungary)
Forces Italian motor torpedo boats MAS 15 and MAS 21 against an Austro-Hungarian battle squadron heading for the Strait of Otranto
Ships MAS 15, MAS 21, SMS Szent István, SMS Tegetthoff
Losses Austria-Hungary: Szent István sunk; 1 officer and 13 sailors dead, 3 officers and 72 sailors missing, 29 wounded. Italy: none.
Result Italian victory
At dawn on 10 June the two MAS boats under Luigi Rizzo slipped in among the ships of an Austro-Hungarian force making for the Strait of Otranto. They torpedoed and sank the battleship Szent István. Her sister Tegetthoff was also hit by a torpedo, but its firing mechanism failed and she did not sink.
Why it is remembered Two small motor torpedo boats sank a dreadnought battleship at sea.
Sources Wikipédia (FR) · Wikipedia (IT)
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Raid on Pula Raid
31 October to 1 November 1918 · Pula (Pola), the main Austro-Hungarian naval base, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Italy against the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (the former Austro-Hungarian fleet)
Commanders Costanzo Ciano, with the frogmen Raffaele Rossetti and Raffaele Paolucci (Italy); Janko Vuković, killed
Forces Two Italian frogmen with the Mignatta human torpedo
Ships Viribus Unitis, Wien
Losses Viribus Unitis and the passenger ship Wien sunk; an estimated 300 to 400 killed. Italy: 2 captured.
Result Italian victory
On the night of 31 October Rossetti and Paolucci entered Pula harbour on the Mignatta human torpedo and placed two explosive charges. The day before, the fleet had been handed over to the National Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, which had declared neutrality, and Viribus Unitis, now under Captain Janko Vuković, was lit up at anchor. The two frogmen were caught, held aboard the flagship and released, but the charges sank Viribus Unitis and the former barracks ship Wien.
Why it is remembered It sank the former flagship of the Austro-Hungarian Navy days before the Armistice of Villa Giusti, after the fleet had passed to the South Slav National Council. Rossetti and Paolucci received the Gold Medal of Military Valour.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Courtesy of the International Naval Research Organization, PD, via Wikipedia (en)
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Second Battle of Durazzo Landing or siege
Also known as Bombardment of Durazzo; Battle of Durazzo (1918)
2 October 1918 · Durazzo (now Durrës), Albania, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Italy, Britain, the United States and Australia against Austria-Hungary
Commanders Osvaldo Paladini, Charles P. Nelson (Allies); Heinrich Pauer (Austria-Hungary)
Forces Italy: 1 battleship, 3 armoured cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 7 destroyers, 8 torpedo boats, MAS boats and aircraft. Britain: 5 light cruisers, 14 destroyers. United States: 12 submarine chasers. Australia: 2 destroyers. Austria-Hungary: 3 shore batteries, 2 destroyers, 1 torpedo boat, 2 submarines, 1 hospital ship
Ships Dante Alighieri
Losses Allies: 5 light cruisers and 1 destroyer damaged. Austria-Hungary: 1 steamer sunk; 2 destroyers, 1 torpedo boat, 2 submarines and 2 steamers damaged; 3 shore batteries destroyed.
Result Allied victory; Durazzo evacuated by Austro-Hungarian forces
A large Allied fleet led by the Italian Navy attacked the Austro-Hungarian held port of Durazzo, destroyed the shore defences and skirmished with a small naval force. Most of the city was destroyed in the bombardment.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval battle in which the United States took part during the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Second Ostend Raid Raid
Also known as Operation VS
9 May 1918 · Ostend, Belgium
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Roger Keyes (Britain)
Forces 1 blockship, 4 monitors, 8 destroyers and 5 motor launches with air support, against German shore defences
Ships HMS Vindictive
Losses Britain: 1 motor launch sunk, 8 dead, 10 missing, 29 wounded. Germany: 3 killed, 8 wounded.
Result German victory
The Royal Navy made a second attempt to block the channel into Ostend, a German U-boat base, three weeks after the failed first raid of 23 April 1918. The Germans had removed the navigation buoys, and in poor weather the British struggled to find the narrow entrance. Under heavy German fire the old cruiser HMS Vindictive was sunk as a blockship but only partly blocked the channel.
Why it is remembered Although it failed, the raid was presented in Britain as a daring gamble that came close to success. Three Victoria Crosses were awarded to men who took part.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, No known restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Tondern raid Air and submarine attack
Also known as Operation F.7
19 July 1918 · Tondern, Germany (now Tønder, Denmark)
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Richard Phillimore (Britain)
Forces 7 Sopwith Camels flown from the carrier HMS Furious, against 2 airships and a captive balloon at the Tondern base
Ships HMS Furious
Losses Britain: 1 pilot drowned, 3 interned, 1 aircraft damaged, 2 abandoned and 1 lost at sea. Germany: 4 wounded, Zeppelins L 54 and L 60 and a captive balloon destroyed, 2 hangars damaged.
Result British victory
Seven Sopwith Camels took off from HMS Furious, a converted battlecruiser, to bomb the German naval airship base at Tondern. They destroyed the Zeppelins L 54 and L 60 in their sheds, along with a captive balloon. One airman was lost and several aircraft did not return to the ship.
Why it is remembered It was the first attack in history by aircraft flown from an aircraft carrier.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photographer not identified. "Official photograph"., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918 · First World War
Zeebrugge Raid Raid
Also known as Aanval op de haven van Zeebrugge; Raid sur Zeebruges
23 April 1918 · Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders John Jellicoe, Roger Keyes, Reginald Bacon (Britain); Ludwig von Schröder (Germany)
Forces Britain: 1,700 Royal Marines and sailors with the old cruiser Vindictive, the ferries Iris II and Daffodil, 3 blockships, 2 submarines and supporting ships
Ships HMS Vindictive, HMS Iris II, Daffodil, HMS Thetis, HMS Intrepid, HMS Iphigenia, HMS C1, HMS C3, HMS North Star
Losses Britain: 227 killed, 356 wounded; destroyer North Star sunk. Germany: 8 killed, 16 wounded.
Result German victory
The Royal Navy tried to block the canal from Bruges at Zeebrugge, a base for the Flanders U-boats, by sinking old ships in its entrance. While Vindictive and the ferries landed men on the mole as a diversion, the submarine C3 blew up the viaduct linking the mole to the shore, and two of the three concrete filled blockships were scuttled in the canal. They were sunk in the wrong place, and within a few days German submarines could pass at high tide.
Why it is remembered Fought on St George's Day, it brought eight Victoria Crosses. It is commemorated at Zeebrugge and at St James's Cemetery in Dover, and W. L. Wyllie painted the storming of the mole; the Royal Marines have never again raised a 4th Battalion.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Russian Civil War
Battle of Alexander Fort Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Alexandrovsky Fort; Battle of Tyub-Karagan
21 May 1919 · Bay of Tyub-Karagan, Fort Alexandrovsky, Caspian Sea
Fought between Britain and the White Russians against Soviet Russia
Commanders David Norris (Britain); A. V. Burov (Soviet Russia, killed)
Forces 5 auxiliary cruisers and 1 seaplane carrier, against 1 auxiliary cruiser, 1 destroyer, 1 minelayer, 1 floating battery, 2 submarines and minor units
Losses British and White Russian: 2 auxiliary cruisers damaged, 5 killed, 7 wounded. Soviet: 1 auxiliary cruiser damaged, 1 destroyer, 1 minelayer, 1 floating battery and auxiliary units lost.
Result British and White Russian victory
A British and White Russian squadron attacked the Soviet naval base at Fort Alexandrovsky on the Caspian Sea. The Soviet commander was killed and the Soviets lost a destroyer, a minelayer, a floating battery and auxiliary vessels.
Why it is remembered It was one of the naval actions fought on the Caspian Sea during the Russian Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Parnell, G L (DSO) (OBE), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Russian Civil War, British campaign in the Baltic
Raid on Kronstadt Raid
Also known as Operation RK; the Scooter Raid
18 August 1919 · Kronstadt, Russia
Fought between Britain against Soviet Russia
Commanders Claude Congreve Dobson and Grahame Donald (Britain), with Augustus Agar as guide
Forces 8 coastal motor boats and 12 aircraft, against the Bolshevik Baltic Fleet in harbour
Ships CMB-4, Pamiat Azova, Andrei Pervozvanny
Losses Britain: 3 coastal motor boats sunk, 7 to 10 killed, 9 captured. Soviet Russia: 1 submarine depot ship sunk, 1 battleship damaged; the air raid also damaged a destroyer.
Result British success
Seven coastal motor boats under Commander Dobson, guided by Augustus Agar in CMB-4, attacked the Baltic Fleet at its home base while aircraft of the Royal Air Force bombed the harbour. One boat broke down, but six got through the defences, sinking the depot ship Pamiat Azova and damaging the battleship Andrei Pervozvanny. Three British boats were lost to gunfire or collision.
Why it is remembered The Baltic Fleet was afterwards largely kept in harbour for the rest of the campaign. Of the 55 British participants, 48 received gallantry medals or were mentioned in despatches.
Sources differ British dead are given as 7 to 10.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: RAF photographer, carrying out their official duties, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Aftermath of the First World War
Scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow Other action
21 June 1919 · Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, Scotland
Fought between Britain and Germany
Commanders Sydney Fremantle (Britain); Ludwig von Reuter (Germany)
Forces The British First Battle Squadron guarding 74 interned ships of the German High Seas Fleet
Ships SMS Bayern
Losses Germany: 52 of the 74 interned ships sank, 9 killed, 16 wounded. Britain: none.
Result Most of the German fleet scuttled
The German High Seas Fleet had been interned at Scapa Flow under the Armistice while its fate was negotiated. Fearing that the British would seize the ships, or that the war would resume, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the fleet scuttled. British guard ships beached some of the ships, but 52 of the 74 sank.
Why it is remembered Many wrecks were salvaged and scrapped over the next two decades. Those that remain are popular diving sites and a source of low-background steel.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer (C. W. Burrows), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Russian Civil War
Action of 3 May 1920 Single-ship action
3 May 1920 · Off Ochakov, Black Sea
Fought between France against Soviet Russia
Forces 1 French aviso against 1 Bolshevik floating battery
Losses France: 1 aviso captured. Soviet Russia: none.
Result Soviet victory
A French Navy aviso fought a short action with a Bolshevik floating battery off Ochakov and was captured.
Why it is remembered It was one of the small actions fought by the French Navy in the Black Sea during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Russian Civil War
Anzali Operation Landing or siege
18 May 1920 · Bandar-e Anzali, Iran, Caspian Sea
Fought between Soviet Russia and the Persian Jangalis against Britain and the White Russians
Commanders Fyodor Raskolnikov (Soviet Russia); Hugh Bateman-Champain (Britain, surrendered)
Forces Soviet Caspian Flotilla: 4 auxiliary cruisers, 4 destroyers, 1 transport, minor ships and 2,000 naval troops, against the British North Persia Force of 500 soldiers and an interned White fleet of 10 auxiliary cruisers, other auxiliary ships and 6 seaplanes
Ships Orlenok
Losses British: 2 dead, 5 wounded, the garrison and the fleet in harbour surrendered. Soviet: none.
Result Soviet victory
The Soviet Caspian Flotilla made a naval and amphibious attack on Anzali, where the White Russian Caspian Flotilla was interned under the guard of the British North Persia Force. The British troops were surrounded and forced to surrender, and the Soviets captured the flotilla, including the seaplane tender Orlenok.
Why it is remembered It led to the establishment of the Persian Socialist Soviet Republic and a decline of British influence in Persia.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Russian Civil War
Battle of Obytichnyi Spit Fleet battle
15 September 1920 · Obytichnyi Spit, Sea of Azov
Fought between White Russian navy against Soviet Russia
Forces 2 gunboats, 2 armed icebreakers, 1 patrol boat and 1 minesweeper, against 4 gunboats and 3 patrol boats
Ships Budyonny
Losses White Russians: 1 gunboat sunk, 1 gunboat damaged, 2 killed. Soviet: 1 gunboat damaged.
Result Both sides claimed victory
White Russian and Soviet flotillas of gunboats fought in the Sea of Azov off Obytichnyi Spit. The White Russians lost one gunboat sunk and another damaged; the Soviets had one gunboat damaged.
Why it is remembered It was one of the naval actions on the Sea of Azov during the Russian Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Russian Civil War
Action of 9 January 1921 Single-ship action
9 January 1921 · Off Anapa, Black Sea
Fought between France against Soviet Russia
Forces 2 French destroyers and 1 aviso against 1 Soviet gunboat
Losses France: unknown. Soviet Russia: 1 gunboat lost with her cargo of 2 motor torpedo boats, 12 killed, an unknown number wounded.
Result French victory
Two French destroyers and an aviso caught a Soviet gunboat off Anapa. The gunboat was lost with the two motor torpedo boats she was carrying, and 12 of her men were killed.
Why it is remembered It was a French naval action in the Black Sea during the Russian Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Turkish War of Independence
Bombardment of Samsun Landing or siege
7 June 1922 · Samsun, Turkey
Fought between Greece against the Ankara Government
Forces 1 battleship (Kilkis), 3 cruisers, 2 destroyers (Leon and Naxos) and 4 minesweepers, against 1 artillery piece
Ships Kilkis, Leon, Naxos
Losses Greece: none. Turkey: 4 soldiers killed, 3 wounded.
Greek warships bombarded Samsun for three hours, from 15:02 to 18:00, firing 400 rounds. The single Turkish gun in the town fired back 25 rounds. The American destroyers USS Sands, USS McFarland and USS Sturtevant were present but took no part.
Why it is remembered It was a Greek naval bombardment of the Black Sea coast during the war with the Turkish nationalists.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Battle of Cape Spartel Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Espartel; Cabo Espartel
29 September 1936 · Cape Spartel, near Tangier, and the western Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Nationalist Spain against the Spanish Republic
Commanders Francisco Moreno Fernández; Fernando Navarro Capdevila (one account lists both; another account does not say which side each commanded)
Forces 2 Nationalist cruisers, Canarias and Almirante Cervera, against 2 Republican destroyers, Almirante Ferrándiz and Gravina
Ships Canarias, Almirante Cervera, Almirante Ferrándiz, Gravina
Losses Republic: Almirante Ferrándiz sunk, Gravina damaged; 31 survivors rescued by Canarias and 26 by the French liner Koutubia. Nationalists: none.
Result Nationalist victory
Early on 29 September the two Nationalist cruisers engaged the Republican destroyers blockading the Strait. Canarias hit Almirante Ferrándiz from 11 nautical miles with her second salvo and sank her after a 40 minute engagement. Almirante Cervera chased Gravina down the Atlantic coast of Morocco and hit her twice before she escaped towards Casablanca.
Why it is remembered It broke the Republican blockade of the Strait of Gibraltar and secured the Nationalist sea route from Spanish Morocco early in the war.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Convoy de la Victoria Convoy battle
Also known as Convoy of Victory
5 August 1936 · Strait of Gibraltar, near Punta Carnero
Fought between Nationalist Spain against the Spanish Republic
Forces A Nationalist convoy escorted by 1 gunboat, 1 torpedo boat and 1 coastguard ship, against the Republican destroyer Alcalá Galiano
Ships Alcalá Galiano
Losses None recorded on either side
Result Nationalist victory
A Nationalist convoy crossed the Strait of Gibraltar under a small escort and was engaged by the Republican destroyer Alcalá Galiano. The convoy got through.
Why it is remembered It was an early naval clash of the Spanish Civil War, fought in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Upload by Basilio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Battle of Mallorca Landing or siege
Also known as Mallorca Landings; la reconquista de Mallorca
16 August to 12 September 1936 · Mallorca, Spain
Fought between Spanish Republic and Catalonia against Nationalist Spain and Italy
Commanders Alberto Bayo, Manuel Uribarri (Republic); Arconovaldo Bonaccorsi (Italy); Luis García Ruiz (Nationalists)
Forces 8,000 Republican militia supported by 1 battleship, 1 light cruiser, 2 destroyers, 3 submarines and 10 guns, against 3,500 Nationalist regulars and militia with 3 bombers and 3 fighters
Result Nationalist victory
Republican forces under Captain Alberto Bayo landed on Mallorca to retake the island from the Nationalists. After early success they were counterattacked by ground troops and much stronger air power and driven back into the sea.
Why it is remembered The Nationalists regained full control of Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera by 20 September 1936, and Italy occupied Mallorca.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Bombardment of Almería Landing or siege
31 May 1937 · Almería, Spain
Fought between Germany against the Spanish Republic
Forces 1 German heavy cruiser and 4 destroyers
Losses Spanish Republic: 19 to 20 civilians killed, 55 injured, 35 buildings damaged. Germany: none.
Result German victory; Almería severely damaged
A heavy cruiser and four destroyers of the Kriegsmarine shelled the city of Almería in retaliation for a Republican air attack on the German cruiser Deutschland.
Why it is remembered It was a direct German naval intervention against a Spanish city during the Civil War, and the dead were civilians.
Sources differ Civilian dead are given as 19 to 20.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Battle of Cape Cherchell Fleet battle
7 September 1937 · Mediterranean Sea north of Cherchell, French Algeria
Fought between Nationalist Spain against the Spanish Republic
Commanders Manuel Vierna Belando (Nationalists); Miguel Buiza Fernández-Palacios (Republic)
Forces The Nationalist heavy cruiser Baleares against 2 Republican light cruisers, Libertad and Méndez Núñez, and 7 destroyers escorting 2 cargo ships
Ships Baleares, Libertad, Méndez Núñez
Losses Republic: 2 cargo ships lost (one wrecked, one interned). Nationalists: Baleares seriously damaged.
Result Nationalist victory
The Nationalist cruiser Baleares, on patrol, engaged the Republican cruisers Libertad and Méndez Núñez as they protected two merchant ships. Baleares was heavily damaged in two exchanges of fire with Libertad and did little damage in return, but the merchant ships were forced towards the Algerian coast, where one was wrecked and the other interned by the French.
Why it is remembered Republican shipping in the Mediterranean was disrupted, and Miguel Buiza was dismissed as commander of the Republican Navy because of the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Battle of Cape Machichaco Convoy battle
5 March 1937 · Bay of Biscay, off Bermeo, Spain
Fought between Nationalist Spain against the Basque Navy and the Spanish Republic
Forces The Nationalist heavy cruiser Canarias against 4 Basque armed trawlers escorting the transport Galdames
Ships Canarias, Galdames
Losses Basque and Republican: 34 killed, 12 wounded, 1 armed trawler sunk, 2 damaged, the transport captured; 4 civilians killed. Nationalists: 1 killed, 1 wounded, Canarias damaged.
Result Nationalist victory
Four Basque Navy armed trawlers were escorting the transport Galdames, bound for Bilbao with 173 passengers, when they met the heavy cruiser Canarias off Bermeo. The trawlers fought the cruiser; one was sunk and two damaged, and Galdames was captured.
Why it is remembered Four small armed trawlers fought a heavy cruiser to protect a transport carrying 173 passengers to Bilbao.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Capture of the Mar Cantábrico Blockade and raiding
Also known as Captura del Mar Cantábrico
8 March 1937 · Off Cabo Mayor, Cantabrian coast, Spain
Fought between Nationalist Spain against the Spanish Republic
Forces The Nationalist cruiser Canarias against the merchant ship Mar Cantábrico
Ships Canarias, Mar Cantábrico
Losses Republic: Mar Cantábrico captured with her cargo of war material.
Result Nationalist victory
The Nationalist cruiser Canarias intercepted the merchant ship Mar Cantábrico, which was carrying war material from the United States for the Republic, off Cabo Mayor. She boarded and captured her.
Why it is remembered After her capture Mar Cantábrico was converted into a Nationalist auxiliary cruiser.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Battle of Cape Palos Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Cape Palos
5 to 6 March 1938 · East of Cape Palos, near Cartagena, Spain
Fought between Spanish Republic against Nationalist Spain
Commanders Luis González de Ubieta (Republic); Manuel de Vierna Belando (Nationalists, killed)
Forces Republic: 2 light cruisers, Libertad and Méndez Núñez, and 5 destroyers. Nationalists: 2 heavy cruisers, Canarias and Baleares, and the light cruiser Almirante Cervera, with 3 destroyers that returned to base during the night.
Ships Baleares, Canarias, Almirante Cervera, Libertad, Méndez Núñez, Lepanto, Almirante Antequera, Sánchez Barcáiztegui, HMS Kempenfelt, HMS Boreas
Losses Nationalists: Baleares sunk, 765 dead; 441 of her crew of 1,206 were saved. Republic: none.
Result Republican victory
The two squadrons met by chance at night while the Nationalists covered a convoy. Around 02:15, as the cruisers exchanged fire, three Republican destroyers closed to about 3,000 m and fired torpedoes; two or three struck Baleares and set off her forward magazine. The British destroyers Kempenfelt and Boreas rescued survivors, and a Republican air raid during the transfer killed one British sailor.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval battle of the Spanish Civil War and one of the Republic's last victories. The Republican Navy did not follow it up, so it had little lasting effect.
Sources differ The sinking is generally credited to the destroyer Lepanto, but some authors credit Almirante Antequera. One account omits the three Nationalist destroyers mentioned in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Upload by Basilio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Spanish Civil War
Sinking of the SS Cantabria Blockade and raiding
Also known as Hundimiento del Cantabria
2 November 1938 · Off the coast of Great Britain
Fought between Nationalist Spain against the Spanish Republic
Forces The Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Nadir against the Republican cargo ship Cantabria
Ships Nadir, Cantabria
Losses Republic: Cantabria sunk.
Result Nationalist victory
The Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Nadir attacked and sank the Republican cargo ship Cantabria off the British coast.
Why it is remembered It was a Spanish Civil War action fought off the coast of Great Britain.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, invasion of Poland
Battle of Danzig Bay Air and submarine attack
Also known as Bitwa w Zatoce Gdańskiej
1 September 1939 · Danzig Bay (Gdańsk Bay), Baltic Sea
Fought between Germany against Poland
Commanders Stefan de Walden, Stefan Kwiatkowski (killed), Viktor Lomidze (Poland)
Forces 33 German Junkers Ju 87B dive bombers against the destroyer ORP Wicher, the minelayer ORP Gryf, 5 minesweepers, 2 gunboats and anti-aircraft units on the Hel Peninsula
Ships ORP Wicher, ORP Gryf
Losses Poland: 52 killed and wounded, 1 minelayer and 1 minesweeper damaged. Germany: 7 to 10 aircraft destroyed or damaged.
Result German victory; Operation Rurka cancelled
On the first day of the invasion of Poland, German dive bombers attacked Polish Navy warships in Danzig Bay. The minelayer Gryf and a minesweeper were damaged and the planned minelaying operation, Operation Rurka, was cancelled.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval and air battle of the Second World War.
Sources differ German aircraft losses are given as 7 to 10.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Italian invasion of Albania
Battle of Durrës (1939) Landing or siege
7 April 1939 · Durrës, Albania
Fought between Italy against Albania
Commanders Alfredo Guzzoni, Giovanni Messe, Ettore Sportiello, Umberto Bardelli (Italy); Abaz Kupi, Mujo Ulqinaku (killed) (Albania)
Forces 4,700 Italian troops with 4 cruisers, 4 destroyers, 4 torpedo boats and 10 transport and auxiliary ships, against 500 Albanian troops, 4 patrol boats and 1 coastal battery
Losses Italy: 25 killed and 97 wounded (400 casualties by Albanian claim). Albania: 51 killed, 4 patrol boats and the coastal battery captured.
Result Italian victory
On the first day of the Italian invasion of Albania, Italian troops landed at Durrës under cover of cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats. The Albanian defenders resisted but the port and its surroundings were taken, along with four patrol boats and the coastal battery.
Why it is remembered It was one of the main confrontations of the Italian invasion of Albania, fought on its first day.
Sources differ Italian casualties: 25 killed and 97 wounded by the main account, 400 casualties by Albanian claim.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, invasion of Poland
Battle of Hel Landing or siege
Also known as Obrona Helu (Defence of Hel)
1 September to 2 October 1939 · Hel Peninsula, Baltic coast of Poland
Fought between Germany against Poland
Commanders Friedrich-Georg Eberhardt (Germany); Józef Unrug, Włodzimierz Steyer, Adam Mohuczy (Poland)
Forces 38,000 German infantry, 2 pre-dreadnoughts, 2 destroyers and dozens of aircraft, against 2,800 Polish infantry, 1 destroyer, 1 large minelayer and several light naval craft
Losses Poland: 50 killed, 150 wounded, the rest taken prisoner; 1 destroyer and 1 minelayer sunk, all light craft sunk, damaged or captured. Germany: 46 to 53 aircraft, several dozen soldiers killed and wounded, 1 destroyer damaged, 1 pre-dreadnought lightly damaged, 1 minesweeper sunk.
Result German victory
About 2,800 Polish soldiers under Rear Admiral Włodzimierz Steyer held the Hel Fortified Area for about 32 days while the Germans blockaded the peninsula. By late September it was the last substantial Polish pocket in northern Poland, and it saw the invasion's only naval surface engagement. The defenders surrendered on 2 October because of low supplies and morale.
Why it is remembered From 20 September it was the only substantial pocket of Polish resistance left in northern Poland, and it held out until 2 October.
Sources differ German aircraft losses are given as 46 to 53.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of the River Plate Fleet battle
13 to 17 December 1939 · Off the estuary of the River Plate, South Atlantic
Fought between Britain and New Zealand against Germany
Commanders Henry Harwood (Britain); Hans Langsdorff (Germany)
Forces The heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and the light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles, against the Panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee
Ships Admiral Graf Spee, HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax, HMNZS Achilles
Losses Britain and New Zealand: 72 killed, 28 wounded; Exeter severely damaged, Ajax and Achilles moderately damaged. Germany: 36 killed, 60 wounded; Admiral Graf Spee scuttled.
Result Allied victory
Commodore Harwood's squadron found the commerce raider Admiral Graf Spee off the River Plate on 13 December. Exeter was badly damaged and forced to retire, and Graf Spee's fuel system was crippled. Ajax and Achilles shadowed her into neutral Montevideo; told she could stay no more than 72 hours, and apparently believing a superior British force waited outside, Langsdorff scuttled her on 17 December.
Why it is remembered It was the first British naval battle of the Second World War. Langsdorff took his own life two days after the scuttling.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Sinking of HMS Royal Oak Raid
Also known as Attack on Scapa Flow (1939); Ataque a Scapa Flow
14 October 1939 · Scapa Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney, Scotland
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Günther Prien (Germany)
Forces The German submarine U-47 against the battleship HMS Royal Oak at anchor
Ships U-47, HMS Royal Oak
Losses Britain: Royal Oak sunk, 833 of her crew of 1,400 killed. Germany: none stated.
Result German victory
U-47 under Lieutenant Günther Prien slipped into the fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow and found HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Bay. Her torpedoes tore a hole of nine metres in the battleship, which soon sank.
Why it is remembered The wreck is a protected war grave. Afterwards Winston Churchill ordered a series of causeways built to close the eastern entrances to Scapa Flow.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: Alonso de Mendoza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, invasion of Poland
Battle of Westerplatte Landing or siege
1 to 7 September 1939 · Westerplatte, harbour of the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland)
Fought between Germany and the Free City of Danzig against Poland
Commanders F. G. Eberhardt, Gustav Kleikamp, Wilhelm Henningsen (killed) (Germany); Henryk Sucharski and Franciszek Dąbrowski (Poland, both surrendered)
Forces About 3,400 German soldiers with 1 battleship, 1 torpedo boat, 1 minesweeper, 60 Ju 87 dive bombers and heavy howitzers, against 182 to 240 Polish soldiers with 1 field gun, 2 anti-tank guns, 4 mortars and about 40 machine guns
Ships Schleswig-Holstein, T196, Von der Groben
Losses Poland: 15 killed, 40 wounded, 155 to 185 captured. Germany: 50 killed, about 150 wounded.
Result German victory
In the early morning of 1 September 1939 the old battleship Schleswig-Holstein, anchored in Danzig harbour, fired a broadside at the Polish Military Transit Depot on Westerplatte. Over seven days the small garrison repelled thirteen assaults supported by dive bombers and naval shelling, including a surprise attack on 4 September by the torpedo boat T196 and the minesweeper Von der Groben. The garrison surrendered on 7 September.
Why it is remembered It is often called the opening battle of the Second World War in Europe. The defence is regarded as a symbol of resistance in Poland, and a museum on the site is planned for 2026.
Sources differ The first shot is timed at about 04:43 to 04:48 by some sources and at 04:00 by others. Polish strength is given as 182 to 240 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Associated Press photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Norwegian campaign
Action in the Oslofjord Landing or siege
8 April 1940 · Oslofjord, Norway
Fought between Germany against Norway
Commanders Oskar Kummetz (Germany); Leif Welding-Olsen (Norway, killed)
Forces 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 2 torpedo boats and 8 minesweepers, against 2 forts and 1 patrol boat
Losses Norway: 1 killed, 14 captured, 1 patrol boat damaged. Germany: 1 torpedo boat damaged.
Result German victory
Late on 8 April, Kampfgruppe 5 of the German invasion force met the Norwegian outer defences of the Oslofjord. After a short exchange the German ships pushed through towards Drøbak Sound.
Why it is remembered The exchange caused the first Norwegian death of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Action in the Strait of Otranto (1940) Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of the Strait of Otranto
12 November 1940 · Strait of Otranto, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy
Commanders Henry Pridham-Wippell (Britain); Giovanni Barbini (Italy, wounded)
Forces Force X of 3 light cruisers and 2 destroyers, against a convoy of 4 merchant ships escorted by 1 torpedo boat and 1 auxiliary cruiser
Losses Britain: none. Italy: 47 killed, 59 wounded, 4 merchant ships sunk, 1 torpedo boat damaged.
Result British victory
On the night of the Taranto raid, Force X sailed into the Adriatic and caught an Italian convoy returning from Valona to Brindisi. The British ships sank all four freighters and damaged an escort without loss, then rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet.
Why it is remembered It struck at the Italian supply route to Albania during the Italo-Greek War, on the same night as the attack on Taranto.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of France
Operation Aerial Landing or siege
15 to 25 June 1940 · French Atlantic ports, especially St Nazaire and Nantes
Fought between Britain, Canada, France, Belgium, Poland and Czechoslovakia against Germany
Commanders Alan Brooke (Allies); Gerd von Rundstedt, Helmuth Förster (Germany)
Forces British and Allied ships covered by five RAF fighter squadrons in France and aircraft from England
Ships HMT Lancastria
Losses The troopship HMT Lancastria was sunk by the Luftwaffe on 17 June; about 2,477 were saved and at least 3,500 are estimated to have died, the exact toll being unknown.
Result About 191,870 troops evacuated after Dynamo and Cycle
After the collapse in the Battle of France, British and Allied ships lifted troops, civilians and equipment from the French Atlantic ports. On 17 June German aircraft evaded the RAF patrols and attacked ships in the Loire estuary, sinking the Cunard liner Lancastria, which was crowded with troops, airmen and civilians. Alarmist reports of the German advance ended some embarkations early and much equipment was left behind.
Why it is remembered The loss of Lancastria is the greatest loss of life in a British ship, and Churchill ordered it kept secret. In all, 558,032 people were brought back to Britain during the Battle of France.
Sources differ The Lancastria death toll is unknown; at least 3,500 is an estimate.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Press Agency photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Phoney War
Altmark incident Single-ship action
Also known as Altmark-affæren; Altmark-Zwischenfall
16 to 17 February 1940 · Jøssingfjord, Sokndal, Norway (neutral waters)
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Philip Vian (Britain); Heinrich Dau (Germany)
Forces 3 British destroyers against the German tanker Altmark
Ships HMS Cossack, Altmark, Admiral Graf Spee
Losses Germany: 8 killed, 10 wounded. Britain: 1 wounded. 299 British prisoners freed.
Result British victory
The German tanker Altmark was carrying about 300 Allied seamen whose ships had been sunk by Admiral Graf Spee in the South Atlantic. British forces cornered her in neutral Norwegian waters, and HMS Cossack boarded her in Jøssingfjord. After hand to hand fighting the prisoners were freed and taken to Britain.
Why it is remembered Germany called the boarding a breach of international law and Norwegian neutrality and used it in the propaganda broadcasts of Lord Haw-Haw.
Sources differ One account gives 16 to 17 February; another account gives 16 February.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, German invasion of Norway
Capture of Arendal Landing or siege
9 April 1940 · Arendal, southern Norway
Fought between Germany against Norway
Commanders Wilhelm-Nikolaus Freiherr von Lyncker (German naval); Smith von Wesentahl (German land); Thore Holthe (Norway)
Forces The torpedo boat Greif with 90 soldiers and 10 signals troops, against 19 Norwegian sailors with 1 torpedo boat and 1 seaplane
Ships Greif
Losses None on either side
Result German victory
The German torpedo boat Greif landed a force of bicycle troops at Arendal to cut the undersea telegraph cable to Britain. The Norwegian torpedo boat in the town withdrew rather than fight, her commander citing the risk to civilians and his poor chances, and the Germans took the town unopposed.
Why it is remembered Five days later the Arendal Group, the first organised resistance group in Norway, was formed in the town; it was crushed by the Gestapo four months later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of France
Battle of Boulogne Landing or siege
22 to 25 May 1940 · Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Fought between France, Britain and Belgium against Germany
Commanders Pierre Lanquetot, William Fox-Pitt (Allies); Heinz Guderian, Rudolf Veiel, Wolfram von Richthofen (Germany)
Forces French garrison and training units, 2 British Guards battalions and 1,500 Pioneer Corps troops, supported by French and British destroyers, against 1 panzer division
Losses Allies: about 5,000 taken prisoner.
Result German victory
The 20th Guards Brigade was sent from England to hold Boulogne against the 2nd Panzer Division. Royal Navy ships shot their way into and out of the harbour while French and British destroyers bombarded German positions and the wounded were embarked. On the evening of 23 May the Guards were taken off by destroyers under fire from German tanks and artillery; the French and remaining British troops held out until 25 May.
Why it is remembered It was fought alongside the Siege of Calais just before the Dunkirk evacuation.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer : Davies, F A (Lt), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of Calabria Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Punta Stilo
9 July 1940 · 30 nautical miles east of Punta Stilo, Calabria, Italy
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy
Commanders Andrew Cunningham (Britain); Inigo Campioni (Italy)
Forces 1 aircraft carrier, 3 battleships, 5 light cruisers (1 Australian) and 16 destroyers, against 2 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 8 light cruisers and 16 destroyers
Ships HMS Warspite, HMS Malaya, HMS Royal Sovereign, HMS Eagle, HMS Neptune, HMS Gloucester, HMAS Sydney, Giulio Cesare, Conte di Cavour, Bolzano, Giuseppe Garibaldi
Losses Italy: Giulio Cesare, Bolzano and 1 destroyer damaged. Britain: 2 light cruisers and 2 destroyers damaged; an Italian bomb hit on Gloucester the day before killed her captain, six officers and eleven ratings.
Result Inconclusive
Both fleets were at sea covering convoys. After a long range cruiser exchange, Giulio Cesare opened fire on Warspite, and at 15:59 a 15 inch shell from Warspite struck her at more than 24,000 m, cutting her speed. The Italians laid smoke and withdrew towards Messina, and Italian aircraft then attacked both fleets, including their own ships by mistake, without effect.
Why it is remembered It was the first battleship engagement between the Italian and British fleets, and Warspite's hit is one of the longest range gunnery hits in history.
Sources differ The main account gives 8 Italian light cruisers in its strength figures but lists more in its order of battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unknown serviceman of the Regia Marina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of France
Siege of Calais (1940) Landing or siege
22 to 26 May 1940 · Calais, France
Fought between Britain, France and Belgium against Germany
Commanders Claude Nicholson (Britain, captured); Charles de Lambertye (France, killed); Raymond Le Tellier (France, captured); Ferdinand Schaal (Germany)
Forces About 4,000 Allied troops with 40 tanks, supported by Allied warships, against the 10th Panzer Division
Losses Allies: 3,500 British and 16,000 French, Belgian and Dutch taken prisoner. Germany: by German reports about half the tanks knocked out and a third of the infantry casualties after the attacks of 24 May.
Result German victory
The British 30th Infantry Brigade and 3rd Royal Tank Regiment reinforced the French garrison of Calais and were besieged by the 10th Panzer Division from 24 May. Allied navies brought in supplies, took off wounded and bombarded German positions around the port. Ordered to hold out without evacuation, the defenders fell back to the Old Town and Citadel and collapsed on the afternoon of 26 May.
Why it is remembered It was fought at the same time as the Battle of Boulogne, just before the Dunkirk evacuation.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Action off Cape Passero Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Passero
11 to 12 October 1940 · Off Cape Passero, south east of Sicily
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders Edward McCarthy (Britain); Carlo Margottini (killed), Alberto Banfi (Italy)
Forces Night action: the light cruiser HMS Ajax. Day action: 1 heavy cruiser and 2 light cruisers. Italy: 4 destroyers and 3 torpedo boats.
Ships HMS Ajax, HMS York, Artigliere
Losses Britain: 13 killed, 22 wounded, Ajax damaged. Italy: 296 killed, 1 destroyer and 2 torpedo boats sunk, 1 destroyer damaged.
Result British victory
During Operation MB 6, Italian torpedo boats and destroyers of the Strait of Sicily Device attacked the cruiser Ajax at night. Ajax took minor damage, while two torpedo boats were sunk and several other Italian ships damaged. The next morning the damaged destroyer Artigliere was sunk by HMS York.
Why it is remembered The Italian naval command was dismayed by British superiority in night fighting against some of its best ships and crews.
Sources differ One account speaks of seven destroyers but also of three torpedo boats and four destroyers attacking Ajax; another account gives 4 destroyers and 3 torpedo boats.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of Cape Spada Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Capo Spada
19 July 1940 · Off Cape Spada, north western Crete
Fought between Australia and Britain against Italy
Commanders John Collins (Australia); Ferdinando Casardi (Italy)
Forces The Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and 5 British destroyers, against 2 Italian light cruisers
Ships HMAS Sydney, HMS Havock, Bartolomeo Colleoni, Giovanni delle Bande Nere
Losses Australia and Britain: 1 wounded, Sydney slightly damaged. Italy: Bartolomeo Colleoni sunk, 121 killed, 555 captured; Giovanni delle Bande Nere damaged.
Result Australian and British victory
The Italian 2nd Cruiser Division, the fast light cruisers Giovanni delle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni, met the British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla and the independently sailing HMAS Sydney and HMS Havock off Crete. Bartolomeo Colleoni was sunk and Bande Nere damaged; Sydney took minor damage.
Why it is remembered There were 555 survivors from Bartolomeo Colleoni and 121 dead. Her captain, Umberto Novaro, was mortally wounded and died on 23 July.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Arthur Conry (digitised and edited by Wiki-Ed), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of Cape Spartivento Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia di Capo Teulada
27 November 1940 · Mediterranean Sea, south of Sardinia
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders James Somerville, Lancelot Holland (Britain); Inigo Campioni, Angelo Iachino (Italy)
Forces 1 carrier, 1 battleship, 1 battlecruiser, 1 heavy cruiser, 5 light cruisers, 1 anti-aircraft cruiser, 15 destroyers and 4 corvettes covering 3 freighters, against 2 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers and 14 destroyers
Ships HMS Renown, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Ramillies, HMS Berwick, HMS Manchester, HMS Southampton, HMS Glasgow, Vittorio Veneto, Giulio Cesare, Fiume, Gorizia, Pola, Bolzano, Trento, Trieste, Lanciere
Losses Britain: 7 killed, all aboard Berwick; Berwick damaged, Southampton and Manchester slightly damaged. Italy: the destroyer Lanciere seriously damaged.
Result Inconclusive
Force H was covering the Operation Collar convoy to Malta when it met the Italian fleet south of Sardinia. In a gun action of 54 minutes Berwick was hit twice by 203 mm shells, and Manchester's fire badly damaged the destroyer Lanciere. The Italians withdrew under smoke, Swordfish from Ark Royal attacked Vittorio Veneto without success, and both fleets broke off.
Why it is remembered The convoy reached Malta unharmed. Somerville faced a court of inquiry, and Campioni was replaced by Iachino.
Sources differ Most sources credit the first hit on Berwick to Fiume or Pola and the second to Trieste or Trento.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Collar Convoy battle
12 to 29 November 1940 · Mediterranean Sea, from Gibraltar to Malta and Alexandria
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders Andrew Cunningham, James Somerville, Lancelot Holland (Britain); Inigo Campioni (Italy)
Forces 3 fast freighters and their escorts, against 4 Italian torpedo boats and about 10 MAS boats as well as the Italian battle fleet
Ships New Zealand Star, HMS Coventry, HMS Manchester, HMS Southampton, HMS Defender, HMS Hereward
Losses None on either side
Result British victory
A small fast convoy of three merchant ships sailed from Britain and passed Gibraltar on 24 November, two ships bound for Malta and one for Alexandria. The Italian fleet sailed to intercept, leading to the inconclusive Battle of Cape Spartivento on 27 November. The convoy got through, and New Zealand Star continued to Alexandria with cruisers and destroyers.
Why it is remembered A court of inquiry was sent to examine Somerville's conduct and exonerated him; in Italy Campioni was replaced by Iachino.
Sources differ The main account says the Malta ships arrived on 26 November and also that they made port on 29 November.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Leslie Cornish Priest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Convoy FS 271 Convoy battle
3 to 5 September 1940 · North Sea, off the east coast of England
Fought between Germany against Britain
Forces 6 German E-boats against a convoy of 35 merchant ships
Losses Britain: 5 ships sunk and 1 damaged in the E-boat attack; another ship was bombed and sunk in harbour after the voyage. Germany: none.
Result German victory
Convoy FS 271 was sailing from Methil on the Firth of Forth to Southend on the Thames Estuary. On the night of 4 September German E-boats ambushed it, sinking five ships and damaging one without loss.
Why it is remembered German E-boats sank five ships of an east coast convoy in one night without loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Not stated, assumed Royal Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 47 Convoy battle
14 to 15 June 1940 · Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); B. S. Thesiger (Britain)
Forces 2 U-boats against 58 merchant ships with 2 escorts
Losses Britain: 3 ships sunk.
Result German tactical victory
The 47th HX convoy from Halifax to Liverpool was attacked by two U-boats and lost three of its 58 ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of the HX convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 49 Convoy battle
21 to 22 June 1940 · Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); L. D. Mackinnon (Britain)
Forces 3 U-boats against 50 merchant ships with 2 escorts
Losses Britain: 3 ships sunk, and 1 more after the convoy dispersed. Germany: none.
Result German tactical victory
The 49th HX convoy from Halifax to Liverpool was attacked by U-boats and lost three of its 50 ships; another was sunk after the convoy dispersed.
Why it is remembered It was one of the HX convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 65 Convoy battle
24 to 27 August 1940 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); B. G. Washington (convoy commodore)
Forces 5 U-boats and aircraft, against 51 merchant ships with 7 escorts
Losses Allies: 8 ships sunk, 3 damaged, 197 killed. Germany: 1 U-boat damaged.
Result German victory
The 65th HX convoy from Halifax to Liverpool was attacked by U-boats and aircraft, losing eight of its 51 ships and having three more damaged.
Why it is remembered It was one of the HX convoys that carried supplies from North America to Britain during the Battle of the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 72 Convoy battle
20 to 22 September 1940 · Western Approaches, North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); H. H. Rogers (convoy commodore) and A. M. Knapp (escort) (Britain)
Forces 8 U-boats against 43 ships with 5 escorts
Losses Britain: 11 ships sunk (72,727 GRT), 2 damaged (18,178 GRT), 113 killed. Germany: none.
Result German victory
U-boats attacked the 43 ships of Convoy HX 72 in the Western Approaches, sinking 11 and damaging others without loss to themselves.
Why it is remembered It was one of the HX convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Sources differ One account says one ship was damaged; another account says two.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photo by JF Aylard, survivor., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 79 Convoy battle
19 to 20 October 1940 · Western Approaches, North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 5 U-boats against 49 merchant ships with 17 escorts, 11 of them present during the attack
Losses Britain: 12 ships sunk, 1 damaged. Germany: none.
Result German victory
After its ocean escort left, Convoy HX 79 was reinforced by the escorts of Convoy OB 229, but these were inexperienced and untrained in common anti-submarine tactics. On the night of 19 to 20 October, U-boats sank twelve ships. The escorting submarine got in the way and was attacked twice by her own side.
Why it is remembered Together with Convoy SC 7 the night before, it pushed the British to create permanent escort groups and hurry new equipment such as radio telephones for escorts and aircraft.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 84 Convoy battle
5 November 1940 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Theodor Krancke (Germany); E. S. F. Fegen (Britain, killed)
Forces The heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer against 38 merchant ships escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Jervis Bay
Ships Admiral Scheer, HMS Jervis Bay, San Demetrio, Beaverford, Mopan
Losses Britain: Jervis Bay sunk with 190 of her crew; Maidan, Trewellard, Kenbane Head, Fresno City and Beaverford sunk; San Demetrio damaged; Vingaland sunk later by aircraft; the independent ship Mopan sunk before the attack. Germany: none.
Result German victory; most of the convoy escaped
A seaplane from Admiral Scheer found the convoy, and at dusk the raider closed in. Captain Fegen took Jervis Bay out to engage her so the convoy could scatter; she was sunk after about 20 minutes. Admiral Scheer sank five merchant ships and set San Demetrio on fire, but failing light let the rest escape. San Demetrio was later reboarded and brought into port.
Why it is remembered Jervis Bay was sunk engaging the raider so that the convoy could scatter, and most of the ships escaped in the failing light. The burning San Demetrio was later reboarded and brought into port.
Sources differ The popular account of Beaverford fighting a long gun duel is contradicted by Krancke's postwar account, which says she was torpedoed after a brief engagement.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photo by JF Aylard, survivor., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 90 Convoy battle
1 to 3 December 1940 · Western Approaches, North Atlantic
Fought between Germany and Italy against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); M. S. Townsend (escort) and V. P. Alleyne (convoy commodore)
Forces 7 U-boats and 3 Italian submarines, against 41 ships with 5 escorts
Losses Allies: 11 ships sunk (73,495 GRT), 174 killed. Axis: none.
Result Axis victory
German U-boats and Italian submarines attacked Convoy HX 90 in the Western Approaches and sank eleven of its 41 ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of the convoy battles in which Italian submarines took part alongside the U-boats.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 2 Convoy battle
6 to 9 September 1940 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); E. K. Boddam-Whitham (convoy commodore)
Forces 3 U-boats against 54 ships with 7 escorts
Losses Allies: 5 ships sunk, 110 killed. Germany: none.
Result German tactical victory
A wolfpack of U-boats attacked Convoy SC 2 in the North Atlantic and sank five merchant ships.
Why it is remembered It was attacked by a wolfpack of U-boats in September 1940.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 7 Convoy battle
16 to 19 October 1940 · Western Approaches, North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Lachlan Mackinnon (Britain)
Forces 8 U-boats against 35 merchant ships with 5 or 6 escorts
Losses Britain: 20 merchant ships sunk and 2 damaged (79,592 GRT), 141 or 142 killed. Germany: none.
Result German victory
Convoy SC 7 sailed from Sydney, Nova Scotia, for Liverpool on 5 October 1940. In the Western Approaches it was attacked by one of the first U-boat wolfpacks; the escorts were overwhelmed, and twenty of the 35 cargo ships were sunk.
Why it is remembered The disaster showed the power of wolfpack attacks and the weakness of British anti-submarine methods at the time.
Sources differ One account gives six escorts and 141 dead; another account gives five escorts and 142 dead.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of France
Operation Cycle Landing or siege
10 to 13 June 1940 · Le Havre and St Valery-en-Caux, Normandy, France
Fought between Britain and France against Germany
Commanders Victor Fortune (51st Highland Division); Erwin Rommel (7th Panzer Division)
Forces Royal Navy, French Navy and other Allied vessels
Losses Over 6,000 Highlanders and other troops left behind at St Valery were taken prisoner on 12 June.
Result Allied success in the evacuation from Le Havre
With German tanks in Rouen, the 51st Highland Division and the French IX Corps were cut off from the Seine. Rommel's 7th Panzer Division blocked their retreat to Le Havre, so the Navy took off 2,137 British and 1,184 French soldiers from St Valery-en-Caux on 10 and 11 June, while the rest were captured. From Le Havre, 11,059 British and other Allied troops were evacuated between 10 and 13 June.
Why it is remembered It followed the larger Dunkirk evacuation and was followed by Operation Aerial, which took off another 191,870 soldiers from western French ports.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: The History Department of the United States Military Academy., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of Dakar Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Menace
23 to 25 September 1940 · Off Dakar, French West Africa (now Senegal)
Fought between Britain, Free France and Australia against Vichy France
Commanders John Cunningham (Britain); Charles de Gaulle (Free France); Pierre Boisson (Vichy France)
Forces 1 aircraft carrier, 2 battleships, 5 cruisers (1 Australian), 10 destroyers, over 22 aircraft and troops, against 1 battleship, 2 cruisers, 4 destroyers, 3 submarines, coastal batteries and at least 6 aircraft
Ships HMS Ark Royal, HMS Barham, HMS Resolution, HMAS Australia, HMS Cumberland, HMS Devonshire, Richelieu, Georges Leygues, Montcalm, L'Audacieux, Bévéziers, Persée, Ajax
Losses Allies: Resolution and Barham damaged, Australia and Cumberland damaged, 6 torpedo aircraft lost. Vichy France: submarines Persée and Ajax sunk, the destroyer L'Audacieux beached, Richelieu damaged, the Danish freighter Tacoma sunk, 100 dead and 182 wounded; 84 civilians dead and 197 wounded.
Result Vichy French victory
An Allied fleet arrived off Dakar hoping to bring the colony over to de Gaulle, but his envoys were fired on and the coastal batteries engaged the ships. A landing at Rufisque failed in fog under heavy fire, and de Gaulle called off the assault. For two days Barham and Resolution duelled with Richelieu and the shore guns; Resolution was torpedoed by the submarine Bévéziers and had to be towed to Cape Town, and the Allies withdrew on 25 September.
Why it is remembered The failure damaged de Gaulle's standing with the Allies, and Dakar stayed under Vichy control.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Norwegian campaign
Battle of Drøbak Sound Landing or siege
9 April 1940 · Drøbak Sound, Oslofjord, Norway
Fought between Norway against Germany
Commanders Birger Eriksen (Norway); Oskar Kummetz, Heinrich Woldag, August Thiele, Erwin Engelbrecht (Germany)
Forces Oscarsborg Fortress with 407 men, 18 coastal guns and a torpedo battery, against the heavy cruisers Blücher and Lützow, the light cruiser Emden, the torpedo boat Möwe and 2 minesweepers
Ships Blücher, Lützow, Emden, Möwe
Losses Germany: 650 to 800 killed, 1,000 captured, Blücher sunk, Lützow damaged. Norway: none among the defenders; 4 civilians killed, MS Sørland sunk and a cargo ship damaged.
Result Norwegian victory
A German squadron led by the heavy cruiser Blücher steamed up the Oslofjord to seize Oslo and capture the King and government. The old Oscarsborg Fortress, thought by the Germans to be of little value, opened fire with its guns and its hidden torpedo battery. Blücher sank in the fjord and the rest of the force withdrew.
Why it is remembered The loss of Blücher, carrying most of the troops meant to occupy Oslo, delayed the Germans long enough for King Haakon VII, the government, Parliament and the gold reserve to escape from the capital.
Sources differ German dead are given as 650 to 800.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of France
Dunkirk evacuation Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Dynamo; the Miracle of Dunkirk
26 May to 4 June 1940 · Dunkirk, northern France, and the English Channel
Fought between Britain, France, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and Poland against Germany
Commanders Lord Gort, Bertram Ramsay, Harold Alexander, William Tennant, J. M. Charles Abrial (Allies); Gerd von Rundstedt, Hermann Göring (Germany)
Forces Over 800 vessels: 861 Allied ships and craft engaged, including 39 British and 4 Canadian destroyers, at least 3 French destroyers, minesweepers, trawlers, personnel ships and hundreds of small craft
Ships HMS Grafton, HMS Grenade, HMS Wakeful, HMS Basilisk, HMS Havant, HMS Keith, Bourrasque, Siroco, Le Foudroyant
Losses Allies: 243 of 861 vessels sunk, among them the British destroyers Grafton, Grenade, Wakeful, Basilisk, Havant and Keith and the French destroyers Bourrasque, Siroco and Le Foudroyant; about 2,000 troops killed on the voyages home; 145 RAF aircraft lost. Germany: 156 aircraft lost.
Result Successful evacuation of 338,226 soldiers
With British, French and Belgian armies trapped on the Channel coast, the Royal Navy organised an evacuation from Dunkirk. Troops embarked from the harbour mole onto destroyers and merchant ships, or waded out from the beaches to be ferried by the Little Ships, hundreds of fishing boats, pleasure craft and lifeboats from Britain. Under air attack, 338,226 men were lifted off in nine days, 239,555 from the harbour and 98,671 from the beaches.
Why it is remembered Churchill called the rescue a miracle of deliverance in his speech of 4 June, while warning that wars are not won by evacuations.
Sources differ Figures for French troops left behind differ in the main account (35,000 at Lille and 40,000 surrendering on 4 June).
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of the Espero Convoy Fleet battle
Also known as Battaglia del convoglio Espero
28 June 1940 · South west of Crete, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy
Commanders John Tovey (Britain); Enrico Baroni (Italy, killed)
Forces 5 light cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Squadron, 4 British and 1 Australian, against 3 Italian destroyers carrying Blackshirt anti-tank units to Tobruk
Ships Espero, Zeffiro, Ostro
Losses Italy: Espero sunk, 205 killed, 44 captured. Britain and Australia: 1 light cruiser damaged.
Result British and Australian victory; two of the three Italian destroyers escaped
Three Italian destroyers were rushing anti-tank troops from Taranto to Tobruk when British aircraft from Malta spotted them and the 7th Cruiser Squadron turned to intercept. In a running fight south west of Crete the destroyers, slowed by their cargoes and a heavy sea, were chased. Espero, under Captain Enrico Baroni, was sunk covering the escape of Zeffiro and Ostro to Benghazi.
Why it is remembered It was the first surface engagement between Italian and Allied warships in the Second World War. The cruisers used so much ammunition that the Malta convoys had to be postponed until they had restocked.
Sources differ One account says 53 of 225 crew and passengers were rescued, three of whom later died; another account gives 205 killed and 44 captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Norwegian campaign)
First Battle of Narvik Fleet battle
Also known as Primera batalla naval de Narvik; Prima battaglia navale di Narvik
10 April 1940 · The bay off Narvik, Norway
Fought between United Kingdom against Germany
Commanders Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee, killed (United Kingdom); Commodore Friedrich Bonte, killed (Germany)
Forces Five British destroyers of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla against ten German destroyers
Ships HMS Hardy, HMS Hunter, HMS Hotspur; Wilhelm Heidkamp, Anton Schmidt, Diether von Roeder, Georg Thiele, Erich Koellner, Rauenfels
Losses Germany: destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp and Anton Schmidt sunk, Diether von Roeder, Georg Thiele and Erich Koellner damaged, and seven transports, including the supply ship Rauenfels, sunk. United Kingdom: HMS Hardy and HMS Hunter sunk, HMS Hotspur seriously damaged
Result Inconclusive; heavy German losses but two British destroyers sunk
On 10 April 1940 five British destroyers attacked the German force at Narvik, using surprise against a larger enemy. Two German destroyers, Wilhelm Heidkamp with Commodore Bonte aboard and Anton Schmidt, were sunk with several transports, and others were damaged. The British lost two destroyers: Hardy was set on fire and Hunter was hit by several torpedoes, while Hotspur was seriously damaged.
Why it is remembered Both commanders were killed: Warburton-Lee received a posthumous Victoria Cross and Bonte the Knight's Cross. Three days later the British returned in the Second Battle of Narvik.
Sources differ The Spanish account gives four German destroyers damaged, while another names three.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Image: Government of the UK., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of Gabon Landing or siege
Also known as Bataille du Gabon; Gabon Campaign
27 October to 12 November 1940 · Gabon and Libreville, French Equatorial Africa
Fought between Free France, with British naval support, against Vichy France
Commanders Philippe Leclerc, Georges d'Argenlieu (Free France); John Cunningham (Britain); Georges Masson (Vichy, died by suicide), Marcel Têtu (Vichy, captured)
Forces 1,060 Free French troops with 1 aviso, 1 minesweeper and 1 cargo ship, supported by a British heavy cruiser and a sloop, against 1,500 Vichy troops with 1 aviso and 1 submarine
Losses Free French: 20 to 100 killed, 4 aircraft destroyed. Vichy France: at least 35 killed, 1 aviso destroyed, 1 submarine scuttled.
Result Free French victory
Forces loyal to de Gaulle advanced on Gabon by land and sea, supported by British warships, and took the colony and its capital, Libreville, from Vichy France. A Vichy aviso was destroyed and a submarine scuttled.
Why it is remembered It brought the whole of French Equatorial Africa over to Free France.
Sources differ Free French dead are given as 20 to 100.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Norwegian campaign
Battle of Horten Harbour Landing or siege
Also known as Action at Horten
9 April 1940 · Karljohansvern naval base, Horten, Oslofjord, Norway
Fought between Germany against Norway
Commanders Siegfried Strelow, H. Wilcke (Germany); J. Smith-Johansen (Norway, surrendered)
Forces Over 50 German soldiers with 1 light cruiser, 2 torpedo boats and 2 minesweepers, against 2 Norwegian minelayers and 1 minesweeper
Losses Norway: 2 killed, 10 wounded, 1 minelayer damaged, 1 minesweeper heavily damaged; all forces captured after the surrender. Germany: 1 minesweeper sunk, 1 minesweeper and 1 torpedo boat damaged, human losses unknown.
Result German victory
German forces made an amphibious assault on the Norwegian naval base at Horten and were at first driven back by Norwegian naval units, which sank a German minesweeper. German troops then moved overland to outflank the base, and it capitulated.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first actions of the German invasion of Norway.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Hurry Air and submarine attack
31 July to 4 August 1940 · Western Mediterranean Sea and Sardinia
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders James Somerville, Andrew Cunningham (Britain)
Forces Force H with HMS Argus and HMS Ark Royal, flying twelve Hurricanes and two Skuas to Malta
Ships HMS Argus, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Enterprise
Losses Britain: 2 aircrew killed, 2 taken prisoner, 2 aircraft lost. Italy: 4 aircraft destroyed in Sardinia, 2 shot down.
Result British victory
Twelve Hurricanes flew from HMS Argus to Malta, guided by two Skuas. Force H raided Elmas airfield in Sardinia and HMS Enterprise carried out a deception, while the Mediterranean Fleet made diversions in the east. Italian bombers attacked both fleets but scored only near misses and one hit with a bomb that failed to explode.
Why it is remembered It was the first of the Club Runs that flew fighters to Malta, and it showed that the Italian air force was less formidable than had been feared.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Coote, R G G (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Norwegian campaign
Action off Lofoten Fleet battle
9 April 1940 · Off the southern coast of the Lofoten Islands, Norway
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders William Whitworth (Britain); Günther Lütjens (Germany)
Forces The battlecruiser HMS Renown and 9 destroyers, against the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
Ships HMS Renown, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau
Losses Germany: Gneisenau and Scharnhorst damaged, 6 killed. Britain: Renown slightly damaged, 2 killed.
Result Inconclusive; the German ships withdrew
On the first day of the German invasion of Norway, Renown and her destroyers met Scharnhorst and Gneisenau off Lofoten. After a short engagement Gneisenau was moderately damaged and the German ships withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was a meeting of capital ships at the opening of the Norwegian campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Attack on Mers-el-Kébir Raid
Also known as Battle of Mers-el-Kébir; part of Operation Catapult
3 July 1940 · Mers El Kébir naval base, near Oran, French Algeria
Fought between Britain against France
Commanders James Somerville, Dudley Pound (Britain); Marcel-Bruno Gensoul, François Darlan (France)
Forces Force H: the battlecruiser HMS Hood, the battleships Valiant and Resolution, the carrier Ark Royal, 2 light cruisers, 11 destroyers and at least 23 aircraft, against 4 French battleships, 6 destroyers, 1 aviso and 1 seaplane tender with 42 aircraft
Ships HMS Hood, HMS Valiant, HMS Resolution, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Arethusa, HMS Enterprise, Bretagne, Dunkerque, Provence, Strasbourg, Mogador, Commandant Teste, Rigault de Genouilly
Losses France: 1,297 killed, 350 wounded; Bretagne sunk, Dunkerque and Provence damaged, 2 destroyers damaged, 1 seaplane tender damaged, 1 destroyer grounded, 1 tug destroyed. Britain: 2 aircrew killed, 2 sailors wounded, 3 Swordfish and 2 Skuas lost.
Result British success in disabling much of the French squadron; Strasbourg escaped to Toulon
After the French armistice, Britain feared the French fleet would fall into Axis hands and sent Captain Cedric Holland of Ark Royal to put terms to Admiral Gensoul at Mers El Kébir. When talks failed, Force H opened fire at about 6 p.m. Bretagne blew up and sank, Dunkerque and Provence were badly damaged and the destroyer Mogador lost her stern, while Strasbourg broke out and reached Toulon on 4 July. On 8 July Swordfish from Ark Royal returned and torpedoed a patrol boat beside Dunkerque, whose depth charges exploded and damaged the battleship further.
Why it is remembered The attack was condemned in France as a betrayal by a former ally, and Pétain broke off diplomatic relations with Britain on 8 July. It remains controversial, though some historians say it showed the world that Britain would fight on.
Sources differ Deaths aboard Bretagne are given as 1,012 in the casualty table and 977 in the narrative. Fire is said to have opened at 5:57 p.m. in one passage and at 6 p.m. in another.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Phoney War
Operation Nordmark Blockade and raiding
Also known as Operation Northern Mark; Unternehmen Nordmark
18 to 20 February 1940 · North Sea between Norway and Shetland
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Wilhelm Marschall, Alfred Saalwächter (Germany)
Forces 2 German battleships and 1 heavy cruiser, against convoys protected by the Home Fleet
Losses None in the sortie itself; concurrent U-boat patrols sank several ships, including a destroyer.
Result Inconclusive
A German flotilla of two battleships and a heavy cruiser sortied against British merchant shipping between Norway and Shetland. The British spotted it early, held back a Norway-bound convoy and sent Home Fleet battleships to intercept. The Germans found only neutral ships and returned to base on 20 February.
Why it is remembered It was intended as a reply to the Altmark incident and a prelude to wider German operations in the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Operation Nordseetour Blockade and raiding
Also known as North Sea Tour
30 November to 27 December 1940 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Wilhelm Meisel (Germany)
Forces The heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, against the escorts of Convoy WS 5A, 1 heavy cruiser and 2 light cruisers
Ships Admiral Hipper
Losses Britain: 1 heavy cruiser and 2 transports damaged, 1 merchant ship sunk. Germany: none.
Admiral Hipper slipped into the Atlantic to hunt convoys but struggled with engine trouble and bad weather. On the night of 24 December she found Convoy WS 5A; a torpedo attack failed, and next morning she was driven off by the escorts after damaging a heavy cruiser and two transports. She sank a merchant ship later on 25 December and reached Brest on 27 December.
Why it is remembered It showed that the Admiral Hipper class was poorly suited to Atlantic raiding, and the stronger escorts the Royal Navy then provided frustrated two German battleship attacks in early 1941.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Sweden neutral)
Psilander affair Other action
20 June to 2 July 1940 · Skálafjørður, near Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Fought between Britain against neutral Sweden
Commanders Torsten Hagman (Sweden)
Forces The British destroyers HMS Maori, HMS Mashona and HMS Tartar with naval drifters, against 4 Swedish destroyers
Ships HMS Maori, HMS Mashona, HMS Tartar, HSwMS Psilander, HSwMS Puke, HSwMS Romulus, HSwMS Remus, Patricia, Castor
Losses No fighting. The Swedish destroyers and two auxiliary ships were seized and later returned.
Result Destroyers returned to Sweden
Four destroyers newly bought by Sweden from Italy were sailing home by way of the Faroe Islands when the Royal Navy seized them, with the passenger ship Patricia and the tanker Castor, fearing that Germany might capture them. Ordered to sail for a British port or be sunk, Lieutenant Commander Torsten Hagman withdrew his crews to Patricia and left the ships to the British. After negotiations, and a British payment of £50,000 for damage, the ships were returned and reached Gothenburg on 10 July.
Why it is remembered Hagman was court-martialled and heavily criticised in the Swedish Navy for giving up his ships without firing a shot, and a secret order followed that no ship should ever be surrendered to another country unless ordered.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Sinking of the Arandora Star Air and submarine attack
Also known as Arandora Star disaster
2 July 1940 · About 75 miles west of Bloody Foreland, Ireland
Fought between Germany against the United Kingdom
Commanders Günther Prien, U-47 (Germany); Captain Edgar Wallace Moulton, Arandora Star (United Kingdom)
Forces The submarine U-47 against the unescorted liner Arandora Star, carrying about 734 interned Italian men, 479 interned German men, 86 German prisoners of war, 200 guards and a crew of 174
Ships SS Arandora Star, U-47, HMCS St. Laurent
Losses 805 dead, including Captain Moulton, 12 officers, 42 crew and 37 guards; 868 survivors
Result Arandora Star sunk
Arandora Star sailed unescorted from Liverpool for St John's, Newfoundland, with internees and prisoners bound for camps in Canada. Early on 2 July 1940 U-47 hit her with a single torpedo, flooding the aft engine room and cutting power. Ten lifeboats got away, some overloaded, and many Italians were afraid to leave the ship, which rolled over and sank at 7.20 am. About 1 pm the Canadian destroyer St. Laurent arrived and rescued 868 survivors.
Why it is remembered Most of the dead were civilian internees. Bodies came ashore in Ireland and the Hebrides for weeks, and memorials stand in Bardi, home town of 48 of the dead, in London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, Colonsay and Belmullet, and in Lucca and Parma.
Sources differ Sources disagree on whether the ship left Liverpool on 30 June or early on 2 July 1940.
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of Taranto Air and submarine attack
Also known as Raid on Taranto; Operation Judgement
11 to 12 November 1940 · Taranto harbour, southern Italy
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders Andrew Cunningham, Lumley Lyster (Britain); Inigo Campioni (Italy)
Forces The carrier HMS Illustrious with 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 4 destroyers, launching 21 Swordfish torpedo bombers in two waves of 12 and 9, against an Italian fleet of 6 battleships, 7 heavy cruisers, 7 light cruisers and 13 destroyers in harbour
Ships HMS Illustrious, Conte di Cavour, Littorio, Duilio, Trento, Libeccio, Pessagno
Losses Italy: 59 killed, 600 wounded; 3 battleships disabled (Conte di Cavour, Littorio, Duilio), 1 heavy cruiser and 2 destroyers damaged, 2 fighters destroyed. Britain: 2 killed, 2 captured, 2 aircraft destroyed.
Result British victory
On the night of 11 November, 21 Swordfish from HMS Illustrious attacked the Italian battle fleet at anchor in Taranto, using aerial torpedoes despite the shallow water. Littorio was hit by several torpedoes and Duilio by one, and both were beached. Conte di Cavour settled on the bottom and never returned to full service.
Why it is remembered It was the first all-aircraft ship to ship naval attack and signalled the rise of naval aviation over the big-gun battleship. The Japanese navy studied the raid while planning the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Sources differ The main account says Littorio was hit by two torpedoes in one section and three in another.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photographer not identified., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation White Other action
15 to 18 November 1940 · Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders James Somerville (Britain); Inigo Campioni (Italy)
Forces 2 aircraft carriers, 1 battlecruiser, 2 cruisers and 7 destroyers, flying off 12 Hurricane and 2 Skua aircraft from HMS Argus; Italy: 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers and 16 destroyers
Ships HMS Argus
Losses Britain: 9 aircraft lost, 7 pilots missing, 2 taken prisoner. Italy: none.
Result Italian victory
Force H tried to deliver fourteen fighters to Malta from the carrier Argus. The presence of the Italian fleet led to the aircraft being flown off too early, and with bad weather and poor navigation only five reached Malta; most of the rest were lost at sea with their pilots.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Club Runs that supplied fighters to Malta. Somerville called it a frightful failure in his diary and blamed himself.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Phoney War
Operation Wikinger Other action
Also known as Operation Viking; Unternehmen Wikinger
22 February 1940 · North Sea
Fought between Germany (losses to its own aircraft and to mines)
Forces 6 German destroyers
Ships Leberecht Maass, Max Schultz
Losses Germany: 2 destroyers, Leberecht Maass and Max Schultz, lost; only sixty survivors were rescued.
Result Operation called off after the loss of two destroyers
Six German destroyers sortied into the North Sea, but the Luftwaffe's Fliegerkorps X had not been told of the operation. A bomber of Kampfgeschwader 26 attacked the destroyers, and Leberecht Maass was bombed and blew up amidships; minutes later Max Schultz was shaken by a larger explosion and sank. Both were lost to friendly bombing and German or British mines.
Why it is remembered It is an example of friendly fire caused by poor communication between the German navy and air force. An inquiry cleared the bomber crew, who had received no warning.
Sources differ Whether the losses were caused by bombing or by German or British mines was uncertain; the inquiry ruled that Leberecht Maass was bombed.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Action of 4 April 1941 Single-ship action
4 April 1941 · Mid Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Otto Kähler (Germany); J. A. Blackburn (Britain)
Forces The German auxiliary cruiser Thor against the British armed merchant cruiser HMS Voltaire
Ships Thor, HMS Voltaire
Losses Britain: Voltaire sunk, 74 killed, about 100 wounded, 195 captured; about 200 of them were killed later. Germany: Thor lightly damaged.
Result German victory
The German commerce raider Thor met the armed merchant cruiser Voltaire in the mid Atlantic and sank her after a short engagement. The Germans rescued the British survivors.
Why it is remembered Survivors later repatriated reported to the Admiralty, which accepted that converted liners with old guns were no match for German raiders, though nothing better was yet available.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Black Sea campaigns
Action of 6 December 1941 Single-ship action
6 December 1941 · Cape Emine, 20 miles off Varna, Bulgaria
Fought between Bulgaria against the Soviet Union
Commanders Captain Gricenko (Soviet Union, killed)
Forces 2 Bulgarian submarine chasers supported by aircraft, against 1 Soviet submarine
Losses Soviet Union: 1 submarine sunk, 38 killed. Bulgaria: none.
Result Bulgarian victory
Bulgarian submarine chasers, supported by aircraft, engaged and sank a Soviet submarine near Cape Emine.
Why it is remembered It was a clash between the Bulgarian and Soviet navies in the Black Sea.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Black Sea campaigns
Action of 9 July 1941 Single-ship action
9 July 1941 · Off Mangalia, Romania, Black Sea
Fought between Romania against the Soviet Union
Commanders Horia Popovici (Romania); S. A. Karakai (Soviet Union, killed)
Forces 3 Romanian torpedo boats against 1 Soviet submarine
Losses Soviet Union: 1 submarine sunk, 38 killed. Romania: none.
Result Romanian victory
Three Romanian torpedo boats engaged a Soviet submarine off Mangalia and sank her with all 38 aboard.
Why it is remembered It was an early clash between the Romanian and Soviet navies in the Black Sea.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Abstention Landing or siege
25 to 28 February 1941 · Island of Kastelorizo (Castellorizo), eastern Aegean Sea, off the Turkish coast
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy
Commanders Andrew Cunningham, Edward Renouf, Henry Egerton (Britain); Luigi Biancheri, Francesco Mimbelli (Italy)
Forces 2 light cruisers, 7 destroyers, 1 gunboat, 1 submarine, 1 armed yacht, 200 commandos and 200 soldiers and marines (British), against 2 destroyers, 2 torpedo boats, 2 MAS boats, SM.79 and SM.81 bombers, 280 soldiers and 88 marines (Italian)
Losses British: 5 killed, 10 wounded, 20 captured or interned, 7 missing, 1 destroyer and 1 gunboat damaged. Italian: 14 killed, 12 captured.
Result Italian victory
British forces landed on the Italian island of Kastelorizo to set up a motor torpedo boat base that could challenge Italian naval and air supremacy in the Dodecanese. Italian land, air and naval forces opposed the landings. The British troops were forced to re-embark amid some confusion.
Why it is remembered The failure led to recriminations between British commanders, who were judged to have underestimated the Italians.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unknown serviceman of the Regia Marina, Public domain, via Wikipedia (en)
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Action in Tarrafal Bay Single-ship action
Also known as Action in Tarafal Bay
27 to 28 September 1941 · Tarrafal Bay, Santo Antão, Cape Verde
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders D. C. Ingram (Britain)
Forces The British submarine HMS Clyde against 3 U-boats, U-111, U-67 and U-68
Ships HMS Clyde, U-111, U-67, U-68
Losses Britain: Clyde slightly damaged, none killed. Germany: 1 U-boat damaged, none killed.
Result Inconclusive
British naval intelligence decoded a message arranging a meeting of U-111, U-67 and U-68 in Tarrafal Bay, and the Admiralty sent the submarine HMS Clyde to destroy them. Clyde found the U-boats at the rendezvous and attacked, but none was sunk.
Why it is remembered All four vessels involved were submarines.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Beadell, S J (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Raid on Alexandria (1941) Raid
Also known as Operazione EA 3
19 December 1941 · Alexandria harbour, Egypt
Fought between Italy against Britain
Commanders Junio Valerio Borghese, Luigi Durand de la Penne (Italy); Charles Morgan (Britain)
Forces The submarine Scirè carrying 3 manned torpedoes with six divers of the Decima Flottiglia MAS, against the Mediterranean Fleet in harbour
Ships Scirè, HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Valiant, Sagona, HMS Jervis
Losses Britain: battleships Queen Elizabeth and Valiant disabled, the tanker Sagona and the destroyer Jervis damaged, 8 casualties. Italy: all 6 divers captured.
Result Italian victory
The submarine Scirè released three manned torpedoes outside Alexandria. Durand de la Penne and Emilio Bianchi placed a charge under Valiant, and Antonio Marceglia and Spartaco Schergat under Queen Elizabeth; a third charge exploded under the tanker Sagona, damaging the destroyer Jervis alongside. Both battleships settled on the harbour bottom, and all six divers were captured.
Why it is remembered Six men disabled two battleships at a critical time for the Mediterranean Fleet; Queen Elizabeth was out of action for nearly eighteen months. After the war Valiant's former captain asked for Durand de la Penne to receive Italy's Gold Medal of Military Valour.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Giovanni Dall'Orto., Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Siege of Tobruk
Raid on Bardia Landing or siege
19 to 20 April 1941 · Bardia, Cyrenaica, Libya
Fought between Britain and Australia against Germany and Italy
Commanders Lieutenant Colonel Colvin (Britain); Erwin Rommel (Germany)
Forces No. 7 Commando (A Battalion Layforce) and a Royal Tank Regiment troop, carried and supported by HMS Glengyle, HMS Coventry, HMAS Stuart, HMAS Voyager, HMAS Waterhen and the submarine HMS Triumph
Ships HMS Glengyle, HMS Coventry, HMAS Stuart, HMAS Voyager, HMAS Waterhen, HMS Triumph
Losses Britain: 1 killed, 70 captured. Axis: 1 artillery battery and 1 supply dump destroyed.
Result Allied victory
British commandos landed at Bardia at night, supported by five ships and a submarine. They destroyed an Italian artillery battery and a supply dump, but 70 men were left behind and captured.
Why it is remembered Its lasting effect was to draw a German armoured brigade away from the front line to guard the rear areas.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lt Richard G. Arless, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Continuation War
Battle of Bengtskär Landing or siege
26 July 1941 · Bengtskär skerry, south west Finland
Fought between Finland against the Soviet Union
Commanders Fred Luther (Finland); Pavel Kurilov (Soviet Union, killed)
Forces A Finnish garrison of 41 men, reinforced by 83, with 2 gunboats, against 10 Soviet MO-class patrol boats and a landing party of 31 to more than 100 men
Losses Finland: 31 killed, 45 wounded. Soviet Union: 1 patrol boat sunk, 31 to more than 80 killed, 24 to 29 captured.
Result Finnish victory
Soviet patrol boats landed a party on the skerry of Bengtskär. The Finnish garrison held out, reinforcements arrived with two gunboats in support, and the landing was defeated with one Soviet patrol boat sunk.
Why it is remembered It was a small but costly amphibious fight in the Finnish archipelago during the Continuation War.
Sources differ Soviet strength and losses are given as ranges: 31 to more than 100 men landed, 31 to more than 80 killed, 24 to 29 captured.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Operation Berlin (Atlantic) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Unternehmen Berlin
22 January to 22 March 1941 · North Atlantic, from Greenland to the West African coast
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Günther Lütjens (Germany); John Tovey (Britain)
Forces The battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, against large numbers of British warships and aircraft
Ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau
Losses Britain: 22 merchant ships sunk or captured. Germany: none.
Result German victory
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau broke out into the Atlantic to attack convoys. Where convoys were escorted by British battleships they broke off, as on 8 February and 7 and 8 March, but they caught many unescorted ships on 22 February and 15 to 16 March. They sank or captured 22 merchant ships and ended the cruise in occupied France.
Why it is remembered It was the last success of German surface warships against merchant shipping in the North Atlantic before the loss of Bismarck in May 1941.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of Cape Bon (1941) Fleet battle
13 December 1941 · Off Cape Bon, Tunisia
Fought between Britain and the Netherlands against Italy
Commanders Graham Stokes (Britain); Antonino Toscano (Italy, killed)
Forces The 4th Destroyer Flotilla: HMS Sikh, HMS Maori, HMS Legion and HNLMS Isaac Sweers, against the light cruisers Alberico da Barbiano and Alberto di Giussano and the torpedo boat Cigno
Ships HMS Sikh, HMS Maori, HMS Legion, HNLMS Isaac Sweers, Alberico da Barbiano, Alberto di Giussano, Cigno
Losses Italy: both cruisers sunk, 817 killed. Allies: none.
Result Allied victory
Two Italian cruisers were making a fast run to Libya with aviation fuel and other urgent cargo. Four Allied destroyers on passage from Gibraltar to Alexandria were diverted to attack them; hugging the shore where they could not be seen, they ambushed the cruisers with torpedoes and gunfire. Da Barbiano capsized with fuel burning on her decks and di Giussano broke in two; Cigno rescued nearly 500 survivors.
Why it is remembered A small destroyer force sank two cruisers without loss, and Admiral Toscano went down with his flagship.
Sources differ One account says about 900 killed; another account and body give 817.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of Cape Matapan Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Gaudo (opening actions); Naumachia tou Tainarou
27 to 29 March 1941 · Off Cape Matapan, south west Peloponnese, Greece
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy
Commanders Andrew Cunningham (Britain); Angelo Iachino (Italy)
Forces 1 aircraft carrier, 3 battleships, 7 light cruisers and 17 destroyers, against 1 battleship, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 13 destroyers
Ships HMS Formidable, HMS Warspite, HMS Barham, HMS Valiant, HMS Orion, HMAS Perth, HMS Jervis, HMS Nubian, Vittorio Veneto, Zara, Fiume, Pola, Vittorio Alfieri, Giosuè Carducci
Losses Italy: about 2,300 killed, 1,015 captured; heavy cruisers Zara, Fiume and Pola and destroyers Vittorio Alfieri and Giosuè Carducci sunk; Vittorio Veneto damaged. Allies: 3 killed, 1 aircraft lost.
Result Allied victory
Warned by Ultra decrypts, Cunningham's fleet intercepted the Italian fleet south of Greece. Aircraft from Formidable torpedoed Vittorio Veneto, which escaped, and later stopped the cruiser Pola. That night Zara and Fiume, sent back to help Pola, were caught by Warspite, Barham and Valiant firing at close range by searchlight and destroyed in minutes with two destroyers; Pola was sunk by Jervis and Nubian after her crew was taken off.
Why it is remembered It has been called Italy's greatest defeat at sea, with three heavy cruisers lost in one night. Cunningham later visited Bletchley Park to thank the codebreakers.
Sources differ Italian dead are given as 2,300 in the main account and 2,303 in the body.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Chieftain Other action
16 to 21 November 1941 · Western and central Mediterranean, from Gibraltar and Malta
Fought between Britain against Germany and Italy
Forces Decoy convoy GM 3 of five merchant ships and the oiler Brown Ranger with a sloop, a destroyer and three corvettes, plus Force K from Malta and the battle squadron from Alexandria
Ships Brown Ranger
Losses Germany: 1 U-boat sunk by a corvette.
Result Italian convoy ordered back to port
To draw Axis aircraft away from the land offensive Operation Crusader, the Royal Navy sailed a decoy convoy from Gibraltar on 16 November while Force K and the Alexandria battle squadron made feints. A corvette that sailed late with engine trouble sank a German U-boat. Learning from British signals that Force K was at sea, the Axis ordered an Italian convoy back to port.
Why it is remembered It was a naval deception mounted in support of Operation Crusader in North Africa.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Historical RFA
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Claymore Raid
4 March 1941 · Lofoten Islands, northern Norway
Fought between Britain and Norway against Germany
Commanders Louis K. Hamilton, Clifford Caslon, Joseph C. Haydon, Lord Lovat (Britain); Martin Linge (Norway)
Forces 500 British commandos and 52 Norwegians carried and supported by the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and two troop transports, 7 ships in all, against 1 German armed trawler and local shipping
Ships Krebs
Losses Britain and Norway: 1 wounded. Germany: 228 captured, 10 ships sunk, about 18,000 tons of shipping in all.
Result British and Norwegian victory
British and Norwegian commandos landed almost unopposed in the Lofoten Islands, destroyed fish oil factories and about 3,600 tonnes of oil and glycerine, and sank shipping by naval gunfire and demolition. They returned with 228 German prisoners, 314 Norwegian volunteers and some collaborators.
Why it is remembered Enigma rotor wheels and code books captured from the German armed trawler Krebs helped Bletchley Park read German naval codes and steer convoys away from U-boats.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tennyson d'Eyncourt (Capt), War Office official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Black Sea campaigns
Raid on Constanța Raid
26 June 1941 · Constanța, Romania
Fought between Soviet Union against Romania and Germany
Commanders Filipp Oktyabrsky (Soviet Union)
Forces The destroyer leaders Moskva and Kharkov, covered by the cruiser Voroshilov and the destroyer Soobrazitelny, with bombers, against the Romanian destroyers Regina Maria and Mărăști, the minelayer Amiral Murgescu, the coastal battery Elisabeta and the German Tirpitz battery
Ships Moskva, Kharkov, Voroshilov, Soobrazitelny, Regina Maria, Mărăști, Amiral Murgescu
Losses Soviet Union: Moskva sunk, Voroshilov damaged, 9 bombers lost, at least 268 killed and 69 captured. Axis: port facilities, oil tanks and warehouses damaged.
Result Axis victory
Moskva and Kharkov bombarded Constanța at dawn but were engaged by Romanian destroyers and the coastal batteries, and the bombers that were meant to attack at the same time did not arrive. Withdrawing under fire, the Soviet ships ran into a Romanian minefield; Moskva struck a mine and sank within minutes, and Voroshilov was damaged by another.
Why it is remembered It was the only encounter between major warships in the Black Sea during the Second World War, and afterwards the Soviets used their surface ships much more cautiously.
Sources differ Most sources put Moskva's loss down to Romanian mines; others suggest shells from Regina Maria or the Tirpitz battery, or a torpedo from the Soviet submarine Shch-206.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 106 Convoy battle
30 January to 18 February 1941 · North Atlantic, Halifax to Liverpool
Fought between Britain and Canada against Germany
Commanders Captain W. H. Poole RNR (convoy); Admiral Günther Lütjens and Admiral Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 41 merchant ships and 11 escorts (1 when attacked), against the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the submarine U-96
Ships HMS Ramillies, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, U-96, Arthur F. Corwin
Losses 2 merchant ships sunk, including Arthur F. Corwin with all 59 crew
Result The battleships withdrew; U-96 later sank two merchant ships
The convoy of 41 ships left Halifax on 30 January 1941. On 8 February the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau found it. The captain of Scharnhorst offered to draw off the escorting battleship HMS Ramillies so that Gneisenau could attack the merchant ships, but Lütjens kept to Hitler's order not to engage enemy capital ships and withdrew. Later U-96 sank two of the merchant ships, including the Arthur F. Corwin, loaded with 14,500 tons of aviation fuel, which went down on 13 February with all 59 crew.
Why it is remembered The presence of one old battleship was enough to turn away two modern German capital ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tomlin, H W (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 112 Convoy battle
15 to 17 March 1941 · Western Approaches, North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Donald Macintyre (escort, Britain)
Forces 5 U-boats against 41 ships with 6 escorts of the 5th Escort Group, led by HMS Walker
Ships HMS Walker, HMS Vanoc, U-99, U-100, Franche-Comté
Losses Allies: 6 ships sunk (Beduin, Erodona, Ferm, J B White, Korshamn, Venetia), 1 damaged. Germany: U-99 and U-100 sunk.
Result British victory
Otto Kretschmer's U-99 broke into the convoy and sank several ships. In the early hours of 16 March Walker depth-charged U-100 to the surface and Vanoc rammed her, killing Joachim Schepke. Walker then found U-99 and depth-charged her; Kretschmer brought her to the surface under fire, she sank, and he and most of his crew were taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered The loss of two of Germany's most celebrated U-boat commanders, a week after Prien, was a severe blow to the U-boat offensive and is described as a minor turning point in the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 126 Convoy battle
10 to 28 May 1941 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); F. B. Watson (Britain)
Forces 9 U-boats against 33 merchant ships with 22 escorts, only 1 present during the attacks
Losses Britain: 9 merchant ships sunk.
Result German victory
U-boats attacked the 126th HX convoy from Halifax to Liverpool while it had only one escort present and sank nine of its merchant ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of the HX convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 133 Convoy battle
16 June to 3 July 1941 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces About 4 U-boats against 64 merchant ships with 20 escorts
Losses Allies: 6 ships sunk, 7 damaged, 107 killed.
Result German victory
The convoy left Halifax on 16 June 1941 and was found on 23 June by U-boats of the 1st U-boat Flotilla from Brest. Six ships were sunk before it reached Liverpool on 3 July.
Why it is remembered Canadian corvettes were strongly criticised for poor signalling, shown by the number of collisions.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: US Navy aircrew of Patrol Bombing Squadron 63, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic (before the United States entered the war)
Convoy HX 156 Convoy battle
22 October to 5 November 1941 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and the United States
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); E. W. Leir (Britain)
Forces 52 merchant ships and 16 escorts, including the United States Navy destroyers Niblack, Reuben James, Tarbell, Benson and Hilary P. Jones, against U-boats including U-552
Ships USS Reuben James, U-552, USS Niblack, USS Tarbell, USS Benson, USS Hilary P. Jones
Losses United States: USS Reuben James sunk on 31 October 1941; 44 of her crew of 159 were rescued.
Forty three ships left Halifax on 22 October 1941 and were met by a United States Navy escort unit. On 31 October the destroyer Reuben James, closing to investigate a sighting, was torpedoed by U-552; the torpedo set off her forward magazine and she sank in about five minutes.
Why it is remembered Reuben James was the first United States warship sunk in the Second World War, lost before the country had formally entered it.
Sources differ One account gives 43 ships leaving Halifax; another account lists 52 merchant ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ted Stone, U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy OB 293 Convoy battle
2 to 8 March 1941 · Western Approaches, North Atlantic
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders J. M. Rowlands (escort, Britain); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 37 ships with 4 escorts, against 4 U-boats
Ships U-47
Losses Britain: 2 ships sunk, 3 damaged. Germany: 1 U-boat sunk, 1 damaged, 1 missing.
Result Allied victory
U-boats attacked the outbound convoy in the Western Approaches, sinking two ships and damaging three. The escorts fought back, and U-47 under Günther Prien was lost.
Why it is remembered Prien had sunk HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow in 1939, and his loss was a blow to the U-boat arm.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy OB 318 Convoy battle
Also known as Operation Primrose
7 to 10 May 1941 · Atlantic Ocean, south of Iceland
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders A. J. B. Baker-Cresswell (escort), W. B. MacKenzie (convoy), David Balme (boarding party) (Britain); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 40 freighters with 3 destroyers, 3 corvettes and 2 naval trawlers, against 4 submarines
Ships HMS Bulldog, HMS Broadway, HMS Aubrietia, U-110
Losses Britain: 7 freighters sunk (35,315 GRT), 2 damaged, 40 killed or drowned. Germany: U-110 captured, 2 submarines damaged, 15 killed or drowned, 32 captured.
Result British victory
U-boats attacked the outbound convoy south of Iceland and sank seven freighters. The escorts HMS Bulldog, Broadway and Aubrietia forced U-110 to the surface, and a boarding party captured her with an intact Enigma machine and a wealth of signals material.
Why it is remembered The capture of U-110's Enigma machine led to the Allied breakthrough in reading the German naval Enigma code.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy OG 69 Convoy battle
19 July to 1 August 1941 · North Atlantic, between Liverpool and Gibraltar
Fought between Germany and Italy against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 8 U-boats, 2 Italian submarines and Fw 200 Condor aircraft, against 28 merchant ships with 17 escorts
Losses Britain: 9 ships sunk, 68 killed.
Result Axis victory
The convoy left Liverpool for Gibraltar on 20 July 1941 and was found on 25 July by Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors of Kampfgeschwader 40. Submarine attacks continued until 30 July and sank nine ships.
Why it is remembered The convoy was found by long range Condor aircraft and then attacked by German and Italian submarines.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy OG 71 Convoy battle
13 to 25 August 1941 · North Atlantic, between Liverpool and Gibraltar
Fought between Germany against Britain and Norway
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); P. E. Parker (Britain)
Forces 8 U-boats of the 1st U-boat Flotilla and Fw 200 Condor aircraft, against 23 merchant ships with 13 escorts
Losses Allies: 10 ships sunk (8 merchant ships and 2 escorts), 360 killed.
Result German victory
The convoy left Liverpool on 13 August 1941 and was found on 17 August by a Condor of Kampfgeschwader 40. From 19 August eight U-boats from Brest attacked, sinking ten ships before they lost contact on 23 August.
Why it is remembered The main account describes it as the first convoy of the war to be attacked by a U-boat wolfpack.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 1 Convoy battle
28 September to 11 October 1941 · Arctic Ocean, from Hvalfjörður to Arkhangelsk
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Edward Thornton (escorts), D. Ridley (convoy) (Britain); Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, Hermann Böhm (Germany)
Forces 10 merchant ships and 1 fleet oiler with 12 escorts in relays
Ships RFA Aldersdale
Losses None on either side
Result Convoy arrived without loss
The first convoy with the PQ prefix sailed from Hvalfjörður in Iceland and reached Arkhangelsk after an uneventful voyage. Halcyon-class minesweepers went with it to be based at Kola to protect return convoys and sweep for mines.
Why it is remembered The PQ prefix came from the initials of Commander Phillip Quellyn Roberts, an Admiralty operations officer.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Coote, R G G (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Convoy PQ 4 Convoy battle
17 to 28 November 1941 · From Hvalfjörður, Iceland, to Arkhangelsk, USSR
Fought between Britain against Germany
Forces 8 merchant ships and 8 escorts in relays, against the Kriegsmarine and Luftflotte 5
Result British victory; the convoy arrived
PQ 4 was the fifth of the Arctic convoys that carried weapons, equipment and raw materials from the Western Allies to the Soviet Union after the German invasion of June 1941. Eight merchant ships sailed under escort from Hvalfjörður in Iceland. On the way they overhauled the slower ships of Convoy PQ 3, and the 15 ships entered the Northern Dvina together and docked at Arkhangelsk.
Why it is remembered It was one of the early Arctic convoys that kept supplies flowing to the USSR in late 1941.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 7 Convoy battle
Also known as Convoys PQ 7a and PQ 7b
26 December 1941 to 12 January 1942 · Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea
Fought between Britain and Panama against Germany
Forces PQ 7a: 2 merchant ships; PQ 7b: 9 merchant ships escorted by the trawlers Cape Argona and Wastwater and the destroyers Icarus and Tartar; against 1 U-boat
Ships Waziristan, Cold Harbor, U-134, HMS Icarus, HMS Tartar, HMS Cumberland
Losses Allies: the merchant ship Waziristan sunk with all 47 men.
The convoy was split to keep to schedule. The two ships of PQ 7a left Iceland on 26 December, lost contact in an Arctic storm, and Waziristan was torpedoed by U-134 and sank with all hands; Cold Harbor reached Murmansk on 12 January. PQ 7b arrived on 11 January without loss, though the cruiser Cumberland missed the rendezvous and sailed alone.
Why it is remembered It was the eighth of the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union.
Sources differ The main account dates the sinking of Waziristan to 2 December, although the convoy sailed on 26 December; the date given is likely a slip for 2 January.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 19 Convoy battle
12 January to 2 February 1941 · North Atlantic, from Halifax to Liverpool
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces About 4 U-boats against 28 merchant ships with 11 escorts, 9 during the attack
Losses Allies: 7 ships sunk.
Result German victory
The convoy left Halifax on 12 January 1941 and was found by U-boats of the 7th U-boat Flotilla on 29 January. Seven ships were sunk before it reached Liverpool on 2 February.
Why it is remembered It was one of the slow SC convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Sources differ The main account gives the location as the North Sea, though the convoy sailed from Halifax to Liverpool.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 20 Convoy battle
22 January to 8 February 1941 · North Atlantic, from Halifax to Liverpool
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces About 3 U-boats against 48 merchant ships with 7 escorts
Losses Allies: 5 ships sunk, 1 damaged.
The convoy left Halifax on 22 January 1941 and was found by U-boats of the 2nd and 9th Flotillas from Lorient and Brest. Five ships were sunk before it reached Liverpool on 8 February.
Why it is remembered It was one of the slow SC convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Sources differ The main account gives the location as the North Sea, though the convoy sailed from Halifax to Liverpool.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 26 Convoy battle
2 to 5 April 1941 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); G. Swabey (convoy commodore), J. Cresswell and J. Rowlands (escorts) (Britain)
Forces 7 U-boats against 23 ships with 7 escorts
Losses Britain: 10 ships sunk, 2 damaged, 1 warship damaged, 97 killed. Germany: 1 U-boat destroyed.
Result German victory
A pack of seven U-boats attacked the slow convoy SC 26 in the North Atlantic and sank ten of its 23 ships; one U-boat was destroyed.
Why it is remembered It was one of the SC convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic that suffered heavy losses in 1941.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 42 Convoy battle
9 to 12 September 1941 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); W. B. Mackenzie (convoy commodore), J. C. Hibbard (escort) (Allies)
Forces 14 U-boats of the Markgraf group, against 65 merchant ships with 4 escorts
Losses Allies: 16 merchant ships sunk (68,259 tons), 4 damaged, 276 killed. Germany: 2 U-boats sunk, 53 killed.
Result German victory
The slow convoy SC 42, with only four escorts, was attacked over three nights by the Markgraf group of U-boats and lost 16 ships sunk and 4 damaged. Two of the attacking U-boats were destroyed.
Why it is remembered It was the worst Allied convoy loss since SC 7 the year before.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 48 Convoy battle
14 to 18 October 1941 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain, Canada and the United States
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); H. M. Sanders (convoy commodore), S. W. Davis, L. Thebaud and J. Baker-Cresswell (escorts) (Allies)
Forces 8 U-boats of the Mordbrenner group, against 52 ships with 18 escorts
Ships USS Kearny, HMS Gladiolus, HMS Broadwater, U-568, U-553, U-558, U-432, U-101
Losses Allies: 9 merchant ships sunk, the corvette HMS Gladiolus and the destroyer HMS Broadwater sunk, USS Kearny damaged with 11 killed and 22 wounded, 369 killed in all. Germany: 1 U-boat damaged.
Result German victory
U-boats attacked the slow convoy over four nights from 14 October, sinking merchant ships including Silvercedar, Empire Heron and W.C. Teagle. The corvette Gladiolus was lost with all hands, and just after midnight on 16 to 17 October U-568 torpedoed the American destroyer Kearny. U-101 then hit HMS Broadwater, which sank after about 12 hours.
Why it is remembered The torpedoing of Kearny and the deaths of American sailors, before the United States was at war, brought the country one step closer to war with Germany.
Sources differ Gladiolus's loss is credited to U-558 in one place and reported as sunk by U-568 on 17 October in another, though the main account thinks it more probably happened earlier.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SL 78 Convoy battle
18 June to 12 July 1941 · North Atlantic, from Freetown to Liverpool
Fought between Germany against Britain and Norway
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); G. T. C. P. Swabey (Britain)
Forces About 4 U-boats against 26 merchant ships with 19 escorts
Losses Allies: 8 merchant ships sunk.
Twenty five merchant ships left Freetown on 18 June 1941 carrying cargoes from South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean. U-boats sank eight before the convoy reached Liverpool on 12 July.
Why it is remembered It was one of the SL convoys from Sierra Leone to Britain.
Sources differ One account says 25 merchant ships departed; another account gives 26.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of Crete Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Mercury; Unternehmen Merkur; Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta
20 May to 1 June 1941 · Crete and the surrounding waters, Greece
Fought between Germany and Italy against Britain, Greece, New Zealand and Australia
Commanders Kurt Student, Walter Koch (Germany); Francesco Mimbelli (Italy); Bernard Freyberg, Robert Laycock (Allies)
Forces About 22,000 German paratroopers and mountain troops with large air forces and 2,700 Italians, against 42,547 Allied troops supported by the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet
Ships HMS Gloucester, HMS Fiji, HMS Greyhound, HMS Kashmir, HMS Kelly, HMS Kipling, HMS Warspite, HMS Valiant, HMS Orion, HMS Naiad, HMS Carlisle, Lupo, Sagittario
Losses Allies: about 23,000 casualties in all, 4,000 to 6,000 killed (about 2,000 of them sailors); Royal Navy 12 fleet and 7 auxiliary ships sunk and 22 damaged, including the cruisers Gloucester and Fiji and the destroyers Greyhound, Kashmir and Kelly. Axis: 5,894 casualties, 284 aircraft lost; 1 Italian destroyer and 1 torpedo boat damaged.
Result Axis victory
German paratroopers landed on Crete on 20 May and, after the loss of Maleme airfield, overwhelmed the defenders. At sea the Royal Navy broke up a German convoy of caïques escorted by the torpedo boat Lupo on the night of 21 to 22 May and turned back a second escorted by Sagittario, but by day German bombers sank cruisers and destroyers. More than half the Allied troops were then evacuated by the Navy from the south coast.
Why it is remembered It was the first mainly airborne invasion in history, and so costly that Hitler authorised no further large airborne operations. The Royal Navy's eastern Mediterranean strength was reduced to two battleships and three cruisers.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Operation Rheinübung
Battle of the Denmark Strait Fleet battle
24 May 1941 · Denmark Strait, between Greenland and Iceland
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Günther Lütjens, Ernst Lindemann, Helmuth Brinkmann (Germany); Lancelot Holland (killed), John Leach, Ralph Kerr (killed), Frederic Wake-Walker (Britain)
Forces The battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, against the battleship HMS Prince of Wales, the battlecruiser HMS Hood and the heavy cruisers HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk
Ships Bismarck, Prinz Eugen, HMS Hood, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Norfolk, HMS Suffolk
Losses Britain: Hood sunk, 1,428 dead, 9 wounded; Prince of Wales damaged. Germany: 5 wounded; Bismarck's forward fuel tanks damaged.
Result German tactical victory; British operational success
Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were trying to break out into the North Atlantic to attack Allied shipping. Less than ten minutes after the British opened fire, a shell from Bismarck struck Hood near her aft magazines and she blew up and sank within three minutes, leaving three survivors. Prince of Wales, newly completed and troubled by unreliable turrets, broke off the action.
Why it is remembered Spurred by the loss of Hood, a large British force pursued Bismarck and sank her three days later; damage to her fuel tanks had already forced her to give up the breakout.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Operation Dervish (1941) Convoy battle
21 to 31 August 1941 · Arctic Ocean, from Iceland to Arkhangelsk
Fought between Britain and the Soviet Union against Germany
Commanders Robert Burnett (Britain); Rolf Carls (Germany)
Forces 6 merchant ships and 1 fleet oiler with 14 escorts in relays
Losses None on either side
Result Convoy arrived without loss
The first Arctic convoy sailed from Liverpool on 12 August 1941 and reached Arkhangelsk on 31 August, carrying an RAF wing for the air defence of the Russian ports, civilians and diplomatic missions. The Germans made no attempt to intercept it.
Why it is remembered It was the first of the Arctic convoys that supplied the Soviet Union during the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of the Duisburg Convoy Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of the BETA Convoy
8 to 9 November 1941 · Ionian Sea, off Calabria
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders William Agnew (Britain); Bruno Brivonesi (Italy)
Forces Force K of 2 light cruisers and 2 destroyers, against 7 merchant ships escorted by 2 heavy cruisers and 10 destroyers
Ships Duisburg, Fulmine, Libeccio, HMS Upholder
Losses Italy: all 7 merchant ships sunk, the destroyer Fulmine sunk, 2 destroyers damaged; Libeccio sunk the next day by HMS Upholder. Britain: 1 destroyer damaged.
Result British victory
Guided by Enigma decrypts and a reconnaissance aircraft, Force K from Malta attacked the BETA convoy carrying supplies for the Axis forces in Libya. The whole convoy and the destroyer Fulmine were sunk at night with almost no damage to the British ships. Next day the submarine Upholder sank the destroyer Libeccio while she picked up survivors.
Why it is remembered The Germans sharply criticised the Italian navy and pressed it to accept liaison officers; later Italian convoys were no safer because the British were reading their codes.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Continuation War
Operation EF (1941) Air and submarine attack
Also known as Raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
30 July 1941 · Kirkenes, Norway, and Liinakhamari, Petsamo, Finland
Fought between Britain against Germany and Finland
Commanders John Tovey, Frederic Wake-Walker (Britain); Erich Raeder, Rolf Carls (Germany); Antti Pennanen (Finland)
Forces Aircraft from the carriers HMS Victorious and HMS Furious, 29 Albacores, 9 Swordfish and Fulmar and Hurricane fighters, with 2 cruisers and 6 destroyers, against merchant ships in port, Luftwaffe fighters and anti-aircraft guns
Ships HMS Victorious, HMS Furious
Losses Britain: 16 aircraft lost (12 Albacores and 4 Fulmars), 13 killed and 25 captured by the main account. Germany and Finland: 1 merchant ship and 1 small steamer sunk, 1 cargo ship damaged, 2 aircraft shot down, some damage to ports and oil storage.
Result German victory
Under pressure from the War Cabinet, the Home Fleet sent two carriers to strike shipping at Kirkenes and Petsamo after the German invasion of the Soviet Union. In the midnight sun the force was spotted, and the Kirkenes strike met German fighters and Stukas, losing eleven Albacores and two Fulmars for little result. The Petsamo strike met less opposition but caused only minor damage.
Why it is remembered It was a costly tactical failure, but it fed Hitler's fears of a British intervention in northern Norway.
Sources differ One account gives 9 killed and 27 taken prisoner; another account gives 13 killed and 25 captured.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Excess Convoy battle
10 to 11 January 1941 · South of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy and Germany
Forces 1 aircraft carrier, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers and 7 destroyers, against 2 Italian destroyers and German Stuka dive bombers and fighters
Ships HMS Illustrious, HMS Southampton, HMS Gallant
Losses Britain: Southampton sunk, Illustrious severely damaged, a cruiser damaged, the destroyer Gallant disabled by a mine and written off. Axis: 1 Italian torpedo boat sunk, 8 aircraft shot down by British claim.
Result British victory; all the convoyed freighters arrived
A series of British supply convoys ran to Malta, Alexandria and Greece. The destroyer Gallant was disabled by an Italian mine, and German dive bombers severely damaged the carrier Illustrious and the cruiser Southampton, while all the merchant ships reached port.
Why it is remembered It was the first operation to meet Luftwaffe anti-shipping aircraft over the Mediterranean.
Sources differ One account says Southampton was severely damaged; another account counts one cruiser sunk and one damaged.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lt. D.C. Oulds, Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
First Battle of Sirte Fleet battle
17 December 1941 · Gulf of Sirte, south east of Malta
Fought between Britain, Australia and the Netherlands against Italy
Commanders Andrew Cunningham, Philip Vian (Britain); Angelo Iachino, Guido Porzio Giovanola (Italy)
Forces 5 light cruisers and 14 destroyers, against 4 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers and 13 destroyers
Losses Allies: 1 killed, 2 destroyers damaged. Italy: none.
Result Inconclusive
British and Italian forces met south east of Malta while each was protecting a convoy. Since both wished to avoid battle, the engagement was brief and inconclusive.
Why it is remembered In the days that followed, British ships from Malta ran into an Italian minefield off Tripoli and two battleships were disabled at Alexandria, shifting the naval balance in the Mediterranean towards Italy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Aldo Fraccaroli, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic campaign
Operation Gauntlet Raid
25 August to 3 September 1941 · Spitsbergen, Svalbard, with the sinking of Bremse off the North Cape of Norway
Fought between Britain, Canada and Norway against Germany
Commanders Arthur Potts (Canada); Philip Vian (Britain); Ragnvald Tamber (Norway)
Forces The cruisers HMS Nigeria and HMS Aurora, the destroyers HMS Anthony, HMS Antelope and HMS Icarus and the troopship Empress of Canada, carrying Canadian, British and Norwegian troops
Ships HMS Nigeria, HMS Aurora, HMS Anthony, HMS Antelope, HMS Icarus, Empress of Canada, Bremse
Losses Allied: none. German: the training ship Bremse sunk; three colliers, a whaler, an icebreaker, a tug and two fishing boats taken as prizes.
Result Allied success
An Allied force landed on Spitsbergen to deny the Germans its coal and weather reports, with the agreement of Norway and the Soviet Union, which owned the mines. The raiders set the coal dumps on fire, destroyed mining equipment and wireless stations, evacuated about 800 Norwegian civilians and took aboard 186 French prisoners of war. Several ships were taken as prizes, and on the return journey on 7 September 1941 the cruisers sank the German training ship Bremse off the North Cape.
Why it is remembered The Germans did not learn of the expedition until it had left, and the raiders suffered no casualties.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Raid on Grand Harbour Raid
Also known as Operazione MALTA-2
26 July 1941 · Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta
Fought between Italy against Britain
Commanders Vittorio Moccagatta (killed), Teseo Tesei (killed) (Italy); Henry Ferro (Britain)
Forces 1 aviso, 2 MAS torpedo boats, 9 MTM explosive boats, 2 human torpedoes, 2 support boats and 10 fighters, against the harbour coastal defences and 30 fighters
Ships MAS-452
Losses Italy: 17 killed, 18 captured, 10 boats destroyed, 2 captured, 1 human torpedo lost and 1 captured, at least 3 fighters shot down. Britain: 1 fighter lost.
Result British victory
Decima MAS explosive boats and frogmen tried to break into Grand Harbour before dawn. They brought down the St Elmo Bridge trying to force the entrance but were driven off by the coastal defences. At daylight Hurricanes attacked the two MAS boats and their fighter escort, and MAS-452 was later recovered by the British and used as a tender.
Why it is remembered It was the worst defeat suffered by Decima MAS in the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Domenic Camilleri, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Grog Raid
Also known as Bombardment of Genoa
9 February 1941 · Genoa and La Spezia, Italy
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders James Somerville (Britain); Ferdinando Casardi (Italy)
Forces Force H: the battleship HMS Malaya, the carrier HMS Ark Royal, the battlecruiser HMS Renown, the light cruiser HMS Sheffield and destroyers, against anti-aircraft and coastal artillery
Ships HMS Malaya, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Renown, HMS Sheffield, HMS Fearless, HMS Foxhound, HMS Foresight, HMS Fury, HMS Firedrake, HMS Jersey
Losses Italy: 144 killed, 242 wounded, 14 lighters sunk and severe damage to the port; 5 cargo ships sunk and 18 damaged by British sources, or 1 training ship sunk and 2 ships damaged by Italian sources. Britain: 1 Swordfish.
Result British victory
Force H carried out a naval and air bombardment of the ports of Genoa and La Spezia.
Why it is remembered It was a bombardment of a major Italian port by British capital ships.
Sources differ British sources claim 5 cargo ships sunk and 18 damaged; Italian sources give 1 training ship sunk and 2 damaged. One account says ten destroyers; another account says four.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Domenichini, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Halberd Convoy battle
24 to 27 September 1941 · South west of Calabria, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between Britain, the Netherlands and Poland against Italy
Commanders James Somerville (Britain); Angelo Iachino (Italy)
Forces 1 aircraft carrier, 3 battleships, 5 light cruisers, 18 destroyers and 8 submarines escorting 9 merchant ships, against 2 battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 14 destroyers, 11 submarines, 8 torpedo boats and 130 aircraft
Losses Britain: 8 killed, 1 battleship damaged, 1 merchant ship scuttled, 4 aircraft. Italy: 83 to 90 killed, 1 submarine sunk, 21 aircraft destroyed.
Result British victory
A heavily escorted convoy sailed from Gibraltar to Malta. The Italian fleet sortied but turned back on learning the strength of the escort, while Italian aircraft damaged several ships and forced one merchant ship to be scuttled. The rest of the convoy reached Malta and unloaded.
Why it is remembered It was one of the large convoy operations that kept Malta supplied in 1941.
Sources differ Italian dead are given as 83 to 90.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Beadell, S J (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Black Sea campaigns
Battle of Jibrieni Convoy battle
17 December 1941 · Off Jibrieni, Romania (now Prymorske, Ukraine)
Fought between Romania, with Hungarian and Bulgarian merchant ships, against the Soviet Union
Forces A Romanian escort of 2 destroyers, 2 torpedo boats and 2 gunboats with 3 cargo ships, against 1 Soviet submarine
Ships M-59
Losses Soviet Union: submarine M-59 sunk, 16 to 19 killed. Axis: none.
Result Axis victory
The Soviet submarine M-59 attacked an Axis convoy and its Romanian escorts off Jibrieni and was sunk.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Romanian Navy's successes against Soviet submarines in the Black Sea.
Sources differ Soviet dead are given as 16 to 19.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Operation Rheinübung
Last battle of the battleship Bismarck Fleet battle
Also known as Sinking of the Bismarck
26 to 28 May 1941 · Atlantic Ocean, about 300 nautical miles west of Brest, France
Fought between Britain and Poland against Germany
Commanders John Tovey, Frederic Wake-Walker, Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton (Britain); Günther Lütjens (killed), Ernst Lindemann (killed) (Germany)
Forces The carrier HMS Ark Royal, the battleships King George V and Rodney, the heavy cruisers Dorsetshire and Norfolk and 8 destroyers, against the battleship Bismarck, with Luftwaffe aircraft on 28 May
Ships Bismarck, HMS Ark Royal, HMS King George V, HMS Rodney, HMS Dorsetshire, HMS Norfolk, HMS Mashona
Losses Germany: Bismarck sunk, about 2,200 killed, 110 captured, 5 rescued by German ships. Britain: 49 killed, 5 wounded, the destroyer Mashona lost to air attack.
Result Allied victory
Late on 26 May, Swordfish from Ark Royal torpedoed Bismarck and jammed her rudders, ending her run for France. British and Polish destroyers harried her through the night, and on the morning of 27 May King George V and Rodney, with Norfolk and Dorsetshire, attacked; after about 100 minutes she sank from shellfire, torpedoes and scuttling. The British rescued 110 survivors before leaving because of a reported U-boat, and on 28 May German aircraft sank the destroyer Mashona.
Why it is remembered It ended Operation Rheinübung three days after the loss of Hood. Most experts agree that her battle damage would eventually have sunk her even without scuttling.
Sources differ The exact German death toll is unknown because of the number of supernumeraries aboard. Bismarck was sunk by a combination of shellfire, torpedoes and scuttling.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lt. J.H. Smith, Royal Navy official photographer., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Capture of Saint Pierre and Miquelon Landing or siege
24 December 1941 · Saint Pierre and Miquelon, off Newfoundland
Fought between Free France against Vichy France
Commanders Charles de Gaulle, Émile Muselier (Free France); Gilbert de Bournat, Georges Robert (Vichy France)
Forces 1 submarine, 3 corvettes and 230 men, against a gendarmerie garrison
Losses None on either side
Result Free French victory
Free French Naval Forces sailed to the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, whose authorities had sworn allegiance to Vichy, and took them over without bloodshed.
Why it is remembered It brought the islands over to Free France.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Eastern Front
Siege of Sevastopol (1941 to 1942) Landing or siege
Also known as Defence of Sevastopol; Battle for Sevastopol; Operation Störfang (final assault)
30 October 1941 to 4 July 1942 · Sevastopol, Crimea
Fought between Germany and Romania, with Italian naval support, against the Soviet Union
Commanders Erich von Manstein, Wolfram von Richthofen (Germany); Gheorghe Avramescu, Gheorghe Manoliu (Romania); Ivan Petrov, Filipp Oktyabrsky, Gordey Levchenko (Soviet Union)
Forces June 1942: 203,800 Axis troops and 803 aircraft, against 118,000 Soviet troops supported by 1 battleship, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 2 flotilla leaders, 6 destroyers, 9 minesweepers, 1 guardship and 24 submarines
Losses Axis: about 70,000 casualties over the siege, 25,000 Germans killed; 35,866 in the final assault. Soviet: 200,481 for the Coastal Army and Black Sea Fleet over the siege; 118,000 in the final assault, including 95,000 captured.
Result Axis victory; Sevastopol fell
Sevastopol, the Black Sea Fleet's base, was the only objective in Crimea not taken by the Axis in autumn 1941. A first assault in December failed, and a Soviet landing at Kerch drew Axis forces away. In June 1942 the Axis attacked by land, sea and air in Operation Störfang, and the Luftwaffe sank or turned back most Soviet attempts to evacuate troops by sea. The remaining Soviet forces surrendered on 4 July 1942.
Why it is remembered Only 11 undamaged buildings were left in the city, and the cost of the 250 day siege reduced German resources for the summer offensive of 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Raid on Souda Bay Raid
26 March 1941 · Souda Bay, Crete
Fought between Italy against Britain and Norway
Commanders Luigi Faggioni (Italy, captured); Reginald Portal (Britain)
Forces 6 Italian MTM explosive motor boats launched from the destroyers Francesco Crispi and Quintino Sella, against 3 cruisers, 1 destroyer and 5 tankers and fleet auxiliaries in the bay
Ships HMS York, Pericles, HMS Hasty, Francesco Crispi, Quintino Sella
Losses Britain and Norway: 2 killed; HMS York beached and the tanker Pericles sunk. Italy: all 6 pilots captured.
Result Italian victory
Decima MAS explosive boats were carried to the approaches of Souda Bay by two Italian destroyers and launched before dawn. They crossed three boom defences and attacked the heavy cruiser York and the Norwegian tanker Pericles. Two boats hit York, which was towed by HMS Hasty and beached; Pericles sank in the shallows and later foundered under tow.
Why it is remembered The six pilots, Luigi Faggioni, Alessio de Vito, Emilio Barberi, Angelo Cabrini, Tullio Tedeschi and Lino Beccati, were captured and later awarded Italy's Gold Medal of Military Valour. The British recovered one boat intact and studied it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unknown serviceman of the Regia Marina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Substance Convoy battle
13 to 28 July 1941 · Western Mediterranean, from Gibraltar to Malta
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy
Commanders James Somerville (Britain)
Forces 1 aircraft carrier, 1 battleship, 1 battlecruiser, 4 light cruisers and 18 destroyers escorting 13 merchant ships, against 3 torpedo boats, 1 submarine, 4 MAS boats, 9 torpedo bombers and 4 medium bombers
Losses Britain: 1 destroyer sunk, 1 light cruiser and 1 destroyer damaged, 2 merchant ships damaged, 6 aircraft lost, 35 killed. Italy: 12 aircraft.
Result British victory
Force H escorted Convoy GM 1, the first of its series from Gibraltar to Malta. The convoy was attacked by Italian submarines, aircraft and MAS boats but got through.
Why it is remembered It was one of the convoy operations that kept Malta supplied in 1941.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of the Tarigo Convoy Convoy battle
Also known as Action off Sfax
16 April 1941 · Off the Kerkennah Islands, near Sfax, Tunisia
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders Philip Mack (Britain); Pietro de Cristofaro (Italy, killed)
Forces 4 British destroyers with 2 reconnaissance aircraft, against 3 Italian destroyers escorting 4 merchant ships and 1 ammunition ship
Ships Tarigo
Losses Italy: 350 to 1,800 killed, 2 destroyers sunk, 1 beached, all 5 convoy ships sunk or run aground. Britain: 1 destroyer sunk, 43 killed.
Result British victory
Four British destroyers from Malta caught an Italian convoy and its three destroyer escorts near the Kerkennah Islands. All five merchant ships and the three escorts were sunk or run aground, one destroyer later being refloated, for the loss of one British destroyer.
Why it is remembered The success eased pressure from Churchill and the Admiralty on Admiral Cunningham to do more against Italian supply convoys to North Africa.
Sources differ Italian dead are given as 350 to 1,800.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unknown member of the Regia Aeronautica Italiana, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Western Desert campaign
Siege of Tobruk Landing or siege
10 April to 27 November 1941 · Tobruk, Libya
Fought between Australia, Britain, India, New Zealand, Poland and Czechoslovakia against Germany and Italy
Commanders Leslie Morshead, later Ronald Scobie (Allies); Erwin Rommel, Gastone Gambara (Axis)
Forces About 27,000 Allied troops, mostly the 9th Australian Division, against about 35,000 Axis troops
Losses Allied: 5,989. Axis: 12,296 and 74 to 150 aircraft.
Result Allied victory; the siege was raised
An Allied garrison, mostly the 9th Australian Division, was besieged in the port of Tobruk by German and Italian forces for 231 days. The port was often bombarded by artillery, dive bombers and medium bombers. Allied naval forces, including the British Mediterranean Fleet and its Inshore Squadron, ran the blockade, carrying reinforcements and supplies in and the wounded and prisoners out. Operation Crusader finally raised the siege.
Why it is remembered The defenders became known as the Rats of Tobruk, and holding the port denied Rommel a supply harbour close to the Egyptian frontier.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Action of 13 May 1942 Single-ship action
13 May 1942 · Strait of Dover, English Channel
Fought between Britain against Germany
Forces Royal Navy motor torpedo boats, against 1 auxiliary cruiser, 4 torpedo boats and 16 minesweepers
Ships Stier, Iltis, Seeadler, MTB 220
Losses British: 1 MTB sunk, 9 killed. German: 2 torpedo boats sunk, 203 killed.
Result British victory, though Stier reached the Gironde
Royal Navy motor torpedo boats tried to stop the German auxiliary cruiser Stier passing through the Channel to the Gironde. They sank the escorting torpedo boats Iltis and Seeadler, and MTB 220 was sunk by the German ships. Stier got through and reached the Gironde on 19 May.
Why it is remembered It was a costly night for the German escort, which lost two torpedo boats and 203 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Action of 27 March 1942 Single-ship action
27 March 1942 · About 300 nautical miles off Norfolk, Virginia
Fought between Germany against the United States
Commanders Reinhard Hardegen (Germany); Harry Hicks (United States)
Forces The submarine U-123 against the Q-ship USS Atik
Ships USS Atik, U-123
Losses United States: 141 killed and Atik sunk. Germany: 1 killed and U-123 damaged.
Result German victory
While patrolling off Norfolk, Virginia, the American Q-ship USS Atik met the U-boat U-123 and a short surface engagement followed. Atik was sunk and her commander, Harry Hicks, was among the 141 killed.
Why it is remembered It was a fight between a disguised American decoy ship and a U-boat off the US coast.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Action of 27 September 1942 (SS Stephen Hopkins and Stier) Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of SS Stephen Hopkins
27 September 1942 · South Atlantic, about halfway between Cape Town and Paramaribo
Fought between United States against Germany
Commanders Paul Buck (Stephen Hopkins); Horst Gerlach (Stier)
Forces The lightly armed Liberty ship Stephen Hopkins, against the auxiliary cruiser Stier, a converted merchant ship, with the supply ship Tannenfels
Ships SS Stephen Hopkins, Stier, Tannenfels
Losses Stephen Hopkins sunk, 42 crew killed including Captain Buck; of 19 survivors in a lifeboat, 4 died before reaching Brazil after 31 days. Stier scuttled, 2 crew killed.
Result Both ships lost
In fog the ships came within about 3.2 km of each other, and Stier ordered Stephen Hopkins to stop and surrender. Her crew refused and the German ship opened fire. The Americans fired back with their small armament, and civilian volunteers took over the gun when the military crew were hit. After about half an hour Stephen Hopkins sank, and Stier, with her engines and rudder damaged, was scuttled about two hours later; Tannenfels took off her crew.
Why it is remembered She was the only American merchant ship to sink a German warship in the war. Captain Buck received the Merchant Marine Meritorious Service Medal after his death, and several later Liberty ships were named after crew members killed in the fight.
Sources he.wikipedia.org
Image: armed-guard.com
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Western Desert campaign
Operation Agreement Landing or siege
13 to 14 September 1942 · Tobruk, Libya
Fought between Britain, Southern Rhodesia and New Zealand against Italy and Germany
Commanders John Haselden (Britain); Giuseppe Lombardi (Italy)
Forces About 650 to 700 marines and soldiers, 1 cruiser, 6 destroyers, 16 MTBs, 3 motor launches, 30 landing craft and 1 submarine, against 250 to 300 Italians, 30 Germans, 78 guns and small craft
Losses British: about 800 killed and 576 captured; 1 cruiser, 2 destroyers, 4 MTBs, 2 motor launches and several landing craft lost. Axis: 16 killed, 50 wounded.
Result Axis victory
British, Rhodesian and New Zealand forces raided Axis held Tobruk by land and from the sea, with diversions at Benghazi, Jalo and Barce. The raid was a disaster: hundreds of men were killed or captured, and a cruiser, two destroyers, motor torpedo boats and many small landing craft were lost.
Why it is remembered It is remembered as one of the costliest Allied raids of the desert war.
Sources differ One account says six motor torpedo boats were lost, another account four.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unnamed member of the Regia Aeronautica, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Raid on Algiers Raid
Also known as Operazione N.A. 1
11 December 1942 · Algiers harbour, French Algeria
Fought between Italy against Britain, the United States and Norway
Commanders Mario Arillo (Italy); Morgan Morgan-Giles (Britain)
Forces The submarine Ambra carrying 3 human torpedoes and 10 frogmen of the Decima Flottiglia MAS, against the harbour defences
Ships Ambra
Losses Allied: 1 cargo ship sunk, 1 tanker, 2 cargo ships and 1 military transport damaged. Italian: 16 captured.
Result Italian victory
The Italian submarine Ambra brought manned torpedoes and commando frogmen of the Decima Flottiglia MAS to Algiers harbour. They set limpet mines on Allied ships before being captured.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Decima MAS attacks on Allied harbours.
Sources differ One account says two ships were sunk and two damaged; another account lists one ship sunk and four damaged.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Caribbean
Attack on Aruba Raid
16 February 1942 · Off Oranjestad and San Nicolaas harbour, Aruba
Fought between Germany and Italy against the Netherlands and the United States
Commanders Werner Hartenstein (Germany); Frank Andrews (United States)
Forces 7 Axis submarines, against shore batteries, about 3 patrol boats and 2 light bombers
Losses Allied: about 51 killed, 6 tankers sunk, 2 tankers damaged. Axis: 1 killed, 1 wounded, 1 submarine damaged.
Result Axis victory
A German U-boat attacked the Dutch island of Aruba, home to two of the largest oil refineries in the world, at Oranjestad and San Nicolaas. Other Axis submarines patrolled the area and sank or damaged tankers.
Why it is remembered The attack disrupted vital Allied fuel production.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Battle of the Barents Sea Convoy battle
Also known as Operation Regenbogen
31 December 1942 · Barents Sea, north of North Cape, Norway
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Robert Sherbrooke, Robert Burnett (Britain); Oskar Kummetz (Germany)
Forces 2 light cruisers, 6 destroyers, 2 corvettes, 1 minesweeper and 2 trawlers escorting Convoy JW 51B, against 2 heavy cruisers and 6 destroyers
Losses British: 250 killed, 1 destroyer and 1 minesweeper sunk, 1 destroyer damaged. German: 330 killed, 1 destroyer sunk, 1 heavy cruiser damaged.
Result British victory
German warships attacked the British escort of Convoy JW 51B, bound for Kola Inlet, in the Barents Sea north of North Cape. The escorts held off the larger German ships and the convoy suffered no significant losses.
Why it is remembered Hitler was so angered by the failure that he ordered German naval strategy to rely on the U-boats rather than surface ships.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Battle of Bell Island Blockade and raiding
4 September to 2 November 1942 · Bell Island, Conception Bay, Newfoundland
Fought between Germany against Canada and Newfoundland
Commanders Rolf Rüggeberg, Friedrich Wissmann (U-boat commanders); Werner von Janowski (Germany)
Forces U-513 and U-518, against cargo ships at anchor, HMCS Drumheller and 2 Fairmile motor boats
Ships SS Lord Strathcona, SS Saganaga, SS Rose Castle, PLM 27, HMCS Drumheller, U-513, U-518
Losses 4 cargo ships sunk and more than 60 sailors killed: Lord Strathcona, Saganaga (29 killed), Rose Castle (28 killed) and PLM 27 (12 killed). German: a spy captured.
Result Indecisive
German U-boats made two attacks on shipping at Bell Island in Conception Bay, on an important supply route from North America to Europe. Four cargo ships were sunk and more than 60 sailors killed.
Why it is remembered Bell Island was one of the few places in Newfoundland to come under attack in the Second World War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Black Sea campaigns
Battle of Cape Burnas Single-ship action
1 October 1942 · Near Cape Burnas and the Burnas Lagoon, Black Sea coast
Fought between Romania and Germany against the Soviet Union
Forces 2 Romanian gunboats, a German transport and a BV 138C flying boat, against 1 Soviet submarine
Ships M-118, Salzburg, Sublocotenent Ghiculescu, Stihi Eugen
Losses German transport Salzburg sunk with about 2,000 Soviet prisoners of war aboard. Soviet: submarine M-118 sunk with all hands, 16 to 19 killed.
Result The Soviet submarine was sunk
The Soviet submarine M-118 sank the German transport Salzburg, which was carrying 2,000 Soviet prisoners of war. A German flying boat then located the submarine, and the Romanian gunboats Sublocotenent Ghiculescu and Stihi Eugen sank her with depth charges, with the loss of all hands.
Why it is remembered The sinking of Salzburg killed about 2,000 Soviet prisoners carried aboard.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Channel Dash Fleet battle
Also known as Operation Cerberus; Unternehmen Zerberus
11 to 13 February 1942 · English Channel and Strait of Dover, from Brest to German ports
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Otto Ciliax (Germany); Bertram Ramsay (Britain)
Forces 2 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser, 6 destroyers, 14 torpedo boats, 26 E-boats and about 284 aircraft, against 6 destroyers, 3 destroyer escorts, 32 motor torpedo boats and about 450 aircraft
Ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Prinz Eugen
Losses German: 2 battleships damaged by mines, patrol boat V1302 sunk, 22 aircraft, 13 sailors and 23 aircrew killed. British: 230 to 250 killed and wounded, 1 destroyer badly damaged, MTBs damaged, 42 aircraft.
Result German victory; judged by the Kriegsmarine a tactical success and a strategic failure
Hitler ordered the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen home from Brest by the short route up the Channel. They sailed late on 11 February and went undetected for over twelve hours, nearing the Strait of Dover before the British reacted. Attacks by the RAF, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy and coastal guns all failed, but both battleships were damaged by mines in the North Sea. The ships reached German ports by 13 February.
Why it is remembered The Times called it a fiasco and Churchill ordered an inquiry, though the move ended the ships' threat to Atlantic convoys.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Air Force official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HG 84 Convoy battle
10 to 20 June 1942 · Eastern Atlantic, Gibraltar to Britain
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Hubert Hudson, Frederic Walker (Britain)
Forces 9 U-boats, against 23 ships and 7 escorts
Losses Allied: 5 ships sunk. German: 3 U-boats damaged.
Result Inconclusive
HG 84, a homeward convoy from Gibraltar, was attacked by nine U-boats. Five ships were sunk and three U-boats were damaged by the escorts under Frederic Walker.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Gibraltar convoy battles fought by Walker's escort group.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Walter Frentz, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 212 Convoy battle
26 to 29 October 1942 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain, the United States and Canada
Commanders Vice Admiral W. de M. Egerton (commodore); Commander T. L. Lewis USCG (escort); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 17 U-boats, against 43 freighters escorted by 1 cutter, 1 destroyer and 6 corvettes
Ships USCGC Campbell, HMS Badger, HMS Dianthus, HMCS Rosthern, HMCS Trillium, HMCS Dauphin, HMCS Alberni, HMCS Summerside, HMCS Ville de Quebec
Losses 6 freighters sunk (51,997 GRT), 243 killed or drowned
Result German tactical victory
The convoy left New York on 18 October 1942 and was met on 23 October by Group A-3: the cutter Campbell, the destroyer Badger and seven corvettes, three of them only on passage towards Operation Torch. Only Summerside had modern centimetric radar. U-boats attacked from 26 to 29 October and sank six freighters.
Why it is remembered It showed the cost of escorts that lacked modern radar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Harold William John Tomlin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the St. Lawrence
Convoy LN 7 Convoy battle
3 September 1942 · Gulf of St. Lawrence
Fought between Germany against Canada and Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz, Paul Hartwig (Germany)
Forces 1 U-boat, against 3 merchant ships and 2 escorts
Ships Donald Stewart, U-517
Losses The merchant ship Donald Stewart sunk
Result German victory
LN 7 was a convoy from Quebec City to Goose Bay, Labrador. U-517 found it on 2 September 1942 and sank the merchant ship Donald Stewart early the next morning.
Why it is remembered It was one of the U-boat strikes in Canadian waters in 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: uboat.net
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy OG 82 Convoy battle
14 April 1942 · Eastern Atlantic, on the route from Britain to Gibraltar
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Captain A. J. Baxter (commodore), Commander Frederic John Walker (escort)
Forces 1 U-boat, against 17 ships and 5 escorts
Losses German: 1 U-boat destroyed. Allied: no ships sunk.
Result Allied victory
A U-boat attacking the outbound Gibraltar convoy OG 82 was destroyed by Walker's escorts, and no ships of the convoy were lost.
Why it is remembered The action had consequences for German U-boat strategy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy ON 113 Convoy battle
17 to 31 July 1942 · North Atlantic, Liverpool to Halifax
Fought between Germany against Canada and Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 11 U-boats of Wolf pack Wolf, against 37 merchant ships and 11 escorts of Group C-2
Losses 5 ships sunk and 1 damaged
Result German success
The convoy left Liverpool on 17 July 1942 and was joined next day by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-2. The eleven U-boats of Wolf pack Wolf found it on 24 July and sank five ships before it reached Halifax on 31 July.
Why it is remembered It was one of the outbound convoys attacked by wolfpacks in mid 1942.
Sources differ One account gives the location as the North Sea, which does not fit the Liverpool to Halifax route described in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy ON 115 Convoy battle
24 July to 8 August 1942 · North Atlantic, Liverpool to Boston
Fought between Germany against Canada and Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Admiral Sir A. J. Davies (commodore)
Forces 13 U-boats, against 43 merchant ships and 12 escorts
Losses Allied: 3 ships sunk, 2 damaged, 67 killed. German: 1 U-boat sunk.
Result The convoy reached Boston with three ships lost
The convoy of 43 merchant ships and 12 escorts left Liverpool on 24 July 1942. U-boats sank three ships and damaged two during the crossing, and one U-boat was sunk. The convoy arrived at Boston on 8 August.
Why it is remembered It was one of the many contested North Atlantic crossings of 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy ON 122 Convoy battle
22 to 25 August 1942 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Norway
Commanders Captain S. N. White RNR (commodore); Lieutenant Commander J. V. Waterhouse RN (escort); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 9 U-boats, against 37 merchant ships and 5 escorts of Group B6
Losses 4 merchant ships sunk (17,235 GRT), 40 killed or drowned
Result German victory
The convoy left Liverpool on 15 August 1942 and was joined on 17 August by Escort Group B6. U-boats attacked between 22 and 25 August and sank four merchant ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of the outbound convoys hit in mid-Atlantic in summer 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Tomlin, H W (Lt), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy ON 127 Convoy battle
9 to 14 September 1942 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Rear Admiral Sir E. O. Cochrane (commodore); Lieutenant Commander A. H. Dobson RCNR (escort); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 13 U-boats, against 35 freighters escorted by Group C-4: the destroyers Ottawa and St. Croix and the corvettes Amherst, Arvida, Sherbrooke and Celandine
Ships HMCS Ottawa, HMCS St. Croix, HMCS Amherst, HMCS Arvida, HMCS Sherbrooke, HMS Celandine
Losses Allied: 6 freighters sunk (44,113 GRT) with 24 killed, and 1 destroyer sunk with 114 killed. German: none.
Result German victory
The convoy left Liverpool on 4 September 1942 and was met by the Canadian Group C-4. None of the Canadian ships' radar sets were working, only Celandine had centimetric radar, and none carried HF/DF. Thirteen U-boats attacked and sank six freighters and an escorting destroyer without loss to themselves.
Why it is remembered It was the only North Atlantic trade convoy of 1942 or 1943 in which every U-boat sent against it fired torpedoes.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy ON 144 Convoy battle
15 to 18 November 1942 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain, Norway and the United States
Commanders Captain J. K. Brook RNR (commodore); Lieutenant Commander Monssen (escort); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 10 U-boats, against 33 freighters and Group B-6: the corvettes Vervain, Potentilla, Eglantine, Montbretia and Rose
Ships HMS Vervain, HNoMS Potentilla, HNoMS Eglantine, HNoMS Montbretia, HNoMS Rose, Perth
Losses Allied: 5 freighters sunk (25,396 GRT) with 86 killed, and 1 corvette sunk with 47 killed. German: 1 submarine sunk, 50 killed.
Result German victory
The convoy left Liverpool on 7 November 1942 with Group B-6, which had sailed without its destroyers Fame and Viscount, damaged in the battle for SC 104. US Coast Guard cutters accompanied it until ships detached for Iceland on 15 November. Ten U-boats then attacked and sank five freighters and a corvette, and one U-boat was sunk.
Why it is remembered Its escort was made up only of corvettes after the group's destroyers were damaged.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tomlin, H W (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy ON 153 Convoy battle
11 to 31 December 1942 · North Atlantic, Liverpool to New York
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Rear Admiral Sir E. Manners (commodore)
Forces 13 U-boats of Wolf pack Raufbold, against 45 merchant ships and 6 escorts of Group B-7
Losses 3 ships sunk, including the escort group leader, 1 damaged, 249 killed
Result German tactical victory
The convoy left Liverpool on 11 December 1942 and was met next day by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-7. In a battle with Wolf pack Raufbold two merchant ships and the escort group leader were sunk before the Western Local Escort Force took over on 23 December. The surviving ships reached New York on 31 December.
Why it is remembered The convoy lost the ship leading its own escort group.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy ON 154 Convoy battle
Also known as Convoy ONS 154; Convoy ON(S) 154
26 to 30 December 1942 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Canada, Britain and the United States
Commanders Wion de Malpas Egerton, Guy Windeyer (Allies); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 20 U-boats, against 50 freighters, 1 destroyer, 5 corvettes and 1 special service vessel
Losses Allied: 13 merchant ships sunk (66,922 GRT), 177 killed; 1 special service vessel sunk, 369 killed. German: 1 submarine sunk, 46 killed.
Result German victory
The outbound convoy came under U-boat attack in late December 1942 and lost 13 of its 50 freighters. One U-boat was sunk.
Why it is remembered It was one of the worst convoy losses of the winter of 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photographer not identified, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy ON 92 Convoy battle
6 to 21 May 1942 · North Atlantic, Liverpool to Halifax
Fought between Germany against Britain, the United States and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); R. Gill (convoy commodore); J. Heffernan (escort)
Forces 9 U-boats of Wolfpack Hecht, against 1 destroyer, 4 corvettes and 1 cutter of Group A-3 escorting 46 merchant ships
Losses Allied: 7 merchant ships sunk, 1 damaged, 9 killed. German: none.
Result German victory
The convoy left Liverpool on 6 May 1942 and was joined next day by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3. Wolfpack Hecht found it on 11 May and sank seven ships before losing contact on 13 May. The survivors reached Halifax on 21 May.
Why it is remembered It was one of the convoys badly hit by wolfpacks in mid-ocean in 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 12 Convoy battle
1 to 12 March 1942 · Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea, Reykjavík to Murmansk
Fought between Britain and the Soviet Union against Germany
Commanders Hubert Hudson (commodore), John McBeath (escorts), John Tovey (Home Fleet); Otto Ciliax (Germany)
Forces 15 merchant ships and escorts, with the Home Fleet in distant cover, against the battleship Tirpitz and destroyers
Ships Tirpitz, HMS Oribi, HMS Shera
Losses British: the whaler HMS Shera capsized with all but three of her crew, HMS Oribi damaged by ice, 2 Albacore torpedo bombers lost. German: 1 aircraft.
Result The convoy reached Murmansk without loss to the enemy
The Germans sent Tirpitz and destroyers in Operation Sportpalast against PQ 12 and the returning convoy, but in fog and storms neither side could find the other. British Albacore torpedo bombers attacked Tirpitz as she returned to base but missed and lost two aircraft. The convoy reached Murmansk; on 9 March the escort whaler HMS Shera capsized in a storm after ice built up on her superstructure.
Why it is remembered The German naval staff judged that Tirpitz had narrowly escaped and kept her from sailing against a convoy for three months.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Claude Henry Parnall, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 13 Convoy battle
20 March to 2 April 1942 · Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea, north of North Cape to Murmansk
Fought between Britain, Poland and the Soviet Union against Germany
Commanders John Tovey, Leslie Saunders (Britain); Hubert Schmundt, Gottfried Pönitz (Germany)
Forces 1 cruiser, 5 destroyers, 2 anti-submarine trawlers, 3 whalers and others escorting 19 merchant ships, against 6 U-boats, 3 destroyers and aircraft
Ships HMS Trinidad, HMS Fury, HMS Eclipse, Z26
Losses Allied: 5 freighters and 1 whaler sunk, the cruiser Trinidad severely damaged. German: 1 destroyer and 1 U-boat sunk, several aircraft.
Result The convoy reached Murmansk with five ships lost
A three day storm scattered the convoy westward of North Cape, and clear weather then exposed it to German aircraft, which sank two ships. Three German destroyers from Kirkenes sank another. On 29 March the cruiser Trinidad found the destroyers by radar and hit Z26, but in snow squalls Trinidad was struck by one of her own torpedoes and badly damaged; Z26 was sunk by the destroyer Eclipse. U-boats sank two more ships near Murmansk.
Why it is remembered The losses alarmed Admiral Tovey and Admiral Pound, who foresaw heavier combined attacks on Arctic convoys as the days lengthened.
Sources differ The main account dates the end of the storm to 28 April, which must mean 28 March given the convoy dates.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Uknown official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 14 Convoy battle
8 to 19 April 1942 · Arctic Ocean, Iceland to Murmansk
Fought between Allies against Germany
Commanders Stuart Bonham Carter (Allies); Hans-Jürgen Stumpff (Germany)
Forces 26 merchant ships with escorts in relays, against 2 U-boats, 3 destroyers and Ju 88 bombers
Losses Allied: 1 ship sunk, 16 turned back with ice damage. German: 1 Ju 88.
Result Allied victory; seven ships reached Murmansk
The convoy sailed in April 1942, when daylight was lengthening but the polar ice had not yet receded. On the night of 10 to 11 April thirty hours in fog and pack ice damaged so many ships that 16 had to return to Iceland. On 16 April air and U-boat attacks sank one merchant ship, and the remaining seven reached Murmansk.
Why it is remembered The Royal Navy predicted serious losses in the coming months of near constant daylight.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 15 Convoy battle
26 April to 5 May 1942 · Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea, Iceland to Murmansk
Fought between Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union against Germany
Commanders Herbert Anchor (commodore), John Crombie (escort), Harold Burrough (cruiser cover); Hubert Schmundt, Hans-Jürgen Stumpff (Germany)
Forces 25 merchant ships, 38 escorts and 9 submarines, against 7 U-boats and Luftflotte 5
Ships ORP Jastrząb, HMS Punjabi, HMS King George V, Cape Palliser
Losses Allied: 3 merchant ships sunk and 72 killed; the destroyer HMS Punjabi lost in collision with 49 killed; the Polish submarine Jastrząb sunk in error with 5 killed. German: 5 aircraft.
Result The convoy reached Murmansk
On 2 May the escorts depth charged a submarine that turned out to be the Polish Jastrząb, out of her patrol zone; five of her crew were killed. In fog on 1 May, the destroyer HMS Punjabi of the covering force was rammed by the battleship King George V and sunk. On 3 May six He 111 torpedo bombers flying below radar cover sank three ships. The convoy arrived at Murmansk on 5 May.
Why it is remembered A German effort against the returning convoy QP 11 helped PQ 15 get through with relatively few losses.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 16 Convoy battle
21 to 30 May 1942 · Arctic Ocean, Iceland to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk
Fought between Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union against Germany
Commanders Newell Gale (convoy), Richard Onslow (escorts); Alexander Holle, Hans Roth, Hermann Busch (Germany)
Forces 36 merchant ships with escorts in relays, against 108 aircraft and 3 U-boats
Losses Allied: 7 ships sunk, 1 turned back; 468 tanks, 201 aircraft and 3,277 motor vehicles lost, 26 per cent of the cargo. German: 3 to 6 aircraft shot down, 1 damaged, 2 U-boats damaged.
Result Allied victory
PQ 16 was the largest Arctic convoy yet. From 25 May German bombers and torpedo bombers made coordinated attacks, using the Golden Comb tactic of dropping torpedoes in a salvo; on 27 May alone 108 attacks were counted. Six ships were sunk by aircraft and one by a U-boat.
Why it is remembered Its escort commander called for more anti-aircraft guns and an escort carrier, and the Germans concluded that aircraft were more effective than U-boats in the long Arctic daylight.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Claude Henry Parnall, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 17 Convoy battle
27 June to 10 July 1942 · Arctic Ocean, Hvalfjörður to Arkhangelsk
Fought between Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, the Netherlands and Panama against Germany
Commanders Dudley Pound, John Tovey, Louis Hamilton, Jack Broome, John Dowding (Allies); Erich Raeder, Karl Dönitz, Hans-Jürgen Stumpff (Germany)
Forces 35 merchant ships with a close escort of 6 destroyers, 11 escort vessels and 2 anti-aircraft ships, and covering forces of 1 aircraft carrier, 2 battleships, 6 cruisers and 13 destroyers; against 1 battleship, 3 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 11 U-boats, 33 torpedo bombers and 6 bombers
Ships Tirpitz
Losses Allied: 24 merchant ships sunk, 153 merchant seamen killed; 3,350 vehicles, 210 aircraft, 430 tanks and 99,316 GRT of cargo lost. German: 5 aircraft.
Result German victory
PQ 17 was the first large joint Anglo-American naval operation under British command. German forces found the convoy on 1 July. Told that Tirpitz and other German ships were moving to intercept, the First Sea Lord, Dudley Pound, ordered the cruisers and close escort destroyers to join the heavy cover to the west and the convoy to scatter. Aircraft and U-boats then picked off the scattered ships, and the German surface sortie was cancelled on 5 July as unnecessary; only eleven of the 35 ships arrived.
Why it is remembered The disaster showed how dangerous Arctic convoys were in the summer months of midnight sun, as the Admiralty had warned.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: RN official photographer, Ware C J (Lt), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 18 Convoy battle
2 to 21 September 1942 · Arctic Ocean, Loch Ewe and Iceland to Arkhangelsk
Fought between Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union against Germany
Commanders Robert Burnett (Britain); Otto Klüber, Rolf Carls (Germany)
Forces 40 merchant ships, 40 to 50 escorts in relays, 2 submarines and 1 escort carrier, against 12 U-boats, 92 torpedo bombers, 120 bombers and reconnaissance aircraft
Ships HMS Avenger
Losses Allied: 13 merchant ships, 4 Sea Hurricanes. German: 4 U-boats and 22 to 44 aircraft.
Result Allied victory; the convoy reached Arkhangelsk
PQ 18 sailed from Loch Ewe with an exceptionally large escort in Operation EV, including HMS Avenger, the first escort carrier to accompany an Arctic convoy. From 12 to 21 September bombers, torpedo bombers, U-boats and mines sank thirteen ships. Avenger's aircraft and warnings from Ultra decrypts helped the defence, and gunners on the freighters fought off air attacks. The convoy rode out a storm in the Northern Dvina estuary and reached Arkhangelsk on 21 September.
Why it is remembered The Luftwaffe's losses, and the move of its best aircraft to the Mediterranean in November, meant such an effort against an Arctic convoy was never repeated.
Sources differ German aircraft losses are given as 22 to 44 in one account and forty four in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: British Newsreel Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy PQ 8 Convoy battle
8 to 17 January 1942 · Arctic Ocean, Iceland to Murmansk
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders L. S. Saunders (escorts), R. W. Brundle (convoy); Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, Hermann Böhm (Germany)
Forces Convoy and escorts, against the first U-boat wolfpack in the Arctic, Ulan
Ships HMS Matabele, SS Harmatris, U-454
Losses The destroyer HMS Matabele sunk with all but two of her crew; SS Harmatris damaged
Result British victory; the convoy reached Murmansk
The convoy left Iceland on 8 January 1942. On 17 January, almost at Murmansk, U-454 of wolfpack Ulan damaged the merchant ship Harmatris and sank the destroyer HMS Matabele, with the loss of all but two of her crew. Harmatris was towed into harbour on 20 January.
Why it is remembered It met the first German U-boat wolfpack formed in the Arctic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy QP 13 Convoy battle
26 June to 7 July 1942 · Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea, and a minefield off Iceland
Fought between Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States against Germany
Commanders Newell Gale, J. Hiss (commodores); Percy Todd, Arthur Cubison (escort); Hermann Boehm, Hubert Schmundt (Germany)
Forces 36 merchant ships and escorts, shadowed by German reconnaissance aircraft and 2 U-boats
Losses The leading escort and 4 merchant ships sunk, 2 merchant ships damaged and later written off; 173 men killed; 38,306 GRT lost
Result The convoy escaped German attack but lost ships in an Allied minefield
QP 13 was the homeward convoy from Arkhangelsk and Murmansk sailing while the Germans attacked its counterpart PQ 17, and it was left alone apart from aircraft and U-boat sightings. Near Iceland the Admiralty split the convoy. After three days of bad weather without a navigational fix, an iceberg was mistaken for land and the Reykjavík section turned into a new minefield; the leading escort blew up, four merchant ships were sunk and two damaged. The survivors reached Reykjavík on 7 July.
Why it is remembered Its heaviest losses came from a friendly minefield, not from the enemy.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Convoy QP 14 Convoy battle
13 to 26 September 1942 · Arctic Ocean, Arkhangelsk to Loch Ewe
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders John Dowding, Robert Burnett (Britain); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 17 merchant ships and 65 escorts, against 7 U-boats and aircraft
Ships HMS Avenger
Losses Allied: 3 merchant ships and 2 warships sunk. German: 1 U-boat sunk, 5 damaged.
Result The convoy reached Loch Ewe; Operation EV judged a success by its commander
QP 14 was a homeward convoy from Arkhangelsk. On 16 September, as it crossed the outbound Convoy PQ 18, much of PQ 18's large escort and its oilers transferred to it. A report of German surface ships on 19 September was a false alarm, and the convoy was attacked only by aircraft and U-boats, which sank three merchant ships and two escorts. The aircraft of the escort carrier HMS Avenger did much to deter the U-boats, and the convoy reached Loch Ewe on 26 September.
Why it is remembered The official historian Stephen Roskill criticised Burnett for sending Avenger home on 20 September before three ships were lost on 22 September, while Richard Woodman later judged the risks justified.
Sources differ Stephen Roskill and Richard Woodman disagree over Burnett's decision to release HMS Avenger.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the St. Lawrence
Convoy QS 33 Convoy battle
6 to 10 September 1942 · St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence
Fought between Germany against Canada, Greece, Norway and the United States
Commanders Karl Dönitz, Eberhard Hoffmann, Paul Hartwig (Germany); E. G. Skinner (convoy)
Forces 2 U-boats, against 8 merchant ships and 5 escorts
Ships U-165, U-517
Losses 4 merchant ships and 1 escort sunk
Result German victory
QS 33 was a convoy from Québec to Sydney, Nova Scotia, attacked when U-boats were making forays deep into Canadian waters. U-165 found it on 6 September 1942 and sank two ships, and U-517 sank three.
Why it is remembered It was one of the convoys lost inside Canadian inland waters in the early Battle of the St. Lawrence.
Sources differ One account credits the U-boats with five ships destroyed; another account lists 4 merchant ships and 1 escort.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Canadian War Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 100 Convoy battle
12 to 28 September 1942 · North Atlantic, Sydney (Cape Breton) to Liverpool
Fought between Germany against Canada, Britain, the United States and Poland
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Captain N. H. Gale (commodore), Commander P. Heineman (escort)
Forces 17 U-boats, against 26 merchant ships and 21 escorts
Losses 5 ships sunk, 110 killed
Result German tactical victory
SC 100, the hundredth slow convoy from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool, came under U-boat attack and lost five ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of several convoy battles in the autumn and winter of 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 104 Convoy battle
12 to 16 October 1942 · North Atlantic, Sydney (Cape Breton) to Liverpool
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Captain F. H. Taylor (commodore), Commander R. Heathcote (escort)
Forces 8 U-boats, against 48 freighters with 2 destroyers and 4 corvettes
Losses Allied: 8 freighters sunk, 2 destroyers damaged, 216 dead. German: 2 U-boats sunk, 2 damaged, 50 dead.
Result German victory
A U-boat wolf pack attacked the slow convoy SC 104 in October 1942 and sank eight of its ships. The escorts sank two of the attacking submarines.
Why it is remembered It was one of the heavy convoy battles of the North Atlantic in late 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 107 Convoy battle
29 October to 4 November 1942 · North Atlantic
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Vice Admiral B. C. Watson (commodore); Lieutenant Commander D. W. Piers RCN (escort); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 17 U-boats, against 39 freighters, 2 destroyers and 6 corvettes
Ships SS Hobbema, SS Hatimura, U-132
Losses Allied: 15 freighters sunk (83,790 GRT), 150 killed. German: 2 submarines sunk, 100 killed; 3 if U-520, sunk before the attack, is counted.
Result German victory
The ships left New York on 24 October 1942 and were found and attacked by a wolfpack that sank fifteen of them. U-132 torpedoed the ammunition ships Hobbema and Hatimura; both sank, one exploded, and the U-boat was destroyed in the blast.
Why it is remembered It was the heaviest loss of ships from any transatlantic convoy in the winter of 1942 to 1943, and the explosion was one of the largest non-nuclear man-made explosions in history.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 67 Convoy battle
30 January to 15 February 1942 · North Atlantic, Halifax to Liverpool
Fought between Germany against Canada, Britain and Norway
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Captain E. Rees RNR (commodore)
Forces U-591 and U-136, against 28 merchant ships and 13 escorts
Ships U-591, U-136
Losses 1 merchant ship and 1 warship sunk
Result The convoy reached Liverpool
The convoy left Halifax on 30 January 1942 and picked up a transatlantic escort in Newfoundland. U-591 found it on 10 February and U-136 attacked. The surviving ships reached Liverpool on 15 February.
Why it is remembered It marked the start of the Allied end to end convoy escort system, which lasted until the end of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Naval Museum of Manitoba, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy SC 94 Convoy battle
5 to 10 August 1942 · North Atlantic, Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Liverpool
Fought between Germany against Britain, Canada and Poland
Commanders Vice Admiral D. F. Moir (commodore); Lieutenant Commander A. Ayer RNR (escort); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 19 U-boats, against 35 freighters, 3 destroyers and 6 corvettes of Group C-1
Losses Allied: 11 freighters sunk (50,780 GRT), 1 destroyer and 1 corvette damaged, 61 killed. German: 2 submarines sunk, 46 killed, 42 captured.
Result German victory
The convoy left Sydney, Nova Scotia on 31 July 1942 with Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-1. From 5 to 10 August U-boats sank eleven freighters, and the escorts sank two submarines and captured 42 of their men.
Why it is remembered Heavy losses fell on both sides in this slow convoy battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the St. Lawrence
Convoy SQ 36 Convoy battle
12 to 16 September 1942 · St. Lawrence River
Fought between Germany against Canada, Britain, Greece, Norway, the United States and the Netherlands
Commanders Karl Dönitz, Eberhard Hoffmann, Paul Hartwig (Germany)
Forces 2 U-boats, against 22 merchant ships and 7 escorts
Ships U-517, U-165
Losses 3 ships sunk and 2 damaged
Result German tactical victory
SQ 36 was a convoy from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Québec. U-517 found it on 15 September 1942 and sank two ships, while U-165 sank another and damaged two.
Why it is remembered It was one of the convoys attacked deep inside Canadian waters in 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Caribbean
Convoy TAG 18 Convoy battle
2 to 8 November 1942 · Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea, on the route from Trinidad and Aruba to Guantánamo
Fought between Germany against Canada, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Britain, the United States and Venezuela
Commanders Karl Dönitz, Georg Lassen, Hans-Ludwig Witt (Germany)
Forces 2 U-boats, against 37 merchant ships and 8 escorts
Ships U-160, U-129
Losses 6 ships sunk
Result German victory
U-160 under Georg Lassen shadowed the convoy from 1 to 4 November 1942 and was joined on 5 November by U-129 under Hans-Ludwig Witt. Together the two U-boats sank six ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of the heaviest convoy losses in the Caribbean.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: uboat.net
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Caribbean
Convoy TAG 19 Convoy battle
6 to 11 November 1942 · Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea, on the route from Trinidad and Aruba to Guantánamo
Fought between Germany against the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Britain and the United States
Commanders Karl Dönitz, Georg Staats (Germany)
Forces 1 U-boat, against 31 merchant ships and 14 escorts
Ships U-508
Losses 2 ships sunk
Result German tactical victory
U-508 found the convoy on the night of 5 to 6 November 1942. Her commander, Georg Staats, sank two ships on 7 November in two attacks.
Why it is remembered A single U-boat struck a heavily escorted convoy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: uboat.net
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Caribbean
Convoy TAG 5 Convoy battle
12 to 16 September 1942 · Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea, on the route from Trinidad and Aruba to Guantánamo
Fought between Germany against Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Britain and the United States
Commanders Karl Dönitz, Günther Krech (Germany)
Forces 1 U-boat, against 17 merchant ships, 1 destroyer, 2 corvettes, 2 submarine chasers and 2 minesweepers
Ships U-558
Losses 2 ships sunk and 1 damaged and later a total loss
Result German tactical victory
U-558 found the convoy on 13 September 1942. Her commander, Günther Krech, destroyed three ships in two attacks.
Why it is remembered It was one of the TAG convoys attacked in the Caribbean in 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy TM 1 Convoy battle
28 December 1942 to 14 January 1943 · Mid-Atlantic, Trinidad to Gibraltar
Fought between Germany against Britain and Belgium
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Richard Boyle (escort)
Forces Gruppe Delphin of 10 U-boats and 5 other U-boats, against 9 tankers escorted by the destroyer HMS Havelock and the corvettes Godetia, Pimpernel and Saxifrage
Ships HMS Havelock, HMS Godetia, HMS Pimpernel, HMS Saxifrage, Vanja, Empire Lytton
Losses Allied: 7 of the 9 tankers sunk. German: 2 U-boats slightly damaged.
Result German victory
Nine tankers sailed from Trinidad to carry fuel direct to the Mediterranean for the campaign in Tunisia, escorted by Group B5. A U-boat wolf pack attacked over several days; the escorts' radar and HF/DF sets failed, and the short range of the corvettes held the convoy to about 8 knots. Seven of the nine tankers were sunk.
Why it is remembered A Court of Inquiry at Gibraltar dismissed claims that the crew of Vanja had sent homing signals, but upheld complaints of indiscipline aboard Empire Lytton.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the St. Lawrence
Convoys SG 6 and LN 6 Convoy battle
Also known as Convoy SG 6/LN 6
27 to 28 August 1942 · Strait of Belle Isle
Fought between Germany against Canada and the United States
Commanders Karl Dönitz, Eberhard Hoffmann, Paul Hartwig (Germany)
Forces 2 U-boats, U-517 and U-165, against 6 merchant ships and their escorts
Ships Chatham, USCGC Mojave, HMCS Trail, U-517, U-165
Losses 2 ships sunk and 1 damaged
Result German success
Convoy SG 6, from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Greenland, was split in two, with the troopship Chatham escorted by USCGC Mojave as SG 6F. U-517 found SG 6F and sank Chatham, while U-165 attacked SG 6S, sinking one ship and damaging another. HMCS Trail, escorting the nearby convoy LN 6 from Quebec to Goose Bay, broke off to rescue survivors.
Why it is remembered It was part of the U-boat incursion into Canadian waters in 1942.
Sources differ One account dates the attack 27 to 28 August 1942; another account says 27 September 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Naval Museum of Manitoba, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Caribbean
Bombardment of Curaçao Raid
19 April 1942 · Near Willemstad, Curaçao
Fought between Germany against the Netherlands
Commanders Ernst Kals (Germany)
Forces 1 U-boat, against a shore battery of 2 naval guns and 10 soldiers
Losses None on either side
Result Dutch victory; the oil was not destroyed
A German U-boat shelled a Bullen Baai Company petroleum storage facility on Curaçao, aiming to set the oil alight. The attempt failed, and a Dutch shore battery engaged the U-boat without success before she escaped.
Why it is remembered It was one of the German attempts to strike at Allied oil supplies in the Dutch Caribbean.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: uboat.net
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Donnerkeil Air and submarine attack
Also known as Unternehmen Donnerkeil; Operation Thunderbolt
11 to 12 February 1942 · English Channel and North Sea
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Adolf Galland, Max Ibel (Germany); Sholto Douglas, Philip de la Ferté, Trafford Leigh-Mallory (Britain)
Forces 252 Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters, 30 Bf 110 heavy fighters and 32 Do 217s, against about 450 British aircraft
Ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Prinz Eugen
Losses British: 41 aircraft. German: 17 fighters and 5 bombers, 23 airmen killed.
Result German victory
Donnerkeil was the Luftwaffe operation to protect the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the cruiser Prinz Eugen during the Channel Dash from Brest to Germany. Adolf Galland prepared the fighter cover. The Luftwaffe defeated the British air attacks on the ships, which reached German waters on 13 February.
Why it is remembered It was the air battle that let the German squadron pass through the Channel.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Operation FB Convoy battle
29 October to 9 November 1942 · Arctic Ocean, Iceland to Murmansk
Fought between Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union against Germany
Commanders John Tovey, Arseniy Golovko (Allies); Erich Raeder (Germany)
Forces 13 eastbound merchant ships sailing alone, with trawlers strung along the route as rescue ships, against the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine
Losses Eastbound: 5 sunk, 1 wrecked, 3 recalled
Result Inconclusive
With convoy PQ 19 cancelled because ships were needed for Operation Torch, merchant ships sailed independently between Iceland and Murmansk at about twelve hour intervals, relying on the polar night for concealment. Of thirteen sailings to Russia, three were ordered back and five arrived; of 23 independent departures from the USSR, 22 reached their destination.
Why it is remembered It filled the gap before the new JW convoy series began with JW 51A in December 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Claude Henry Parnall, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Frankton Raid
7 to 12 December 1942 · Gironde estuary and port of Bordeaux, France
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Herbert Hasler (Britain); Julius Bachmann (Germany)
Forces 13 Royal Marines in 6 folding kayaks, carried by the submarine HMS Tuna
Ships HMS Tuna
Losses British: of the ten men who launched, six captured and executed and two died of hypothermia. German: 2 ships sunk, 2 severely damaged, 2 slightly damaged.
Result British victory
The submarine HMS Tuna carried a small unit of the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment to the Gironde estuary. One kayak was damaged while being launched, and the remaining men paddled by night towards Bordeaux to attack docked cargo ships with limpet mines and then escape to Spain. Two German ships were sunk and four damaged. Only Herbert Hasler and Bill Sparks survived; six men were executed by the Germans and two died of hypothermia.
Why it is remembered The unit later formed the Special Boat Service.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic campaign
Operation Fritham Air and submarine attack
30 April to 14 May 1942 · Green Harbour, Spitsbergen, Svalbard
Fought between Norway and Britain against Germany
Commanders Einar Sverdrup (Norway); Erich Etienne (Germany)
Forces 82 Free Norwegian troops in the transport Selis and the icebreaker Isbjørn, against 4 Focke-Wulf 200 Kondor aircraft
Ships Selis, Isbjørn
Losses Norwegian: 12 killed including Sverdrup, 11 to 15 wounded, most supplies lost with the ships
Result Both ships sunk, though the Allied foothold on Svalbard was later consolidated
A party of Free Norwegian troops sailed from Scotland on 30 April 1942 to reoccupy Spitsbergen, secure its coal mines and eject a German weather party. On 14 May four German reconnaissance bombers sank their ships in Green Harbour, killing the commander Einar Sverdrup and eleven others. Survivors were later supplied by Catalina flying boats until Operation Gearbox took over.
Why it is remembered By autumn the Allies held Svalbard and used Spitsbergen to refuel Arctic convoy escorts.
Sources differ One account gives eleven wounded; another account 15 wounded and 2 died of wounds.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Feichtenberger, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Harpoon Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Pantelleria; Battaglia di mezzo giugno (Battle of mid-June)
12 to 15 June 1942 · Western and central Mediterranean, from Gibraltar towards Malta, near Pantelleria
Fought between Britain and Poland against Italy and Germany
Commanders Alban Curteis, Cecil Hardy (Allies); Alberto da Zara (Italy)
Forces 2 aircraft carriers, 1 battleship, 4 light cruisers, 1 minelayer, 17 destroyers, 4 minesweepers and 6 motor launches escorting 6 merchant ships, against 2 light cruisers, 5 destroyers and aircraft
Losses Allied: over 101 killed, over 20 wounded, 217 captured; 2 destroyers and 4 merchant ships sunk; 2 light cruisers, 3 destroyers, 1 minesweeper and 1 merchant ship damaged. Axis: 12 killed, 1 destroyer damaged, 29 aircraft.
Result Italian and German victory; 2 of the 6 merchant ships reached Malta
Harpoon was the eastbound half of two simultaneous convoys to Malta, sailing from Gibraltar while Operation Vigorous sailed west from Alexandria. Axis aircraft and an Italian squadron attacked the Harpoon convoy. Two of its six merchant ships reached Malta, at the cost of several Allied warships.
Why it is remembered Details of the operations had been leaked without knowing it by the US military attaché in Egypt, Colonel Bonner Fellers, whose code the Italians had broken.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unknown crewmember of the Italian destroyer Oriani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Operation Neuland Blockade and raiding
16 February to late March 1942 · Caribbean Sea
Fought between Germany and Italy against the United States, Britain and the Netherlands
Commanders Karl Dönitz, Romolo Polacchini (Axis); John H. Hoover (United States)
Forces 11 submarines, against Allied forces including USS Barney, USS Blakeley and USS Lapwing
Ships USS Barney, USS Blakeley, USS Lapwing
Losses Allied: 45 cargo ships and 1 lighthouse tender sunk, 10 cargo ships damaged. Axis: 1 killed, 1 wounded, 1 submarine damaged.
Result Axis victory
The Kriegsmarine extended unrestricted submarine warfare into the Caribbean, striking at British petroleum and American aluminium supplies. The U-boats showed a range that Allied pre-war planning had not foreseen, and sank 45 cargo ships for very small losses.
Why it is remembered The U-boats never again had such opportunities in the Caribbean as the surprise of this operation gave them.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Siege of Malta
Operation Pedestal Convoy battle
Also known as Battaglia di Mezzo Agosto (Battle of mid-August); Il-Konvoj ta' Santa Marija (Santa Maria Convoy)
3 to 15 August 1942 · Western and central Mediterranean, from Gibraltar to Malta
Fought between Britain and the United States against Italy and Germany
Commanders Neville Syfret, Harold Burrough (Britain); Alberto Da Zara (Italy); Albert Kesselring (Germany)
Forces 4 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 7 light cruisers, 32 destroyers, smaller warships, 11 submarines, 14 merchant ships and 2 fleet oilers, against 3 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 12 destroyers, 23 motor torpedo boats, 21 submarines, 285 bombers and 304 fighters
Ships Ohio, HMS Furious
Losses Allied: 1 aircraft carrier, 2 light cruisers, 1 destroyer and 9 merchant ships sunk, others damaged, 34 aircraft, 350 to over 550 killed. Axis: 2 submarines sunk, 1 heavy and 1 light cruiser damaged, 48 to 60 aircraft, about 100 killed or missing.
Result Axis tactical success and British strategic victory; Malta was resupplied
The convoy sailed from Britain on 3 August 1942 and entered the Mediterranean on the night of 9 to 10 August. Axis bombers, German E-boats, Italian MAS and MS boats, minefields and submarines attacked it all the way to Malta. Only five of the fourteen merchant ships reached Grand Harbour, but they included the tanker Ohio, American owned with a British crew, carrying the fuel Malta needed.
Why it is remembered In Malta it is remembered as the Santa Maria Convoy; Ohio's aviation fuel revived the island's air offensive against Axis shipping. It was the last sizeable Axis success in the Mediterranean.
Sources differ Allied dead are given as 350 to over 550, and the main account says more than 500.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Postmaster Raid
14 January 1942 · Santa Isabel harbour, Fernando Po (Bioko), Spanish Guinea
Fought between Britain against Germany and Italy
Commanders Gus March-Phillipps (Britain); Captain Specht (Germany)
Forces 11 men of the Small Scale Raiding Force, 4 SOE men and 17 local volunteers in two tugs, with HMS Violet, against the crews of Duchessa d'Aosta, Likomba and Bibundi
Ships Duchessa d'Aosta, Likomba, Bibundi, Maid Honor, HMS Violet
Losses Axis: 1 merchant ship and 2 smaller vessels captured, 29 crew captured. British: none.
Result British victory
The Small Scale Raiding Force sailed the Brixham trawler Maid Honor from Britain to West Africa. Local British authorities refused support because the raid broke Spanish neutrality, but London approved it. While the ships' officers were at a party arranged by an SOE agent, the commandos entered the harbour in two tugs, overpowered the crews and sailed off with the Italian merchant ship Duchessa d'Aosta and two smaller vessels.
Why it is remembered It boosted the reputation of SOE at a critical time.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Second Battle of Sirte Convoy battle
22 March 1942 · North of the Gulf of Sidra, south east of Malta
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders Philip Vian (Britain); Angelo Iachino (Italy)
Forces 4 light cruisers, 1 anti-aircraft cruiser, 17 or 18 destroyers and 1 submarine escorting 4 merchant ships, against 1 battleship, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 10 destroyers and 1 submarine
Losses British: 39 killed, 3 light cruisers damaged, 2 destroyers disabled, 3 destroyers damaged. Italian: no casualties, 1 battleship slightly damaged.
Result Disputed; the British escorts held off the Italian squadron
The escorting warships of a British convoy of four merchant ships bound for Malta met a much stronger Italian squadron north of the Gulf of Sidra. The British cruisers and destroyers held off the Italian battleship, cruisers and destroyers.
Why it is remembered A force of light cruisers and destroyers kept a battleship away from a convoy.
Sources differ One account gives 17 British destroyers, another account 18.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Zimmerman, E A (Lt), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Sinking of U-85 Single-ship action
14 April 1942 · East of Bodie Island, off the Outer Banks of North Carolina
Fought between United States against Germany
Commanders Hamilton W. Howe, Stanley C. Norton (USS Roper); Eberhard Greger (U-85)
Forces The destroyer USS Roper against the submarine U-85
Ships USS Roper, U-85
Losses U-85 scuttled with all 46 officers and crew killed. US: none.
Result American victory
Just after midnight USS Roper found U-85 by radar off North Carolina, at first taking her for a fishing boat or Coast Guard vessel. The U-boat fired a stern torpedo that narrowly missed. Roper's machine gun kept the Germans from their deck gun and a shell damaged the conning tower, but the damage was not enough to sink her, which suggests her crew scuttled her. None of her crew survived; Roper recovered 29 bodies next morning, and they were buried with military honours at Hampton, Virginia.
Why it is remembered It was the first enemy submarine sunk by the US Navy in American home waters.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of Skerki Bank Convoy battle
Also known as La distruzione del Convoglio Aventino (Italian)
2 December 1942 · Skerki Bank, Strait of Sicily
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy and Germany
Commanders Cecil Harcourt (Britain); Aldo Cocchia (Italy)
Forces Force Q: 3 light cruisers and 2 destroyers, against Convoy H of 2 troopships, 1 ferry and 1 motor raft escorted by 3 destroyers and 2 torpedo boats
Ships HMS Quentin, HMAS Quiberon
Losses Italian and German: about 2,200 killed; 1 destroyer, 2 troopships, 1 ferry and 1 motor raft sunk; 1 destroyer and 2 torpedo boats damaged. British: splinter damage in the action; next day the destroyer Quentin was sunk and Quiberon damaged by torpedo bombers.
Result British victory
In the early hours of 2 December 1942 Force Q, a Royal Navy flotilla of cruisers and destroyers, attacked the Italian Convoy H and its escort near Skerki Bank. It sank all four merchant vessels and one escorting destroyer for only minor splinter damage. At 06:30 on 3 December Luftwaffe torpedo bombers sank the destroyer Quentin and damaged Quiberon.
Why it is remembered It was the first and most important success of Force Q, and about 2,200 men died on the Axis side.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unknown serviceman of the Regia Marina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Continuation War
Battle of Someri Fleet battle
8 to 10 July 1942 · Someri (Sommers) island, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Finland and Germany against the Soviet Union
Commanders Veikko Rauhaniemi (Finland); Gordey Levchenko (Soviet Union)
Forces 277 men and 11 boats, against 313 men and 30 boats
Losses Finnish: 23 killed, 68 wounded, 2 gunboats and 2 minesweepers damaged. Soviet: 7 patrol boats and motor torpedo boats sunk, 11 damaged, 1 gunboat and 1 minesweeper damaged, 5 aircraft shot down, 128 killed, 200 drowned, 149 captured.
Result Finnish victory
A Soviet operation to clear a Finnish observation post from the small island of Someri grew into a battle between flotillas of gunboats, minesweepers, patrol boats and motor torpedo boats. The Finns held the island and the Soviet force lost seven boats and several hundred men.
Why it is remembered It became one of the largest surface ship engagements in the Baltic theatre.
Sources differ One account dates it 8 to 9 July 1942, another account 8 to 10 July.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic convoys
Operation Sportpalast Blockade and raiding
Also known as Unternehmen Nordmeer (Operation Northern Sea)
6 to 13 March 1942 · Norwegian Sea
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Otto Ciliax (Germany); John Tovey (Britain)
Forces 1 battleship, 3 destroyers and 8 submarines, against 2 battleships, 1 battlecruiser, 1 aircraft carrier, 1 cruiser and 12 destroyers
Ships Tirpitz, HMS Victorious
Losses German: 1 aircraft. British: 2 aircraft, 1 merchant ship and 1 armed whaler.
Result Inconclusive
Tirpitz, three destroyers and eight submarines sailed on 6 March to attack two Arctic convoys. Warned by decoded signals, the British diverted the convoys and the Home Fleet tried to catch the German force. The Germans found neither convoy but sank an independently sailing merchant ship. On 9 March torpedo bombers from HMS Victorious attacked Tirpitz as she returned to Norway but missed, and two aircraft were shot down.
Why it is remembered It was the first big German attack on the Arctic convoys, and after it the Kriegsmarine became far more cautious with Tirpitz.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Parnall, C H (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
St Nazaire Raid Raid
Also known as Operation Chariot
28 March 1942 · Normandie dry dock, St Nazaire, France
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Robert Ryder, Stephen Beattie, Augustus Newman (Britain); Karl-Conrad Mecke, Herbert Sohler (Germany)
Forces 346 Royal Navy men and 265 Commandos in the destroyer HMS Campbeltown, with HMS Tynedale, HMS Atherstone, the submarine HMS Sturgeon, a motor gun boat, a motor torpedo boat and 16 motor launches, against about 5,000 German troops and harbour defences
Ships HMS Campbeltown, HMS Tynedale, HMS Atherstone, HMS Sturgeon, MGB 314, MTB 74, Jaguar
Losses British: Campbeltown expended, 1 motor gun boat, 1 MTB and 13 motor launches lost; 169 killed, 215 taken prisoner. German: the Normandie dock destroyed, over 360 dead, 2 tankers and 2 tugs.
Result British victory; the dock was out of action until 1948
The old destroyer Campbeltown, packed with hidden delayed action explosives and accompanied by 18 small craft, crossed to St Nazaire and rammed the south gate of the Normandie dry dock, the only one able to take Tirpitz. Commandos landed to destroy machinery, but German gunfire sank, burned or disabled almost all the small craft meant to take them home. The charges in Campbeltown exploded later that day and wrecked the dock. Of 612 men, 228 returned to Britain.
Why it is remembered Eighty nine decorations were awarded, including five Victoria Crosses, and it has been called the greatest raid of all.
Sources differ The London Gazette gives 353 Royal Navy and 268 Commandos, against 346 and 265 elsewhere.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Eastern Front
Battle of Sukho Island Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Brazil (Unternehmen Brasil)
22 October 1942 · Sukho Island, Lake Ladoga
Fought between Germany, Italy and Finland against the Soviet Union
Commanders Friedrich Siebel, Max Wachtel (Germany); Viktor Cherokov, Nikolai Ozarovsky (Soviet Union)
Forces 11 combat ferries, 3 transport ferries, 7 infantry boats, HQ and hospital ferries with 70 troops, screened by 3 MAS boats; against 90 to 100 Soviet troops with three 100 mm guns, a minesweeper and a patrol boat, joined by 3 gunboats, 3 minesweepers, 5 patrol boats, 2 armoured gunboats and 2 MTBs
Losses Axis: 4 combat ferries and 1 infantry boat lost, 18 killed, 57 wounded, 4 missing, aircraft lost. Soviet: 1 gunboat and 1 patrol boat damaged, 2 coastal guns destroyed, 6 aircraft, 6 killed, 23 wounded, 6 captured.
Result Soviet victory
A German Luftwaffe naval detachment of armed ferries made an amphibious attack on the Soviet held island of Sukho on Lake Ladoga. Soviet gunboats and smaller craft pursued the attackers, who lost four combat ferries and a boat.
Why it is remembered It was a rare lake battle between a Luftwaffe flotilla and the Soviet Navy.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Attack on the convoy off Matveyev Island Convoy battle
Also known as Rasstrel karavana sudov u Matveyeva ostrova (Russian)
17 August 1942 · About 2 nautical miles north of Matveyev Island, Barents Sea
Fought between Germany against the Soviet Union
Commanders Heinrich Brodda (U-209)
Forces The submarine U-209 against an unarmed, unescorted Soviet convoy of 3 tugs and 2 barges sailing from Khabarovo to Naryan-Mar for the NKVD
Ships U-209, Komsomolets, P-4, Nord, Komiles, Litr-Sh
Losses 305 killed: 17 crew, 17 local residents, 23 Yugorlag staff, 245 prisoners and 3 released prisoners. The barges P-4 and Litr-Sh and the tug Komiles sunk; the tug Komsomolets set on fire and beached. About 23 rescued.
Result 4 of the 5 ships sunk or disabled
U-209 attacked a small unarmed Soviet convoy carrying prisoners of the Yugorlag camp, with gunfire and torpedoes. The barge P-4 was set on fire and later sunk, the tug Komiles and the barge Litr-Sh were sunk by gunfire, and the tug Komsomolets was set on fire and beached on Matveyev Island. The tug Nord survived, and the minesweepers TSh-54 and TSh-62 rescued about 23 people.
Why it is remembered Most of the dead were prisoners. A monument to the crew of Komsomolets was unveiled in Naryan-Mar in 1968, and the wreck of Komiles is listed as underwater cultural heritage.
Sources differ Claims that the submariners fired on people in the water are disputed by the historian A. A. Sergeev, as the witnesses are unidentified and German records do not mention it. The barge Litr-Sh is called P-3 in some sources.
Sources Wikipedia (RU)
Image: Unknown photographer
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Title Raid
26 October to 5 November 1942 · Trondheimsfjorden, Norway
Fought between Britain and Norway against Germany
Commanders Leif Larsen, William Brewster (Allies); Karl Topp (Germany)
Forces 2 British Chariot manned torpedoes carried by the small Norwegian boat Arthur, against the battleship Tirpitz and patrol boats
Ships Tirpitz, Arthur
Losses Allied: both Chariots lost, Arthur scuttled, 1 man captured and later executed. German: 1 killed.
Result Allied failure; the attack was abandoned
Two British Chariot manned torpedoes were carried towards Tirpitz's anchorage in Trondheimsfjord by the Norwegian boat Arthur, whose captain Leif Larsen bluffed past German defences with forged papers. On the evening of 31 October bad weather tore both Chariots loose shortly before the attack, and it had to be abandoned. Arthur was scuttled and the men tried to escape to Sweden; all but one reached it, and the one captured British serviceman was murdered on 19 January 1943.
Why it is remembered Historians see it as a skilful attack that failed through bad luck and faulty workmanship. Tirpitz was later damaged in Operation Source and sunk by RAF bombers in November 1944.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Beadell, S J (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, North African campaign
Operation Torch Landing or siege
8 to 16 November 1942 · Casablanca, Oran and Algiers, French Morocco and Algeria
Fought between United States and Britain against Vichy France, with German and Italian submarines
Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, Henry Kent Hewitt, Lloyd Fredendall, Andrew Cunningham, Kenneth Anderson (Allies); François Darlan, Alphonse Juin, Charles Noguès, Frix Michelier (Vichy France)
Forces 107,000 Allied troops, 350 warships, 500 transports and 108 aircraft, against 125,000 Vichy troops, 1 partly armed battleship, 10 other warships, 11 submarines and shore batteries, with 42 German and 21 Italian submarines
Losses Allied: 556 US and 574 British dead; 1 escort carrier, 4 destroyers, 2 sloops, 6 troopships, 1 minesweeper and 1 auxiliary anti-aircraft ship lost. Vichy: over 1,346 dead, 1,997 wounded; 1 light cruiser, 5 destroyers, 2 flotilla leaders and 6 submarines lost. Germany: 8 submarines; Italy: 2.
Result Allied victory
Allied forces landed in three places in Vichy French North Africa. The Western Task Force met bad weather and unexpected resistance, and took Casablanca, the main French Atlantic naval base, after a short siege. The Centre Task Force had ships damaged landing in shallow water, and Oran surrendered after bombardment by British battleships. The Eastern Task Force met less opposition and forced the surrender of Algiers on the first day.
Why it is remembered Admiral Darlan ordered Vichy forces to cooperate with the Allies, and the landings let American forces begin fighting Germany and Italy.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Vigorous Convoy battle
Also known as Battaglia di mezzo giugno (Battle of mid-June); Convoy MW 11
11 to 16 June 1942 · Eastern Mediterranean, between Crete and Cyrenaica, towards Malta
Fought between Britain and Australia against Italy and Germany
Commanders Philip Vian (Britain); Angelo Iachino (Italy)
Forces 8 light cruisers, 26 destroyers, 9 submarines, 4 corvettes, 2 minesweepers, 4 MTBs and other ships escorting 11 merchant ships, against 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 12 destroyers, 6 E-boats, 2 U-boats and about 220 aircraft
Ships HMS Hermione, HMS Airedale, HMS Hasty, HMAS Nestor, HMS Newcastle, Aagtekerk, Bhutan, Trento, Littorio
Losses Allied: 1 light cruiser, 3 destroyers and 2 merchant ships sunk, 1 MTB foundered, 3 cruisers and 2 merchant ships damaged, about 200 killed. Axis: 1 heavy cruiser sunk, 1 battleship damaged, 21 aircraft, about 600 killed, 570 of them on Trento.
Result Italian and German victory; the convoy turned back
Convoy MW 11 sailed from Haifa, Port Said and Alexandria for Malta as the eastern half of Operation Julius. Through Bomb Alley between Crete and Cyrenaica it was attacked by bombers, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, E-boats and submarines. When the Italian battlefleet came within 150 nautical miles the convoy turned back; British aircraft and submarines sank the heavy cruiser Trento but did little more, and after several turns the convoy returned to Alexandria on 16 June.
Why it is remembered With Harpoon, it left Malta short of supplies; no convoys ran from the east until Libya was retaken. Its plans had been leaked through the broken code of the US attaché Bonner Fellers.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic campaign
Operation Wunderland Blockade and raiding
Also known as Operation Wonderland; Unternehmen Wunderland
16 to 30 August 1942 · Kara Sea and Barents Sea, off the Soviet Arctic coast
Fought between Germany against the Soviet Union
Commanders Hubert Schmundt, Wilhelm Meendsen-Bohlken (Germany); Arseniy Golovko, Anatoli Kacharava (Soviet Union)
Forces The cruiser Admiral Scheer, the destroyers Friedrich Eckoldt, Erich Steinbrinck and Richard Beitzen, and the U-boats U-209, U-251, U-456 and U-601, against the Soviet Northern Fleet
Ships Admiral Scheer, A. Sibiryakov
Losses Soviet: about 80 killed, the icebreaker A. Sibiryakov and 5 cargo ships sunk, 2 cargo ships and 2 gunboats damaged. German: none.
Result German victory
Warned by Japanese intelligence of a convoy on the Northern Sea Route, Germany sent Admiral Scheer with U-boats and reconnaissance aircraft into the Kara Sea, where she met pack ice. Her floatplane found several groups of ships. Admiral Scheer sank the icebreaker A. Sibiryakov and bombarded the Soviet base at Dikson before returning to Kirkenes; the U-boats achieved more than the cruiser.
Why it is remembered It was the first part of a German attempt to dominate the seas of the western Arctic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Mohonu at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Italian campaign)
Allied invasion of Sicily Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Husky; Battle of Sicily
9 July to 17 August 1943 · Sicily, Italy
Fought between United States, Britain, Canada, Free France, Australia and Greece against Italy and Germany
Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harold Alexander, George S. Patton, Bernard Montgomery, Andrew Cunningham (naval forces), Alexandros Sakellariou (Greek naval forces) and Arthur Tedder (Allies); Vittorio Ambrosio, Albert Kesselring, Alfredo Guzzoni and Hans-Valentin Hube (Axis)
Forces Allies: 160,000 personnel, 600 tanks, 14,000 vehicles and 1,800 guns at first, rising to 467,000 personnel. Italy: 131,359 to 252,000 personnel, 260 tanks and 1,400 aircraft. Germany: 40,000 to 60,000 personnel
Losses Britain and Canada: 2,938 killed, 9,212 wounded, 2,782 missing. United States: 2,811 killed, 6,471 wounded, 686 missing. Italy: 4,678 killed, 32,500 wounded, 116,861 captured or missing. Germany: 4,325 killed, 13,500 wounded, 10,106 captured or missing
Result Allied victory
Operation Husky began on the night of 9 to 10 July 1943 with a large amphibious and airborne assault on Sicily, defended by the Italian 6th Army and the German XIV Panzer Corps. A six week land campaign followed and ended on 17 August. Axis air, land and naval forces were driven from the island.
Why it is remembered The invasion opened the Mediterranean to Allied merchant shipping for the first time since 1941, led to the fall of Mussolini and began the Italian campaign.
Sources differ Italian strength is given as anywhere from 131,359 to 252,000 personnel and German strength as 40,000 to 60,000.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Allied invasion of Italy
Operation Avalanche Landing or siege
Also known as Salerno landings; Top Hat (planning name)
9 to 17 September 1943 · Salerno, Italy
Fought between Britain and the United States against Germany
Commanders Mark W. Clark (Allies); Heinrich von Vietinghoff, Traugott Herr, Rudolf Sieckenius (Germany)
Forces About 170,000 Allied servicemen of the US Fifth Army, against 35,000 Germans
Losses Allied: 2,149 killed, 7,365 wounded, 4,099 missing, including 83 Royal Navy and 296 US Navy killed. German: 840 killed, 2,002 wounded, 603 missing.
Result Allied victory
The US Fifth Army landed near Salerno on 9 September 1943, the day after Italy left the war, without a preliminary bombardment, but failed to achieve surprise. German defences and a counter-attack by the 16th Panzer Division caused heavy casualties, though the beaches were taken. From 12 to 14 September six German divisions counter-attacked and came close to the beaches in places, and the shrunken perimeter was held with naval and air support.
Why it is remembered It was the main Allied landing on the Italian mainland, aimed at the port of Naples.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Battle of the Bay of Biscay Fleet battle
Also known as Operation Bernau
28 December 1943 · Bay of Biscay
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Charles Clark, Harold Grant (Britain); Franz Kohlauf, Hans Erdmenger (Germany)
Forces 2 light cruisers, against 5 destroyers, 6 torpedo boats and 1 aircraft
Ships HMS Enterprise, HMS Glasgow, Z27, T25, T26
Losses German: 532 killed, the destroyer Z27 and torpedo boats T25 and T26 sunk, 1 torpedo boat damaged. British: 2 killed, 1 cruiser damaged.
Result British victory
German destroyers and torpedo boats sailed to meet a blockade runner and escort her into port. The British cruisers Enterprise and Glasgow, part of Operation Stonewall against blockade runners off western France, intercepted them. In a confused action the cruisers sank the destroyer Z27 and the torpedo boats T25 and T26.
Why it is remembered Two cruisers defeated a much larger force of German destroyers and torpedo boats, and 532 German sailors died.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Norman Wilkinson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of the Campobasso Convoy Convoy battle
3 to 4 May 1943 · Off Cape Bon, east of Kelibia, Tunisia
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders Deric Holland-Martin (Britain); Saverio Marotta (Italy)
Forces The destroyers HMS Nubian, HMS Paladin and HMS Petard, against the torpedo boat Perseo escorting the freighter Campobasso (3,566 GRT)
Ships HMS Nubian, HMS Paladin, HMS Petard, Perseo, Campobasso
Losses Italian: Campobasso and Perseo sunk; Campobasso lost 73 of her crew and Perseo 50 of 133, by the main account's count. British: none.
Result British victory
Three British destroyers lit up the Italian freighter Campobasso and her escort, the torpedo boat Perseo, with star shell east of Kelibia. Perseo fired torpedoes at the British ships and turned away to the north west. Campobasso blew up under British gunfire, and Perseo, lit up by more star shell, was badly damaged and sank an hour later; her captain was killed.
Why it is remembered It was one of the night actions against Axis supply convoys to Tunisia in the last weeks of the North African campaign.
Sources differ One account gives 73 killed and 20 survivors from Campobasso and 50 killed and 83 rescued from Perseo; another account gives 76 merchant seamen and 133 navy men killed, 209 in all, with 103 rescued.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Mediterranean)
Battle of the Cigno Convoy Single-ship action
Also known as Belluno Convoy
16 April 1943 · South east of Marettimo, west of Sicily
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders Basil Jones (Britain); Carlo Maccaferri (Italy)
Forces 2 British destroyers against Italian torpedo boats escorting the transport Belluno
Ships Belluno, Tifone
Losses Britain: 10 killed, 14 wounded, 1 destroyer scuttled, 1 destroyer damaged. Italy: about 130 killed, 1 torpedo boat sunk, 1 torpedo boat severely damaged
Result Italian victory
In the early hours of 16 April 1943 two British destroyers attacked Italian torpedo boats escorting the transport Belluno to Tunisia; the torpedo boat Tifone carried aviation fuel. The Italian escorts drove off the attack, losing one torpedo boat. A British destroyer disabled by Italian gunfire was scuttled when it was clear she could not reach port before dawn.
Why it is remembered A rare Italian success in the convoy war to Tunisia, in which the escort beat off two British destroyers.
Sources differ One account says two Italian torpedo boats fought; another account gives four torpedo boats and a transport.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unidentified serviceman of the Regia Marina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy Faith Air and submarine attack
8 to 12 July 1943 · Atlantic Ocean, about 480 km west of Portugal
Fought between Germany against Britain, Canada and the United States
Commanders W. G. Busk-Wood (Britain)
Forces Germany: three Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors in the first attack, two aircraft in the second. Allies: two troopships and a freighter, with two destroyers, two frigates and two flying boats
Ships SS California, SS Duchess of York, MV Port Fairy
Losses Allies: 115 killed, two troopships sunk, one freighter damaged. Germany: one wounded, one aircraft damaged
Result German victory
The small fast convoy sailed from Britain for West Africa on 7 July 1943 with the troopships California and Duchess of York and the ammunition ship Port Fairy. On the evening of 11 July three Fw 200 Condors attacked and severely damaged both troopships, killing over 100 of those aboard; the escorts then sank the burning ships with torpedoes. Port Fairy escaped but was damaged in a second air attack on 12 July on her way to Casablanca.
Why it is remembered The British had believed the Condors were no longer a serious threat, and moved the Britain to Africa convoy route further west. Later Condor attacks on other convoys cost the Germans heavy losses.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy HX 228 Convoy battle
10 to 11 March 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain, Free France and Poland
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); J. O. Dunn, convoy commodore, and A. A. Tait, Escort Group B-3 (killed) (Allies)
Forces 9 U-boats against 60 merchant ships and 8 escorts
Losses Allies: 4 ships (24,175 GRT) and 1 warship. Germany: 2 U-boats
Result Inconclusive
The eastbound convoy was attacked by nine U-boats on 10 and 11 March 1943. Four merchant ships and one escort were lost, and two U-boats were destroyed. The escort group leader, Commander A. A. “Harry” Tait, was killed.
Why it is remembered One of four convoy battles of the crisis month of March 1943, remembered for the death of Commander Tait.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy HX 231 Convoy battle
4 to 7 April 1943 (convoy at sea 25 March to 10 April 1943) · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); Charles Ramsey, convoy commodore, and Peter Gretton, escort commander (Allies)
Forces 11 U-boats of gruppe Löwenherz against 67 merchant ships and 19 escorts, including Escort Group B 7
Ships U-632, U-635
Losses Germany: 2 U-boats sunk (U-632 and U-635). Allies: 6 ships sunk
The convoy left New York on 25 March 1943 and was met on 31 March by Escort Group B 7 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force. U-boats found it on 4 April, and eleven boats from Brest, La Rochelle, St Nazaire and Lorient, formed as gruppe Löwenherz, sank six ships before losing contact on 7 April. Two U-boats were lost. The convoy reached Liverpool on 10 April.
Why it is remembered One of the North Atlantic convoy battles of spring 1943, fought by the escort group of Peter Gretton.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Haig Parry W (of Middlesbrough), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy HX 237 Convoy battle
9 to 13 May 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); R. Gill, convoy commodore, and E. H. Chavasse, Escort Group C-2 (Allies)
Forces 19 U-boats against 47 merchant ships and 5 escorts
Losses Allies: 3 ships sunk (21,389 GRT), 58 dead. Germany: 3 U-boats destroyed, 144 dead
Result Inconclusive
The convoy was attacked by 19 U-boats between 9 and 13 May 1943. Three merchant ships were sunk, and three U-boats were destroyed.
Why it is remembered One of the convoy battles of May 1943, the month in which the U-boat arm suffered its heaviest losses.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photographer not idenfied, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Arctic convoys)
Convoy JW 55B Convoy battle
Late December 1943 · Arctic Ocean, on passage from Britain to the Soviet northern ports
Fought between Britain and Norway against Germany
Ships Scharnhorst, HMS Duke of York, HNoMS Stord
Losses Convoy: none. Germany: the battleship Scharnhorst sunk in the Battle of the North Cape
Result All convoy ships arrived safely
The convoy sailed from Britain for the Soviet Union in late December 1943. A German force with the battleship Scharnhorst came out to attack it but never made contact. Scharnhorst was sunk in the Battle of the North Cape by HMS Duke of York, a few Royal Navy light warships and the Norwegian destroyer HNoMS Stord, and every ship of the convoy arrived.
Why it is remembered The convoy drew out Scharnhorst, leading to her loss at the Battle of the North Cape.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy ON 166 Convoy battle
20 to 25 February 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain, the United States, Canada and Poland
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); W. E. B. Magee and P. R. Heineman (Allies)
Forces 18 U-boats against 63 freighters, 1 destroyer, 2 cutters and 5 corvettes
Ships USCGC Campbell, USCGC Spencer, HMS Dianthus, HMCS Chilliwack, HMCS Rosthern, HMCS Trillium, HMCS Dauphin
Losses Allies: 14 freighters sunk (87,994 GRT), 262 killed or drowned. Germany: 3 U-boats sunk, 128 killed or drowned, 11 captured
Result German tactical victory
Sixty-three ships left Liverpool on 11 February 1943 and were met next day by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3: the Treasury class cutters Campbell and Spencer and five Flower class corvettes. Between 20 and 25 February 18 U-boats attacked the convoy and sank 14 freighters. Three U-boats were sunk.
Why it is remembered One of the heavy convoy defeats of early 1943 on the North Atlantic route to New York.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Harold William John Tomlin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy ON 207 Convoy battle
26 to 29 October 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); J. A. Burnett, escort commander (Allies)
Forces 18 U-boats against 52 merchant ships and 19 escorts
Losses Allies: none. Germany: 3 U-boats destroyed
Result Allied victory
In October 1943 18 U-boats attacked the westbound convoy ON 207. The convoy lost no ships, and three U-boats were destroyed.
Why it is remembered It was the fourth battle of the German autumn offensive of 1943 and ended without a single Allied loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy ONS 5 Convoy battle
29 April to 6 May 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); J. K. Brook, convoy commodore, and Peter Gretton, Escort Group B7 (Allies)
Forces Over 30 U-boats, in the groups Star (16) and Finke (27), against 42 merchant ships and 7 escorts
Losses Allies: 13 ships sunk, 63,000 gross register tons. Germany: 7 U-boats sunk and 7 damaged
The slow outbound convoy ONS 5 was attacked in the North Atlantic over a week in late April and early May 1943. More than 30 U-boats took part and both sides suffered severe losses. Thirteen merchant ships were sunk, and seven U-boats were destroyed.
Why it is remembered It is regarded as the turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic, when the advantage passed to the Allies, opening the period the Kriegsmarine called Black May.
Sources differ One account speaks of more than 50 Allied ships and more than 30 U-boats; another account lists 42 ships, 7 escorts and groups of 16 and 27 U-boats.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy SC 118 Convoy battle
4 to 7 February 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain, Canada, the United States and Free France
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); H. C. C. Forsyth and Proudfoot (Allies)
Forces 20 U-boats against 64 freighters, 5 destroyers, 2 cutters and 4 corvettes
Ships USCGC Bibb, HMS Beverley, HMS Vanessa, HMS Vimy, Abelia, Campanula, Lobelia, Mignonette, Toward
Losses Allies: 8 merchant ships sunk (51,592 GRT), 445 killed. Germany: 3 U-boats sunk and 3 damaged, 101 killed, 45 captured
The slow convoy left New York on 24 January 1943 and was met by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-2, with the cutter Bibb, the destroyers Beverley, Vanessa and Vimy, four Flower class corvettes and the rescue ship Toward. Twenty U-boats attacked it between 4 and 7 February. Eight merchant ships were sunk with 445 dead, and three U-boats were lost.
Why it is remembered One of the costly North Atlantic convoy battles of early 1943.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy SC 121 Convoy battle
6 to 10 March 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain, the United States and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); H. C. Birnie (killed) and P. R. Heineman (Allies)
Forces 27 U-boats against 69 freighters, 2 destroyers, 3 cutters and 4 corvettes
Ships USCGC Spencer, USS Greer, HMS Dianthus, HMCS Rosthern, HMCS Trillium, HMCS Dauphin, Melrose Abbey
Losses Allies: 12 freighters sunk (55,673 GRT), 270 killed or drowned. Germany: none
Result German victory
The slow convoy left New York on 23 February 1943 under Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3, three of whose escorts had defective sonar and three unserviceable radar. Between 6 and 10 March 27 U-boats attacked and sank 12 freighters. No U-boat was lost.
Why it is remembered One of the convoy battles of the crisis month of March 1943, with heavy losses for none on the German side.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Harold William John Tomlin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy SC 129 Convoy battle
11 to 13 May 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); R. D. Binks, convoy commodore, and D. MacIntyre, Escort Group B-2 (Britain)
Forces 25 U-boats against 25 merchant ships and 8 escorts
Losses Britain: 2 ships sunk (7,627 GRT), 3 dead. Germany: 1 U-boat destroyed, 2 damaged, 53 dead
Twenty-five U-boats attacked the slow convoy SC 129 between 11 and 13 May 1943. Only two merchant ships were sunk, and one U-boat was destroyed.
Why it is remembered One of the convoy battles of the crisis month of May 1943.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy SC 130 Convoy battle
18 to 20 May 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); H. C. Forsyth, convoy commodore, and Peter Gretton, Escort Group B-7 (Allies)
Forces 25 U-boats against 37 merchant ships and 8 escorts
Losses Allies: no ships sunk. Germany: 3 U-boats destroyed, 1 damaged, 142 dead
Result Allied victory
Twenty-five U-boats attacked the slow convoy SC 130 between 18 and 20 May 1943. The escort group under Peter Gretton beat off the attacks without the loss of a single merchant ship, and three U-boats were destroyed.
Why it is remembered One of the convoy battles of the crisis month of May 1943, fought without the loss of a merchant ship.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer Post-Work: User:W.wolny, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy SC 143 Convoy battle
October 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain, Canada and Poland
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces 14 U-boats of group Rossbach against SC 143 of 39 merchant ships and 8 escorts, with Support Group 10 of 4 warships
Losses Allies: 1 merchant ship and 1 warship sunk. Germany: 3 U-boats
Result Allied operational victory
In October 1943 the 14 U-boats of group Rossbach attacked the slow convoy SC 143. One merchant ship and one escort were sunk, and three U-boats were lost.
Why it is remembered It was the second battle of the German autumn offensive of 1943 in the North Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy SL 138/MKS 28 Convoy battle
27 to 31 October 1943 · Mid Atlantic, on the Gibraltar homeward route
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); A. M. Hekking, convoy commodore, and F. Ardern, escort (Britain)
Forces 8 U-boats against 60 merchant ships and 14 escorts
Losses Britain: 1 ship sunk. Germany: 1 U-boat destroyed
Result British operational victory
The convoys SL 138 from the South Atlantic and MKS 28 from the Mediterranean met off Gibraltar to cross the Bay of Biscay with the largest possible escort. Eight U-boats attacked them between 27 and 31 October 1943. One merchant ship was sunk and one U-boat destroyed.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle of the renewed German autumn offensive of 1943.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy SL 139/MKS 30 Convoy battle
18 to 21 November 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean, on the Gibraltar homeward route
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); J. S. Dalison, convoy commodore (Britain)
Forces 29 U-boats against 66 merchant ships and 19 escorts
Losses Allies: 1 ship sunk, 1 ship and 1 escort damaged. Germany: 3 U-boats sunk
Result Allied victory
The combined convoys SL 139 and MKS 30 met off Gibraltar in November 1943 and sailed north together. Twenty-nine U-boats attacked them between 18 and 21 November. One merchant ship was sunk and three U-boats were lost.
Why it is remembered One of the battles of the German autumn offensive of 1943, in which a large U-boat concentration achieved very little.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robertson's Studios, Greenock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy SL 140/MKS 31 Convoy battle
24 November to 5 December 1943 · Mid Atlantic, between Gibraltar and Britain
Fought between Germany against Britain and the United States
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); E. C. Bayldon, escort commander (Allies)
Forces 13 U-boats against 65 ships, including thirteen LSTs, and 18 escorts
Losses Allies: none. Germany: 6 U-boats lost, 2 damaged
Result Allied victory
SL 140 from Freetown and MKS 31 from the Mediterranean met off Gibraltar on 24 November 1943 and sailed north. The combined convoy was slow because it included thirteen LSTs, with landing craft aboard, needed for the coming invasion of northern France. Thirteen U-boats attacked it, sinking nothing and losing six of their number.
Why it is remembered The convoy brought landing ships home for the invasion of France without loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Beadell, S J (Lt), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoy TS 37 Convoy battle
30 April to 1 May 1943 · Off West Africa, between Takoradi and Freetown
Fought between Germany against Britain
Commanders Karl Dönitz and Werner Henke (Germany); Frank Pegram and Norman Gill (Britain)
Forces 1 U-boat against 19 merchant ships and 4 escorts, with 3 destroyers sent as reinforcement
Ships U-515
Losses Germany: none. Britain: 7 ships sunk, 22 killed
Result German victory
Storms grounded the convoy's air patrol, and towards night U-515 under Werner Henke found the convoy and got inside its columns. After two stern torpedoes missed, four from the bow tubes sank four ships; the boat escaped an escort's counter attack, reloaded and returned to sink three more. Three destroyers sent as reinforcements arrived too late and helped with the rescue. Twenty-two men were killed and the rest survived.
Why it is remembered Churchill asked for an explanation of the loss; the Admiralty replied that 743 ships had made the voyage without loss before TS 37. Henke was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.
Sources differ One account places the first sighting towards night on 29 April, while another account dates the action 30 April to 1 May 1943.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Parnall, C H (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoys HX 229/SC 122 Convoy battle
16 to 19 March 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain, the United States, Canada and Belgium
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); G. J. Luther, later E. C. Day (Escort Group B4) and R. C. Boyle (Escort Group B5) (Allies)
Forces 39 U-boats in the wolfpacks Raubgraf (10), Stürmer (18) and Dränger (11), against HX 229 of 50 ships with 5 escorts and SC 122 of 60 ships with 8 escorts, plus reinforcements
Losses Allies: HX 229 lost 13 ships (93,502 GRT) and 249 killed; SC 122 lost 9 ships (53,694 GRT) and 112 killed. Germany: 1 U-boat destroyed, 7 damaged, 49 killed
Result German victory
In March 1943 about a hundred merchant ships in convoys HX 229 and SC 122 met three wolfpacks in a single sprawling action in the mid Atlantic. The U-boats made surface attacks at night, when patrolling aircraft could not restrict them. Twenty-two merchant ships were sunk for the loss of one U-boat.
Why it is remembered It was the largest convoy battle of the Second World War, called by German radio the greatest convoy battle of all time. A Royal Navy report later judged that the Germans never came so near to cutting communications between the New World and the Old as in the first 20 days of March 1943.
Sources differ One account totals 39 U-boats; another account speaks of 38 submarines in three wolfpacks.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoys ONS 18/ON 202 Convoy battle
19 to 23 September 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); H. C. Forsyth, commodore, and M. B. Evans, escort, for ONS 18; E. O. Cochrane, commodore, and P. W. Burnett, escort, for ON 202 (Allies)
Forces 21 U-boats of group Leuthen against ONS 18 (27 ships, 8 escorts), ON 202 (38 ships, 6 escorts) and Support Group 9 (5 warships)
Losses Allies: 6 merchant ships and 3 warships. Germany: 3 U-boats
Result Allied victory
In September 1943 the two westbound convoys were attacked by the 21 U-boats of group Leuthen. Six merchant ships and three escorting warships were lost, and three U-boats were sunk.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle of the German autumn offensive, when the U-boats returned to the North Atlantic route after Black May.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer Post-Work: User:W.wolny, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Convoys ONS 20/ON 206 Convoy battle
15 to 18 October 1943 · North Atlantic Ocean
Fought between Germany against Britain and Canada
Commanders Karl Dönitz (Germany); H. R. Paramor, escort of ONS 20, and R. A. Currie, escort of ON 206 (Allies)
Forces 14 U-boats of group Schlieffen against ONS 20 (52 ships, 6 escorts), ON 206 (62 ships, 5 escorts) and Support Group B7 (7 warships)
Losses Allies: 1 ship sunk. Germany: 6 U-boats destroyed
Result Allied victory
In October 1943 the 14 U-boats of group Schlieffen attacked the westbound convoys ONS 20 and ON 206. One merchant ship was sunk, and six U-boats were destroyed.
Why it is remembered It was the third battle of the German autumn offensive of 1943 and cost the U-boats heavily.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Beadell, S J (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Allied invasion of Sicily)
Battle of Gela Landing or siege
10 to 12 July 1943 · Gela, south coast of Sicily
Fought between United States and Britain against Italy and Germany
Commanders George S. Patton, Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr., Hugh Joseph Gaffey, Henry Kent Hewitt and Charles Leslie Keerans Jr. (killed) (Allies); Alfredo Guzzoni, Arnaldo Rabellino (captured), Domenico Chirieleison, Hans-Valentin Hube and Paul Conrath (Axis)
Forces US 1st Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions with naval support from the cruisers USS Savannah and USS Boise, the monitor HMS Abercrombie and five US destroyers, against the Italian Livorno Division, the German Hermann Göring Division and Axis aircraft
Ships USS Savannah, USS Boise, HMS Abercrombie, USS Shubrick, USS Jeffers, USS Maddox, USS Butler, USS Glennon
Losses United States: 2,300 casualties, 1 destroyer sunk. Italy: 3,350 killed, 5,000 wounded, 2,000 prisoners. Germany: 630 killed, wounded and captured, 14 tanks
Result Allied victory
US Navy ships landed US Army troops near Gela at the opening of the American part of the invasion of Sicily. The ships withstood German and Italian air attacks while their guns helped defend the beachhead against Italian and German tank attacks. The beachhead held until the Ponte Olivo airfield was taken.
Why it is remembered It convinced US Army officers of the value of naval gunfire support and exposed problems in coordinating air support for amphibious landings. A memorial at Gela honours the fallen.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Operation Safari
Battle of Isefjord Single-ship action
29 August 1943 · Isefjord, Denmark
Fought between Denmark against Germany
Commanders Carl Westermann (Denmark)
Forces The coastal defence ship HDMS Niels Juel with about 300 sailors, against 1 mine warfare vessel, 2 torpedo boats and aircraft
Ships HDMS Niels Juel
Losses Danish: 1 killed, 4 wounded, the rest captured; Niels Juel grounded. German: at least 1 aircraft damaged.
Result German victory
When Germany moved against the Danish forces in Operation Safari, the coastal defence ship Niels Juel tried to escape to neutral Sweden. German forces attacked her in Isefjord and she was grounded; her crew were captured.
Why it is remembered It was the Danish navy's fight on the day Germany took over Denmark's armed forces.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Eastern Front)
Kerch-Eltigen operation Landing or siege
November 1943 · Kerch Peninsula, eastern Crimea
Fought between Soviet Union against Germany and Romania
Commanders Ivan Petrov, Ivan Isakov and Lev Vladimirsky (Soviet Union); Erwin Jaenecke (Germany); Corneliu Teodorini (Romania)
Forces Soviet Union: 150,000 men and 45 assault guns of the 18th and 56th Armies, with the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Flotilla. Axis: over 75,000 men and 582 guns
Losses Soviet Union: 6,985 killed or missing and 20,412 sick or wounded, 27,397 in all. Axis: unknown
Result Mixed: the northern beachhead at Yenikale held, the southern beachhead at Eltigen collapsed
In November 1943 the Red Army, carried and supported by the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Flotilla, landed at two places on the eastern coast of the Crimea. The northern beachhead at Yenikale was reinforced and held. An Axis counter attack destroyed the southern beachhead at Eltigen.
Why it is remembered The Yenikale beachhead was the base for the Soviet offensive that drove the Germans from the Crimea in 1944.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: en:user:W. B. Wilson, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the St. Lawrence)
Operation Kiebitz Other action
Also known as Operation Pointe Maisonnette (Canadian counter-operation)
September 1943; U-536 reached the rendezvous on the night of 26 September · Off Pointe de Maisonnette, eastern Canada
Fought between Germany against Canada
Commanders Desmond Piers (Canada); U-536's commander is not named in the source
Forces U-536 against a Royal Canadian Navy task group centred on HMCS Rimouski
Ships U-536, HMCS Rimouski
Losses None in the action; the escaped officer Wolfgang Heyda was arrested at the rendezvous
Result Canadian success; the escape and pick-up failed
The Kriegsmarine planned for four U-boat commanders to escape from Camp 30 at Bowmanville, Ontario, and be collected by U-536. Canadian guards seized the tunnellers, and a task group under Desmond Piers waited at the rendezvous with a portable radar ashore and signal lights. Only Wolfgang Heyda of U-434 got out of the camp, and he was arrested at the rendezvous. U-536's commander grew suspicious and stayed submerged, and the Canadian warships searched through the night and made unsuccessful depth charge attacks.
Why it is remembered The Canadian counter-operation became a key engagement of the Battle of the St. Lawrence. U-536 was sunk the following month north-east of the Azores with the loss of 38 lives.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Leader Air and submarine attack
4 October 1943 · Bodø area, Norway
Fought between United States, Britain and Norway against Germany
Commanders Bruce Fraser (Britain); Olaf M. Hustvedt (United States)
Forces 42 aircraft from the US carrier USS Ranger, serving with the British Home Fleet
Ships USS Ranger
Losses Allies: 4 aircraft (3 in combat, 1 in a landing crash). Germany: 5 ships destroyed, 7 damaged, 2 aircraft shot down
Result Allied victory
Aircraft from USS Ranger attacked German and Norwegian shipping near Bodø, guided by decoded German signals and Norwegian agents' reports, with two Norwegian airmen along to advise on the coast. They sank five ships and probably damaged seven more. Two German aircraft searching for the fleet were shot down.
Why it is remembered It ended a two year lull in Allied carrier attacks on Norway, took the Germans by surprise and disrupted the coastal convoy system and iron ore shipments.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Dodecanese campaign)
Battle of Leros Landing or siege
26 September to 16 November 1943 · Leros, Dodecanese, Aegean Sea
Fought between Italy and Britain, with South African and Greek naval support, against Germany
Commanders Luigi Mascherpa (Italy, surrendered); Robert Tilney (Britain, surrendered); Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller (Germany)
Forces Italy: 8,320 soldiers and sailors. Britain: over 3,500 soldiers, with 74 Squadron RAF and 7 Squadron SAAF. Germany: 2,800 troops and the Luftwaffe
Losses Italy: 300 killed or missing, 5,350 prisoners, 1 destroyer, 5 auxiliary and merchant ships and 5 MAS boats sunk. Britain: about 600 killed, 100 wounded, 3,200 prisoners, 115 aircraft lost, 3 destroyers sunk. Greece: 1 destroyer sunk, 68 killed. Germany: 512 killed, 900 wounded, at least 5 Marinefährprahme lost. Civilians: 20 Leros islanders killed
Result German victory
After the Italian armistice the Italian garrison of Leros was reinforced by British troops on 15 September 1943. German air attacks began on 26 September and sank Allied warships around the island. German forces landed on 12 November, and the Allied garrison surrendered four days later.
Why it is remembered It was the central event of the Dodecanese campaign, and its name is often used for the whole campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of the Messina Convoy Convoy battle
1 to 2 June 1943 · Off Cape Spartivento, Calabria
Fought between Britain and Greece against Italy
Commanders Tony Pugsley, Georgios Blessas (Allies); Marino Fasan (Italy)
Forces The destroyers HMS Jervis and Vasilissa Olga, with a Wellington bomber, against the torpedo boat Castore escorting the freighters Vragnizza and Postumia
Ships HMS Jervis, Vasilissa Olga, Castore, Vragnizza, Postumia
Losses Italian: Castore sunk and her captain killed, 2 freighters damaged. Allied: none.
Result Inconclusive
On the night of 1 to 2 June 1943 the destroyers Jervis and Vasilissa Olga of the 14th Destroyer Flotilla attacked an Italian convoy off the Calabrian coast. The merchant ships slipped away, but the escorting torpedo boat Castore sank a couple of hours after the action. On the way back to Malta Vasilissa Olga stopped for an hour with a mechanical failure, but both destroyers returned undamaged.
Why it is remembered The Allies claimed the merchant ships and another torpedo boat as sunk, but only Castore was lost.
Sources differ The Allied claims of both merchant ships and a second torpedo boat sunk were wrong; the main account records the freighters as damaged.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: An unidentified serviceman of the Regia Marina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic campaign
Battle of the North Cape Fleet battle
Also known as Operation Ostfront (German)
26 December 1943 · Off the North Cape, Barents Sea
Fought between Britain, Canada and Norway against Germany
Commanders Bruce Fraser (Britain); Erich Bey (Germany)
Forces 1 battleship, 1 heavy cruiser, 3 light cruisers and 8 destroyers, against the battleship Scharnhorst and 5 destroyers
Ships Scharnhorst, HMS Duke of York, HMS Norfolk, HMS Saumarez, HNoMS Stord
Losses German: Scharnhorst sunk, 1,932 killed, 36 captured. Allied: 21 killed, 11 wounded; Duke of York slightly damaged, Norfolk and Saumarez damaged.
Result Allied victory
Scharnhorst sailed in Operation Ostfront to attack Arctic convoys carrying supplies to the Soviet Union. She was brought to battle off the North Cape by the battleship HMS Duke of York with her cruisers and destroyers and was sunk. The Norwegian destroyer Stord played a notable part.
Why it is remembered It was the last battle between British and German big gun capital ships and the second to last battleship engagement in history.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Battle of Sept-Îles Fleet battle
22 to 23 October 1943 · Off the Sept-Îles, Brittany, France
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders George Voelcker (Britain, killed); Franz Kohlauf (Germany)
Forces 1 British light cruiser and 6 destroyers against 5 German torpedo boats and 6 minesweepers escorting 1 blockade runner
Ships HMS Charybdis, HMS Limbourne
Losses Britain: 508 killed, drowned or died of wounds; the light cruiser HMS Charybdis sunk and the destroyer HMS Limbourne scuttled. Germany: none
Result German victory
On the night of 22 to 23 October 1943 a British light cruiser and six destroyers tried to intercept a German blockade runner escorted by torpedo boats off the Sept-Îles in the Channel. The British force was probably caught in an ambush. HMS Charybdis was sunk and the Hunt class destroyer Limbourne was damaged and then scuttled; over 500 British sailors died.
Why it is remembered It was the last surface action of the war in which the Royal Navy was defeated, and the last German surface fleet victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: edited by M.Minderhoud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Allied invasion of Italy)
Operation Slapstick Landing or siege
9 September 1943 · Taranto, Italy
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders George Hopkinson (killed) and Ernest Down (Britain); Richard Heidrich (Germany)
Forces British 1st Airborne Division, carried by ships of the Royal Navy including the 12th Cruiser Squadron, against elements of the German 1st Parachute Division
Ships HMS Abdiel
Losses British Army: 58 dead, 154 wounded. Royal Navy: 48 dead, HMS Abdiel sunk. Germany: none during the initial landing
Result British success
After Italy offered to open Taranto and Brindisi, the British 1st Airborne Division was carried from North Africa across the Mediterranean by Royal Navy ships, since there were no spare transport aircraft or landing craft. The landing at Taranto was unopposed and the ports of Taranto and later Brindisi were taken in working order. German paratroops then fought a withdrawal north as the division advanced 125 miles to Foggia.
Why it is remembered It was one of the three Allied landings in Italy in September 1943, made by airborne troops arriving by sea.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Source Raid
20 to 22 September 1943 · Kåfjord, Altafjord, northern Norway
Fought between Britain, Norway and Australia against Germany
Commanders Claud Barry, Donald Cameron (captured), Godfrey Place (captured) and Henty Henty-Creer (killed) (Allies); Hans Meyer (Germany)
Forces 6 X-class midget submarines and 6 conventional submarines against the battleship Tirpitz and the heavy cruiser Lützow
Ships Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, Lützow
Losses Allies: 6 midget submarines lost, 9 killed, 6 captured. Germany: Tirpitz damaged
Result Allied partial success
X-class midget submarines, towed towards Norway by conventional submarines, were sent to attack the German heavy ships Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Lützow in northern Norway. In September 1943 they attacked at Kåfjord and damaged Tirpitz. All six midget submarines were lost, with 9 men killed and 6 captured.
Why it is remembered The attack kept Tirpitz out of action for at least six months.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Operation Stonewall Blockade and raiding
Also known as Includes the Battle of the Bay of Biscay
26 to 27 December 1943 · Bay of Biscay
Fought between Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Italy and Free France against Germany
Commanders Ralph Leatham (Allies); Karl Dönitz (Germany)
Forces Allied warships, including the cruisers HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise, escort and support groups, and Coastal Command and US aircraft, against German blockade runners escorted by destroyers and torpedo boats
Ships Osorno, Alsterufer, HMS Glasgow, HMS Enterprise
Losses Germany: 1 blockade runner, 1 destroyer, 2 torpedo boats and 1 U-boat. Allies: 2 destroyers
Result Allied victory
Code breakers tracked the blockade runners Osorno and Alsterufer heading for occupied France. Osorno reached the Gironde, but on 27 December Alsterufer was set on fire by rockets and bombs from a Czechoslovak manned Liberator and sank next day; Canadian corvettes later rescued 74 survivors. The German destroyers and torpedo boats sent to meet her were bombed and then caught by Glasgow and Enterprise in a severe storm, losing one destroyer and two torpedo boats.
Why it is remembered Blockade runner sailings from France were cancelled afterwards, ending this traffic between Germany and Japan by surface ship.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (FOXHILL), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Arctic naval operations
Operation Zitronella Raid
Also known as Unternehmen Sizilien (Operation Sicily)
8 September 1943 · Isfjorden, Spitsbergen, Svalbard
Fought between Germany against Free Norway
Commanders Friedrich Hüffmeier (Germany); Morten Bredsdorff (Norway, taken prisoner); Trond Astrup Vigtel (Norway, killed)
Forces German: the battleships Tirpitz and Scharnhorst, nine destroyers and a battalion of fortress infantry. Norwegian: 152 soldiers with two coastal guns and two anti-aircraft guns.
Ships Tirpitz, Scharnhorst
Losses German: 2 dead (one executed, one died of wounds) and 15 wounded. Norwegian: 6 killed and 31 taken prisoner.
Result German victory
In an eight hour raid the battleships Tirpitz and Scharnhorst and nine destroyers sailed to Spitsbergen, bombarded the Allied occupied settlements in Isfjorden and covered a landing party ashore.
Why it is remembered It was Tirpitz's only offensive action.
Sources differ One account gives sixteen Germans wounded, one of whom died; another account gives 2 dead and 15 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Mediterranean)
Action off Zuwarah Single-ship action
19 to 20 January 1943 · Off Zuwarah, Libya
Fought between Britain against Italy
Commanders Michael Townsend (Britain); Giuseppe Di Bartolo (Italy, killed)
Forces 2 British destroyers against 6 Italian minesweepers, 1 trawler, 1 patrol boat and 1 pump boat
Losses Britain: 7 wounded. Italy: 180 killed; 6 minesweepers, 1 trawler, 1 patrol boat and 1 pump boat sunk
Result British victory
On the night of 19 to 20 January 1943 an Italian flotilla of small minesweepers and auxiliary vessels was evacuating Tripoli. Two British destroyers intercepted it off Zuwarah in Libyan waters and sank every vessel. The Italian commander, Giuseppe Di Bartolo, was among the 180 killed.
Why it is remembered A night encounter of the Battle of the Mediterranean in which an entire Italian evacuation flotilla from Tripoli was lost.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Devonport Dockyard Constructive Department, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Adriatic campaign)
Action of 1 November 1944 Fleet battle
Also known as Ambush off Pag Island
1 November 1944 · Kvarner Gulf, between Pag and Lošinj, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Morgan Giles (Britain); Friedrich Thorwest (Germany, killed)
Forces The British destroyers HMS Avon Vale and HMS Wheatland against the German destroyer TA20 and 2 corvettes
Ships HMS Avon Vale, HMS Wheatland, TA20
Losses Britain: none. Germany: TA20 and 2 corvettes sunk, 220 killed, 7 wounded, 90 captured
Result British victory
A German destroyer and two corvettes were sent to escort a convoy of 19 landing craft retreating from Šibenik to Fiume. British destroyers ambushed them in the Kvarner Gulf and sank all three without loss. The British rescued 90 survivors and German vessels found 20 more two days later; the convoy itself was not intercepted and reached Fiume on 2 November.
Why it is remembered A complete British success in the Adriatic in which more than 200 German sailors died.
Sources differ One account speaks of a British destroyer flotilla; another account names two destroyers.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of 25 April 1944 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle in the English Channel (1944)
April 1944 · Off the north coast of Brittany, English Channel
Fought between Britain and Canada against Germany
Forces Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy ships against the German 4th Torpedo Boat Flotilla
Result Allied victory; the German 4th Torpedo Boat Flotilla was destroyed
In a series of naval actions in April 1944 off the north coast of Brittany, ships of the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy broke up the Kriegsmarine's 4th Torpedo Boat Flotilla.
Why it is remembered The actions cleared German torpedo boats from the western Channel shortly before the Normandy landings.
Sources Wikipedia (RU)
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Operation Tunnel, Battle of the Atlantic)
Action of 26 April 1944 Fleet battle
25 to 26 April 1944 · English Channel, off the Île de Batz, Brittany
Fought between Britain and Canada against Germany
Forces 1 British Dido class cruiser and 4 Tribal class destroyers against 3 German Elbing class torpedo boats
Ships HMS Black Prince, HMS Ashanti, HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron, T24, T27, T29
Losses Allies: 2 destroyers damaged and 2 lightly damaged. Germany: torpedo boat T29 sunk with 135 men, 2 torpedo boats damaged
Result Allied victory
On a sweep of the Brittany coast before the invasion of Normandy, the cruiser HMS Black Prince and four Tribal class destroyers met the torpedo boats T24, T27 and T29 off the Île de Batz. T29 was destroyed after causing some casualties on Haida and Huron, and the other two were damaged. Huron and Ashanti collided near the end of the action.
Why it is remembered One of the Operation Tunnel sweeps that weakened German torpedo boat forces in the Channel before D-Day.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Italian campaign
Battle of Anzio Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Shingle
22 January to 4 June 1944 · Anzio and Nettuno, west coast of Italy
Fought between United States, Britain and Canada against Germany and the Italian Social Republic
Commanders Harold Alexander, Mark W. Clark, John P. Lucas, Lucian Truscott (Allied land forces); Frank J. Lowry (US Navy, X-Ray Force); Thomas Troubridge (Royal Navy, Peter Force); Albert Kesselring, Eberhard von Mackensen (Germany)
Forces Allied landing: Peter Force with the light cruisers HMS Orion and HMS Spartan, 12 destroyers, 63 landing craft and 4 hospital ships; X-Ray Force with the light cruisers USS Brooklyn and HMS Penelope, 11 destroyers, 2 destroyer escorts, 24 minesweepers and 166 landing craft; about 40,000 troops and 5,000 vehicles landed at first. Later 150,000 Allied soldiers against 135,000 Germans.
Ships HMS Orion, HMS Spartan, USS Brooklyn, HMS Penelope
Losses Allied: 43,000 (7,000 killed, 36,000 wounded or missing); at sea 2 light cruisers, 3 destroyers, 2 minesweepers and 1 hospital ship lost, among them HMS Penelope, torpedoed on 18 February with the loss of 417 men. German: 40,000 (5,000 killed, 30,500 wounded or missing, 4,500 captured).
Result Allied victory; Rome was taken on 4 June 1944
Allied forces landed by surprise and unopposed at Anzio and Nettuno on 22 January 1944 to outflank the Gustav Line, while a Ranger group attacked the port of Anzio. Lucas paused to consolidate, and Kesselring ringed the beachhead with every unit he could spare, shelling the beaches and harbour for weeks while the Allied navies kept it supplied at a heavy cost in ships. After months of fighting the Allies broke out in May and turned north west to take Rome.
Why it is remembered It was one of the costliest Allied operations in Italy, and the turn towards Rome let the German Tenth Army escape from Cassino.
Sources differ One account gives Allied casualties of 43,000; another account gives 24,000 US and 10,000 British casualties.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Member of US Army personnel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic, Invasion of Normandy)
Battle of Audierne Bay Convoy battle
23 August 1944 · Audierne Bay, between Brest and Lorient, Brittany
Fought between Britain and Canada against Germany
Commanders William Davis (Britain)
Forces The cruiser HMS Mauritius and the destroyers HMS Ursa and HMCS Iroquois against 10 armed German ships
Ships HMS Mauritius, HMS Ursa, HMCS Iroquois
Losses Allies: none. Germany: 8 ships sunk, 161 captured
Result Allied victory
Three Allied warships patrolling off Audierne, south of besieged Brest, intercepted an armed German convoy at night. They sank eight of its vessels without loss.
Why it is remembered It ended Operation Kinetic, the Allied effort to cut German shipping on the Biscay coast and isolate the garrison at Brest.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Catechism Raid
12 November 1944 · Near Tromsø, Norway
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders James Tait (Britain); Robert Weber (Germany, killed)
Forces 29 RAF heavy bombers of Nos. 9 and 617 Squadrons against the battleship Tirpitz, 2 flak ships and anti-aircraft guns
Ships Tirpitz
Losses Britain: 1 aircraft damaged, no casualties. Germany: Tirpitz destroyed, 940 to 1,204 killed
Result British victory
Crippled in September and moved to Tromsø, Tirpitz was attacked at her anchorage by 29 heavy bombers flying from northern Scotland. In clear weather they hit her with at least two bombs and damaged her with near misses, and German fighters failed to take off in time. The battleship capsized within minutes; hundreds were rescued from the water, but few of those trapped in the hull were saved.
Why it is remembered It ended the long series of attacks on Tirpitz. Her destruction was celebrated in Allied countries and Norway and is marked by memorials and museum displays; Stephen Bone painted the wreck in 1945.
Sources differ German deaths are given as between 940 and 1,204.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Operation Neptune, Operation Overlord)
Bombardment of Cherbourg Landing or siege
25 June 1944 · Cherbourg, Cotentin Peninsula, France
Fought between United States and Britain against Germany
Commanders Morton Deyo (United States); Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben (Germany)
Forces Allies: 3 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 11 destroyers and 3 minesweeper squadrons. Germany: 20 casemated batteries including Battery Hamburg, and elements of 4 divisions
Ships USS Texas, USS Arkansas
Losses Not stated; several Allied ships were holed
Result Allied victory
On 25 June 1944 an Allied naval task force in two groups bombarded German fortifications at Cherbourg in support of the US Army assault on the city. The ships fought duels with coastal batteries, which were accurate out to 15,000 yards and holed several ships, though faulty German ammunition limited the harm; destroyers laid smoke to cover heavy ships as they withdrew. The bombardment ran an hour longer than planned, and the port fell on 29 June.
Why it is remembered The close support given by the small ships under army spotters proved the most effective part; the heavy guns disabled 22 of 24 assigned targets but destroyed none.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Arctic convoys)
Convoy JW 56A Convoy battle
January 1944 · Arctic Ocean, Britain to the Soviet northern ports
Fought between Germany against Britain and the Allies
Forces German U-boats against the convoy and its escorts
Losses Allies: 3 ships sunk, 1 escort damaged
Result Twelve ships reached Soviet ports
The convoy sailed from Britain in January 1944 to carry supplies to the Soviet Union. A force of U-boats attacked it, sinking three ships and damaging an escort. Twelve ships arrived at the end of the month.
Why it is remembered One of the Arctic convoys of early 1944 that met a determined U-boat attack.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Arctic convoys)
Convoy JW 57 Convoy battle
February 1944 · Arctic Ocean, Britain to the Soviet northern ports
Fought between Germany against Britain and the Allies
Forces German U-boats against the convoy and its escorts
Losses Allies: 1 escort sunk. Germany: 2 U-boats destroyed
Result Allied success; all merchant ships arrived
The convoy sailed in February 1944 and was attacked by U-boats over several days. One escort was sunk and two U-boats were destroyed. All the merchant ships reached Soviet ports.
Why it is remembered One of the Arctic convoys of 1944 that got through intact.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Arctic convoys)
Convoy JW 58 Convoy battle
27 March to 4 April 1944 · Arctic Ocean, Britain to the Soviet northern ports
Fought between Germany against Britain and the Allies
Forces German U-boats and aircraft against the convoy and its escorts
Losses Allies: none. Germany: 3 U-boats destroyed, 6 aircraft shot down
Result Allied success; the convoy arrived intact
The convoy was attacked by U-boats and aircraft on its way to the Soviet Union. It suffered no loss, while three U-boats were destroyed and six aircraft shot down.
Why it is remembered One of the Arctic convoys of 1944 that reached the Soviet ports without loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Dragoon Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Anvil; Débarquement de Provence
15 August to 14 September 1944 · Côte d'Azur, Provence, southern France
Fought between United States, France, Britain, Canada and other Allies against Germany
Commanders Jacob L. Devers, Alexander Patch, Henry Kent Hewitt, John K. Cannon and Robert T. Frederick (United States); Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, Edgard de Larminat and Joseph de Monsabert (France); Johannes Blaskowitz and Friedrich Wiese (Germany)
Forces Allies: 151,000 in the initial landing and 576,833 in all, with 75,000 French Resistance fighters, supported by the US Eighth Fleet. Germany: 85,000 to 100,000 at the landing and 285,000 to 300,000 in southern France, with 1,481 artillery pieces
Ships HMS Ensay
Losses United States: 15,574 casualties, 7,301 killed. France: more than 10,000 casualties. Germany: 7,000 killed, about 21,000 wounded, 131,250 captured, 1,316 artillery pieces
Result Allied victory
After commando raids, the US VI Corps landed on the beaches of the Côte d'Azur on 15 August 1944 under the protection of a large naval task force, followed by divisions of French Army B; minesweepers had swept lanes for the fleet. The weakened German Army Group G was quickly defeated and withdrew north through the Rhône valley, while the French took Marseille and Toulon. The advance stopped at the Vosges on 14 September.
Why it is remembered It liberated most of southern France in four weeks and gave the Allies the ports of Marseille and Toulon, easing their supply problems.
Sources differ The Americans judged the operation a success; the British disagreed, citing its weak political effect and the lack of movement in Italy.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Exercise Tiger Convoy battle
Also known as Operation Tiger; Battle of Lyme Bay
28 April 1944 · Lyme Bay, off Portland, English Channel (exercise at Slapton Sands, Devon)
Fought between United States and Britain against Germany
Forces 1 British corvette escorting 8 LSTs, against 9 German E-boats
Losses Allies: at least 749 killed, about 200 wounded, 2 LSTs sunk, 2 damaged. Germany: none
Result German victory
During a rehearsal for the D-Day landings at Slapton Sands in Devon, a convoy of landing ships was attacked by German E-boats in Lyme Bay. Two LSTs were sunk and two damaged, and at least 749 American servicemen died. The exercise was also marred by friendly fire caused by poor coordination and communication.
Why it is remembered Because the invasion of Normandy was imminent, the disaster was kept secret and only minimally reported afterwards.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Signal Corps, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Italian campaign)
Invasion of Elba Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Brassard
17 to 19 June 1944 · Elba, Italy
Fought between France, Britain and the United States against Germany
Commanders Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (France); Thomas Troubridge (Britain); Franz Gall (Germany)
Forces French Force 255 with the 9th Colonial Infantry Division, commandos and Moroccan tabors, British Force N and Royal Naval Commandos, and British and American aircraft, against 2 German infantry battalions
Losses Britain: 38 killed, 9 wounded. France: 252 killed, 635 wounded. Germany: 500 killed, 1,995 captured, a flak ship destroyed
Result Allied victory
The French Liberation Army, carried and supported by British and American ships and aircraft, landed on Elba on 17 June 1944. The German defenders had seen Allied activity on Corsica and knew of the invasion a day in advance. They held out for two days before being allowed to withdraw to the mainland.
Why it is remembered A French led amphibious operation of the Italian campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Adriatic campaign)
Battle of Ist Fleet battle
29 February 1944 · Off Ist, between Škarda and Molat, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Free France against Germany
Commanders Pierre Lancelot (Free France); Jürgen von Kleist (Germany)
Forces 2 Free French destroyers against 2 German corvettes, 2 torpedo boats and 3 minesweepers escorting a freighter
Losses Free France: none. Germany: 150 killed and wounded, 1 corvette and 1 freighter sunk, 2 torpedo boats damaged
Result Free French victory
Two Free French destroyers attacked a German flotilla escorting a freighter off Ist. They sank the freighter and a corvette without loss and then withdrew.
Why it is remembered A Free French naval success in the Adriatic.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Operation Dragoon)
Action off La Ciotat Single-ship action
17 August 1944 · Off La Ciotat, southern France
Fought between United States and Britain against Germany
Commanders John D. Bulkeley (United States); Hermann Polenz (Germany)
Forces 1 destroyer, 2 gunboats and 17 PT boats against 1 German corvette and 1 naval yacht
Ships USS Endicott
Losses United States: 1 man wounded, 1 destroyer damaged. Germany: 1 corvette, 1 naval yacht and 1 freighter sunk, 211 captured
Result Allied victory
During the Dragoon landings a small American and British flotilla was sent to make a feint against La Ciotat to draw German forces from the main beaches. Two German warships attacked it. Both were sunk, along with a freighter, and 211 Germans were captured; USS Endicott was damaged.
Why it is remembered A small surface action of the invasion of southern France fought by a flotilla under John D. Bulkeley.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Eastern Front)
Battle of Nerva Island Fleet battle
19 to 20 June 1944 · Near Nerva Island, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Soviet Union against Germany
Commanders S. A. Osipov (Soviet Union); Heinrich Peter-Pirkham (Germany)
Forces 2 German torpedo boats against light units of the Soviet Baltic Fleet: 4 gunboats, 10 patrol boats and 14 motor torpedo boats
Losses Germany: 1 torpedo boat sunk, 1 damaged, 78 killed, 21 wounded, 6 captured. Soviet Union: 8 vessels damaged, human losses unknown
Result Soviet victory
During the Soviet offensive against Finland in June 1944, two German torpedo boats were engaged near Nerva Island by Soviet gunboats, patrol boats and motor torpedo boats. One torpedo boat was sunk and the other damaged.
Why it is remembered It was one of the few engagements in the Baltic in the Second World War involving large surface ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: scanned by User:D.W., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Operation Overlord, Western Front)
Normandy landings Landing or siege
Also known as D-Day; Operation Neptune
6 June 1944 · Normandy coast, France: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches
Fought between Britain, the United States, Canada, France and other Allies against Germany
Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bernard Montgomery, Bertram Ramsay, Omar Bradley and Miles Dempsey (Allies); Gerd von Rundstedt, Erwin Rommel, Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg and Friedrich Dollmann (Germany)
Forces Allies: 156,115 soldiers landed by sea and air, and 195,700 naval personnel. Germany: over 50,350 men and 170 coastal artillery guns
Losses Allies: over 10,000 casualties, 4,414 confirmed dead (2,499 American, 1,915 of other nations), 185 Sherman tanks. Germany: 4,000 to 9,000 killed, wounded, missing or captured
Result Allied victory; five beachheads established
After a day's delay for weather, the invasion began shortly after midnight on 6 June 1944 with heavy air and naval bombardment and the landing of 24,000 airborne troops. From about 06:30 seaborne forces landed on five beaches along 80 km of coast, under fire and among mines and obstacles; strong winds pushed landing craft east of their targets and losses were heaviest at Omaha. Beachheads were won at all five sites on the first day, though they were not all joined until 12 June.
Why it is remembered It is the largest seaborne invasion in history and began the liberation of France and Western Europe.
Sources differ The original estimate of Allied dead was 2,500; research by the National D-Day Memorial has confirmed 4,414. German casualties are estimated at 4,000 to 9,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Chief Photographer's Mate (CPHoM) Robert F. Sargent, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic, Invasion of Normandy)
Battle of Pierres Noires Single-ship action
5 July 1944 · Iroise Sea, near the Pierres Noires lighthouse, off Brest
Fought between Canada against Germany
Commanders Dickson Wallace (Canada); Gerhard Palmgren (Germany)
Forces 4 Canadian destroyers against 4 German patrol boats escorting 1 U-boat
Losses Germany: 1 patrol boat sunk, 1 damaged. Canada: not stated
Result Allied victory
During Operation Dredger, Royal Canadian Navy destroyers attacked a U-boat and its surface escort near Brest. They sank or damaged some of the escorts, but the U-boat escaped.
Why it is remembered A Canadian destroyer action in the Allied effort to keep U-boats from the Normandy invasion routes.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Operation Dragoon)
Action of Port Cros Single-ship action
15 August 1944 · Off Port-Cros, French Riviera
Fought between United States and Canada against Germany
Commanders William C. Hughes (United States)
Forces The US destroyer USS Somers and 1,800 infantry of the 1st Special Service Force, against the German warships UJ6081 and SG21 and 5 forts
Ships USS Somers, UJ6081, SG21, LST 32
Losses Allies: 9 killed. Germany: UJ6081 and SG21 sunk, 5 forts captured
Result Allied victory
While supporting the Dragoon landings, USS Somers met two German warships off Port-Cros and sank both. Later that day LST 32 landed the American and Canadian 1st Special Service Force, the Devil's Brigade, on the main island, and it captured the German positions.
Why it is remembered It was one of the few surface engagements fought between the US Navy and the Kriegsmarine.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Cnes, Spot Image, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Normandy landings)
Battle of Port-en-Bessin Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Aubery
7 to 8 June 1944 · Port-en-Bessin, Normandy, between Omaha and Gold beaches
Fought between United Kingdom against Germany
Commanders C. F. Phillips (47 Royal Marine Commando); Dietrich Kraiß (Germany)
Forces About 420 men of 47 (Royal Marine) Commando, 328 in the assault, against elements of the German 352nd Division and 2 flak ships
Losses British: 136 casualties, including 46 killed and 70 wounded. German: 300 prisoners (incomplete figure)
Result Allied victory
Port-en-Bessin, a small fortified fishing harbour west of Arromanches, lay between the American Omaha Beach and the British Gold Beach and was an objective of Operation Overlord. No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando of the 4th Special Service Brigade captured it on 7 and 8 June 1944 against German infantry and two flak ships.
Why it is remembered It was one of the objectives of the Normandy landings, taken by Royal Marine Commandos at heavy cost.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Lapland War)
Operation Tanne Ost Landing or siege
Also known as Fir East
15 September 1944 · Suursaari (Hogland, Gogland), Gulf of Finland
Fought between Germany against Finland, with Soviet air support
Commanders Karl-Conrad Mecke (Germany); Martti Miettinen (Finland)
Forces Germany: 2,700 men. Finland: 1,612 men. Soviet Union: 10 Il-2 and 3 SB aircraft
Ships F-822, F-866, F-173, B-1, B-31, B-35, R-29, Pernau, VMV 10, VMV 14
Losses Germany: 153 killed, 1,231 prisoners; 3 landing craft (F-822, F-866, F-173), 3 patrol boats (B-1, B-31, B-35), 1 minesweeper (R-29) and 1 tug (Pernau) lost. Finland: 36 killed, 67 wounded, 8 missing, 2 patrol boats (VMV 10, VMV 14) lost. Soviet Union: 2 Il-2 and 1 SB
Result Finnish victory
German forces landed from the sea on Suursaari to seize the island before it could pass into Soviet hands after Finland left the war. The Finnish garrison, helped by Soviet aircraft, defeated the landing. More than 1,200 Germans were taken prisoner and several German landing craft and patrol vessels were lost.
Why it is remembered Suursaari guarded the minefields that kept the Soviet Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt, and the failed landing marked the start of open fighting between Germany and Finland.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Tungsten Raid
3 April 1944 · Kaafjord, northern Norway
Fought between Britain and Canada against Germany
Commanders Henry Moore (Britain); Hans Meyer (Germany)
Forces 40 dive bombers and 80 fighters from five carriers of the Home Fleet, against the battleship Tirpitz, anti-aircraft batteries and other ships
Ships Tirpitz, HMS Furious
Losses Britain: 4 aircraft and 9 airmen. Germany: Tirpitz and 5 other vessels damaged; on Tirpitz 122 killed and 316 wounded
Result British victory
The Home Fleet sailed on 30 March 1944 after four months of preparation, and on 3 April aircraft from five carriers struck Tirpitz at Kaafjord as she was finishing repairs. The raid achieved surprise and met little opposition. Fifteen bombs hit the battleship and fighters strafed her gun crews.
Why it is remembered Tirpitz was badly damaged in her superstructure but not disabled, and was repaired by mid July; later carrier raids failed, and she was finally sunk by RAF heavy bombers in late 1944.
Sources differ One account gives 122 killed and 316 wounded on Tirpitz; another account gives 123 killed and 329 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hudson, F A (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Invasion of Normandy)
Battle of Ushant (1944) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Brittany
9 June 1944 · Off the coast of Brittany, near Ushant, western English Channel
Fought between Britain, Canada and Poland against Germany
Commanders Basil Jones (Allies); Theodor von Bechtolsheim (Germany)
Forces 8 Allied destroyers against 3 German destroyers and 1 torpedo boat
Ships HMS Tartar
Losses Allies: 1 destroyer damaged. Germany: 39 killed, 140 captured, 1 destroyer sunk, 1 destroyer driven ashore and wrecked
Result Allied victory
Three days after the Normandy landings, Allied and German destroyer flotillas met off Brittany in the early morning of 9 June 1944. After a confused night action, the Allies sank one German destroyer and forced another ashore, where she was wrecked.
Why it is remembered It stopped a German destroyer attempt against the Normandy invasion shipping; the crew of HMS Tartar kept their torn White Ensign from the battle.
Sources differ One account records the second German destroyer as scuttled; another account says she was forced ashore and wrecked.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: McNeill, M H A (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Continuation War
Battle of Vyborg Bay (1944) Landing or siege
Also known as Viipurinlahden taistelu
30 June to 10 July 1944 · Vyborg Bay, Gulf of Finland
Fought between Soviet Union against Finland and Germany
Commanders Leonid Govorov, Vladimir Tributs (Soviet Union); Pekka Enkainen (Finland); Hero Breusing (Germany)
Forces Soviet: the 59th Army's 124th and 224th Rifle Divisions and the 260th Marine Regiment, landed by cutters, torpedo boats and motor torpedo boats of the Baltic Fleet. Finnish and German: V Corps, the 22nd Coastal Artillery Regiment, a cavalry brigade, the German 122nd Infantry Division, Finnish Navy ships and German gun barges.
Ships Viena, BMO-503
Losses Soviet: the 224th Rifle Division lost 2,623 men (1,280 killed, 1,167 wounded, 176 missing) and the 124th about 500; only 82 of 1,136 men returned from the 4 July landing on Teikari; the subchaser BMO-503 and several cutters were mined. Finnish: the gunboat Viena was badly damaged by air attack; on Teikari about 300 killed and 530 wounded or missing.
Result Finnish defensive victory; the Soviets took the main islands of the bay but gained no bridgehead on the northern shore
Soviet forces landed from the sea on the islands of Vyborg Bay, among them Teikari, Melansaari, Ravansaari and Suonionsaari. Suonionsaari and Ravansaari fell on 4 July and Teikari and Melansaari on 5 July, after repeated costly landings on Teikari. Finnish ships and German gun barges raided on 4 and 5 July but were driven back, and later Soviet attempts on the northern shore were repulsed.
Why it is remembered The front in the bay then held until the war ended on 4 September 1944.
Sources differ The main account gives the dates as 30 June to 10 July, while the account of the fighting ends on 9 July.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Finnish Defence Forces, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Action of 9 February 1945 Single-ship action
Also known as Sinking of U-864
9 February 1945 · Off Fedje Island, Norway, North Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Jimmy Launders (Britain); Ralf-Reimar Wolfram (Germany, killed)
Forces The British submarine HMS Venturer against the German submarine U-864
Ships HMS Venturer, U-864
Losses Britain: none. Germany: U-864 sunk with all 73 hands
Result British victory
HMS Venturer, a V class submarine, was patrolling off Fedje Island when she attacked U-864. She sank the U-boat with all 73 men aboard.
Why it is remembered It is the only time in naval history that one submarine has sunk another while both were submerged.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer. Post-Work: User:Gunfighter-6, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Actions of 5 to 6 May 1945 Single-ship action
Also known as Actions of 5/6 May 1945
5 to 6 May 1945 · Off Rhode Island and south of Cape Race, Newfoundland
Fought between United States against Germany
Forces 5 US warships and 2 blimps against 2 U-boats
Ships U-853, U-881
Losses Germany: 2 U-boats sunk (U-853 and U-881), 109 killed. United States: 1 merchant ship sunk, 12 killed
Result American victory
In the last days of the war in Europe, US forces sank U-853 off the Rhode Island coast and U-881 south of Cape Race. A merchant ship was lost with 12 men.
Why it is remembered They were the last actions of the Battle of the Atlantic in American waters.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Actions of 7 to 8 May 1945 Convoy battle
Also known as Actions of 7/8 May 1945
7 to 8 May 1945 · British coastal waters: Firth of Forth and off Portland Bill
Fought between Germany against Britain and Norway
Commanders E. Klusmeier (U-2336), Heinrich Schroeteler (U-1023) and H. Emmerich (U-320) (Germany); K. M. Murray, RAF Catalina (Britain)
Forces The U-boats U-2336, U-1023 and U-320 against a British convoy, Norwegian minesweepers and a Coastal Command Catalina
Ships U-2336, U-1023, U-320, Sneland I, Avondale Park, NYMS 382
Losses Allies: the freighters Sneland I and Avondale Park sunk with 9 men lost, and the minesweeper NYMS 382 sunk with 22 men lost. Germany: U-320 damaged and abandoned the next day, all crew surviving
Result U-1023 and U-2336 escaped; U-320 was lost
On 7 May 1945, hours before the German surrender, U-2336 attacked a convoy in the Firth of Forth and sank the freighters Sneland I and Avondale Park, and U-1023 torpedoed the Norwegian minesweeper NYMS 382 off Portland Bill. Both U-boats escaped. A Catalina of 210 Squadron damaged U-320, whose crew abandoned her off Norway the next day.
Why it is remembered These were the last ships sunk by enemy action in the Battle of the Atlantic, nearly five and a half years after it began, and U-320 was the last U-boat lost in action in it.
Sources differ The main account places the U-320 attack in the morning of 7 May but describes the attacks as coming in the evening.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Air Force official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Black Friday (1945) Air and submarine attack
Also known as Black Friday raid on Førde Fjord
9 February 1945 · Førde Fjord, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
Fought between Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Britain against Germany
Commanders Colin Milson (Allies)
Forces Allies: 31 or 32 Beaufighters, 10 or 12 P-51 Mustangs and 2 Warwick rescue aircraft. Germany: the destroyer Z33 with 3 to 9 escort vessels, and 12 Fw 190 fighters
Ships Z33
Losses Allies: 9 Beaufighters and 1 Mustang lost, 14 aircrew killed, 4 captured. Germany: 4 or 5 Fw 190s, 2 pilots and 7 sailors killed; at least two ships damaged
Result German victory
Following Admiralty instructions, Coastal Command Beaufighters attacked the destroyer Z33 and her escorts, sheltering in a strong defensive position in Førde Fjord, instead of nearby merchant ships. They had to attack through massed flak, which shot down seven Beaufighters, and twelve Fw 190s intercepted them, shooting down two more and a Mustang. At least two German ships were damaged, and four or five German fighters were shot down, among them that of the ace Rudi Linz.
Why it is remembered The survivors called it Black Friday. Afterwards merchant ships were given priority over destroyers, and an extra Mustang squadron was assigned to protect Allied aircraft near Norway.
Sources differ Allied strength is given as 31 or 32 Beaufighters and 10 or 12 Mustangs, and German escorts as 3 to 9 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: No. 455 Squadron RAAF, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Mediterranean)
Battle of the Ligurian Sea Fleet battle
18 March 1945 · Gulf of Genoa, Ligurian Sea
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Derick Hetherington (Britain); Franz Burkart (Germany, captured)
Forces The British destroyers HMS Lookout and HMS Meteor against 1 German destroyer and 2 torpedo boats
Ships HMS Lookout, HMS Meteor
Losses Britain: 1 destroyer damaged. Germany: 2 torpedo boats sunk, 1 destroyer damaged, 60 killed, 244 captured
Result British victory
A German flotilla of one destroyer and two torpedo boats was laying mines at night in the Gulf of Genoa when HMS Lookout and HMS Meteor intercepted it. The British sank two of the German ships and severely damaged the third.
Why it is remembered It was the last German naval surface action of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Battle of Point Judith Single-ship action
5 to 6 May 1945 · Off Point Judith, Rhode Island
Fought between United States against Germany
Forces The destroyer USS Ericsson, the destroyer escorts USS Amick and USS Atherton, the frigate USS Moberly and 2 blimps, against U-853
Ships U-853, SS Black Point, USS Ericsson, USS Amick, USS Atherton, USS Moberly
Losses United States: the collier SS Black Point sunk, 12 killed. Germany: U-853 sunk, 55 killed
Result American victory
With Germany on the verge of surrender, U-853 sank the 7,500 ton coal ship Black Point off Point Judith. American warships and two blimps hunted the U-boat down and sank her.
Why it is remembered It was one of the last actions of the Battle of the Atlantic, fought after Hitler's death.
Sources Wikipedia
The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of the Atlantic)
Operation Teardrop Other action
April to May 1945 · North Atlantic Ocean, off the Eastern Seaboard of North America
Fought between United States and Canada against Germany
Commanders Jonas H. Ingram (United States); Eberhard Godt (Germany)
Forces 42 US destroyers and destroyer escorts and 4 escort carriers, with RCAF aircraft, against 7 U-boats
Ships U-546, USS Frederick C. Davis
Losses Germany: 5 U-boats sunk, 218 killed, 33 captured. United States: the destroyer escort USS Frederick C. Davis sunk, 126 killed
Result Allied victory
Fearing that U-boats were carrying V-1 flying bombs to attack New York, the US Navy formed two large anti-submarine task forces. When Type IX U-boats sailed from Norway in April 1945, storms hampered the escort carriers, but long lines of destroyer escorts found and attacked most of them. Five of the seven boats were sunk, four with all hands, and USS Frederick C. Davis was lost; 33 men of U-546 were captured.
Why it is remembered After the war it was found that none of the U-boats had carried missiles. Specialists among the U-546 survivors were interrogated under torture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Crew of USS Hubbard (DE-211), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945
Alice Dollar incident Single-ship action
20 to 21 July 1920 · Near Tang Chia To and Chongqing, Yangtze River, China
Fought between United States against Chinese rebels
Commanders C. D. Gilroy (United States)
Forces 1 gunboat and 1 steamer against an unknown number of rebels
Ships USS Monocacy, SS Alice Dollar
Losses United States: 2 wounded, gunboat and steamer damaged. Rebels: unknown.
Result United States victory
Chinese rebels on the Yangtze fired on the American merchant ship SS Alice Dollar on 20 July. The gunboat USS Monocacy of the Yangtze Patrol was sent to escort her out of the area, and when the rebels attacked again the next day they were silenced by American fire.
Why it is remembered It is one of the actions of the United States Navy's Yangtze Patrol.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945
Wanhsien incident Single-ship action
27 August to 5 September 1926 · Wanxian (Wanhsien) and Yunyang, Yangtze River, Sichuan, China
Fought between Britain against the forces of General Yang Sen
Commanders Commander Acheson (Britain); Yang Sen (China)
Forces The gunboats HMS Cockchafer and HMS Widgeon and the chartered armed steamer Kiawo, against Chinese troops with field artillery on both banks
Ships HMS Cockchafer, HMS Widgeon, Kiawo, Wanhsien, Wanliu, Wantung
Losses Britain: seven naval and one merchant sailor killed, many wounded; the steamers Wanhsien and Wantung not recovered. China: according to Wellington Koo, nearly 1,000 soldiers and civilians killed or wounded and more than 1,000 buildings destroyed; he also said 64 Chinese drowned when sampans capsized in the Wanliu incident.
Result British withdrawal without the seized steamers
General Yang Sen tried to commandeer British merchant steamers of the China Navigation Company for his troops. Royal Marines retook the Wanliu, but Yang seized the Wanhsien and Wantung. On 5 September Cockchafer, Widgeon and Kiawo tried to recover them and a battle followed with Chinese troops on the riverbank; the British rescued the crews but withdrew without the ships.
Why it is remembered China protested at the bombardment of a civil port, and Austen Chamberlain told Parliament that the Royal Navy had fired only on military targets.
Sources differ Chinese casualty figures come from Wellington Koo, the Chinese side; no British count of Chinese losses is given.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945
Irene incident Other action
19 to 20 October 1927 · Bias Bay, South China Sea, about sixty miles from Hong Kong
Fought between Britain against pirates
Commanders Frederick Halahan (Britain)
Forces The submarines HMS L4 and HMS L5, the destroyer HMS Stormcloud, the cruiser HMS Delhi, the minesweeper HMS Magnolia and the Hong Kong Police, against pirates holding the steamship SS Irene
Ships HMS L4, HMS L5, HMS Stormcloud, HMS Delhi, HMS Magnolia, SS Irene
Losses Britain: none. Pirates: about 1 killed, 17 captured, SS Irene sunk. 14 passengers on the Irene died.
Result British victory
Pirates seized the China Merchants steamship SS Irene on the night of 19 October. Royal Navy submarines intercepted her near Bias Bay and attacked, stopping the hijacking but sinking the ship.
Why it is remembered It was a British anti-piracy operation off the China coast in which submarines were used against a captured merchant ship.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Sino-Soviet conflict of 1929
Battle of Lahasusu Landing or siege
12 October 1929 · Lahasusu, Tongjiang, at the mouth of the Songhua River, China
Fought between Soviet Union against the Republic of China
Commanders Vasily Blyukher, Jēkabs Ozoliņš, Ivan Onufriyev, Jānis Kārkliņš (Soviet Union); Shen Honglie, Li Du (China)
Forces Soviet Amur Military Flotilla of 4 river monitors, 4 river gunboats, 3 armoured motor gunboats, 1 minelayer and 2 minesweepers, with 1,117 landing troops and 29 aircraft; Chinese Songhua River Flotilla of 3 river gunboats, 4 armed steam vessels and a floating battery, with a garrison of about 2,200 troops and shore guns
Losses China: 1 river gunboat and 3 armed steam vessels lost, 2 gunboats damaged, the floating battery captured, about 200 killed, 98 taken prisoner. Soviet Union: 1 river monitor and 1 river gunboat damaged, 5 killed, 24 wounded.
Result Soviet victory
The Soviet Amur Military Flotilla attacked the Chinese Songhua River Flotilla and the garrison at Lahasusu, at the mouth of the Songhua. Supported by aircraft, Soviet river monitors and gunboats engaged the Chinese vessels while troops landed. The Chinese lost a gunboat and three armed steamers, and their floating battery and guns were captured.
Why it is remembered It was a river battle of the Sino-Soviet conflict of 1929, fought by the Soviet Amur Military Flotilla against the Chinese Songhua River Flotilla.
Sources differ The main account gives Chinese strength from Soviet sources as about 2,200 troops; the Chinese side said about 2,600 troops with up to 900 killed, which a Russian historian considers inflated.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second Sino-Japanese War
Battle of Shanghai Landing or siege
Also known as Songhu Huizhan
13 August to 26 November 1937 · Shanghai and the coasts of the Yangtze and Hangzhou Bay, China
Fought between Japan against the Republic of China
Commanders Iwane Matsui, Heisuke Yanagawa, Kiyoshi Hasegawa (Japan); Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Zhang Zhizhong, Feng Yuxiang, Chen Shaokuan (China)
Forces 300,000 Japanese troops with 500 aircraft, 300 tanks and 130 naval ships, against 700,000 Chinese troops with 180 aircraft and 70 tanks
Losses China: 187,200 killed and wounded by a Chinese report of 5 November 1937; about 300,000 casualties by the Chinese Ministry of Military Affairs; 250,000 by Japanese estimate. Japan: over 47,000 casualties in official records; a 2017 Western estimate gives 18,800 killed, 35,000 to 40,000 wounded and 40,000 sick.
Result Japanese victory; Shanghai captured and heavily damaged
Chinese forces besieged the Japanese Naval Landing Force in Shanghai, and Japan answered with amphibious landings on the Jiangsu coast and at Hangzhou Bay. Over three months the armies fought in the city, in the creek country to the north and on the beaches, with heavy Japanese air and naval support. Outflanked, the Chinese army retreated and the city fell.
Why it is remembered It was the largest urban battle before Stalingrad and cost China many of its best troops. Some historians regard it as the first battle of the Second World War.
Sources differ Casualty figures differ widely between Chinese, Japanese and Western sources, as listed in losses.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second Sino-Japanese War (Battle of Nanjing); Japan and the United States were not at war
USS Panay incident Air and submarine attack
12 December 1937 · Yangtze River, off Nanjing, China
Fought between Japan against the United States
Commanders James J. Hughes (United States, wounded); Shigeharu Murata and Okumiya Masatake (Japan)
Forces 13 Japanese aircraft against the gunboat USS Panay and 3 Standard Oil river tankers
Ships USS Panay
Losses United States: Panay sunk, 3 tankers destroyed, 3 Americans killed and 48 wounded; also 1 American civilian killed and 5 wounded, and an unknown number of Chinese passengers killed and injured. Japan: 1 killed.
Result Japanese victory
Japanese aircraft bombed the American river gunboat Panay and three Standard Oil tankers on the Yangtze near Nanjing. Panay was sunk and three Americans aboard died, with an unknown but probably high toll among the Chinese passengers of the tankers. Japan said its pilots had not seen the large American flags painted on the gunboat.
Why it is remembered Japan apologised and paid an indemnity of 2.2 million dollars, but film taken during the attack showed aircraft flying low enough for the pilots' faces to be seen, casting doubt on the claim of mistaken identity.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: US Signal Corps, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, East African campaign
Attack on Convoy BN 7 Convoy battle
20 to 21 October 1940 · Red Sea off Massawa and Harmil Island, Italian East Africa
Fought between Britain, India, New Zealand and Australia against Italy
Commanders James Rivett-Carnac, J. S. M. Richardson, H. E. Horan (Britain); Costantino Borsini (killed), Adriano M. D. Adimari, Paolo Aloisi (Italy)
Forces 1 light cruiser, 1 destroyer, 3 sloops and 2 minesweepers escorting the 32 ships of Convoy BN 7, against 4 Italian destroyers and a shore battery on Harmil Island
Ships HMS Kimberley, HMS Leander, Francesco Nullo
Losses Britain: 3 wounded, 1 destroyer damaged, 1 merchant ship slightly damaged. Italy: 14 killed, 1 destroyer sunk.
Result British victory
Italian destroyers attacked Convoy BN 7 at night in two groups but damaged only one merchant ship. After a chase, HMS Kimberley torpedoed the destroyer Francesco Nullo, which was beached on Harmil Island. Kimberley was then disabled by the shore batteries and towed to safety by the cruiser HMS Leander.
Why it is remembered The Italians lost a destroyer for no result, and their later sorties in the Red Sea achieved nothing.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Action of 8 May 1941 Single-ship action
8 May 1941 · Indian Ocean off the Seychelles, north of Madagascar
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders P. C. W. Manwaring (Britain); Ernst-Felix Krüder (Germany, killed)
Forces The heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall against the auxiliary cruiser Pinguin
Ships HMS Cornwall, Pinguin
Losses Germany: Pinguin sunk, 323 of her 401 crew killed, 60 captured. Britain: 1 killed on Cornwall, slight damage; about 200 of the 222 British and Indian merchant seamen held prisoner aboard Pinguin killed, 22 freed.
Result British victory
HMS Cornwall found the German raider Pinguin off the Seychelles. Pinguin slightly damaged the cruiser before Cornwall's fire caused an explosion that sank her. Most of her crew and the merchant seamen she held prisoner, taken from over thirty ships, died with her.
Why it is remembered About 200 of the merchant seamen held prisoner aboard Pinguin, taken from over thirty ships, died when she was sunk.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer William Berwick Reid, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Countenance; Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia; Allied invasion of Iran
25 to 31 August 1941 · Iran, along its borders with Iraq, the Azerbaijan SSR and the Turkmen SSR
Fought between Britain, British India, Australia (naval only) and the Soviet Union against Iran
Commanders Dmitry Kozlov, Sergei Trofimenko (Soviet Union); Edward Quinan, William Slim (Britain); Reza Shah, Ahmad Nakhjavan, Gholamali Bayandor (Iran)
Forces British: 2 divisions, 3 brigades, 4 sloops, 1 gunboat, 1 corvette, 1 armed merchant cruiser, 1 armed yacht and auxiliary vessels; Soviet: 3 armies. Iranian: 9 divisions, 60 aircraft, 2 sloops and 4 patrol boats.
Losses Soviet: 40 killed, 3 aircraft. British: 22 killed, 50 wounded, 1 tank. Iranian: about 850 killed, 7 aircraft, 3 sloops destroyed, 3 patrol boats captured. About 450 Iranian civilians killed.
Result Anglo-Soviet victory; Reza Shah abdicated and Iran was occupied until 1946
Britain and the Soviet Union invaded officially neutral Iran in a coordinated attack on several fronts. The outmatched Iranian forces offered little resistance. British naval forces took part, and Iran lost three sloops destroyed and three patrol boats captured. Iran agreed a ceasefire on 30 August and surrendered on 31 August.
Why it is remembered The invasion opened the Persian Corridor for Allied supplies to the USSR and forced Reza Shah to abdicate in favour of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle between HMAS Sydney and Kormoran Single-ship action
Also known as Sinking of HMAS Sydney; Sydney and Kormoran action
19 November 1941 · About 106 nautical miles off Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia
Fought between Australia against Germany
Commanders Joseph Burnett (Australia, killed); Theodor Detmers (Germany)
Forces The light cruiser HMAS Sydney with 645 crew, against the auxiliary cruiser Kormoran with 399 crew
Ships HMAS Sydney, Kormoran
Losses Australia: Sydney sunk with all 645 aboard. Germany: Kormoran scuttled, 82 killed; 318 survived.
Result Both ships lost
Sydney met the disguised German raider Kormoran off Western Australia and approached her closely, losing the advantage of her heavier armour and longer gun range. In a half hour action both ships were fatally damaged. Kormoran's survivors reached land or were picked up, but no one from Sydney survived.
Why it is remembered It is the largest loss of life in the history of the Royal Australian Navy and the largest Allied warship lost with all hands in the war. The loss led to long controversy and two government inquiries, and the wrecks were found in 2008.
Sources differ Some postwar publications alleged a cover-up, breaches of the laws of war or Japanese involvement; the main account says no evidence supports these theories.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Allan C. Green 1878 to 1954, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of Hong Kong Landing or siege
Also known as Defence of Hong Kong; Fall of Hong Kong
8 to 25 December 1941 · British Hong Kong
Fought between Britain, British India, Canada and China against Japan
Commanders Mark Young, Christopher Maltby, Cedric Wallis, John K. Lawson, Chan Chak (Allies); Takashi Sakai, Masaichi Niimi (Japan)
Forces 10,976 to 14,564 Allied troops, 5 aircraft, 1 destroyer, 4 gunboats, 1 minelayer and 8 motor torpedo boats, against 26,928 Japanese troops, 51 aircraft, 1 cruiser, 3 destroyers, 4 torpedo boats and 3 gunboats
Losses Allied: 1,560 to 2,278 killed or missing, 2,300 wounded, 10,947 captured; 1 destroyer captured, 4 gunboats, 1 minelayer and 3 motor torpedo boats sunk; 5 aircraft lost. Japanese: 675 killed, 2,079 wounded. About 4,000 civilians killed.
Result Japanese victory; Hong Kong surrendered
Japan attacked the British colony of Hong Kong on the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor. The garrison of British, Indian and Canadian units and local volunteers abandoned Kowloon and the New Territories within a week. Less than two weeks later Hong Kong Island was untenable and the colony surrendered. The small British naval force lost most of its ships.
Why it is remembered The surrender is remembered as Black Christmas, the start of a Japanese occupation that lasted until 1945.
Sources differ Allied strength is given as 10,976 to 14,564 troops and Allied killed or missing as 1,560 to 2,278.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Mainichi Newpaper, Japan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Ecuadorian and Peruvian War of 1941 (Zarumilla offensive)
Battle of Jambelí Single-ship action
July 1941 · Jambelí channel, near Puerto Bolívar, Ecuador
Fought between Peru against Ecuador
Forces The Peruvian destroyer BAP Almirante Villar against the Ecuadorian gunboat BAE Abdón Calderón
Ships BAP Almirante Villar, BAE Abdón Calderón
Losses Each side claimed to have damaged the other's ship; no casualty figures are given for the engagement.
The Peruvian destroyer Almirante Villar was patrolling Ecuadorian waters near the Jambelí channel when she sighted the gunboat Abdón Calderón on passage to Guayaquil. The gunboat turned back towards Puerto Bolívar firing as she went, while the destroyer manoeuvred in circles and kept clear of the shallow coast. The exchange of fire ended after 21 minutes.
Why it is remembered It was the naval clash of the Zarumilla offensive in the war between Peru and Ecuador in 1941.
Sources differ Ecuador says the Peruvian destroyer was damaged; Peru says the Ecuadorian gunboat was damaged. No exact date is given; the offensive ran from 23 to 31 July 1941.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Franco-Thai War
Battle of Ko Chang Fleet battle
17 January 1941 · Off Ko Chang, Gulf of Thailand
Fought between Vichy France against Thailand
Commanders Régis Bérenger (France); Luang Phrom Viraphan (Thailand, killed)
Forces The light cruiser Lamotte-Picquet and the avisos Dumont d'Urville, Amiral Charner, Tahure and Marne, with 9 seaplanes for reconnaissance, against the coastal defence ship Thonburi and torpedo boats
Ships Lamotte-Picquet, Dumont d'Urville, Amiral Charner, Tahure, Marne, HTMS Thonburi, HTMS Chonburi, HTMS Songkhla
Losses Thailand: torpedo boats Chonburi and Songkhla sunk, Thonburi grounded and later capsized; 36 killed by Thai figures, about 300 by French estimates. France: 11 killed, no ships lost.
Result French tactical victory
A French squadron closed on the Thai anchorage at Ko Chang at dawn and sank two torpedo boats early in the action. Lamotte-Picquet then fought a running battle with the coastal defence ship Thonburi among the islets, knocking out her aft turret and killing her captain. Thonburi grounded at the mouth of the Chanthaburi river, and the French withdrew under Thai air attack.
Why it is remembered Japan stepped in to mediate, and the peace left Thailand holding the contested territory. Thonburi was raised and her guns and bridge are a memorial at the Royal Thai Naval Academy.
Sources differ Thai dead are given as 36 by Thai figures and about 300 by French estimates. The Thai Navy claimed heavy damage to Lamotte-Picquet, which French records do not mention.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Allan C. Green 1878 to 1954, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Attack on Pearl Harbor Raid
Also known as Hawaii Operation; Operation AI; Operation Z
7 December 1941 · Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii
Fought between Japan against the United States
Commanders Isoroku Yamamoto, Chūichi Nagumo (Japan); Husband E. Kimmel, Walter Short (United States)
Forces Japan: 6 aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, Zuikaku), 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 9 destroyers, 23 fleet submarines, 5 midget submarines and 414 aircraft, of which 353 took part. United States: 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 30 destroyers, 4 submarines, 73 other ships and 390 aircraft.
Ships Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, Zuikaku, USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Nevada, USS Maryland, USS Tennessee, USS Pennsylvania, USS Utah, USS Ward
Losses United States: 4 battleships sunk and 4 damaged, 1 former battleship sunk, 3 cruisers and 3 destroyers damaged, 188 aircraft destroyed; 2,403 killed and 1,178 wounded, military and civilian. Japan: 4 midget submarines sunk and 1 grounded, 29 aircraft destroyed, 129 killed, 1 sailor captured.
Result Japanese victory
At 6:37 a.m. the destroyer Ward sank a Japanese midget submarine near the harbour entrance. At 7:48 a.m. the first of two waves of aircraft from six Japanese carriers struck the Pacific Fleet at its moorings. All eight battleships present were damaged and four sunk; all but Arizona and Utah were later refloated. The three American carriers were at sea and escaped.
Why it is remembered The surprise attack on a neutral United States brought it into the war against Japan the next day.
Sources differ One account gives 130 Japanese personnel lost; another account gives 129 killed and 1 captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Imperial Japanese Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Shelling of Johnston and Palmyra Raid
Also known as Shelling of Johnston and Palmyra Atoll
12 to 24 December 1941 · Johnston Atoll and Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Francis B. Loomis Jr. (United States)
Forces US Marine 5-inch coastal guns of the 1st Defense Battalion, US Navy forces and civilian contractors, against several Japanese submarines and possibly surface vessels
Losses United States: 1 Marine wounded and military installations damaged. Japan: possible damage to ships.
Result Inconclusive; minor damage to US installations, and both islands were afterwards heavily strengthened
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese naval forces attacked Allied possessions across the Pacific, including the two US atolls of Johnston and Palmyra. Japanese submarines shelled the islands and Marine coastal guns replied.
Why it is remembered The attacks led to both atolls being heavily strengthened.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer of the Signal Corps, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse Air and submarine attack
Also known as Naval Battle of Malaya (Marē-oki kaisen)
10 December 1941 · South China Sea, 70 miles east of Kuantan, Malaya
Fought between Japan against Britain and Australia
Commanders Niichi Nakanishi, Shichizo Miyauchi, Hachiro Shoji (Japan); Tom Phillips (killed), John Leach (killed), William Tennant (Britain)
Forces 88 Japanese land-based aircraft (34 torpedo aircraft, 51 level bombers, 3 scouts), against Force Z of 1 battleship, 1 battlecruiser and 4 destroyers
Ships HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Repulse
Losses Britain: HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse sunk, 840 killed. Japan: 4 aircraft destroyed, 28 damaged, 2 seaplanes missing, 18 killed.
Result Japanese victory
Force Z sailed without air cover to intercept the Japanese invasion fleet off Malaya but failed to find the main convoy. On its return to Singapore it was attacked in open water by Japanese bombers and torpedo bombers, and both capital ships were sunk. Admiral Phillips kept radio silence until Repulse sent an alert an hour after the first attack.
Why it is remembered Two days after Pearl Harbor it showed that even the heaviest warships were vulnerable to air attack without air cover. It left the British Eastern Fleet much weakened before the fall of Singapore.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photograph by Underwood & Underwood, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of Wake Island Landing or siege
8 to 23 December 1941 · Wake Island, with Peale and Wilkes islets, central Pacific
Fought between Japan against the United States
Commanders Shigeyoshi Inoue, Sadamichi Kajioka, Shigematsu Sakaibara, Eiji Gotō, Tamon Yamaguchi (Japan); Winfield S. Cunningham, James Devereux, Paul A. Putnam (all captured), Henry T. Elrod (killed) (United States)
Forces First landing attempt: 3 light cruisers, 6 destroyers, 2 patrol boats, 2 transports, 1 submarine tender and 3 submarines; reinforced for the second attempt by 2 aircraft carriers, Sōryū and Hiryū, 2 heavy cruisers, 2 destroyers and 2,500 infantry. Defenders: 449 marines, 6 coastal guns, 12 aircraft and 12 anti-aircraft guns, with 68 navy and 5 army personnel and 1,221 civilian workers.
Ships Yūbari, Hayate, Kisaragi, Sōryū, Hiryū, USS Triton, USS Saratoga
Losses Japan: in the first attempt 2 destroyers (Hayate and Kisaragi) and 1 submarine sunk, 340 killed and 65 wounded; in the second 2 patrol boats wrecked, 10 aircraft lost, about 600 casualties. United States: 52 killed, 49 wounded, 2 missing, 12 aircraft lost, 433 captured; 70 civilians killed and 1,104 interned, of whom 180 died in captivity.
Result Japanese victory
Japanese bombers struck Wake within hours of Pearl Harbor. On 11 December the marines beat off the first landing: shore guns blew up the destroyer Hayate and Wildcat fighters sank Kisaragi. A relief force built around the carrier Saratoga was recalled, and on 23 December a second, stronger landing supported by the carriers Sōryū and Hiryū forced the garrison to surrender.
Why it is remembered The garrison beat off the first landing on 11 December before the island fell. Ninety eight civilian prisoners kept on the island were used for forced labour and executed in October 1943.
Sources differ US Marine dead are given as 52 in one account and 49 in another account. Japanese casualties in the first attempt are given as 407 in another account and 340 killed and 65 wounded in one account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jpbrenna at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Aleutian Islands campaign
Action of 5 July 1942 Air and submarine attack
Also known as 7月5日の海戦 (Japanese)
5 July 1942 (4 July in Allied records) · Off Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Howard W. Gilmore (United States); Gisaburō Harada, Yoshito Miyasaka (Japan)
Forces The submarine USS Growler against the destroyers of the 18th Destroyer Division at anchor, with the seaplane carrier Chiyoda and the transport Aruzentina Maru nearby
Ships USS Growler, Arare, Shiranui, Kasumi, Chiyoda
Losses Japan: Arare sunk with 104 killed; Shiranui heavily damaged, 3 killed; Kasumi heavily damaged, 10 killed. United States: none reported.
Result American victory
In fog in the early hours, the US submarine Growler attacked Japanese destroyers anchored off Kiska. Her torpedoes sank Arare, which fired back with her main guns before breaking apart. Shiranui and Kasumi were badly damaged and could not move under their own power; both needed more than a year of repairs at Maizuru.
Why it is remembered One submarine put three Japanese destroyers out of action in a single attack during the Aleutian campaign.
Sources differ Japanese records give 5 July, Allied records 4 July.
Sources Wikipedia (JA)
Image: 不明Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Indian Ocean raid
Air raid on Ceylon (5 April 1942) Raid
Also known as Easter Sunday raid
5 April 1942 · Colombo harbour, British Ceylon
Fought between Japan against Britain, Ceylon, Canada and the Netherlands
Forces Carrier aircraft of the 1st Air Fleet (Kidō Butai), against RAF and Fleet Air Arm fighters and anti-aircraft guns
Losses Allied: 37 Royal Navy personnel, 23 merchant sailors and 37 civilians killed; 26 aircraft destroyed; 3 ships sunk, 3 damaged. Japanese: 7 aircraft.
Result Japanese victory, though the Eastern Fleet escaped
Japanese carrier aircraft attacked Colombo, aiming to destroy the British Eastern Fleet in harbour. Warned by decoded signals and air reconnaissance, the British had dispersed shipping beforehand. Fighters and guns met the raid; port facilities were damaged and ships in the harbour sunk or damaged, but the bulk of the fleet was not found.
Why it is remembered The Eastern Fleet moved for a time to East Africa, and Japan never repeated the raid.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Dutch East Indies campaign
Battle of Ambon Landing or siege
30 January to 3 February 1942 · Ambon Island, Moluccas, Dutch East Indies
Fought between Japan against the Netherlands and Australia
Commanders Takeo Takagi, Takeo Itō (Japan); Joseph Kapitz (Netherlands, surrendered); William Scott (Australia, surrendered)
Forces Japanese: 5,300. Dutch: 2,600. Australian: 1,100.
Losses Allied: 340 killed, 2,182 captured, 309 executed. Japanese: 95 killed, 185 wounded, 1 minesweeper sunk and 2 minesweepers damaged.
Result Japanese victory
Japanese forces landed on Ambon and, against a combined Dutch and Australian defence, took the island and its airfield in several days, losing one minesweeper sunk and two damaged.
Why it is remembered It was followed by a major massacre of Dutch and Australian prisoners of war by the Japanese army, for which many Japanese personnel were later tried for war crimes.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Leonard Thomas Woods, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of Badung Strait Fleet battle
19 to 20 February 1942 · Badung Strait, off Bali, Dutch East Indies
Fought between Netherlands, United States and Britain against Japan
Commanders Karel Doorman (ABDA); Kyūji Kubo (Japan)
Forces 3 cruisers, 7 destroyers, 2 submarines and 20 aircraft, against 4 destroyers escorting 2 transports
Ships HNLMS Piet Hein
Losses Allied: 1 destroyer sunk, 1 cruiser damaged, 1 destroyer damaged and later scuttled. Japanese: 25 killed, 83 wounded, 3 destroyers and 1 transport damaged.
Result Japanese victory
In a night action four Japanese destroyers defeated a larger and more heavily armed ABDA force. They sank the Dutch destroyer Piet Hein and brought two transports to safety.
Why it is remembered It showed the Japanese navy's superiority in night fighting, which lasted until the Battle of Cape St. George. It is not to be confused with the Javanese city of Bandung.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Naval Historical Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Dutch East Indies campaign
Battle of Balikpapan (1942) Landing or siege
Also known as First Battle of Balikpapan; sometimes called the Battle of Makassar Strait
23 to 25 January 1942 · Off Balikpapan, Borneo, Dutch East Indies
Fought between Netherlands and United States against Japan
Commanders Cornelis van den Hoogenband (Netherlands); Paul H. Talbot (United States); Shizuo Sakaguchi, Shōji Nishimura (Japan)
Forces About 1,100 Allied troops and a US naval task force, against about 6,600 Japanese
Losses Allied: 1 destroyer lightly damaged, 1 submarine heavily damaged; most troops deserted or surrendered, only 200 evacuated. Japanese: 47 infantry and at least 121 sailors killed; 5 transports sunk, 2 transports, 1 patrol boat and 1 seaplane tender damaged.
Result Japanese victory
Japan had warned the Dutch they would be executed if they destroyed the Balikpapan oilfields; the Dutch destroyed them anyway and withdrew inland. The Japanese landed and seized the wrecked refineries. An American naval task force then ambushed the invasion convoy and sank several transports, but could not stop the occupation.
Why it is remembered The US destroyer attack on the invasion convoy was an early Allied success at sea in the East Indies, though Balikpapan still fell.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Netherlands Ministry of Defense, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Guadalcanal campaign
Battle for Henderson Field Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Guadalcanal; Battle of Lunga Point (Japanese)
23 to 26 October 1942 · Henderson Field and the Lunga perimeter, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, William Rupertus (United States); Harukichi Hyakutake (Japan)
Forces 23,088 US troops against 20,000 Japanese troops of the 17th Army, with Japanese naval air and sea forces
Losses US: 61 to 86 killed, 1 tug and 1 patrol boat sunk, 3 aircraft. Japanese: 2,200 to 3,000 killed, 1 cruiser sunk, 14 aircraft.
Result American victory
This land, sea and air battle was the last of three major Japanese land offensives on Guadalcanal. Over three days the Japanese 17th Army made repeated assaults on the Lunga perimeter around Henderson Field, all beaten back with heavy losses. At the same time aircraft from Henderson Field defended the American positions against Japanese naval air and sea forces, and a Japanese cruiser was sunk.
Why it is remembered It was the last serious Japanese ground offensive on Guadalcanal.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Bombing of Darwin Raid
19 February 1942 · Darwin and Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia
Fought between Japan against Australia and the United States
Commanders Chūichi Nagumo, Mitsuo Fuchida (Japan); David V. J. Blake, Frederick Scherger (Australia)
Forces 242 aircraft, 188 of them from 4 carriers with 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 7 destroyers and 3 submarines, against 31 aircraft, 18 anti-aircraft guns and some 45 ships in harbour including a destroyer, a seaplane tender, 2 sloops and 9 merchant ships
Losses Allied: 236 killed, 300 to 400 wounded, 30 aircraft, 11 vessels sunk, 3 grounded, 25 damaged. Japanese: 2 killed, 1 captured, 34 aircraft damaged.
Result Japanese victory
In two raids, 188 Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin, the ships in its harbour and its two airfields, to stop the Allies using them against the invasion of Timor and Java. The lightly defended port suffered heavy losses at little cost to the attackers.
Why it is remembered It was the largest single attack ever made on Australia by a foreign power, and more than half of Darwin's civilians left the area for good.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: RAN Historical Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Guadalcanal campaign
Battle of Cape Esperance Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Savo Island; Sea Battle of Savo Island (Japanese)
11 to 12 October 1942 · Between Savo Island and Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Norman Scott (United States); Aritomo Gotō, Takatsugu Jōjima, Gunichi Mikawa (Japan)
Forces US Task Force 64: 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 5 destroyers. Japan: 3 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers, with a reinforcement convoy of 6 destroyers and 2 seaplane tenders.
Losses US: 1 destroyer sunk, 1 heavy cruiser, 1 light cruiser and 1 destroyer damaged, 163 killed. Japan: 1 heavy cruiser and 1 destroyer sunk, 1 heavy cruiser heavily damaged, 341 to 454 killed, 111 captured, and 2 more destroyers sunk by aircraft next day.
Result American victory, strategically inconclusive
While a Japanese convoy carried supplies and troops to Guadalcanal, Rear Admiral Gotō led three heavy cruisers and two destroyers to bombard Henderson Field. Shortly before midnight Rear Admiral Scott's cruisers and destroyers surprised them near Savo Island, sank a cruiser and a destroyer, badly damaged another cruiser and mortally wounded Gotō; the Americans lost one destroyer. The Japanese convoy unloaded unseen, and next day aircraft from Henderson Field sank two of its destroyers sent back to help Gotō.
Why it is remembered It gave the US Navy a needed boost in morale after the defeat at Savo Island, though neither side gained control of the waters.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of Christmas Island Landing or siege
31 March to 1 April 1942 · Christmas Island, Indian Ocean
Fought between Britain, British India and the United States against Japan
Commanders Shōji Nishimura (Japan)
Forces 32 infantry and 1 US submarine, against 850 Japanese infantry, 3 light cruisers, 8 destroyers, 1 oiler, 2 troop transports and 2 seaplanes
Ships USS Seawolf, Naka
Losses Allied: 27 captured. Japanese: 1 light cruiser damaged.
Result Japanese victory; the island was occupied
Soldiers of the British Indian Army mutinied against their British officers, and Japanese troops occupied Christmas Island unopposed. During the landings the US submarine Seawolf severely damaged the Japanese cruiser Naka.
Why it is remembered The island was taken after a mutiny of its garrison.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Japanese Press (1930s-1940s), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of the Coral Sea Fleet battle
4 to 8 May 1942 · Northern Coral Sea, and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands
Fought between United States and Australia against Japan
Commanders Frank Jack Fletcher, Aubrey Fitch, John Gregory Crace (Allies); Shigeyoshi Inoue, Takeo Takagi, Chūichi Hara, Aritomo Gotō (Japan)
Forces Allied: 2 fleet carriers, 8 cruisers, 14 destroyers, 2 oilers and 128 carrier aircraft. Japanese: 2 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier, 9 cruisers, 15 destroyers, smaller warships, 12 transports and 139 carrier aircraft.
Ships USS Yorktown, USS Lexington, USS Sims, USS Neosho, Shōhō, Shōkaku, Zuikaku
Losses Allied: 1 fleet carrier, 1 destroyer and 1 oiler sunk, 1 fleet carrier damaged, 69 aircraft, 715 killed. Japanese: 1 light carrier, 1 destroyer and 3 minesweepers sunk, 1 fleet carrier damaged, 69 to 97 aircraft, 966 killed.
Result Japanese tactical victory and Allied strategic victory; the invasion of Port Moresby was called off
Japan planned to occupy Port Moresby and Tulagi, and the US, warned by signals intelligence, sent two carrier task forces and an Australian and American cruiser force under Fletcher. After Japan took Tulagi on 3 to 4 May, the carrier fleets searched for each other; on 7 May US aircraft sank the light carrier Shōhō and Japanese aircraft sank the destroyer Sims and damaged the oiler Neosho. On 8 May each side found the other's fleet carriers: Shōkaku and Yorktown were damaged, and Lexington was so badly hit she was later scuttled.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval battle in which the fleets never sighted or fired on each other, and the first battle between aircraft carriers. It turned back a major Japanese advance and kept Shōkaku and Zuikaku out of the Battle of Midway.
Sources differ Japanese aircraft losses are given as 69 to 97.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Doolittle Raid Raid
Also known as Doolittle's Raid; Tokyo Raid
18 April 1942 · Tokyo and other cities on Honshu, launched from the western Pacific
Fought between United States and China against Japan
Commanders James Doolittle (United States); Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni (Japan)
Forces 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers with 80 airmen, launched from USS Hornet, with 2 aircraft carriers, 4 cruisers and 8 destroyers in the task force
Ships USS Hornet
Losses US: 16 B-25s lost (15 destroyed, 1 interned in the USSR), 3 killed, 8 captured of whom 3 were executed and 1 died in captivity. Japan: about 50 killed, 400 injured, 5 patrol boats sunk, 5 sailors captured, 1 carrier under conversion damaged.
Result Minimal damage, but a large boost to American morale
Sixteen B-25 medium bombers, without fighter escort, flew from the carrier USS Hornet to bomb military and industrial targets in Tokyo and elsewhere on Honshu, then flew on towards China. Fifteen were lost in crashes and one landed at Vladivostok, where its crew was interned. Eight airmen were captured by the Japanese in China and three were executed.
Why it is remembered It was the first American air attack on Japan, it pushed Yamamoto towards the attack on Midway, and Japan took reprisals in the Zhejiang to Jiangxi campaign. Doolittle received the Medal of Honor.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Aleutian Islands campaign
Battle of Dutch Harbor Raid
3 to 4 June 1942 · Dutch Harbor, Amaknak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Fought between Japan against the United States
Commanders Kakuji Kakuta (Japan); Robert Theobald, Simon Buckner, Archibald Arnold (United States)
Forces 1 aircraft carrier, 1 light carrier, 3 cruisers, 5 destroyers and 86 aircraft, against the base garrison, anti-aircraft batteries and 30 aircraft
Losses US: 43 killed, 50 wounded, 14 aircraft, 1 barracks ship destroyed. Japanese: 10 killed, 5 captured, 8 aircraft destroyed, 1 captured.
Result Japanese victory
The Japanese navy launched two carrier air raids on the Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears on Amaknak Island. The raids opened the Aleutian Islands campaign.
Why it is remembered It was the first air attack by an enemy on North America, though Alaska was then a territory and not a state.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Guadalcanal campaign
Battle of the Eastern Solomons Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Stewart Islands; Second Battle of the Solomon Sea (Japanese)
24 to 25 August 1942 · North of Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Frank Jack Fletcher, Thomas C. Kinkaid (United States); Nobutake Kondō, Chūichi Nagumo, Hiroaki Abe, Chūichi Hara, Gunichi Mikawa (Japan)
Forces US: 2 fleet carriers, 1 battleship, 4 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 13 destroyers and 176 aircraft. Japan: 2 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier, 3 battleships, 13 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 30 destroyers, other ships, 3 transports and 171 to 177 aircraft.
Losses US: 1 fleet carrier heavily damaged, 20 aircraft, 90 killed. Japan: 1 light carrier, 1 destroyer and 1 transport sunk, a seaplane tender and a light cruiser damaged, 75 aircraft, over 290 killed.
Result American victory
In the third carrier battle of the Pacific War, the fleets never came within sight of each other and all attacks were made by carrier or land based aircraft. After several damaging air attacks both sides withdrew. Japan lost more ships and dozens of aircraft with experienced crews.
Why it is remembered Japanese reinforcements for Guadalcanal were delayed and had to be landed from warships instead of transports, so no heavy artillery or large supplies could be put ashore.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Battle of Malaya
Battle off Endau Convoy battle
26 to 27 January 1942 · Off Endau, Malaya
Fought between Britain and Australia against Japan
Commanders William Moran (Allies); Shintarō Hashimoto (Japan)
Forces 2 destroyers, 21 fighters, 15 light bombers and 22 torpedo bombers, against 1 light cruiser, 6 destroyers, 5 minesweepers, 3 subchasers, 4 converted patrol ships and 32 fighters escorting 2 troopships and 2 auxiliaries
Losses Allied: 1 destroyer sunk, 15 aircraft lost, 39 killed, 33 captured. Japanese: 1 aircraft lost, 8 killed, 18 wounded.
Result Japanese victory
A Japanese convoy landing troops at Endau was attacked several times by Allied aircraft without effect, at heavy cost to the attackers. That night the Royal Navy sent two destroyers to break up the landings. They found the convoy without being seen but could not locate the troopships in the dark, and as they withdrew the escorts opened fire and sank one destroyer early on 27 January.
Why it is remembered It was the first notable naval action after the loss of Prince of Wales and Repulse, and the Royal Navy's last attempt to intercept Japanese convoys around the Malay Peninsula.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Indian Ocean raid Raid
Also known as Operation C; Third Mobile Operation in the Indian Ocean; Battle of Ceylon (Japanese)
31 March to 10 April 1942 · Indian Ocean, around Ceylon and in the Bay of Bengal
Fought between Britain, Ceylon, Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and Canada against Japan
Commanders James Somerville (Britain); Chūichi Nagumo, Mitsuo Fuchida, Jisaburō Ozawa (Japan)
Forces Eastern Fleet: 2 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier, 5 battleships, 7 cruisers, 15 destroyers, 7 submarines and over 100 aircraft. Japan: 5 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier, 4 battleships, 11 cruisers, 23 destroyers, 5 submarines and 275 aircraft.
Ships Ryūjō
Losses Allied: 825 killed; 1 light carrier, 2 heavy cruisers, 2 destroyers, 1 armed merchant cruiser, 1 corvette, 1 sloop and 20 merchant ships sunk; 54 aircraft. Japanese: 32 killed, 17 aircraft destroyed, 31 damaged.
Result Japanese victory
Japanese carriers under Admiral Nagumo struck Allied shipping, naval bases and airfields around Ceylon but failed to find most of the Eastern Fleet, which had been warned by signals intelligence and had sailed. At the same time Malaya Force, with the carrier Ryūjō and cruisers, raided the northern Bay of Bengal and sank twenty merchant ships in three days.
Why it is remembered The British moved the Eastern Fleet's main base to East Africa, but Japan never followed up the raid.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photo taken from a Japanese aircraft, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, New Guinea campaign
Invasion of Salamaua to Lae Landing or siege
Also known as Invasion of Salamaua-Lae; Operation SR
8 to 13 March 1942 · Salamaua and Lae, Territory of New Guinea
Fought between Japan against Australia and the United States
Commanders Shigeyoshi Inoue (Japan); Wilson Brown (United States)
Forces Japan's 4th Fleet: 4 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 8 destroyers, 1 minesweeper, 1 minelayer and 4 transports. US Task Force 17: 2 aircraft carriers and 122 aircraft, with B-17 and Hudson bombers.
Ships USS Yorktown, USS Lexington
Losses Japanese: 3 transports and 1 minesweeper sunk, a light cruiser, 2 destroyers, a minelayer, a seaplane tender and a transport damaged; 130 killed, 250 wounded. Allied: 1 aircraft destroyed, 11 damaged, 2 killed.
Result Japanese victory; Salamaua and Lae were occupied
Japanese forces landed at Salamaua and Lae to build an airfield and base, and the small Australian garrison withdrew without opposing them. On 10 March aircraft from the carriers Yorktown and Lexington, supported by B-17 and Hudson bombers, struck the invasion fleet, sinking three transports and damaging other ships. The Japanese still occupied the area.
Why it is remembered The base later supported the Japanese advance on Port Moresby along the Kokoda Track.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photographer's Mate 2nd Class F. J. Meers, USN., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Operation Mo
Invasion of Tulagi (May 1942) Landing or siege
3 to 4 May 1942 · Tulagi and Gavutu, Solomon Islands
Fought between Japan against the United States, Australia and Britain
Commanders Shigeyoshi Inoue, Aritomo Gotō, Kiyohide Shima (Japan); Frank Jack Fletcher (United States); William Sydney Marchant (Britain)
Forces Japan: 2 destroyers, 5 minesweepers, 2 minelayers, 1 transport, 2 subchasers, 6 aircraft and 400 to 500 troops. Allies: 1 aircraft carrier, 3 cruisers, 4 destroyers and 58 aircraft.
Losses Japanese: 1 destroyer and 3 minesweepers sunk, 2 minelayers, 1 destroyer and 1 transport damaged, 5 to 6 aircraft, 87 killed. Allied: 4 aircraft.
Result Japanese victory; Tulagi was occupied
Japanese navy troops landed on Tulagi on 3 May 1942 after the British Resident Commissioner and the small Australian garrison had left. The next day aircraft from a US carrier task force on its way to the Coral Sea struck the landing force, destroying or damaging several ships and aircraft. The Japanese still occupied the island and began building a naval base.
Why it is remembered Japan's base at Tulagi and its airfield on nearby Guadalcanal led to the Allied landings of 7 August 1942 that opened the Guadalcanal campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of the Java Sea Fleet battle
Also known as Pertempuran Laut Jawa; Surabaya oki kaisen (Sea Battle off Surabaya)
27 February 1942 · Java Sea, off Surabaya
Fought between Netherlands, United States, Britain and Australia against Japan
Commanders Karel Doorman (ABDA); Takeo Takagi (Japan)
Forces 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers and 9 destroyers, against 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 14 destroyers and 10 transports
Ships Haguro, Nachi, Asagumo, HMS Exeter, HNLMS Kortenaer, HMS Electra, HMS Jupiter, HNLMS Java, HNLMS De Ruyter
Losses Allied: 2,300 killed, 2 light cruisers and 3 destroyers sunk, 2 heavy cruisers damaged. Japanese: 36 killed, 3 destroyers and 1 transport damaged.
Result Japanese victory
Rear Admiral Karel Doorman's Combined Striking Force tried to intercept a Japanese troop convoy and was met by its escorts. The heavy cruiser Haguro crippled HMS Exeter with gunfire and torpedoed the Dutch destroyer Kortenaer, and HMS Electra was sunk in a destroyer fight. In a night attack HMS Jupiter hit a Dutch mine and sank, then torpedoes from Nachi and Haguro sank the Dutch cruisers Java and De Ruyter; Doorman was killed.
Why it is remembered The defeat and the actions that followed led to the break up of the Allied fleet and the Japanese occupation of the whole Dutch East Indies.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Operation K Raid
Also known as K-Sakusen
4 March 1942 · Pearl Harbor, Oahu, staged from Wotje Atoll and French Frigate Shoals
Fought between Japan against the United States
Commanders Hisao Hashizume (Japan)
Forces 2 Kawanishi H8K flying boats supported by 3 submarines
Ships I-23
Losses US: minimal damage to private property. Japan: the submarine I-23 lost.
Result Inconclusive; the attack failed
Japan planned Operation K to reconnoitre Pearl Harbor and disrupt the repair and salvage work after the attack of 7 December 1941. On 4 March 1942 two H8K flying boats, supported by submarines, made an unsuccessful bombing attack.
Why it is remembered It was the longest distance ever flown by a two plane bombing mission, and one of the longest bombing sorties ever planned without fighter escort.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, New Guinea campaign
Operation Lilliput Convoy battle
18 December 1942 to June 1943 · Between Milne Bay and Oro Bay, New Guinea
Fought between Australia, the United States and the Netherlands against Japan
Forces Convoys largely of Dutch KPM merchant ships, escorted mainly by Royal Australian Navy corvettes, against Japanese aircraft
Ships 's Jacob, Van Heemskerk
Losses 2 merchant ships, 's Jacob and Van Heemskerk, sunk and 2 badly damaged; several corvettes damaged with casualties
Result 60,000 tons of supplies and 3,802 troops delivered
A regular convoy service ran troops, weapons and supplies from Milne Bay to Oro Bay to support the Australian 7th Division and US 32nd Division around Buna and Gona. Over six months the convoys delivered 60,000 tons of supplies and 3,802 troops. Japanese air attacks sank two merchant ships and damaged two more, and several escorting corvettes were also hit.
Why it is remembered It kept the Allied forces at Buna and Gona supplied by sea.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of Madagascar Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Ironclad (first phase); Operations Stream, Line and Jane (later phases)
5 May to 6 November 1942 · Madagascar, beginning at Diego-Suarez (Antsiranana)
Fought between Britain, India, the Rhodesias and South Africa, with naval support from Australia, the Netherlands, Poland and Norway, against Vichy France with Japanese naval support
Commanders Robert Sturges, Edward Syfret (Allies); Armand Annet (Vichy France); Noboru Ishizaki (Japan)
Forces Allied: 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers, 2 aircraft carriers, 1 seaplane carrier, 1 battleship, 6 light cruisers, 22 destroyers, 8 corvettes, 1 monitor and other ships, over 81 aircraft. Vichy: 8,000 soldiers, 35 aircraft, 4 warships. Japan: 4 submarines and 2 midget submarines.
Losses Allied: 107 killed, 280 wounded, 108 died of disease; 1 battleship heavily damaged, 1 oil tanker sunk. Vichy and Japanese: 152 killed, 500 wounded, 1,000 captured, 34 aircraft, 2 midget submarines lost.
Result Allied victory; Madagascar placed under Free French control
Britain seized Vichy French Madagascar to deny its ports to the Japanese navy and protect shipping routes to India, Australia and South East Asia. The campaign began with Operation Ironclad, the capture of the port of Diego-Suarez near the northern tip, on 5 May 1942. A further campaign from 10 September secured the rest of the island by the end of October, and an armistice was granted on 6 November.
Why it is remembered It was the first large Allied operation combining sea, land and air forces.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: British Official Photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of Makassar Strait Air and submarine attack
Also known as Action of Madura Strait; Action North of Lombok Strait; Battle of the Flores Sea
4 February 1942 · Bali Sea, south of the Kangean Islands, Dutch East Indies
Fought between Netherlands and United States against Japan
Commanders Karel Doorman (ABDA); Nishizō Tsukahara (Japan)
Forces 4 cruisers and 7 destroyers, against Japanese land based bombers (36 G4M1 Betty and 24 G3M2 Nell)
Losses Allied: 70 sailors killed, 2 cruisers damaged. Japanese: at least 4 aircraft destroyed.
Result Japanese victory; the Allied fleet retreated
An ABDA fleet under Rear Admiral Karel Doorman was on its way to intercept a Japanese invasion convoy reported as bound for Surabaya, though it was really heading for Makassar. Japanese medium bombers attacked the fleet and forced it to retreat.
Why it is remembered It showed the Allied ships in the East Indies were exposed to Japanese land based aircraft. It should not be confused with the Battle of Balikpapan, sometimes given the same name.
Sources differ Japanese aircraft: 37 to 45 by Allied estimate, 60 land based bombers by Japanese reports.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Raid on Makin Island Raid
17 to 18 August 1942 · Makin Island, Gilbert Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Chester W. Nimitz, Evans Carlson (United States); Kōsō Abe, Kyuzaburō Kanemitsu (Japan)
Forces 211 Marines of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion carried by 2 submarines, against 71 Japanese servicemen, 13 aircraft and 3 small ships
Losses US: 19 killed, 17 wounded, 2 missing, 9 captured and later executed. Japanese: 46 to over 160 killed, 2 flying boats destroyed, 2 small boats sunk.
Result American victory
Marine Raiders landed from two submarines on Japanese held Makin Island to destroy installations, take prisoners and intelligence, and draw Japanese attention away from Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Only the first aim was achieved. Nine Marines left behind were captured and later executed.
Why it is remembered The raid boosted American morale and tested Raider tactics.
Sources differ Japanese killed are given as 46 to over 160.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Malaya Force raid in the Bay of Bengal Blockade and raiding
Also known as Malaya Force
1 to 11 April 1942 · Northern Bay of Bengal, off the east coast of India
Fought between Japan against Britain, the Netherlands, the United States and Norway
Commanders Jisaburō Ozawa, Takeo Kurita (Japan)
Forces 1 light aircraft carrier, 5 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser and 4 destroyers, against a few aircraft, a couple of Indian sloops and the Greek destroyer Ierax
Ships Ryūjō, Ierax
Losses Allied: 20 merchant ships sunk and 3 damaged, of over 130,000 GRT; 139 merchant sailors killed. Japanese: none.
Result Japanese victory
Alongside the carrier raid on Ceylon, Japan sent Malaya Force under Vice Admiral Ozawa from Mergui into the northern Bay of Bengal, where the British had almost nothing to defend merchant shipping. From 5 April the force split into three groups south of False Point and Cocanada; Ryūjō's aircraft sank shipping and bombed Cocanada and Vizagapatnam. It sank 20 merchant ships before returning on 11 April.
Why it is remembered Calcutta cancelled sailings and the bombing caused an exodus from the coastal towns.
Sources differ One account gives six cruisers and a light cruiser; another account five heavy cruisers and one light cruiser.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Japanese Imperial Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Marshalls to Gilberts raids Raid
Also known as Marshalls-Gilberts raids
1 February 1942 · Marshall and Gilbert Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders William Halsey Jr., Frank Jack Fletcher (United States); Shigeyoshi Inoue, Eiji Gotō (Japan)
Forces 2 aircraft carriers with 133 aircraft, 4 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 12 destroyers and 2 oilers, against 51 Japanese aircraft
Losses US: 1 cruiser damaged, 14 aircraft. Japanese: 3 auxiliary ships sunk; a minelayer, a light cruiser, 4 transports and 2 auxiliaries damaged; 18 aircraft.
Result Minor damage to the Japanese garrisons
US Navy carrier aircraft and warships struck Japanese garrisons in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands with air strikes and naval gunfire on 1 February 1942.
Why it is remembered It was the first of six American raids on Japanese held territory in the first half of 1942.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William T. Barr, photographer's mate, USN, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of Midway Fleet battle
4 to 7 June 1942 · Near Midway Atoll, about 1,300 miles north west of Oahu
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Chester Nimitz, Frank Jack Fletcher, Raymond Spruance (United States); Isoroku Yamamoto, Nobutake Kondō, Chūichi Nagumo, Tamon Yamaguchi (Japan)
Forces US: 3 fleet carriers, 7 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 15 destroyers, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land based aircraft, 16 submarines and 9 PT boats. Japan's carrier striking force: 4 fleet carriers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 12 destroyers, 248 carrier aircraft and 13 submarines, with more ships that did not take part.
Ships Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Mikuma, USS Yorktown, USS Hammann, USS Enterprise, USS Hornet
Losses US: 1 fleet carrier and 1 destroyer sunk, about 150 aircraft, about 307 killed. Japan: 4 fleet carriers and 1 heavy cruiser sunk, 248 aircraft, 3,057 killed, 37 captured.
Result American victory
Yamamoto planned to take Midway and draw out and destroy the US Pacific Fleet's carriers. US code breakers had found the date and place of the attack, and Nimitz sent a force under Fletcher to wait for it. On 4 June planes from Midway and from the US carriers caught Nagumo's carriers while they were rearming and refuelling; Akagi was wrecked by a single hit that exploded among her armed aircraft. All four Japanese fleet carriers, Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū and Hiryū, were sunk, with the heavy cruiser Mikuma, while the US lost Yorktown and the destroyer Hammann.
Why it is remembered With the Guadalcanal campaign it is widely seen as the turning point of the Pacific War, as Japan lost many trained pilots it could not replace. Historians have ranked it with Salamis, Trafalgar and Tsushima.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: USN, photographed from USS Pensacola (CA-24), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of Palembang Landing or siege
13 to 15 February 1942 · Palembang and the refineries at Plaju, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies
Fought between Netherlands, Britain, Australia and New Zealand against Japan
Commanders L. N. W. Vogelesang, Karel Doorman, Henry Hunter, Stanley Vincent (Allies); Jisaburō Ozawa, Seiichi Kume (Japan)
Forces 2,000 Allied infantry, 50 aircraft and an ABDA naval force, against a Japanese amphibious force of 3,000, 350 paratroopers and air groups
Result Japanese victory
Japan attacked Palembang on Sumatra with paratroopers and an amphibious force, aiming at the Royal Dutch Shell oil refineries at Plaju and the nearby airfield. An ABDA naval force under Karel Doorman was among the Allied units engaged.
Why it is remembered The refineries were a major objective for Japan, which had been cut off from oil by the American, Dutch and British embargo.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of Réunion Landing or siege
Also known as Liberation of Réunion; Bataille de La Réunion; Libération de La Réunion
28 November 1942 · Saint Denis, Réunion
Fought between Free France against Vichy France
Commanders Jules Évenou, André Capagorry (Free France); Pierre Émile Aubert, Émile Hugot (Vichy France)
Forces The destroyer Léopard, a company of Fusiliers Marins and local resistance, against 260 men
Ships Léopard
Losses Free French: at least 1 killed. Vichy: at least 2 killed and 1 wounded.
Result Free French victory
The Free French destroyer Léopard landed a force on Réunion, and with a local uprising it toppled the administration loyal to Vichy and replaced it with a Free French one.
Why it is remembered It brought Réunion onto the Allied side.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Operation RY Landing or siege
Also known as Japanese invasion of Nauru and Ocean Island
10 May to 30 August 1942 · Nauru and Ocean Island (Banaba), central Pacific
Fought between Japan against the United States
Commanders Kiyohide Shima (first invasion force); Takeo Takagi (5th Cruiser Division, covering force)
Forces Japanese invasion and covering forces including the minelayer Okinoshima, the cruisers Tatsuta, Myōkō and Haguro, the minelayer Tsugaru, destroyers and transports
Ships Okinoshima, Shoei Maru, Tatsuta, Tsugaru, Myōkō, Haguro, USS S-42, USS S-44, USS Enterprise, USS Hornet
Losses Japanese: one minelayer and one auxiliary ship sunk (Okinoshima and the repair ship Shoei Maru).
Result Japanese occupation of Nauru and Ocean Island after the first attempt was abandoned
The first invasion force sailed from Rabaul on 11 May 1942, but its flagship, the minelayer Okinoshima, was torpedoed by the US submarine S-42 and capsized under tow, and the repair ship Shoei Maru sent to help her was sunk by S-44. When a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft sighted the carriers Enterprise and Hornet heading towards Nauru, the operation was called off on 15 May. A second force sailed from Truk on 26 August and landed unopposed on Nauru on 29 August and on Ocean Island on 30 August.
Why it is remembered Japan wanted the islands for their phosphate. Japanese forces held both islands until the end of the war, increasingly isolated and repeatedly bombed by American aircraft.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Guadalcanal campaign
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands Fleet battle
25 to 27 October 1942 · North of the Santa Cruz Islands, south west Pacific
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders William Halsey, Thomas C. Kinkaid, George Murray, Charles P. Mason (United States); Nobutake Kondō, Chūichi Nagumo, Hiroaki Abe, Kakuji Kakuta (Japan)
Forces US: 2 fleet carriers, 1 battleship, 3 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 14 destroyers and 136 aircraft. Japan: 3 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier, 4 battleships, 8 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 24 destroyers and 199 aircraft.
Ships USS Hornet, USS Enterprise
Losses US: 266 killed; 1 fleet carrier and 1 destroyer sunk; 1 fleet carrier, 1 battleship, 1 light cruiser and 2 destroyers damaged; 81 aircraft. Japan: 400 to 500 killed, including 148 aircrew; 2 carriers heavily damaged, 1 heavy cruiser and 1 destroyer damaged; 99 aircraft.
Result Japanese tactical victory; long term strategic advantage to the Allies
Japanese carriers moved near the southern Solomons to support the army's offensive against Henderson Field and to destroy any American carriers that responded. On the morning of 26 October the two fleets exchanged carrier air strikes. The US carrier Hornet was sunk and Enterprise heavily damaged; two Japanese carriers were badly damaged and Japan lost many aircraft.
Why it is remembered The loss of so many veteran Japanese aircrews could not be made good, and the victory came after the Japanese land offensive had already failed.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Guadalcanal campaign
Battle of Savo Island Fleet battle
Also known as First Battle of Savo Island; First Battle of the Solomon Sea (Japanese); Battle of the Five Sitting Ducks
8 to 9 August 1942 · Off Savo Island, near Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Fought between Japan against the United States and Australia
Commanders Gunichi Mikawa (Japan); Richmond Turner, Victor Crutchley (Allies)
Forces 5 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 1 destroyer, against an Allied screen of 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 15 destroyers, of which 5 cruisers and 7 destroyers fought
Ships USS Quincy, USS Vincennes, USS Astoria, HMAS Canberra, USS Chicago, USS Ralph Talbot, USS Patterson, Chōkai, Tenryū, Kinugasa
Losses Allied: 4 heavy cruisers sunk, 1 heavy cruiser and 2 destroyers damaged, 1,077 killed. Japanese: 2 heavy cruisers and 1 light cruiser damaged, 58 killed.
Result Japanese victory
Two days after the Allied landings on Guadalcanal, Vice Admiral Mikawa brought seven cruisers and a destroyer down the Slot to attack the amphibious fleet. In a night action he surprised and routed the Allied screen, sinking three American cruisers and badly damaging the Australian cruiser Canberra, with little damage in return. Fearing carrier strikes in daylight, Mikawa withdrew without attacking the transports.
Why it is remembered The Allied ships withdrew early, leaving the Marines short of supplies, and the battle is counted among the worst US naval defeats. It was the first of the battles in what became known as Ironbottom Sound.
Sources differ One account says three American cruisers were sunk and one Australian cruiser badly damaged; another account counts 4 heavy cruisers sunk, Canberra among them.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Netherlands East Indies campaign
Second Battle of the Java Sea Fleet battle
1 March 1942 · Java Sea, Dutch East Indies
Fought between Japan against Britain and the United States
Commanders Takeo Takagi, Ibō Takahashi (Japan); Oliver Gordon (Britain)
Forces 1 heavy cruiser and 2 destroyers, against 4 heavy cruisers, 5 destroyers, 1 light aircraft carrier and 2 seaplane tenders
Ships HMS Exeter
Losses Allied: 1 heavy cruiser and 2 destroyers sunk, 800 captured. Japanese: 1 destroyer damaged.
Result Japanese victory
Two days after the first Battle of the Java Sea, the damaged heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and her two escorting destroyers were caught by a Japanese squadron that included the cruiser Haguro. All three Allied ships were sunk.
Why it is remembered It ended the last Allied warship operations around Java and let Japan complete the conquest of the Dutch East Indies unhindered.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photo taken from a Japanese aircraft, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Shelling of Newcastle Raid
8 June 1942 · Newcastle, New South Wales
Fought between Japan against Australia
Commanders Matsumura Kanji (Japan)
Forces The submarine I-21, against the coastal guns of Fort Scratchley
Ships I-21
Losses Australian: 1 injured, 1 house damaged. Japanese: none.
Result Indecisive
In the early hours of 8 June 1942, shortly after I-24 shelled Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, the submarine I-21 fired 34 shells at Newcastle, eight of them illumination rounds, causing little damage. The gunners at Fort Scratchley fired four shells back without scoring a hit.
Why it is remembered It followed the midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour and is one of the few times an Australian city was shelled.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Operation Stab Other action
21 July to 4 August 1942 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between Britain, Australia and the Netherlands against Japan
Commanders James Somerville (Britain)
Forces 1 battleship, 2 aircraft carriers, 4 light cruisers, 6 destroyers, 1 minelayer, 2 corvettes, 2 sloops, 1 auxiliary, 2 tankers and 10 transports
Losses Allied: 4 aircraft, 4 killed in flying accidents. Japanese: 1 aircraft, 9 killed.
Result Allied victory
The Eastern Fleet under Somerville made a naval deception in the Bay of Bengal to draw Japanese attention away from the coming US campaign on Guadalcanal.
Why it is remembered It was a British contribution to the opening of the Guadalcanal campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Battle of Sunda Strait Fleet battle
28 February to 1 March 1942 · Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra, Dutch East Indies
Fought between United States, Australia and the Netherlands against Japan
Commanders Hector Waller, Albert H. Rooks (Allies); Kenzaburō Hara, Takeo Kurita (Japan)
Forces 1 heavy cruiser, 1 light cruiser and 1 destroyer, against a Japanese force of 1 light carrier, 1 seaplane carrier, 5 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 1 minelayer and 1 minesweeper covering 58 troopships
Ships HMAS Perth, USS Houston, HNLMS Evertsen
Losses Allied: all 3 ships sunk, 1,071 killed, 675 taken prisoner. Japanese: 1 minesweeper and 4 troopships sunk or grounded, all by friendly fire; 1 cruiser and 3 destroyers damaged; 10 killed, 37 wounded.
Result Japanese victory
On the night of 28 February to 1 March 1942 the Australian light cruiser Perth, the American heavy cruiser Houston and the Dutch destroyer Evertsen met a large Japanese task force in the Sunda Strait. After several hours of fierce fighting all three Allied ships were sunk and both captains were killed. Five Japanese ships were sunk, three of them by their own side's fire.
Why it is remembered It followed the Battle of the Java Sea and completed the destruction of the Allied naval force in the East Indies.
Sources differ One account says five Japanese ships were sunk, three by friendly fire; another account lists 1 minesweeper and 4 troopships sunk or grounded, all by friendly fire.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Australian armed forces, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Attack on Sydney Harbour Raid
31 May to 8 June 1942 · Sydney Harbour, Australia
Fought between Japan against Australia, the United States, Britain, India and the Netherlands
Commanders Gerard Muirhead-Gould (Allies); Hankyu Sasaki (Japan)
Forces 5 fleet submarines carrying 3 midget submarines and 2 seaplanes, against Allied warships in harbour including 2 heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, destroyers, corvettes and patrol boats
Ships M-14, M-21, M-24, USS Chicago, HMAS Kuttabul
Losses Allied: the depot ship HMAS Kuttabul sunk, 21 killed, 10 wounded. Japanese: 2 midget submarines sunk, 1 scuttled, 2 aircraft, 6 killed. In the follow-up, 3 merchant ships sunk and 50 killed.
Result Indecisive
On the night of 31 May to 1 June three Japanese midget submarines, M-14, M-21 and M-24, entered Sydney Harbour past the unfinished anti-submarine boom. M-14 was detected and scuttled by her crew, and M-21 was attacked and sunk. M-24 fired at the heavy cruiser USS Chicago but sank the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors. The mother submarines then attacked shipping off eastern Australia and on 8 June shelled Sydney and Newcastle.
Why it is remembered It is the only time either city has been attacked. M-24's wreck was found off Sydney's northern beaches by amateur divers in 2006.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Keam, Ronald Noel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Guadalcanal campaign
Battle of Tassafaronga Fleet battle
Also known as Fourth Battle of Savo Island; Battle of Lunga Point (Japanese)
30 November 1942 · Ironbottom Sound, near Tassafaronga Point, Guadalcanal
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Carleton H. Wright (United States); Raizō Tanaka (Japan)
Forces US Task Force 67: 4 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser and destroyers, against 8 Japanese destroyers
Losses US: 395 to 417 killed, 1 heavy cruiser sunk, 3 heavy cruisers badly damaged. Japanese: 197 to 211 killed, 1 destroyer sunk.
Result Japanese victory, though the supply run was not completed
A US force of cruisers and destroyers under Rear Admiral Wright intercepted eight Japanese destroyers bringing food to Guadalcanal. The US destroyers waited for permission after radar contact, fired late, missed and retired. The US cruisers sank one destroyer, but their gun flashes gave away their positions and Tanaka's destroyers replied with Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes, sinking one cruiser and heavily damaging three.
Why it is remembered The Naval History and Heritage Command counts it with Savo Island among the worst US naval defeats, behind only Pearl Harbor.
Sources differ One account gives 5 cruisers and 4 destroyers, another account 6 destroyers.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Attack on the Dureenbee Blockade and raiding
3 August 1942 · Off Moruya, New South Wales
Fought between Japan against Australia
Forces The submarine I-175 against the fishing trawler Dureenbee
Ships Dureenbee, I-175
Losses 3 killed and 8 injured; the trawler was wrecked
Result The trawler was damaged beyond repair
The Japanese submarine I-175 attacked the fishing trawler Dureenbee off Moruya and badly damaged her. Three of her crew were killed. She later ran aground and was damaged beyond repair.
Why it is remembered The attack on a fishing boat has been called a war crime.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Guadalcanal campaign
Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu to Tanambogo Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo
7 to 9 August 1942 · Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambogo, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States, Britain and the British Solomon Islands against Japan
Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, William H. Rupertus (United States); Sadayoshi Yamada, Shigetoshi Miyazaki, Masaaki Suzuki (Japan)
Forces 7,500 Allied troops against 1,500 Japanese
Losses Allied: 248 dead. Japanese: 1,500 dead, 23 captured.
Result Allied victory
US Marines of the 1st Marine Division landed on Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambogo, where the Japanese navy had built a naval and seaplane base, while other troops landed on nearby Guadalcanal. The Japanese navy troops, heavily outnumbered, resisted fiercely and died almost to the last man.
Why it is remembered These landings opened the six month Guadalcanal campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Action of 13 November 1943 Single-ship action
13 November 1943 · Strait of Malacca, off Penang
Fought between Britain against Japan
Commanders Mervyn Wingfield (HMS Taurus); Irie Tatsushi (I-34)
Forces The submarine HMS Taurus against the submarine I-34
Ships HMS Taurus, I-34
Losses Japanese: I-34 sunk, 84 killed. British: none.
Result British victory
The British submarine HMS Taurus sank the Japanese Type B1 submarine I-34 in the Strait of Malacca. I-34 was on a Yanagi mission, secretly carrying goods by submarine between Japan and Germany.
Why it is remembered It was a rare sinking of one submarine by another, and it cut one of the secret Yanagi links between Japan and Germany.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Aleutian Islands campaign)
Battle of Attu Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Landcrab
11 to 30 May 1943 · Attu Island, Aleutian Islands, Territory of Alaska
Fought between United States and Canada against Japan
Commanders John DeWitt, Thomas Kinkaid, Albert Brown, Eugene Landrum and Archibald Arnold (United States); Yasuyo Yamasaki, killed (Japan)
Forces 15,000 Americans against 2,600 Japanese
Losses American: 549 killed, 1,148 wounded, 1,814 frostbitten and sick. Japanese: 2,351 killed or died by suicide, 28 captured, about 200 missing or holding out
Result Allied victory
United States forces, aided by Canadian reconnaissance and fighter-bomber support, invaded Japanese-held Attu on 11 May 1943 in Operation Landcrab. The fighting in snow and cold lasted almost three weeks and ended when most of the Japanese defenders were killed after a final banzai charge broke through the American lines; Japanese holdouts remained until 8 September.
Why it is remembered Attu was the only land battle fought on United States territory in the Second World War, and the only one in which Japanese and American forces fought in snow.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (New Guinea campaign)
Battle of the Bismarck Sea Air and submarine attack
Also known as Operation 81 (the Japanese convoy operation)
2 to 4 March 1943 · Bismarck Sea, near Lae, New Guinea
Fought between United States and Australia against Japan
Commanders Ennis Whitehead (United States); Joe Hewitt (Australia); Gunichi Mikawa and Masatomi Kimura (Japan)
Forces Allies: 39 heavy bombers, 41 medium bombers, 34 light bombers, 54 fighters and 10 torpedo boats. Japan: 8 destroyers and 8 troop transports with about 100 aircraft, carrying some 6,900 troops
Losses Allies: 2 bombers and 4 fighters destroyed, 13 killed. Japan: all 8 transports and 4 destroyers sunk, 15 fighters destroyed, more than 2,890 dead
Result Allied victory
A Japanese convoy of eight destroyers and eight transports left Rabaul on 28 February 1943 to carry about 6,900 troops to Lae. Allied codebreakers had learned its destination, and aircraft of the US Fifth Air Force and the RAAF attacked it on 2 and 3 March, using new methods such as skip bombing. On 4 March PT boats and aircraft attacked lifeboats and rafts. All eight transports and four destroyers were sunk; only about 1,200 troops reached Lae and some 2,700 were taken back to Rabaul.
Why it is remembered The Japanese made no further attempt to reinforce Lae by ship, which hampered their efforts to stop the Allied offensives in New Guinea.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Australian armed forces, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Solomon Islands campaign
Battle of Blackett Strait Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Vila to Stanmore (Japanese)
6 March 1943 · Blackett Strait, between Kolombangara and Arundel Island, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Aaron S. Merrill (United States); Masao Tachibana (Japan)
Forces 3 light cruisers and 3 destroyers, against 2 destroyers
Losses Japanese: both destroyers sunk, 174 killed, 2 captured. US: none.
Result American victory
A US force sent to bombard Japanese positions around Vila met two Japanese destroyers returning from a supply run as they withdrew through Kula Gulf. In a short fight both Japanese destroyers were sunk, and the US ships then carried out their bombardment of Vila.
Why it is remembered It was a chance night encounter that cost Japan two destroyers.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Bougainville campaign)
Battle of Cape St. George Fleet battle
25 November 1943 · Between Cape St. George, New Ireland, and Buka Island
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Arleigh Burke (United States); Kiyoto Kagawa (Japan, killed)
Forces 5 US destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 23 against 5 Japanese destroyers and destroyer transports of Destroyer Division 31
Ships Onami, Makinami, Yugiri
Losses United States: none. Japan: 3 destroyers sunk, 1 damaged, 647 killed
Result American victory
A Japanese destroyer force had landed reinforcements on Buka and was returning to Rabaul. Five US destroyers under Captain Arleigh Burke intercepted it. Three Japanese destroyers were sunk and one damaged, with no American losses.
Why it is remembered It was the last surface engagement of the Solomon Islands campaign.
Sources differ The Japanese death toll is a calculation: Nevitt says Onami was lost with all 228 hands and Makinami lost 200, and Nevitt and Morison give 278 survivors from Yugiri, which carried about 497 men by Morison's figures.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Convoy GP 55 Convoy battle
Also known as Convoy GP55
15 to 20 June 1943 · Off the east coast of Australia, Sydney to Brisbane
Fought between Japan against Australia and the United States
Forces The submarine I-174, against 10 cargo ships, 3 LSTs and 5 corvettes
Ships I-174, Portmar, USS LST-469
Losses Allied: the US Army transport Portmar sunk, USS LST-469 damaged, 28 killed, 21 injured. Japanese: I-174 lightly damaged; another submarine possibly sunk by RAAF aircraft.
Result Japanese victory
On 16 June 1943 the Japanese submarine I-174 attacked the convoy, sinking the transport Portmar and damaging LST-469. Two corvettes counter-attacked but only lightly damaged her. An intensive search followed, in the mistaken belief that she had been badly hurt, and failed.
Why it is remembered I-174 was the last Japanese submarine to operate off Australia's east coast, and the search exposed poor communication between the RAN and RAAF.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Aleutian Islands campaign)
Operation Cottage Landing or siege
15 August 1943 · Kiska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Fought between United States and Canada against Japan (whose garrison had already left)
Commanders Charles Corlett (United States); Harry W. Foster (Canada)
Forces 34,000 United States and 5,300 Canadian troops, with US Navy Task Group 16.22. No Japanese forces present; only sea mines, mines and booby traps
Ships USS Abner Read
Losses Allies: 92 killed and 221 wounded in total, of which landing forces 32 killed and 100 wounded and US Navy 71 killed and 47 wounded; the destroyer USS Abner Read heavily damaged. Japan: none
Result Allied victory; the landings were unopposed
American and Canadian forces landed on Kiska, held by Japan since June 1942, to complete the recapture of the Aleutians. The Japanese had secretly abandoned the island two weeks earlier, so the landings met no opposition. Casualties came from mines, booby traps, friendly fire and vehicle accidents, and USS Abner Read was badly damaged.
Why it is remembered It ended the Aleutian Islands campaign, though the island had already been left empty.
Sources differ One account speaks of over 500 Allied casualties; another account gives 92 killed and 221 wounded overall.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Bougainville campaign)
Battle of Empress Augusta Bay Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Gazelle Bay; Operation Cherry Blossom; Sea Battle off Bougainville Island (Japanese sources)
1 to 2 November 1943 · Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Aaron S. Merrill and Arleigh Burke (United States); Sentaro Omori and Matsuji Ijuin (Japan)
Forces US Task Force 39: 4 light cruisers and 8 destroyers with land based air cover, against Japanese Cruiser Division 5: 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 6 destroyers and about 100 aircraft
Ships USS Columbia, USS Cleveland, Sendai, Hatsukaze, Shiratsuyu, Samidare
Losses United States: 1 cruiser and 2 destroyers damaged, 19 killed. Japan: 1 light cruiser and 1 destroyer sunk, 1 heavy cruiser and 1 light cruiser damaged, 2 destroyers heavily damaged, 25 aircraft shot down, 198 to 658 killed
Result American victory
On the first day of the Allied landings at Cape Torokina on Bougainville, the Japanese sent a large force from Rabaul hoping to repeat their night victory at Savo Island. The US covering force of cruisers and destroyers met it at night in Empress Augusta Bay and turned it back. The landings went ahead successfully.
Why it is remembered The victory secured the Cape Torokina beachhead, where an airfield was to be built as part of the Allied plan to isolate Rabaul.
Sources differ Sources differ widely on Japanese deaths, from 198 to 658: for Sendai 412 (Dull), 185 (Hackett and Kingsepp), 320 (Morison) and 335 (Hara); for Hatsukaze 9 (Dull) against 240 (Nevitt, Morison and Hara).
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Aleutian Islands campaign
Evacuation of Kiska (1943) Other action
Also known as Operation Ke (Ke-Go); Kiska-tō Tettai Sakusen; Miracle of Kiska
27 May to 29 July 1943 · Kiska, Aleutian Islands
Fought between Japan against the United States
Commanders Shirō Kawase, Masatomi Kimura (Japan); Thomas C. Kinkaid (United States)
Forces First phase 15 submarines; second phase 2 light cruisers, 11 destroyers, 1 auxiliary cruiser and 1 escort ship; against a US blockade of 2 battleships, 4 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser and 9 destroyers
Losses Japanese: 3 submarines sunk, 1 destroyer damaged. US: about 92 killed and 200 wounded in the later landing, mostly from friendly fire and accidents.
Result Japanese victory; the garrison was evacuated
After losing Attu, Japan decided to abandon the Aleutians. A first attempt to take off the Kiska garrison by submarine cost three submarines. Rear Admiral Kimura's surface force then used the thick fog to slip through the American blockade, embarked over 5,000 men in under an hour and left without losing a ship. Unaware of this, the Allies landed on the empty island on 15 August.
Why it is remembered Japanese historians call it the Miracle of Kiska, and Samuel Eliot Morison called the Allied landing the largest and most practical landing exercise in history.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Solomon Islands campaign
Battle off Horaniu Convoy battle
Also known as First Battle of Vella Lavella (Japanese)
17 to 18 August 1943 · Near Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Thomas J. Ryan (United States); Matsuji Ijuin (Japan)
Forces 4 destroyers, against 4 destroyers escorting 22 barges and auxiliary ships
Losses Japanese: 5 auxiliary ships sunk, 2 destroyers slightly damaged. US: none.
Result Inconclusive; most of the barges reached Horaniu
On the night of 17 to 18 August 1943 four US destroyers intercepted a Japanese convoy taking troops to Horaniu on Vella Lavella to set up a barge base. Both sides exchanged torpedoes and gunfire at long range, and after two Japanese destroyers were slightly damaged the escort withdrew. The Americans sank five small ships, but most of the troop barges hid along the coast and completed their mission on 19 August.
Why it is remembered In October the Japanese used the Horaniu base for the mass withdrawal of troops from Kolombangara.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Solomon Islands and New Guinea campaigns)
Operation I-Go Air and submarine attack
Also known as I-Go sakusen
1 to 16 April 1943 · Guadalcanal and the Russell Islands in the Solomons; Port Moresby, Oro Bay and Milne Bay in New Guinea
Fought between Japan against the United States, Australia and New Zealand
Commanders Isoroku Yamamoto and Jinichi Kusaka (Japan); William Halsey and Douglas MacArthur (Allies)
Forces Japan: 350 aircraft based at Rabaul, Bougainville and the Shortland Islands
Losses Allies: 1 destroyer, 1 tanker, 2 transports and 1 corvette sunk, 25 aircraft destroyed. Japan: 55 aircraft destroyed
Result Inconclusive
Japanese naval aircraft made several massed raids on Allied shipping, airfields and bases around Guadalcanal, the Russell Islands and eastern New Guinea, aiming to halt the Allied advance. Several transports and warships were sunk, but no serious damage was done. Trusting exaggerated aircrew reports, Yamamoto ended the operation on 16 April believing it a success.
Why it is remembered It did not delay the Allied offensives, and Yamamoto was killed shortly afterwards while flying to congratulate the units that had taken part.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Guadalcanal campaign)
Operation Ke Other action
Also known as Ke-gō Sakusen
14 January to 7 February 1943 · Guadalcanal and the surrounding waters, Solomon Islands
Fought between Japan against the United States, Australia and New Zealand
Commanders Isoroku Yamamoto, Hitoshi Imamura, Jinichi Kusaka, Gunichi Mikawa, Harukichi Hyakutake and Shintaro Hashimoto (Japan); William Halsey Jr, Aubrey Fitch, Alexander Patch, Nathan F. Twining, Francis P. Mulcahy and J. Lawton Collins (Allies)
Ships I-1, HMNZS Kiwi, HMNZS Moa, PT 59
Losses Allies: 1 heavy cruiser, 1 destroyer and 3 PT boats sunk, 1 destroyer heavily damaged, 53 aircraft destroyed. Japan: 1 destroyer and 1 submarine sunk, 3 destroyers heavily damaged, 56 aircraft destroyed; about 600 of the evacuated men died during the evacuation
Result Japanese victory; the withdrawal largely succeeded
After failing to retake Henderson Field, Japan decided to give up Guadalcanal. A rearguard battalion was landed on 14 January 1943 while Japanese air forces fought for air superiority, sinking a US cruiser in the Battle of Rennell Island and a destroyer off Verahue. Destroyers then took the troops off in three night runs on 1, 4 and 7 February, evacuating 10,652 men for one destroyer sunk and three damaged. The submarine I-1 was sunk at Kamimbo on 29 January by HMNZS Kiwi and Moa.
Why it is remembered On 9 February the Allies realised the Japanese had gone and declared Guadalcanal secure, ending the six month campaign for the island.
Sources differ One account dates the operation 14 January to 7 February 1943; another account gives 14 January to 8 February.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.s. Army Signal Corps, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, New Georgia campaign
Battle of Kolombangara Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Kula Gulf
12 to 13 July 1943 · Off the north east coast of Kolombangara, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States and New Zealand against Japan
Commanders Walden Ainsworth (United States); Shunji Isaki (Japan)
Forces 3 light cruisers and 10 destroyers, against 1 light cruiser, 5 destroyers and 4 destroyer transports
Losses Allied: 1 destroyer sunk, 3 light cruisers damaged, two severely, 89 killed. Japanese: 1 light cruiser sunk, 482 killed including Isaki.
Result Disputed; the Japanese landed their troops
On the night of 12 to 13 July 1943 a US and New Zealand force of light cruisers and destroyers intercepted a Japanese force carrying reinforcements to Vila. The Japanese sank an Allied destroyer and damaged three cruisers, and landed 1,200 troops on Kolombangara's west coast, but lost a light cruiser.
Why it is remembered Japanese torpedo attacks again inflicted heavy damage on Allied cruisers in the New Georgia campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Aleutian Islands campaign
Battle of the Komandorski Islands Fleet battle
27 March 1943 · North Pacific, south of the Komandorski Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Charles McMorris (United States); Boshirō Hosogaya (Japan)
Forces 1 heavy cruiser, 1 light cruiser and 4 destroyers, against 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 4 destroyers escorting a three ship convoy
Losses US: 1 heavy cruiser severely damaged, 2 destroyers slightly damaged, 7 killed, 20 wounded. Japanese: 2 heavy cruisers damaged, 14 killed, 26 wounded.
Result American victory
An American force patrolling west of the Aleutians met Japanese warships escorting a three ship convoy. In a daylight surface action with no air support on either side, the outnumbered Americans escaped greater damage when the Japanese chose to withdraw.
Why it is remembered It was a pure daylight gunnery battle between surface ships, with no part played by aircraft.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, New Georgia campaign
Battle of Kula Gulf Fleet battle
6 July 1943 · Kula Gulf, off the east coast of Kolombangara, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Walden L. Ainsworth, Robert W. Hayler (United States); Teruo Akiyama (Japan)
Forces Task Group 36.1: 3 light cruisers and 4 destroyers, against 10 destroyers of the 3rd Destroyer Squadron
Losses US: 1 light cruiser sunk, 168 killed. Japanese: 2 destroyers sunk, 2 damaged, 324 killed including Akiyama.
Result Inconclusive; the Japanese landed 1,600 troops
In the early hours of 6 July 1943 US cruisers and destroyers intercepted a Japanese destroyer force landing reinforcements at Vila on Kolombangara. One US light cruiser was sunk; two Japanese destroyers were sunk and two damaged. The Japanese withdrew after landing 1,600 troops.
Why it is remembered It was one of the night destroyer battles of the New Georgia campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photographed from USS Honolulu (CL-48), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign)
Battle of Makin Landing or siege
20 to 24 November 1943 · Makin Atoll (Butaritari), Gilbert Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Richmond K. Turner and Ralph C. Smith (United States); Saisuke Fujino (Japan, killed)
Forces United States: 6,470 soldiers, 3 escort carriers, 4 old battleships, 4 heavy cruisers, 16 destroyers and 9 transports and landing ships. Japan: 400 soldiers, 400 Japanese and Korean labourers, 3 light tanks, 4 anti tank guns and 1 submarine
Losses United States: 821 killed (755 Navy, 66 Army), 185 wounded, 1 escort carrier sunk, 1 battleship lightly damaged. Japan: 395 killed, 17 soldiers and 129 Korean labourers captured, 1 submarine damaged
Result American victory
Soldiers of the US 27th Infantry Division landed on Makin Atoll, supported by escort carriers, old battleships, cruisers and destroyers. The small Japanese garrison was overcome in four days. Most American deaths were naval: 755 of the 821, with an escort carrier sunk.
Why it is remembered Fought alongside Tarawa, it opened the American campaign in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Aleutian Islands campaign)
Battle of the Pips Other action
27 July 1943 · About 80 miles west of Kiska, Aleutian Islands
Fought between United States against radar contacts with no enemy present
Commanders Robert M. Griffin (United States)
Forces US Task Group 16.22, centred on the battleships Mississippi and Idaho
Ships USS Mississippi, USS Idaho
Result No enemy engaged; 518 shells fired without a hit
Task Group 16.22 was formed to support the planned assault on Kiska. On 27 July 1943 its radar picked up seven unknown contacts and the battleships fired 518 fourteen inch shells at them, hitting nothing. No Japanese surface warships were within 200 miles.
Why it is remembered It is remembered as a battle against radar ghosts at a time when radar was new and unreliable; the pips have been explained as reflections from distant mountains or as rafts of migrating shearwaters.
Sources differ The cause is disputed: suggestions include Japanese submarines evacuating Kiska, ionised clouds, reflections from Amchitka or Semisopochnoi, and flocks of shearwaters, the explanation favoured by Brian Garfield.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Guadalcanal campaign
Battle of Rennell Island Air and submarine attack
Also known as Renneru-shima oki kaisen (Japanese)
29 to 30 January 1943 · Between Rennell Island and Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders William Halsey Jr., Robert C. Giffen (United States); Jinichi Kusaka, Rinosuke Ichimaru (Japan)
Forces 1 aircraft carrier, 2 escort carriers, 3 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 8 destroyers and 14 fighters, against 43 land based medium bombers
Ships USS Chicago, USS La Vallette
Losses US: 1 heavy cruiser sunk, 1 destroyer heavily damaged, 85 killed. Japanese: 12 bombers, 60 to 84 killed.
Result Japanese victory
A US task force south of Rennell Island was protecting a convoy carrying replacement troops to Guadalcanal and looking for Japanese ships. Over two days Japanese land based torpedo bombers attacked it to cover the coming evacuation of Guadalcanal. The heavy cruiser USS Chicago was sunk and the destroyer La Vallette heavily damaged, and the task force withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was the last major naval engagement of the Guadalcanal campaign, and it helped Japan evacuate its troops by 7 February 1943.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle for Australia)
Shelling of Port Gregory Raid
28 January 1943 · Port Gregory, Western Australia
Fought between Japan against Australia
Commanders Tatenosuke Tosu (Japan)
Forces One Japanese submarine, I-165
Ships I-165
Losses None on either side
Result No damage done
The Japanese submarine I-165 fired 10 shells at Port Gregory to divert Allied attention from the evacuation of Guadalcanal. None caused any damage. Allied naval authorities only learned of the attack a week later, when a radio signal from the submarine's commander was decoded.
Why it is remembered One of the Japanese naval attacks on the Australian mainland.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Solomon Islands campaign
Operation SO and SE Air and submarine attack
Also known as Lunga Air Battle (Japanese)
7 to 16 June 1943 · Around Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Fought between Japan against the United States
Commanders Jinichi Kusaka (Japan); Marc Mitscher (United States)
Forces 94 Japanese aircraft, against over 100 US aircraft
Losses US: 1 cargo ship and 1 LST damaged, 6 aircraft. Japanese: 28 aircraft.
Result Inconclusive
Japan launched an air offensive against Allied air power and shipping around Guadalcanal. Two fighter sweeps (Operation SO) were followed by air strikes on Allied ships gathering for the invasion of New Georgia (Operation SE).
Why it is remembered The Japanese called the resulting fights the Lunga Air Battle.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign)
Battle of Tarawa Landing or siege
Also known as Part of Operation Galvanic
20 to 23 November 1943 · Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati)
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Raymond A. Spruance, Richmond K. Turner, Harry W. Hill, Holland M. Smith, Julian C. Smith, Leo D. Hermle, Merritt A. Edson and David M. Shoup (United States); Keiji Shibazaki (Japan, killed)
Forces United States: 35,000 troops including 18,000 marines, 5 escort carriers, 3 battleships, 2 heavy and 2 light cruisers, 22 destroyers, 2 minesweepers and 18 transports and landing ships. Japan: 2,636 troops, 2,200 construction labourers (1,200 Korean, 1,000 Japanese), 14 tanks, 40 artillery pieces and 14 naval guns
Losses United States: Marine Corps 1,009 killed and 2,101 wounded; Navy 687 killed; 1 destroyer damaged by coastal guns. Japan: 4,690 killed, soldiers and labourers together; 17 soldiers and 129 Korean labourers captured; 14 tanks destroyed
Result Decisive American victory
US forces of Operation Galvanic made an amphibious assault on Betio, a small island at the south west of Tarawa Atoll. About 4,500 well supplied and well prepared Japanese defenders fought almost to the last man. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans and Americans died in four days.
Why it is remembered It was the first American offensive in the Central Pacific and the first time in the Pacific War that a US amphibious landing met serious opposition.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: USMC Archives from Quantico, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Solomon Islands campaign
Battle of the Treasury Islands Landing or siege
27 October to 12 November 1943 · Mono and Stirling Islands, Treasury Islands, Solomon Islands
Fought between New Zealand and the United States against Japan
Commanders Robert A. Row (New Zealand); George Fort (United States); Toyosaku Nakaseko (Japan, killed)
Forces Allied: 6,574 men, mostly of the New Zealand 3rd Division, with 6 destroyers and 32 aircraft. Japanese: over 231 men and 49 aircraft.
Losses Allied: 52 dead, 174 wounded, 1 destroyer damaged. Japanese: 223 dead, 8 taken prisoner, 12 aircraft.
Result Allied victory
New Zealand and American forces landed on the Japanese held Treasury Islands on 27 October 1943, with landing ships under fire, to secure Mono Island for a radar station and Stirling Island as a staging area for the assault on Bougainville. The small Japanese garrison was destroyed by 12 November.
Why it is remembered It helped isolate Bougainville and Rabaul, and the landing is the subject of Russell Clark's painting Landing ships under fire, Treasury Island.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Russell Clark / Archives New Zealand, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (New Georgia campaign)
Battle of Vella Gulf Fleet battle
Also known as Berawan yasen (Japanese)
6 to 7 August 1943 · Vella Gulf, between Vella Lavella and Kolombangara, Solomon Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Frederick Moosbrugger (United States); Kaju Sugiura (Japan)
Forces 6 US destroyers of Task Group 31.2 against 4 Japanese destroyers of Destroyer Division 4
Losses United States: none. Japan: 3 destroyers sunk, 1,210 killed
Result American victory
Warned by intelligence, six American destroyers waited in Vella Gulf on the night of 6 to 7 August 1943 for four Japanese destroyers bringing reinforcements to Kolombangara. Using radar, they closed undetected and fired torpedoes. Three Japanese destroyers were sunk and no American ship was damaged.
Why it is remembered It was the first time in the Pacific campaign that American destroyers were allowed to operate independently of the cruiser force.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Navy, photographed from a USS Chenango (CVE-28) aircraft., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Action of 10 November 1944 Air and submarine attack
Also known as Sinking of U-537
10 November 1944 · Java Sea, just north of the Lombok Strait and east of Surabaya, at 07°13'S 115°17'E
Fought between United States against Germany
Commanders Lieutenant Commander James E. Stevens (United States, USS Flounder); Kapitänleutnant Peter Schrewe (Germany, U-537)
Forces One American submarine against one German submarine
Ships USS Flounder, U-537
Losses Germany: U-537 sunk with all hands, 58 killed including her commander. United States: none.
Result American victory
The Gato class submarine USS Flounder was patrolling around the Lesser Sunda Islands when she sighted a craft north of the Lombok Strait, at first taken for a sailing boat; the sails proved to be the conning tower of the German Type IXC/40 U-boat U-537. After shadowing her, Flounder fired four torpedoes and two of them hit. U-537 blew up and sank at 00:26, and when Flounder surfaced half an hour later to search for survivors she found no debris and no bodies.
Why it is remembered U-537 is the boat that in October 1943 set up an automatic weather station at Martin Bay in Labrador. She sank no ships in three patrols and was lost with every man aboard in the Java Sea.
Sources Wikidata · uboat.net · web.archive.org
Image: US Navy (photo 19-N-87653), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Action of 14 February 1944 Single-ship action
14 February 1944 · Off Penang, Strait of Malacca
Fought between Britain against Germany
Commanders Leslie Bennington (Britain); Werner Striegler (Germany)
Forces The British submarine HMS Tally-Ho against the German submarine UIT-23
Ships HMS Tally-Ho, UIT-23
Losses Britain: none. Germany: UIT-23 sunk, 26 killed
Result British victory
The British submarine HMS Tally-Ho sank the German U-boat UIT-23 off Penang near the Strait of Malacca. Twenty-six men were killed.
Why it is remembered It was one of the few naval engagements in the Asian and Pacific theatre that involved German or Italian forces.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Action of 17 July 1944 Single-ship action
17 July 1944 · Off Penang, Strait of Malacca
Fought between Britain against Japan
Commanders Bill King (Britain); Suwa Koichiro (Japan)
Forces The British submarine HMS Telemachus against the Japanese submarine I-166
Ships HMS Telemachus, I-166
Losses Britain: none. Japan: I-166 sunk, 88 killed
Result British victory
On her first patrol with the Eastern Fleet, HMS Telemachus under Commander Bill King sailed from Colombo on 13 July 1944 to wait on One Fathom bank for Japanese traffic between Penang and Singapore. On 17 July her ASDIC operator heard propellers and the watch sighted the submarine I-166, which Telemachus sank. Eighty-eight Japanese sailors died.
Why it is remembered A rare sinking of one submarine by another in the Strait of Malacca.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Derives from png uploaded by User:Wolrd blank map, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Philippines campaign)
Battle off Cape Engaño Air and submarine attack
Also known as Battle of Cabo Engaño; part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf
25 to 26 October 1944 · Open sea about 300 km east of Cape Engaño, northern Luzon, Philippines
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders William F. Halsey (United States); Jisaburō Ozawa (Japan)
Forces United States: Third Fleet with 5 carriers, 5 light carriers, 6 battleships, 8 cruisers and 40 destroyers, about 1,000 aircraft from 10 carriers. Japan: Ozawa's Northern Force of 1 carrier, 3 light carriers, 2 battleships converted to carry aircraft but with none aboard, 3 light cruisers and 9 destroyers
Ships Zuikaku, Zuihō, Chitose, Chiyoda, Ise, Hyūga, Ōyodo, Tama, Isuzu, Hatsuzuki, Akizuki, USS Intrepid, USS Franklin, USS Lexington, USS Enterprise, USS Essex, USS Independence, USS Belleau Wood, USS Langley, USS Cabot, USS San Jacinto, USS Alabama, USS Iowa, USS Massachusetts, USS New Jersey, USS South Dakota, USS Washington, USS Jallao
Losses United States: no ship damaged. Japan: 7 ships sunk, the carriers Zuikaku, Zuihō, Chitose and Chiyoda, the light cruiser Tama and the destroyers Hatsuzuki and Akizuki
Result Decisive American victory
Ozawa's carriers, carrying few aircraft, were sent as a decoy to draw the US Third Fleet away from Leyte so that Kurita's Centre Force could reach the landings. Believing the Japanese fleet was retreating after the Sibuyan Sea and Surigao Strait, Halsey took the bulk of his fleet north after Ozawa. US carrier aircraft sank all four Japanese carriers, including the flagship Zuikaku, and the submarine USS Jallao torpedoed the light cruiser Tama.
Why it is remembered The decoy worked in part, since it left the San Bernardino Strait unguarded and led to the Battle off Samar fought at the same time, but it cost Japan its last carrier force and did not stop the landing.
Sources differ The Spanish account gives 120 Japanese fighters in one place and 108 aircraft in total in another.
Sources Wikipedia (ES) · Wikipedia
Image: Japanese photographer (captured by US forces), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (South East Asian theatre)
Operation Cockpit Raid
19 April 1944 · Sabang, Dutch East Indies
Fought between Britain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Free France against Japan
Commanders James Somerville (Allies); Hirose Sueto (Japan)
Forces Allies: 2 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 1 battlecruiser, 6 cruisers, 15 destroyers and 1 submarine. Japan: anti-aircraft batteries and 3 torpedo bombers
Losses Allies: 1 aircraft. Japan: 1 merchant ship sunk, 1 beached, up to 24 aircraft destroyed on the ground and 3 shot down
Result Inconclusive
Aircraft from British and American carriers of the Eastern Fleet attacked Japanese shipping and airfields at Sabang. The defenders were taken by surprise and there was little opposition. A few ships and aircraft were destroyed for the loss of one American aircraft.
Why it is remembered It was the first of the Eastern Fleet's carrier raids of 1944 and 1945, though it failed to draw Japanese forces away from the planned American landing in New Guinea.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Convoy Hi-71 Convoy battle
18 to 19 August 1944 · South China Sea
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Glynn R. Donaho (United States); Sadamichi Kajioka (Japan)
Forces 9 US submarines in 2 wolfpacks against a convoy of 13 merchant ships escorted by 1 escort carrier, 3 destroyers and 9 kaibōkan
Losses United States: 1 submarine sunk, 60 killed. Japan: about 8,000 killed; 7 merchant ships, 1 escort carrier, 2 destroyers and 3 kaibōkan sunk
Result American victory
The heavily escorted convoy of fast tankers and troop transports was carrying reinforcements from Japan for the defence of the Philippines. Scattered by a typhoon in August 1944, it met a wolfpack of US submarines in the South China Sea. Heavy seas prevented the rescue of men from the sunken ships.
Why it is remembered The loss of about 8,000 lives made it one of the most costly convoy disasters of the Pacific War.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Convoy Hi-81 Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of Convoy Hi-81
15 to 18 November 1944 · Yellow Sea
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Gordon W. Underwood and Eugene B. Fluckey (United States); Tsutomu Sato and Shizue Ishii (Japan)
Forces United States: 6 submarines and 1 B-29 bomber. Japan: 1 escort carrier, 1 seaplane tender, 1 destroyer, 7 escort ships, 1 submarine chaser, 4 landing craft carriers, 5 oilers and 27 B5N torpedo bombers
Ships Shin'yō, Akitsu Maru
Losses United States: none. Japan: about 6,600 killed; the escort carrier Shin'yō, a submarine chaser and 2 landing craft carriers including Akitsu Maru sunk
Result American victory
The convoy was carrying soldiers to Singapore and the Philippines under a strong escort. Over four days in November 1944 American submarines attacked it in the Yellow Sea. They sank the escort carrier Shin'yō and the landing craft carrier Akitsu Maru among others, without loss to themselves.
Why it is remembered Nearly 7,000 Japanese were killed, one of the heaviest losses of life in a single convoy battle.
Sources differ One account gives nearly 7,000 Japanese killed; another account about 6,600.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Operation Desecrate One Raid
30 to 31 March 1944 · Palau Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Forces Aircraft from the US carriers Enterprise, Bunker Hill, Hornet, Yorktown, Lexington, Monterey, Belleau Wood, Cowpens, Cabot, Princeton and Langley
Ships USS Enterprise, USS Bunker Hill, USS Hornet, USS Yorktown, USS Lexington, USS Monterey, USS Belleau Wood, USS Cowpens, USS Cabot, USS Princeton, USS Langley, Akashi, Kamikaze Maru, Urakami Maru, Goshu Maru, Iro, Ose, Sata
Losses Japan: 36 ships sunk or damaged
Result American victory
Aircraft from eleven US carriers attacked Japanese bases on and around Palau to prepare for the Allied invasion of western New Guinea. Thirty-six Japanese ships were sunk or damaged, among them the repair ship Akashi, several tenders and transports, and the tankers Iro, Ose and Sata. Avengers also laid extensive minefields in the channels and approaches.
Why it is remembered It was the first tactical use in the Pacific War of mines laid by carrier aircraft.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
Battle of Eniwetok Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Catchpole
17 to 23 February 1944 · Enewetak Atoll (Engebi, Eniwetok and Parry islands), Marshall Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Harry W. Hill, John T. Walker, Thomas E. Watson (United States); Yoshimi Nishida (Japan, killed)
Forces American: the 22nd Marine Regiment and the 106th Infantry Regiment, supported by battleships, cruisers, destroyers and carrier aircraft. Japanese: 3,500 men with 9 light tanks and coastal guns.
Ships USS Colorado, USS Tennessee, USS Pennsylvania, USS Louisville, USS Indianapolis, USS Phelps, USS Hailey
Losses American: 313 killed, 77 missing, 879 wounded. Japanese: 3,380 killed, 144 captured.
Result American victory
After carrier aircraft of Task Group 58.4 struck Engebi on 16 February, the battleships Colorado, Tennessee and Pennsylvania, the cruisers Louisville and Indianapolis and destroyers bombarded the three main islands of the atoll in turn. Troops landed on Engebi on 18 February, then on Eniwetok, which was declared secured on 21 February, and on Parry on 22 February after more than 900 tons of shells and bombs had been delivered onto the island.
Why it is remembered Its capture gave the Americans an airfield and anchorage for the attack on the Mariana Islands, and the atoll became Naval Base Eniwetok.
Sources differ The Wikipedia text dates the first landing on Eniwetok island to 18 February, while the photograph caption shows landing craft heading for it on 19 February.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Mariana and Palau Islands campaign)
Battle of Guam (1944) Landing or siege
21 July to 10 August 1944 · Guam, Mariana Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Richard L. Conolly, Roy Geiger, Allen H. Turnage, Andrew D. Bruce and Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. (United States); Takeshi Takashina (killed) and Hideyoshi Obata (Japan)
Forces United States: 65,787 (Navy and Marines 37,292; Army 19,245). Japan: 18,500 (Army 11,500; Navy 5,000; air 2,000)
Losses United States: 1,760 dead and 6,012 wounded by 10 August 1944, of which Navy 16 killed and 42 wounded. Japan: 18,377 dead and 1,250 captured by 31 August 1945. Civilians: over 600 killed
Result American victory; Guam recaptured
Postponed by the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the hard fighting on Saipan, the landings went in on 21 July 1944 on both sides of the Orote Peninsula. The Marines were pinned down under heavy fire, and supply was hard because landing ships could not cross the reef. Japanese counter attacks on 25 July failed, the beachheads joined on 28 July, and after the Japanese line at Mount Barrigada collapsed, organised resistance ended on 10 August.
Why it is remembered The recapture of Guam, taken by Japan in 1941, gave the United States airbases from which B-29s could bomb the Japanese home islands.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: National Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign)
Operation Hailstone Raid
17 to 18 February 1944 · Truk Lagoon, Caroline Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Marc Mitscher (United States); Masami Kobayashi (Japan)
Forces United States: 5 fleet carriers, 4 light carriers, 6 battleships, 10 cruisers, 28 destroyers, 10 submarines and 560 aircraft. Japan: 5 cruisers, 8 destroyers, 5 other warships, 50 merchant ships and 350 aircraft
Losses United States: 40 killed, 1 fleet carrier damaged, 1 battleship slightly damaged, 25 aircraft destroyed. Japan: over 4,500 killed; 2 light cruisers, 4 destroyers, 3 auxiliary cruisers, 6 auxiliary ships and 32 merchant ships sunk; 9 vessels damaged; over 250 aircraft destroyed
Result American victory
US carrier aircraft and surface ships attacked the Japanese base at Truk Lagoon over two days in February 1944. Warships, auxiliaries and 32 merchant ships were sunk, and more than 250 aircraft destroyed, for the loss of 25 American aircraft.
Why it is remembered It wrecked Truk as a major Japanese base during the American drive across the Central Pacific.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: US Navy, photographer aboard USS Intrepid (CV-11)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Indian Ocean raid (1944) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Operation SA No.1; Second Indian Ocean raid
1 to 16 March 1944 · Indian Ocean
Fought between Japan against Britain
Commanders Naomasa Sakonju (Japan); James Somerville (Britain)
Forces 3 Japanese heavy cruisers against 1 British steamer
Ships Tone, Behar
Losses Britain: the steamer Behar sunk, 3 killed; afterwards 72 or 89 prisoners murdered. Japan: none
Result Inconclusive
Three Japanese heavy cruisers left Japanese held territory on 1 March 1944 to raid Allied shipping. On 9 March they sank the British steamer Behar, and Tone picked up over 100 survivors. Fearing detection, the force returned to the Netherlands East Indies on 16 March, and two days later many of Behar's crew and passengers were murdered aboard Tone.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the murder of Behar's survivors: after the war Rear Admiral Sakonju was executed for the crime and Tone's captain Haruo Mayuzumi was imprisoned for seven years.
Sources differ Sources give the number of prisoners murdered as either 72 or 89.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Solomon Islands campaign)
Battle of Karavia Bay Raid
17 to 18 February 1944 · Karavia Bay, Rabaul, New Britain
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Rodger F. Simpson (United States)
Forces 5 US destroyers against about 10 artillery pieces and 4 shore batteries, 2 destroyers and 2 transports
Losses Japan: 2 transports sunk
Result American victory
At night a squadron of US destroyers attacked the harbour defences of Karavia Bay and exchanged gunfire and torpedoes with two Japanese destroyers. The Japanese artillery was silenced and two transports were sunk, and the port was blockaded.
Why it is remembered It was the first surface engagement fought in the Rabaul area.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign)
Battle of Kwajalein Landing or siege
31 January to 3 February 1944 · Kwajalein Atoll (Kwajalein and Roi-Namur), Marshall Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Richmond K. Turner, Holland M. Smith, Harry Schmidt, Thomas E. Watson and Charles H. Corlett (United States); Monzo Akiyama (killed), Masami Kobayashi, Yamada Michiyuki (killed) and Yoshimi Nishida (Japan)
Forces United States: 46,670 men of V Amphibious Corps, including the 4th Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division. Japan: about 5,000 on Kwajalein and about 3,000 on Roi-Namur
Losses United States: Kwajalein 142 killed, 845 wounded, 2 missing; Roi-Namur 206 killed, 617 wounded, 181 missing. Japan: Kwajalein 4,300 killed, 166 captured; Roi-Namur 3,500 killed, 87 captured
Result American victory
Applying the lessons of Tarawa, US forces made simultaneous amphibious assaults on Kwajalein island in the south of the atoll and Roi-Namur in the north. The outnumbered Japanese defenders resisted stubbornly. Of the Roi-Namur garrison of 3,500, only 51 survived.
Why it is remembered It was the first American penetration of Japan's outer defensive ring in the Pacific. Its failure led the Japanese to abandon beach line defence in favour of defence in depth, which made later battles such as Peleliu and Guam far costlier.
Sources differ One account gives 51 survivors from Roi-Namur; another account lists 87 captured there.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Philippines campaign (1944 to 1945)
Battle of Leyte Gulf Fleet battle
23 to 26 October 1944 · Leyte Gulf and the surrounding waters of the Philippines, including the Sibuyan Sea, Surigao Strait, the waters off Samar and off Cape Engaño
Fought between United States and Australia against Japan
Commanders William Halsey (US 3rd Fleet); Thomas Kinkaid (US 7th Fleet); Clifton Sprague (Taffy 3); Jesse Oldendorf (Task Group 77.2); John Collins (Australia, Task Force 74, wounded); Soemu Toyoda (Combined Fleet); Takeo Kurita (Center Force); Shōji Nishimura (Southern Force, killed); Kiyohide Shima (Southern Force); Jisaburō Ozawa (Northern Force)
Forces Allied: about 300 ships, including 8 fleet carriers, 9 light carriers, 18 escort carriers, 12 battleships, 24 cruisers and 116 destroyers and destroyer escorts, with PT boats, submarines and about 1,500 aircraft. Japanese: about 70 ships, including 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 2 hybrid carrier battleships, 7 battleships, 13 heavy cruisers, 6 light cruisers, more than 35 destroyers and more than 300 aircraft. Over 200,000 naval personnel took part.
Ships USS Princeton, USS West Virginia, USS Maryland, USS Mississippi, USS Tennessee, USS California, USS Pennsylvania, Yamato, Musashi, Nagato, Kongō, Haruna, Fusō, Yamashiro, Atago, Maya, Asagumo
Losses Allied: about 3,000 killed; 11 ships lost, including 1 light carrier, 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers and 1 destroyer escort sunk; 255 aircraft. Japanese: about 12,000 killed; 26 ships lost, including 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 3 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers and 9 destroyers sunk; about 300 aircraft.
Result Allied victory
Japan committed nearly all of its remaining major warships to repel the Allied landings in the Philippines, sending three forces against the beachhead while Ozawa's carriers drew Halsey's fleet north as a decoy. In four main engagements, the Sibuyan Sea, Surigao Strait, off Samar and off Cape Engaño, and several lesser actions, the US Third and Seventh Fleets defeated them. US submarines sank the cruisers Atago and Maya in the Palawan Passage, aircraft sank the battleship Musashi in the Sibuyan Sea, and at Surigao Strait Oldendorf's battleships, led by USS West Virginia, sank Fusō and Yamashiro. The light carrier USS Princeton was bombed and scuttled.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval battle of the Second World War and by some criteria the largest in history, the first battle in which Japanese aircraft made organised kamikaze attacks, and the last ever fought between battleships. The Japanese navy never again sailed in comparable force, and Halsey's decision to chase the decoy force, leaving San Bernardino Strait unguarded, has been argued over ever since.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Operation Millet Raid
17 to 20 October 1944 · Nicobar Islands
Fought between Britain against Japan
Forces British ships including the carriers HMS Victorious and HMS Indomitable, the battlecruiser HMS Renown and the light cruiser HMS Phoebe. Japan: a force of twelve torpedo bombers in the air battle of 19 October
Ships HMS Victorious, HMS Indomitable, HMS Renown, HMS Phoebe
Losses Britain: 3 carrier aircraft. Japan: 7 torpedo bombers shot down
Result Tactical British success; the diversion failed
A British force bombarded and made air strikes on Japanese positions in the Nicobar Islands to draw Japanese attention from the American invasion of Leyte. There was little opposition until the morning of 19 October, when seven of twelve attacking Japanese torpedo bombers were shot down for the loss of three British aircraft.
Why it is remembered As a diversion it had no effect, since the Japanese had already gathered their naval forces to defend the Philippines.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pilot on a plane from USS Saratoga (CV-3)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of Leyte)
Battle of Ormoc Bay Convoy battle
9 November to 21 December 1944 · Camotes Sea and Ormoc Bay, Leyte, Philippines
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Douglas MacArthur (United States); Tomoyuki Yamashita (Japan)
Losses United States: 6 ships sunk. Japan: 29 ships, 1 submarine and 1 patrol boat sunk
Result American victory
Over six weeks Japan ran convoys to reinforce and supply its troops on Leyte through Ormoc Bay, and US forces fought a series of air and sea battles in the Camotes Sea to stop them. Twenty-nine Japanese ships were sunk for six American.
Why it is remembered The battles cut the Japanese reinforcement route to Leyte during the Philippines campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Mariana and Palau Islands campaign)
Battle of Peleliu Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Stalemate II; Emperor's Island (Japanese)
15 September to 27 November 1944 · Peleliu, Palau Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders William H. Rupertus, Paul J. Mueller, Roy Geiger, Herman H. Hanneken, Harold D. Harris and Lewis B. Puller (United States); Sadae Inoue, Kunio Nakagawa and Murai Kenjiro (Japan)
Forces United States: 47,561 men of III Amphibious Corps. Japan: over 12,393 across the southern Palau islands, 10,900 on Peleliu and Ngesebus, with 17 tanks
Losses United States (Palau group): 1,989 to 2,143 battle deaths and 8,514 wounded and injured, of which Navy 195 killed and 504 wounded. Japan (Palau group): 12,033 dead and 360 prisoners
Result American victory
US Marines of the 1st Marine Division, later joined by the Army's 81st Infantry Division, landed from LVTs on Peleliu on 15 September 1944 to capture its airfield. The divisional commander predicted four days; new Japanese defence tactics and strong fortifications stretched the battle to more than two months. The outnumbered defenders often fought to the death.
Why it is remembered It was controversial for the island's small strategic value and for the highest casualty rate of any US amphibious operation in the Pacific; the National Museum of the Marine Corps called it the bitterest battle of the war for marines.
Sources differ US battle deaths are given as a range of 1,989 to 2,143.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: USGov-Military, Post-Work: User:W.wolny, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Mariana and Palau Islands campaign)
Battle of the Philippine Sea Fleet battle
Also known as Great Marianas Turkey Shoot (the air battle)
19 to 20 June 1944 · Philippine Sea, west of the Mariana Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Raymond A. Spruance and Marc Mitscher (United States); Jisaburō Ozawa, Takeo Kurita, Takeo Takagi and Kakuji Kakuta (Japan)
Forces United States: Fifth Fleet with 7 fleet carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 8 heavy and 13 light cruisers, 68 destroyers, 28 submarines and about 900 carrier aircraft. Japan: 1st Mobile Fleet with 3 fleet carriers, 6 light carriers, 5 battleships, 7 heavy and 2 light cruisers, 31 destroyers, 24 submarines, 6 oilers, about 450 carrier aircraft and about 300 land based aircraft
Ships Zuikaku, USS Lexington
Losses United States: 1 battleship damaged, 123 aircraft destroyed, 109 dead. Japan: 2 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier and 2 oilers sunk, 1 fleet carrier, 2 light carriers, 1 battleship and 1 oiler damaged, 550 to 645 aircraft destroyed, an estimated 2,987 dead
Result American victory
During the American reconquest of the Marianas, the Japanese Mobile Fleet attacked the US Fifth Fleet. Its massed air strikes were shot down in great numbers by experienced American pilots and by anti-aircraft fire using the new proximity fuze, while US submarines sank two of the largest Japanese fleet carriers. On 20 June the American carriers launched a long range strike that sank a light carrier and damaged other ships, but many aircraft ran short of fuel returning at night and 80 were lost.
Why it is remembered It was the largest carrier battle in history, with 24 carriers and about 1,350 carrier aircraft, and the last of the five great carrier battles of the war. Japanese carrier air power never recovered.
Sources differ Japanese aircraft losses are given as a range of 550 to 645.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Mariana and Palau Islands campaign)
Battle of Saipan Landing or siege
15 June to 9 July 1944 · Saipan, Mariana Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Chester W. Nimitz, Raymond Spruance, Richmond K. Turner and Holland Smith (United States); Hideyoshi Obata, Yoshitsugu Saitō and Chūichi Nagumo (Japan)
Forces United States: 94,650 (71,034 assault, 23,616 garrison) of V Amphibious Corps. Japan: 31,629 (Army 25,469, Navy 6,160)
Losses United States: land forces 3,100 to 3,225 killed, 326 missing and 13,061 to 13,099 wounded; ships' personnel at least 51 killed, 32 missing and 184 wounded. Japan: over 25,144 dead, 1,810 prisoners. Civilians: 8,000 to 10,000 dead
Result American victory
After a two day naval bombardment, two Marine divisions and the Army's 27th Infantry Division under Holland Smith landed on Saipan on 15 June 1944. The invasion drew out the Japanese fleet and led to the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Organised resistance ended after at least 3,000 Japanese soldiers died in a mass gyokusai attack, and about 1,000 civilians then killed themselves.
Why it is remembered Saipan brought the Japanese home islands within B-29 range, broke the inner defence perimeter and led to the resignation of Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō. Its heavy losses shaped American planning for the invasion of Japan.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Philippines campaign)
Battle off Samar Fleet battle
Also known as Part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf
25 October 1944 · Philippine Sea, east of Samar, Philippines
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Clifton Sprague (United States); Takeo Kurita (Japan)
Forces United States: Taffy 3 of 6 escort carriers, 3 destroyers and 4 destroyer escorts, with about 322 aircraft from Taffy 2 and Taffy 3. Japan: Centre Force of 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 11 destroyers, and 36 aircraft in kamikaze attacks
Ships Yamato, USS Johnston, USS Samuel B. Roberts, USS Gambier Bay, USS Saint Lo
Losses United States: 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers and 1 destroyer escort sunk; 4 escort carriers, 1 destroyer and 2 destroyer escorts damaged; 23 to 29 aircraft lost; 1,161 killed and missing, 913 wounded. Japan: 3 heavy cruisers sunk, 1 damaged beyond repair; 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser and 1 destroyer damaged; 11 aircraft; over 2,700 killed and wounded
Result American victory
With Halsey's Third Fleet drawn north by a decoy, Kurita's battleships and cruisers came through the San Bernardino Strait and at dawn fell on Taffy 3, a small group of escort carriers and destroyers, which Kurita took for the main American carriers. The escort carriers ran for rain squalls and launched their aircraft, while the destroyers led by USS Johnston and the destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts made a torpedo attack that threw the Japanese into disorder. Under growing air attack and fearing the Third Fleet was near, Kurita withdrew north at 09:30 without reaching the landings. Kamikaze aircraft from Luzon then sank the escort carrier Saint Lo and damaged three others.
Why it is remembered Historians cite it as one of the greatest last stands in naval history. Taffy 3 received the Presidential Unit Citation, Commander Ernest E. Evans of Johnston was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, and Nimitz called its success special dispensation from the Lord Almighty.
Sources differ The main account gives 23 to 29 US aircraft lost.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Shin'yō Maru incident Convoy battle
Also known as Shinyo Maru Incident
7 September 1944 · Off Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao, Philippines, Sulu Sea
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Byron Nowell (United States)
Forces 1 US submarine, USS Paddle, against a Japanese convoy of 2 torpedo boats, 2 tankers and 4 cargo ships
Ships USS Paddle, Shinyō Maru
Losses United States: submarine damaged; Allied prisoners of war killed by their guards or by the sinking. Japan: 47 killed, 1 tanker sunk, 1 cargo ship grounded
The US submarine Paddle attacked a Japanese convoy off Mindanao. One of the ships hit, Shinyō Maru, was carrying Allied prisoners of war. Prisoners were killed fighting their Japanese guards or died when the ship sank; only 82 Americans survived and were later rescued.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the deaths of Allied prisoners killed by their own side's torpedoes and by their guards.
Sources differ One account gives 668 Allied prisoners killed; another account gives 687.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Philippines campaign)
Battle of the Sibuyan Sea Air and submarine attack
Also known as Part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf
24 October 1944 · Sibuyan Sea, Philippines
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders William F. Halsey and Marc A. Mitscher (United States); Takeo Kurita and Takijirō Ōnishi (Japan)
Forces United States: 7 carriers, 6 light carriers, 6 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser, 9 light cruisers, 40 destroyers and 260 aircraft. Japan: Kurita's Centre Force of 5 battleships (Yamato, Musashi, Nagato, Kongō, Haruna), 7 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 13 destroyers, with 150 to 180 land based aircraft
Ships Musashi, Yamato, Nagato, Kongō, Haruna, Myōkō, Noshiro, Yahagi, USS Princeton, USS Birmingham, USS Reno, USS Enterprise, USS Intrepid, USS Cabot, USS Essex
Losses United States: the light carrier USS Princeton sunk and USS Birmingham badly damaged, 18 aircraft lost, 341 dead and 426 missing. Japan: Musashi sunk with 1,023 of her 2,399 crew, Myōkō heavily damaged, three battleships, a heavy cruiser, a light cruiser and two destroyers lightly damaged
Result Tactical American victory; strategic Japanese success, as Kurita later passed the San Bernardino Strait
Aircraft of Task Force 38 found and attacked Kurita's Centre Force in the Sibuyan Sea on 24 October 1944. Land based Japanese aircraft from Luzon struck back; most were shot down by fighters from Essex under David McCampbell, but one bomber hit USS Princeton, which burned, exploded and was finished off by USS Reno, with heavy casualties also aboard Birmingham alongside. Repeated carrier strikes crippled and sank the battleship Musashi, hit by 17 bombs and 19 torpedoes in all. Kurita regrouped and at 17:14 resumed his course, passing the San Bernardino Strait at 23:30.
Why it is remembered It saw the loss of Musashi, one of the largest battleships ever built. Halsey's choice to go north after the Japanese carriers instead of blocking Kurita left the strait open and led to the Battle off Samar.
Sources differ The Spanish account's text lists ten heavy cruisers and fifteen destroyers with Kurita, another account seven and thirteen. The English account treats this battle within the Battle of Leyte Gulf rather than separately.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipedia (ES)
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Philippines campaign)
Battle of Surigao Strait Fleet battle
Also known as Part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf
24 to 25 October 1944 (night) · Surigao Strait, Philippines
Fought between United States and Australia against Japan
Commanders Jesse B. Oldendorf (United States); Shōji Nishimura (Japan, killed) and Kiyohide Shima (Japan)
Forces United States: six battleships (Maryland, West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, California, Pennsylvania), eight cruisers including HMAS Shropshire, destroyers and PT boats. Japan: Nishimura's force of the battleships Yamashiro and Fusō, the heavy cruiser Mogami and four destroyers, followed by Shima's force of the heavy cruisers Nachi and Ashigara, the light cruiser Abukuma and four destroyers
Ships Yamashiro, Fusō, Mogami, Shigure, Asagumo, Michishio, Yamagumo, Nachi, Ashigara, Abukuma, USS West Virginia, USS Maryland, USS Mississippi, USS Tennessee, USS California, USS Pennsylvania, USS Louisville, HMAS Shropshire, USS Melvin, USS Albert W. Grant
Losses United States: the destroyer USS Albert W. Grant damaged, 50 dead. Japan: the battleships Yamashiro and Fusō, the heavy cruiser Mogami and three destroyers lost, Nishimura killed; about 5,000 dead is the figure given
Result Decisive Allied victory
Nishimura's Southern Force entered the strait at night and was soon found by PT boats, which attacked without scoring hits. US destroyers then made torpedo attacks from both sides around 03:00, sinking Fusō and several destroyers and hitting Yamashiro. From about 03:50 the American battleships and cruisers across the exit of the strait opened radar directed fire; Yamashiro sank at about 04:20 with Nishimura, and only Shigure escaped intact while the damaged Mogami was later scuttled. Shima's force arrived afterwards, Nachi was rammed in the confusion, and Shima withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was the last battle fought between battleships, and the US battle line crossed the Japanese T, though by then the Japanese formation was already broken.
Sources differ Sources give different US numbers: 22 destroyers and 38 PT boats, 13 destroyers and 39 small craft, or 28 destroyers and 39 PT boats. Accounts of Fusō differ: the traditional account says she blew up and broke in two, Morison has her bow sunk by gunfire, and a survivor said she capsized without breaking. The Spanish account dates the battle 24 October; the English account gives 24 to 25 October.
Sources Wikipedia (ES) · Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Take Ichi convoy Convoy battle
Also known as Take-Ichi sendan (Bamboo Number One convoy)
17 April to 9 May 1944 · Off Luzon and Celebes
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Ralph Waldo Christie (United States); Sadamichi Kajioka (Japan)
Forces 2 US submarines against a convoy of 15 merchant ships escorted by 1 minelayer, 3 destroyers, 2 kaibokan, 1 minesweeper, 2 subchasers and 3 gunboats
Losses United States: none. Japan: 4 transports sunk, 4,290 soldiers killed
Result American victory
The convoy left Shanghai on 17 April 1944 carrying two infantry divisions to the Philippines and western New Guinea. US submarines attacked it on 26 April and 6 May, sinking four transports and killing more than 4,000 soldiers. The convoy was diverted to Halmahera, where the survivors were landed.
Why it is remembered The losses helped persuade Imperial General Headquarters to pull Japan's defensive perimeter back by about 1,000 km, and the two weakened divisions achieved little afterwards.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Central Intelligence Agency derivative work: Nick-D (talk), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Mariana and Palau Islands campaign)
Battle of Tinian Landing or siege
24 July to 1 August 1944 · Tinian, Mariana Islands
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Harry Schmidt, Thomas E. Watson and Clifton B. Cates (United States); Kiyochi Ogata, Kakuji Kakuta and Goichi Oie (Japan)
Forces United States: 40,000 men of V Amphibious Corps. Japan: 9,000, about 5,000 army troops and 4,000 navy personnel
Losses United States: ashore 290 killed, 1,515 wounded and 24 missing; afloat 63 killed and 177 wounded. Japan: 5,745 dead, 404 captured. Civilians: 2,610 dead
Result American victory
The 4th Marine Division landed on two small, lightly defended beaches on the north west coast on 24 July 1944, supported by naval bombardment and artillery firing across the strait from Saipan, while the 2nd Marine Division made a feint in the south west. Bad weather from 28 July damaged the pontoon causeways, but Tinian Town and the airfield were taken on 30 July. The island was declared secure on 1 August, though mopping up went on into 1945.
Why it is remembered Napalm was used for the first time. Tinian became the base for B-29 bombers that took part in the bombing of Tokyo and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (South East Asian theatre)
Operation Transom Raid
17 May 1944 · Surabaya, Java, Netherlands East Indies
Fought between Britain, the United States, Australia, France, the Netherlands and New Zealand against Japan
Commanders James Somerville (Allies)
Forces Allies: 2 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 1 battlecruiser, 6 cruisers, 14 destroyers, 8 submarines and 76 aircraft. Japan: anti-aircraft batteries
Losses Allies: 3 aircraft (1 American torpedo bomber shot down, 2 British torpedo bombers lost in accidents). Japan: accounts differ. Civilian casualties unknown
Result Allied victory
The Eastern Fleet sailed from Ceylon, refuelled in Western Australia and launched its carrier aircraft south of Java. On the morning of 17 May 1944 two groups of American and British aircraft surprised the Japanese at Surabaya, bombing the docks and an oil refinery. American heavy bombers struck that night and Australian aircraft laid mines nearby.
Why it is remembered It was the last joint American and British carrier raid in the Indian Ocean in 1944, and gave the Royal Navy useful experience of US Navy carrier tactics; it did not change Japanese deployments.
Sources differ Estimates of the damage differ: some sources call the results modest, others significant.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Navy (Carrier Air Group 12), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Action of 24 July 1945 Convoy battle
24 July 1945 · Off Luzon, Philippines
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Robert M. Newcomb (United States, killed); Saichi Oba (Japan)
Forces United States: 1 destroyer escort, 7 submarine chasers, 1 patrol boat, 1 troopship and 6 LSTs. Japan: the submarine I-53 with 4 kaiten manned torpedoes, and 1 bomber
Ships USS Underhill, I-53
Losses United States: 1 destroyer escort sunk, 112 killed, 122 wounded. Japan: 4 kaiten lost, 4 killed
Result Japanese victory
The Japanese submarine I-53, armed with kaiten manned torpedoes, attacked a US convoy off Luzon. The convoy's only destroyer escort was sunk, with 112 killed including her commander. The four kaiten pilots died.
Why it is remembered It was one of the last naval battles of the Pacific War and an example of the Japanese use of manned suicide torpedoes.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Attacks on Kure and the Seto Inland Sea Raid
Also known as Attacks on Kure and the Inland Sea
24 to 28 July 1945 · Kure Naval Arsenal and the Seto Inland Sea, Japan
Fought between United States and Britain against Japan
Commanders William Halsey (Allies); Kanazawa Masao (Japan)
Forces Carrier aircraft of the US Third Fleet (Task Force 38) and the British Pacific Fleet (Task Force 37)
Ships Haruna
Losses Allies: 102 killed, 133 aircraft destroyed. Japan: 1 fleet carrier, 3 battleships, 1 former battleship, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 2 armoured cruisers, 1 destroyer and 2 escort ships sunk; 1 escort carrier grounded; 1 fleet carrier heavily damaged; 306 aircraft destroyed and 392 damaged
Result Allied victory
On 24, 25 and 28 July 1945 aircraft of the US Third Fleet struck Kure Naval Arsenal and nearby ports, sinking an aircraft carrier, three battleships, five cruisers and smaller warships; Haruna was among the battleships attacked. The British Pacific Fleet attacked other targets in the Inland Sea, sinking two escort ships and smaller vessels and damaging an escort carrier.
Why it is remembered The raids sank most of the Imperial Japanese Navy's surviving large warships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: photographed from a USS Intrepid (CV-11) plane, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Borneo campaign)
Battle of Balikpapan (1945) Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Oboe Two
1 to 21 July 1945 · Balikpapan, Borneo, Netherlands East Indies
Fought between Australia, the United States and the Netherlands against Japan
Commanders Edward Milford and Kenneth Eather (Australia); Michiaki Kamada (Japan)
Forces Allies: 33,000 personnel and around 100 ships. Japan: 8,400 to 10,000, of whom 3,100 to 3,900 were soldiers and 1,100 to 4,500 armed labourers
Losses Allies: 229 killed, 634 wounded. Japan: 2,032 killed, 63 captured
Result Allied victory
After heavy bombing and shelling by Australian and US air and naval forces, the Australian 7th Division with some KNIL troops landed a few miles north of Balikpapan on 1 July 1945 from a fleet of about 100 ships. They took the town and port and then the two Japanese airfields. Major fighting ended around 21 July.
Why it is remembered It was the last stage of Operation Oboe to retake Borneo and one of the last large Allied amphibious landings of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Operation Inmate Raid
14 to 15 June 1945 · Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands
Fought between Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States against Japan
Commanders E. J. P. Brind (Allies); Shunzaburo Mugikura and Chuichi Hara (Japan)
Forces Ships of the British Pacific Fleet including the carrier HMS Implacable, cruisers and destroyers
Ships HMS Implacable
Losses Allies: 2 killed, 1 aircraft lost in combat and 6 in accidents. Japan: damage to airfields and installations, 2 aircraft believed destroyed
Result Allied victory
To give HMS Implacable and several cruisers and destroyers combat experience, the British Pacific Fleet attacked Truk. Aircraft raided Japanese positions on 14 June 1945, British and Canadian cruisers bombarded several islands the next morning, and more air strikes followed. Only one of the four bombarding cruisers achieved any success.
Why it is remembered A training operation for the British Pacific Fleet before its operations off Japan; the damage to Truk was modest.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unidentified member of the Royal Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Philippines campaign)
Invasion of Lingayen Gulf Landing or siege
Also known as S-Day landings
3 to 13 January 1945 · Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines
Fought between United States, the Philippines and Australia against Japan
Commanders Jesse B. Oldendorf, Douglas MacArthur and Walter Krueger (Allies); Tomoyuki Yamashita (Japan)
Forces Allies: over 875 US warships, 1 Australian heavy cruiser and 203,608 soldiers. Japan: roughly 450 to 600 aircraft, 200 of them used as kamikazes, and 262,000 troops on Luzon
Ships USS Pennsylvania, USS Colorado, USS Louisville
Losses United States: 24 ships sunk and 67 damaged between 13 December 1944 and 13 January 1945 across the Luzon and Mindoro operations. Japan: roughly 450 to 600 aircraft lost, 1 destroyer sunk and 2 damaged
Result Allied victory
A large Allied force under Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf approached Lingayen on 6 January 1945, and US and Australian warships bombarded the coast for three days while kamikazes attacked the fleet. On 9 January, S-Day, the US Sixth Army landed on a beachhead of about 40 km between Lingayen and San Fabian.
Why it is remembered It opened the American campaign to retake Luzon, the main island of the Philippines.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign)
Battle of Iwo Jima Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Detachment; Iōtō no Tatakai
19 February to 26 March 1945 · Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japan
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Raymond A. Spruance, Marc Mitscher, William H. P. Blandy, Holland M. Smith, Harry Schmidt and Graves B. Erskine (United States); Tadamichi Kuribayashi and Takeichi Nishi (Japan)
Forces United States: 110,000 men of all branches and over 500 ships. Japan: 20,933 (13,586 Army, 7,347 Navy)
Losses United States, main battle: 6,821 dead, 19,217 wounded, 2 captured, 2,648 combat fatigue, 44 tanks destroyed. Japan, main battle: 17,845 to 18,375 killed or missing, 216 prisoners; 867 more taken prisoner afterwards
Result American victory
US Marines landed on Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945 to take its two airfields, supported by heavy naval gunfire and complete air supremacy. The Japanese had fortified the island with bunkers, hidden artillery and 18 km of tunnels, and the five week battle was among the fiercest of the Pacific War. Of 21,000 Japanese defenders only 216 were taken prisoner during the main fighting.
Why it is remembered It was the only Pacific landing battle where American casualties exceeded Japanese. Joe Rosenthal's photograph of Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi became one of the most famous images of the war.
Sources differ Japanese killed and missing are given as 17,845 to 18,375. The value of the island was disputed: William V. Pratt called it useless as an army or fleet base, while its airfield served P-51 escorts and emergency B-29 landings.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: USMC Archives from Quantico, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Battle off Kasumi Single-ship action
Also known as Kasumi-oki kaisen (Japanese)
14 August 1945 · Off Kasumi, Sea of Japan coast of Honshu
Fought between United States against Japan
Forces The US submarine Torsk against the Japanese escort ships Kaibōkan No. 47 and Kaibōkan No. 13
Ships USS Torsk, Kaibōkan No. 13, Kaibōkan No. 47
Losses Japan: both escort ships sunk
Result American victory
On 14 August 1945, at the very end of the Pacific War, the US submarine Torsk fought two Japanese escort ships off Kasumi. Both Japanese ships were sunk.
Why it is remembered Kaibōkan No. 13 is counted as the last ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy lost in the war.
Sources Wikipedia (JA)
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of Okinawa)
Operation Kikusui Air and submarine attack
Also known as Kikusui sakusen
6 April to 22 June 1945 · Seas around Okinawa
Fought between Japan against the United States and Britain
Commanders Matome Ugaki (Japan); Marc Mitscher (United States)
Forces Japan: 1,827 kamikaze aircraft, often with other aircraft. Allies: the US Pacific Fleet and the British Pacific Fleet
Ships USS Enterprise
Losses Allies, per Zaloga: over 7,000 sailors killed, 11 destroyers and 6 other vessels sunk, 279 vessels damaged. Japan: 3,860 aircrew killed, about 2,500 aircraft destroyed
Result Allied victory
Throughout the Battle of Okinawa, Japanese naval and army air forces launched a series of mass kamikaze attacks on the Allied fleets around the island. Destroyers on picket duty and carriers such as USS Enterprise were struck repeatedly. The attacks sank seventeen ships and damaged hundreds but did not drive off the fleet.
Why it is remembered It was the largest campaign of suicide air attacks of the war and cost the Allied navies more sailors than any other phase of the Pacific War.
Sources differ Zaloga gives over 7,000 Allied sailors killed for Kikusui and other sorties; Wolk and Hallion give 4,907 American sailors killed and 36 ships sunk from all kamikaze attacks in 1944 and 1945.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Navy, photograped from USS Bataan (CVL-29)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Operation Kita Blockade and raiding
Also known as Hoku-gō sakusen
10 to 20 February 1945 · Waters between Singapore and Japan
Fought between Japan against the United States, Britain and Australia
Commanders Matsuda Chiaki (Japan); James Fife Jr. and Charles A. Lockwood (United States)
Forces Japan: 2 Ise class battleship carriers, 1 light cruiser, 3 destroyers and 52 aircraft. Allies: 26 submarines, over 88 aircraft and 2 destroyers
Losses Japan: several aircraft. Allies: none
Result Japanese victory
Loaded with oil and raw materials, the Japanese Completion Force sailed from Singapore on 10 February 1945. Allied codebreakers knew its route, and 26 submarines were placed along it, but submarine attacks between 11 and 16 February failed and bad weather stopped more than 88 USAAF aircraft from bombing it. The force reached Kure on 20 February without loss.
Why it is remembered Its ships were among the last Japanese warships to run the blockade home; in March Japan gave up shipping oil from South East Asia, and all the ships of the force were later sunk in home waters.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Kure Naval Arsenal Shipbuilding unit, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Attack on Kure (March 1945) Raid
19 March 1945 · Kure, Japan
Fought between United States against Japan
Forces 321 US carrier aircraft against 17 Japanese warships and land based aircraft
Ships Kaiyo, Amagi or Katsuragi, USS Franklin
Losses United States: 825 killed, 2 fleet carriers damaged, 27 aircraft shot down and 59 destroyed aboard USS Franklin. Japan: 4 battleships, 4 fleet carriers and 1 light cruiser damaged, 25 aircraft destroyed
Result Japanese victory
321 US Navy aircraft attacked the remnants of the Combined Fleet in and near Kure. No Japanese warship was sunk, though several were damaged. Japanese aircraft struck the American fleet the same morning, crippling one carrier and badly damaging another.
Why it is remembered The failure was followed in July by raids on Kure and the Inland Sea that sank or disabled most of Japan's surviving large warships.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War
Battle of the Malacca Strait Fleet battle
Also known as Sinking of Haguro; Battle off Penang (Japanese sources); part of Operation Dukedom
15 to 16 May 1945 · Strait of Malacca, off Penang
Fought between Britain against Japan
Commanders Manley Power (Britain); Shigeru Fukudome, Shintarō Hashimoto (killed) and Sugiura Kajū (killed) (Japan)
Forces 5 British destroyers against 1 Japanese heavy cruiser and 1 destroyer
Ships Haguro
Losses Britain: 2 killed, 3 wounded, 1 destroyer damaged. Japan: 927 killed, the heavy cruiser Haguro sunk, 1 destroyer damaged
Result British victory
Since April 1945 the cruiser Haguro had been carrying supplies to Japanese garrisons in the Dutch East Indies and the Bay of Bengal. In Operation Dukedom five British destroyers hunted her down in the Strait of Malacca and sank her at night. Nine hundred and twenty-seven Japanese were killed.
Why it is remembered It is remembered as a destroyer attack that sank a heavy cruiser, one of the last surface actions of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Burma campaign)
Operation Matador (1945) Landing or siege
21 to 22 January 1945 · Kyaukpyu, Ramree Island, Burma
Fought between Britain and India against Japan
Forces The battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth, the light cruiser HMS Phoebe and the escort carrier HMS Ameer, with RAF aircraft of No. 224 Group, supporting the Indian 71st and 4th Infantry Brigades
Ships HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Phoebe, HMS Ameer
Result Landing successful and unopposed
An hour before the Indian 71st Brigade landed on 21 January 1945, HMS Queen Elizabeth bombarded the beaches near Kyaukpyu with her main guns, spotted by aircraft from HMS Ameer, joined by HMS Phoebe and RAF bombers. The assault troops landed unopposed, and the Indian 4th Infantry Brigade followed the next day.
Why it is remembered It secured the port of Kyaukpyu and its airfield at the north of Ramree Island.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Beadell, S J (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War, Pacific War
Operation Meridian Air and submarine attack
Also known as Palembang Raids
24 and 29 January 1945 · Oil refineries at Pladjoe and Soengei Gerong near Palembang, Sumatra, attacked from carriers in the Indian Ocean
Fought between Britain against Japan
Commanders Philip Vian (Britain, Task Force 63)
Forces British: the carriers Indomitable, Illustrious, Indefatigable and Victorious, the battleship King George V, the anti-aircraft cruisers Argonaut, Black Prince and Euryalus and destroyers, with a refuelling force of the cruiser Ceylon, the destroyer Urchin and three oilers. On 24 January 43 Avengers, 12 Fireflies and 50 fighters were launched; on 29 January 46 Avengers bombed.
Ships HMS Indomitable, HMS Illustrious, HMS Indefatigable, HMS Victorious, HMS King George V, HMS Argonaut, HMS Black Prince, HMS Euryalus, HMS Ceylon, HMS Urchin
Losses British: on 24 January 7 aircraft lost to enemy action and 25 in crash landings; on 29 January 16 aircraft lost to the enemy and 25 to other causes. Japanese: on 29 January at least 11 aircraft shot down and 30 destroyed on the ground.
Result British success; refinery output was stopped for about two months
Carrier aircraft of the British Pacific Fleet struck the Japanese held oil refineries near Palembang in two raids, Meridian I on Pladjoe on 24 January 1945 and Meridian II on Soengei Gerong on 29 January. A small Japanese air counter attack on the fleet on 29 January was beaten off by fighters and anti-aircraft fire.
Why it is remembered The raids cut the aviation fuel output of the Palembang plants by about seventy five per cent; by the end of March the refineries were producing a third of their capacity.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unidentified Royal Navy photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign)
Battle of Okinawa Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Iceberg; Okinawa-sen; typhoon of steel
1 April to 22 June 1945 · Okinawa and the Kerama Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Fought between United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada against Japan
Commanders Chester W. Nimitz, Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. (killed), Roy Geiger, John R. Hodge, Raymond A. Spruance, Richmond K. Turner, Marc Mitscher (United States); Bernard Rawlings (Britain); Mitsuru Ushijima, Isamu Chō, Hiromichi Yahara (captured), Soemu Toyoda, Minoru Ōta and Seiichi Itō (killed) (Japan)
Forces US Navy: 7 fleet carriers, 6 light carriers, 18 escort carriers, 8 fast and 10 old battleships, 14 heavy and 17 light cruisers, 132 destroyers and 45 destroyer escorts. Royal Navy: 5 fleet carriers, 6 escort carriers, 2 fast battleships, 4 light cruisers and 12 destroyers, with Australian, New Zealand and Canadian ships. Ground: about 541,000 in the US Tenth Army. Japan: 1 battleship, 1 light cruiser, 8 destroyers, 1,815 navy aircraft (1,050 kamikaze) and 850 army kamikaze; about 76,000 soldiers and 40,000 Okinawan conscripts
Ships Yamato
Losses Allies: about 50,000 casualties, including about 12,500 dead. Japan: around 100,000 casualties. Okinawan civilians: at least 149,425 killed, driven to suicide or missing. Both sides lost many ships and aircraft, including the battleship Yamato
Result Allied victory
After the Kerama Islands were taken on 26 March 1945, the US Tenth Army landed on Okinawa on 1 April in the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War. The 82 day battle against the Japanese Thirty-Second Army was fought with great ferocity ashore, while kamikaze attacks struck the supporting fleet. It was the longest sustained carrier campaign of the war.
Why it is remembered It was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific theatre, remembered in Japanese as the typhoon of steel, and gave the Allies bases close to Japan for the planned invasion.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Attack on Ōminato Raid
9 to 10 August 1945 · Ōminato (now Mutsu), northern Honshu, Japan
Fought between United States and Britain against Japan
Commanders William Halsey and John S. McCain (United States); Kanji Ugaki (Japan)
Forces Carrier aircraft of the US Third Fleet (Task Force 38) and the British Task Force 37
Ships Tokiwa
Losses Allies: 6 aircraft at Ōminato. Japan at Ōminato: 129 killed, an armoured cruiser grounded, a destroyer heavily damaged, an auxiliary minelayer and a dry dock damaged. Across northern Honshu and Hokkaido: numerous auxiliary and merchant ships sunk or damaged, 251 aircraft destroyed and 141 damaged
Result Allied victory
US Navy carrier aircraft raided the naval base and dockyard at Ōminato on 9 and 10 August 1945 as part of a wider attack on Japanese aircraft gathered in northern Honshu. The armoured cruiser Tokiwa was driven aground and other ships damaged.
Why it is remembered One of the last carrier raids of the Pacific War, aimed at aircraft thought to be readied for a commando raid on the B-29 bases in the Marianas.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Burma campaign)
Battle of Ramree Island Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Matador
14 January to 22 February 1945 · Ramree Island, Arakan, Burma
Fought between United Kingdom and British India against Japan
Commanders Cyril Lomax (Britain); Kan'ichi Nagazawa (Japan)
Forces About 6,000: two brigades of the 26th Indian Infantry Division, a squadron of 146 Regiment RAC and elements of 3 Commando Brigade. Japanese: about 1,000 of the 2nd Battalion, 121st Regiment
Losses British: described as trifling. Japanese: about 500 killed, 20 captured and about 500 evacuated to the mainland
Result British victory
In January 1945 forces of the Indian XV Corps landed on Ramree and the neighbouring island of Cheduba to build airfields for supplying the campaign on the mainland; British troops went ashore in landing craft on 21 January. The Japanese battalion on the island lost about 500 killed, and about 500 escaped to the mainland.
Why it is remembered It is known for claims that hundreds of Japanese soldiers were killed by crocodiles in the mangrove swamps, claims that zoologists and modern military historians have dismissed.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Battle of Sagami Bay Convoy battle
22 to 23 July 1945 · Off the tip of the Bōsō Peninsula, Japan
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders T. H. Hederman (United States)
Forces 9 US destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 61 against a convoy of 2 freighters escorted by Subchaser No. 42 and Minesweeper No. 1
Ships USS De Haven, No. 5 Hakutetsu Maru, Enbun Maru
Losses United States: none. Japan: the freighter No. 5 Hakutetsu Maru sunk and the freighter Enbun Maru damaged
Result American victory
On the night of 22 July 1945 US Destroyer Squadron 61, led by USS De Haven, attacked a small Japanese convoy off the Bōsō Peninsula. The freighter No. 5 Hakutetsu Maru was sunk and Enbun Maru damaged; the escorts were untouched and took Enbun Maru into Tateyama Bay.
Why it is remembered It is described as the last surface action of the war.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Soviet invasion of the Kuril Islands)
Battle of Shumshu Landing or siege
18 to 23 August 1945 · Shumshu, Kuril Islands
Fought between Soviet Union against Japan
Commanders Alexey Gnechko and Dmitry Ponomarev (Soviet Union); Fusaki Tsutsumi (surrendered) and Ikeda Sueo (killed) (Japan)
Forces Soviet Union: 8,821 troops and 64 ships and craft, including Pacific Fleet marines. Japan: 8,480 to 8,500 troops and 77 tanks
Losses Soviet Union: by Soviet figures 1,516 to 3,472 killed, wounded and missing, excluding naval personnel; five landing ships destroyed. Japan: by Japanese figures 191 killed and about 409 wounded; 20 tanks destroyed
Result Soviet victory; Shumshu annexed by the Soviet Union
Soviet forces landed from the sea on Shumshu, at the northern end of the Kuril chain, on 18 August 1945, three days after Japan announced its surrender. The Japanese garrison, with tanks, resisted for several days and destroyed five landing ships. The fighting ended on 23 August.
Why it is remembered It was the only major battle of the Soviet Kuril campaign and is arguably the last battle of the Second World War.
Sources differ Soviet losses: Soviet figures 1,516 to 3,472, Japanese figures 3,000 to 4,500 killed and wounded. Japanese losses: Japanese figures about 600, Soviet figures 1,018 (given as 369 killed and 649 wounded, or 473 killed and 545 wounded).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown photographer
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
South China Sea raid Raid
Also known as Operation Gratitude
10 to 20 January 1945 · South China Sea: off French Indochina, Formosa, Hong Kong, Canton, Hainan and Macau
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders William Halsey Jr. and John S. McCain Sr. (United States); Hisaichi Terauchi (Japan)
Forces The US Third Fleet and its carrier air groups
Losses United States (3 to 25 January): 98 aircraft and 136 aircrew in combat, 103 aircraft and 31 aircrew in accidents. Japan (3 to 25 January): 300,000 tons of shipping and 615 aircraft. Civilians: hundreds killed and wounded
Result American victory
In support of the Luzon landings, the Third Fleet entered the South China Sea on the night of 9 to 10 January 1945. On 12 January its aircraft attacked shipping off French Indochina and sank 44 vessels. It then struck Formosa, and on 16 January Hong Kong, Canton, Hainan and Macau, before leaving on 20 January.
Why it is remembered The destruction of cargo ships and tankers helped close a supply route vital to Japan, which stopped sending ships into the South China Sea after March 1945.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unidentified US Navy photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Soviet-Japanese War)
Soviet invasion of the Kuril Islands Landing or siege
18 August to 2 September 1945 · Kuril Islands (then Chishima Province, Japan)
Fought between Soviet Union against Japan
Commanders Aleksandr Ksenofontov, Aleksei Gnechko and Dmitry Ponomarev (Soviet Union); Fusaki Tsutsumi, who surrendered (Japan)
Forces Soviet: about 15,000 troops and some 60 ships and vessels of the Pacific Fleet from Petropavlovsk, including transports. Japanese: 80,000 troops
Ships TShch-589, TShch-590 (mine trawlers)
Losses Soviet: at least 962 killed and 1,026 wounded. Japanese: at least 1,018 killed or wounded and 50,422 surrendered
Result Soviet victory; the Kuril Islands were annexed by the Soviet Union
The invasion was decided on when plans to land on Hokkaido were abandoned. Ships and transports of the Pacific Fleet from Petropavlovsk carried the troops; on 18 August the mine trawlers TShch-589 and TShch-590 landed a reconnaissance detachment on Iturup, and on 1 September torpedo boats, mine trawlers and transports from Otomari carried the landings on Kunashir and Shikotan. The Japanese garrisons were ordered to surrender on 23 August, though some units fought on, and the remaining islands were occupied without resistance after 4 September. The fighting on Shumshu is treated as a separate battle.
Why it is remembered The islands remained Soviet and then Russian, and their status is still disputed with Japan.
Sources differ Japanese garrison strength: about 20,000 in one account against 80,000 in another account; the Soviet figure of 15,000 is unsourced.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Battle of Okinawa)
Operation Ten-Go Air and submarine attack
Also known as Operation Kikusui I; Battle off Cape Bono (Japanese sources)
7 April 1945 · Between Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands, East China Sea
Fought between United States against Japan
Commanders Marc Mitscher, Joseph J. Clark and Frederick C. Sherman (United States); Seiichi Itō (killed), Keizō Komura, Kosaku Aruga (killed) and Tameichi Hara (Japan)
Forces United States: Task Force 58 with 11 aircraft carriers, 6 battleships, 11 cruisers, over 30 destroyers and 386 aircraft. Japan: the battleship Yamato, the light cruiser Yahagi, 8 destroyers and 115 aircraft, mostly kamikaze
Ships Yamato, Yahagi
Losses United States: 97 killed, 122 wounded, 10 to 13 aircraft destroyed, 1 carrier, 2 battleships and 1 destroyer damaged. Japan: 4,137 killed; Yamato, Yahagi and 4 destroyers sunk; 1 destroyer severely damaged; about 100 aircraft destroyed
Result American victory
In April 1945 Yamato, the largest battleship in the world, sailed from Japan with nine other warships on a suicide mission against the Allied forces at Okinawa. US carrier aircraft attacked the force before it got there and sank Yamato and five other ships. Kamikaze aircraft caused moderate damage to several ships of the American carrier force.
Why it is remembered It was the last major Japanese naval operation of the war, and the sinking of Yamato showed how helpless surface ships without air cover had become.
Sources differ US aircraft losses are given as 10 in one account and 10 to 13 in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945 · Second World War (Pacific War)
Attack on Yokosuka Raid
18 July 1945 · Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan
Fought between United States and Britain against Japan
Commanders William Halsey, John S. McCain and Bernard Rawlings (Allies); Michitaro Tozuka (Japan)
Forces Carrier aircraft of the US Third Fleet (Task Force 38) and the British Task Force 37
Ships Nagato
Losses Allies: 14 aircraft (12 American, 2 British), 18 aircrew killed. Japan: 1 destroyer, 1 submarine and 2 escort vessels sunk; the battleship Nagato and 5 small vessels damaged; 43 aircraft destroyed and 77 damaged
Result Allied victory
US Navy aircraft attacked Yokosuka with the battleship Nagato as their main target, while other American and British aircraft struck airfields around Tokyo. Nagato was only lightly damaged, but a destroyer, a submarine and two escort vessels were sunk. Anti-aircraft fire shot down fourteen Allied aircraft.
Why it is remembered One of the final carrier raids on the remains of the Japanese fleet in home waters.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Indonesian National Revolution
Battle of Bali Strait Landing or siege
Also known as Banyuwangi-Bali Strait Operation
5 April 1946 · Bali Strait, Indonesia
Fought between Indonesia against the Netherlands
Commanders Captain Markadi (Indonesia)
Forces 2 small Indonesian vessels carrying troops and civilian volunteers against 2 Dutch LCMs
Losses Indonesia: 1 soldier killed, 2 civilian volunteers missing. Netherlands: 4 killed, 1 LCM sunk, 1 LCM burned
Result Indonesian victory
On 5 April 1946 the newly formed Indonesian Navy made an amphibious crossing of the Bali Strait and fought the much better equipped Royal Netherlands Navy. Two small Indonesian craft engaged two Dutch landing craft, sinking one and setting the other on fire.
Why it is remembered It was the first amphibious battle of the Indonesian Navy and holds a place in the history of Indonesia's struggle for independence.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Early Cold War
Corfu Channel incident Other action
Also known as Corfu Channel incidents; Operation Retail
15 May to 13 November 1946 · Corfu Channel, near the bay of Saranda, Albania
Fought between United Kingdom against Albania
Commanders Enver Hoxha and Mehmet Shehu (Albania); Clement Attlee (United Kingdom)
Forces Royal Navy cruisers Orion, Superb, Mauritius and Leander, destroyers Saumarez and Volage, and the aircraft carrier Ocean; Albanian coastal artillery and a minefield
Ships HMS Saumarez, HMS Volage, HMS Mauritius, HMS Leander, HMS Orion, HMS Superb, HMS Ocean
Losses Britain: 44 killed and 42 wounded; Saumarez damaged beyond repair and Volage damaged
Result Albania held responsible by the International Court of Justice, which also ruled the British minesweeping illegal
On 15 May 1946 Albanian coastal guns fired on the cruisers Orion and Superb without hitting them. On 22 October the destroyer Saumarez struck a mine in the channel, and Volage was mined while towing her; between 32 and 43 of the dead came from Saumarez. On 12 and 13 November the Royal Navy swept 22 contact mines in Albanian waters to gather evidence, covered by the carrier Ocean.
Why it is remembered It was the first case decided by the International Court of Justice, which in December 1949 ordered Albania to pay about 844,000 pounds. The dispute was settled only in 1996, when Britain returned Albanian gold it had withheld.
Sources differ The award is given as 843,947 pounds and as 844,000 pounds. It was alleged that Yugoslav minelayers laid the German made mines at Albania's request; Hoxha claimed the British staged the incident.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Chinese Civil War
Battle of Guningtou Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Kuningtou; Battle of Kinmen
25 to 27 October 1949 · Kinmen (Quemoy), Taiwan Strait
Fought between Republic of China against the People's Republic of China
Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Tang Enbo, Hu Lien and Hiroshi Nemoto (Republic of China); Mao Zedong, Chen Yi, Su Yu and Ye Fei (People's Republic of China)
Forces Republic of China: about 40,000 garrison troops with naval and air support. People's Liberation Army: 19,000 infantry, of whom 9,086 landed, in about 200 landing vessels with some 2,000 boatmen and porters
Losses Republic of China: 1,267 killed, 1,982 wounded. People's Liberation Army: 3,873 killed, 5,175 captured
Result Decisive Republic of China victory
In October 1949 Communist forces crossed from Fujian in about 200 landing vessels to attack the island of Kinmen. Only part of the force got ashore, and the Nationalist garrison, with naval and air support, destroyed it in three days of fighting. More than 5,000 attackers were captured.
Why it is remembered The defeat halted Communist plans for an immediate invasion of Taiwan and kept Kinmen under the Republic of China. Since 2025, 25 October is marked in Taiwan as the anniversary of the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: CIA (base map), Ran (derivative work), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Chinese Civil War (Yangtze River Crossing campaign)
Yangtze Incident Single-ship action
Also known as Amethyst Incident
20 April to 30 July 1949 · Yangtze River near Jiangyin, China
Fought between United Kingdom against the Chinese People's Liberation Army
Commanders Lt Cdr Bernard Skinner, Lt Geoffrey Weston, Lt Cdr John Kerans (Amethyst); Rear Admiral Alexander Madden; Commander Robertson (Consort); Captain Jay (Black Swan) (Britain); Ye Fei (People's Liberation Army)
Forces The sloop HMS Amethyst, the destroyer HMS Consort, the cruiser HMS London and the frigate HMS Black Swan against People's Liberation Army field guns and artillery batteries on the river banks
Ships HMS Amethyst, HMS Consort, HMS London, HMS Black Swan, HMS Concord, Kiang Ling Liberation
Losses Britain: Amethyst 22 killed and 31 wounded; Consort 10 killed and 23 wounded; London 15 killed and 13 wounded; Black Swan 7 wounded. People's Liberation Army losses not stated.
Result Amethyst trapped for about ten weeks, then escaped; listed as a Chinese Communist victory, and British forces withdrew from the Yangtze
On 20 April 1949 Communist batteries near Jiangyin fired on HMS Amethyst as she sailed to relieve Consort as guard ship at Nanjing; her captain was mortally wounded and she ran aground. Consort, then London and Black Swan, tried to help and were heavily shelled. Amethyst was held upriver for about ten weeks under Lt Cdr Kerans while talks failed. On the night of 30 July she slipped downriver behind the lit civilian ship Kiang Ling Liberation, ran past the Wusong forts and rejoined the fleet early on 31 July.
Why it is remembered Kerans received the DSO and the ship's cat Simon received the Dickin Medal. The escape was told in the film Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst, while Mao Zedong hailed the incident as the end of foreign imperialism in China.
Sources differ One account gives 3 killed and 14 wounded in London and Black Swan together, while another account gives 15 killed and 13 wounded for London and 7 wounded for Black Swan. Who fired first was disputed; Ye Fei admitted in 1988 that his troops did.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Korean War
Battle of Chumonchin Chan Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 2 July 1950
2 July 1950 · Off Chumonchin, east coast of Korea, Sea of Japan
Fought between United Nations (United States and Britain) against North Korea
Commanders Jesse D. Sowell (United Nations); Kim Kun Ok (North Korea)
Forces 2 cruisers and 1 Black Swan class sloop against 4 G-5 class motor torpedo boats and 2 gunboats escorting 10 ammunition ships
Ships Torpedo boat No. 21
Losses United Nations: none. North Korea: 3 torpedo boats sunk, human losses unknown
Result United Nations victory
An Allied flotilla of two cruisers and a sloop met a North Korean supply convoy escorted by torpedo boats and gunboats. The torpedo boats attacked and three were sunk without loss to the Allied ships.
Why it is remembered Torpedo boat No. 21 survives at the Victorious War Museum in Pyongyang, where North Korea claims the boats sank the cruiser USS Baltimore, a ship that never served in the Korean War.
Sources differ North Korean accounts claim a US heavy cruiser was sunk; the UN side lost no ship.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Korean War
Battle of Haeju Single-ship action
10 September 1950 · Off Haeju Bay, Yellow Sea
Fought between South Korea (United Nations) against North Korea
Forces The South Korean patrol boat PC-703 against a North Korean minelaying sailing vessel
Ships PC-703
Losses South Korea: none. North Korea: the minelayer sunk with all hands; three small transports sunk two days later
Result United Nations victory
Days before the Inchon landing, the South Korean patrol boat PC-703 met a North Korean minelayer off Haeju Bay and sank her after a brief fight. PC-703 then found and reported the minefield she had laid at the mouth of the bay. On 12 September PC-703 sank three small, probably unarmed, transports.
Why it is remembered The discovery of the minefield came shortly before the UN landing at Inchon in the same waters.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Chinese Civil War
Battle of Hainan Island Landing or siege
Also known as Hainan Island Campaign
16 April to 1 May 1950 · Qiongzhou Strait and Hainan Island, China
Fought between People's Republic of China against the Republic of China
Commanders Deng Hua, Wang Guoxing (People's Liberation Army); Xue Yue (Republic of China)
Forces The 15th Corps of the Fourth Field Army and the Hainan Independent Column, crossing in wooden junks (318 junks in the main crossing), against 140,000 to 200,000 Nationalist troops and militia supported by 50 warships and 25 aircraft
Losses People's Liberation Army: about 4,000 casualties, most during the crossing, and a number of transports sunk. Nationalist losses not stated.
Result People's Republic of China victory; Hainan taken
After probing landings from February, the main People's Liberation Army force crossed the Qiongzhou Strait from the Leizhou Peninsula on the night of 16 April 1950 in waves of wooden junks. Nationalist warships and aircraft sank a number of transports, but the landings held and Haikou fell on 23 April. The Nationalists evacuated nearly 70,000 troops and refugees and announced on 2 May that they had abandoned the island.
Why it is remembered Chinese histories popularised the crossing as a people's flotilla of wooden junks. It ended a 23 year struggle for the island's Communists and was soon overshadowed by the Korean War.
Sources differ Nationalist strength is given as perhaps 200,000 and as 140,000 (Seymour Topping).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: People's Pictorial (Renmin Huabao), July 1950, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Korean War
Battle of Inchon Landing or siege
Also known as Inchon landings; Operation Chromite
10 to 19 September 1950 (landing from 15 September) · Incheon, South Korea, and the Yellow Sea
Fought between United Nations (United States, South Korea, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands) against North Korea
Commanders Douglas MacArthur, Arthur Dewey Struble, Edward M. Almond and Oliver P. Smith (United States); Sohn Won-yil, Shin Hyun-joon and Paik In-yeop (South Korea); Kim Il Sung, Choe Yong-kun, Wol Ki Chan and Wan Yong (North Korea)
Forces United Nations: about 40,000 infantry and about 260 ships of Joint Task Force 7 (226 US, 15 South Korean, 12 British, 3 Canadian, 2 Australian, 2 New Zealand, 1 French, 1 Dutch), including 4 cruisers and 7 destroyers. North Korea: about 6,500 infantry, 19 aircraft, 1 fortress and 1 patrol boat
Losses United Nations: 224 killed, 809 wounded, 2 cruisers and 3 destroyers damaged, 1 LST lost and 3 damaged, 1 aircraft. North Korea: 1,350 killed, 1 patrol boat sunk, 1 aircraft destroyed
Result United Nations victory
After bombardment of Wolmido and Incheon from 10 September, UN forces made a surprise amphibious landing at Incheon on 15 September 1950, far behind the North Korean armies besieging the Pusan Perimeter. MacArthur pressed the operation over the doubts of more cautious generals about the difficult tides and terrain. The lightly defended city was secured by 19 September.
Why it is remembered It reversed the course of the war: Seoul was retaken two weeks later and the North Korean army collapsed, with 135,000 prisoners taken within a month.
Sources differ One account gives some 75,000 troops and 261 vessels; another account gives about 40,000 infantry and about 260 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Korean War
Battle of Korea Strait Single-ship action
Also known as Daehanhaehyeop haejeon
25 to 26 June 1950 · Off Busan, Korea Strait
Fought between South Korea against North Korea
Commanders Nam Choi (South Korea)
Forces The South Korean submarine chaser ROKS Baekdusan (PC-701) against a North Korean troop steamer
Ships ROKS Baekdusan
Losses North Korea: steamer sunk, 600 killed or wounded. South Korea: 2 killed, 4 wounded, Baekdusan damaged
Result South Korean victory
On the first day of the Korean War a North Korean transport carrying hundreds of soldiers tried to land them near Busan. The South Korean patrol ship Baekdusan intercepted her and sank her.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first surface actions of the war, and an important South Korean victory that stopped a landing near Busan.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Chinese Civil War
Wanshan Archipelago Campaign Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of the Wanshan Islands
25 May to 7 August 1950 · Wanshan Archipelago, mouth of the Pearl River, Guangdong
Fought between People's Republic of China against the Republic of China
Commanders Hong Xuezhi (People's Liberation Army); Qi Hongzhang, commander of the Nationalist 3rd Fleet (Republic of China)
Forces About 10,000 Communist troops with 24 or more vessels, including the gunboats Liberation, Vanguard and Struggle, the landing ship Guishan, 10 landing craft and 8 transports, plus shore artillery; about 4,000 Nationalists with 40 or more vessels, including the frigate Tai He and the gunboats Gao Yao, Jiang Ding and Chang Jiang
Ships Liberation, Vanguard, Struggle, Guishan, Tai He, Zhong Hai, Yong Kang, Yong Ding, Gao Yao, Jiang Ding
Losses Nationalists: 700 or more casualties, 1 gunboat sunk, 1 badly damaged, 11 or more vessels captured or scuttled. Communists: 300 or more casualties, the landing ship Guishan lost and 1 gunboat badly damaged.
Result People's Republic of China victory; archipelago taken
On the night of 25 May 1950 the small Communist gunboat Liberation raided the Nationalist anchorage at Lajiwei Island and wounded Qi Hongzhang, while Vanguard and Struggle sank Nationalist gunboats and the landing ship Guishan beached and put her troops ashore. Over the following weeks the Communists took the islands one by one under cover of shore batteries, which damaged several Nationalist warships, until the last fell on 7 August.
Why it is remembered It ended the Nationalist blockade of the Pearl River mouth and is described as the first combined army and navy operation by the Communists. Eleven captured ships entered Communist service, and Lajiwei was renamed Guishan Island after the landing ship.
Sources differ One account lists one Nationalist gunboat sunk; another account says two were sunk in the first night. One account says Guishan was sunk; another account says she was badly damaged and beached. Nationalist accounts say Liberation was heavily damaged; a third account says she returned safely.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: South China Naval Command, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Korean War
Blockade of Wonsan Blockade and raiding
Also known as Siege of Wonsan
16 February 1951 to 27 July 1953 · Wonsan, North Korea, Sea of Japan
Fought between United Nations (United States, South Korea, Britain) against North Korea and China
Commanders James Henry Doyle (United Nations)
Forces United Nations naval forces, mainly American, with aircraft and warships
Losses United Nations: 41 killed, 158 wounded; 1 patrol boat and 2 minesweepers sunk; 1 battleship, 2 cruisers, 16 destroyers, 3 frigates, 5 minesweepers, 1 LSD and 3 LSMRs damaged, many more than once. North Korea and China: unknown
Result United Nations victory; successful blockade
For 861 days UN naval forces kept the port of Wonsan closed to the North Korean Navy. Their aircraft and warships heavily damaged the city, while North Korean shore artillery fired back with little effect, though many ships were hit.
Why it is remembered It was the longest naval blockade in modern history and tied down communist troops away from the front line.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: USAF (photo 306-PS-51(10303)), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Chinese Civil War (aftermath)
Battle of Dalushan Islands Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Greater Deer Mountain Islands; 大鹿山等岛战斗
29 May 1953 · Dalushan Islands, off the coast of Zhejiang, China
Fought between People's Republic of China against Republic of China (nationalists)
Commanders He Zhuoquan, captured (nationalists); communist commander unknown
Forces About 450 communist soldiers (a battalion of the 179th Regiment, 60th Division, and two companies of the 17th Public Security Division) with naval gunboats and mainland artillery, against 239 nationalist soldiers
Losses Nationalists: 53 killed, 186 captured, two junks lost, eight radio sets and code books taken. Communists: light casualties
Result Communist victory; the People's Republic of China took the Dalushan Islands
At 6 pm on 29 May 1953 People's Liberation Army artillery on the mainland bombarded the islets of Ji Guan Shan Dao and Yang Yu, and an hour later the first assault wave landed on them. Naval gunboats then closed Da Lu Shan Dao and Xiao Lu Shan Dao and shelled the nationalist positions. By 9 pm the fighting was over and the nationalist commander of the 42nd Column of the Anti-Communist Assault Army had been captured.
Why it is remembered The loss further isolated the nationalist strongholds on the Zhejiang coast, such as the Dachen and Yijiangshan Islands, and removed a threat to communist coastal shipping.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945
Battle of Dokdo Other action
Also known as 독도 대첩; Battle of Dokseom
21 November 1954 · Dokdo, Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang, South Korea
Fought between South Korean Dokdo Volunteer Garrison against the Japan Coast Guard
Forces A civilian volunteer garrison on the island against three armed Japanese patrol ships and aircraft
Ships Hekura
Losses Japanese: one patrol ship damaged and at least 16 casualties, according to the Korean account
Result Japanese patrol ships repelled, according to the Korean account
On 21 November 1954 three armed Japanese patrol ships and aircraft approached Dokdo. The Dokdo Volunteer Garrison, a civilian unit, fired nine mortar rounds and several hundred rounds from heavy and light machine guns at the patrol ship Hekura and the others, and the Japanese withdrew.
Why it is remembered It is remembered in Korea as a defence of Dokdo; afterwards the Ulleung police station took nine former members of the garrison into the police, bringing the island's defence into the official system.
Sources differ Only a Korean source was available; the Japanese losses are given as claimed in that account.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Since 1945 · First Taiwan Strait Crisis
Battle of Yijiangshan Islands Landing or siege
18 to 19 January 1955 · Yijiangshan Islands, off Zhejiang, China
Fought between People's Republic of China against the Republic of China
Commanders Zhang Aiping (People's Liberation Army); Wang Sheng-ming (Republic of China, killed)
Forces 10,000 People's Liberation Army personnel with 184 aircraft and 186 ships; 1,100 Nationalist troops with 8 to 12 ships
Losses People's Liberation Army: 393 casualties (own figure). Republic of China: 519 killed and 567 captured.
Result People's Republic of China victory; islands taken
After air attacks on Nationalist gun positions on the morning of 18 January 1955, four People's Liberation Army battalions landed on 20 beaches that afternoon with close support from gunboats. Aircraft drove five Nationalist warships back towards the Dachen Islands. The islands were in Communist hands by the evening of 19 January.
Why it is remembered The People's Liberation Army regards it as its first joint operation. The loss made the Dachen Islands untenable and they were evacuated in February 1955, and the United States passed the Formosa Resolution nine days after the battle.
Sources differ Taiwan claimed its whole garrison of 720 died and that over 3,000 Communist troops were killed; the main account describes the 720 figure as symbolic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown Chinese photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Suez Crisis (Tripartite Aggression)
Battle of Burullus Air and submarine attack
Also known as معركة البرلس; Naval Battle of Burullus; Naval Battle of Borg el Burullus
4 November 1956 · Off Lake Burullus, Mediterranean coast of Egypt
Fought between Egypt against Britain and France
Forces Three Egyptian torpedo boats against British and French naval units of the invasion force
Losses Egypt: all three torpedo boats sunk. Britain and France: none
Result Anglo-French victory
On the morning of 4 November 1956 three Egyptian torpedo boats engaged British and French warships of the invasion force off Lake Burullus. The torpedo boats were attacked from the air and all three were sunk, with no Anglo-French losses.
Why it is remembered It was the main naval clash of the Suez war on the Egyptian coast and is remembered in Egypt under the name of the place.
Sources ar.wikipedia.org
Since 1945
Mexico and Guatemala conflict Air and submarine attack
Also known as Mexico-Guatemala conflict
30 December 1958 to 15 September 1959 · Mexican and Guatemalan waters off the Pacific coast, near the Guatemala and Mexico border
Fought between Guatemala against Mexico
Commanders Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes, Luis de León Urrutia (Guatemala); Adolfo López Mateos, Alfonso Cruz Rivera (Mexico)
Forces Two Guatemalan P-51 Mustang fighters, a Douglas C-47 and a Cessna 180, against eight Mexican fishing boats
Ships San Diego
Losses Mexico: three civilian fishermen killed and 14 wounded
Result Ceasefire; relations between the two countries frozen for several months
Guatemalan Air Force aircraft fired on Mexican civilian fishing boats which Guatemala said were in its territorial waters. The fishing vessel San Diego was among those hit. Three fishermen died and 14 were wounded.
Why it is remembered The attack on unarmed fishermen led to a break in relations between Mexico and Guatemala.
Sources differ One account dates the start of hostilities to 2 March 1958; another account gives 30 December 1958 to 15 September 1959.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Cold War
Bay of Pigs Invasion Landing or siege
Also known as Playa Girón
17 to 20 April 1961 · Bay of Pigs, south west coast of Cuba
Fought between Cuban exiles of Brigade 2506, backed by the United States, against Cuba
Commanders Pepe San Román, Erneido Oliva, Manuel Artime (Brigade 2506); Fidel Castro, José Ramón Fernández (Cuba)
Forces About 1,500 brigade troops carried by four troop ships and five supply ships, with B-26 bombers and five M41 light tanks, against the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, militia and police, with T-33 jets, Sea Fury fighters and B-26 bombers
Losses Brigade 2506: 114 killed, 360 wounded, 1,202 captured, five B-26s shot down. United States: four killed, two B-26s shot down, two supply ships lost. Cuba: 176 armed forces killed, 400 to 500 wounded, one patrol ship sunk, two aircraft shot down; about 2,000 militia killed and wounded
Result Cuban government victory
On 15 April 1961 eight CIA-supplied B-26 bombers attacked Cuban airfields. On the night of 17 April the brigade, which had sailed from Guatemala and Nicaragua, landed at Playa Girón and overcame a local militia. Two American supply ships were lost. Without further American air support the invaders were defeated within three days and surrendered on 20 April.
Why it is remembered The failure strengthened Castro, pushed Cuba closer to the Soviet Union and set the stage for the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Decolonisation of Asia; Cold War
Indian annexation of Goa Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Vijay; Liberation of Goa (India); Invasion of Goa (Portugal)
17 to 19 December 1961 · Goa, Daman and Diu, Portuguese India, with the surrounding sea and airspace
Fought between India against Portugal
Commanders Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri, K. P. Candeth, Erlic Pinto (India); M. A. Vassalo e Silva (Portugal)
Forces India: 45,000 infantry, one light aircraft carrier, two light cruisers, one destroyer, eight frigates, four minesweepers and strike aircraft. Portugal: 3,500 military personnel, one sloop and three inshore patrol boats
Losses India: 22 killed, 225 wounded. Portugal: 30 killed, 57 wounded, 4,668 captured, one sloop lost and one patrol boat sunk
Result Indian victory; Goa, Daman and Diu incorporated into India
In December 1961 Indian forces attacked the Portuguese territories by air, sea and land in an operation that lasted about 36 hours. The small Portuguese naval force, a sloop and patrol boats, was overwhelmed, losing the sloop and one patrol boat. The Portuguese garrison surrendered and India took the territories.
Why it is remembered It ended 451 years of Portuguese rule in Goa, Daman and Diu. India calls it a liberation, Portugal an invasion of its national soil.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Mike Freer, Touchdown-aviation, GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945
Lobster War Other action
Also known as Lobster Operation; Guerra da Lagosta; Conflit de la langouste
1961 to 1963 · Waters off Pernambuco, north eastern Brazil
Fought between Brazil against France
Commanders Jânio Quadros, João Goulart, Admiral Arnoldo Toscano (Brazil); Charles de Gaulle (France)
Forces Brazil: one corvette, six destroyers, two cruisers and one submarine, with B-17, P-2 Neptune and S-2 Tracker patrol aircraft. France: off Brazil, the destroyer Tartu and the aviso Paul Goffeny; off West Africa, the aircraft carrier Clemenceau, the cruiser De Grasse, seven destroyers and a tanker
Ships Tartu, Paul Goffeny, Clemenceau, De Grasse, Cassard, Jauréguiberry, Picard, Le Gascon, L'Agenais, Le Béarnais, Le Vendéen, La Baise; Ipiranga, Paraná, Babitonga, Pará, Acre, Araguari, Greenhalgh, Almirante Barroso, Tamandaré, Riachuelo
Losses None on either side
Result Peaceful settlement; French vessels withdrew and an agreement of 10 December 1964 let 26 French boats fish for up to five years in designated areas, sharing profit with Brazilian fishermen
Brazil refused to let French boats catch spiny lobster 160 km off its north eastern coast, arguing that lobsters crawl along the continental shelf; France held that lobsters swim and could be caught by anyone. Both navies sent warships into the area, and a Brazilian B-17 flew over the French escort Tartu in 1963. No shots were fired.
Why it is remembered It is a well known case of coercive naval diplomacy over fishing rights, settled before the modern Law of the Sea convention.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marine brésilienne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Operation Trikora (Western New Guinea dispute)
Battle of Arafura Sea Single-ship action
Also known as Pertempuran Laut Aru; Battle of Vlakke Hoek; Slag bij Vlakke Hoek
15 January 1962 · Arafura Sea, near Etna Bay, Western New Guinea
Fought between Netherlands against Indonesia
Commanders L.E.H. Reeser (Netherlands); Sudomo, Yos Sudarso, killed (Indonesia)
Forces Three Indonesian Jaguar class fast attack craft carrying 150 marines, against two Dutch S class destroyers and one Friesland class destroyer supported by a P-2 Neptune aircraft
Ships RI Matjan Tutul, RI Matjan Kumbang, RI Harimau; HNLMS Evertsen, HNLMS Kortenaer, HNLMS Utrecht
Losses Indonesia: one torpedo boat sunk, two disabled, 21 to 39 killed, 52 to 55 captured. Netherlands: none
Result Dutch victory
On 15 January 1962 three Indonesian fast attack craft carrying marines towards Western New Guinea were intercepted in the Arafura Sea by three Dutch destroyers, guided by a Neptune patrol aircraft. One Indonesian boat was sunk and the other two disabled. Commodore Yos Sudarso was among the Indonesian dead.
Why it is remembered Indonesia commemorates the battle with a national day of remembrance, and it remains the last official naval battle of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
Sources differ Indonesian dead are given as 21 to 39 and captured as 52 to 55.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Indonesia and Malaysia confrontation
Action of 13 December 1964 Single-ship action
13 December 1964 · One mile off Raffles Lighthouse, Singapore Strait
Fought between Australia against Indonesia
Commanders Keith Murray (Australia)
Forces The Australian minesweeper HMAS Teal against two Indonesian sampans
Ships HMAS Teal
Losses Australia: one wounded. Indonesia: three killed, four captured, one sampan captured
Result Australian victory
The minesweeper HMAS Teal was fired on by two Indonesian vessels in the Singapore Strait. Her return fire killed three Indonesians, and four others were then captured with one of the sampans.
Why it is remembered It was one of the small naval clashes of the Indonesian confrontation in which Australian warships took part.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Gulf of Tonkin incident Single-ship action
Also known as Sự kiện Vịnh Bắc Bộ
2 August 1964 (a second reported attack on 4 August did not take place) · Gulf of Tonkin, off North Vietnam
Fought between United States against North Vietnam
Commanders John J. Herrick, Herbert L. Ogier (United States); Le Duy Khoai (North Vietnam)
Forces The destroyer USS Maddox, later joined by USS Turner Joy, with aircraft from the carrier USS Ticonderoga, against three North Vietnamese torpedo boats of the 135th Torpedo Squadron
Ships USS Maddox, USS Turner Joy, USS Ticonderoga
Losses United States: Maddox hit by a single bullet, one aircraft damaged. North Vietnam: three torpedo boats damaged, four killed, six wounded
Result North Vietnamese boats driven off; the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution followed
On 2 August 1964 USS Maddox, on a signals intelligence patrol near islands raided by South Vietnamese commandos two nights before, was approached by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats. She fired warning shots and the boats attacked with torpedoes and machine guns; aircraft from Ticonderoga joined in and the boats were damaged. On the night of 4 August Maddox and Turner Joy fired on radar returns and reported a second attack, which later investigation showed never happened.
Why it is remembered Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which President Johnson used to commit American forces openly in Vietnam. The false second attack, admitted by Robert McNamara in The Fog of War (2003), made the incident a byword for flawed intelligence.
Sources differ The 4 August attack was reported at the time but later shown not to have occurred; a declassified NSA study of 2005 confirmed this.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Navy sailor aboard USS Maddox (DD-731), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Operation Pierce Arrow Air and submarine attack
5 August 1964 · North Vietnamese coast, including the oil storage depot at Vinh
Fought between United States against North Vietnam
Commanders Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara (United States)
Forces 64 strike sorties from the aircraft carriers USS Ticonderoga and USS Constellation against North Vietnamese naval vessels, mostly Swatow gunboats with two torpedo boats, and the Vinh oil depot
Ships USS Ticonderoga, USS Constellation
Losses United States: two aircraft shot down, one pilot, Lieutenant Richard Sather, killed and one, Lieutenant (jg) Everett Alvarez Jr., taken prisoner. North Vietnam: 29 P-4 torpedo boats or gunboats destroyed or damaged by pilots' estimate, and about 10 percent of its petroleum storage
Result United States strikes carried out
In response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, President Johnson ordered strikes on North Vietnam. On 5 August 1964 aircraft from Ticonderoga and Constellation attacked North Vietnamese naval vessels and the oil storage depot at Vinh. Two American aircraft were brought down by anti-aircraft fire.
Why it is remembered It was the first American air operation against North Vietnam, and Everett Alvarez became the first United States Navy prisoner of war in Vietnam. The gun that shot down his A-4 is displayed in Hanoi.
Sources differ North Vietnam claimed eight American aircraft shot down; American sources give two.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Cross-strait conflict (Project National Glory)
Battle of Dongshan Single-ship action
Also known as 東山海戰; Battle of August Sixth (八六海戰)
6 August 1965 · Taiwan Strait
Fought between People's Republic of China against Republic of China
Commanders Hu Jiaheng, killed, Li Zhuan, killed, Wang Yunshan, captured (Republic of China); Wu Ruilin, Kong Zhaonian, Wang Jin (People's Republic of China)
Forces Republic of China: the Auk class minesweeper Chien Men and the submarine chaser Chang Kiang. People's Republic of China: an attack group of four patrol boats and six torpedo boats, with a reinforcement group of one patrol boat and six torpedo boats
Ships Chien Men (formerly USS Toucan), Chang Kiang
Losses Republic of China: both ships sunk, 170 killed, 33 captured. People's Republic of China: two patrol boats and two torpedo boats damaged, four killed, 28 wounded
Result People's Republic of China victory
On 6 August 1965 two Republic of China warships in the Taiwan Strait were attacked by a force of Chinese communist patrol boats and torpedo boats. Both nationalist ships were sunk. Their commanders were killed or captured.
Why it is remembered The Republic of China lost both ships and 170 men in a single night, in one of the cross-strait naval clashes of 1965.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Cross-strait conflict (Project National Glory)
Battle of Dong-Yin Single-ship action
Also known as 東引海戰; Battle of May First (五一海戰)
1 May 1965 · Around Dongyin island, Taiwan Strait
Fought between Republic of China against People's Republic of China
Commanders Ho Ten Song (Republic of China)
Forces One Republic of China destroyer against eight communist gunboats
Losses Republic of China: officially three killed and four wounded, estimated seven killed and 43 wounded. People's Republic of China: four gunboats sunk and two damaged
Result Inconclusive; both sides claimed victory
On 1 May 1965 a Republic of China Navy destroyer fought eight People's Liberation Army Navy gunboats around Dongyin island. Both sides afterwards claimed victory.
Why it is remembered It was one of several clashes in 1965 between the two Chinese navies in the Taiwan Strait.
Sources differ Republic of China casualties are given officially as three killed and four wounded, and by estimate as seven killed and 43 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Army Map Service (SNECO), Corps of Engineers 1953, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · India and Pakistan war of 1965
Operation Dwarka Raid
7 to 8 September 1965 · Dwarka, Jamnagar district, Gujarat, India
Fought between Pakistan against India
Commanders Commodore S. M. Anwar (Pakistan); Rear Admiral B. A. Samson (India)
Forces Pakistan Navy 25th Destroyer Squadron: the light cruiser PNS Babur, six destroyers and the submarine PNS Ghazi
Ships PNS Babur, PNS Khaibar, PNS Badr, PNS Jahangir, PNS Shah Jahan, PNS Alamgir, PNS Tippu Sultan, PNS Ghazi
Result Inconclusive
To relieve pressure on the fighting in Punjab and Kashmir, a Pakistani naval squadron bombarded the Indian coastal town of Dwarka on 7 and 8 September 1965. The main target was a radar station believed to carry a beacon guiding Indian bombers.
Why it is remembered It was the first engagement fought by the Pakistan Navy in any of the wars with India.
Sources differ Many Pakistani sources describe the operation as at least partly successful; many Indian sources dispute this.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: LCDR Tomme J. Lambertson, US Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Cross-strait conflict (Project National Glory)
Battle of East Chongwu Single-ship action
Also known as 崇武以东海战; Battle of Wuqiu (烏坵海戰)
13 to 14 November 1965 · Taiwan Strait, east of Chongwu
Fought between People's Republic of China against Republic of China
Commanders Mai Bingkun, Zhu Puhua, Chen Dekui (Republic of China); Zhou Renjie, Wei Hengwu, Ma Gan, Zhang Yimin (People's Republic of China)
Forces Republic of China: the Admirable class minesweeper Lin Huai and the PCE-842 class patrol craft Shan Hai. People's Republic of China: six patrol boats and six torpedo boats, with four patrol boats in direct support
Ships Lin Huai (formerly USS Refresh), Shan Hai
Losses Republic of China: Lin Huai sunk, Shan Hai damaged, 78 killed or missing. People's Republic of China (official claim): two patrol boats and two torpedo boats damaged, two killed, 17 wounded
Result People's Republic of China victory
Two Republic of China warships were attacked in the Taiwan Strait by a force of communist patrol boats and torpedo boats. The minesweeper Lin Huai was sunk and the patrol craft Shan Hai damaged.
Why it is remembered It followed the loss of two ships at Dongshan three months earlier and was another setback for the nationalist navy.
Sources differ One account dates the battle 13 to 14 November 1965; another account gives 3 to 4 November 1965. The Republic of China claimed four communist vessels sunk and one badly damaged; the official People's Republic of China figure is four damaged.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Operation Game Warden Blockade and raiding
18 December 1965 to March 1973 · Mekong Delta, South Vietnam
Fought between United States and South Vietnam against the Viet Cong
Commanders William Westmoreland, David L. McDonald (United States)
Ships USS Harnett County
Losses United States: 100 to 200 killed. Viet Cong: more than 1,400 killed or captured and 2,000 watercraft destroyed
Result American and South Vietnamese success; the main inland waterways secured and Viet Cong craft pushed onto smaller rivers and canals
The United States Navy and the South Vietnamese Navy patrolled the rivers of the Mekong Delta to deny the Viet Cong use of the waterways for supplies. The operation ran from December 1965 to March 1973.
Why it is remembered With its sea counterpart Operation Market Time, it is counted among the most successful American naval operations of the Vietnam War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ed Pietzuch, (HA(L)-3), US Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Attack on the SS Baton Rouge Victory Raid
26 August 1966 · Lòng Tàu River, about 22 miles (35 km) south east of Saigon, South Vietnam
Fought between Unidentified attackers against an American merchant ship
Forces Two limpet mines against the cargo ship SS Baton Rouge Victory
Ships SS Baton Rouge Victory
Losses Seven American merchant sailors killed; a 16 by 45 foot hole blown in the hull
Result The ship was beached, refloated and towed away; she was scrapped in 1967
On 26 August 1966 the Victory ship Baton Rouge Victory, which had sailed from San Francisco on 28 July, was hit by two limpet mines in the Lòng Tàu River on the way to Saigon. Her number 3 hold flooded quickly, and the captain beached her so that she would not sink and block the channel. Harbor Clearance Unit One refloated her on 30 August and she was towed to Vũng Tàu.
Why it is remembered It was the largest single loss of life from enemy action among merchant mariners in the Vietnam War; the seven dead are remembered on a memorial in San Francisco.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · War of Attrition
Battle of Rumani Coast Single-ship action
Also known as Krav Rumani (קרב רומני)
11 July 1967 · Sinai coast, near Rumani
Fought between Israel against Egypt
Commanders Yitzhak Shushan, Eli Rahav (Israel)
Forces One Israeli destroyer and two torpedo boats against two Egyptian torpedo boats
Losses Egypt: two motor torpedo boats sunk, with no known survivors. Israel: none
Result Israeli victory
On the night of 11 July 1967 Israeli and Egyptian naval forces met off the Sinai coast near Rumani. Both Egyptian motor torpedo boats were sunk.
Why it is remembered It was an early naval action of the War of Attrition. A photograph of the Israeli crew raising a broom to the masthead, a traditional sign of victory, records it.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · War of Attrition
Sinking of INS Eilat Single-ship action
21 October 1967 · Mediterranean Sea east of Port Said, off Sinai
Fought between Egypt against Israel
Commanders Ahmed Shaker (Egypt); Isaac Shoshan (Israel)
Forces Egyptian Komar class missile boats with Soviet made P-15 Styx missiles against the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat (formerly HMS Zealous)
Ships INS Eilat
Losses Israel: Eilat sunk; 47 killed and about 90 to 100 wounded out of a crew of 199
Result Egyptian victory
A Komar class boat inside Port Said harbour fired two Styx missiles at the destroyer Eilat, and about an hour later a second boat fired two more, one of which went astray. Eilat, a former Royal Navy Z class destroyer, sank. Sixty seven hours later Israel shelled Port Suez and destroyed two of its three oil refineries.
Why it is remembered Eilat was the first vessel sunk by a missile boat in wartime. The loss spurred Israel to build small missile boats of its own, which fought in the 1973 war.
Sources differ One account gives 91 wounded; another account gives 90 to 100 wounded and 47 killed or missing.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Government Press Office photography department, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Nigerian Civil War
Operation Tiger Claw Landing or siege
17 to 23 October 1967 · Calabar, south-eastern Nigeria
Fought between Nigeria against Biafra
Commanders Benjamin Adekunle and Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria); Ogbo Oji, wounded, and Festus Akagha (Biafra)
Forces A Nigerian naval force led by the frigate NNS Nigeria, with a landing craft, patrol and survey ships, two seaward defence boats and three civilian ships, carrying the 8th and 33rd Battalions
Ships NNS Nigeria, Lokoja, Ogoja, Penelope, Enugu, Bonny, MV Bode Thomas, MV Oduduwa, MV Warigi
Losses Unknown; one Nigerian sailor was killed by friendly fire aboard Enugu
Result Nigerian victory; Calabar was taken
The force assembled at Bonny and sailed on 16 October, reaching Calabar at about 05:00 the next day and bombarding the city for two days; a planned landing at Oron was dropped because of technical problems and low ammunition. Less than a day after arrival the 8th Battalion landed from the landing craft Lokoja and took the cement factory, and the 33rd Battalion, with Adekunle, landed on the beach later that day. The city was not fully secured until 23 October.
Why it is remembered The loss of Calabar, one of Biafra's largest ports, tightened the Nigerian naval blockade of Biafra.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Six-Day War
USS Liberty incident Air and submarine attack
8 June 1967 · International waters north of the Sinai Peninsula, about 25.5 nautical miles north west of Arish
Fought between Israel against the United States
Commanders Captain Iftach Spector, Lieutenant Commander Moshe Oren (Israel); Commander William L. McGonagle (United States)
Forces Two Mirage III and two Mystère IV aircraft and three motor torpedo boats against one technical research ship
Ships USS Liberty
Losses United States: 34 killed, 171 wounded, ship severely damaged. Israel: none
Result USS Liberty badly damaged; Israel apologised and paid compensation
On 8 June 1967 Israeli jets strafed USS Liberty and attacked her with napalm, and three motor torpedo boats then fired on her and launched torpedoes, one of which hit. The attack lasted 23 minutes and stopped when the Israelis believed she was sinking.
Why it is remembered Israel said the ship had been mistaken for an Egyptian vessel, and it paid compensation in 1968, 1969 and 1980. Survivors and others, including Admiral Thomas Moorer, maintain the attack was deliberate, and the case is still disputed.
Sources differ Israeli and American official inquiries concluded the attack was a mistake of identity; survivors, Admiral Moorer and the inquiry's chief counsel Ward Boston (2004 affidavit) dispute this.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Action of 1 March 1968 Single-ship action
1 March 1968 · Coast of South Vietnam
Fought between United States and South Vietnam against North Vietnam
Commanders William H. Stewart (United States)
Forces One minesweeper, United States Coast Guard cutters, seven swift boats, two South Vietnamese junks, a patrol boat, two army helicopter gunships and flare aircraft, against four North Vietnamese steel-hulled trawlers armed with 57 mm recoilless rifles and machine guns
Ships USCGC Androscoggin, Point Grey, Point Welcome, Winona, Point Grace, Point Hudson, Point Marone; USS PCF-18, PCF-20, PCF-42, PCF-43, PCF-46, PCF-47, PCF-48
Losses North Vietnam: about 14 killed, two trawlers sunk and one scuttled. United States and South Vietnam: no deaths, four cutters damaged
Result United States and South Vietnamese victory
On 28 February 1968 a Neptune patrol aircraft spotted a North Vietnamese trawler heading south, and by the next morning three more had been found. Operation Market Time units intercepted all four on 1 March as they tried to land weapons and ammunition for the Viet Cong. Two trawlers were sunk and one was scuttled by her crew.
Why it is remembered Four trawlers loaded with weapons for the Viet Cong were intercepted at once by Operation Market Time units, and none delivered its cargo intact; three were lost.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Commander Don Van Liew, United States Coast Guard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Cold War (Korean DMZ conflict)
Pueblo incident Other action
Also known as Capture of USS Pueblo
23 January 1968 · Sea of Japan, near Wonsan, North Korea
Fought between North Korea against the United States
Commanders Commander Lloyd M. Bucher (United States); Kim Il-chol (North Korea)
Forces 2 fishing trawlers, 2 submarine chasers, 4 torpedo boats and 2 MiG-21 fighters against the intelligence ship USS Pueblo (AGER-2)
Ships USS Pueblo (AGER-2)
Losses United States: 1 killed (Fireman Duane Hodges), 9 wounded, 82 captured; ship captured
Result North Korean victory; ship captured, crew released on 23 December 1968
North Korean submarine chasers and torpedo boats, covered by MiG fighters, closed on the lightly armed intelligence ship Pueblo near Wonsan. One of the submarine chasers carried a 57 mm gun; one American sailor was killed and nine wounded before the ship was captured and taken into port. The crew were held for 11 months and freed at the Bridge of No Return after the United States signed an apology it publicly disowned.
Why it is remembered Pueblo is still a commissioned United States Navy ship and is kept as a museum ship in Pyongyang, the only one held captive. Her cryptographic equipment was compromised.
Sources differ North Korea said the ship was 7.6 nautical miles from Ryo Island and inside its claimed waters; the United States said she was in international waters.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: US Navy (USN 1129208), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Portuguese Colonial War; Guinea-Bissau War of Independence
Operation Green Sea Landing or siege
Also known as Operação Mar Verde; Battle of Conakry; 1970 Portuguese invasion of Guinea
22 November 1970 · Conakry, Guinea
Fought between Portugal and Guinean dissidents (FLNG) against Guinea and the PAIGC
Commanders Alpoim Calvão, António de Spínola, Rebordão de Brito (Portugal); Lansana Diané (Guinea)
Forces 220 Portuguese soldiers and 200 Guinean dissidents, carried in three patrol boats and two landing craft
Losses Portugal and allies: one soldier and seven dissidents killed. Guinea and PAIGC: 52 to 500 killed, five supply ships destroyed, many military and government buildings destroyed
Result Portuguese prisoners freed and PAIGC vessels destroyed, but Amílcar Cabral was not captured and the Guinean government was not overthrown
Between 350 and 420 Portuguese soldiers and Portuguese-led Guinean fighters landed at Conakry from patrol boats and landing craft. They aimed to overthrow Ahmed Sékou Touré, capture the PAIGC leader Amílcar Cabral, destroy PAIGC and Guinean naval and air assets, and free Portuguese prisoners. They freed 26 prisoners and destroyed some PAIGC ships and air force facilities, then withdrew; Cabral was in Europe at the time.
Why it is remembered It was a seaborne raid on a foreign capital during Portugal's colonial wars, and it failed in its political aims.
Sources differ Guinean and PAIGC dead are given as anywhere from 52 to 500. One account gives the attacking force as 350 to 420 men; another account gives 220 soldiers and 200 dissidents.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Bangladesh War of Independence (Operation Searchlight)
Operation Barisal Landing or siege
25 April to 1 May 1971 · Barisal, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Fought between Pakistan against the Mukti Bahini
Commanders Captain Ejaz Chaudhri (Pakistan); Captain M. A. Jalil, Major Rashedul Hasan (Mukti Bahini)
Forces Pakistan: four gunboats of the 17th Naval Gun Boat Squadron, one destroyer, one patrol boat, naval special forces, army units and 24 fighter jets. Mukti Bahini: an unknown number of guerrillas and at least one watercraft, MV Ostrich
Ships MV Ostrich
Losses Pakistan: 23 wounded. Mukti Bahini: unknown; MV Ostrich sunk
Result Inconclusive
The Pakistan Navy moved to take the city of Barisal from the Mukti Bahini, deploying gunboats and landing naval personnel to support the army. The Mukti Bahini watercraft MV Ostrich was sunk.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Pakistan Navy's river operations in East Pakistan at the start of the war of independence.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Bangladesh War of Independence
Operation Jackpot Raid
Also known as অপারেশন জ্যাকপট
15 August 1971 (naval commando attacks); supply operation from 15 May 1971 · Chittagong, Chandpur, Mongla and Narayanganj District, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Fought between Mukti Bahini, supported by India, against Pakistan
Commanders M. A. G. Osmani, Khaled Musharraf, Abdul Jalil, Abdul Wahed Chowdhury (Mukti Bahini); A. A. K. Niazi, Mohammad Shariff, David Felix (Pakistan)
Forces Mukti Bahini naval commandos, led by Bengali submariners who had defected from the Pakistani submarine PNS Mangro, against the Pakistan Army, Marines, Navy and East Pakistan security forces
Ships PNS Mangro
Result Mukti Bahini operational success
Operation Jackpot was the name for the Indian supply and training effort for the Mukti Bahini and for the operations that followed. On the night of 15 August 1971 Mukti Bahini naval commandos made sabotage attacks in the ports of Chittagong, Chandpur, Mongla and Narayanganj. The attacks were led by Bengali submariners who had defected from PNS Mangro, then based at Toulon in France.
Why it is remembered The naval commando attacks were led by Bengali submariners who had defected from a Pakistani submarine in France, and the operation is counted a Mukti Bahini success.
Sources differ One account dates the operation 25 April to 15 August 1971; another account dates the supply operation from 15 May and a third phase from 21 November to 16 December 1971.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · India and Pakistan war of 1971
Operation Python Raid
8 to 9 December 1971 · Arabian Sea, 12 nautical miles off Karachi, Pakistan
Fought between India against Pakistan
Commanders Rear Admiral E. C. Kuruvila (India); Rear Admiral Hasan Ahmed (Pakistan)
Forces One Indian missile boat and two frigates against Pakistani ships off Karachi
Ships PNS Dacca
Losses Pakistan: fleet tanker PNS Dacca damaged beyond repair and the Kemari oil storage facility destroyed. Two foreign merchant ships sunk, with civilians killed and injured. India: none
Result Indian victory and partial blockade of Pakistan
After Operation Trident, Pakistani warships tried to hide among merchant shipping off Karachi. On the night of 8 to 9 December 1971 an Indian strike group of one missile boat and two frigates attacked the ships off the port, crippling the tanker PNS Dacca and destroying the Kemari oil storage.
Why it is remembered It completed the Indian missile boat attacks on Karachi begun three days earlier with Operation Trident.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945
Seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs Landing or siege
29 to 30 November 1971 · Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf
Fought between Iran against Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah (Trucial States)
Commanders Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Admiral Farajollah Rasaei (Iran); Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi (Sharjah); Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi (Ras Al Khaimah)
Forces Iran: 2,000 soldiers with the Imperial Iranian Navy. Trucial States: 6 police officers
Ships Artemis (Iranian)
Losses Iranian figures: 3 Iranian soldiers killed and 1 wounded, 4 policemen killed and 5 injured. UAE figure: 1 policeman killed
Result Iranian victory; Iran took the islands
Shortly after British forces withdrew, helicopters dropped leaflets on Abu Musa on the morning of 29 November, and that evening an Iranian army contingent supported by the navy invaded the Greater and Lesser Tunbs. On Greater Tunb the head of the police post, Salem Suhail bin Khamis, refused to lower the flag and was shot dead, and policemen and Iranian soldiers were killed in the clash that followed. On 30 November a contingent led by the navy's commandant landed on Abu Musa to occupy the part covered by Iran's memorandum of understanding with Sharjah.
Why it is remembered The islands remain under Iranian control and are still disputed between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah joined soon afterwards.
Sources differ Casualties: Iran announced 3 soldiers and 4 policemen killed; the UAE says 1 policeman was killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Sinking of INS Khukri Single-ship action
9 December 1971 · Off Diu, Gujarat, Arabian Sea
Fought between Pakistan against India
Commanders Ahmed Tasnim (PNS Hangor); Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla (INS Khukri)
Forces The Pakistani Daphne class submarine PNS Hangor against the Indian Blackwood class frigates INS Khukri and INS Kirpan
Ships PNS Hangor, INS Khukri, INS Kirpan
Losses India: Khukri sunk; 18 officers and 176 sailors killed
Result Pakistani victory
Hangor fired a torpedo at Kirpan, which missed. Khukri turned towards the submarine and a second torpedo hit her under the oil tanks; Tasnim said she sank within two minutes. Khukri had been moving slowly while testing a new sonar.
Why it is remembered She was the first warship sunk by a submarine since the Second World War and the only Indian warship lost in combat since independence. Captain Mulla went down with his ship and was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra; a memorial at Diu holds a model of the ship.
Sources differ Tasnim described one torpedo hit; other sources say three torpedoes hit.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Sinking of PNS Ghazi Single-ship action
3 to 4 December 1971 · Off Visakhapatnam, Bay of Bengal
Fought between India against Pakistan
Commanders Commander Zafar Muhammad (Ghazi)
Forces The Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi against the Indian destroyer INS Rajput
Ships PNS Ghazi, INS Rajput, INS Vikrant
Losses Pakistan: Ghazi sunk with all 93 aboard (11 officers and 82 sailors)
Result Loss of Ghazi; Indian victory as claimed by India
Ghazi was sent to find and sink the Indian carrier INS Vikrant but did not find her, and turned to laying mines off Visakhapatnam. Indian accounts say the destroyer Rajput dropped two depth charges near the harbour entrance. Ghazi sank with all hands. Indian divers in 2003 reported an internal explosion of her mines and torpedoes.
Why it is remembered Her loss let the Indian Navy blockade East Pakistan. The cause remains disputed and Indian writers call it one of the unsolved mysteries of the 1971 war.
Sources differ India credits depth charges from Rajput, though its official naval history points to an internal explosion; Pakistan blames an internal explosion, a mine or a circling torpedo. The date is given as the night of 3 to 4 December and as 4 to 5 December.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: LCDR Tomme J. Lambertson, US Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · India and Pakistan war of 1971
Operation Trident (1971) Raid
4 to 5 December 1971 · Arabian Sea, 14 to 17 nautical miles south of the Port of Karachi, Pakistan
Fought between India against Pakistan
Commanders K. P. Gopal Rao, Babru Bhan Yadav (India); M. A. K. Lodhi (Pakistan)
Forces India: three Vidyut class missile boats, two Arnala class anti-submarine corvettes and a fleet tanker. Pakistan: ships deployed off Karachi
Losses Pakistan: one destroyer, one minesweeper and one ammunition cargo ship sunk, a second destroyer badly damaged and later scrapped, Karachi fuel tanks destroyed, 255 naval personnel killed. India: none
Result Indian victory and partial naval blockade of Pakistan
On the night of 4 to 5 December 1971 an Indian missile boat group attacked Pakistani shipping and port facilities off Karachi. It sank a destroyer, a minesweeper and a cargo ship carrying ammunition, badly damaged another destroyer and set the Karachi fuel tanks on fire, without loss.
Why it is remembered It saw the first use of anti-ship missiles in combat in the region. India marks its Navy Day on 4 December in memory of the operation.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Operation Custom Tailor Raid
10 May 1972 · Haiphong, North Vietnam
Fought between United States against North Vietnam
Forces An American cruiser and destroyer strike force: USS Hanson, USS Buchanan, USS Newport News, USS Providence and USS Oklahoma City
Ships USS Hanson, USS Buchanan, USS Newport News, USS Providence, USS Oklahoma City
Result United States success; objectives completed
On 10 May 1972 an American cruiser and destroyer force struck military targets within four miles of Haiphong against heavy opposition. USS Hanson entered Haiphong harbour to suppress North Vietnamese shore batteries while other forces mined the harbour entrance.
Why it is remembered It was described as the most formidable cruiser and destroyer force in the Western Pacific since the Second World War. Hanson was the last American warship to enter and leave Haiphong harbour in the war, and her crew received the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Battle of Đồng Hới Air and submarine attack
Also known as Battle for Đồng Hới Gulf
19 April 1972 · Off Đồng Hới, Quảng Bình Province, North Vietnam
Fought between North Vietnam against the United States
Forces United States: one cruiser, two destroyers and one frigate. North Vietnam: MiG-17F fighter bombers (two by the Vietnamese figure, three by the American claim) and shore batteries; the Americans also claimed two torpedo boats
Losses United States: one destroyer and one cruiser damaged, four wounded. North Vietnam: none by the Vietnamese figure; the Americans claimed two torpedo boats and one MiG-17
Result North Vietnamese victory
United States Navy warships off Đồng Hới were trying to stop North Vietnamese troops and supplies moving along the coast road towards Quảng Trị. On 19 April 1972 they were attacked by MiG-17F fighter bombers and engaged by shore batteries; a destroyer and a cruiser were damaged.
Why it is remembered It was the second time since the Second World War, setting aside the USS Liberty incident, that American warships came under air attack, and it ended the Navy's daylight raids on that coast. The MiG-17 flown by Nguyen Van Bay survives.
Sources differ Vietnamese figures give two MiG-17s engaged and none lost; the United States claimed three MiG-17s engaged, one shot down, and two torpedo boats sunk.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: The original uploader was Bình Giang at Vietnamese Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Operation Pocket Money Blockade and raiding
9 May 1972 · Haiphong and the ports of North Vietnam
Fought between United States against North Vietnam
Commanders Damon W. Cooper (United States)
Forces Aircraft of United States Navy Task Force 77
Result United States success; North Vietnam blockaded
From 9 May 1972 carrier aircraft of Task Force 77 laid naval mines in the approaches to North Vietnamese ports, starting with Haiphong. The aim was to halt or slow the shipping of supplies for the Easter Offensive into South Vietnam.
Why it is remembered It was the first use of naval mines against North Vietnam.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Yom Kippur War
Battle of Baltim Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Damietta; Battle of Baltim and Damietta; Battle of Damietta and El Burelos
8 to 9 October 1973 · Off the Nile Delta, between Baltim and Damietta, Egypt
Fought between Israel against Egypt
Commanders Michael Barkai (Israel); Muhammad Zikry, killed (Egypt)
Forces Six Israeli Sa'ar class missile boats (two Sa'ar 4, two Sa'ar 3, one Sa'ar 2 and one Sa'ar 1) against four Egyptian Osa class missile boats
Losses Egypt: three Osa boats sunk, 42 killed. Israel: none
Result Israeli victory
Six Israeli missile boats heading for Port Said met four Egyptian Osa boats coming from Alexandria. The Osas fired Styx missiles, all of which missed, and turned back towards Alexandria with the Israelis in pursuit. Gabriel missiles sank two Osas within ten minutes and a third twenty-five minutes later; the fourth reached base. The action lasted about forty minutes.
Why it is remembered It was an Israeli missile boat victory early in the Yom Kippur War, won without loss against boats armed with Soviet Styx missiles.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Yom Kippur War
Battle of Latakia Fleet battle
Also known as معركة اللاذقية; קרב לטקיה
7 October 1973 · Near Latakia, Syria
Fought between Israel against Syria
Commanders Michael Barkai (Israel); Fadal Hussein (Syria)
Forces Five Israeli ships against five Syrian ships
Losses Syria: all vessels sunk, casualties unknown. Israel: none
Result Israeli victory
On 7 October 1973 Israeli and Syrian naval forces met near Latakia in a small action. Every Syrian vessel engaged was sunk, with no Israeli losses.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval battle in history fought between missile boats armed with surface to surface missiles, and the first to see electronic deception used.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Yom Kippur War
Battle of Marsa Talamat Single-ship action
Also known as קרב מרסה-תלמאת
7 October 1973 · Marsa Talamat anchorage, central Gulf of Suez, Egypt
Fought between Israel against Egypt
Commanders Zvi Shahak, Mordechai Dekel (Israel); Fouad Zikry (Egypt)
Forces Two Israeli Dabur class patrol boats of Squadron 915 against Egyptian commando boats
Losses Israel: one killed, seven wounded, both patrol boats damaged. Egypt: one patrol boat sunk
Result Israeli victory
Two Israeli Dabur patrol boats were sent to destroy Egyptian commando boats in the Gulf of Suez after the war began. They found two commando boats about to leave Marsa Talamat and attacked, keeping up the fight even after both Daburs ran aground by accident. They withdrew after inflicting considerable damage on the commandos.
Why it is remembered Three Israeli crewmen received the Medal of Distinguished Service. The action is counted among the naval battles that shaped the course of the naval war in 1973.
Sources differ One account speaks of two Egyptian commando boats; another account lists one Egyptian patrol boat.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Yom Kippur War
Second Battle of Latakia Fleet battle
11 October 1973 · Off Latakia, Syria
Fought between Syria against Israel
Commanders Michael Barkai (Israel)
Forces Israeli Sa'ar 2, Sa'ar 3 and Sa'ar 4 class missile boats armed with Gabriel missiles, against Syrian Komar and Osa class missile boats armed with P-15 Termit (SS-N-2 Styx) missiles
Result Syrian victory
On 11 October 1973 Israeli missile boats fought Syrian missile boats off Latakia in a small battle between missile armed craft.
Why it is remembered It followed the first Battle of Latakia, fought by the same types of missile boats earlier in the same war.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
Battle of the Paracel Islands Fleet battle
Also known as 西沙海战 (Xisha haizhan); Hải chiến Hoàng Sa
19 to 20 January 1974 · Paracel Islands, South China Sea
Fought between China against South Vietnam
Commanders Zhang Yuanpei, Wei Mingsen (China); Lâm Ngươn Tánh, Hà Văn Ngạc, Hồ Văn Kỳ Thoại, Ngụy Văn Thà, killed, Huỳnh Duy Thạch, killed (South Vietnam)
Forces China: two minesweepers, two submarine chasers, patrol ships, maritime militia and infantry. South Vietnam: one destroyer, two frigates, one minesweeper and commandos
Losses China: 18 killed, 67 wounded, two minesweepers and two submarine chasers damaged. South Vietnam: more than 100 killed and wounded, 48 captured, one minesweeper sunk, one destroyer heavily damaged, two frigates damaged
Result Chinese victory; China took full control of the Paracels
Before the battle the Paracels were divided between Chinese and South Vietnamese control. The South Vietnamese Navy tried to remove the Chinese navy from the area, and in the fighting of 19 and 20 January 1974 lost a minesweeper and had a destroyer heavily damaged. China then occupied the islands South Vietnam had held.
Why it is remembered It gave China full de facto control of the Paracel Islands and led South Vietnam to station troops on unoccupied islands in the Spratlys.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Battle of Pentemili beachhead Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Pentemili
20 to 22 July 1974 · Pentemili beach, 8 km west of Kyrenia, Cyprus
Fought between Turkey against the Cypriot National Guard
Commanders Maj. Gen. Bedrettin Demirel, Lt. Gen. Nurettin Ersin, Brig. Hakki Boratas, Col. Karaoglanoglu, killed (Turkey); Col. Konstantinos Kombokis, Lt. Col. Pavlos Kouroupis, killed (Cyprus)
Forces Turkey: a first wave of 3,500 soldiers with 12 howitzers, 15 M47 tanks and 20 M113 carriers, supported by the Turkish Air Force and Navy. Cyprus: about 3,800 men
Losses Turkey: 77 killed, five or six M47 tanks or more destroyed. Cyprus: unknown dead; tanks and armoured vehicles destroyed and two torpedo boats sunk
Result Turkish victory
Turkish troops landed at Pentemili beach on the morning of 20 July 1974, the first landing of the invasion. For three days heavy fighting went on around the beachhead between Turkish and Greek Cypriot forces. Two Cypriot torpedo boats were sunk.
Why it is remembered It was the landing beach of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Vietnam War
East Sea Campaign Landing or siege
Also known as East Sea and Spratly Islands Campaign; Chiến dịch Trường Sa và các đảo trên Biển Đông
9 to 29 April 1975 · Spratly Islands and islands off the south eastern coast of Vietnam, South China Sea
Fought between North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam
Commanders Chu Huy Mân, Mai Năng (North Vietnam); Chung Tấn Cang (South Vietnam)
Forces About 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers and sailors supported by the 125th Naval Transport Brigade, against 5,768 South Vietnamese personnel supported by one frigate, two corvettes, a transport and a patrol boat
Losses North Vietnam: two killed, eight wounded. South Vietnam: 113 killed, 74 wounded, 557 captured, one escort ship damaged
Result North Vietnamese victory
In the last days of the Vietnam War the Vietnam People's Navy and the Viet Cong captured the South Vietnamese held islands in the Spratlys and off the south east coast. All the islands held by South Vietnam were taken.
Why it is remembered It had little effect on the outcome of the war but helped the reunified Vietnam assert its claim to the Spratly and other islands.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Aftermath of the Vietnam War
Mayaguez incident Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Koh Tang; Mayagüez incident
12 to 15 May 1975 · Poulo Wai and Koh Tang, off Cambodia
Fought between United States against the Khmer Rouge (Democratic Kampuchea)
Commanders Lt Col Randall W. Austin (United States); Em Son, with Sa Mean leading the boarding party (Khmer Rouge)
Forces USS Henry B. Wilson, USS Harold E. Holt, USS Gridley and the carrier USS Coral Sea with Carrier Air Wing 15, United States Marines, Air Force helicopters, fighters and an AC-130H gunship, against Khmer Navy Swift boats and the Koh Tang garrison of 100 or more
Ships SS Mayaguez, USS Henry B. Wilson, USS Harold E. Holt, USS Gridley, USS Coral Sea
Losses United States: 38 killed, 50 wounded, 3 captured and later executed, 3 helicopters destroyed; a further 23 airmen died when a CH-53 crashed on the way to U-Tapao. Khmer Rouge: 13 to 25 killed on Koh Tang, 4 Swift boats sunk, further losses unknown.
Result Ship and crew recovered; the main account also records a Khmer Rouge victory on Koh Tang
Khmer Rouge Swift boats seized the American container ship Mayaguez off Poulo Wai on 12 May 1975. United States forces retook the ship and landed Marines by helicopter on Koh Tang, where the crew was believed to be held. The crew was released unharmed soon after the assault began, but the island's defences destroyed three helicopters and the Marines fought for a day before almost all were taken off.
Why it is remembered The Americans killed are the last names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, among them three Marines left behind on Koh Tang and executed by the Khmer Rouge.
Sources differ The United States put the seizure 6 nautical miles off the island; crew evidence put it at about 2 nautical miles. Cambodia claimed 12 nautical mile waters and the United States recognised 3. The main account gives both a Khmer Rouge victory and a successful recovery of ship and crew.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Iran and Iraq War
Operation Morvarid Fleet battle
Also known as عملیات مروارید; Operation Pearl
27 to 28 November 1980 · Persian Gulf, the Mina Al-Bakr and Khor al-Amaya oil terminals, and parts of Iraq
Fought between Iran against Iraq
Commanders Bahram Afzali, Javad Fakoori (Iran); Mohamed Al-Jeboury, Aladdin Al-Janabi (Iraq)
Forces Iran: six amphibious vessels, two missile boats, marines and aircraft. Iraq: five missile boats, four torpedo boats, MiG-23 and Su-22 fighters and surface to air missile sites
Losses Iran: one missile boat sunk, one F-4 Phantom shot down, marine losses unknown. Iraq: five Osa II boats, four P-6 boats, three light patrol boats and one amphibious assault ship sunk, one MiG-23 and one Su-22 shot down, two oil terminals destroyed, more than 100 killed
Result Iranian victory
Iraq had placed radar and monitoring equipment on the Mina Al-Bakr and Khor al-Amaya oil platforms to counter Iranian air operations. On 27 and 28 November 1980 the Iranian Navy and Air Force attacked, destroying both terminals, much of the Iraqi Navy, and damaging Iraqi ports and airfields.
Why it is remembered Iran celebrates 28 November as its Navy Day in memory of the operation.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Staff of the newspaper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Iran and Iraq War
Tanker war Blockade and raiding
1981 to 4 August 1988 · Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Sea of Oman
Fought between Iran against Iraq, with the United States, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
Forces Iranian Navy, IRGC Navy and Iranian Air Force against the Iraqi Navy and Air Force, the United States Navy and the Royal Saudi Air Force
Result Victory for Iraq and its supporters
From 1981 to 1988 Iran and Iraq attacked merchant ships in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq made 283 attacks and Iran 168. IRGC Navy speedboats were among the attackers.
Why it is remembered Between them Iran and Iraq made 451 attacks on merchant ships, and the United States, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were drawn in on the Iraqi side.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Falklands War
1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Rosario (Operación Rosario); Battle of Government House
2 April 1982 · Stanley, Falkland Islands
Fought between Argentina against the United Kingdom
Commanders Carlos Büsser, Jorge Anaya, Pedro Giachino, killed, Mohamed Seineldin (Argentina); Rex Hunt, Mike Norman, Gary Noott, Phil Summers (United Kingdom and Falkland Islands)
Forces Argentina: 550 marines, 80 tactical frogmen and 20 amphibious assault vehicles. United Kingdom: 57 Royal Marines, 11 armed sailors and 40 Falkland Islands Defence Force militia
Losses Argentina: one killed, six wounded. United Kingdom: 107 captured
Result Argentine victory; the islands were occupied until June 1982
On 2 April 1982 Argentine forces made amphibious landings on the Falkland Islands. The small garrison of Royal Marines and local militia resisted at Government House in Stanley, then surrendered.
Why it is remembered The invasion started the Falklands War.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Bluff Cove air attacks Air and submarine attack
8 June 1982 · Port Pleasant off Fitzroy, Choiseul Sound and Falkland Sound, Falkland Islands
Fought between Argentina against the United Kingdom
Commanders Jeremy Moore, Michael Clapp, Julian Thompson, Tony Wilson (United Kingdom); Ernesto Crespo, Mario Menendez, Juan Lombardo (Argentina)
Forces Argentine A-4B Skyhawks of Grupo 5 and five Daggers, against British landing ships transferring the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, a landing craft and the frigate HMS Plymouth
Ships RFA Sir Galahad, RFA Sir Tristram, LCU Foxtrot-4, HMS Plymouth, HMS Fearless, HMS Onyx
Losses United Kingdom: 56 killed (48 on Sir Galahad, two on Sir Tristram, six on LCU Foxtrot-4), about 150 wounded; Sir Galahad scuttled, LCU Foxtrot-4 sunk, Sir Tristram badly damaged, Plymouth damaged. Argentina: three pilots killed, three aircraft lost
Result Argentine victory; the British attack on Stanley was delayed by two days
On 8 June 1982 Skyhawks bombed the landing ships Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram at Port Pleasant while Welsh Guards were still aboard, many of them on Sir Galahad's open tank deck. Sir Galahad was set ablaze and 48 men died, 32 of them Welsh Guards. Later that day Skyhawks sank Fearless's landing craft Foxtrot-4 in Choiseul Sound; three of the four attackers were shot down by Flight Lieutenant David Morgan and Lieutenant David Smith. In Falkland Sound five Daggers hit HMS Plymouth with four bombs that failed to explode.
Why it is remembered 56 British servicemen died, most of them Welsh Guards aboard Sir Galahad, and the attack on Stanley was delayed. Sir Galahad, damaged beyond repair, was scuttled with torpedoes by the submarine HMS Onyx on 21 June.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Invasion of South Georgia Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Grytviken; Operation Georgias
3 April 1982 · Grytviken, South Georgia
Fought between Argentina against the United Kingdom
Commanders César Trombetta (Argentina); Lt. Keith Mills, captured (United Kingdom)
Forces Argentina: 60 marines, one corvette, one survey ship and two helicopters. United Kingdom: 22 Royal Marines and one survey ship
Ships ARA Guerrico, ARA Bahía Buen Suceso
Losses Argentina: three killed, nine wounded, the corvette damaged, one helicopter shot down. United Kingdom: one wounded, 22 captured
Result Argentine victory; South Georgia occupied
In March 1982 Argentine scrap metal workers, among them marines posing as scientists, landed at Leith Harbour from ARA Bahía Buen Suceso and raised the Argentine flag. On 3 April Argentine naval forces attacked the small Royal Marines detachment at Grytviken. The marines shot down a helicopter and hit the corvette ARA Guerrico several times before surrendering.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first actions of the Falklands War, the day after the invasion of the Falklands themselves.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Operation Keyhole Landing or siege
19 to 20 June 1982 · Thule Island, South Sandwich Islands
Fought between United Kingdom against Argentina
Forces 1 frigate, 1 icebreaker, 1 fleet tanker, a tug, 6 helicopters and 2 rifle troops of 42 Commando, Royal Marines
Ships HMS Yarmouth, HMS Endurance, RFA Olmeda, Salvageman
Losses No deaths or injuries. 9 Argentine military personnel and 1 civilian captured
Result British success; the Argentine base was closed
After the Argentine surrender in the Falklands on 14 June 1982, a small task force sailed to end the Argentine presence on Thule Island. Reconnaissance parties from Endurance and 42 Commando landed covertly in harsh weather; Yarmouth then fired her gun and helicopters circled the base, and the Argentines raised a white flag. The surrender was signed in Endurance's wardroom, and the ten prisoners were taken to South Georgia in Olmeda.
Why it is remembered It ended the Argentine occupation of the South Sandwich Islands; the Corbeta Uruguay base was closed and its buildings sealed.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Operation Paraquet Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Paraquat
25 April 1982 · South Georgia
Fought between United Kingdom against Argentina
Commanders Brian Young, Guy Sheridan (United Kingdom); Luis Lagos, Horacio Bicain, Alfredo Astiz, all captured (Argentina)
Forces United Kingdom: one destroyer, two frigates, one submarine, one patrol ship, eight helicopters and 250 Royal Marines, SAS and other troops. Argentina: one submarine and 90 troops
Ships HMS Antrim
Losses Argentina: one submarine, one killed, one wounded, 155 captured. United Kingdom: two helicopters
Result British victory; South Georgia returned to British control
A British naval force with embarked troops was sent to retake South Georgia from Argentina. On 25 April 1982 an Argentine submarine was put out of action and the Argentine garrison surrendered. HMS Antrim's Wessex helicopter, nicknamed Humphrey, played a large part.
Why it is remembered It restored South Georgia to British control at the start of the Falklands War. Antrim's Wessex helicopter Humphrey is preserved at the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ian Kirk from Broadstone, Dorset, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Pebble Island raid Raid
14 to 15 May 1982 · Pebble Island airfield, north of West Falkland
Fought between United Kingdom against Argentina
Forces 45 men of D Squadron, 22 SAS, with a naval gunfire observer, carried by Sea King helicopters of 846 Naval Air Squadron from HMS Hermes; the destroyer HMS Glamorgan gave gunfire support and HMS Broadsword escorted Hermes. About 150 Argentine troops
Ships HMS Hermes, HMS Glamorgan, HMS Broadsword
Losses Argentina: one killed, 11 aircraft destroyed. United Kingdom: two wounded
Result British victory
On the night of 14 May 1982 SAS troopers flown from HMS Hermes reached the Argentine forward airfield on Pebble Island and destroyed aircraft on the ground with explosive charges and small arms, while HMS Glamorgan and the SAS mortars gave covering fire. Glamorgan then shelled the airfield, hitting the ammunition dump and fuel stores. The raiders were back aboard Hermes before daybreak.
Why it is remembered It destroyed a forward base for Argentine Pucará and T-34 Mentor aircraft, in an operation that echoed some of the SAS's first missions in North Africa in the Second World War.
Sources differ One account says five aircraft were destroyed by charges and the rest damaged by small arms fire; another account gives 11 aircraft destroyed.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Battle of San Carlos (1982) Air and submarine attack
Also known as Bomb Alley
21 to 25 May 1982 · San Carlos Water and Falkland Sound, Falkland Islands
Fought between United Kingdom against Argentina
Commanders Sandy Woodward, Michael Clapp, Julian Thompson (United Kingdom); Mario Menendez, Ernesto Crespo (Argentina)
Forces United Kingdom: two destroyers, seven frigates and 11 landing ships, with Sea Harrier patrols from HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. Argentina: about 90 fighter bombers on the mainland (A-4 Skyhawks, Daggers, Mirage IIIs, naval A-4Qs), two KC-130 tankers and ten attack aircraft on the islands
Ships HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope, HMS Coventry, HMS Argonaut, HMS Antrim, HMS Broadsword, HMS Brilliant, HMS Plymouth, HMS Yarmouth, HMS Fearless, HMS Intrepid, RFA Sir Lancelot, RFA Sir Galahad, RFA Sir Geraint, RFA Sir Tristram, RFA Sir Percivale, SS Canberra, MV Norland
Losses United Kingdom: HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope and HMS Coventry sunk, eight ships damaged, four helicopters lost, 49 killed and about 80 injured. Argentina: 22 aircraft lost, 11 killed
Result British victory; the beachhead was established
From 21 May 1982 low flying Argentine jets attacked the British ships covering the landings in San Carlos Water, which the British called Bomb Alley. Ardent was badly damaged on 21 May and sank next day; Antelope was hit on 23 May and blew up when an unexploded bomb went off as it was being defused; Coventry was sunk by three bombs on 25 May. Several other ships, including Argonaut, Antrim, Broadsword and Sir Lancelot, were hit by bombs that failed to explode or did limited damage.
Why it is remembered It was the first time a modern surface fleet armed with surface to air missiles and covered by carrier aircraft defended itself against full scale air attack. The British lost three warships but the landing force got ashore and held the beachhead.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Battle of Seal Cove Single-ship action
22 to 23 May 1982 · West of Lively Island, Falkland Islands
Fought between Argentina against the United Kingdom
Commanders Captain Jorge A. Gopcevich-Canevari, ARA Monsunen (Argentina); Captain Anthony Morton, HMS Yarmouth, and Captain John Coward, HMS Brilliant (United Kingdom)
Forces The Type 22 frigate HMS Brilliant and the Rothesay class frigate HMS Yarmouth against the armed coastal supply ship ARA Monsunen
Ships HMS Brilliant, HMS Yarmouth, ARA Monsunen, ARA Forrest
Losses Argentina: Monsunen beached, later towed off. United Kingdom: none
Result Argentine victory
On the evening of 22 May 1982 two British frigates were ordered to seize the coaster Monsunen, which was carrying fuel, ammunition and food for the Argentine troops at Stanley. Brilliant's Lynx helicopter, with SBS troops aboard, was driven off by machine gun fire. Under shellfire Monsunen escaped capture by running aground in Seal Cove, and the frigates gave up the chase. ARA Forrest towed her to Darwin and completed the supply run to Stanley.
Why it is remembered A small armed coaster evaded two frigates and her cargo still reached the Argentine garrison.
Sources differ One account dates the action to the evening of 22 May 1982; another account gives 23 May. One account says Monsunen was towed to Goose Green, another account caption says Darwin.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: DagosNavy (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Sinking of ARA General Belgrano Air and submarine attack
Also known as Hundimiento del Belgrano
2 May 1982 · South Atlantic, south west of the Falkland Islands, outside the British exclusion zone
Fought between United Kingdom against Argentina
Commanders John Fieldhouse, Sandy Woodward, Christopher Wreford-Brown (United Kingdom); Jorge Anaya, Walter Allara, Héctor Bonzo (Argentina)
Forces One British nuclear submarine against one Argentine light cruiser, two destroyers and a light helicopter
Ships ARA General Belgrano, HMS Conqueror
Losses Argentina: the cruiser sunk, one light helicopter lost, 323 dead. United Kingdom: none
Result British victory
On 2 May 1982 the nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror torpedoed and sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano outside the exclusion zone the British government had declared around the Falklands. 323 Argentine sailors died, almost half of all Argentine deaths in the war.
Why it is remembered It was the first warship sunk in action by a nuclear submarine. The attack outside the exclusion zone has remained controversial in both Britain and Argentina.
Sources differ Some British commentators suggest political motives, such as undermining peace talks; some Argentine critics call it a war crime, a view that has not been legally substantiated.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Falklands War
Sinking of HMS Sheffield Air and submarine attack
Also known as Hundimiento del HMS Sheffield
4 May 1982 (attack); 10 May 1982 (sank) · South Atlantic, Falklands War zone
Fought between Argentina against the United Kingdom
Forces Two Argentine Super Étendard fighter bombers with two AM39 Exocet missiles against the British destroyer HMS Sheffield
Ships HMS Sheffield
Losses United Kingdom: 20 crew killed at once; HMS Sheffield sank on 10 May
Result Argentine success; HMS Sheffield lost
On 4 May 1982 a pair of Super Étendards fired two Exocet AM39 missiles at the Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield. Twenty of her crew were killed. She sank on 10 May.
Why it is remembered The Argentine operation is described as pioneering, the first attack in which aircraft used missiles against ships.
Sources Wikipedia (ES) · he.wikipedia.org
Since 1945 · Cold War
Action in the Gulf of Sidra (1986) Fleet battle
Also known as Operation Prairie Fire; Operation Attain Document
24 March 1986 · Gulf of Sidra, Mediterranean Sea
Fought between United States against Libya
Commanders Ronald Reagan, Frank Kelso (United States); Muammar Gaddafi (Libya)
Forces United States: about 30 warships and 225 aircraft in carrier groups. Libya: two missile corvettes and three patrol boats, with surface to air missile sites
Ships USS Coral Sea
Losses Libya: 72 killed, six Soviet technicians wounded, one corvette and one patrol boat sunk, one corvette crippled, one patrol boat damaged, several missile sites destroyed or damaged. United States: none
Result American victory
Libya claimed the whole Gulf of Sidra as its territory behind a line Gaddafi called the Line of Death. The United States Navy sent carrier groups into the gulf to assert freedom of navigation in international waters. On 24 March 1986 the Americans sank or damaged the Libyan craft that came out against them and struck missile sites ashore.
Why it is remembered It was one of a series of clashes over the Line of Death, after the 1981 Gulf of Sidra incident and before another in 1989.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Knepp, U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Iran and Iraq War (tanker war)
Bridgeton incident Convoy battle
24 July 1987 · 13 miles west of Farsi Island, Persian Gulf
Fought between Iran (IRGC Navy) against the United States and Kuwait
Forces A mine laid by the IRGC Navy from Farsi Island, against the first Earnest Will convoy, escorted by four warships with a carrier group in support
Ships SS Bridgeton
Losses SS Bridgeton's outer hull damaged
Result The tanker was damaged but completed her voyage; a propaganda success for Iran
On 24 July 1987 the supertanker Bridgeton, sailing in the first American escorted convoy of Operation Earnest Will, struck an Iranian mine in the Gulf shipping channel near Farsi Island. The explosion damaged her outer hull, but she completed the voyage.
Why it is remembered It showed that four warships and a carrier group could not stop Iran laying a small minefield on the convoy's supposedly secret route, and the tanker's captain criticised what American politicians told the press.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: PH2 Tim W. Tow, USN, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Iran and Iraq War (tanker war)
Operation Earnest Will Convoy battle
24 July 1987 to 26 September 1988 · Persian Gulf
Fought between United States and Kuwait, supported by France and the United Kingdom, against Iran
Commanders Rear Adm. Harold Bernsen (United States); Mohammad-Hossein Malekzadegan (Iran)
Forces United States Navy escorts of Naval Forces Central Command, with carrier battle groups and surface action groups from the Third, Sixth and Seventh Fleets, Air Force AWACS aircraft and Army special operations helicopters
Ships USS Nicholas, USS Hawes, USS William H. Standley, USS Guadalcanal, Gas King
Result Kuwaiti tankers escorted through the Gulf from July 1987 to September 1988
From July 1987 the United States Navy escorted reflagged Kuwaiti tankers through the Persian Gulf to protect them from Iranian attack. Air Force radar aircraft watched the Gulf and Army special operations helicopters hunted for attackers. In the course of the operation American forces attacked Iranian oil platforms in the Rashadat field.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval convoy operation since the Second World War, and the first tactical operation of United States Special Operations Command in which SEALs, Special Boat Units and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment worked together.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Senior Chief Photographer's Mate Mitchell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Iran and Iraq War (Operation Earnest Will)
Operation Nimble Archer Raid
19 October 1987 · Resalat and Reshadat oil platforms, Persian Gulf
Fought between United States against Iran
Forces Six United States Navy warships and three aircraft
Ships MV Sea Isle City
Losses None reported; both Iranian platforms destroyed
Result American success; oil platforms destroyed
Three days after an Iranian missile hit the reflagged Kuwaiti tanker Sea Isle City at anchor off Kuwait, American destroyers shelled two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf and set them ablaze.
Why it is remembered Iran took the United States to the International Court of Justice, which in 2003 found that this attack and Operation Praying Mantis could not be justified as necessary to protect American security interests.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: PH3 Henry Cleveland, USN, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Iran and Iraq War (tanker war)
USS Stark incident Air and submarine attack
Also known as Iraqi attack on USS Stark
17 May 1987 · Persian Gulf
Fought between Iraq against the United States
Commanders Glenn R. Brindel (United States); Abdul Rahman (Iraq)
Forces One Iraqi aircraft against the frigate USS Stark
Ships USS Stark
Losses United States: 37 killed or later died, 21 injured, frigate severely damaged. Iraq: none
Result USS Stark severely damaged; Iraq apologised
On 17 May 1987 an Iraqi jet fired two Exocet missiles at the frigate USS Stark in the Persian Gulf. Both struck, and the ship was left listing and badly damaged.
Why it is remembered Iraq apologised, and Saddam Hussein said the pilot had mistaken the frigate for an Iranian tanker.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Service Depicted: NavyCommand Shown: N1601, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Spratly Islands dispute; Sino-Vietnamese conflicts 1979 to 1991
Johnson South Reef skirmish Single-ship action
14 March 1988 · Johnson South Reef, Union Banks, Spratly Islands, South China Sea
Fought between China against Vietnam
Commanders Chen Weiwen (China); Trần Đức Thông, killed, Lê Lệnh Sơn, Vũ Phi Trừ, killed, Vũ Huy Lê (Vietnam)
Forces China: the frigates Nanchong (502), Xiangtan (556) and Yingtan (531). Vietnam: the tank landing ship HQ-505 and the transports HQ-604 and HQ-605
Ships Nanchong, Xiangtan, Yingtan; HQ-505, HQ-604, HQ-605
Losses Vietnam: 64 killed, 11 wounded, nine captured, two transports sunk and the landing ship destroyed. China: one wounded by Chinese figures
Result Chinese victory; China took control of Johnson South Reef, Vietnam kept Collins and Lansdowne Reefs
On 14 March 1988 Chinese and Vietnamese forces clashed on Johnson South Reef in the Union Banks. Three Chinese frigates engaged three Vietnamese supply and landing vessels. Both Vietnamese transports were sunk and the landing ship destroyed.
Why it is remembered China took control of Johnson South Reef, while Vietnam kept Collins and Lansdowne Reefs. 64 Vietnamese were killed.
Sources differ China gives its own losses as one wounded; Vietnam claims six Chinese killed, 18 wounded and three landing craft damaged.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Iran and Iraq War (tanker war)
Operation Praying Mantis Fleet battle
18 April 1988 · Persian Gulf, in Iranian territorial waters
Fought between United States against Iran
Commanders Rear Adm. Anthony A. Less (United States); Commodore Mohammad-Hossein Malekzadegan (Iran)
Forces United States: one aircraft carrier, one amphibious transport dock, four destroyers, one guided missile cruiser, three frigates, AH-1T helicopters and A-6E Intruders. Iran: two frigates, one missile boat, about six Boghammar speedboats, two F-4 fighters and guns on two oil platforms
Ships USS Samuel B. Roberts, IRIS Sahand
Losses Iran: one frigate sunk (45 killed), one gunboat sunk (11 killed), three speedboats sunk, one frigate crippled, two platforms destroyed, one fighter damaged; 56 killed in all. United States: two killed when a helicopter crashed
Result United States victory
On 14 April 1988 the frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck a mine while escorting tankers, which broke her keel; her crew saved her. When the mines were matched to ones seized from an Iranian barge, the United States retaliated on 18 April, destroying two Iranian oil platforms and sinking or damaging two frigates, a fast attack craft and several armed boats. The frigate Sahand was attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 11.
Why it is remembered It was the largest of the United States Navy's major surface engagements since the Second World War, with its first exchange of anti-ship missiles with enemy ships. It pressed Iran towards the ceasefire that ended the war that summer.
Sources differ In 2003 the International Court of Justice dismissed Iran's claim under the 1955 Treaty of Amity but found the attack could not be justified as necessary to protect American security interests.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
Operation Sea Breeze (Sri Lanka) Landing or siege
June 1990 · Coast three nautical miles north of Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Commanders Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa (Sri Lanka)
Forces The fast gun boats SLNS Sooraya and SLNS Weeraya and the landing ships SLNS Kandula and SLNS Pabbatha, with army troops
Ships SLNS Sooraya, SLNS Weeraya, SLNS Kandula, SLNS Pabbatha
Result Sri Lankan success; the siege of the Mullaitivu camp broken and its area extended
In June 1990 the LTTE heavily attacked the isolated army camp at Mullaitivu. The gun boats Sooraya and Weeraya closed the coast to suppress LTTE gun positions while Kandula and Pabbatha beached three nautical miles north of the town and landed troops, who relieved the camp.
Why it is remembered It was the first amphibious operation in the history of the Sri Lankan armed forces.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Israel Defense Forces, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Eritrean War of Independence
Second Battle of Massawa Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Fenkil
8 to 17 February 1990 · Massawa and Tualud Island, Eritrea
Fought between Eritrean People's Liberation Front against Ethiopia
Commanders Petros Solomon (EPLF); Teshome Tessema, killed, and General Kifle (Ethiopia)
Forces About 20,000 EPLF fighters, including marines and naval units in speedboats; about 17,000 Ethiopian troops
Losses EPLF: about 3,000 killed. Ethiopia: about 9,000 killed and 8,000 captured.
Result EPLF victory; the Ethiopian 606th Corps destroyed
EPLF marines in speedboats attacked the Ethiopian naval base at Massawa early on 10 February 1990 as a diversion, and land and naval units took the base after General Kifle surrendered on 12 February. On 17 February EPLF speedboats landed fighters on Tualud Island, attacking its defenders from a second side and breaking their resistance.
Why it is remembered Isaias Afewerki called the fall of Massawa the greatest strategic victory of the struggle. A tank memorial stands on Tualud Island and Eritrea issued stamps for it in 2004.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Unknown, Public domain (PD-Ethiopia, as tagged on Commons), via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War (Eelam War II)
Operation Thrividha Balaya Landing or siege
August to September 1990 · Kayts, Mandaitivu and the Jaffna lagoon, northern Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
Commanders Maj Gen Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Lt Col Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Lt Col Sarath Fonseka, Capt A. H. M. Razeek and Lt Rohan Amarasinghe of the navy (Sri Lanka)
Forces 1st Battalion Gajaba Regiment, 1st Battalion Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment and 1 Special Forces, with Sri Lanka Navy boats and air support
Losses Over 80 LTTE killed in the Kayts and Mandaitivu fighting; a Sri Lankan SF-260TP aircraft lost. No overall totals are given
Result Sri Lankan victory; the siege of Jaffna Fort was broken
The operation was launched to break the siege of the army garrison in the old Dutch fort at Jaffna. Kayts Island was secured in late August 1990 by a combined amphibious and airborne force, and early on 13 September troops crossed the lagoon in navy fibreglass dinghies under heavy LTTE fire. The navy later evacuated troops from Jaffna under fire, and the operation was called off about two weeks after it began.
Why it is remembered It was the first combined operation of its kind by the Sri Lankan forces.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Gulf War
Battle of Ad-Dawrah Landing or siege
18 to 19 January 1991 · Ad-Dawrah offshore oil field, forty miles off Kuwait, Persian Gulf
Fought between United States, United Kingdom and Kuwait against Iraq
Forces Coalition: the frigate USS Nicholas, the Kuwaiti fast attack craft Istiqlal, Navy SEALs and American and British helicopters. Iraq: more than 50 men and a Zodiac boat
Ships USS Nicholas, Istiqlal
Losses Iraq: 29 captured. Coalition: none
Result Coalition victory; the oil field captured
On the night of 18 to 19 January 1991 Coalition forces attacked an Iraqi held offshore oil field forty miles from the Kuwaiti coast and captured it. The 29 Iraqis taken were the first prisoners of the war.
Why it is remembered It was the first surface engagement after the Coalition entered the Gulf War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: OS2 John Bouvia, USN, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War (Eelam War II)
Operation Balavegaya Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Power Force
14 July to 9 August 1991 · Vettilakerni, about 12 km east of Elephant Pass, northern Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
Commanders Maj Gen Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Brig Vijaya Wimalaratne (amphibious task force), Rear Adm Quitus Wickramaratne and Capt H. R. Amaraweera (naval flotilla) (Sri Lanka)
Forces About 10,000 Sri Lankan troops carried by a flotilla of landing craft, gunboats and fast attack craft, with air support, against about 6,000 LTTE fighters
Ships SLNS Wickrama (flagship), SLNS Edithara
Losses Sri Lankan: 202 killed by official figures. LTTE: 573 killed by its own account, including 123 women
Result Sri Lankan victory; the siege of Elephant Pass was lifted
The LTTE had laid siege to the army base at Elephant Pass. A naval flotilla from Trincomalee carried troops to land at Vettilakerni; the first landing on 15 July was held up by resistance, and a second attempt went in that evening under covering fire from navy gunboats. Forward elements reached the Elephant Pass garrison on 4 August, and the LTTE withdrew on 9 August.
Why it is remembered It was the largest amphibious assault in the history of the Sri Lankan military, and was regarded as its largest and most successful operation until Operation Riviresa in 1995.
Sources differ Casualties: the main account gives 202 to 400 Sri Lankan army dead and 573 to over 1,000 LTTE dead.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Gulf War
Battle of Bubiyan Air and submarine attack
Also known as Bubiyan Turkey Shoot
29 January to 2 February 1991 · Waters between Bubiyan Island and the Shatt al-Arab marshes, Persian Gulf
Fought between United States, United Kingdom and Canada against Iraq
Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf, Ronald J. Zlatoper (United States); Peter de la Billière (United Kingdom); Kenneth Summers (Canada)
Forces Coalition: the carriers USS Ranger and USS Theodore Roosevelt, the battleships USS Wisconsin and USS Missouri, the destroyers HMS Gloucester and HMS Cardiff, the frigate HMS Brazen, and Hornet, Intruder, Jaguar, Tomcat, Lynx, Seahawk and Orion aircraft. Iraq: five Polnocny class landing ships, seven fast attack craft, a missile boat, two patrol boats, three minelayers, three minesweepers and two salvage ships
Ships USS Ranger, USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Wisconsin, USS Missouri, HMS Gloucester, HMS Cardiff, HMS Brazen
Losses Iraq: four landing ships, seven fast attack craft, two patrol ships, three minelayers, three minesweepers and two salvage ships sunk; a landing ship and a missile boat damaged. Coalition: none
Result Coalition victory; the Iraqi Navy destroyed
Between 29 January and 2 February 1991 the bulk of the Iraqi Navy tried to escape to Iran. Coalition warships and aircraft caught it in the waters off Bubiyan Island and sank or damaged almost every vessel.
Why it is remembered The Iraqi Navy was destroyed, and the one-sided action became known as the Bubiyan Turkey Shoot.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: JO1(AW) Joseph F. Lancaster, US Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Croatian War of Independence
Battle of the Dalmatian Channels Landing or siege
14 to 16 November 1991 · Split, Brač, Šolta and Korčula Channels, off Split, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Croatia against Yugoslavia
Commanders Sveto Letica (Croatia); Nikola Ercegović, Ilija Brčič (Yugoslavia)
Forces Croatia: coastal artillery and naval commandos. Yugoslavia: two frigates, six or seven missile boats, two torpedo boats, four patrol boats and three minesweepers in three tactical groups
Ships PČ-176 Mukos (later OB-62 Šolta)
Losses Yugoslavia: 22 killed, one patrol boat captured, two minesweepers sunk, a frigate, a missile boat, a torpedo boat and a minesweeper damaged, two aircraft destroyed. Croatia: two gunners killed. Civilians: two killed, nine wounded, two ferries damaged
Result Croatian victory
On 14 November 1991 Croatian commandos torpedoed the patrol boat Mukos near Brač, and the Yugoslav Navy shelled Brač and Šolta in reply; the drifting Mukos was beached by Croatian civilian boats. Next day the Kaštela tactical group shelled Split and was engaged by Croatian coastal guns, as was the Vis group sent to draw their fire. On 16 November the combined Yugoslav force ran through the Korčula Channel towards Vis and lost two minesweepers to artillery on Korčula and Pelješac.
Why it is remembered It was the last Yugoslav naval sortie into the Dalmatian channels, loosened the blockade of the Croatian coast and was the largest Croatian Navy operation of the war. Mukos was repaired and commissioned into the Croatian Navy as Šolta.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Gulf War
Battle of Qurah and Umm al Maradim Landing or siege
Also known as Battles of Qurah and Umm al Maradim
24 to 29 January 1991 · Qurah and Umm al Maradim islands, off the coast of Kuwait, Persian Gulf
Fought between United States and Kuwait against Iraq
Forces Coalition: the destroyer USS Leftwich, the frigate USS Curts and two A-6 attack aircraft. Iraq: several minelayers and minesweepers, a patrol boat and 100 ground troops
Ships USS Leftwich, USS Curts
Losses Iraq: at least three killed, 51 captured, one minelayer, two minesweepers and a patrol boat sunk. Coalition: minor damage to helicopters
Result Coalition victory; the islands returned to Kuwaiti control
Between 24 and 29 January 1991 Coalition ships and aircraft fought several naval and land actions for the Iraqi held islands off Kuwait, chiefly Qurah and Umm al Maradim. Iraqi minelayers, minesweepers and a patrol boat were sunk and the garrisons captured.
Why it is remembered The islands of Qurah and Umm al Maradim were returned to Kuwaiti control.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
Battle of Pooneryn Landing or siege
Also known as Operation Thavalai Paachchal (Frog Leap)
11 to 14 November 1993 · Pooneryn, northern Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
Commanders Cecil Waidyaratne, Rohan Daluwatte, T. T. R. de Silva and U. Hemapala, killed (Sri Lanka); Theepan and Bhanu (LTTE)
Forces Sri Lankan army battalions, armour and commandos with the Sri Lanka Navy; the LTTE attack included its Sea Tigers, Black Tigers and Women's Wing
Losses Sri Lankan government figures: 241 killed, 500 wounded and 400 missing, a Pucará aircraft and 2 helicopters damaged. LTTE: about 500 killed by government claims, 460 by LTTE claims
Result LTTE victory
The LTTE launched a surprise attack on the government base at Pooneryn, with Sea Tiger units among its forces, overran the garrison and captured military hardware. It withdrew when the military brought in reinforcements by seaborne landings.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the scale of the LTTE surprise attack, in which its naval wing, the Sea Tigers, took part, and for the government's seaborne counter-landings.
Sources differ LTTE dead: about 500 by Sri Lankan government claims, 460 by the LTTE's own figure.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Yugoslav Wars
Operation Sharp Guard Blockade and raiding
15 June 1993 to 2 October 1996 · Adriatic Sea
Fought between NATO and the Western European Union against blockade runners to the former Yugoslavia
Forces Warships and maritime patrol aircraft from 14 countries
Result Blockade maintained; suspended on 19 June 1996 and ended on 2 October 1996
From 15 June 1993 NATO and Western European Union warships and patrol aircraft searched and stopped ships carrying cargoes to the former Yugoslavia in the Adriatic. The operation was suspended in June 1996 and ended that October.
Why it is remembered It was a joint naval blockade by 14 countries in the Yugoslav wars.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Federal Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
1996 attack on Colombo Harbour Raid
Also known as Attack on Colombo Harbour
12 April 1996 · Colombo Harbour, Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka Navy against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sea Tigers)
Commanders L.R.N.A. Wijetunga (Sri Lanka Navy)
Forces Sri Lanka Navy: one fast attack craft, one inshore patrol craft and two small patrol boats. LTTE: six Sea Tigers in suicide craft
Losses Sri Lanka: four merchant ships damaged according to Sri Lankan media. LTTE: one boat exploded, six Black Tigers killed according to the Sri Lankan military
Result Sri Lanka Navy victory
On 12 April 1996 six Sea Tigers made a suicide attack on Colombo Harbour, the main commercial port of Sri Lanka. Navy craft engaged the attackers.
Why it is remembered It was a Sea Tiger suicide attack on the country's chief port.
Sources differ Sri Lankan media reported four merchant ships damaged; the LTTE claimed three fast attack craft and three supply vessels destroyed.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Korean conflict
1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident Other action
Also known as Infiltration of Gangneung
17 September to 5 November 1996 · Gangneung, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Fought between South Korea against North Korea
Forces North Korea: one Sang-O class submarine with 26 personnel of the Reconnaissance Bureau. South Korea: 43,000 personnel in the search
Losses South Korea: 13 killed (eight in action, four in accidents, one off-duty soldier murdered), 27 wounded, three civilians killed. North Korea: 24 dead (11 killed by their own men, 13 in action), one captured, one missing, the submarine captured
Result South Korean victory; the submarine captured
On 18 September 1996 a North Korean Sang-O class submarine ran aground near Gangneung, and the North Koreans aboard abandoned her and went into hiding ashore. A 49-day manhunt followed. The infiltrators belonged to the Reconnaissance Bureau, and the raid was linked to a plan to assassinate President Kim Young-sam during a visit to Chunchon.
Why it is remembered It was one of the more serious cases of North Korean espionage, and months later North Korea issued a rare apology for the loss of life.
Sources differ One account dates the start to 18 September 1996; another account gives 17 September.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Public Affairs, U.S. Forces Korea, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War, Eelam War III
Battle of Mullaitivu (1996) Landing or siege
Also known as First Battle of Mullaitivu; Operation Unceasing Waves-1
18 to 25 July 1996 · Mullaitivu military base and coast, north eastern Sri Lanka
Fought between Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam against Sri Lanka
Commanders V. Prabhakaran, Balraj, Soosai (LTTE); Anuruddha Ratwatte, Rohan Daluwatte, A. F. Lafir (killed) (Sri Lanka)
Forces The LTTE attacked by land and by sea with Sea Tiger boats; the Sri Lankan base held an understrength brigade, and a relief force was sent by sea from Kankesanthurai with navy escort and landing craft.
Ships SLNS Ranaviru
Losses Sri Lanka: around 1,500 troops killed or missing; the escort ship SLNS Ranaviru was destroyed with 34 crew killed. LTTE: 315 killed, including 11 Sea Black Tigers, and two Sea Tiger boats destroyed.
Result LTTE victory; the base was overrun and Mullaitivu abandoned
On 18 July 1996 the LTTE overran the Mullaitivu base, with Sea Tigers attacking from the eastern shore while the land assault came from north and south. A combined relief operation tried to land troops from the sea; on 19 July six Sea Tiger boats surrounded the escort SLNS Ranaviru, which destroyed two of them before a third rammed her and she exploded. Navy ships put troops ashore on 21 July, but the brigade had already been destroyed, and the army abandoned Mullaitivu on 25 July.
Why it is remembered It was one of the heaviest Sri Lankan defeats of the war, and the LTTE captured large amounts of military equipment.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War (Eelam War III)
Battle of Mullaitivu (1997) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle off the coast of Mullaitivu
23 March 1997 · 20 to 30 nautical miles off Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sea Tigers)
Commanders Vice Admiral Cecil Tissera, Commander Nawan Tennekoon (Sri Lanka); V. Prabhakaran, Colonel Soosai (LTTE)
Forces Sri Lanka: one gun corvette, two fast gun boats and six fast attack craft. LTTE: 20 boats of various types
Ships SLNS Parakramabahu, SLNS Jagatha, SLNS Ranadheera, P 460, P 452, P 441, P 422, P 440, P 443
Losses Sri Lanka: one killed, seven wounded (Ministry of Defence). LTTE: seven boats sunk, 80 to 100 killed and 50 to 70 wounded (Ministry of Defence claim)
Result Sri Lanka Navy victory
On 23 March 1997 a Sri Lankan naval force fought about 20 Sea Tiger boats off Mullaitivu, a town held by the LTTE since 1996. The navy reported several Tiger boats sunk.
Why it is remembered It was a sizeable sea battle of Eelam War III off an LTTE held coast.
Sources differ The Ministry of Defence claimed seven boats sunk and 80 to 100 killed; another figure gives eight boats sunk and 30 confirmed killed.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Korean conflict
1998 Sokcho submarine incident Other action
22 June 1998 · Off Sokcho, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Fought between South Korea against North Korea
Forces One South Korean Pohang class corvette against one North Korean Yugo class submarine
Losses North Korea: the submarine captured, nine dead (five executed, four by suicide). South Korea: none
Result North Korean submarine and crew lost
On 22 June 1998 a North Korean Yugo class submarine was found off Sokcho and captured with the help of a South Korean corvette. All nine men aboard were dead, five killed by their comrades and four by suicide.
Why it is remembered It came less than two years after the Gangneung submarine infiltration.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Korean conflict
1998 Yosu submersible incident Single-ship action
17 to 18 December 1998 · Off Yosu, South Jeolla Province, South Korea
Fought between South Korea against North Korea
Forces Two South Korean Pohang class corvettes against one North Korean semi-submersible
Losses North Korea: the semi-submersible sunk, about four dead. South Korea: none
Result South Korean victory
On the evening of 17 December 1998 a South Korean observation post sighted a North Korean semi-submersible near Yosu. It was found and sunk in a search and skirmish the next morning.
Why it is remembered It was one of several North Korean infiltration attempts by sea in the late 1990s.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Korean conflict
First Battle of Yeonpyeong Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Yeonpyeong (1999); 제1연평해전 (Je Il Yeonpyeong Haejeon)
15 June 1999 · Northern Limit Line, off Yeonpyeong Island, Yellow Sea
Fought between South Korea against North Korea
Losses North Korea (South Korean claim): one torpedo boat sunk, three patrol boats severely and two slightly damaged, 17 to 30 killed, about 70 wounded. South Korea: one corvette and one patrol boat slightly damaged, nine wounded
Result South Korean victory
After several days of confrontation along the Northern Limit Line from 9 June 1999, the navies of North and South Korea fought off Yeonpyeong Island on 15 June. A North Korean torpedo boat was sunk and several patrol boats damaged.
Why it is remembered It was the first of the naval clashes off Yeonpyeong over the disputed maritime boundary.
Sources differ North Korean losses are South Korean claims; dead are given as 17 to 30.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Al-Qaeda attacks
USS Cole bombing Raid
Also known as Attack on USS Cole
12 October 2000 · Aden harbour, Yemen
Fought between Al-Qaeda against the United States
Commanders Commander Kirk Lippold (USS Cole)
Forces A small fibreglass boat with more than 450 kg of C-4 explosive and two suicide bombers, against the destroyer USS Cole
Ships USS Cole, MV Blue Marlin
Losses United States: 17 sailors killed and 37 injured; Cole holed. The two attackers also died.
Result Cole badly damaged but saved and repaired
While USS Cole was refuelling in Aden, a small boat came alongside and blew up, tearing a gash about 12 by 18 m in her port side. The crew brought the flooding under control within three days and the keel was found undamaged. The Norwegian heavy lift ship Blue Marlin carried her home to Pascagoula, Mississippi, where she was rebuilt.
Why it is remembered It was the deadliest attack on a United States naval vessel since the Stark incident of 1987 and led the Navy to change its rules of engagement and anti-terrorism measures. A memorial stands at Norfolk Naval Station.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Sgt. Don L. Maes, US Marine Corps, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Korean conflict
Second Battle of Yeonpyeong Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Yeonpyeong (2002); 제2연평해전 (Je I Yeonpyeong Haejeon)
29 June 2002 · Northern Limit Line, near Yeonpyeong Island, Yellow Sea
Fought between North Korea against South Korea
Commanders Yoon Yeong-ha, killed, Lee Hui-wan, wounded, Han Sang-guk, killed (South Korea); Kim Yeong-sik, killed (North Korea)
Forces Two North Korean patrol boats against two South Korean Chamsuri class patrol boats, with South Korean corvettes and patrol boats arriving later
Ships PKM-357
Losses South Korea: one patrol boat sunk, six killed, 18 wounded. North Korea (South Korean claim): one patrol boat severely damaged, 13 killed, 25 wounded
Result North Korean tactical victory
Two North Korean patrol boats crossed the disputed boundary and engaged two South Korean Chamsuri class patrol boats. One South Korean boat was sunk and six men were killed. The North Koreans withdrew before South Korean reinforcements arrived.
Why it is remembered It led to controversy in South Korea over the blocking manoeuvre used against boundary violations, which was then removed from the rules of engagement. A replica of PKM-357 is displayed at the War Memorial of Korea.
Sources differ North Korean losses are South Korean claims.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Iraq War, 2003 invasion of Iraq
Battle of Al Faw (2003) Landing or siege
20 to 24 March 2003 · Al Faw peninsula and Umm Qasr, southern Iraq, at the head of the Persian Gulf
Fought between United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Poland against Iraq
Forces Coalition: about 3,500 men of 3 Commando Brigade and the US 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, supported by warships. Iraq: over 1,000 men.
Ships HMS Richmond, HMS Marlborough, HMS Chatham, HMAS Anzac, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Ocean, HMS Sutherland, HMS Ledbury, HMS Bangor, HMS Sandown, HMS Brocklesby, RFA Sir Galahad, USS Valley Forge, USS Rushmore
Losses Coalition: 19 killed (15 British, 4 American). Iraq: over 150 killed and 440 captured.
Result Coalition victory
To seize the oil and gas platforms of the Al Faw peninsula before they could be destroyed, and to open the deep water port of Umm Qasr, Royal Marines and US Navy SEALs were landed by helicopter while HMS Richmond, Marlborough, Chatham and HMAS Anzac bombarded Iraqi positions. A US CH-46 Sea Knight crashed during the insertion on 20 March, killing seven Royal Marines, one Royal Navy operator and four US Marine aviators, and the landings went in about six hours late. Mine hunters cleared the Khawr Abd Allah so that Umm Qasr could be used.
Why it is remembered It opened the 2003 invasion of Iraq and secured Iraq's only deep water port. Plans to land Scimitar tanks by hovercraft were abandoned after mines were found on the beaches.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: UNEP / ChrisO (talk) (Uploads), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia; Operation Enduring Freedom, Horn of Africa
Action of 18 March 2006 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat au large de la Somalie le 18 mars 2006
18 March 2006 · 25 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia
Fought between United States against Somali pirates
Commanders Robert Randall Jr., James Yohe (United States)
Forces The destroyer USS Gonzalez and the cruiser USS Cape St. George of Combined Task Force 150, against three pirate skiffs
Ships USS Gonzalez, USS Cape St. George
Losses Pirates: one skiff destroyed, two captured, at least one killed, 12 captured, five of them wounded. United States: one cruiser superficially damaged
Result American victory
On 18 March 2006 two American warships of Combined Task Force 150 were attacked by pirates in skiffs off Somalia. They returned fire, destroying one skiff and capturing the other two. A Dutch ship arrived after the fighting ended.
Why it is remembered Pirates in skiffs attacked two American warships and were defeated, with most of them captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 3rd Class Stephen P. Weaver., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
Attack on Galle Harbour Raid
18 October 2006 · Galle Harbour and the naval base SLNS Dakshina, Galle, southern Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sea Tigers)
Commanders Commodore Manil Mendis (Sri Lanka)
Forces LTTE: 15 Sea Tigers in five boats
Losses Sri Lanka (navy figures): three naval vessels damaged, one sailor and one civilian killed, 12 sailors and 14 civilians wounded. LTTE (military figures): five boats, three of which exploded, at least nine killed
Result Disputed
On 18 October 2006 15 Sea Tigers in five boats made a suicide attack on Galle's commercial harbour and the navy base SLNS Dakshina in southern Sri Lanka.
Why it is remembered The Sea Tigers struck the tourist town of Galle in southern Sri Lanka, attacking both the commercial port and a navy base.
Sources differ The Sri Lanka Navy reported three vessels damaged; the South Asia Analysis Group reported three naval gunboats destroyed.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
Battle of Point Pedro (2006) Convoy battle
12 May 2006 · Off Point Pedro, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sea Tigers)
Commanders Wasantha Karannagoda, Lieutenant Commander Lalith Edirisinghe, killed (Sri Lanka); Colonel Soosai (LTTE)
Forces Sri Lanka: several gunboats escorting the troop transport MV Pearl Cruise II with 710 soldiers. LTTE: about 15 boats, including suicide craft
Ships MV Pearl Cruise II, P-148
Losses Sri Lanka: 17 killed, patrol boat P-148 sunk. LTTE: 54 killed, five boats sunk
Result Sri Lankan Navy victory; the transport was protected
Sri Lankan attack boats escorting the troop transport Pearl Cruise II to Jaffna were attacked by about 15 Sea Tiger boats. When his crew's fire failed to stop a suicide craft, Lieutenant Commander Edirisinghe rammed it with P-148 and both boats were destroyed. The Sea Tigers withdrew after losing five boats.
Why it is remembered The transport and her 710 soldiers were saved by the deliberate ramming of a suicide boat, which cost Edirisinghe and 16 of his men their lives.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
2007 attack on Colombo Harbour Raid
Also known as Attack on Colombo Harbour
27 January 2007 · Colombo Harbour, Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka Navy against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sea Tigers)
Forces LTTE: three suicide craft
Losses LTTE: three boats exploded
Result Sri Lanka Navy victory
On 27 January 2007 three Sea Tiger suicide craft attacked Colombo Harbour, Sri Lanka's main commercial port. All three boats exploded.
Why it is remembered It was the second Sea Tiger suicide attack on Colombo Harbour, after that of April 1996.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia
Action of 28 October 2007 Single-ship action
28 October 2007 · Gulf of Aden, off Socotra
Fought between United States against Somali pirates
Forces Two American destroyers against two pirate skiffs holding a captured tanker
Ships USS Porter
Losses Pirates: two skiffs sunk. United States: none
Result American victory; the captured vessel freed
On 28 October 2007 two United States Navy destroyers acted against Somali pirates who had seized a tanker. Two pirate skiffs were sunk, one of them set on fire by 25 mm rounds from USS Porter.
Why it is remembered United States destroyers sank the pirate skiffs and freed the captured tanker.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: The original uploader was XavierGreen at English Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
Battle of Delft Fleet battle
25 December 2007 · Off Delft Island, Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sea Tigers)
Forces Sri Lanka: 12 fast attack craft, helicopter gunships and Kfir fighter jets. LTTE: unknown
Losses Government figures: 12 Sri Lankan dead and one boat damaged; six Tiger boats sunk and 40 Tigers killed. Rebel figures: one navy vessel sunk and one damaged; four Tigers dead
Result Disputed; both sides claimed victory
The Sri Lankan Navy received reports of a cluster of boats off Delft Island and moved in to investigate, and a hard fought sea battle followed.
Why it is remembered Both sides claimed victory and their accounts of losses differ widely.
Sources differ The pro-rebel Tamilnet claimed one navy vessel sunk and 10 navy casualties; the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry claimed six Tiger boats sunk and over 40 Tigers killed. The main account gives government figures of 12 Sri Lankan dead and rebel figures of four Tigers dead.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War (Eelam War IV)
Battle of Point Pedro (2007) Fleet battle
Also known as Bitwa morska pod Pedro Point
19 June 2007 · Off Point Pedro, near Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sea Tigers)
Commanders Wasantha Karannagoda (Sri Lanka); Colonel Soosai (LTTE)
Forces Sri Lanka: patrol boats of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla supported by Sri Lanka Air Force Mi-24 helicopter gunships. LTTE: 24 boats
Losses LTTE: nine boats sunk and 40 killed (alleged). Sri Lanka: none
Result Sri Lankan victory
On 19 June 2007 Sea Tiger boats attacked several Sri Lankan Navy patrol boats off Point Pedro. With the help of Mi-24 gunships the attackers were driven off, reportedly losing nine boats and 40 men.
Why it is remembered It was a sea battle of the final phase of the Sri Lankan civil war in which the navy suffered no losses.
Sources differ The English account gives 24 Sea Tiger boats; the Polish account estimates 15 to 29 boats. Tiger losses are alleged figures.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipedia (PL)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia
Action of 11 November 2008 Single-ship action
11 November 2008 · Gulf of Aden, 60 nautical miles south of the Yemeni coast
Fought between United Kingdom against Somali pirates
Commanders Peter Sparkes (United Kingdom)
Forces Two frigates, including HMS Cumberland, with Royal Marines in two rigid inflatable boats, against one armed pirate dhow with twelve men
Ships HMS Cumberland
Losses Pirates: three killed, eight captured, the dhow captured (the main account gives two killed). United Kingdom: none
Result British victory
HMS Cumberland, attached to the NATO task force, tried to board a pirate dhow in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates opened fire with assault rifles, and after a brief exchange with the Royal Marines the dhow was captured.
Why it is remembered The Times called it the first fatal shoot-out on the high seas for the Royal Navy in living memory, and other papers said it was the first time since the Falklands War that the Royal Navy had killed anyone at sea.
Sources differ One account gives two pirates killed, another account three. Russia said its forces also fought the pirates; the Royal Navy disputes this.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia; Operation Atalanta
Carré d'As IV incident Raid
2 to 16 September 2008 · Gulf of Aden, off Somalia
Fought between France, with Germany and Malaysia, against Somali pirates
Commanders Nicolas Sarkozy (France, ordered the raid)
Forces France: one La Fayette class frigate and 30 commandos; Germany: two reconnaissance aircraft. Pirates: seven men aboard the hijacked yacht.
Ships Carré d'As IV
Losses Pirates: 1 killed and 6 captured. France: none.
Result French victory; the yacht was recaptured and the two hostages rescued
On 2 September 2008 seven armed Somali pirates seized the French yacht Carré d'As IV and her two crew in the Gulf of Aden, demanding a ransom and the release of pirates captured after the Le Ponant raid. On 16 September, on Sarkozy's orders, French special forces raided the yacht, rescued the hostages, killed one pirate and captured the other six.
Why it is remembered It was the second French counter-piracy commando operation of 2008 and led to the first French trial of Somali pirates; five were convicted and one acquitted.
Sources differ One account dates the raid to 16 September 2008; another account ends the incident on 15 September.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Navy photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
Battle off Kallarawa Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kallarawa
25 March 2008 · Off Kallarawa, Sri Lanka
Fought between Sri Lanka Navy against the Sea Tigers
Forces Sri Lanka: several fast attack craft. Sea Tigers: ten fast attack craft and six suicide boats
Losses Government claims: no Sri Lankan losses, one Tiger craft damaged
Result The Sri Lankan Navy claimed to have forced the rebels to withdraw
On 25 March 2008 a Sri Lankan naval patrol intercepted a Sea Tiger patrol off Kallarawa and a sea fight followed.
Why it is remembered It was one of the naval clashes of the last phase of the Sri Lankan civil war.
Sources differ Losses rest on government claims only.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Russo-Georgian War
Battle off the coast of Abkhazia Fleet battle
Also known as Naval engagement off the coast of Abkhazia
10 August 2008 · Black Sea off Abkhazia, near Ochamchire
Fought between Russia against Georgia
Forces Russian Black Sea Fleet: four landing ships, a cruiser, a destroyer, five corvettes, two minesweepers, a spy ship and an ocean tug. Georgia: four or five patrol boats, among them the Stenka class P-21 Giorgi Toreli, the tug Gantiadi and possibly the fast attack craft Dioskuria
Ships Mirazh; Giorgi Toreli, Gantiadi, Dioskuria
Losses Georgia (Russian claim): Giorgi Toreli destroyed and one other vessel damaged. Russia: none
Result Russian victory (disputed)
On 10 August 2008 Russian Black Sea Fleet warships and Georgian patrol boats are said to have clashed off Abkhazia near Ochamchire. Russia claimed the patrol boat Giorgi Toreli was destroyed and another vessel damaged.
Why it is remembered It is the only naval clash of the Russo-Georgian War, but whether it took place as Russia described is disputed.
Sources differ The engagement is described as supposed; the result and the Georgian losses rest on Russian claims.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: ru:Участник:Водник, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Sri Lankan Civil War
Battle off the coast of Jaffna Fleet battle
1 November 2008 · Northern territorial waters of Sri Lanka, off Jaffna
Fought between Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sea Tigers)
According to Sri Lankan sources, the navy met Sea Tiger craft off Jaffna on 1 November 2008 and the two sides exchanged fire.
Why it is remembered It was one of the late sea battles of the Sri Lankan civil war.
Sources differ The date and course of the battle rest on Sri Lankan sources.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia (Operation Atalanta)
Action of 19 May 2009 Single-ship action
19 May 2009 · Gulf of Aden
Fought between Sweden and Greece against Somali pirates
Commanders Magnus Jönsson (Sweden)
Forces The Swedish patrol ship HSwMS Malmö with at least seven soldiers, and the Greek cargo ship MV Antonis, against two pirate boats with at least seven men
Ships HSwMS Malmö, MV Antonis
Losses Pirates: seven captured, two guns taken. Sweden and Greece: none
Result Swedish and Greek victory
Somali pirates tried to seize the Greek cargo ship Antonis in the Gulf of Aden. HSwMS Malmö intervened and captured seven pirates.
Why it is remembered It was an action of the Swedish Navy against piracy under Operation Atalanta.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: BigStuart at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia (Operation Atalanta)
April 2009 raid off Somalia Raid
Also known as Operation Tanit
9 April 2009 · 20 miles off Somalia
Fought between France and Germany against Somali pirates
Commanders Guillaume Goutay (France)
Forces France: three frigates, 70 marine commandos and a C-130 Hercules. Germany: one frigate. Pirates: five men aboard the yacht
Ships Tanit
Losses Pirates: two killed, three captured, yacht retaken. One civilian killed. France and Germany: none
Result Franco-German victory; the yacht retaken
Somali pirates seized the French yacht Tanit on 4 April 2009 and held her occupants hostage for ransom. On 9 April French naval forces stormed the yacht. Two pirates and one hostage were killed.
Why it is remembered It was a hostage rescue at sea by French forces during the EU's Operation Atalanta.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Korean conflict
Daecheong incident Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Daecheong
10 November 2009 · Off Daecheong Island, Northern Limit Line, Yellow Sea
Fought between South Korea against North Korea
Forces One North Korean gunboat against one South Korean frigate and four patrol boats
Losses North Korea: the gunboat moderately damaged, eight wounded. South Korea: one patrol boat slightly damaged, with 15 bullet marks
Result Inconclusive
On 10 November 2009 the South and North Korean navies skirmished near the Northern Limit Line off Daecheong Island. The North Korean gunboat was moderately damaged and a South Korean patrol boat was hit by small arms fire.
Why it is remembered It was another clash on the disputed Northern Limit Line, ten years after the first battle of Yeonpyeong.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia
Maersk Alabama hijacking Other action
8 to 12 April 2009 · Somali Basin, 240 nautical miles south east of Eyl, Somalia
Fought between Crew of Maersk Alabama and the United States Navy against Somali pirates
Commanders Captain Richard Phillips (Maersk Alabama); Abduwali Muse (pirates)
Forces 23 crew, supported by the United States Navy, against four hijackers
Ships Maersk Alabama (now MV Tygra)
Losses Pirates: three killed, one captured. Crew and United States Navy: none
Result All hostages rescued
On 8 April 2009 four pirates seized the cargo ship Maersk Alabama far off the Somali coast. The siege ended on 12 April with a rescue by the United States Navy, in which three pirates were killed and the fourth captured.
Why it is remembered It was the first successful pirate seizure of a United States flagged ship since the early nineteenth century. Captain Phillips told the story in the book A Captain's Duty (2010), filmed as Captain Phillips (2013) with Tom Hanks.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia (Operation Ocean Shield)
Action of 1 April 2010 Single-ship action
1 April 2010 · Indian Ocean, west of the Seychelles
Fought between United States against Somali pirates
Forces The frigate USS Nicholas against a pirate skiff and its mother ship
Ships USS Nicholas
Losses Pirates: the skiff sunk, the mother ship seized, five captured. United States: none
Result American victory
At about 12.27 am on 1 April 2010 a suspected pirate skiff fired on USS Nicholas in international waters west of the Seychelles. The frigate returned fire and chased the skiff until it stopped; her boarding party detained three men and sank the skiff. Two more suspects were captured on the mother ship, which was seized.
Why it is remembered The pirates had attacked a warship. In November 2010 a federal jury in Virginia convicted the five Somalis of piracy.
Sources Wikipedia · globalsecurity.org · foreignpolicy.com · mg.co.za
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia (Operation Atalanta)
Action of 23 March 2010 Single-ship action
23 March 2010 · About 60 miles south of Haradere, Somalia, Indian Ocean
Fought between Spain (EU NAVFOR) and the guards of MV Almezaan against Somali pirates
Forces The Spanish frigate ESPS Navarra with her helicopter, and an armed security detachment aboard MV Almezaan, against a pirate mother ship and two skiffs
Ships MV Almezaan, ESPS Navarra
Losses Pirates: one killed, six captured, the mother ship destroyed. Almezaan and Navarra: none
Result Pirates defeated and captured
Early on 23 March 2010 pirates attacked the Panamanian flagged cargo ship Almezaan, bound for Mogadishu. Her armed guards beat off two attacks. The frigate Navarra sent her helicopter, which found the skiffs and fired warning shots when they would not stop, and a boarding team from Navarra took a skiff. One pirate was found dead from gunshot wounds, six were taken aboard Navarra and the mother ship was destroyed.
Why it is remembered Almezaan had been seized twice by pirates in 2009. Private guards on board are reported to have killed a pirate, an unusual event at the time.
Sources differ The account of Almezaan dates the attack to 20 March 2010 and says the six suspects were released when the master and crew refused to testify; EU NAVFOR reports give 23 March and only describe the detention.
Sources Wikipedia · bruxelles2.eu · eunavfor.eu · thenationalnews.com
Image: PH3 Mark A. Martinez, US Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia
Action of 30 March 2010 Single-ship action
30 March 2010 · 25 nautical miles off Somalia, Indian Ocean
Fought between Seychelles against Somali pirates
Commanders Simon Laurecine (Seychelles)
Forces The Seychelles Coast Guard patrol vessel Topaz against an armed dhow, a trawler and two skiffs
Ships Topaz
Losses Pirates: the dhow, the trawler and one skiff sunk, nine captured. One civilian wounded. Seychelles: none
Result Seychellois victory; 27 hostages freed
On 30 March 2010 the Seychelles patrol boat Topaz engaged two groups of Somali pirate vessels. She sank the armed dhow, a trawler and a skiff and freed 27 hostages held by the pirates.
Why it is remembered A single small coast guard vessel freed twenty-seven hostages.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Mervyn Marie, Seychelles News Agency, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia (Operation Atalanta)
Action of 5 April 2010 Raid
Also known as Bevrijding van de Taipan (Liberation of the Taipan)
5 April 2010 · About 500 nautical miles off Somalia, Indian Ocean
Fought between Netherlands against Somali pirates
Commanders Commander Hans Lodder (Netherlands)
Forces The Dutch frigate HNLMS Tromp with a Lynx helicopter and the Marine Intervention Unit, against ten pirates with two skiffs and a mother ship
Ships Taipan, HNLMS Tromp
Losses Pirates: all ten captured unharmed. Netherlands: one marine injured in a fall. The 15 crew were unharmed
Result Dutch victory; the ship freed
At about 12.45 on 5 April 2010 Somali pirates boarded the German container ship Taipan; the crew cut her power and shut themselves in a safe room. Tromp arrived about two hours later, fired warning shots to keep the mother ship away and used her .50 calibre machine guns, and marines roped down from the Lynx. In about 45 minutes the marines took all ten pirates.
Why it is remembered The pirates were tried in Hamburg and sentenced to two to seven years, the first piracy trial in Germany in about 400 years.
Sources Wikipedia · Wikipedia (NL)
Image: Ministerie van Defensie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Blockade of the Gaza Strip
Gaza flotilla raid Raid
Also known as Mavi Marmara raid
31 May 2010 · International waters of the eastern Mediterranean
Fought between Israel against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla (Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish IHH)
Forces Israeli Navy Shayetet 13 commandos boarding from speedboats and helicopters, against six civilian ships including the Mavi Marmara with about 590 aboard
Ships Mavi Marmara
Losses Flotilla: 9 killed (8 Turkish nationals and 1 Turkish American) and about 30 wounded, with a tenth man dying in 2014. Israel: 10 soldiers wounded, one seriously.
Result Flotilla stopped and towed to Israel; widespread international condemnation
Israel told the flotilla by radio to divert to Ashdod, and when it refused naval commandos boarded the ships. On the Mavi Marmara about 40 passengers resisted with iron bars and knives and fighting broke out; the order of events is disputed. The other five ships, whose passengers resisted passively, were towed to Israel and the passengers deported.
Why it is remembered Relations between Israel and Turkey broke down, and a UN panel led by Geoffrey Palmer called the force used excessive and unreasonable. Israel later eased its blockade of Gaza and in 2016 agreed compensation of 20 million dollars.
Sources differ The sequence of events on the Mavi Marmara is disputed, partly because the Israeli forces confiscated passengers' photographs.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Free Gaza movement, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Korean conflict
ROKS Cheonan sinking Air and submarine attack
Also known as Sinking of ROKS Cheonan; Baengnyeong incident
26 March 2010 · Near Baengnyeong Island, Yellow Sea
Fought between South Korea against North Korea (presumed)
Commanders Choi Won-il (South Korea)
Forces The Pohang class corvette ROKS Cheonan, with 104 aboard; a North Korean Yono class submarine according to the official investigation
Ships ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772)
Losses South Korea: 46 killed, 58 wounded, Cheonan sunk
Result Cheonan sunk; a South Korean led investigation blamed a North Korean torpedo, which North Korea denies
On 26 March 2010 the corvette Cheonan sank off South Korea's west coast near Baengnyeong Island, with the loss of 46 men. An international investigation led by South Korea concluded in May 2010 that she had been sunk by a torpedo fired by a North Korean midget submarine.
Why it is remembered South Korea imposed the May 24 measures against North Korea in response. The cause remains disputed: North Korea denied responsibility, China doubted the findings, and the UN Security Council condemned the attack without naming the attacker.
Sources differ The official South Korean led report blamed a North Korean torpedo; North Korea denies it, China called the official account lacking in credibility, and a Russian Navy investigation was not made public.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia
Operation Dawn 8: Gulf of Aden Raid
Also known as Operasi Fajar 8
20 January 2011 · 300 miles south east of Muscat, Oman, near the Gulf of Aden
Fought between Malaysia against Somali pirates
Commanders Comm. Nazri Sharif, Lt. Cmdr Mohd Maznan Mohd Said, Lt. Noor Asri Roslan, Lt. Jason Solomon John (Malaysia); Ahmed Othman Jamal, Abdil Eid Hasan, both surrendered (pirates)
Forces The Malaysian vessel MT Bunga Mas Lima with a Super Lynx helicopter and 14 PASKAL commandos in two rigid-hulled inflatable boats, against 7 to 18 pirates in a skiff
Ships MV Bunga Laurel, MT Bunga Mas Lima
Losses Pirates: three wounded and captured, four more captured. Malaysia: none
Result Malaysian victory; all 23 crew of MV Bunga Laurel rescued
After pirates hijacked the tanker Bunga Laurel, a Malaysian shipborne protection team trailed her through the night and retook her by force on 20 January 2011. Three pirates were wounded and four captured, and all 23 crew were rescued.
Why it is remembered It was a Royal Malaysian Navy rescue at sea in the Somali piracy campaign carried out by the PASKAL commando unit.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Rizuan (talk) Original uploader was Rizuan at ms.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia
Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden Raid
Also known as 아덴만 여명 작전
18 to 21 January 2011 · Arabian Sea, near the Gulf of Aden
Fought between South Korea, supported by Oman and the United States, against Somali pirates
Commanders Cho Young-joo (South Korea); Abdi Risqe Shakh, killed, Suti Ali Harut, killed (pirates)
Forces One South Korean destroyer, a helicopter and 30 naval special forces commandos, against 17 to 20 pirates aboard the chemical tanker Samho Jewelry
Ships Samho Jewelry
Losses Pirates: at least four killed or missing on 18 January; eight killed and five captured on 21 January. South Korea: three wounded on 18 January. One civilian wounded
Result South Korean victory; all 21 hostages rescued
Somali pirates seized the South Korean chemical tanker Samho Jewelry, and South Korea sent a destroyer with 30 naval commandos. After trailing the tanker for several days and a first clash that put four pirates out of action, the commandos boarded and retook the ship on 21 January 2011.
Why it is remembered All 21 crew of the tanker were rescued unharmed by a South Korean boarding by force.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia (Operation Island Watch)
Battle of Minicoy Island Single-ship action
28 January 2011 · Off Minicoy Island, Indian Ocean
Fought between India against Somali pirates
Commanders Arun Bahuguna (India); Usman Salad (pirates)
Forces The Indian Navy patrol vessel INS Cankarso against the pirate held trawler Prantalay 14
Ships INS Cankarso, Prantalay 14
Losses Pirates: ten killed, 15 captured, the trawler sunk. India: none
Result Indian victory; 20 hostages rescued
Pirates aboard the former Thai fishing trawler Prantalay 14 resisted and attacked the patrol vessel INS Cankarso. In a long surface action off Minicoy Island the Indians sank the trawler and rescued twenty captives.
Why it is remembered It was a single ship action of the Indian Navy against Somali pirates.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: http://indiannavy.nic.in/about-indian-navy/about-us, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Piracy off Somalia
MV Beluga Nomination incident Single-ship action
22 to 26 January 2011 · Off Somalia, Indian Ocean
Fought between Denmark and Seychelles against Somali pirates
Forces The Danish flexible support ship HDMS Esbern Snare and a Seychelles patrol boat, against pirates holding two freighters
Ships MV Beluga Nomination, HDMS Esbern Snare
Losses Pirates: one or two killed, one freighter damaged. Four civilians killed and two rescued
Result Pirate victory; the rescue attempt failed
A few days after pirates took the German freighter Beluga Nomination, a Seychelles patrol boat and HDMS Esbern Snare encountered them and attempted a rescue. The attempt failed; two civilians were rescued and four were killed.
Why it is remembered It was a failed rescue in which crew members of the captured freighter lost their lives.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Russo-Ukrainian War
Kerch Strait incident Single-ship action
25 November 2018 · Kerch Strait and international waters off Crimea
Fought between Russia (FSB coast guard) against Ukraine
Forces Russian coast guard patrol boats, including Don, against two Ukrainian Gyurza-M artillery boats and the tug Yany Kapu
Ships Yany Kapu, Don
Losses Ukraine: three vessels captured, three crew injured, all 24 sailors detained
Result Russian victory; three Ukrainian vessels captured
Three Ukrainian Navy vessels bound for Mariupol tried to pass through the Kerch Strait into the Sea of Azov. Russian coast guard boats tried to stop them, the patrol boat Don rammed the tug Yany Kapu, and a cargo ship was placed under the Crimean Bridge to block the passage. After eight hours the Ukrainians turned back, and the Russians pursued them, fired on them and seized all three vessels off Crimea.
Why it is remembered It was the first time Russian forces had openly engaged Ukrainian forces in the war. Ukraine declared martial law in border and coastal regions, and Western leaders cited it when discussing sanctions.
Sources differ Russia said the ships had entered its waters without following procedure and were manoeuvring dangerously; Ukraine said it had given notice and that the 2003 treaty guaranteed free passage.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Міністерство оборони України, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945
2019 SEAL Team Six operation in North Korea Other action
About February 2019 · Off the coast of North Korea
Fought between United States against North Korea
Forces Red Squadron of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (SEAL Team Six)
Losses North Korea: two or three civilians killed
Result Mission aborted after detection
SEAL Team Six attempted to plant a covert listening device to intercept North Korean communications during the nuclear talks between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump. The team met a small boat carrying shellfishermen and opened fire on it, which gave away the mission, and the operation was abandoned.
Why it is remembered It was kept secret until The New York Times revealed it on 5 September 2025.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Andrew McKaskle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Crisis in Venezuela
Operation Gideon (2020) Landing or siege
Also known as Operación Gedeón
3 to 4 May 2020 · Off Macuto and Chuao, Caribbean coast of Venezuela
Fought between Venezuelan government forces against Venezuelan dissidents and the American firm Silvercorp USA
Commanders Nicolás Maduro, Diosdado Cabello, Vladimir Padrino López and Néstor Reverol (Venezuela); Jordan Goudreau and Clíver Alcalá Cordones (dissidents)
Forces Two boats carrying about 60 Venezuelan dissidents and two American former Green Berets
Losses Invaders: at least 6 killed in the first boat; all but four captured
Result Venezuelan government victory; the plot was foiled
Expatriate former Venezuelan soldiers planned to land at Macuto by boat, seize an airfield and capture Maduro. Two boats set out from eastern Colombia toward the coast north of Caracas, and both were intercepted before they reached land. At least six men in the first boat were killed, and all but four of the invaders, including the two Americans, were captured in the landing attempt or the searches that followed.
Why it is remembered Venezuelan intelligence and the Associated Press knew of it beforehand, and commentators described it as amateurish, underfunded and a suicide mission.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Prensa Presidencial, Government of Venezuela, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945
2021 Black Sea incident Other action
23 June 2021 · Black Sea, between Odesa and Batumi
Fought between Russia against the United Kingdom (with the Netherlands)
Commanders Vladimir Putin, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov (Russia); Boris Johnson, Commander Vince Owen (United Kingdom)
Forces Two Russian patrol boats and a Su-24 aircraft against the destroyer HMS Defender
Ships HMS Defender
Result HMS Defender continued her passage and reached Batumi
HMS Defender was sailing from Odesa to Batumi when, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence, a Russian patrol boat fired warning shots and a Su-24 dropped bombs near her. Defender reached Batumi three days later.
Why it is remembered It was a diplomatic incident between Russia and Britain over the waters off Crimea.
Sources differ The warning shots and bombs are reported on the word of the Russian Ministry of Defence.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Berdiansk port attack Raid
24 March 2022 · Port of Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Sea of Azov
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian army forces (19th Missile Brigade) against Russian landing ships in port
Ships Saratov, Tsezar Kunikov, Novocherkassk
Losses Russia: Saratov sunk, Tsezar Kunikov and Novocherkassk damaged, at least 11 crew killed (unconfirmed). Ukraine: none
Result Ukrainian success
On 24 March 2022 Ukrainian forces struck Russian Navy ships moored in the Port of Berdiansk. The Alligator class landing ship Saratov was sunk, and one of two Ropucha class landing ships was damaged but left the port.
Why it is remembered At the time it was the heaviest naval loss Russia had suffered in the invasion and one of Ukraine's most significant successes.
Sources differ One account says one Ropucha class ship was damaged; another account lists both Tsezar Kunikov and Novocherkassk as damaged.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Missile strike on the Banglar Samriddhi Air and submarine attack
2 March 2022 · Port of Mykolaiv, Ukraine
Fought between Russia against a Bangladeshi merchant ship
Forces Russian missile; the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation bulk carrier Banglar Samriddhi
Ships Banglar Samriddhi
Losses One crew member, Hadisur Rahman, killed; ship set on fire
Result Ship hit and set on fire
The Bangladeshi bulk carrier Banglar Samriddhi, lying at Mykolaiv in the first days of the invasion, was struck by a Russian missile and set on fire. One of her crew, Hadisur Rahman, was killed.
Why it is remembered It was among the first merchant ships hit in a Ukrainian port after the invasion began, and a crew member died.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: CapTom, via MarineTraffic
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Sinking of the Moskva Air and submarine attack
Also known as Loss of the cruiser Moskva
13 to 14 April 2022 · Black Sea, about 65 to 80 nautical miles south of Odesa, east of Snake Island
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Commanders Andrii Shubin, Ukrainian Navy artillery brigade (Ukraine, as named by a Russian court); Captain 1st rank Anton Kuprin, commanding officer of Moskva (Russia)
Forces Ukrainian land based R-360 Neptune anti-ship missile launcher near Odesa, possibly with a Bayraktar TB2 drone; the Russian Slava class cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Black Sea Fleet
Ships Moskva, Kommuna, Vasily Bykov
Losses Russia: Moskva sunk. Russia first gave 1 killed, 27 missing and 396 rescued; a Moscow military court in January 2026 cited 20 dead, 24 injured and 8 missing. Ukraine claimed about 452 killed. Independent estimates range from about 37 to about 300 killed.
Result Ukrainian success; Moskva sank on 14 April 2022
Ukraine said it hit the cruiser with two R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles fired from a land based launcher near Odesa, and the United States later confirmed this. A Bayraktar TB2 drone may have distracted the crew or spotted the target. Russia at first blamed an ammunition fire and later said the ship sank under tow in stormy weather. The salvage ship Kommuna with the AS-28 submersible later visited the wreck, which lies at 45 to 50 m.
Why it is remembered Moskva was the largest Soviet or Russian warship sunk in action since the Second World War and the first Russian flagship lost in wartime since Knyaz Suvorov in 1905. The wreck has been declared underwater cultural heritage.
Sources differ Crew aboard: 485 according to Lithuania's defence minister, 510 according to Ukraine's Oleksiy Danilov. Casualties: Russia said 1 killed and 27 missing, later 20 killed, 24 injured and 8 missing; Ukraine claimed about 452 killed; Meduza gave 37 killed, Novaya Gazeta Europe 40, Naval News about 240, Business Insider 300. Strike position given as about 65 or about 80 nautical miles south of Odesa.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Sinking of the Vasily Bekh Air and submarine attack
17 June 2022 · Black Sea
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian anti-ship missiles; the Russian Navy rescue tug Vasily Bekh
Ships Vasily Bekh
Losses Russia: Vasily Bekh sunk, according to Ukraine and British military intelligence. Casualties not stated.
Result Ukrainian success
Ukraine said it sank the Russian rescue tug Vasily Bekh with two Harpoon anti-ship missiles. On 21 June 2022 British military intelligence said she had almost certainly been sunk.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Press service of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Snake Island campaign Landing or siege
24 February to 30 June 2022 · Snake Island, Odesa Oblast, Black Sea
Fought between Russia against Ukraine
Forces Russia: the missile cruiser Moskva and the patrol ship Vasily Bykov at the seizure. Ukraine: about 80 servicemen on the island
Ships Moskva, Vasily Bykov, Vasily Bekh
Losses Russian seizure: about 80 Ukrainians captured and a search and rescue boat seized. Ukrainian counter-attacks (Ukrainian figures): the cruiser Moskva, four Raptor boats, a Serna class landing craft, the tug Vasily Bekh, a helicopter and air defence systems; Ukrainian losses include ten killed, two Su-24MR aircraft and a Bayraktar TB2 drone
Result Ukrainian victory; Russia withdrew on 30 June 2022
On 24 February 2022, the first day of the invasion, the Russian Navy attacked Snake Island and captured its garrison. Ukraine then struck Russian forces on and around the island with anti-ship missiles, aircraft, artillery and missiles. Russian forces left the island on 30 June, calling it a goodwill gesture.
Why it is remembered A recording of the garrison's defiant radio reply to the cruiser Moskva went viral and made the island widely known.
Sources differ Ukrainian sources give 80 servicemen captured; Russian sources give 82, with six boats sunk. Russian losses in the recapture are Ukrainian figures.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis (Operation Prosperity Guardian)
Attacks on the MV Maersk Hangzhou Single-ship action
Also known as 2023 attacks on the Maersk Hangzhou
30 to 31 December 2023 · Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
Fought between Houthis against the United States
Commanders Abdul-Malik al-Houthi (Houthis); Marc Miguez (United States)
Forces Houthis: four fast attack craft and coastal missile batteries. United States: the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and two destroyers, including USS Gravely, with Maersk security personnel aboard the freighter
Ships Maersk Hangzhou, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Gravely
Losses Houthis: three fast attack craft sunk, ten killed. Maersk Hangzhou damaged
Result The boarding was repelled, but Maersk halted Red Sea shipping, a gain for the Houthis
On 30 December 2023 Houthi forces attacked the container ship Maersk Hangzhou. Early next day they attacked again and tried to board her. Answering her distress call, American forces from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely, with the ship's own security team, beat off the attack and sank three Houthi boats.
Why it is remembered Maersk paused all shipping through the Red Sea for 48 hours and on 2 January 2024 halted it altogether.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: MC3 Janae Chambers, US Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis
Hijacking of the Galaxy Leader Blockade and raiding
19 November 2023 · Red Sea, near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah
Fought between Houthis (Yemen) against a Bahamas flagged merchant ship
Forces At least 10 armed Houthi fighters landed by military helicopter; the car carrier Galaxy Leader with 25 crew
Ships Galaxy Leader
Losses Ship seized; 25 crew taken hostage, some injured
Result Houthi seizure of the ship; crew freed after 430 days
Houthi fighters landed from a helicopter on the British owned, Japanese operated car carrier Galaxy Leader, sailing from Turkey to India, and took her to Hodeidah. They filmed the boarding and released the footage the next day. The 25 crew, 17 of them Filipino, were held for 430 days and released to Oman in January 2025. The ship was later hit by United States airstrikes in 2025 and by Israel on 6 July 2025, and by April 2026 she lay partly sunk by the stern near a beach.
Why it is remembered The Houthis released film of the helicopter boarding as propaganda, and the crew were held for 430 days.
Sources Wikipedia · bairdmaritime.com
Since 1945 · Gaza war; Yemeni civil war; Iran and Israel proxy conflict
Red Sea crisis Blockade and raiding
19 October 2023 onwards · Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb, with attacks also on Israel and elsewhere
Fought between Houthis, backed by Iran, against shipping and against Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and their partners
Forces Houthi missiles, drones and boats against merchant ships; the escort operations Prosperity Guardian and Aspides and other naval patrols
Losses 178 vessels attacked during the Houthi blockade, four ships sunk and nine sailors killed, by ACLED figures
Result Ongoing; Houthi attacks on shipping halted in October 2025 and resumed against Saudi shipping in July 2026
From October 2023 the Houthis fired missiles and drones at Israel and attacked merchant and naval vessels in the Red Sea that they said were linked to Israel, though many were not. Hundreds of ships were rerouted around South Africa. The United States led Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect shipping, and from January 2024 American and British forces struck Houthi targets.
Why it is remembered It disrupted world trade through the Bab-el-Mandeb and the Suez route; in May 2026 traffic was still about 31 ships a day against 75 before the war.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: U.S. Air Force photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Strike on the Askold Air and submarine attack
4 November 2023 · Zalyv shipyard, Kerch, Crimea
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian cruise missiles; the new Russian Karakurt class corvette Askold
Ships Askold
Losses Russia: Askold damaged; Ukraine said destroyed
Result Ukrainian success
Ukrainian cruise missiles hit the Karakurt class corvette Askold at the Zalyv shipyard in Kerch. On 6 November President Zelenskyy said the ship had been destroyed.
Sources differ Damaged according to the list of losses; destroyed according to Zelenskyy.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Press Service of the President of Russia, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Strike on the Sevastopol shipyard (2023) Air and submarine attack
Also known as Attack on Minsk and Rostov-on-Don
13 September 2023 · Sevastopol, Crimea
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian Su-24 aircraft with Storm Shadow missiles; the Russian landing ship Minsk and the Kilo class submarine Rostov-on-Don (B-237)
Ships Minsk, Rostov-on-Don (B-237)
Losses Russia: Minsk visibly destroyed; Rostov-on-Don reported by an analyst as damaged beyond economic repair
Result Ukrainian success
Ukrainian Su-24 bombers fired Storm Shadow missiles at ships in Sevastopol. The Ropucha class landing ship Minsk was visibly destroyed and the submarine Rostov-on-Don was badly damaged. Russia said it would repair both. On the same day a Russian Tunets class patrol boat was sunk, and on 14 September the patrol ship Sergey Kotov was damaged by a sea drone.
Why it is remembered A submarine and a large landing ship were knocked out in a single strike on the Sevastopol naval base.
Sources differ Russia said both vessels would be repaired; an analyst assessed Rostov-on-Don as damaged beyond economic repair.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Attack on the Ivan Khurs Air and submarine attack
24 May 2023 · Black Sea, in waters near Turkey
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels (sea drones); the Russian Yury Ivanov class intelligence ship Ivan Khurs
Ships Ivan Khurs
Losses Russia: Ivan Khurs possibly damaged. Ukraine: at least one sea drone destroyed by the ship's fire
Result Inconclusive; the ship was possibly damaged
Ukrainian sea drones attacked the intelligence ship Ivan Khurs at sea. Footage showed one drone destroyed by the ship and one detonating on collision. The ship was reported damaged again by a missile strike on Sevastopol on 23 March 2024.
Why it is remembered Footage of the attack showed the ship's crew engaging the drones at close range.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Attack on the Novocherkassk at Feodosia Air and submarine attack
Also known as Feodosia port strike
26 December 2023 · Port of Feodosia, Crimea
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian air launched cruise missiles; the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk
Ships Novocherkassk
Losses Russia: Novocherkassk destroyed according to Ukraine. Russia confirmed damage and one killed; a Ukrainian source reported 74 killed and 27 wounded.
Result Ukrainian success; ship destroyed
Air launched cruise missiles struck the landing ship Novocherkassk in Feodosia harbour. Ukraine said she was destroyed; her wreck was removed in late January or early February 2024. She had already been damaged at Berdiansk on 24 March 2022.
Why it is remembered Ukraine's reported death toll of 74 would make it one of the deadliest single strikes on a Russian ship in the war.
Sources differ Russia admitted one killed; a Ukrainian source reported 74 killed and 27 wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Chernilevsky, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Attack on the Olenegorsky Gornyak Raid
Also known as Novorossiysk sea drone attack of 4 August 2023
4 August 2023 · Near Novorossiysk, Russia
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces A joint Security Service of Ukraine and Ukrainian Navy operation, possibly a sea drone; the Russian Ropucha class landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak
Ships Olenegorsky Gornyak
Losses Russia: Olenegorsky Gornyak seriously damaged and towed to port
Result Ukrainian success; ship seriously damaged
The landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak was seriously damaged near Novorossiysk in an operation by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy, probably using a sea drone, and was towed into port. The next day the Russian chemical tanker Sig was damaged near the Kerch Strait.
Why it is remembered It carried the sea drone campaign to the Russian coast at Novorossiysk.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Gaza war (October 7 attacks)
Zikim attack Landing or siege
7 October 2023 · Zikim beach and military bases near Zikim, southern Israel
Fought between Hamas against Israel
Commanders Ahmed Musa (Hamas); Lt. Col. Shay, Capt. Adir Abudi, killed, First Lt. Or Moses, killed, Col. Eitan Paz (Israel)
Forces Hamas: 38 Qassam naval commandos crossing by boat, 16 of whom landed, and others crossing by land. Israel: Squadron 916 of the Israeli Navy, the Snapir unit, soldiers of the Golani and 7th Brigades and a civilian security team
Losses Hamas: two boats sunk at sea, 38 killed in all. Israel: 15 soldiers killed, 17 civilian beachgoers killed
Result Hamas failed to take the Zikim training base and the kibbutz
On 7 October 2023 Hamas naval commandos tried to land on the beach at Zikim to capture a military training base. The Israeli Navy stopped most of them, but about 11 landed from a boat that got through. Fighting spread to three bases and the coast; the training base held, two other bases were overrun, and militants killed 17 civilians on the beach.
Why it is remembered It was the seaborne part of the 7 October attacks, and the killing of beachgoers was one of the massacres of that day.
Sources differ One account estimates 11 militants landed; another account gives 16.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis
Attacks on the Sounion Blockade and raiding
21 August 2024 · Red Sea, about 77 nautical miles west of Hodeidah, Yemen
Fought between Houthis (Yemen) against a Greek merchant tanker, with EU Operation Aspides
Forces Two Houthi fast attack craft, projectiles and later boarding parties with explosives; the Greek tanker Sounion with 25 crew and 4 guards, carrying about 150,000 tons of crude oil; the French frigate Chevalier Paul
Ships Sounion, Chevalier Paul, Aigaion Pelagos
Losses Sounion set on fire and badly damaged; no deaths stated; one Houthi explosive boat destroyed by Chevalier Paul
Result Crew rescued; ship later towed clear and her cargo removed
Two Houthi fast craft exchanged fire with the tanker's armed guards and three projectiles hit the ship, which caught fire and lost power. The French frigate Chevalier Paul of Operation Aspides rescued all on board and destroyed an approaching explosive boat with her 20 mm guns. Houthi fighters then boarded the empty tanker and set off explosive charges. From 14 September tugs escorted by Greek and French warships towed the burning ship north, and her cargo was later removed.
Why it is remembered The tanker held about a million barrels of crude, and officials warned of a spill four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster.
Sources differ One account gives the attack as 21 August 2024 in another account and 22 August in a third account.
Sources Wikipedia · bairdmaritime.com
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis
Attacks on the Tutor Blockade and raiding
Also known as Sinking of MV Tutor
12 to 18 June 2024 · Southern Red Sea, about 67 nautical miles south west of Hodeidah
Fought between Houthis (Yemen) against a Liberian flagged merchant ship
Forces Houthi uncrewed explosive boat and missiles; the coal carrier Tutor with 22 crew
Ships Tutor, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Philippine Sea
Losses Tutor sunk; one Filipino crew member killed
Result Ship sunk
A small uncrewed explosive boat struck the stern of the Greek owned coal carrier Tutor, and a later hit on the engine room was probably an anti-ship missile. The disabled ship was abandoned and 21 of her 22 crew were lifted off by helicopters from USS Philippine Sea and taken to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower; a French frigate also took part. One crew member was killed. The ship sank on 18 June 2024 and salvage was abandoned.
Why it is remembered After the Rubymar, she was the second ship sunk in the Houthi campaign against shipping.
Sources Wikipedia · bairdmaritime.com
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis
Marlin Luanda missile strike Air and submarine attack
26 January 2024 · Red Sea crisis area
Fought between Houthis against merchant shipping
Forces A Houthi anti-ship missile against the fuel tanker Marlin Luanda (Marshall Islands registry, 249.9 m, 109,991 DWT)
Ships Marlin Luanda (later Boccadasse)
Result Tanker struck
On 26 January 2024 the fuel tanker Marlin Luanda was hit by an anti-ship missile fired by Houthi forces.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Houthi missile strikes on merchant tankers during the Red Sea crisis. The ship was later renamed Boccadasse.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Indian Navy
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Sinking of the Ivanovets Air and submarine attack
1 February 2024 · Lake Donuzlav, western Crimea
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian MAGURA V5 uncrewed surface vessels; the Russian Tarantul class corvette Ivanovets (R-334)
Ships Ivanovets (R-334)
Losses Russia: Ivanovets sunk
Result Ukrainian success
Ukrainian MAGURA V5 sea drones attacked the missile corvette Ivanovets at Donuzlav in Crimea. Ukrainian video showed the ship being hit and sinking.
Why it is remembered It was the first of three Russian warships sunk by Ukrainian sea drones in early 2024.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Chernilevsky, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis
Sinking of the Rubymar Blockade and raiding
Also known as Attack on MV Rubymar
18 February to 2 March 2024 · Red Sea, near the Bab el Mandeb
Fought between Houthis (Yemen) against a Belize flagged merchant ship
Forces Houthi anti-ship missiles; the bulk carrier Rubymar with 24 crew
Ships Rubymar, Lobivia
Losses Rubymar sunk; no crew deaths stated; all 24 crew rescued
Result Ship abandoned and sunk
Houthi forces fired two anti-ship missiles at the bulk carrier Rubymar, carrying fertiliser from the United Arab Emirates to Bulgaria, and one hit. The container ship Lobivia took off all 24 crew. The abandoned ship drifted more than 70 km and sank in bad weather on 2 March 2024, leaving a 29 km oil slick.
Why it is remembered Rubymar was the first ship struck by the Houthis to sink. Her dragging anchor may have damaged several undersea internet cables.
Sources differ One account speaks of anti-ship missiles; another account calls the weapon an anti-ship ballistic missile.
Sources Wikipedia · bairdmaritime.com
Image: US Central Command, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Sinking of the Sergey Kotov Air and submarine attack
5 March 2024 · Near the Kerch Strait
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian MAGURA V5 sea drones; the Russian Project 22160 patrol ship Sergey Kotov
Ships Sergey Kotov
Losses Russia: Sergey Kotov damaged in the stern and sunk, according to Ukraine
Result Ukrainian success
MAGURA V5 sea drones attacked the patrol ship Sergey Kotov near the Kerch Strait. Ukraine said she was damaged in the stern and sank. She had survived an earlier sea drone attack on 14 September 2023.
Why it is remembered It was the third Russian warship lost to sea drones in about five weeks.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Sinking of the Tsezar Kunikov Air and submarine attack
Also known as Sinking of the Caesar Kunikov
14 February 2024 · Off Crimea
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian MAGURA V5 sea drones; the Russian Ropucha I class landing ship Tsezar Kunikov
Ships Tsezar Kunikov
Losses Russia: Tsezar Kunikov sunk
Result Ukrainian success
MAGURA V5 sea drones attacked the landing ship Tsezar Kunikov off Crimea and sank her, as shown in Ukrainian video. Russian sources confirmed the sinking. She had been damaged earlier at Berdiansk on 24 March 2022.
Why it is remembered It confirmed that sea drones could sink large warships, and Russian sources acknowledged the loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Georges Jansoone (JoJan), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis
Attack on the True Confidence Blockade and raiding
6 March 2024 · Gulf of Aden, 54 nautical miles south west of Aden, Yemen
Fought between Houthis (Yemen) against a Barbados flagged merchant ship
Forces Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile; the bulk carrier True Confidence with 20 crew and 3 armed guards
Ships True Confidence, USS Philippine Sea, INS Kolkata
Losses Three crew killed (two Filipino, one Vietnamese); four injured, three critically
Result Ship set on fire and abandoned
After radio calls from men claiming to be the Yemeni Navy, a Houthi missile hit the bulk carrier True Confidence, carrying steel and trucks from China to Jeddah and Aqaba. A fire broke out in the pilothouse and the crew abandoned ship. USS Philippine Sea and INS Kolkata helped in the rescue, and the survivors were taken to Djibouti.
Why it is remembered The three seafarers killed were the first deaths caused by the Houthi attacks on shipping.
Sources differ The main account gives the strike time as about 12:30 local time and also as 02:00 UTC, flagged as disputed.
Sources Wikipedia · bairdmaritime.com
Image: US Central Command (via DVIDS), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · Operation Southern Spear
2025 and 2026 United States oil blockade of Venezuela Blockade and raiding
10 December 2025 onwards (blockade announced 17 December 2025) · Caribbean Sea off Venezuela; one seizure in the Atlantic near Iceland
Fought between United States, supported by the United Kingdom, against sanctioned tankers trading with Venezuela
Forces United States Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team, United States Navy, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and army special operations units
Ships Skipper, Marinera (formerly Bella 1), M Sophia
Losses None; ten oil tankers intercepted
Result Ongoing; ten tankers intercepted
On 10 December 2025 the United States seized the sanctioned tanker Skipper off Venezuela, and on 17 December it announced a blockade of sanctioned tankers sailing to or from the country. On 7 January 2026 it boarded and seized the Russian tanker Marinera in the Atlantic near Iceland and the Panama flagged M Sophia in the Caribbean.
Why it is remembered Venezuela called the seizure of Skipper an act of international piracy, and analysts said the blockade tested the law of the sea.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis
Attacks on the Eternity C Blockade and raiding
7 to 9 July 2025 · Southern Red Sea, off Hodeidah, Yemen
Fought between Houthis (Yemen) against a Liberian flagged merchant ship
Forces Houthi skiffs with gunfire and rocket propelled grenades, explosive sea drones, drones and missiles; the bulk carrier Eternity C with 22 crew and 3 guards
Ships Eternity C
Losses Eternity C sunk; four Filipino crew killed (three confirmed, one presumed); 10 rescued; 11 taken by the Houthis and freed in December 2025
Result Ship sunk
The Greek owned bulk carrier Eternity C, sailing from Berbera to Jeddah, was attacked on 7 July and again on the night of 8 July, and sank on the morning of 9 July. Operation Aspides reported ten survivors rescued. The Houthis took eleven crew to an undisclosed place; they were released in Sanaa on 3 December 2025 after Omani mediation.
Why it is remembered With the Magic Seas, she was one of two ships sunk by the Houthis within a week in July 2025.
Sources differ Baird Maritime gives 11 missing; the account of Wikipedia records 11 taken captive and later freed.
Sources Wikipedia · bairdmaritime.com
Since 1945 · Boko Haram insurgency
Battle of Lake Chad Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du lac Tchad
5 to 8 November 2025 · Lake Chad, northern Borno State, Nigeria
Fought between Boko Haram against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
Commanders Hassan Buduma, Mohd Hassan (Boko Haram)
Forces Boko Haram: dozens of armed boats. ISWAP: ten armed boats
Losses ISWAP: 170 to 200 killed. Boko Haram: four killed
Result Boko Haram victory; several ISWAP held settlements overrun
Between 5 and 8 November 2025 the rival jihadist groups Boko Haram and ISWAP fought on Lake Chad with armed boats. Boko Haram overran several settlements held by ISWAP.
Why it is remembered The clashes between the rival jihadist groups, described as a turf war, were fought largely with armed boats on the lake and left 170 to 200 ISWAP fighters dead.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Since 1945 · Gaza war
May 2025 drone attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla Air and submarine attack
2 May 2025 · International waters 14 to 17 nautical miles off Malta
Fought between Unknown attackers against the Freedom Flotilla vessel Conscience
Forces Drones, reportedly firing missiles, against the aid vessel Conscience with 16 to 30 activists aboard
Ships Conscience
Losses No deaths and no significant injuries; the vessel set on fire
Result Vessel damaged; Malta and Cyprus sent help
In the early hours of 2 May 2025 the Freedom Flotilla vessel Conscience, carrying activists and aid for Gaza, was attacked by drones in international waters off Malta. Cyprus sent a rescue boat and the Armed Forces of Malta a patrol boat to help put out the fire. The captain declined Maltese assistance that was conditional on an inspection.
Why it is remembered The flotilla organisers and some sources suggested Israeli involvement, which has not been officially confirmed.
Sources differ There is no independent confirmation of the nature of the incident or of the attacker.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Missile strike on the MJ Pinar Air and submarine attack
12 March 2025 · Port of Odesa, Ukraine
Fought between Russia against a Barbados flagged merchant ship
Forces Russian ballistic missile; the bulk carrier MJ Pinar
Ships MJ Pinar, MSC Levante F
Losses Four Syrian nationals killed; ship damaged
Result Ship damaged
A Russian ballistic missile hit the bulk carrier MJ Pinar in the port of Odesa, killing four Syrian nationals. Eleven days earlier the freighter MSC Levante F had been damaged by a ballistic missile in the same port.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Greek City Times
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Sea drone attacks on the Kairos and Virat Blockade and raiding
Also known as Strikes on shadow fleet tankers off Turkey
28 November 2025 · Black Sea, within Turkey's exclusive economic zone near the Turkish Straits; Kairos about 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast
Fought between Ukraine against tankers of the Russian shadow fleet
Forces Ukrainian Sea Baby uncrewed surface vessels against the empty tankers Kairos and Virat, bound for Novorossiysk to load oil
Ships Kairos, Virat, Kurtama-12, Nene Hatun
Losses Kairos disabled by an explosion and fire; Virat struck near the engine room but stable. No deaths stated.
Result Both tankers damaged
On the night of 28 November 2025 Ukrainian Sea Baby sea drones struck two empty tankers heading for Novorossiysk to load oil. Kairos, coming from Egypt, was disabled by an explosion and fire, while Virat was hit near her engine room. Turkish rescue vessels including Kurtama-12 and Nene Hatun went to help with the fires and crews, and Turkey condemned the attacks.
Why it is remembered Naval News described the strikes as opening a new phase of the Black Sea war, with Ukrainian sea drones targeting shadow fleet tankers carrying Russian oil.
Sources navalnews.com
Image: Security Service of Ukraine
Since 1945 · Red Sea crisis
Sinking of the Magic Seas Blockade and raiding
6 July 2025 · Red Sea, south west of Hodeidah, Yemen
Fought between Houthis (Yemen) against a Liberian flagged merchant ship
Forces Houthi gunfire, missiles, drones and remote controlled explosive boats; the bulk carrier Magic Seas with 22 aboard
Ships Magic Seas
Losses Magic Seas sunk; no deaths reported
Result Ship sunk
The Greek operated bulk carrier Magic Seas, carrying iron and fertiliser from China to Turkey, was attacked with gunfire, missiles, drones and explosive boats and set ablaze. All 22 aboard abandoned ship and were taken to Djibouti by a passing merchant vessel. The Houthis claimed the attack and released video of the sinking.
Why it is remembered She was sunk a day before the attack on the Eternity C began, the first of two ships the Houthis sank that July.
Sources differ Baird Maritime lists gunfire, missiles, drones and four remote controlled explosive boats; the account of Wikipedia on the Eternity C mentions a missile and drone attack. One account describes the ship as hijacked and sunk, while another account mentions no hijacking.
Sources Wikipedia · bairdmaritime.com
Image: Associated Press
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Sinking of the Simferopol Air and submarine attack
28 August 2025 · Danube Delta
Fought between Russia against Ukraine
Forces Russian naval drone; the Ukrainian Navy reconnaissance ship Simferopol
Ships Simferopol
Losses Ukraine: Simferopol sunk; two sailors killed and seven wounded or missing
Result Russian success
A Russian naval drone hit and sank the Ukrainian reconnaissance ship Simferopol in the Danube Delta. The Ukrainian Navy said two crew were killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · 2026 Cuban crisis
2026 Cuban boat incident Single-ship action
25 February 2026 · Near Cayo Falcones, off the north coast of Villa Clara Province, Cuba
Fought between Cuba against armed men on a US registered motor boat
Commanders Duniel Hernández Santos, captured (boat)
Forces A patrol vessel of the Cuban Border Guard Troops against a motor boat registered in the United States
Losses Boat: five killed, five wounded. Cuba: the patrol vessel's commanding officer wounded
Result Cuban government victory
A Cuban Border Guard patrol vessel intercepted a US registered motor boat in Cuban waters. According to Cuba the boat's occupants opened fire, wounding the patrol vessel's commander, and the Cubans returned fire, killing five and wounding five. Cuba reported seizing firearms, incendiary devices and body armour and called it an attempted armed infiltration.
Why it is remembered The United States denied involvement and opened investigations; at least one of the dead was an American citizen.
Sources differ The account of who fired first comes from Cuban authorities.
Sources Wikipedia
Since 1945 · Russian invasion of Ukraine
Drone attack on the Admiral Essen at Novorossiysk Air and submarine attack
6 April 2026 · Port of Novorossiysk, Russia
Fought between Ukraine against Russia
Forces Ukrainian drones; the Russian frigate Admiral Essen, moored in harbour
Ships Admiral Essen, Volgo-Balt 138
Losses Russia: Admiral Essen significantly damaged inside, with critical damage to her Kalibr missile capability according to assessments
Result Ukrainian success; frigate badly damaged
Ukrainian drones attacked the frigate Admiral Essen while she lay docked at Novorossiysk. Fires burned for over 18 hours. Three days earlier, on 3 April, Ukrainian drones had struck the Russian sea and river vessel Volgo-Balt 138 in the Sea of Azov, where three crew died.
Why it is remembered It showed that Russian warships remained exposed to drone attack in Novorossiysk more than four years into the war.
Sources differ The list of losses gives the attack as 6 April 2026; a cited report describes Admiral Essen as hit again on 7 April.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · 2026 Iran war (Strait of Hormuz crisis)
Operation Project Freedom Convoy battle
4 to 5 May 2026 · Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman
Fought between United States against Iran
Forces United States forces under Central Command escorting merchant ships
Losses Iran: seven boats sunk. A French CMA CGM ship struck
Result Temporarily halted
On 4 May 2026 the United States began escorting merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iranian attacks on shipping. Seven Iranian boats were sunk and a CMA CGM ship was hit. The operation was paused the next day.
Why it is remembered It was declared the second stage of the Iran war, following Operation Epic Fury.
Sources differ One account says the operation was paused on 5 May; another gives 6 May for the announcement of the pause.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Benjamin D Applebaum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1945 · 2026 Iran war
Sinking of IRIS Dena Single-ship action
4 March 2026 · Indian Ocean, international waters about 19 nautical miles off Galle, Sri Lanka
Fought between United States against Iran
Forces The United States Los Angeles class submarine USS Charlotte against the Iranian Moudge class frigate IRIS Dena
Ships IRIS Dena, USS Charlotte
Losses Iran: Dena sunk; the Sri Lanka Navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies
Result United States victory; frigate sunk
Dena was on passage after attending the International Fleet Review 2026 at Visakhapatnam in India, and was reportedly unarmed under the protocol of the Indian hosted event. USS Charlotte fired two Mark 48 torpedoes, one of which hit, and the frigate sent a distress call at 05:08 local time. She sank before the Sri Lanka Navy reached her; it rescued 32 sailors and later recovered 87 bodies.
Why it is remembered She was the first ship sunk in combat by a submarine since the General Belgrano in 1982, and the first sunk by an American submarine since the Second World War.
Sources differ The complement is given as 140 in one account and about 180 in a cited report; reports cited in another account of around 140 missing do not match the 32 rescued and 87 recovered.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: US Department of Defense (Department of War), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Explore Naval Battles by chapter
- The Ancient World95 battles
- The Middle Ages169 battles
- Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650285 battles
- The Line of Battle, 1651 to 1750221 battles
- Wars of Empire, 1751 to 1792188 battles
- The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793 to 1815288 battles
- Sail to Steam, 1816 to 1860132 battles
- Ironclads, 1861 to 1903150 battles
- Dreadnoughts and the First World War, 1904 to 1918113 battles
- The Atlantic, the Arctic and the Mediterranean, 1919 to 1945253 battles
- The Pacific and the Indian Ocean, 1919 to 1945130 battles
- Since 1945164 battles