Battle of Augusta
| Battle of Augusta | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Franco-Dutch War | |||||||
 Naval Battle of Augusta, by Ambroise-Louis Garneray. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Provinces Spain |
 France | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Michiel de Ruyter (DOW) | Abraham Duquesne | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 17 Dutch + 10 Spanish ships of the line[citation needed] | 29 ships of the line[citation needed] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| about 700 killed[citation needed] | about 500 killed[citation needed] | ||||||
The naval Battle of Augusta (also known as the Battle of Agosta) took place on 22 April 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War and was fought between a French fleet of 29 man-of-war, five frigates and eight fireships under Abraham Duquesne and a Dutch-Spanish fleet of 27 (17 Dutch, 10 Spanish) plus five fireships with Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral-General Michiel de Ruyter in command. The battle was a short but intense affair and ended abruptly when Duquesne, after hearing that De Ruyter had been mortally wounded, retreated.[citation needed] Neither side lost a ship, though there were many dead and wounded, especially among the Dutch.
Order of battle
France (Abraham Duquesne)
- Twenty-nine ships of the line
- Five frigates
- Eight fireships
First Squadron (Alméras)
- Fidèle 56 (Chevalier de Cogolin)
- Heureux 54 (Monsieur de La Bretesche)
- Vermandois 50 (Chevalier de Tambonneau, killed)
- Pompeux 72 (Chevalier de Valbelle, chef d'escadre)
- Lys 74 (Lieutenant-Général Marquis Guillaume d'Alméras, killed; flag-captains Etienne Gentet and Chevalier de Montbron)
- Magnifique 72 (Monsieur de La Gravière)
- Parfait 60 (Monsieur de Chasteneuf)
- Apollon 54 (Chevalier de Forbin)
- Trident 38 (Chevalier de Bellefontaine)
- Fireships
- Ardent
- Orage
Second Squadron (Duquesne)
- Fortune 56 (Marquis d'Amfreville)
- Aimable 56 (Monsieur de La Barre)
- Joli 46 (Monsieur de Belle-Isle)
- Éclatant 60 (Monsieur de Coü, killed; replaced by Monsieur de Saint-Germen)
- Sceptre 80 (Comte Anne Hilarion de Tourville)
- Saint-Esprit 72 (vice-admiral Abraham Duquesne)
- Saint Michel 60 (Marquis de Preuilly d'Humiéres)
- Mignon 46 (Monsieur de Relingues)
- Aquilon 50 (Monsieur de Montreuil)
- Vaillant 54 (Monsieur de Septesme)
- Fireships
- Salvador
- Imprudent
- Inquiet
Third Squadron (Gabaret)
- Assuré 56 (Marquis de Villette-Mursay)
- Brusque 46 (Chevalier De La Mothe)
- Syrène 46 (Chevalier de Béthune)
- Fier 60 (Monsieur de Chabert)
- Agréable 56 (Monsieur d'Ailly)
- Sans-Pareil 70 (chef d'escadre Jean Gabaret, flag-captain Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon)
- Grand 72 (Monsieur de Beaulieu)
- Sage 54 (Marquis de Langeron)
- Prudent 54 (Monsieur de La Fayette)
- Téméraire 50 (Chevalier de Levy)
Fireships:
- Dangereux
- Hameson
- Dame-de-la-Mère
Netherlands/Spain (Michiel de Ruyter)
De Ruyters squadron
- Spiegel 70 (Gilles Schey)
- Groenwijf 36 (Jan Noirot)
- Leiden 36 (Jan van Abkoude)
- Leeuwen 50 (Frans Willem, Graaf van Limburg Stirum)
- Eendracht 76 (Lt-Admiral Michiel De Ruyter, died; flag-captain Gerard Callenburgh)
- Stad en Lande 54 (Joris Andringa)
- Zuiderhuis 46 (Pieter de Sitter)
- Damiaten 34 (Isaac van Uitterwijk)
- Oosterwijk 60 (Jacob Teding van Berkhout)
- Tonijn 8 (snauw, Philips Melkenbeek)
- Kreeft 8 (snauw, Wijbrand Barendszoon)
- Ter Goes 8 (snauw, Abraham Wilmerdonk)
- Salm 4 (fireship, Jan van Kampen)
- Melkmeisje 2 (fireship, Arent Ruyghaver)
- Zwarte Tas 4 (Jacob Stadtlander)
De Haans squadron
- Steenbergen 68 (Pieter van Middelandt)
- Wakende Boei 46 (Cornelis Tijloos)
- Edam 34 (Cornelis van der Zaan)
- Kraanvogel 46 (Jacob Willemszoon Broeder)
- Gouda 76 (Vice-Admiral Jan de Haan)
- Provincie van Utrecht 60 (Jan de Jong)
- Vrijheid 50 (Adam van Brederode)
- Harderwijk 46 (Mattheus Megang)
- Prinsen Wapen 8 (snauw, Hendrik Walop)
- Rouaan 8 (snauw, Willem Knijf)
- Roos 8 (snauw, Juriaan Baak)
- Sint Salvador 6 (fireship, Jan Janszoon Bont)
- Jakob en Anna 4 (fireship, Dirk Klaaszoon Harney)
- Witte tas 4 (supply ship, Adriaan van Esch)
Spanish ships
10 or 12 ships among them:
- Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Capitana Real) 64/74 (1000-1100 crew) Almirante Francisco Pereire Freire de La Cerda (or de La Zerda)
- Santiago (Nueva Real) 80
- San Antonio de Napoles 44/46 (500 crew)
- San Felipe 40/44
- San Carlo/Salvator delle Fiandre/San Salvador (Almiranta de Flandres) 40/42/48 (350 crew)
- San Joaquin/San Juan 80
- San Gabriel 40
- Santa Ana 54/60
- Nuestra Señora del Rosario 50
- Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
- Nuestra Señora del Rosario y Las Animas
Commemoration
The French navy (Marine Nationale) commemorated the battle of Agosta by naming a conventional submarine (Pennant number S620) leading ship of the successful Agosta class, after it.
References
- David S. T. Blackmore: Warfare on the Mediterranean in the Age of Sail: A History, 1571-1866. McFarland 2011, ISBN 9780786447992, pp. 98–99 (online copy, p. 98, at Google Books)