Battle of Cape Spartel

20 October 1782, Off Cape Spartel, at the Atlantic mouth of the Strait of Gibraltar

Indecisive; Gibraltar relieved

Lord Howe brought the Channel Fleet and a great convoy through the Strait and supplied Gibraltar under the eyes of the combined fleet of Spain and France. As he came back out, Córdova followed him with a fleet of about equal size and attacked at long range off Cape Spartel. The fighting lasted about five hours, mostly in the van and rear, and no ship was lost. Howe did not try to fight it out, since his task was done; Gibraltar held out until the peace.

Royal Navy

35 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS Goliath	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Ganges	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Royal William	Ship of the line Second rate, 84 guns	Survived
HMS Britannia Barrington's flagship, in the van	Ship of the line First rate, 100 guns	Survived
HMS Atlas	Ship of the line Second rate, 98 guns	Survived
HMS Ruby	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Panther	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 60 guns	Survived
HMS Foudroyant	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
HMS Edgar Commodore Hotham's flagship	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Polyphemus	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Suffolk	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Vigilant	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Courageux	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Crown	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Alexander	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Sampson	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Princess Royal	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Survived
HMS Victory Howe's flagship	Ship of the line First rate, 100 guns	Survived
HMS Blenheim	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Survived
HMS Asia	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Egmont	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Queen Alexander Hood's flagship	Ship of the line Second rate, 98 guns	Survived
HMS Bellona	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Raisonnable	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Fortitude	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Princess Amelia Hughes's flagship	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
HMS Berwick	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Bienfaisant	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Dublin	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Cambridge	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
HMS Ocean Milbanke's flagship, in the rear	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Survived
HMS Union	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Survived
HMS Buffalo	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 60 guns	Survived
HMS Vengeance	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigate Latona.	1	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigate

Latona.

France + Spain

46 ships, none lost

French Navy

11 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Bretagne	Ship of the line First rate, 110 guns	Survived
Invincible Picquet de la Motte's flagship	Ship of the line First rate, 110 guns	Survived
Majestueux Rochechouart's flagship	Ship of the line First rate, 110 guns	Survived
Royal Louis Beausset's flagship	Ship of the line First rate, 110 guns	Survived
Actif	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Dictateur	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Guerrier	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Robuste	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Suffisant	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Zodiaque	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Indien	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived

Spanish Navy

35 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Santísima Trinidad Córdova's flagship	Ship of the line First rate, 112 guns	Survived
Rayo Posada's flagship	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
Galicia	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Survived

Ship

Type

Outcome

Santísima Trinidad

Córdova's flagship

Ship of the line

First rate, 112 guns

Survived

Rayo

Posada's flagship

Ship of the line

Third rate, 80 guns

Survived

Galicia

Ship of the line

Third rate, 70 guns

Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Ships of the line San Vicente Ferrer (80), Terrible (74), Arrogante, Brillante, Firme, Guerrero, San Isidoro, San Isidro, San Joaquín, San Juan Bautista, San Justo, San Lorenzo, San Rafael, Santa Isabel, Serio, Triunfante and Vencedor (70 each), and Castilla, España and Septentrión (64 each).	20	0
Ships of the line not engaged Eight Spanish ships (Purísima Concepción, San Fernando, Africa, Oriente, San Eugenio, San Julián, Astuto and Miño) and four French (Terrible, Bien-Aimé, Atlas and Lion) could not get into action.	12	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Ships of the line

San Vicente Ferrer (80), Terrible (74), Arrogante, Brillante, Firme, Guerrero, San Isidoro, San Isidro, San Joaquín, San Juan Bautista, San Justo, San Lorenzo, San Rafael, Santa Isabel, Serio, Triunfante and Vencedor (70 each), and Castilla, España and Septentrión (64 each).

Ships of the line not engaged

Eight Spanish ships (Purísima Concepción, San Fernando, Africa, Oriente, San Eugenio, San Julián, Astuto and Miño) and four French (Terrible, Bien-Aimé, Atlas and Lion) could not get into action.

Map

Howe relieves Gibraltar September – October 1782