Capture of the East and West Indies convoy

9 August 1780, Atlantic, west of Cape St Vincent

Franco-Spanish victory; 55 merchantmen taken

A huge convoy for the East and West Indies, guarded only by the Ramillies and two frigates, sailed straight into the combined fleet of Spain and France under Don Luis de Córdova, cruising off Cape St Vincent. Moutray's escort and eight ships got away; 55 merchantmen were taken into Cádiz with about 3,000 seamen and soldiers, and stores, uniforms and arms for the armies in America and India. It was the greatest single loss of British shipping in the eighteenth century, and Moutray was court-martialled.

Royal Navy

66 ships, 55 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS Ramillies Captain Sir John Moutray	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Escaped

Ship

Type

Outcome

HMS Ramillies

Captain Sir John Moutray

Ship of the line

Third rate, 74 guns

Escaped

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates Thetis and Southampton.	2	0
Merchant ships and transports	63	55

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates

Thetis and Southampton.

Merchant ships and transports

Spanish Navy

32 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Santísima Trinidad Córdova's flagship	Ship of the line First rate, 112 guns	Survived

Ship

Type

Outcome

Santísima Trinidad

Córdova's flagship

Ship of the line

First rate, 112 guns

Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Spanish and French ships of the line Mostly Spanish, with a French squadron under Beausset.	31	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Spanish and French ships of the line

Mostly Spanish, with a French squadron under Beausset.

Map

The Indies convoy sails into the combined fleet 29 July – 9 August 1780