Battle of Cape St Vincent (the Moonlight Battle)

16–17 January 1780, Off Cape St Vincent, Portugal

Decisive British victory

Rodney was taking a convoy to relieve besieged Gibraltar when he found Don Juan de Lángara's squadron off Cape St Vincent, outnumbered almost two to one. He signalled a general chase, and his ships, many of them newly sheathed in copper and faster than the Spanish, ran them down through a stormy night. Santo Domingo blew up, and Lángara's flagship and five more ships struck, though two of them were retaken by their crews in the gale that followed. It was rare for a battle under sail to be fought in the dark; that, and the bright moon, gave it its name. Gibraltar was supplied for the year, and two of the prizes were soon fighting for Britain off India.

Royal Navy

23 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS Sandwich Rodney's flagship	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Survived
HMS Royal George Digby's flagship	Ship of the line First rate, 100 guns	Survived
HMS Prince George Rear-Admiral Ross's flagship, with Prince William aboard as a midshipman	Ship of the line Second rate, 98 guns	Survived
HMS Ajax	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Alcide	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Bedford	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Culloden	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Cumberland	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Defence Fought Fénix for an hour	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Edgar	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Invincible	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Marlborough	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Monarch	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Montagu	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Resolution	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Terrible	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Bienfaisant Took Fénix's surrender	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates and post ships Apollo, which fought Monarca for an hour, Convert, Triton, Pegasus, Porcupine and Hyaena.	6	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates and post ships

Apollo, which fought Monarca for an hour, Convert, Triton, Pegasus, Porcupine and Hyaena.

Spanish Navy

14 ships, 6 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Guipuzcoano Also known as Prince William	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Fénix Lángara's flagship; he was wounded and taken	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Captured
Princesa	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Captured
Diligente Struck to Montagu	Ship of the line Third rate, 68 guns	Captured
Monarca	Ship of the line Third rate, 68 guns	Captured
Santo Domingo Blew up	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Sunk
San Agustín Escaped	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Escaped
San Lorenzo Escaped with damage	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Escaped
San Julián Struck; retaken by her crew and wrecked	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Wrecked
San Eugenio Struck to Cumberland; retaken by her crew	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Escaped
San Genaro Escaped; may not have been in the line	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Escaped
San Justo Escaped with damage; may not have been in the line	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Escaped

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates Santa Cecilia and Santa Rosalía, which escaped.	2	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates

Santa Cecilia and Santa Rosalía, which escaped.

Map

Rodney relieves Gibraltar December 1779 – January 1780