First Battle of Algeciras

6 July 1801, Algeciras Bay, Spain

French and Spanish victory; one British ship taken

Rear-Admiral Linois, bringing three ships of the line from Toulon to join the Spanish at Cádiz, learned that a British squadron was off Cádiz and put into Algeciras, across the bay from Gibraltar. Sir James Saumarez attacked him there with six ships of the line the next morning. The wind was light and fluky, and the French ships warped close inshore under the Spanish batteries, with gunboats among them. Pompée was badly cut up, and Hannibal, trying to get inside the French line, ran hard aground and was pounded by the ships, the forts and the gunboats until she struck. The British withdrew to Gibraltar with their damaged ships. Linois had driven off a superior squadron.