Battle of Lagos

18–19 August 1759, Off Lagos, Portugal

British victory; five French ships of the line taken or destroyed

The Toulon fleet under La Clue was ordered to join the Brest fleet for the invasion of Britain. On the night of 17 August it slipped through the Strait of Gibraltar, but it was seen, and Boscawen's fleet, refitting at Gibraltar, put to sea in a hurry after it. In the dark half of La Clue's ships lost him and went into Cádiz. Boscawen caught the other seven the next afternoon. Culloden engaged the rearmost ship, Centaure, which fought for five hours to cover the others before she struck, and Boscawen's Namur fought La Clue's Océan until she lost her mizzen mast and had to shift her flag. Two French ships escaped in the night; La Clue, badly wounded, took the other four into neutral Portuguese waters near Lagos. Boscawen followed them in the next morning regardless: Océan and Redoutable were run ashore and burned, and Téméraire and Modeste were taken.

Royal Navy

29 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS Namur Admiral Edward Boscawen; lost her mizzen mast	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Damaged
HMS Prince	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Survived
HMS Newark	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
HMS Warspite	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Culloden Engaged Centaure	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Conqueror	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Survived
HMS Swiftsure	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Survived
HMS Edgar	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS St Albans	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Intrepid	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS America	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 60 guns	Survived
HMS Princess Louisa	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 60 guns	Survived
HMS Jersey	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 60 guns	Survived
HMS Guernsey	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 50 guns	Survived
HMS Portland	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 50 guns	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates, sloops and fireships Ambuscade, Rainbow, Shannon, Active, Thetis, Lyme, Gibraltar, Glasgow, Sheerness and Tartar's Prize; the sloops Favourite and Gramont; the fireships Aetna and Salamander.	14	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates, sloops and fireships

Ambuscade, Rainbow, Shannon, Active, Thetis, Lyme, Gibraltar, Glasgow, Sheerness and Tartar's Prize; the sloops Favourite and Gramont; the fireships Aetna and Salamander.

French Navy

10 ships, 5 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Océan La Clue, badly wounded; run ashore and burned	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Scuttled
Centaure Also known as Centaur As Centaure; fought for five hours to cover the others	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Captured
Redoutable Run ashore and burned	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Scuttled
Téméraire	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Captured
Modeste	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Captured
Souverain Escaped in the night	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Escaped
Guerrier Escaped in the night	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Escaped

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates Minerve, Chimère and Gracieuse.	3	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates

Minerve, Chimère and Gracieuse.

Map

La Clue sails from Toulon August 1759
Boscawen chases La Clue 17–18 August 1759