Battle of Augusta

Battle of Augusta
Part of the Franco-Dutch War
Naval Battle of Augusta, by Ambroise-Louis Garneray.
Date 22 April 1676 Location Near Augusta (present-day Italy) Result French strategic victory
Belligerents
United Provinces  Spain	France
Commanders and leaders
Michiel de Ruyter  (DOW)	Abraham Duquesne
Strength
17 Dutch + 10 Spanish ships of the line	29 ships of the line
Casualties and losses
about 700 killed	about 500 killed

The naval Battle of Augusta (also known as the Battle of Agosta) took place on 22 April 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War and was fought between a French fleet of 29 man-of-war, five frigates and eight fireships under Abraham Duquesne and a Dutch-Spanish fleet of 27 (17 Dutch, 10 Spanish) plus five fireships with Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral-General Michiel de Ruyter in command. The battle was a short but intense affair and ended abruptly when Duquesne, after hearing that De Ruyter had been mortally wounded, retreated. Neither side lost a ship, though there were many dead and wounded, especially among the Dutch.

Order of battle

France (Abraham Duquesne)

• Twenty-nine ships of the line
• Five frigates
• Eight fireships

First Squadron (Alméras)

• Fidèle 56 (Chevalier de Cogolin)
• Heureux 54 (Monsieur de La Bretesche)
• Vermandois 50 (Chevalier de Tambonneau,killed)
• Pompeux 72 (Chevalier de Valbelle, chef d'escadre)
• Lys 74 (Lieutenant-Général Marquis Guillaume d'Alméras, killed; flag-captains Etienne Gentet and Chevalier de Montbron)
• Magnifique 72 (Monsieur de La Gravière)
• Parfait 60 (Monsieur de Chasteneuf)
• Apollon 54 (Chevalier de Forbin)
• Trident 38 (Chevalier de Bellefontaine)

Fireships

• Ardent
• Orage

Second Squadron (Duquesne)

• Fortune 56 (Marquis d'Amfreville)
• Aimable 56 (Monsieur de La Barre)
• Joli 46 (Monsieur de Belle-Isle)
• Éclatant 60 (Monsieur de Coü, killed; replaced by Monsieur de Saint-Germen)
• Sceptre 80 (Comte Anne Hilarion de Tourville)
• Saint-Esprit 72 (vice-admiral Abraham Duquesne)
• Saint Michel 60 (Marquis de Preuilly d'Humiéres)
• Mignon 46 (Monsieur de Relingues)
• Aquilon 50 (Monsieur de Montreuil)
• Vaillant 54 (Monsieur de Septesme)

Fireships

• Salvador
• Imprudent
• Inquiet

Third Squadron (Gabaret)

• Assuré 56 (Marquis de Villette-Mursay)
• Brusque 46 (Chevalier De La Mothe)
• Syrène 46 (Chevalier de Béthune)
• Fier 60 (Monsieur de Chabert)
• Agréable 56 (Monsieur d'Ailly)
• Sans-Pareil 70 (chef d'escadre Jean Gabaret, flag-captain Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon)
• Grand 72 (Monsieur de Beaulieu)
• Sage 54 (Marquis de Langeron)
• Prudent 54 (Monsieur de La Fayette)
• Téméraire 50 (Chevalier de Levy)

Fireships:

• Dangereux
• Hameson
• Dame-de-la-Mère

Netherlands/Spain (Michiel de Ruyter)

De Ruyters squadron

• Spiegel 70 (Gilles Schey)
• Groenwijf 36 (Jan Noirot)
• Leiden 36 (Jan van Abkoude)
• Leeuwen 50 (Frans Willem, Graaf van Limburg Stirum)
• Eendracht 76 (Lt-Admiral Michiel De Ruyter, died; flag-captain Gerard Callenburgh)
• Stad en Lande 54 (Joris Andringa)
• Zuiderhuis 46 (Pieter de Sitter)
• Damiaten 34 (Isaac van Uitterwijk)
• Oosterwijk 60 (Jacob Teding van Berkhout)
• Tonijn 8 (snauw, Philips Melkenbeek)
• Kreeft 8 (snauw, Wijbrand Barendszoon)
• Ter Goes 8 (snauw, Abraham Wilmerdonk)
• Salm 4 (fireship, Jan van Kampen)
• Melkmeisje 2 (fireship, Arent Ruyghaver)
• Zwarte Tas 4 (Jacob Stadtlander)

De Haans squadron

• Steenbergen 68 (Pieter van Middelandt)
• Wakende Boei 46 (Cornelis Tijloos)
• Edam 34 (Cornelis van der Zaan)
• Kraanvogel 46 (Jacob Willemszoon Broeder)
• Gouda 76 (Vice-Admiral Jan de Haan)
• Provincie van Utrecht 60 (Jan de Jong)
• Vrijheid 50 (Adam van Brederode)
• Harderwijk 46 (Mattheus Megang)
• Prinsen Wapen 8 (snauw, Hendrik Walop)
• Rouaan 8 (snauw, Willem Knijf)
• Roos 8 (snauw, Juriaan Baak)
• Sint Salvador 6 (fireship, Jan Janszoon Bont)
• Jakob en Anna 4 (fireship, Dirk Klaaszoon Harney)
• Witte tas 4 (supply ship, Adriaan van Esch)

Spanish ships

10 or 12 ships among them:

• Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Capitana Real) 64/74 (1000-1100 crew) Almirante Francisco Pereire Freire de La Cerda (or de La Zerda)
• Santiago (Nueva Real) 80
• San Antonio de Napoles 44/46 (500 crew)
• San Felipe 40/44
• San Carlo/Salvator delle Fiandre/San Salvador (Almiranta de Flandres) 40/42/48 (350 crew)
• San Joaquin/San Juan 80
• San Gabriel 40
• Santa Ana 54/60
• Nuestra Señora del Rosario 50
• Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
• Nuestra Señora del Rosario y Las Animas

Commemoration

The French navy (Marine Nationale) commemorated the battle of Agosta by naming a conventional submarine (Pennant number S620) leading ship of the successful Agosta class, after it.

References

• David S. T. Blackmore: Warfare on the Mediterranean in the Age of Sail: A History, 1571-1866. McFarland 2011, ISBN 9780786447992, pp. 98–99 (online copy, p. 98, at Google Books)

Coordinates: 37°15′00″N 15°21′00″E / 37.2500°N 15.3500°E