Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780) - Order of Battle

Order of Battle

None of the listed sources give an accurate accounting of the ships in Rodney's fleet at the time of the action. Robert Beatson lists the composition of the fleet at its departure from England, and notes which ships separated to go to the West Indies, as well as those detached to return the prizes captured on 8 January to England. He does not list two ships (Dublin and Shrewsbury, identified in despatches reprinted by Syrett) that were separated from the fleet on 13 January. Furthermore, HMS Prince William is sometimes misunderstood to have been part of the prize escort back to England, but she was present at Gibraltar after the action. Beatson also fails to list a number of frigates, including HMS Apollo, which played a key role in the capture of the Monarca.

British fleet
Sandwich Second rate 90 Admiral of the White Sir George Rodney (fleet commander)
Walter Young		 0 0 0
Royal George First rate 100 Rear Admiral of the Blue Robert Digby
John Bourmaster		 0 0 0
Prince George Second rate 90 Rear Admiral of the Blue Sir John Lockhart-Ross
Philip Patton		 1 3 4
Ajax Third rate 74 Samuel Uvedale 0 6 6
Alcide Third rate 74 John Brisbane 0 0 0
Bedford Third rate 74 Edmund Affleck 3 9 12
Culloden Third rate 74 George Balfour 0 0 0
Cumberland Third rate 74 Joseph Peyton 0 1 1
Defence Third rate 74 James Cranston 10 12 22
Edgar Third rate 74 John Elliot 6 20 26
Invincible Third rate 74 S. Cornish 3 4 7
Marlborough Third rate 74 Taylor Penny 0 0 0
Monarch Third rate 74 Adam Duncan 3 26 29
Montagu Third rate 74 John Houlton 0 0 0
Resolution Third rate 74 Sir Chaloner Ogle 0 0 0
Terrible Third rate 74 John Leigh Douglas 6 12 18
Bienfaisant Third rate 64 John MacBride 0 0 0
Prince William Third rate 64 Unknown
Apollo Frigate 32 Philemon Pownoll
Convert Frigate 32 Henry Harvey
Triton Frigate 28 Skeffington Lutwidge
Pegasus Frigate 24 John Bazely
Porcupine Frigate 24 Hugh Seymour-Conway
Hyaena Frigate 24 Edward Thompson

There are some discrepancies between the English and Spanish sources listing the Spanish fleet, principally in the number of guns most of the vessels are claimed to mount. The table below lists the Spanish records describing Lángara's fleet. Beatson lists all of the Spanish ships of the line at 70 guns, except Fenix, which he lists at 80 guns. One frigate, the Santa Rosalia, is listed by Beatson at 28 guns. The identify of the second Spanish frigate is different in the two listings. Beatson records her as the Santa Gertrudie, 26 guns, with captain Don Annibal Cassoni, while Duro's listing describes her as Santa Cecilia, 34, captain Don Domingo Grandallana. Both frigates, whatever their identity, escaped the battle.

Spanish fleet
Fenix Third rate 80 Don Juan de Lángara (fleet commander)
Don Francisco Melgarejo		 Captured, 700 men.
Princesa Third rate 74 Don Manuel León Captured, 600 men.
Diligente Third rate 74 Don Antonio Albornoz Captured, 600 men.
Monarca Third rate 74 Don Antonio Oyarvide Captured, 600 men.
Santo Domingo Third rate 74 Don Ignacio Mendizábal Blown up.
San Agustín Third rate 74 Don Vicente Doz Escaped.
San Lorenzo Third rate 74 Don Juan Araoz Escaped with damage.
San Julián Third rate 64 Marqués de Medina Captured (600 men), either grounded or retaken.
San Eugenio Third rate 74 Don Antonio Damonte Captured (600 men), either grounded or retaken.
San Jenaro Third rate 74 Don Félix de Tejada Not listed in Lángara's line of battle. Listed by Beatson as escaping.
San Justo Third rate 74 Don Francisco Urreiztieta Not listed in Lángara's line of battle. Listed by Beatson as escaping with damage.
Santa Cecilia Frigate 34 Don Domingo Grandallana Identified as Santa Gertrudis in Beatson. Escaped.
Santa Rosalia Frigate 34 Don Antonio Ortega Escaped.

Read more about this topic:  Battle Of Cape St. Vincent (1780)

Famous quotes containing the words order and/or battle:

    “If it were not somewhat fanciful to suppose that every human excellence is presented, as it were, in one kind of being, we might believe that the whole treasure of morality and order is enshrined in the female character.”
    —Karl Wilhelm Von Humboldt (1767–1835)

    “The easiest period in a crisis situation is actually the battle itself. The most difficult is the period of indecision—whether to fight or run away. And the most dangerous period is the aftermath. It is then, with all his resources spent and his guard down, that an individual must watch out for dulled reactions and faulty judgment.”
    —Richard M. Nixon (1913–1995)