Battle of Toulon (1744)

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For other battles in Toulon, see Battle of Toulon (1707) and Siege of Toulon.
Battle of Toulon
Part of the War of the Austrian Succession

The Battle of Toulon by José Manuel de Moraleda. Watercolour on paper, 1783.
Date February 22, 1744
Location Mediterranean Sea, near Toulon, France
Result Indecisive;
Strategic Franco-Spanish victory
Belligerents
Flag of Spain Spain
Flag of France[1] France		 Flag of the United Kingdom Great Britain
Commanders
Juan José Navarro Thomas Mathews,
Richard Lestock,
William Rowley
Strength
27 ships of the line,
3 frigates,
3 others,
(1,806 guns)		 30 ships of the line,
3 frigates,
6 others,
(2,280 guns)
Casualties and losses
149 dead,
467 wounded,
6 ships damaged[2]		 ~800 dead or wounded,[2]
10 ships damaged,
1 ship sunk

The naval Battle of Toulon or Battle of Cape Sicié took place on February 22 and 23 February 1744 (New Style) between 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Toulon, France (Cape Sicié is near Toulon). A Spanish convoy defeated Britain's Mediterranean fleet.The French fleet only went to battle at the end of this, when the British fleet retreated.

Contents

Engagement

On 22 February, 30 British ships under Thomas Mathews attacked the Spanish rear of a French-Spanish combined fleet of 27 ships, while the French center and vanguard kept apart from the combat. Mathews had been following the French fleet in case either side declared war on the other as part of the War of the Austrian Succession. The 12 Spanish ships were under command of Don Juan José Navarro. At 5:00 p.m., both sides drew away from each other. They attacked each other from afar the next day, but the British suffered heavily, and the French ships approached to help theirs Spanish allies, forcing the British to withdraw. Finally, on 24 February, Mathews retreated to Italy.

Mathews' second in command, Vice Admiral Richard Lestock, later petitioned King George II of Great Britain to hold a court-martial against many of the British officers, including Mathews. Mathews and several other officers were dismissed from the Royal Navy.

Order of Battle

France and Spain

Van
Boree 64
Tolosa 60
Tigre 50
Eole 64
Alcion 56
Duc d'Orleans 68
Espoir 74 (flag of de Gavaret)
Center
Trident 64
Heureux 60
Aquilon 44
Sólide 64
Diamant 50
Firme 70
Terrible 74 (flag)
Sancti Spiritus 68
Serieux 64
Rear
Oriente* 60
América* 60
Neptuno* 60
Poder* 60 - Damaged and captured but recaptured, scuttled next day
Constante* 70
Real Felipe* 114 (flag of Juan José Navarro)
Hércules* 64
Brillante* 60
Halcón* 60
San Fernando* 64
Soberbio* 60
Santa Isabel* 80
3 frigates
2 brulotes
1 battleship being used as a hospital ship

Ships marked * were Spanish.

Britain (Thomas Mathews)

Van
Chatham 50
Nassau 70
Chichester 80
Boyne 80
Barfleur 90 (flag of Rowley)
Princess Carolina 80
Berwick 70
Stirling Castle 70
Bedford 70
Center
Dragon 60
Royal Oak 70
Princess 70
Somerset 80
Norfolk 80
Marlborough 90
Dorsetshire 80
Essex 70 (Richard Norris)
Rupert 60
Namur 90 (flag)
Rear
Salisbury 50
Romney 50
Dumkint? 60
Revenge 70
Cambridge 80
Neptune 90 (flag of Lestock)
Torbay 80
Russell 80
Buckingham 70
Elizabeth 70
Kingston 60
Oxford 50
Warwick 60
3 frigates
3 brulotes
3 bergantines (brigantines?)

Notes

  1. ^ George Ripley, Charles Anderson Dana, The American Cyclopaedia, New York, 1874, p. 250, "...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis...". *[1]The original Banner of France was strewn with fleurs-de-lis. *[2]:on the reverse of this plate it says: "Le pavillon royal était véritablement le drapeau national au dix-huitième siecle...Vue du chateau d'arrière d'un vaisseau de guerre de haut rang portant le pavillon royal (blanc, avec les armes de France)."[3] from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica: "The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III., the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour."
  2. ^ a b Carlos Martínez-Valverde, La campaña de don Juan José Navarro en el Mediterráneo y la batalla de Sicié (1742-1744).

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Toulon_(1744)"

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