Naval Battle of Lagos (1759)
The Battle of Lagos, Francis Swaine 1786
| date | August 18, 1759 |
|---|---|
| place | Lagos |
| output | British victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Admiral Edward Boscawen |
Admiral de la Clue |
| losses | |
|
? |
? |
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European theater of war:
Pirna * - Lobositz * - Prague * - Kolin * - Hastenbeck ** - Groß-Jägersdorf * - Moys * - Hastenbeck * - Roßbach * - Breslau * - Leuthen * - Rheinberg ** - Krefeld ** - Domstadtl * - Olomouc * - More ** - Zorndorf * - Saint-Cast - Hochkirch * - Bergen ** - Kay * - Minden ** - Kunersdorf * - Lagos *** - Hoyerswerda * - Bay of Quiberon *** - Maxen * - Koßdorf * - Landeshut * - Emsdorf ** - Warburg ** - Liegnitz * - Berlin * - Kampen Monastery ** - Torgau * - Döbeln * - Vellinghausen ** - Ölper ** - Burkersdorf * - Reichenbach * - Freiberg *
(* Third Silesian War , ** western theater of war - Great Britain / Kur-Hanover and other allies against France , *** naval battle )
American theater:
Seven Years War in North America
Monongahela - Carillon - La Belle Famille - Québec - Beauport - Abraham Plain - Sainte-Foy - Restigouche
Asian theater:
Cuddalore - Negapatam - Pondicherry - Wandiwash - Manila
The sea battle at Lagos took place on August 18, 1759 during the Seven Years' War between British and French naval forces off Lagos ( Portugal ) and ended in a British victory.
The sea battle at Lagos came about as a result of efforts by the French to pull together enough ships in Brest to be able to carry out an invasion of Great Britain. The French Mediterranean fleet under Admiral de la Clue , consisting of 12 ships of the line and 3 frigates , broke out of Toulon when the squadron of the Royal Navy under Admiral Edward Boscawen had to take up water and food in Gibraltar . However, the French did not succeed in getting past Gibraltar undetected. The British left immediately and took up the chase with a superior fleet of 15 ships of the line, 10 frigates and 4 smaller ships. Boscawen set his flag on the Namur (90 cannons). Five French ships of the line and the three frigates separated from the main fleet on August 17 and 18 and went to safety in the port of Cádiz . In the early afternoon of August 18th the battle began, with exchanges of fire between the leading British ships and the last French ships. After a fierce battle, the Namur was put out of action and had to leave the battle line. The French 74-gun ship of the line Centaure painted the flag after bearing the brunt of the battle and being shot to the wreck. De la Clue tried to take advantage of the failure of the opposing flagship , broke off the fight and had all sails set to escape the British. Boscawen transferred to the Newark and from there ordered a general pursuit of the French. The following night two French ships managed to escape by changing course, the rest tried to find shelter under the cannons of the fortress of Lagos in neutral Portugal. The French flagship Océan (80 cannons) ran aground, was abandoned by the crew and set on fire by the British. Admiral de la Clue had previously been brought ashore seriously wounded, where he died a short time later. The Redoutable (74 cannons) was also destroyed , while the Téméraire (74 cannons) and the Modeste (64 cannons) capitulated and were taken over by the British. Around 2,000 French people were taken prisoner next to the ships. The extensive annihilation of the Mediterranean squadron played an important role in persuading the French to abandon their plan of invasion . The captured ships were taken over into the Royal Navy.
See also: List of Major Sea Battles