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Battle of Cape St. Vincent

The Battle of Cape St. Vincent took place on the 14th  February 1797 off the coast of Portugal.

The Royal Navy, under the command of Admiral Sir John Jervis with 15 ships of the line defeated a Spanish fleet of 27 ships under the command of Vice-Admiral Don José de Córdoba Y Ramos.

Summary:

The Spanish fleet was formed in two loose columns, one of about 18 ships to windward and the other, of about 9 ships, somewhat closer to the British. The single British steered to pass between the two Spanish columns.

The British line, led by Culloden, tacked in succession to reverse course and overhaul the larger Spanish column. The smaller Spanish division engaged the British line at the point they were tacking and some British ships were damaged and fell out of the line. As the last ship in the British line passed the end of the main Spanish line, the British line was in a U shape with Culloden in the lead and on the reverse course but chasing the rear of the Spanish. The Spanish lee division bore up in an effort to join their compatriots. Nelson, in Captain, towards the rear of the British line, disobeying previous ordered Captain Miller to take Captain out of line and engaged tthe smaller group. Other British ships from both ends of the line Culloden,  Excellent, Blenheim and Prince George, supported this and prevented the two Spanish groups combining. The Captain was now under fire from up to as six Spanish ships, three of  112 guns and including Cordóba's flagship Santísima Trinidad (130).

San Nicolás ran foul of San José, and they were boarded and taken by Captain, whilst 2 other Spanish ships struck to the supporting ships.

Novels based around this battle.

	Ships	Guns	Captain	Ships fate
British Fleet
	Culloden	74	Thomas Troubridge
	Blenheim	90	Thomas Lenox Frederick
	Prince George	98	Flag - Rear Admiral William Parker Cptn. - John Irwin
	Orion	74	James Saumarez
	Colossus	74	George Murray
	Irresistible	74	George Martin
	Victory	100	Flag - Admiral Sir John Jervis Cptn. of the Fleet - Robert Calder Cptn. - George Grey
	Egmont	74	John Sutton
	Goliath	74	Charles H. Knowles
	Barfleur	98	Flag - Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave Cptn. - James Richard Dacres
	Brittania	100	Flag - Vice-Admiral Charles Thompson Cptn. - Thomas Foley
	Namur	90	James Hawkins Whitshed
	Captain	74	Flag - Commodore Horatio Nelson (Wounded) Cptn. - Ralph Willett Miller
	Diadem	64	George Henry Towry
	Excellent	74	Cuthbert Collingwood
Spantish Fleet
	Santísima Trinidad	130	Flag - Vice-Admiral Don José de Córdoba Y Ramos. Cptn. - ?	Badly damaged
	Conde de Regla	112	?
	Mexicano	112	Flag - Admiral P. De Cárdenas Cptn. - F de Herrera
	Principe de Asturias	112	Flag - Admiral J. Moreno Cptn. - A. De Escaño
	Purísima Concepcion	112	Flag - Admiral Morales de los Ríos Cptn. - ?
	Salvador del Mundo	112	D. A. Yepes	Captured
	San José	112	Flag - Admiral Francisco Javier Winthuysen Cptn. - ?	Captured
	Neptuno	80	?
	San Nicolas	80	T. Geraldino	Captured
	Atlante	74	G. Vallejo
	Bahama	74	?
	Conquistador	74	J. Butler
	Firme	74	B. Ayala
	Glorioso	74	?
	Infante Pelayo	74	C. Valdés
	Oriente	74	J. Suárez
	San Antonia	74	S. Medina
	San Domingo	74	M. De Torres
	San Fermin	74	J. De Torres
	San Francisco de Paula	74	J. De Guimbarda
	San Genaro	74	A. de Villavicencio
	San Ildefenso	74	R. Maestre
	San Juan Nepomuceno	74	A. Boneo
	San Pablo	74	B. de Cisneros
	San Isidoro	74	T. Argumosa	Captured
	Soberano	74	J. V. Yáñez
	Terrible	74	?
British Fleet - Also Present
	Minerve	38	George Cockburn
	Lively	32	Lord Garlies
	Niger	32	Edward James Foote
	Southampton	32	James Macnamara
	La Bonne Citoyenne	20	Charles Lindsay
	Raven	18	Commander William Prowse
	Fox	10	Lieutenant John Gibson
Spanish Fleet - Also Present
	Atocha	34
	Ceres	34
	Diana	34
	Matilda	34
	Mercedes	34
	Perla	34
	Santa Brigida	34

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