Battle of Málaga (1704)

The Battle of Málaga (or Vélez-Málaga) was the largest naval battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. It took place on 24 August 1704, south of Málaga, Spain.

The battle
Less than a week after the Capture of Gibraltar, Admiral George Rooke received intelligence that a French fleet under the command of Toulouse and d'Estrées was approaching Gibraltar. Leaving half his marines to defend the newly won prize, Rooke immediately set off with his combined Anglo-Dutch fleet to engage the French.

The outcome of the action that followed, the Battle of Vélez-Málaga, was indecisive. Not a single vessel was sunk or captured on either side but the mutual battering left many ships barely seaworthy and casualties on both sides were high. As the French and the British approached each other two days later, on 26 August, they finally decided not to engage each other. Considering the British had a significantly higher number of casualties and highly damaged ships, particularly their masts, the French mistakenly interpreted the British fleet's prudence as an overall victory. Byng's squadron, having expended so much ammunition in the previous bombardment of Gibraltar, was obliged to quit the line.

The French had returned to Toulon claiming victory. The reality was, however, that by retreating to Toulon the French turned what had been a tactical stalemate into an Anglo-Dutch strategic victory, because after the Battle of Vélez-Málaga the French Navy never again emerged from Toulon in full strength.

England/Netherlands (George Rooke)
(90-gunners and above were 3-deckers)

Vanguard

 * Prince George (96, flag of Vice-Admiral Sir John Leake, Captain Stephen Martin)
 * Newark (80, Captain Richard Clarke)
 * Boyne (80, Captain James Berkeley)
 * Norfolk (80, Captain John Knapp)
 * Yarmouth (70, Captain Jasper Hicks)
 * Berwick (70, Captain Robert Fairfax)
 * Namur (96, Captain Christopher Myngs)
 * Barfleur (96, flag of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Captain James Stuart)
 * Warspite (70, Captain Edmund Loades)
 * Orford (70, Captain John Norris)
 * Swiftsure (70, Captain Robert Wynn)
 * Lennox (70, Captain William Jumper)
 * Assurance (66, Captain Robert Hancock)
 * Nottingham (60, Captain Samuel Whitaker)
 * Tilbury (50, Captain George Delaval)
 * Garland (50, Captain Henry Hobart)

Centre

 * Royal Katherine (90, flag of Admiral Sir George Rooke, Captain John Fletcher)
 * St George (96, Captain John Jennings)
 * Shrewsbury (80, Captain Josias Crowe)
 * Grafton (70, Captain Sir Andrew Leake)
 * Nassau (70, Captain Francis Dove)
 * Eagle (70, Captain Lord Archibald Hamilton)
 * Monmouth (70, Captain John Baker)
 * Montagu (60, Captain William Cleveland)
 * Panther (50, Captain Peregrine Bertie)
 * Kent (70, flag of Rear-Admiral Thomas Dilkes, Captain Jonas Hanway)
 * Cambridge (80, Captain Richard Lestock)
 * Royal Oak (76, Captain Gerard Elwes)
 * Bedford (70, Captain Sir Thomas Hardy)
 * Suffolk (70, Captain Robert Kirkton)
 * Burford (70, Captain Kerryll Roffey)
 * Monck (60, Captain James Mighells)
 * Swallow (50, Captain Richard Haddock)
 * Ranelagh (80, flag of Rear-Admiral Georg Byng, Captain John Cowe)
 * Somerset (80, Captain John Price)
 * Dorsetshire (80, Captain Edward Whitaker)
 * Torbay (80, Captain William Caldwell)
 * Essex (70, Captain John Hubbard)
 * Firme (70, ex-French, Captain Baron Wyld)
 * Kingston (60, Captain Edward Acton)
 * Triton (50, ex-French, Captain Tudor Trevor)
 * Centurion (50, Captain John Herne)

Rear
The rear division comprised the Dutch element of the Anglo-Dutch fleet.


 * Graaf van Albemarle (64, flag of Lieutenant-Admiral Gerard Callenburgh) - blew up on 27 August on the way back to Gibraltar.
 * Unie (90, flag of Vice-Admiral J. G. van Wassenaer)
 * Gelderland (72, Capt. P. Schrijver)
 * Dordrecht (72, Capt. van der Pot)
 * Katwijk (72, Capt. J. C. Ockersse)
 * Wapen van Vriesland (64, Capt. C. Middagten)
 * Wapen van Utrecht (64, Capt. Bolck)
 * Bannier (64, Capt. J. W. van Ghent)
 * Leeuw (64)
 * Vlissingen (64)
 * Nijmegen (54, Capt. H. Lijnslager)
 * Damiaten (52)

Others

 * Five frigates
 * Larke (40, Captain Charles Fotherby)
 * Roebuck (40, Cptain Thomas Kempthorne)
 * Charles Galley (32, Captain Joseph Taylor)
 * Tartar (32, Captain John Cooper)
 * Newport (24, Captain George Paddon)
 * Two (bomb)s
 * Hare
 * Terror (Captain Isaac Cook)
 * Seven fireships
 * Firebrand (Cmdr. Henry Turvill)
 * Griffin (Cmdr. George Ramsey)
 * Hunter (Cmdr. Thomas Legge)
 * Lightning (Cmdr. Archibald Hamilton)
 * Phoenix (Cmdr. Edmund Hicks)
 * Vulcan (Cmdr. John Clifton)
 * Vulture (Cmdr. George Fisher)
 * Two hospital ships
 * Princess Anne (Cmdr. Charles Guy)
 * Jefferies (Cmdr. Thomas Robinson)
 * One yacht
 * William and Mary (Cmdr. John Robinson)

Total
3614 guns, 22543 men

France (Toulouse and d'Estrées)

 * Sérieux (70, Chamelin)
 * Foudroyant (104, flagship of Toulouse)

Vanguard

 * Fier (flag of VA de Villette Mursay)
 * Excellence
 * Sage
 * Intrépide (Jean du Casse)
 * Constant (Sainte-Maure)

Centre

 * Tonnant (flag of Toulouse)
 * ? (flag of d'Estrées)
 * others

Rear

 * ? (flag of RA de Langeron)
 * others

Others

 * 6 frigates
 * 6 fireships
 * 28 large galleys
 * 5 tenders

Total
3577 guns, 24275 men