Battle of Augusta

The naval Battle of Augusta (also known as the Battle of Agosta) took place on 22 April 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War and was fought between a French fleet of 29 man-of-war, five frigates and eight fireships under Abraham Duquesne and a Dutch-Spanish fleet of 27 (17 Dutch, 10 Spanish) plus five fireships with Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral-General Michiel de Ruyter in command. The battle was a short but intense affair and ended abruptly when Duquesne, after hearing that De Ruyter had been mortally wounded, retreated. Neither side lost a ship, though there were many dead and wounded, especially among the Dutch.

Order of battle

France (Abraham Duquesne)

• Twenty-nine ships of the line
• Five frigates
• Eight fireships

First Squadron (Alméras)

• Fidèle 56 (Chevalier de Cogolin)
• Heureux 54 (Monsieur de La Bretesche)
• Vermandois 50 (Chevalier de Tambonneau,killed)
• Pompeux 72 (Chevalier de Valbelle, chef d'escadre)
• Lys 74 (Lieutenant-Général Marquis Guillaume d'Alméras, killed; flag-captains Etienne Gentet and Chevalier de Montbron)
• Magnifique 72 (Monsieur de La Gravière)
• Parfait 60 (Monsieur de Chasteneuf)
• Apollon 54 (Chevalier de Forbin)
• Trident 38 (Chevalier de Bellefontaine)

Fireships

• Ardent
• Orage

Second Squadron (Duquesne)

• Fortune 56 (Marquis d'Amfreville)
• Aimable 56 (Monsieur de La Barre)
• Joli 46 (Monsieur de Belle-Isle)
• Éclatant 60 (Monsieur de Coü, killed; replaced by Monsieur de Saint-Germen)
• Sceptre 80 (Comte Anne Hilarion de Tourville)
• Saint-Esprit 72 (vice-admiral Abraham Duquesne)
• Saint Michel 60 (Marquis de Preuilly d'Humiéres)
• Mignon 46 (Monsieur de Relingues)
• Aquilon 50 (Monsieur de Montreuil)
• Vaillant 54 (Monsieur de Septesme)

Fireships

• Salvador
• Imprudent
• Inquiet

Third Squadron (Gabaret)

• Assuré 56 (Marquis de Villette-Mursay)
• Brusque 46 (Chevalier De La Mothe)
• Syrène 46 (Chevalier de Béthune)
• Fier 60 (Monsieur de Chabert)
• Agréable 56 (Monsieur d'Ailly)
• Sans-Pareil 70 (chef d'escadre Jean Gabaret, flag-captain Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon)
• Grand 72 (Monsieur de Beaulieu)
• Sage 54 (Marquis de Langeron)
• Prudent 54 (Monsieur de La Fayette)
• Téméraire 50 (Chevalier de Levy)

Fireships:

• Dangereux
• Hameson
• Dame-de-la-Mère

Netherlands/Spain (Michiel de Ruyter)

De Ruyters squadron

• Spiegel 70 (Gilles Schey)
• Groenwijf 36 (Jan Noirot)
• Leiden 36 (Jan van Abkoude)
• Leeuwen 50 (Frans Willem, Graaf van Limburg Stirum)
• Eendracht 76 (Lt-Admiral Michiel De Ruyter, died; flag-captain Gerard Callenburgh)
• Stad en Lande 54 (Joris Andringa)
• Zuiderhuis 46 (Pieter de Sitter)
• Damiaten 34 (Isaac van Uitterwijk)
• Oosterwijk 60 (Jacob Teding van Berkhout)
• Tonijn 8 (snauw, Philips Melkenbeek)
• Kreeft 8 (snauw, Wijbrand Barendszoon)
• Ter Goes 8 (snauw, Abraham Wilmerdonk)
• Salm 4 (fireship, Jan van Kampen)
• Melkmeisje 2 (fireship, Arent Ruyghaver)
• Zwarte Tas 4 (Jacob Stadtlander)

De Haans squadron

• Steenbergen 68 (Pieter van Middelandt)
• Wakende Boei 46 (Cornelis Tijloos)
• Edam 34 (Cornelis van der Zaan)
• Kraanvogel 46 (Jacob Willemszoon Broeder)
• Gouda 76 (Vice-Admiral Jan de Haan)
• Provincie van Utrecht 60 (Jan de Jong)
• Vrijheid 50 (Adam van Brederode)
• Harderwijk 46 (Mattheus Megang)
• Prinsen Wapen 8 (snauw, Hendrik Walop)
• Rouaan 8 (snauw, Willem Knijf)
• Roos 8 (snauw, Juriaan Baak)
• Sint Salvador 6 (fireship, Jan Janszoon Bont)
• Jakob en Anna 4 (fireship, Dirk Klaaszoon Harney)
• Witte tas 4 (supply ship, Adriaan van Esch)

Spanish ships

10 or 12 ships among them:

• Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Capitana Real) 64/74 (1000-1100 crew) Almirante Francisco Pereire Freire de La Cerda (or de La Zerda)
• Santiago (Nueva Real) 80
• San Antonio de Napoles 44/46 (500 crew)
• San Felipe 40/44
• San Carlo/Salvator delle Fiandre/San Salvador (Almiranta de Flandres) 40/42/48 (350 crew)
• San Joaquin/San Juan 80
• San Gabriel 40
• Santa Ana 54/60
• Nuestra Señora del Rosario 50
• Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
• Nuestra Señora del Rosario y Las Animas

Commemoration

The French navy (Marine Nationale) commemorated the battle of Agosta by naming a conventional submarine (Pennant number S620) leading ship of the successful Agosta class, after it.

References

• David S. T. Blackmore: Warfare on the Mediterranean in the Age of Sail: A History, 1571-1866. McFarland 2011, ISBN 9780786447992, pp. 98–99 (online copy, p. 98, at Google Books)