PropertyValue
rdf:type
rdfs:label
  • Battle of Cape Ortegal
rdfs:comment
  • Dumanoir had commanded the van of the line at Trafalgar, and had managed to escape the battle having suffered relatively little damage. He initially attempted to continue the fleet's mission and enter the Mediterranean, but fearful of encountering strong British forces, changed his mind and headed north to skirt round Spain and reach the French Atlantic ports. On his journey he encountered two British frigates but drove them off, but shortly afterwards came across a single British frigate and chased it. The frigate led Dumanoir within range of a British squadron under Strachan, who was patrolling the area in search of a different French squadron. Strachan immediately gave chase, while Dumanoir fled from the superior force he had been lured towards. Strachan's squadron took time to form up,
owl:sameAs
Strength
  • 4
dcterms:subject
dbkwik:military/property/wikiPageUsesTemplate
Partof
  • the Napoleonic Wars
Date
  • 1805-11-04
Commander
  • Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley
  • Sir Richard Strachan
Caption
  • The Battle of Cape Ortegal by Thomas Whitcombe.
Casualties
  • 4
  • 24
  • 111
  • 730
Result
  • British victory
combatant
  • France
  • United Kingdom
Place
  • Cape Ortegal
Conflict
  • Battle of Cape Ortegal
abstract
  • Dumanoir had commanded the van of the line at Trafalgar, and had managed to escape the battle having suffered relatively little damage. He initially attempted to continue the fleet's mission and enter the Mediterranean, but fearful of encountering strong British forces, changed his mind and headed north to skirt round Spain and reach the French Atlantic ports. On his journey he encountered two British frigates but drove them off, but shortly afterwards came across a single British frigate and chased it. The frigate led Dumanoir within range of a British squadron under Strachan, who was patrolling the area in search of a different French squadron. Strachan immediately gave chase, while Dumanoir fled from the superior force he had been lured towards. Strachan's squadron took time to form up, but he was able to use the frigates attached to it to harass and slow the French, until his larger ships of the line could catch up. There then followed several hours of fierce fighting, before Strachan was able to outmanoeuvre his opponent and double his line with frigates and ships of the line. The French ships were then overwhelmed and forced to surrender. All four ships were taken back to Britain as prizes and commissioned into the Navy. Strachan and his men were handsomely rewarded by a public who viewed the successful outcome as completing Nelson's victory at Trafalgar.
is Battles of