Battle of Vigo Bay

Overview

The Battle of Vigo Bay, also known as the Battle of Rande or sometimes as the Battle of Redondela Bay, was a naval engagement fought on 23 October 1702 during the opening years of the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement followed an Anglo-Dutch attempt to capture the Spanish port of Cádiz in September in an effort to secure a naval base in the Iberian Peninsula. From this station the Allies had hoped to conduct operations in the western Mediterranean Sea, particularly against the French at Toulon.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Vigo Bay was fought in October 1702 during the opening years of the War of the Spanish Succession, following a failed Anglo-Dutch attempt to seize Cádiz in September of that year. The Cádiz operation had aimed to secure a naval base on the Iberian Peninsula from which the Allies could project power into the western Mediterranean, particularly against the French fleet at Toulon. With that objective unfulfilled, the engagement at Vigo Bay represented a consequential sequel in the Allied maritime campaign on the Iberian coast. French casualties of 2,000 indicate that the action was costly for the Franco-Spanish side. The battle involved senior Allied naval commanders George Rooke and Philips van Almonde against the French force under Châteaurenault, with Manuel de Velasco commanding on the Franco-Spanish side.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)