Capture of the Rosily Squadron

Overview

The capture of the Rosily Squadron took place on 14 June 1808 in Cádiz following the Second of May uprising against French troops in Madrid. Five ships of the line and a frigate of the French Imperial Navy were in the port, having remained there under a British blockade since the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. After an engagement with the Spanish lasting five days, French Admiral François Étienne de Rosily-Mesros surrendered his entire squadron with the 4,000 seamen then on board.

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

Significance

The capture of the Rosily Squadron in June 1808 at Cádiz delivered the Spanish a significant early naval prize at the outset of the Peninsular War. Five French ships of the line and a frigate, bottled up in port since the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 under British blockade, were surrendered along with roughly 4,000 French seamen after a five-day engagement. The action followed directly from the Second of May uprising in Madrid and reflected the rapid deterioration of the Franco-Spanish alliance across the Iberian Peninsula. The seizure removed a substantial French naval force from any potential operational use and handed Spain both material and symbolic momentum in the opening phase of the war.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)