A minor Napoleonic naval skirmish in which two French ships of the line were scuttled to avoid capture, with the remainder escaping to Toulon.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 October 1809
- French ships of the line
- 3
- French frigates
- 2
- British ships in squadron
- 6
- French ships of the line scuttled
- 2 (ran aground)
- Follow-up action
- British cutting-out party attacked convoy off Roses, 1 November
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A French Imperial Navy squadron of three ships of the line and two frigates was escorting a convoy when it encountered a six-ship British Royal Navy squadron during the Peninsular War. The French sought to protect the convoy while evading a superior or threatening British force by hugging the shallow coastal waters near Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone.
In a running battle on 25 October 1809, two French ships of the line ran aground in the shallow inshore waters. Their crews evacuated and scuttled both vessels after removing cannons and other valuable equipment. The three remaining French ships successfully disengaged and escaped to the naval base at Toulon.
The loss of two ships of the line weakened the French squadron, and the convoy they had been protecting remained exposed. On 1 November 1809, a British cutting-out party attacked the convoy off Roses, Girona, destroying most of it and capturing three vessels, compounding the French naval setback in the western Mediterranean.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent