Battle of Cape Passaro

Battle of Cape Passaro
Part of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
The Battle of Cape Passaro, 11 August 1718, Richard Paton
Date 11 August 1718 Location Off Cape Passaro, Mediterranean Sea 36°41′13″N 15°08′54″E / 36.6869°N 15.1483°E / 36.6869; 15.1483 Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	Spain
Commanders and leaders
George Byng Charles Cornewall George Delaval[1]	Antonio Gaztañeta George Camocke
Strength
22 ships of the line 2 fireships 1 storeship 1 hospital ship 1 bomb ketch 1 bomb tender 1,444 guns 9,000 crew members	15 ships of the line 6 frigates 1 storeship 3 bomb ketchs 2 fireships 4 storeships 7 galleys 1,320 guns 10,000 crew members
Casualties and losses
500 killed or wounded[2]	2,400 killed or wounded 3,600 captured 10 ships of the line captured 4 ships of the line destroyed 4 frigates captured 1 storeship captured 1 bomb ketch destroyed 4 smaller warships captured, sunk or destroyed[2]

The Battle of Cape Passaro, also known as Battle of Avola or Battle of Syracuse, was a naval battle fought on 11 August 1718 between a fleet of the British Royal Navy under Admiral Sir George Byng and a fleet of the Spanish Navy under Rear-Admiral Antonio de Gaztañeta. It was fought off Cape Passaro, in the southern tip of Sicily, which Spain had occupied. Spain and Britain were at peace, but Britain was already committed to supporting the ambitions of the Emperor Charles VI in southern Italy.

The battle was fought without a formal declaration of war but once the Spanish fired on the nearest British ships, this gave Byng his excuse to attack. The British were superior in numbers. The battle was the most significant naval action of the War of the Quadruple Alliance and resulted in a decisive victory for the British fleet, which captured or burned sixteen Spanish ships of line and frigates and several small vessels. Some of the Spanish ships were taken in the main action and some taken or burnt by their crews, who fled to the coast of Sicily; Castañeta and Chacón were captured. The Spanish army in Sicily was isolated. Four months later the War of the Quadruple Alliance was formally declared.