The Fleets

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The following are lists of ships and their commanders that were part of the British and Spanish fleets for the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.

 

The British, Admiral Sir John Jervis

The Commanders

Ship (guns) Commander
Victory (100) - Flagship

Admiral Sir John Jervis

1st Captain Robert Calder

2nd Captain George Grey

Prince George (98) - Van division

Rear-Admiral Sir William Parker

Captain John Irwin.

Britannia (100) - Rear division

Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Thompson

Captain Thomas Foley

 

 

Ships-of-the-Line

 

Ship (guns) Commanders
Barfleur (98)

Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave

Captain James Richard Dacres

Captain (74)

Commodore Horatio Nelson

Captain Ralph Willett Miller

Namur (90) Captain James Hawkins Whitshed
Diadem (64) Captain George Henry Towry
Excellent (74) Captain Cuthbert Collingwood
Goliath (74) Captain Sir Charles H. Knowles
Egmont (74) Captain John Sutton
Irresistible (74) Captain George Martin
Colossus (74) Captain George Murray
Orion (74) Captain Sir James Saumarez
Blenheim (98) Captain Thomas Lenox Frederick
Culloden (74) Captain Thomas Troubridge

Frigates and smaller vessels

Ships (guns) Commanders
Minerve (38) Captain George Cockburn
Lively (32) Captain Lord Garlies
Niger (32) Captain Edward James Foote
Southampton (32) Captain James Macnamara
Bonne-Citoyenne (sloop) Captain Charles Lindsay
Raven (sloop) Captain William Prowse
Fox (cutter) Lieutenant John Gibson

 

Sources:

'The Dispatches and Letters of Lord Nelson - vol. II', Nicolas

'The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson', Roger Knight

 


The Spanish, Admiral Don José de Córdova

 

The Commanders

Ship (guns) Commander
Santissima Trinidad (130) - Flagship

Admiral Don José de Córdova

Captain Rafael Orozco

Mexicano (112)

Admiral Pedro de Cárdenas

Captain Francisco de Herrera y Cruzat

Concepción (112)

Admiral Conde Morales de los Rios

Captain José Escaño

Principe de Asturias (112)

Admiral Juan Moreno

Captain Antonio Escaño

San José (112)

Admiral Francisco Winthuysen

Captain Pedro Pineda

Conde de Regla (112)

Admiral Conde de Ambliment

Captain Gironimo Brabo

Bahama (74)

Admiral Domingo de Nava

Captain José Aramburu

 

Ships-of-the-Line

Ship (guns) Commander
Soberano (74) Captain Juan Yáñez
Salvador del Mundo (112) Captain Antonio Yepes
Neptuno (74) Captain José Lorenzo Goicocchea
San Nicolas (84) Captain Tomás Geraldino
San Pablo (74) Captain Baltasar Cisneros
Pelayo (74) Captain Cayetano Valdés
Santo Domingo (74) Captain Manuel Torres Valdivia
Conquistador (74) Captain José Butler
San Juan Nepomuceno (74) Captain José Boneo
San Genaro (74) Captain Felipe Villavicencio
Terrible (74) Captain Francisco Uriarte
Oriente (74) Captain Juan Suárez
San Isidro (74) Captain Teodoro Argumosa
San Ildefonso (74) Captain Rafael Maestre
San Fermin (74) Captain José de Torres Campo
Firme (74) Captain Bruno Ayala
San Antonio (74) Captain Salvador de Medina
Glorioso (74) Captain Juan de Aguirre
Atlante (74) Captain Gonzalo Vallexo
San Francisco de Paula (74) Captain José Guimbarda

Urcas (armed merchant ships)

Ship Commander
Santa Paula Captain José Eléxaga
Santa Balbina Captain Diego Ochando
Anunciación Captain José Herrara
Santa Justa Captain Francisco Escals
Bergantin Vigilante Captain Francisco de Córdova

 

Frigates

Ship Commander
Casilda Captain Ramón Herrera
Perla Captain Francisco Moyua
Mercedes Captain José Vasco y Vargas
Paz Captain Santiago Irizarri
Dorotea Captain Manuel Guerrero
Guadalupe Captain José de la Encina
Teresa Captain Pablo Pérez
Matilde Captain Manuel Victoria
Diana Captain Juan José Verela
Atocha Captain Francisco Parexa
Ceres Captain Ignacio Olaeta
Flora Captain Joaquin Rodriguez de Rivera
Brigida Captain José Gonzálaz

NOTE ON THE SPANISH FLEET: This list is of Admiral Córdova's fleet on the 1st February.  It includes four ships-of-the-line which did not participate in the battle.  These are the Neptuno and Bahama, which were sent into Algeciras, and the San Pablo and Pelayo, which had been detached in the wrong direction to scout for the British in the morning on the day of the battle, and did not make it back in time to participate.

Source: Historia General de Espana

 

So the Spanish outnumbered the British in numbers, guns and men.  But the training, discipline and experience of the British officers and crew far outweighed that of the Spanish.

Next: The Morning of Battle

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