Battle of Augusta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Battle of Augusta

Combat naval devant Augusta dans le golfe de Messine, 21 avril 1676, oil on canvas by Ambroise Louis Garneray, 1836

Date	22 April 1676
Location	Off Augusta, Mediterranean Sea
Result	Indecisive

Belligerents

Dutch Republic

Spain

France

Commanders and leaders

Don Francisco de la Cerda

Michiel de Ruyter †

Abraham Duquesne

Strength

17 ships of the line
9 frigates
6 snows
4 fireships
2 supply ships
1,300 guns

29 ships of the line
5 frigates
8 fireships
2,200 guns

Casualties and losses

~2,000 killed or wounded

The Battle of Augusta, also called the Battle of Agosta or Battle of Etna, was a big naval fight. It happened on April 22, 1676, during the Franco-Dutch War.

The battle was between the French navy and a combined Dutch-Spanish fleet. The French fleet had 29 large warships, plus smaller ships. It was led by Abraham Duquesne. The Dutch-Spanish fleet had at least 28 warships. It was commanded by Francisco de la Cerda from Spain. The famous Dutch admiral, Michiel de Ruyter, led the Dutch ships.

Even though the battle was fierce, neither side lost any ships. However, Admiral de Ruyter was badly hurt during the fight. He died a week later. Because the Dutch-Spanish fleet wanted to defeat the French and attack Messina, and they didn't, the battle was a strategic loss for them.

What Led to the Battle

Rivalry and War

King Louis XIV of France wanted to expand his country. He was rivals with the Habsburg family, who ruled Spain and other parts of Europe. The Dutch Republic wanted to avoid war with France or England. They preferred Spain to control the southern Netherlands. This way, France wouldn't be right next to their border.

In 1659, the Franco-Spanish War ended. A treaty said Louis XIV would marry a Spanish princess, Maria Theresa. She gave up her right to the Spanish throne. This was to stop a French king from taking over Spain. But her dowry, a large payment to Louis, was never paid.

When the Spanish king died in 1665, his young son, Charles II, became king. Louis XIV then said Maria Theresa's claim to the throne was still valid. This was because her dowry was not paid. He also used old laws to say he had a right to Spanish lands.

French Invasion and Dutch Involvement

In 1667, France invaded the Spanish Netherlands. They had early success. But then, the Second Anglo-Dutch War ended. The Dutch, English, and Swedish formed an alliance. They wanted to protect Spain from France.

In 1668, a new treaty was signed. Louis XIV kept some towns in the Spanish Netherlands. But he had to give back other cities and a province to Spain. Louis was angry at the Dutch for getting involved. He then used diplomacy and money to break up the alliance. By 1672, England and Sweden were no longer allied with the Dutch.

France then invaded the United Netherlands in May 1672. This started the Franco-Dutch War. The French had early victories. The Dutch offered good peace terms, but Louis refused. The Dutch then flooded their lands by opening river gates. They prepared to fight France on land and sea.

Sicily and Naval Battles

In 1674, the city of Messina in Sicily rebelled against Spain. They asked France for help. France sent a small fleet with troops and food. But they had to leave because a Spanish fleet was too strong.

Later, a stronger French force broke through the Spanish blockade. They defeated a larger Spanish fleet near the Lipari Islands in February 1675. This battle is sometimes called the First Battle of Stromboli. It ended the Spanish blockade of Messina. It also brought much-needed food to the city.

Spain then asked the Dutch for help. Michiel de Ruyter was sent to the Mediterranean Sea. He had 18 warships. But his ships were not fully manned. This was because the Franco-Dutch War was using up many Dutch resources.

De Ruyter waited two months for Spanish supplies and ships. Then he sailed to Sicily. In January 1676, he fought a French fleet. This was the Battle of Stromboli. It was an indecisive battle. One Dutch ship sank after being badly damaged.

Later in 1676, a Spanish squadron joined de Ruyter. The combined fleet was now led by the Spanish admiral, Don Francisco de la Cerda. They wanted to attack Messina. To do this, they needed to defeat the French fleet. So, they decided to attack Augusta. This would force the French fleet out of Messina harbor.

The Battle of Augusta

Fleets Meet

The attack on Augusta worked. The French fleet came out to sea. On April 22, 1676, the two fleets met. This happened in the Bay of Catania, north of Augusta.

De la Cerda did not agree with de Ruyter's idea. De Ruyter wanted to mix Dutch and Spanish ships. So, the Spanish ships formed the middle of the combined fleet. The Dutch ships were at the front, led by de Ruyter. Other Dutch ships were at the back, led by Jan de Haan.

Sources say the French had 29 large warships. The Dutch had 13 warships. Some of these Dutch ships were not fully ready for a battle line. There were also Spanish warships, plus smaller ships. The French fleet had more firepower.

The Fight

Both fleets sailed in a line, one ship after another. They were split into three groups. The battle was mostly a fierce fight between the two front groups. The Spanish ships in the middle stayed far away from the French middle group. This might have been because they didn't have enough gunpowder.

Some ships at the back of the Dutch fleet fought the end of the French back group. But mostly, this group stayed in line with the Spanish middle. Because the Spanish middle group stayed back, the French ships from their middle group could join the attack. They attacked de Ruyter's front group from both sides.

In the intense fighting, a French ship, the Lys, was forced out of the line. The commander of the French front group, Alméras, was killed. Towards the end of the day, de Ruyter in his ship Eendracht attacked Duquesne in Saint-Esprit. De Ruyter wanted to board the French ship. But other French ships came to help their admiral.

The lack of Spanish support meant the French could surround de Ruyter. The Dutch front group suffered more damage. Three of their ships were so badly damaged they had to be towed away. But de Haan helped de Ruyter. This allowed de Ruyter to skillfully get his ships out of the fight. De la Cerda finally helped by protecting the Dutch ships as they left the battle.

During this time, de Ruyter was hit by a cannonball in the leg. He was fatally wounded. He died a week later in Syracuse.

Aftermath

The next morning, the fleets separated. There was no more fighting. The combined Dutch-Spanish fleet went to Palermo to fix their damaged ships. They gave up on their plan to attack Messina.

A month later, on May 28, 1676, the French fleet attacked again. They found the Dutch-Spanish fleet anchored in Palermo harbor. This was the naval Battle of Palermo. The French destroyed several Dutch and Spanish warships. They used gunfire and fireships in the enclosed harbor. De Haan, who took command after de Ruyter's death, was also killed.

Even with this big victory, the French left Messina in 1678. The Spanish governor of Sicily then took back control of the city.

Ships in the Battle

France (Abraham Duquesne)

29 ships of the line (large warships)
5 frigates (smaller, faster warships)
8 fireships (ships filled with flammable materials to set enemy ships on fire)

Front Group (Alméras)

Fidèle 56 guns
Heureux 54 guns
Vermandois 50 guns
Pompeux 72 guns
Lys 74 guns (Commander Alméras killed)
Magnifique 72 guns
Parfait 60 guns
Apollon 54 guns
Trident 38 guns
Ardent (fireship)
Orage (fireship)

Middle Group (Duquesne)

Fortune 56 guns
Aimable 56 guns
Joli 46 guns
Éclatant 60 guns
Sceptre 80 guns
Saint-Esprit 72 guns (Admiral Duquesne's ship)
Saint Michel 60 guns
Mignon 46 guns
Aquilon 50 guns
Vaillant 54 guns
Salvador (fireship)
Imprudent (fireship)
Inquiet (fireship)

Rear Group (Gabaret)

Assuré 56 guns
Brusque 46 guns
Syrène 46 guns
Fier 60 guns
Agréable 56 guns
Sans-Pareil 70 guns
Grand 72 guns
Sage 54 guns
Prudent 54 guns
Téméraire 50 guns
Dangereux (fireship)
Hameson (fireship)
Dame-de-la-Mère (fireship)

Netherlands/Spain (Michiel de Ruyter/Francisco De la Cerda)

17 ships of the line
9 frigates
Several smaller warships and galleys

De Ruyter's Dutch Group (Front)

Spiegel 70 guns
Groenwijf 36 guns
Leiden 36 guns
Leeuwen 50 guns
Eendracht 76 guns (Admiral De Ruyter's ship)
Stad en Lande 54 guns
Zuiderhuis 46 guns
Damiaten 34 guns
Oosterwijk 60 guns
Tonijn 8 guns (small ship)
Kreeft 8 guns (small ship)
Ter Goes 8 guns (small ship)
Salm 4 guns (fireship)
Melkmeisje 2 guns (fireship)
Zwarte Tas 4 guns (supply ship)

De la Cerda's Spanish Group (Middle)

About 10 to 12 ships, including:

Nuestra Señora del Pilar 64/74 guns (Admiral De la Cerda's ship)
Santiago 80 guns
San Antonio de Napoles 44/46 guns
San Felipe 40/44 guns
San Carlo/Salvator delle Fiandre/San Salvador 40/42/48 guns
San Joaquin/San Juan 80 guns
San Gabriel 40 guns
Santa Ana 54/60 guns
Nuestra Señora del Rosario 50 guns
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Nuestra Señora del Rosario y Las Animas

De Haan's Dutch Group (Rear)

Steenbergen 68 guns
Wakende Boei 46 guns
Edam 34 guns
Kraanvogel 46 guns
Gouda 76 guns (Vice-Admiral Jan de Haan's ship)
Provincie van Utrecht 60 guns
Vrijheid 50 guns
Harderwijk 46 guns
Prinsen Wapen 8 guns (small ship)
Rouaan 8 guns (small ship)
Roos 8 guns (small ship)
Sint Salvador 6 guns (fireship)
Jakob en Anna 4 guns (fireship)
Witte tas 4 guns (supply ship)

Remembering the Battle

The French Navy has honored the Battle of Augusta (called Agosta in French). They named two submarines after it: the Redoutable-class submarine Agosta (Q178) and the Agosta (S620). The second one was the first ship of a successful group of submarines called the Agosta class class.