Battle of Havana (1748)

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Battle of Havana

Part of the War of Jenkins' Ear,
War of the Austrian Succession

Date	October 12, 1748
Location	Caribbean Sea, near Havana, Cuba
Result	Tactical British victory, although achieved after the peace treaty between Great Britain and Spain.

Combatants

Britain

Spain

Commanders

Charles Henry Knowles

Andrés Reggio y Brachiforte

Strength

7 ships of the line
(428 guns)

6 ships of the line
1 frigate
(420 guns)

Casualties

1 ship heavily damaged

2 ships lost

War of the Austrian Succession
Mollwitz – Chotusitz – Dettingen – Toulon – Fontenoy – Hohenfriedberg – Soor – Kesselsdorf – Rocoux – 1st Finisterre – Lauffeld – 2nd Finisterre – Havana

The Battle of Havana was an engagement between the British Caribbean squadron and a Spanish squadron based near Havana. After a number of abortive attacks, the British succeeded in driving the Spaniards back to their harbour after capturing the Conquistador and running the vice-admiral's ship on shore where she blew up. Both commanders, Charles Knowles and Don Andres Reggio, were reprimanded by their respective governments for their conduct during the engagement, the former for not bringing his full fleet to bear and achieving a total rout.

[edit] Ships involved

[edit] Britain (Charles Knowles)

Cornwall 80 (flag)
Lenox 70 (Charles Holmes)
Tilbury 60 (Charles Pawlet)
Strafford 60 (David Brodiê)
Warwick 60 (Innes)
Canterbury 60 (Clarke)
Oxford 50 (Edmundo Toll)

[edit] Spain

Africa 70/74 (flag 1, Andrés Reggio)
Invencible 70/74 (flag 2, Benito Spínola)
Conquistador 60/64 (Tomás de San Justo)
Dragón 60/64 (Manuel de Paz)
Nueva España 60/64 (Fernando Varela)
Real Familia 60/64 (Marcos Forastal)
Galga 30/36 (Pedro de Garaycoechea)