On this day 1 October - the Battle of Havana

[7eat51]

The Battle of Havana was an engagement between the British Caribbean squadron and a Spanish squadron based near Havana. The action unfolded with each side at once anxious to cover its own trade and to intercept that of the other. After a number of aborted attacks, the British succeeded in driving the Spanish back to their harbour after capturing the Conquistador and running the vice-admiral's ship Africa on shore where she was blown up by her own crew after being totally dismasted and made helpless. Both commanders, Charles Knowles and Don Andres Reggio, were reprimanded by their respective commands for their conduct during the engagement, in Knowles' case for not bringing his full fleet to bear and achieving a total rout. Although the advantage clearly had been with Knowles, he failed to use this to deliver a decisive blow. It was the last major action in the War of Jenkin's Ear (1739–48), which had merged with the larger War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48). (Note 1 below)

After having his ships refitted Knowles sailed on a cruise, hoping to intercept a Spanish treasure fleet off Cuba. On 30 September he fell in with HMS Lenox, under Captain Charles Holmes, who reported that he had encountered a Spanish fleet some days earlier. The fleet was sighted the next morning but confusion over signals and a struggle to keep the weather gauge meant that the British fleet failed to attack in an organised manner. Though the Battle of Havana ended with the capture of one Spanish ship and another being badly damaged, it was not the major British victory hoped for. Knowles was accused of badly mismanaging the action and faced a court martial in December 1749. The result was a reprimand for the poor tactics he employed, while several of the other captains involved were also reprimanded. There was considerable bad feeling between Knowles and his subordinates, and several challenges to duel were issued. In once instance Knowles exchanged shots with Holmes, and in another two of his captains, Innes and Clarke, duelled, which resulted in Innes being mortally wounded. King George II eventually intervened to forbid any more duels over the matter. (Note 2 below)

For a brief, but worthwhile, treatment of the engagement, including battle maps, etc., see http://home.europa.com/~bessel/Naval/Havana.html

The ships involved in the battle:

Britain
Cornwall 80 (flag, Charles Knowles)
Lenox 70 (Charles Holmes)
Tilbury 60 (Charles Pawlet)
Strafford 60 (David Brodie)
Warwick 60 (Thomas Innes)
Canterbury 60 (Edward Clarke)
Oxford 50 (Edmund Toll)

Spain
Africa 70/74 (flag 1, Andrés Reggio y Brachiforte)
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)


Charles Knowles:



Andrés Reggio y Brachiforte:



The Battle:




Notes:
1) This text was taken directly from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Havana_(1748)
2) This text was taken directly from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Cha...s,_1st_Baronet

[Comte de Brueys]

Court martial and duels after a won battle.

I'm shure the Spanish had not such problems to court martial their commander for running the flag ship on ground and blowing it up.




Eric, please maybe you add the year, the action took place, somewhere in the headline.

[csadn]

Court martial and duels after a won battle.

It only got worse -- it would be another few years before Admiral Byng was executed for Minorca's loss; the culmination of this sort of behavior would come decades later, at Ushant and Chesapeake Bay, and cost Britain the American colonies.

[David Manley]

The RN wasn't the only fighting force that had issues with duelling officers of course.

[csadn]

The RN wasn't the only fighting force that had issues with duelling officers of course.

Decatur/Barron -- but at least they had the sense to wait until peacetime to engage in their idiocy; carrying on like this *during* the War is Just Plain F***ing Stupid, REGARDLESS OF WHO IT IS. (Note emphasis. >:) )