Battle of Cartagena (1758)

Battle of Cartagena
Part of the Seven Years' War
Capture of the Foudroyant by HMS Monmouth, 28 February 1758, by Francis Swaine
Date 28 February 1758 Location Mediterranean Sea, off Cartagena, Spain Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Henry Osborn	Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville
Strength
15 Ships of the Line (four engaged)	3 Ships of the Line
Casualties and losses
	2 Ships of the line captured 1 Ship of the line run aground

The Battle of Cartagena took place on 28 February 1758 off the Spanish port of Cartagena during the Seven Years' War. A British fleet under Henry Osborn, which had blockaded a French fleet in Cartagena, attacked and defeated a French force under Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville coming to their assistance.

The interception of the French fleet ensured that only limited assistance would come to the French fortress of Louisbourg in North America, which was besieged by British forces and fell later that year.

In 1756 a French expedition sailed out of Toulon and captured Minorca. After this French ships withdrew to Toulon and did not attempt to depart for the next eighteen months. Operating from their base at Gibraltar British ships mounted an effective blockade at the mouth of the Mediterranean.

In 1757 a British attempt to capture Louisbourg in North America had been frustrated by a build-up of French ships in the surrounding area. The French hoped to adopt a similar strategy for 1758, and decided to send the Brest fleet to boost their forces around Louisbourg. In November 1757 a French force of fifteen ships under Admiral La Clue sailed from Toulon, but following a storm on 30 November they were forced to take shelter in the port of Cartagena, in neutral Spain. They remained there as the British under Henry Osborn moved to bottle up the French in port. Osborn had orders to prevent the French from escaping from the Mediterranean. He received word that a French reinforcement of three ships-of-the-line had set sail from Toulon under Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville, intending to combine with La Clue. Two other ships, after failing to capture a British convoy, had also managed to slip into Cartagena to reinforce La Clue.

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