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Battle of Cape Passaro: British fleet destroys Spanish off Sicily

The Battle of Cape Passaro (also known as the Battle of Avola or the Battle of Syracuse) was a naval battle fought on 11 August 1718 between a fleet of the British Royal Navy under Admiral Sir George...

The Battle of Cape Passaro (also known as the Battle of Avola or the Battle of Syracuse) was a naval battle fought on 11 August 1718 between a fleet of the British Royal Navy under Admiral Sir George Byng and a fleet of the Spanish Navy under Rear-Admiral Antonio de Gaztañeta. It was fought off Cape Passaro, in the southern tip of Sicily, which Spain had occupied. Spain and Britain were at peace, but Britain was already committed to supporting the ambitions of the Emperor Charles VI in southern Italy.

The battle was fought without a formal declaration of war but once the Spanish fired on the nearest British ships, this gave Byng his excuse to attack. The British were superior in numbers.

Historical Significance

The Battle of Cape Passaro (also known as the Battle of Avola or the Battle of Syracuse) was a naval battle fought on 11 August 1718 between a fleet of the British Royal Navy under Admiral Sir George Byng and a fleet of the Spanish Navy under Rear-Admiral Antonio de Gaztañeta.

Events Before

  1. George Frideric Handel's "Water Music" premieres repeatedly on a barge cruising the River Thames in London

    George Frideric Handel's "Water Music" premieres repeatedly on a barge cruising the River Thames in London

  2. Netherlands, Great Britain & France sign Triple Alliance

    The Triple Alliance was a defence pact signed on 4 January 1717 in The Hague between the Dutch Republic, France and Great Britain, against Bourbon Spain in an attempt to maintain the agreements of...

  3. Prussian King Frederik Willem I buys conscript for nobles

    Prussian King Frederik Willem I buys conscript for nobles

  4. German mob leader and thief "Sjako" sentenced to death in Amsterdam

    German mob leader and thief "Sjako" sentenced to death in Amsterdam

  5. Henri d'Aguesseau is first appointed Chancellor of France

    Henri François d'Aguesseau, seigneur de Fresnes was Chancellor of France three times between 1717 and 1750 and was pronounced by Voltaire to be "the most learned magistrate France ever possessed".

Events After

  1. Britain, Hannover, Saxony-Poland and Austria sign anti-Prussian Russian pact

    Britain, Hannover, Saxony-Poland and Austria sign anti-Prussian Russian pact

  2. Liechtenstein becomes a member state of the Holy Roman Empire

    Liechtenstein, officially the Principality of Liechtenstein, is a doubly landlocked country in the Central European Alps.

  3. The Onderlinge van 1719 u.a., the oldest existing life insurance company in the Netherlands is founded

    The Onderlinge van 1719 u.a., the oldest existing life insurance company in the Netherlands is founded

  4. Jacobite Rising: Battle of Glen Shiel - Jacobite army defeated by British forces

    The Battle of Glen Shiel took place on 10 June 1719 in the Scottish Highlands, during the Jacobite rising of 1719.

  5. Sweden & Hannover sign for peace Treaty of Stockholm

    Sweden & Hannover sign for peace Treaty of Stockholm

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In the Battle of Helsingborg, 14,000 Danish invaders under Jørgen Rantzau are decisively defeated by an equally sized Sw

In the Battle of Helsingborg, 14,000 Danish invaders under Jørgen Rantzau are decisively defeated by an equally sized Swedish force under Magnus Stenbock

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 11, 1718?
The Battle of Cape Passaro (also known as the Battle of Avola or the Battle of Syracuse) was a naval battle fought on 11 August 1718 between a fleet of the British Royal Navy under Admiral Sir George Byng and a fleet of the Spanish Navy under Rear-Admiral Antonio de Gaztañeta. It was fought off Cape Passaro, in the southern tip of Sicily, which Spain had occupied. Spain and Britain were at peace, but Britain was already committed to supporting the ambitions of the Emperor Charles VI in southern Italy.
Why is Battle of Cape Passaro: British fleet destroys Spanish off Sicily significant?
The Battle of Cape Passaro (also known as the Battle of Avola or the Battle of Syracuse) was a naval battle fought on 11 August 1718 between a fleet of the British Royal Navy under Admiral Sir George Byng and a fleet of the Spanish Navy under Rear-Admiral Antonio de Gaztañeta.

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August 11 in HistoryYear 1718