| Action of 14 June 1742 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theWar of the Austrian Succession & theWar of Jenkins' Ear | |||||||
 Spanish galley of the late reign ofCharles II. Painting by Manuel de Castro. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spain |  Britain | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Donato Domas | Richard Norris | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5Royal galleys[1] | 2fourth-rates 1sloop 1fireship[2] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 5 Royal galleys burned | Minor | ||||||
 | |||||||
Theaction of 14 June 1742 was a minor naval battle of theWar of the Austrian Succession in which a small British squadron under Captain Richard Norris burned 5 Spanish royal galleys at the French port ofSaint Tropez. Norris had surprised the galleys nearSainte-Marguerite and had chased and driven them into the French port. The British captain, in spite of alleged French neutrality, followed the Spanish vessels into the port and destroyed them at slight cost.
By 1742, the Commander-in-Chief of theRoyal Navy in the Mediterranean, AdmiralNicholas Haddock, had failed to force the Spanish fleet into an action, and worn out with years and disappointments, resigned his command to Rear AdmiralRichard Lestock.[3] It was Vice AdmiralThomas Mathews, with a reinforcement of seven ships of the line, who replaced him as Commander-in-Chief.[3] Matthews based the British fleet at the Piedmontese port ofVillefranche-sur-Mer and at theHyères islands and dispatched several squadrons to cruise in search of Spanish vessels.[1]
On 13 June 1742, the British squadron cruising offCape Garoupe, under Captain Richard Norris of the 60-gunHMSKingston sighted 5 Spanish galleys with guns and military stores for the Spanish army inItaly leaving the anchorage at Sainte-Marguerite.[2] This vessels were thePatrona, theSan Felipe, theSoledad, theSanta Teresa and theSan Genaro and were commanded by General Don Donato Domas.[4] Norris, who had with him, besides his own fourth-rateship of the line, the 50-gunHMSOxford, the sloopSpence and the fireshipDuke, chased the galleys and drove them into the French port of Saint Tropez.[2]
Norris, arriving off the port, sent a message requesting the governor of Saint Tropez that the Spanish galleys might be denied shelter and sent to the sea.[2] The French governor refused and at the evening Norris prepared to attack. His two ships of the line sailed up to the mole and anchored close to it.[2] At 1 am the fireship, under Captain Callis, was dispatched to burn the galleys together with all theboats of the squadron under the cover ofOxford andKingston. Just as the fireship entered the mole, the galleys opened fire. The five took fire and burned along with the fireship. The Spanish sailors took to the water and escaped by swimming to shore.[1] Those who survived joined the Spanish fleet under AdmiralJuan José Navarro atToulon.[1]
The French authorities filed a complaint for the breaking of his neutrality. In fact, they were deliberately assisting the Spanish by giving them the use and shelter of their ports.[2] According to the British historianEdward Cust, "the French flag had so often been allowed to save the Spanish ships that it was thought right to deprive it of all pretext of neutrality".[5] Captain Callis of theDuke was awarded with a golden medal by theKing George II.[2] He also was posted toHMSAssistance.[6] Donato Domas and the captains of the Spanish galleys were court-martialled and acquitted as it was found that they had fulfilled his duty.[4]