Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, major, Revolutionary and Napoleonic

Battle of Cape Finisterre

Battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval engagement fought on 22 July 1805 at Cape Finisterre, in what is now Spain. It was part of the War of the Third Coalition, which ran from 1805 to 1806. The recorded result: Inconclusive. Recorded strength: 15 ships of the line; 2 frigates; 1 lugger; 1 cutter against 20 ships of the line; 7 frigates.

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'Admiral Sir Robert Calder's action off Cape Finisterre, 23 July 1805'. Vice-Admiral Calder’s squadron intercepted the Franco-Spanish fleet under Admiral Villeneuve off north-western Spain, as it retu
'Admiral Sir Robert Calder's action off Cape Finisterre, 23 July 1805'. Vice-Admiral Calder’s squadron intercepted the Franco-Spanish fleet under Admiral Villeneuve off north-western Spain, as it retu. William Anderson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought22 July 1805
WhereCape Finisterre, Spain42.894N, 9.271W
OutcomeInconclusive
BelligerentsUnited KingdomagainstFrance; Spain
Part ofWar of the Third Coalition1805 to 1806

Where it sits in the War of the Third Coalition

Battle of Cape Finisterre, 1805Battle of Wertingen, 1805Battle of Günzburg, 1805Battle of Günzburg, 1805Battle of Haslach-Jungingen, 1805Battle of Elchingen, 1805Battle of Verona, 1805Battle of Trafalgar, 1805Battle of Caldiero, 1805Battle of Mehrnbach, 1805Battle of Lambach, 1805Battle of Forano, 1805Battle of Steyr, 1805Battle of Amstetten, 1805Battle of Dürenstein, 1805Capitulation of Dornbirn, 1805Battle of Schöngrabern, 1805Battle of Castelfranco Veneto, 1805Battle at Wischau, 1805Battle of Austerlitz, 1805Siege of Gaeta, 1806Battle of Campo Tenese, 1806Battle of Maida, 1806Battle of Mileto, 180718051807Battle of Cape Finisterre, 1805
24 placed engagements of the War of the Third Coalition in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date22 July 1805
PlaceCape Finisterre, Spain
42.894N, 9.271W
KindNaval engagement, Revolutionary and Napoleonic
Strength15 ships of the line; 2 frigates; 1 lugger; 1 cutter20 ships of the line; 7 frigates
Casualties and losses41 killed; 162 wounded158 killed; 320 wounded; 1,200 captured; 2 ships of the line captured
Commanders
  • Robert Calder
  • Pierre-Charles Villeneuve
  • Federico Gravina
Battle of Cape FinisterreBattle of Cape FinisterreAction of 20 October 1778Action of 10 August 1805Second Battle of Cape FinisterreBattle of Muros BayBattle of Casal do EirigoBattle of Casal do EirigoVigoLa CoruñaOurenseViana Do Castelo100 km42.894N, 9.271W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 3 times between 1778 and 1805.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1805

Battle of Cape Finisterre is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 1,070 in present-day Spain.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1001479, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805), revision 1370108565, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.