Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, early modern

Wager's Action

Wager's Action was a naval engagement fought on 8 June 1708 at Cartagena, in what is now Colombia. It was part of the War of the Spanish Succession, which ran from 1701 to 1714. The recorded result: British victory. Recorded strength: 3 ships of the line; 1 fireship against 3 galleons; 1 hulk; 14 merchant ships.

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The English painter Samuel Scott (1702-1772) specialised in marine painting and views of London. A strong influence of the art of Willem van de Velde the Younger can be detected, particularly in his e
The English painter Samuel Scott (1702-1772) specialised in marine painting and views of London. A strong influence of the art of Willem van de Velde the Younger can be detected, particularly in his e. Samuel Scott, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought8 June 1708
WhereCartagena, Colombia10.171N, 75.661W
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsGreat BritainagainstSpain; France
Casualties and losses14 killedand1,247 killed or wounded; 1 galleon captured; 1 galleon destroyed; 1 hulk scuttled
Part ofWar of the Spanish Succession1701 to 1714

Where it sits in the War of the Spanish Succession

Siege of Venlo, 1701Battle of Carpi, 1701Battle of Chiari, 1701Siege of Mantoue, 1701Battle of Cremona, 1702Siege of Kaiserswerth, 1702Battle of Castiglione, 1702Siege of Landau, 1702Battle of Luzzara, 1702Battle of Cádiz, 1702Siege of Hulst, 1702Siege of Venlo, 1702Action of August 1702, 1702Capture of Liège, 1702Battle of Friedlingen, 1702Battle of Vigo Bay, 1702Siege of Kehl, 1703Siege of Guadeloupe, 1703Siege of Bonn, 1703Battle of Cap de la Roque, 1703Battle of Krottensee, 1703Battle of Stekene, 1703Battle of Ekeren, 1703Siege of Huy, 1703First Battle of Höchstädt, 1703Battle of Speyerbach, 1703Siege of Mirandola, 1704Siege of Namur, 1704Battle of Schellenberg, 1704Capture of Gibraltar, 1704Battle of Blenheim, 1704Battle of Málaga, 1704Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar, 1704Siege of Landau, 1704Siege of Verrua Savoia, 1704Siege of Colonia del Sacramento, 1704Siege of Nice, 1705Battle of Cabrita Point, 1705Battle of Elixheim, 1705Battle of Cassano, 1705Siege of Zoutleeuw, 1705Siege of Hagenau, 1705Siege of Badajoz, 1705Battle of Alcántara, 1706Battle of Calcinato, 1706Battle of Ramillies, 1706Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, 1706Siege of Cartagena, 1706Second Siege of Alicante, 1706Battle of Murcia, 1706Siege of Turin, 1706Battle of Castiglione, 1706Siege of Pavia, 1706Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1706Battle of Biniatap, 1707Battle of Almansa, 1707Action of 2 May 1707, 1707Siege of Gaeta, 1707Siege of Toulon, 1707Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, 1707Battle at The Lizard, 1707Wager's Action, 1708Battle of Oudenarde, 1708Siege of Lille, 1708Battle of Wijnendale, 1708Siege of Brussels, 1708Battle of La Gudiña, 1709Siege of Tournai, 1709Battle of Malplaquet, 1709Battle of Rio de Janeiro, 1710Battle of Syracuse, 1710Battle of Brihuega, 1710Battle of Villaviciosa, 1710Siege of Bouchain, 1711Capture of the San Joaquin, 1711Battle of Rio de Janeiro, 1711Battle of Denain, 1712Siege of Marchiennes, 1712Siege of Campo Maior, 1712Siege of Bouchain, 1712Siege of Castellciutat, 1713Siege of Cardona, 1713Attack on Can Navarro, 1713Battle of the Malacca Strait, 1714Battle of Balsareny, 1714La Gleva Massacre, 1714Siege of Castellciutat, 1714Capture of Gironella Castle, 1714Battle of Manresa, 1714Attack on the first parallel, 1714Battle of Manresa, 1714Bourbons conquer Majorca, 171517011715Wager's Action, 1708
92 placed engagements of the War of the Spanish Succession in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date8 June 1708
PlaceCartagena, Colombia
10.171N, 75.661W
KindNaval engagement, early modern
Strength3 ships of the line; 1 fireship3 galleons; 1 hulk; 14 merchant ships
Casualties and losses14 killed1,247 killed or wounded; 1 galleon captured; 1 galleon destroyed; 1 hulk scuttled
Commanders
  • Charles Wager
  • José de Santillán
  • Jean-Baptiste du Casse
Wager's ActionWager's ActionBattle of Cartagena de IndiasRaid on Cartagena de IndiasCapture of the San JoaquinSpanish Siege of Cartagena de IndiasSiege of CartagenaBattle of Cartagena de IndiasRaid on Cartagena de IndiasBarranquillaSanta MartaSincelejoEl Carmen de BolívarLoricaTolúMaganguéSabanalarga100 km10.171N, 75.661W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1708

Wager's Action is one of 2,009 engagements of the 18th century in the atlas and one of 42 in present-day Colombia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q7959512, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Wager's Action, revision 1370749419, 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.