Battle of Cape Finisterre, (Calder's Action), 22nd July 1805 - Far Distant Ships.

Admiral Sir Robert Calder's Action off Cape Finisterre, 22nd July 1805 - William Anderson

Last weekend the Devon Wargames Group together with friends gathered at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton to enjoy a weekend of running several large games, together with a bit of socialising in between which was a real pleasure to be a part of and gave me an opportunity to run a game I last ran back in January 2022 using Kiss Me Hardy, but this time using the fleet action set of rules Far Distant Ships (FDS) by David Manley.

I've attached a link below to the DWG club blog to a post covering the weekend more generally and the other games featured.

Devon Wargames Group - Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, Weekend 2025

According to the Naval Historian William Laird Clowes in Naval History of the Royal Navy, volume five, the following events led up to the Battle of Cape Finisterre, sometimes also referred to as Cape Ferrol;

'In the morning of July 7th, the brig Curieux, 18, Commander George Edmund Byron Bettesworth, with dispatches from Nelson in the West Indies to the effect that the allies were probably on their return to Europe, anchored at Plymouth; and Bettesworth went up to the Admiralty, where he arrived at 11 p.m. on the 8th.

The First Lord had gone to bed; no one cared to disturb him; and consequently he did not see the dispatches until the morning of the 9th. Furious at the waste of time. Lord Barham, without even waiting to dress, wrote an order to Cornwallis to detach Rear-Admiral Charles Stirling, with his five sail of the line, from before Eochefort to join Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder," who was to be directed to station himself westward of Cape Finisterre, while Cornwallis himself, with the Channel fleet, was to cruise between Cape Finisterre and Ushant.

The key actors in the drama that led to the Battle of Cape Finisterre, Lord Barham, and Vice Admirals Villeneuve and Calder.

. . . Calder cruised from 90 to 120 miles westward of Cape Finisterre on the lookout for the allies, who, as he then believed, numbered only seventeen sail of the line. On July 19th, he received a copy of Nelson's dispatch of June 15th, informing the British commanding officer off Lisbon that the allies had passed Antigua on June 8th, and were probably on their way to Europe; and, at about 11 A.M. on July 22nd, upon the partial clearing up of a fog, he sighted the enemy in lat. 43° 54' N. and long. 11' 38'- W., steering E.S.E. {i.e., for Ferrol) in three divisions, with a light breeze from W.N.W. 

The movements of Nelson’s and Villeneuve’s fleets in the summer of 1805, leading to the interception of Villeneuve of Cape Finisterre on the 22nd July.

The British were then on the starboard tack, approaching the allies from the N.N.E. It was soon seen that the allied fleets were composed of no fewer than twenty sail of the line, besides seven frigates, two brigs, and the recaptured galleon, Matilda. 

Map adapted from Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail - Tunstall & Tracy

At 12 A.M., Calder signalled to prepare for battle, and, soon afterwards, to form the order of sailing in two columns. At about 1 p.m. he ordered to form line, and, at 1.15 p.m., and again an hour later, signalled for close order. At 3 p.m., the Defiance, 74, which, being nine miles to windward, had first discovered the enemy, and which had afterwards stood on to within less than two miles of him, rejoined, and took her station in the line. . . 

Map from The Trafalgar Companion, Mark Adkins.

The British line was on the starboard tack, most of the ships having their topgallant sails set. The allies, after having hove to for a time, filled at 3.30 p.m., and stood under topsails upon the port tack, rather off the wind, in a close and well-formed line, with a frigate ahead of them, the Sirène, with the rich galleon Matilda in tow, astern, and with the remaining frigates to windward of the centre and rear.

Calder's fleet, which could barely see the enemy through the mist, was nearly abeam, and distant about seven miles. Its frigates, the Egyptienne and Sirius, had been ordered at about 1 P.M. to keep sight of the allies; and the Sirius had been afterwards able to make, and signal the result of, a very close inspection of Villeneuve's line.

Calder's signals, after 3 p.m., were: at 3.20, engage the enemy; at 3.22, tack together; at 3.26, annul tack together; at 3.27, starboard division make all possible sail and steer S.S.W.; at 3.30, the same, with the Hero's pennants; at 8.31, form line of battle in open order; at 3.53, alter course one point to starboard; at 4.21, tack in succession; at 4.30, engage the enemy's centre; at 4.45, preserve close order; and at 5.09 p.m., engage the enemy as closely as possible.'

The British Order of Battle and statistics for FDS

The battle that commenced at about 5.30 p.m. quickly became a confused action amid the fog and gun smoke that only added to the confusion, as described by Clowes;

'By 5.50 p.m., when a signal to tack in succession was hoisted, the Triumph, Barfleur, Agamemnon, Windsor Castle, and Defiance had already tacked in succession without orders. The flagship followed; and presently the engagement began to become general. 

By 6 p.m., all the ships, except the Dragon, which was still working up from leeward, had come round on the starboard tack; and most of them had found opponents; but, as smoke was added to mist and the obscurity deepened, every vessel had to fight her own battle; and more than one, in the confusion, found herself with several of the enemy about her. 

The Allied Order of Battle and statistics for FDS

Among the ships which, in consequence, suffered most severely were the Windsor Castle, Malta, and Ajax. On the other hand, the San Rafael, Firme, and Espana, which had dropped to leeward, were very badly mauled by an overwhelming British fire. The Pluton gallantly bore out of line for a time, in a hopeless effort to cover and save the Firme; but the Spaniard's fate had, ere that, been practically decided. 

The Pluton subsequently made an equally brave attempt to relieve the Espana; and in that case, assisted by the Mont Blanc and Atlas, she was successful. The Atlas would, however, have paid dearly for her devotion, had she not, in turn, been relieved by some of her consorts. Just after 8 p.m., the Firme, then almost mastless, struck, and, a very little later, the San Rafael did likewise. Both vessels, soon after hauling down their flags, lost all their remaining spars. At 8.25 p.m., the British fleet being scattered, the fog and smoke being still thick, and night drawing on, Calder signalled to discontinue the action. The enemy was then to windward, still within long gunshot; and, as several ships did not see the private night signal, desultory firing went on until 9.30 p.m. . .'

Vice Admiral Sir Robert Calder's flagship, HMS Prince of Wales
opens fire amid the murk of the Battle of Cape Finisterre, 22nd July 1805

Calder's Action is an interesting if challenging battle for the wargamer to recreate, as the key player in the game is General, or in this case Admiral Weather.

Of course you could simply choose to ignore the weather conditions and play the game as a straight forward battle in daylight, but that I think this obviously ignores the challenge faced by Calder and indeed Villeneuve to control their respective fleets and for the wargamer to better understand why this controversial battle ended in the way it did.

The two fleets are set up as detailed in the battle plan seen below in their positions at about 16.30 on 22nd July 1805, with the lead British ship HMS Hero 74-guns having spotted the lead Spanish ship Argonauta 80-guns captained by Alan Gardner and under orders from Calder to 'engage the enemy as closely' as possible' as outlined by Clowes above.

Put simply, much was at stake, with the British Royal Naval defending the home country from an existential threat of invasion from a French emperor determined to eradicate his principle foe, Great Britain, once and for good, in an era when seemingly in response to this threat the Royal Navy was dominated by a growing faction of 'Total War' commanders epitomised by its most accomplished proponent Nelson, determined not just to win a battle but to win a battle of annihilation and remove the threat posed by the enemy fleets once and for all.

Captain Alan Hyde Gardner, led the British van in 

HMS Hero 74-guns, seen here as a Vice-Admiral in 1815

Both admirals claimed success, and indeed Calder had captured two enemy ships with light casualties of under 200 men, with Calder's dispatch the next day declaring that it was;

'A very decisive action which lasted upwards of four hours, when I found it necessary to bring up the squadron to cover the captured ships.'

But with Villeneuve rather 'gilding the lily' by reporting;

'The enemy then made off. He had several vessels crippled aloft, and the field of battle remained ours. Cries of joy and victory were heard from all our ships.'

However, perhaps underlining the change of expectations in Royal Naval circles and the demands that generated, Calder would face a court martial, not for what he did, but rather for what he failed to do, that was not pressing his advantage in the two days that followed the action on the 22nd and for not seeking to destroy the allied fleet but instead allowing difficulties to persuade him not to resume the action in the following days; with both admirals sailing away from the area on the 25th having let each other move out of sight and with Calder heading north to re-join Cornwallis whilst Villeneuve sailed south-east for Vigo to replenish supplies and carry out repairs before heading south to Cadiz and the decisive Battle of Trafalgar nearly three months later.

Calder’s command of fifteen ships of the line, tack in succession.

So as can be seen I had both fleets set up at about 16.30, as per the description of the approach by Calder's line, led into the attack by the frigate Sirius and at the point when Captain Gardner of Hero was able to identify the Spanish 80-gun Argonauta, flagship of Admiral Don Frederico Carlos Gravina.

The plan of battle for my recreation of Cape Finisterre using Far Distant Ships, with the respective fleets numbered in sailing order and corresponding to the orders of battle above. The wind is from the West Northwest, with a light breeze, and visibility foggy.

I decided to omit the smaller ships this time, but now having played it, might well include them in future, as their role in keeping the fleets under command was critical, as well as acting as the eyes of the commanders in knowing where the enemy was.

We simulated their presence by allowing limited communication between friendly ships in visibility to one another and able to transmit a command one to the other, simulating a frigate/brig repeater, which worked to provide a limited command ability.

Villeneuve's twenty ships of the line, wear in succession.

Calder’s command comprised fifteen ships of the line: Prince of Wales, Glory, Barfleur, Windsor Castle, Malta, Thunderer, Hero, Repulse, Defiance, Ajax, Warrior, Dragon, Triumph, Agamemnon, and Raisonnable, two frigates, Egyptienne and Sirius, and two smaller vessels.

Finisterre - Carlos Parrilla Penagos
https://www.carlosparrillapenagos.es/pintura-naval/
The 80-gun Argonauta, flying the pennant of Admiral Gravina at her mizzen, and leading the van of the Combined Fleet, exchanges broadsides with HMS Hero in the van of Vice Admiral Sir Robert Calder's squadron during the Battle of Cape Finisterre 22nd July 1805

Villeneuve had twenty ships of the line, six Spanish: Argonauta, Terrible, America, Espana, San Rafaël, Firme under Spanish Admiral Don Federico Carlos Gravina and fourteen French: Pluton, Mont Blanc, Atlas, Berwick, Neptune, Bucentaure, Formidable, Intrépide, Scipion, Swiftsure, Indomptable, Aigle, Achille, and Algésiras together with seven frigates, six French and one Spanish, and two brigs.

Special Rules:

Fog

Visibility in fog will vary from turn to turn. Roll 3d6 and add 9 to give the maximum visibility for the turn. No firing is allowed at targets beyond visibility range. No signals may be transmitted beyond visibility range. Repeaters may still be used.

After a squadron has moved, roll for station keeping as per the rules Tactical Cohesion, and displace all ships not in contact with the enemy in the direction indicated.

If any ships end up in base-to-base contact, test for fouling.

If ships are forced off table and wish to return to the action then they must roll 2D6 modified by the Crew Quality Modifier and -2 if the squadron is broken and trying to disengage and -1 if entangled with another vessel, requiring a score of 7 or more to return.

The contact between the two fleets as depicted by William James with the British frigate Sirius withdrawing having directed the British fleet, led by Hero on to the enemy line, with the Allied having the wind gauge and Calder's ships forced to tack in succession to close the distance.

Chance Cards

There are 10 different types of cards, 3 of which effect whole squadrons, the rest normally effect one ship only. The pack from which the draw is made will have a total of 30 cards, so there are 3 of each flavour.

This card came in handy for one of the players during
the game, to claim increased visibility in the murk
and grab an extra broadside.

The cards are dealt face down to each formation with one for each level of command rating for the respective squadron:

Inspirational – 4

Intrepid – 3

Average – 2

Dull – 1

Plus one extra card for each squadron commanded by the fleet admiral or commander in chief.

Victory Conditions

The game ends immediately once one side’s fleet morale breaks, a Tactical Victory going to the side that first causes its opponent’ fleet morale to break. Fleet morale breaks when >50% of squadrons engaged have failed a morale test.

The Franco-Spanish objective is to exit at least 50% of their ships-of-the-line off the East table edge. The battle commences at 16.30 and will end due to poor light at 20.20 giving 24 turns of play to reach a

conclusion if not reached before.

Allied Squadron Preservation Level – 25%

Van Squadron: Admiral Federico Gravina, flagship Argonauta – 4 Points

Centre Squadron: Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, flagship Bucentaure – 4 Points

Rear Squadron: Rear-Admiral Pierre Dumanoir Le Pelley, flagship Formidable – 3 Points

Reserve Squadron – Rear Admiral Charles René Magon de Médine, flagship Algeciras - 3 Points

British Squadron Preservation Level - 50%

Van Squadron: Captain George Martin, Flagship HMS Hero – 6 Points

Centre Squadron: Vice Admiral Sir Robert Calder, Flagship HMS Windsor Castle – 6 Points

Rear Squadron: Rear Admiral Sir Charles Stirling, Flagship HMS Glory - 6 Points

The Tactical Cohesion and Displacement rules have taken effect on the Allied line as ships have become disorientated in the fog and lost position, with two of the Spanish rearward ships just avoiding a collision in the murk.

Collision avoided between San Raphael 80-guns and Firme 74-guns.

Our game quickly revealed that the weather was going to play a key role in the result, with both fleets struggling to keep an ordered formation of line astern with the need to to maintain battle separation, whilst allowing room to avoid collisions, and with the Spanish finding difficulties right from the start, severely disrupting their line and leaving their forward three ships practically unsupported.  

The British crews experience and training made it less likely for them to lose tactical cohesion, but the odd poor die result did cause the occasional embarrassment as the 74-gun Defiance finds herself tacking away from the line and having to later find her way back into position.

The disruption in the Spanish van was to have significant consequences as with only three turns done, the British lead ship Hero closed to open fire on the Spanish flagship Argonauta, quickly followed by the rest of the British van, Ajax, Triumph both 74-guns, the flagship Barfleur 98-guns and the Agamemnon 64-guns.

Contact! Hero and Argonauta exchange the first broadsides at 17.00 with both ships suffering light damage as a result.

Somewhat stranded without the support of the two rearmost third-rates the forward three under commander Admiral Gravina were trapped in an unequal fight which was over in about four turns of close broadsides, seeing all three ships boarded and made prizes within the first hour of battle.

Argonauta has signalled the Spanish squadron, signal 79, 'Engage the Enemy'. the red token indicating its passage along the line.

The 98-gun Barfleur under Captain George Martin, in receipt of Calder's signal to 'Engage more closely', as indicated by the red token has successfully tested to break the enemy line and let rip with a crashing opening broadside against the Spanish 64-gun America causing medium damage.

Hard Pounding amid the fog as Martin's vanguard goes toe-to-toe with Gravina's, with both Argonauta 80-guns and Terrible 74-guns carrying medium damage markers.

From the centre of the Allied fleet, Villeneuve could only observe gun flashes in the murk to the south and surmising from reports and signals that the British had contacted his van he signalled the fleet to alter course directly east in the hope of cutting his losses and evading the British by taking advantage of the wind gauge.

Attempting to avoid the carnage ahead of her and respond to a signal from Villeneuve, the Spanish 74-gun Espana has turned on an Easterly heading making for Ferrol and firing at the elements of Calder's centre that are moving to cut the route of escape off. The 98-gun Windsor Castle has just delivered a close in stern raking first broadside which compelled the Spanish 3rd rate to strike. The signal in the background is from Calder instructing his lead ships to alter course.

The time is 17.20, turn 5 and the lead three ships of the Spanish van have struck to Captain Martin's van, with his flagship Barfleur 98-guns (2) overseeing the securing of his three prizes, with prize-crew markers aboard and with Captain Martin now likely entertaining Admiral Gravina in his day cabin with a glass of madeira.

The struck and captured Terrible 74-guns with prize crew aboard.

However Calder had already recognised his potential disadvantage before his van had made contact and had accordingly signalled his centre and rear to head north to get between the Allies and the Spanish coast.

 

With the Allied van practically destroyed with four of the Spanish ships captured and the firing in that direction now ceased, Rear Admiral Dumanoir aboard the 80-gun Formidable leads the Allied Rear in the direction of El Ferrol in the hope of escaping the British fleet ahead, with their attention hopefully elsewhere.

To overcome the obvious advantage our players had in seeing the situation that our ships and their commanders would have no knowledge of we only allowed respective units to alter course once an appropriate signal to do so had been received, something that tended to take an inordinate amount of time, only made worse with ships losing formation and adding yet further complications to their chances of seeing such a signal, relying on the services of repeater vessels keeping the respective lines in contact.

The Espana has struck to Windsor Castle ahead, with Vice-Admiral Calder's Prince of Wales 98-guns coming up astern, nearest to camera, and with other elements of the Allied fleet seen in the distance, attempting to escape east with the wind under their coat tails.

All these checks were made under the control limits of the visibility, rolled for each turn, and thus liable to change.

The scene of battle from above at about 18.40, Turn 14, with the Allied van captured (top right, nearest table) and the remaining elements of the fleet heading east onto the next table attempting to escape off the opposite edge, as Calder's remaining elements look to block their passage and take further prizes.

With the first clash between the two fleets concluded the race was on to get Allied ships off the top table and make a total of at least ten, safely ensconced in Ferrol, whilst the British battled with a bow wind from the West Northwest to seal the result on a game where the British were already one Spanish third rate up on the historical result.

The three nearest ships (right of picture) are the lead elements of Villeneuve's centre, together with the last Spanish ship, Firme 74-guns, still under orders but looking to break contact.

The race is on for the British, nearest to camera, sailing close hauled, to get across the table and take more prizes before the darkness allows the Allies to potentially break contact and escape. With ships out of formation it appears that the fog is also interfering with their progress.

Sadly for the rearward two Spanish third-rates, they were closer to the oncoming British centre as they pointed their bows eastward, having been alerted to the new orders by the lead French ships Pluton and Mont Blanc closing with them following their disruption, which would see the nearest Spaniard, San Raphael quickly intercepted by the 98-gun Windsor Castle leading Calder's centre, receiving a desultory broadside from the Spaniard as she came up, but delivering in return a punishing stern rake that would cause the San Raphael to strike soon after, as the British centre closed on her.

Vice Admiral Villeneuve's 80-gun Bucentaure can be seen here ahead of Dumanoir's 80-gun Formidable as both commanders are attempting to head east before Calder can block their escape, or hope to avoid contact in the hours of darkness.

However five of the French centre were well to the east as the Windsor Castle moved to intercept other Allied ships following, and so they were removed from the table, adjudged to have escaped to El Ferrol.

Calder's remaining ships can be seen struggling with the elements as they head north with a large gap in what should be a line ahead formation.

The view from the British fleet as they head north, with glimpses of the enemy to the forward most ships.

That meant that there were still another nine French ships, including Villeneuve's Bucentaure and one Spaniard, Firme looking to escape east, with only five of them needed to make a successful attempt to secure a tactical victory for the Allies.

 

But as Villeneuve entered the neighbouring table, he was only just ahead of Windsor Castle and her consorts cutting across his 'T', but could do nothing for those in his wake such as Rear-admiral Dumanoir's, Formidable as they found themselves hit by a maelstrom of British ships in close company feeling out bows and sterns to pour in close range rakes and put an end to the fight quickly and decisively.

The second battle erupts as the French centre meets the British centre, with Villeneuve just having avoided contact and now disappearing east into the murk.

It was now 19.50, turn twenty-one, of a possible twenty-four turn game and three Allied ships fell quickly to British attacks and with little likelihood of those in the rear enjoying much success in trying to get past the remainder of Calder's closing rear, but with darkness and the weather bringing the day to a close perhaps offering some the opportunity to evade capture. 

A close in crashing bow rake on an unidentified French third rate reeling with a medium damage marker

Another French third rate has been bow raked with a strike test to come after suffering heavy damage, and is grappled by the 74-gun Defiance, under Captain Philip Durham. 

The French centre and rear were fighting hard to break through to the east with Captain Hubert's Indomptable 80-guns inflicting medium damage on the passing Windsor Castle.

Our two day game of FDS had produced a fascinating game of two battles within one larger fight and a deeper appreciation of what the challenges must have been for Calder and Villeneuve to fight in the conditions they faced some two-hundred and twenty years previously.

As more ships from both sides entered the fray the battle became more and more intense, with the visibility limiting the firing to short range only and thus made the damage inflicted that more destructive.

As expected, signalling was limited and not unsurprisingly once both commanders had issued their orders, were forced to leave matters to their ships commanders to attempt to make them work, not being able to influence much one the gunfire had started amid the murk.

In the last act of our game the only remaining under command Spanish third-rate Firme, succumbed to maelstrom of fire from the British attack in the closing daylight hours, and was left in a struck state with rearward elements of the British fleet coming up and able to secure the prize as the forward comrades pressed forward 

FDS really works well for these large fleet action games as evidence by the number of turns we played, with the players, as in the bigger Trafalgar game played last month, quickly becoming very intuitive with the rules and able to cycle through the phases of play with little need to reference the QRS, a sign I have always taken for a very well composed set of rules.

Six French ships definitely escaped east and made it to Ferrol, including Villeneuve's Bucentaure, and with similar number of French ships hoping to arrive themselves in the following days with a bit of luck avoiding Calder's likely blockade.

So with six Allied ships having escaped but with Villeneuve likely having a lot of explaining to do to the Spanish authorities in Ferrol and at least six prizes made by the British when we finished the game after twenty-one turns over the two days of play, I declared a British victory to Admiral Calder, having inflicted severe losses on the Franco-Spanish fleet that would likely cause much unhappiness between the two allies, after the Spanish losses, and perhaps Trafalgar would not now happen!

Gunfire splits the murk of our two-day refight of the Battle of Cape Finisterre, (Calder's Action), 22nd July 1805, using Far Distant Ships

As always, its the players that make these kind of games such fun to do and I would thank Scotty, Steve and Sam for their company playing Cape Finisterre over the two days, and to all the other chaps who participated in a marvellous weekend of wargaming at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, and here's to the next time.

More anon

JJ