Today in 1782, French and Spanish forces launch the “Grand Assault” against Gibraltar, hoping to smash a British garrison that has already endured more than three years of siege.
Although remembered as the American War of Independence, the conflict has spread far beyond America. Spain’s ambitions include recovering Gibraltar, and the Rock’s defenders, commanded by General George Augustus Eliott, have faced blockade, bombardment and shortages since 1779.
The attackers’ great hope is a fleet of ten specially constructed floating batteries. These heavily protected vessels carry powerful guns close enough to batter Gibraltar’s seaward defences, while artillery on land adds its fire. Thick timber, protective packing and arrangements for circulating water are intended to keep the batteries from burning. Once the defences are broken, troops can move in.
Eliott’s gunners answer with cannonballs heated until red-hot. Handling these beside gunpowder is dangerous work, but a heated ball embedded deep inside a wooden vessel can start a fire beyond the reach of men trying to extinguish it.
Initially, the floating batteries withstand the punishment. As the bombardment continues, however, their protection proves inadequate. Fires take hold, spread through the vessels and turn the supposedly revolutionary weapons into blazing traps.
During the night and into 14 September, the assault collapses amid burning wrecks and explosions. All ten floating batteries are lost, either destroyed or abandoned and scuttled.
Then comes a remarkable change of task. Royal Navy boats under Captain Roger Curtis, which have been fighting the batteries, begin rescuing their crews. Hundreds of enemy sailors are pulled from the water despite the danger from the burning vessels.
The Grand Assault has failed, but the siege is not yet over. Admiral Richard Howe brings in another vital relief convoy in October, and the blockade finally ends in February 1783.
After more than three and a half years, Gibraltar remains in British hands
Credit: Fact Slap