Poor coalition command exposes de Ruyter at Augusta

At Augusta, Don Francisco de la Cerda commanded the allied fleet because Spain was the senior partner in the Mediterranean operation. De Ruyter persuaded him to attack Augusta to draw the French out of Messina, and the fleets met on 22 April 1676. De la Cerda rejected a proposal to mix Dutch and Spanish ships, leaving a Spanish center between the Dutch van and rear. Although France had more ships on the list, some were still unfit to fight in line after the damage at Stromboli. The Spanish center remained at long range, freeing Duquesne's center to join the attack on de Ruyter's van from the other side. De Ruyter attempted to board Duquesne's flagship but other French ships intervened. Jan den Haen helped the Dutch van disengage, and de la Cerda eventually joined the withdrawal effort. A cannonball struck de Ruyter's leg, and he died a week later at Syracuse. Mixing the national squadrons might have made Spanish reluctance to close harder to sustain.