At Cape Passaro in 1718, Byng's British force confronted a Spanish fleet during the War of the Quadruple Alliance. Of fifteen Spanish ships of the line, ten were captured, four destroyed, and only one escaped, while four frigates were also captured. At sea, it was perhaps the war's most significant action, and the wider settlement exchanged Sardinia and Sicily between Savoy and Austria. The battle shows how naval force could reorganize Mediterranean diplomacy well beyond the ships lost on the day.
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Cape Passaro makes naval force decisive in the Quadruple Alliance
Byng's victory at Cape Passaro destroyed or captured almost the entire Spanish line and influenced the wider Mediterranean settlement.