Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:10:16-3:11:44

Q&A: why the same naval battle name can recur

Naval battles reuse geographic names, so Lagos can identify both the 1693 French victory over an Anglo-Dutch convoy and Boscawen's 1759 action.

Anglo Dutch FleetBattle NamesBattle Of LagosBattle Of Lagos 1693ConvoysFrench NavyMaritime HistoryNaval GeographyShips of the Line
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Question

Do navies eventually run out of place names for battles in the same region?

Short answer

No. Place names are reused; Lagos names both the 1693 and 1759 naval battles.

Notes

The same location can name more than one battle. Lagos, for example, identifies both the familiar 1759 action and a 1693 engagement. In the earlier fight, a French fleet of roughly seventy ships of the line overwhelmed an Anglo-Dutch escort of sixteen ships protecting about two hundred merchantmen. Dates and belligerents are therefore essential when a geographic battle name recurs.