This painting records the defeat of the Spanish and French fleets following the Siege of Gibraltar, an unsuccessful attempt to capture the island from the British. We see the Governor of Gibraltar, General George Augustus Eliott, directing British sailors to rescue the defeated troops. They pull men from the sea while others pray for their safety. The floating battery burning in the background and firing a cannon was the secret weapon of the Spanish fleet. It consisted of a hull, which held a timber box, packed with layers of wet sand to protect it from fire. Eliott's fierce attack and eventual victory lead to peace negotiations and the end of the siege on 5 February 1783. His ingenuity in countering the Spanish and French attack attracted much praise and remains one of the most highly regarded victories of 18th-century military history, becoming a popular subject for paintings.