Action of 16 October 1799
Action of 16 October 1799 | |||||||
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Part of the French Revolutionary Wars | |||||||
"HMS Ethalion in action with the Spanish frigate Thetis off Cape Finisterre, 16th October 1799", Thomas Whitcombe | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Great Britain | Spain | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
William Pierrepont | Juan de Mendoza | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
4 frigates | 2 frigates | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 killed 10 wounded |
3 killed 17 wounded 2 frigates captured |
The action of 16 October 1799 was a minor naval engagement during the
Although they separated their ships in an effort to split their opponents, the Spanish captains were unable to escape: Thetis was captured after a short engagement with HMS Ethalion on the morning of 16 October, while Santa Brigida almost reached safety, only being caught on the morning of 17 October in the approaches to the safe harbour at Muros. After a short engagement amid the rocks she was also captured by an overwhelming British force. Both captured ships were taken to Britain, where their combined cargoes were transported with great fanfare to the Bank of England. The eventual value of their cargo was assessed as at least £618,040, resulting in one of the largest hauls of prize money ever awarded.
Background
In 1796, following the secret terms of the
Other Spanish ports were also blockaded with the intention of limiting Spanish trade and movement and intercepting treasure convoys from the colonies of New Spain and South America. Vast quantities of gold, silver and valuable trade goods crossed the Atlantic in regular armed frigate convoys.[4] To intercept and seize these shipments the Royal Navy dispatched their own frigates to patrol the Spanish coast. To encourage their sailors, the Royal Navy distributed prize money to the value of the ships and material captured and the seizure of a Spanish treasure fleet could yield spectacular amounts of money: particularly large sums had been captured during previous wars in 1656, 1744 and 1762,[1] but during the first three years of conflict between Great Britain and Spain only one treasure convoy had been intercepted, near Cádiz at the action of 26 April 1797, and on that occasion the treasure was smuggled ashore before the convoy was seized.[5]
Pursuit
On 21 August 1799, a convoy of two 34-gun frigates, Thetis under Captain Don Juan de Mendoza and Santa Brigida under Captain Don Antonio Pillon, sailed from
At 03:30 on 16 October, another sail was spotted to the southwest, rapidly revealed to be a second British frigate, the 38-gun HMS Ethalion under Captain
Battle
As Naiad, Triton and Alcmene streamed past in pursuit of Santa Brigida, Young focused his attention on Thetis, coming within range at 11:30.[11] Mendoza, seeing that battle was inevitable, bore up across Ethalion's bows in an effort to rake Young's ship. Young turned in order to thwart the manoeuvre and fired two rapid broadsides into Thetis, which responded in kind.[12] For an hour the frigates exchanged running fire until Mendoza, realising escape was impossible, surrendered. Thetis had lost one man killed and nine wounded in the exchange while Ethalion had suffered no casualties.[13]
As Ethalion subdued Thetis the remainder of the British squadron continued southwards in pursuit of Santa Brigida. Pillon was an experienced officer with a good knowledge of the Northern Spanish coast and he intended to lose his pursuers in the rocky channels of Cape Finisterre.[9] Early on 17 October he reached Spanish coastal waters, rounding Finisterre just beyond the Monte Lora rocks. Captain Gore on Triton, which was in full flow at seven knots, was unaware of the obstacle and at 05:00 crashed into them, coming to a juddering halt and inflicting severe damage to his ship's hull. Gore was able however to bring Triton off soon afterwards and continued pursuit, assisted by Digby on Alcmene who was able to block Pillon's route into Porte de Vidre.[6] Both frigates opened fire on Santa Brigida at 07:00 as the Spanish ship sought shelter in the rocks at Commarurto close to the safe harbour at Muros, Pillon's movement hampered by the coastal rias that blocked the wind.[14] After an hour of resistance, with Naiad belatedly approaching, Pillon was forced to surrender his ship to superior British forces. Santa Brigida had lost two men killed and eight wounded, Alcmene one killed and nine wounded and Triton a single man wounded.[13]
Aftermath
As the British force took control of Santa Brigida, a Spanish squadron of four ships sailed from Vigo with the appearance of intending to bring Pierrepont's squadron to battle. Pierrepont immediately issued orders for his ships to meet with the Spanish who promptly turned about and returned to port without coming within range.
Aboard Thetis was found a quantity of trade cocoa and a series of boxes containing coin, including 333 boxes of 3,000 dollars each, four boxes of 2,385 dollars each, 94 boxes containing 4,000 dollars each and two golden
This vast sum of money was transported through Plymouth on 63 wagons, guarded by armed sailors and
Historian Richard Woodman has noted that this action illustrates both the dominance of the Royal Navy and its high standards at this stage in the war, stating that "The coincidental appearance of four frigates in the vast Atlantic testifies to the enormous resources the British put into the prosecution of the war. That the four frigate captains proceeded to act in such perfect concert is further evidence, if it were needed, of the shared standards of mutual help and assistance".[12]
Notes
- ^ a b Henderson, p. 104
- ^ Gardiner, p. 120
- ^ Gardiner, p. 90
- ^ Henderson, p. 103
- ^ Woodman, p. 99
- ^ a b c d e James, p. 358
- ^ James, p. 356
- ^ Clowes, p. 525
- ^ a b Henderson, p. 105
- ^ a b James, p. 357
- ^ a b Clowes, p. 526
- ^ a b Woodman, p. 132
- ^ a b c "No. 15197". The London Gazette. 22 October 1799. pp. 1093–1095.
- ^ a b Woodman, p. 133
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ Hannay, pp.133–134
- ^ The equivalent of £4,257,270 in 2024
- ^ The equivalent of £532,132 in 2024
- ^ The equivalent of £257,966 in 2024
- ^ The equivalent of £75,153 in 2024
- ^ The equivalent of £19,023 in 2024
- ^ The equivalent of £1,254 in 2024
- ^ a b Henderson, p. 106.
- ^ The equivalent of £15,679 in 2024
- ^ The equivalent of £1,404,300 in 2024
- ^ Henderson, p. 109.
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/11094. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
References
- ISBN 1-86176-013-2.
- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (2001) [1996]. Fleet Battle and Blockade. Caxton Editions. ISBN 978-1-84067-363-0.
- Hannay, David (1886). Admiral Blake. New York: D. Appleton and Company. ISBN 978-1-44378-410-8.
- Henderson CBE, James (1994) [1970]. The Frigates. Leo Cooper. ISBN 0-85052-432-6.
- ISBN 0-85177-906-9.
- ISBN 1-84119-183-3.