Action of 6 February 1799
| Action of 6 February 1799 | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Majorca | |
| Result | British victory |
Great Britain
SpainThird Rate
1 fifth-rate
1 fifth-rate
530 soldiers, sailors & marines captured[1]
The action of 6 February 1799 was a minor naval action that took place during the
By the end of 1798 the situation had changed in the
Mediterranean with the destruction of the French fleet at Aboukir and the capture of the Spanish island of Menorca in November 1798 by British forces. The Royal Navy were using the island as a place to launch raids and conduct further operations.[3]
On 6 February 1799, HMS Argo and HMS Leviathan surprised two Spanish frigates at anchor near the south point of the Bahia de Alcudia on Majorca.[2] The Spanish set sail with the British in pursuit but a violent westerly gale came up that took away Leviathan's main top-sail. After dark the Spanish frigates separated but Leviathan had fallen behind and saw neither the separation nor Argo's signal that she had chased the one to port.[1]
Leviathan had nearly caught up with Argo, who had fired
swivel guns and in addition to her crew of 280 seamen and marines, she had 250 soldiers on board.[2] Santa Theresa had recently been completely refurbished and provisioned for a four-month cruise. Her consort Proserpine, which had escaped, though smaller, was equally well armed.[1] The Santa Theresa was bought into British service and kept the name.[1]
Operations continued from Menorca, 16 February Argo and Leviathan attacked the town of Cambrils.[2]
Notes
References
- Blackmore, David S.T. (2011). Warfare on the Mediterranean in the Age of Sail: A History, 1571–1866. McFarland. ISBN 9780786457847.
- Harvey, Robert (2000). Cochrane: The Life and Exploits of a Fighting Captain. Constable & Robinson. ISBN 9781841193984.
- .