Action of 13 October 1796
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The action of 13 October 1796 was a minor naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought off the Mediterranean coast of Spain near Cartagena between the British Royal Navy 32-gun
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
under Captain Richard Bowen and the Spanish Navy 34-gun frigate ''Mahonesa'' under Captain Tomás de Ayalde. The action was the first battle of the Anglo-Spanish War, coming just eight days after the Spanish declaration of war. In a battle lasting an hour and forty minutes, ''Mahonesa'' was captured. Spain had been an ally of Britain in the first years of the War of the First Coalition against the newly formed
French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Relations between the allies had often been strained, and following a series of defeats in the
War of the Pyrenees The War of the Pyrenees, also known as War of Roussillon or War of the Convention, was the Pyrenean front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. It pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portuga ...
the Spanish signed a peace treaty in August 1795. A year later the Treaty of San Ildefonso brought Spain back into the war, now as an ally of France. The war in the Mediterranean had reached a stalemate after two inconclusive battles in the spring of 1795, with a British blockade of the French naval base at Toulon maintained from San Fiorenzo and Leghorn under Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis. The French dominance in the Italian campaign of 1796 made the British position tenuous, and with Spain's entry into the war Jervis was forced to disperse his limited forces further still, with forces watching Spanish shipping at Cádiz. Off Cartagena Bowen commanded the small frigate ''Terpsichore'', which had been shadowing a large Spanish fleet which had left Cádiz a few days earlier. As he returned to
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
Bowen encountered ''Mahonesa'', and the Spanish captain Ayalde offered battle. Bowen accepted and the ships fought an extended engagement at close quarters. The Spanish ship took much more serious damage and casualties than the British, and gradually the crew began to slip away from their guns. Ayalde made an attempt to escape, but his ship was too crippled and after a chase of 20 minutes he surrendered. Bowen brought the prize to
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, where the damage was revealed to be too severe to repair. Bowen served in a number of engagements off Cádiz in the following months, until he was killed in July 1797 at the Battle of Santa Cruz.


Background

In early 1793 Great Britain and Spain, historic antagonists in the Mediterranean, found themselves allies against the newly-formed
French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in the War of the First Coalition. The alliance was uneasy, the Spanish refusing to allow British officers to command Spanish forces,Ireland, p.144 and suspicious of British motives in the aftermath of the Nootka Crisis of 1790.Mostert, p.97 During the Siege of Toulon, Spanish Admiral Juan de Lángara threatened to open fire on HMS ''Victory'', the flagship of British Vice-Admiral Lord Hood during a dispute over strategy,Mostert, p. 113 and at the culmination of the siege Spanish forces were accused of deliberately sabotaging a British attempt to destroy the French Mediterranean Fleet at anchor in harbour.Clowes, p.212 As the war progressed the Spanish suffered a series of defeats on land in the
War of the Pyrenees The War of the Pyrenees, also known as War of Roussillon or War of the Convention, was the Pyrenean front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. It pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portuga ...
, and in the summer of 1795 Spain was forced to sign a peace treaty with the French, withdrawing their forces from the Mediterranean campaign.Gardiner, p.89 Britain and France fought inconclusive sea battles at Genoa and the
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that year, the campaign settling into a stalemate,Gardiner, p.116 with the French blockaded in Toulon but sending successful raiding squadrons against British trade.James, p.273 One such squadron destroyed a large British convoy at the Battle of the Levant Convoy off
Cape St. Vincent Cape St. Vincent ( pt, Cabo de São Vicente, ) is a headland in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, in the Algarve, southern Portugal. It is the southwesternmost point of Portugal and of mainland Europe. History Cape St. Vincent was already sacr ...
in October 1795 and took shelter in the main Spanish naval base of Cádiz.Clowes, p.277 During 1796 the Italian campaigns of
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
systematically eliminated Britain's Italian allies,Mostert, p.182 while diplomatic negotiations brought Spain into an alliance with France, signing the Treaty of San Ildefonso in August. On 5 October Spain declared war on Britain and a large Spanish fleet sailed from Cádiz under Lángara to unite with the French at Toulon.Mostert, p.184 British forces in the Mediterranean were commanded by Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis, who had stationed forces off Cádiz to watch for Spanish movement in the advent of war. The squadron at Cádiz, commanded by Rear-Admiral
Robert Mann Robert Nathaniel Mann (July 19, 1920 – January 1, 2018) was a violinist, composer, Conductor (music), conductor, and founding member of the Juilliard String Quartet, as well as a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music. Mann, the fir ...
, was chased by Lángara's fleet, abandoning two storeships in its precipitate withdrawal.Clowes, p.286 Initially anchoring at
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
, Mann then deserted his post and returned to Britain against orders.Mostert, p.185 One of the independent commands in the region was a small force led by the small 32-gun
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
under Captain Richard Bowen, recently transferred from the North Sea command at Jervis' request. Bowen recognised the danger in Mann's desertion, and set sail for the Ligurian Sea to warn Jervis of Lángara's approach.


Action

On 11 October, Lángara reached the Spanish Mediterranean port of Cartagena, uniting with the squadron there and sailing in search of Jervis.James, p.311 The previous day Bowen, having passed Lángara's slower fleet, encountered and passed the warning along, turning back to his station off Gibraltar.Campbell, p.79 As Lángara passed by, a Spanish frigate stationed in Cartagena, the 34-gun ''Mahonesa'' under Captain Tomás de Ayalde, sailed independently on a patrol and in the early morning of 13 October sighted a strange sail to the northeast.James, p.357 Ayalde brought his frigate towards the stranger to investigate and found that he faced Bowen's frigate, manoeuvering to position ''Mahonesa'' in an advantageous station to windward. Bowen's ship was undermanned, having landed 30 men for medical treatment at Gibraltar and with another 30 on board unfit for action, and he was concerned that the Spanish fleet he was shadowing might appear at any moment; a Spanish
tender Tender may refer to: Entertainment Film * ''Illegal Tender'' (2007), a film directed by Franc. Reyes * ''Tender'' (2012), a short film by Liz Tomkins * ''Tender'' (2019), a short film by Darryl Jones and Anthony Lucido * ''Tender'' (2019), a sh ...
was seen sailing for Cartagena with news of Bowen's arrival. Bowen however determined to fight, and stood towards Ayalde's ship. At 09:30, Bowen pulled close alongside the Spanish frigate and fired a single shot to see how the Spanish vessel would react. Ayalde responded with a full
broadside Broadside or broadsides may refer to: Naval * Broadside (naval), terminology for the side of a ship, the battery of cannon on one side of a warship, or their near simultaneous fire on naval warfare Printing and literature * Broadside (comic ...
, and the frigates traded heavy fire for the next hour and twenty minutes as they wore around one another. ''Terpsichore'''s masts were badly damaged and the rigging, sails, boats and anchors badly torn up by Spanish fire, but casualties among the crew were relatively light.Clowes, p.504 ''Mahonesa'' however was badly battered, suffering heavy casualties; the booms were shattered and the guns in the centre of the ship disabled.James, p.358 As the action continued, Ayalde found that his men were slipping away from their guns and that fewer and fewer could be persuaded to return. Recognising that defeat was now inevitable, he ordered sails set and attempted to retreat to Cartagena. On ''Terpsichore'', Bowen had his men effect rapid repairs and within 20 minutes the British frigate was under sail and soon overhauled the shattered Spanish ship. As ''Terpischore'' pulled alongside ''Mahonesa'', gun batteries ready to fire, Ayalde
struck his colours Striking the colors—meaning lowering the flag (the "Colours, standards and guidons, colors") that signifies a ship's or garrison's allegiance—is a universally recognized indication of surrender (military), surrender, particularly for ships at ...
and surrendered.


Combatant summary

''In this table, "Guns" refers to all cannon carried by the ship, including the maindeck guns which were taken into consideration when calculating its
rate Rate or rates may refer to: Finance * Rates (tax), a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom used to fund local government * Exchange rate, rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another Mathematics and science * Rate (mathema ...
, as well as any
carronade A carronade is a short, smoothbore, cast-iron cannon which was used by the Royal Navy. It was first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, and was used from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century. Its main func ...
s carried aboard.James, Vol. 1, p. 32 Broadside weight records the combined weight of shot which could be fired in a single simultaneous discharge of an entire
broadside Broadside or broadsides may refer to: Naval * Broadside (naval), terminology for the side of a ship, the battery of cannon on one side of a warship, or their near simultaneous fire on naval warfare Printing and literature * Broadside (comic ...
.''


Aftermath

Bowen effected repairs on board ''Terpsichore'' and his prize and turned to the westward. His losses were minimal, with only four men wounded in the engagement. Casualties on board ''Mahonesa'' were much heavier; Bowen estimated 30 killed and 30 wounded, Bowen successfully brought both frigates to
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, where Jervis was establishing a new fleet anchorage. There ''Mahonesa'' was bought into the Royal Navy under the same name.James, p.359 Bowen was commended for his victory, and awarded a piece of plate valued at 100 guineas.Campbell, p.82 Naval historian William James considered that ''Mahonesa'' and ''Terpsichore'', both
12-pounder 12-pounder gun or 12-pdr, usually denotes a gun which fired a projectile of approximately 12 pounds. Guns of this type include: *12-pounder long gun, the naval muzzle-loader of the Age of Sail *Canon de 12 de Vallière, French cannon of 1732 *Cano ...
frigates, were "as fair a match as an English officer would wish to fight." Bowen himself paid tribute to Ayalde's bravery in the action, considering that the Spanish captain had fought on long past the point where defeat was inevitable. With Mann's desertion and the Spanish declaration of war, Jervis found his fleet isolated and outnumbered. Acting on orders from the
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...
, he withdrew his forces from the Mediterranean entirely, retreating to Gibraltar and then Lisbon. There he received reinforcements from Britain and, in February 1797, launched a successful attack on the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape St Vincent,Mostert, p.198 inflicting such a serious defeat that the Spanish fleet would not emerge again from Cádiz until the
Croisière de Bruix The ''Croisière de Bruix'' (or Bruix' expedition of 1799) was the principal naval campaign of the year 1799 during the French Revolutionary Wars. The expedition began in April 1799 when the bulk of the French Atlantic Fleet under Vice-Admiral É ...
campaign in 1799.Clowes, p. 320 Bowen was attached to the Cádiz blockade, capturing several merchant vessels in November 1796,Campbell, p.83 defeating the French frigate ''Vestale'' off Cádiz at the action of 13 December 1796,James, p.361 and attacking the damaged Spanish 130-gun ''Santísima Trinidad'' in the aftermath of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.Campbell, p.87 In July 1797 ''Terpsichore'' was with the squadron under Rear-Admiral
Sir Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
which attacked the port of Santa Cruz on Tenerife. The operation was a failure, Nelson's force driven off with heavy casualties;Mostert, p.220 Nelson lost an arm and Bowen was struck and killed by grape shot while storming the town.Campbell, p.89 More than five decades after the battle the
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...
recognised the action with a clasp attached to the Naval General Service Medal, awarded upon application to all British participants still living in 1847.


Notes


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References

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Action Of 13 October 1796 Naval battles involving Spain Naval battles involving Great Britain Naval battles of the French Revolutionary Wars Conflicts in 1796