action of 5 October 1804
{{Coord|display=title}}
{{short description|Naval battle}}
{{Redirect|Battle of Cape Santa Maria|the battle in the American Revolutionary War that took place in the same vicinity|Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Anglo-Spanish War
|partof=the Napoleonic Wars
|image=Francis Sartorius - Four frigates capturing Spanish treasure ships, 5 October 1804.jpg
|image_size = 300px
|caption=The action of 5 October 1804, Francis Sartorius
|date=5 October 1804
|place=Off Cape Santa Maria, Atlantic Ocean
|result=British victory
|combatant1={{flagcountry|UKGBI}}
|combatant2={{flagdeco|Spain|1785}} Spain
|commander1={{flagdeco|UKGBI|government}} Graham Moore
|commander2={{flagdeco|Spain|1785}} José de Bustamante {{surrendered}}
|strength1=4 frigates
|strength2=4 frigates
|casualties1=9 killed and wounded
|casualties2=349 killed and wounded
600 captured
3 frigates captured
1 frigate destroyed
|campaignbox={{Campaignbox French Revolutionary Wars: Anglo-Spanish War (1796)}}
}}
The Battle of Cape Santa Maria was a naval engagement that took place off the southern coast of Portugal on October 5, 1804. In this confrontation, a British squadron under the command of Commodore Graham Moore attacked a Spanish squadron led by Brigadier Don José de Bustamante y Guerra. Although Britain and Spain were technically at peace at the time, tensions were high, and the British sought to intercept Spanish ships carrying treasure from the Americas. The attack resulted in the capture of three Spanish frigates and the destruction of a fourth, escalating tensions and leading Spain to declare war on Britain shortly afterward.
Historically, while Britain is often seen as dominant at sea, it also suffered several notable defeats against Spanish forces. One of the most famous is the Battle of Cartagena de Indias (1741), where Blas de Lezo, a one-eyed, one-armed, and one-legged Spanish admiral, successfully defended the city against a massive British fleet. His brilliant tactics and determination led to a humiliating British defeat, marking one of the greatest naval failures in British history.
Background
Under the terms of a secret convention Spain had to pay 72 million francs annually to France until it declared war on Britain. The British had learned of the treaty, and knew it was likely that Spain would declare war soon after the arrival of the treasure ships. Since the British also knew that by law the fleet could only land at Cádiz, as well as its place and approximate time of departure from South America, it was not difficult to position a squadron to intercept it.
Bustamante had set sail from Montevideo on 9 August 1804 with four frigates loaded with gold and silver, as well as much other valuable cargo. On 22 September Admiral Cornwallis ordered Captain Graham Moore, commanding the 44-gun razee frigate {{HMS|Indefatigable|1784|6}}, to intercept and detain the Spanish ships, peacefully, if possible.{{Google books |LOkuHe66dxAC |Publications of the Navy Records Society, Volume 21 |pages=75–76}}
Moore's ship arrived off Cadiz on 29 September and was joined on 2 October by {{HMS|Lively|1804|6}}, and by {{HMS|Medusa|1801|6}} and {{HMS|Amphion|1798|6}} the day after. In line abreast they patrolled the approaches to Cádiz.
Battle
File:Voladura de La Mercedes.jpg]]
At dawn on 5 October, the Spanish frigates sighted the coast of Portugal. At 7 a.m. they sighted the four British frigates. Bustamante ordered his ships into line of battle, and within an hour the British came up in line, to windward of the Spaniards and "within pistol-shot".
Moore, the British Commodore, sent Lieutenant Ascott to the Spanish flagship Medea, to explain his orders. Bustamante naturally refused to surrender and, impatient of delays, at 10 a.m. Moore ordered a shot be fired ahead over the bows of Medea. Almost immediately a general exchange of fire broke out. Within ten minutes the magazine of the Mercedes exploded destroying the ship, and killing all but 40 of her 240 crew, including almost the entire family of the future Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, Carlos María de Alvear, who (being 16 years old at the time) witnessed the explosion alongside his father from the Medea. Within half an hour the Santa Clara and the Medea had surrendered. Fama broke away and tried to flee; Medusa quickly followed. Moore ordered the faster Lively to pursue, capturing Fama a few hours later.{{London Gazette |issue=15747 |date=20 October 1804 |pages=1309–1310 }} The three frigates were taken to Gibraltar, and then to Gosport, England.
Aftermath
File:Sir Graham Moore's Action, Octr 5th 1804 RMG PU5683.jpg.]]
In practical terms, the British interception of the four Real Armada frigates represented the end of an era for Bourbon Spain and regular specie shipments from the Spanish Empire's New World mines and mints. The squadron to which Mercedes belonged was the last of its kind that the world would see: a Spanish treasure fleet moving bullion from the New World Viceroyalties to the Iberian kingdoms.
Under the terms of the Cruizers and Convoys Act 1708 (6 Ann. c. 65) ships captured at sea were "Droits of the Crown" and became the property of their captors, who received the full value of the ships and cargo in prize money. Technically Britain and Spain were not at war at the time of the action, so the seizure of the ships and their cargo was an act of piracy and the Admiralty Court ruled that the three ships were "Droits of the Admiralty", and all revenues would revert to them. The four Spanish ships carried a total of 4,286,508 Spanish dollars in silver and gold coin, as well as 150,000 gold ingots, 75 sacks of wool, 1,666 bars of tin, 571 pigs of copper, seal skins and oil, although 1.2 million in silver, half the copper and a quarter of the tin went down with the Mercedes. Still, the remaining ships and cargo were assessed at a value of £900,000 (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|900000|1804|2013|r=-3}}}} in {{Inflation/year|UK}}).{{Inflation/fn|UK}} After much legal argument an ex gratia payment was made amounting to £160,000,{{London Gazette |issue=15861 |date=9 November 1805 |page=1402 }} of which the four Captains would have received £15,000 each (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|15000|1804|2013|r=-3}}}} in {{Inflation/year|UK}}).{{Inflation/fn|UK}} Captain Gore had previously received an even greater sum as captain of {{HMS|Triton|1796|6}} in the similar Action of 16 October 1799.{{Cite ODNB |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/11094 |title=Gore, Sir John}}
Medea was taken into the Royal Navy as {{HMS|Iphigenia|1804|6}} (later renamed HMS Imperieuse), Santa Clara as {{HMS|Leocadia}} and Fama as {{HMS|Fama|1804|6}}.
Spain declared war on Great Britain on 14 December 1804, but suffered a catastrophic defeat less than a year later at the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805. Napoleon, having crowned himself Emperor on 2 December, gained Spain as an ally in his war against Britain.
Order of battle
=Spain=
=Britain=
- {{HMS|Indefatigable|1784|6}} 44-gun frigate, Flagship, Commodore Graham Moore
- {{HMS|Lively|1804|6}} 38-gun frigate, Captain Graham Eden Hamond
- {{HMS|Amphion|1798|6}} 32-gun frigate, Captain Samuel Sutton
- {{HMS|Medusa|1801|6}} 32-gun frigate, Captain John Gore
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1804/c_santamaria.html Seizing the Gold of Spain]
- [http://genealogy.northern-skies.net/genealogy.php?number=187 Account of the action]
- [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=1346 HMS Lively]
- [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=1207 HMS Indefatigable]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Action of 5 October 1804}}
Category:Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808)
Category:Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving the United Kingdom
Category:Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving Spain