Action of 6 May 1801 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 6 May 1801
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
The action and capture of the Spanish xebeque frigate El Gamo, by Charles Edward Dixon
Date 6 May 1801 Location Off Barcelona, Mediterranean Sea Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Thomas Cochrane	Francisco Torres  †
Strength
1 brig	1 xebec
Casualties and losses
3 killed 9 wounded	14 killed 41 wounded 261 captured 1 xebec captured

The Action of 6 May 1801 was a small but amazing sea battle. It happened between a large Spanish warship called El Gamo and a much smaller British ship named HMS Speedy. Even though El Gamo was four times bigger and had many more guns and sailors, the British ship Speedy managed to capture it! This incredible victory was led by a brave British captain, Thomas, Lord Cochrane.

Before the Big Fight

In March 1800, Captain Lord Cochrane took charge of the ship Speedy. He was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea and had already fought in many battles. His home base was in Port Mahon on the island of Menorca.

On May 6, 1801, at sunrise, Speedy was sailing near Barcelona. Suddenly, a huge enemy warship appeared! This ship was a Spanish frigate called El Gamo. It was commanded by Don Francisco de Torres and had 319 men on board. El Gamo was armed with many powerful guns. It had a total firepower seven times stronger than Speedy.

But Speedy was much smaller, with only 54 men. Many of Cochrane's sailors were away on other ships they had captured earlier.

How the Battle Unfolded

Instead of trying to escape, Captain Cochrane decided to get closer to the Spanish frigate. At 9:30 in the morning, El Gamo fired a warning shot and raised the Spanish flag. In response, Cochrane cleverly raised an American flag. This made the Spanish captain hesitate, giving Cochrane time to get even closer.

Then, Cochrane quickly changed to the British flag and dodged the first big volley of shots from El Gamo. The Spanish fired again, but Cochrane avoided that too. He waited until Speedy was right next to El Gamo. He even locked Speedys masts into El Gamos ropes!

The Spanish tried to shoot Speedy, but their guns were too high up. Their cannonballs flew over Speedy's deck and only hit its sails and ropes. Cochrane then opened fire with his smaller guns. He loaded them with extra cannonballs, so each shot hit with more power. The very first volley killed the Spanish captain and another officer.

Seeing they were in trouble, the Spanish second-in-command gathered a group of sailors to board Speedy. But Cochrane quickly pulled Speedy away, firing at the crowded Spanish sailors with cannons and muskets. He then moved Speedy close again. After three tries to board Speedy failed, the Spanish sailors went back to their own guns.

Cochrane then made a bold decision: he would board El Gamo! He gathered almost all his crew into two groups. Only the ship's doctor was left to steer Speedy. The British sailors then rushed onto El Gamo. Some boarded from the front of the ship, and they had blackened their faces to look like pirates! This surprised the Spanish sailors. The other group boarded from the middle of the ship.

There was a fierce fight between the two crews. Then, Cochrane shouted down to the doctor on Speedy, telling him to send the "rest of the men" over. At the same time, he ordered the Spanish flag to be pulled down. The remaining Spanish sailors thought their officers had given up the ship, so they stopped fighting.

What Happened Next

The British had only three men killed and nine wounded. The Spanish, however, lost 14 men killed and 41 wounded. The rest of their crew, 261 men, were captured. This meant the Spanish had more casualties than Speedy had total crew members!

The British sailors then locked the Spanish prisoners below deck. They sailed El Gamo and Speedy back to Port Mahon. The Spanish second-in-command was very surprised that such a small ship had beaten them. He asked Cochrane for a paper saying he had done everything he could to defend his ship. Cochrane agreed, writing that the Spanish officer had "conducted himself like a true Spaniard." Later, El Gamo was sold to the ruler of Algiers to be used as a trading ship.

In Books and Stories

This amazing battle helped inspire the famous author Patrick O'Brian. In his book Master and Commander, the main character, Jack Aubrey, fights his first big battle. In a very similar way, his small ship, HMS Sophie, escapes from and then captures a Spanish frigate called Cacafuego.

See also

In Spanish: Acción del 6 de mayo de 1801 para niños