Action of 7 April 1800 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Action of 7 April 1800

Map of Cádiz Bay

Date	5-7 April 1800
Location	Bay of Cádiz, Spain
Result	British victory

Belligerents

Great Britain

Spain

Commanders and leaders

John Thomas Duckworth

Don Fraquin Porcel
Don Manuel Norates

Strength

Ships of the line HMS Leviathan and HMS Swiftsure
frigate HMS Emerald

frigates Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Santa Florentina, Santa Sabina, 13 merchant vessels

Casualties and losses

None

2 frigates, 9 merchant vessels captured,
23 killed, 28 wounded

The Action of 7 April 1800 was a small but important sea battle. It happened between a British navy group and a Spanish convoy. The British were blocking the Spanish naval base of Cádiz. The Spanish convoy had 13 merchant ships. Three Spanish frigates were protecting them. They were all sailing to Spanish lands in the Americas.

The British group included two large warships called ships of the line. These were HMS Leviathan and HMS Swiftsure. A smaller warship, the frigate HMS Emerald, was also with them. Rear-Admiral John Thomas Duckworth led the British from Leviathan.

The Spanish convoy left Cádiz on April 3, 1800. Two days later, they met Duckworth's ships. The Spanish tried to get away. Emerald managed to capture one ship early on April 6. The British captured another ship the next morning. Then, the British ships split up to chase the rest of the convoy.

Light winds slowed everyone down. It wasn't until the morning of April 7 that Leviathan and Emerald caught up. They found most of the Spanish convoy still with its frigate escorts. The third British ship, Swiftsure, had gone south. Two Spanish frigates, Nuestra Señora del Carmen and Santa Florentina, thought the British ships were part of their own convoy. They got too close and had to give up after a short fight. The third frigate, Santa Sabina, got away from Emerald. But the rest of the convoy was left without protection. The British then captured four more ships. In total, the British took 13 ships out of the 16-ship convoy. They sent them to Gibraltar.

Why the Battle Happened
The Battle Unfolds
After the Battle
- Captures and Casualties
See also

Why the Battle Happened

Spain and Britain at War

By April 1800, Great Britain and Spain had been at war for three and a half years. Spain had changed sides. It used to be an enemy of France during the French Revolutionary Wars. But then, Spain became an ally of France. This happened because of a deal called the Treaty of San Ildefonso.

Spain's main navy fleet was in the big southern port of Cádiz. The British Royal Navy quickly made Cádiz a target. They set up a blockade outside the port. This stopped Spanish ships from moving freely and trading. An earlier British fleet, led by Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis, won a big battle against the Spanish. This was the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in February 1797.

Cádiz: A Key Port

Cádiz was very important for Spain's trade and communication. It was especially vital for their many colonies in the Americas. Convoys carrying supplies and goods kept using Cádiz. By 1800, the British Mediterranean Fleet wanted to stop this trade. So, they sent smaller groups of frigates and ships of the line.

In March 1800, Rear-Admiral John Thomas Duckworth was put in charge of the blockade. He sailed on the 74-gun ship of the line HMS Leviathan. Captain James Carpenter was also on board. With Leviathan were the 74-gun HMS Swiftsure (Captain Benjamin Hallowell) and the 36-gun frigate HMS Emerald (Captain Thomas Moutray Waller). This group, plus a small fireship called HMS Incendiary, had already captured two merchant ships from Cádiz in late March. These captured ships were sent to British bases in Lisbon and Gibraltar.

Spanish Convoy Prepares

During March, Spanish officials in Cádiz got a convoy ready. It was going to their American colonies. The convoy had 13 merchant ships. They were headed for places like Lima in Peru, Buenos Aires and Montevideo in Argentina, and Veracruz in Mexico.

Three 34-gun frigates were protecting this convoy. They were Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Captain Don Fraquin Porcel), Santa Florentina (Captain Don Manuel Norates), and Santa Sabina. All three frigates were well-prepared for the long trip. They had new copper sheathing on their hulls. This made them faster. They also had full crews and supplies. Each frigate was carrying 500 quintals (about 23,000 kg) of quicksilver. This quicksilver was needed for silver mining in Peru.

The Battle Unfolds

First Sightings and Chases

The Spanish convoy sailed on April 3. By the afternoon of April 5, it was crossing the Bay of Cádiz. Lookouts on Leviathan spotted them. The British ships immediately started chasing. The Spanish ships scattered, trying to escape. Calm weather made both sides slow down.

But by 3:00 AM on April 6, Captain Waller on Emerald caught up. He blocked the path of a small Spanish merchant ship called Confiance. This ship was going to Buenos Aires with trade goods. Confiance gave up right away. A British crew took it to Gibraltar. The British ships kept chasing the others.

The next morning, there was no wind at all. Boats from Leviathan and Emerald were launched. They went after a Spanish merchant brig that was stuck in the calm water. For 40 minutes, the boats, led by Lieutenant Charles March Gregory, fought the brig Los Angeles. Finally, the Spanish ship surrendered.

British Ships Split Up

On the morning of April 6, only Los Angeles was in sight. But as the wind slowly picked up, sails were seen to the east, west, and south. Duckworth told his ships to split up. Hallowell on Swiftsure went south. Leviathan went west, and Emerald went east.

However, at 12:00 PM, Waller on Emerald signaled. He saw six sails to the northeast. Duckworth changed his mind. He joined Emerald to chase the main part of the Spanish convoy. By nightfall, nine Spanish sails were visible to Leviathan's lookouts. During the day, the British had caught two more Spanish ships. These were La Bastanesa and Nuestra Senora de las Delares. Both were carrying supplies to Buenos Aires.

The Main Fight

Duckworth planned to sail north. A northwesterly breeze would let him cut in front of the Spanish convoy. At 12:00 PM on April 7, three sails were spotted. By 2:00 AM, two were identified as Spanish frigates. Duckworth ordered his ships to sail next to the Spanish ships. He wanted to fight them at dawn.

The Spanish captains had made a mistake. They thought the new ships were part of their own scattered convoy. It wasn't until dawn that they realized their error. By then, Duckworth's ships were too close to escape. Duckworth called out to the closest frigate. He demanded it surrender because his force was much stronger. But the Spanish captain refused. He raised all sails to try and escape. The second Spanish ship did the same. British Royal Marines on Leviathan fired their muskets. Duckworth then tried to damage the Spanish frigates' masts and sails. He fired a broadside (all guns on one side) over their decks. This didn't work. But a second attack by Emerald was more successful. The Spanish ships fired back, but it wasn't very effective. With their rigging damaged and no way to escape, the frigates Carmen and Santa Florentina gave up. They didn't want to face another broadside from Leviathan.

After the Battle

Captures and Casualties

Duckworth stayed with his captured ships for the next two hours. He made repairs and moved prisoners. Among the passengers on Carmen was Pedro Inocencio Bejarano, the Bishop of Buenos Aires. Duckworth told Waller on Emerald to chase the third frigate, which was now visible. But Emerald's copper bottom was in bad shape. So, Santa Sabina easily outran Waller's ship. Emerald soon stopped chasing the frigate. Instead, it focused on the scattered merchant ships.

During the rest of the day, Emerald chased down and captured four large merchant ships. Once the frigates were safe, Leviathan joined the chase. But the remaining Spanish ships were too far away. They escaped after dark. When combined with another capture by Swiftsure, Duckworth's group had captured nine of the 13 merchant ships. They also took two of the three frigates from the convoy. The newly captured ships were Jesus Nazareen, El Veneato, Providence, Cartagena, and Madre de Dios. All were full of trade goods for the colonies. They were taken to Gibraltar to be valued and sold.

The Spanish frigates had many injured and killed sailors. Naval historian William James called their fight an "honourable resistance." Carmen lost 11 men killed and 16 wounded. Santa Florentina lost 11 killed and 12 wounded, including Captain Norates. Both captured warships were sent back to Britain. The Royal Navy bought them and used them as HMS Carmen and HMS Florentina. None of the British ships reported any injuries or deaths.

Soon after this battle, Duckworth was moved to a new command. He went to the Leeward Islands station. Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton took his place.