The action of 15 July 1798 was a minor naval battle of the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...
, fought off the Spanish Mediterranean coast by the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
HMS ''Lion'' under Captain
Manley Dixon
Admiral Sir Manley Dixon, KCB (3 January 1757; 8 February 1837) was a prominent Royal Navy officer during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Born into a military family in the late 1750s or early 1760s, Dixon joined the Navy an ...
and a squadron of four
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
frigates
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 Commodore Don Felix O'Neil. ''Lion'' was one of several ships sent into the Western Mediterranean by Vice-Admiral
Earl St Vincent
Viscount St Vincent, of Meaford in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 27 April 1801 for the noted naval commander John Jervis, Earl of St Vincent, with remainder to his nephews William H ...
, commander of the British Mediterranean Fleet based at the
Tagus
The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...
in Portugal during the late spring of 1798. The Spanish squadron was a raiding force that had sailed from
Cartagena in Murcia seven days earlier, and was intercepted while returning to its base after an unsuccessful cruise. Although together the Spanish vessels outweighed the British ship, individually they were weaker and Commodore O'Neil failed to ensure that his manoeuvres were co-ordinated. As a result, one of the frigates,
''Santa Dorotea'', fell out of the
line of battle
The line of battle is a tactic in naval warfare in which a fleet of ships forms a line end to end. The first example of its use as a tactic is disputed—it has been variously claimed for dates ranging from 1502 to 1652. Line-of-battle tacti ...
and was attacked by ''Lion''.
Despite ineffectual long-range gunfire towards the British ship by the remainder of the Spanish squadron, the isolated ''Santa Dorotea'' was rapidly forced to surrender, O'Neil eventually turning the other three frigates back towards Cartagena. Unopposed, Dixon was able to consolidate his prize and send it to St Vincent's fleet off
Cadiz, where it was subsequently purchased into the Royal Navy. ''Lion'' remained in the Mediterranean during the year, later participating in the blockades of
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
. The Spanish, their seaports carefully guarded by Royal Navy squadrons, launched no further expeditions into the Mediterranean during the year.
Background
At the start of 1798, the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
was entirely under the control of the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
and their allies, including Spain, which had switched sides in the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...
in late 1796 at the
Treaty of San Ildefonso.
[Rose, p. 140] Denied access to deep water ports and adequate supplies, the Royal Navy fleet deployed in the Mediterranean under Vice-Admiral
Sir John Jervis was forced to withdraw to the nearest friendly fleet anchorage, at the mouth of the
Tagus River
The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to e ...
in Portugal.
[Maffeo, p. 224] Although forced to retreat, Jervis' force was not defeated and on 14 February 1797 he achieved a victory over the
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
at the
Battle of Cape St Vincent, capturing four Spanish
ships of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colum ...
.
[Clowes, p. 318] A
blockade
A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force.
A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are le ...
of the Spanish Atlantic ports was instituted, especially
Cadiz, the large southern fleet anchorage, and the Spanish did not again attempt to break out during the remainder of the year.
Early in 1798, rumours reached Jervis, recently ennobled as
Earl St Vincent
Viscount St Vincent, of Meaford in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 27 April 1801 for the noted naval commander John Jervis, Earl of St Vincent, with remainder to his nephews William H ...
, of a buildup of French forces around the Mediterranean seaport of
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
under General
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 ...
. Similar rumours had reached 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, Traf ...
in London, and St Vincent therefore sent 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 ...
and three ships of the line to observe French activity.
[Clowes, p. 351] Nelson arrived too late however, and the French fleet had already sailed, carrying over 30,000 men into the Eastern Mediterranean. Nelson, joined by a fleet of ten ships sent by St Vincent under Captain
Thomas Troubridge
Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet (22 June 17571 February 1807) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Sadras in February 1782 during the American Revolutionary War and the Battle of Trincomal ...
,
pursued the French, but failed to learn of their destination before the French fleet captured
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. Ten days later, Bonaparte sailed for
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
for the second stage of his operation and Nelson's fleet unwittingly passed his during the night, the British beating the French to Egypt but sailing off again before Bonaparte arrived.
[Adkins, p. 15]
While Nelson was crossing the Mediterranean, St Vincent was taking advantage of the absence of enemy forces in the Western Mediterranean to deploy newly arrived warships to the region.
[Gardiner, p. 54] One of these vessels was the 64-gun ship of the line
HMS ''Lion'', under the command of Captain
Manley Dixon
Admiral Sir Manley Dixon, KCB (3 January 1757; 8 February 1837) was a prominent Royal Navy officer during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Born into a military family in the late 1750s or early 1760s, Dixon joined the Navy an ...
, who had been sent to St Vincent's fleet early in the year as a replacement for one of Troubridge's ships. Initially ordered to patrol the Spanish Mediterranean coast, ''Lion'' was cruising southeast of
Cartagena, a port in the Spanish
Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia (, ; es, Región de Murcia ), is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. The region is in ...
at 09:00 on 15 July when four sails were spotted to the southeast.
[James, p. 225]
Battle
The four sails spotted by ''Lion''
's lookout were a squadron of Spanish
frigates
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 ...
that had departed Cartagena on 8 July for a brief and unsuccessful commerce raiding operation in the Western Mediterranean.
Each ship carried 34 guns and a weight of shot of approximately to ''Lion''
's .
On sighting ''Lion'', the Spanish ships formed a
battle line
The line of battle is a tactic in naval warfare in which a fleet of ships forms a line end to end. The first example of its use as a tactic is disputed—it has been variously claimed for dates ranging from 1502 to 1652. Line-of-battle tacti ...
, with Commodore
Felix O'Neil
Felix may refer to:
* Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name
Places
* Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen
* Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...
's flagship
''Pomona'' under Captain Don Francis Villamil in the lead followed by
''Proserpine'' under Captain Don Quaj. Bial,
''Santa Dorotea'' under Captain Don Manuel Gerraro and
''Santa Cazilda'' under Captain Don Deam. Errara.
Seeking to engage the strangers, Dixon bore up, halting his movement to ensure he held the weather gage. This would enable him to manoeuvre with the wind and attack the Spanish at the time of his choosing. Seizing the advantage, Dixon then bore down on the frigate squadron, which prepared to meet the attack.
[Clowes, p. 511]
One of the frigates, ''Santa Dorotea'', had lost a topmast sometime earlier and as result was slower than the rest of the squadron. Falling behind the others, Gerraro soon found that his ship was in danger of being isolated by ''Lion'', as Dixon steered for the rapidly opening gap between the Spanish ships. Recognising the danger, O'Neil ordered the front three frigates to turn around and sail to the defence of ''Santa Dorotea'', passing close by ''Lion'' and opening a heavy fire at 11:15.
''Lion'' replied, and the Spanish frigates did not immediately turn back for a second pass, continuing ahead as Dixon closed with the straggling ''Santa Dorotea''.
[Gardiner, p. 54] In an effort to deter the ship of the line, Gerraro opened fire on ''Lion'' with his stern chasers, cannon situated in the frigate's stern, which caused considerable damage to Dixon's rigging.
As ''Lion'' began to close the distance, O'Neil's ships returned, but the frigates passed ''Lion'' at extreme distance, their broadsides having no effect and again coming under fire themselves.
Eventually, Dixon succeeded in bringing his ship alongside the Spanish frigate and opened a heavy fire, to which Gerraro replied with his own broadside. The larger and more powerful British ship was able to rapidly inflict severe damage to the ''Santa Dorotea'', and within minutes the mizenmast had fallen and the mainmast and rudder were severely battered.
[James, p. 226] As ''Santa Dorotea'' veered off course, O'Neil passed ''Lion'' for a third time, at an even greater distance than before, and once again his broadsides failed to have an effect and again he came under fire from the British vessel. His last attempt to save ''Santa Dorotea'' defeated, O'Neil turned away and his ships raised all sail in the direction of Cartagena at 13:10.
[Clowes, p. 512] Gerraro, his isolated ship trapped by ''Lion'', which was slowly turning back towards the drifting frigate, raised the
Union Flag
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
upside down as a sign of surrender.
Aftermath
''Santa Dorotea'' had suffered severe damage during the brief engagement, and had at least 20 men killed and 32 wounded from a crew of 371. By contrast, ''Lion'' had lost just two men wounded in the exchange: a seaman lost a leg and a
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
was shot in the shoulder.
Although ''Lion''
's rigging had been badly torn, there was no structural damage at all. Securing his prize, Dixon spent the next day conducting extensive repairs before sending ''Santa Dorotea'' to Earl St Vincent off Cadiz. The captured ship was purchased into the Royal Navy and served for several years as HMS ''Santa Dorotea'', rated at 36 guns.
[Clowes, p. 560] The
prize money
Prize money refers in particular to naval prize money, usually arising in naval warfare, but also in other circumstances. It was a monetary reward paid in accordance with the prize law of a belligerent state to the crew of a ship belonging to t ...
generated by the sale of the captured ship and the stores aboard was paid out to the Dixon's crew in October 1800.
Nearly five decades later the Admiralty recognised the action with the clasp "LION 15 JULY 1798" attached to the
Naval General Service Medal, awarded upon application to all British participants still living in 1847.
''Lion'' remained in the Western Mediterranean for the next two months, eventually joining with a squadron of four Portuguese ships of the line under the command of Tomás Xavier Teles de Castro da Gama,
Marquess de Niza.
[James, p. 188] In September, Niza's squadron was ordered to join Nelson in his search for the French and sailed eastwards, but while passing to the north of Malta they encountered a large convoy of battered vessels under Captain
Sir James Saumarez
Admiral of the Red James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez (or Sausmarez), GCB (11 March 1757 – 9 October 1836) was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, known for his victory at the Second Battle of Algeciras.
Early life
Saumarez was born ...
. These ships were seven British ships of the line and six captured French ships, all survivors of the
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay; french: Bataille d'Aboukir) was a major naval battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the Navy of the French Republic at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast off the ...
, Nelson's successful conclusion of the campaign fought at
Aboukir Bay
The Abū Qīr Bay (sometimes transliterated Abukir Bay or Aboukir Bay) (; Arabic transliteration, transliterated: Khalīj Abū Qīr) is a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria in Egypt, lying between the Rosetta mouth of the Nile a ...
off Egypt on 1 August. The Anglo-Portuguese squadron continued to Alexandria in October, briefly joining the blockade squadron there under Captain
Sir Samuel Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood (12 December 1724 – 27 January 1816) was an admiral in the Royal Navy. As a junior officer he saw action during the War of the Austrian Succession. While in temporary command of , he drove a French ship ashore i ...
before returning to Malta in December as part of a new squadron formed off the island.
[James, p. 193] ''Lion'' followed the Portuguese back to Malta in December.
[Clowes, p. 377] The Spanish did not launch another expedition from their Mediterranean ports during 1798.
[James, p. 195]
Notable participants
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...
was a staff member on the ''Santa Dorothea''.
References
Bibliography
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*
{{coord missing, Spain
Naval battles involving Spain
Naval battles involving Great Britain
Naval battles of the French Revolutionary Wars
Conflicts in 1798
Mediterranean campaign of 1798