Action of 7 December 1804

The Action of 7 December 1804 was a minor naval action that took place at the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars. Royal Navy ship-of-the-line HMS Polyphemus (64) under the command of Captain John Lawford, and the frigate HMS Lively (38) under the command of Captain Graham Hamond captured the Spanish frigate Santa Gertrudis off Cape Santa Maria.[1][2]

Action of 7 December 1804
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Date7 December 1804
Location
off Cape Santa Maria
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  Spain
Commanders and leaders
John Lawford, Graham Hamond Juan José Salomón
Strength
1 Ship of the line
1 Frigate		 1 Frigate
Casualties and losses
light 1 frigate captured

After the outbreak of war with France and Spain in 1804, the Royal Navy's HMS Polyphemus and HMS Lively were cruising off the coast of Spain and had captured several Spanish ships.

On 7 December a sail was spotted off the coast of Cape Santa Maria.[1] Polyphemus and Lively intercepted and after a short action overhauled the frigate. The Spanish captain seeing that resistance was useless stuck the colours.[2]

Santa Gertrudis a frigate of 40-guns, was armed only with fourteen, and was sailing from Peru and Mexico to Coruna when Polyphemus captured her. Polyphemus and Santa Gertrudis separated in a gale that damaged the Spanish ship, which nonetheless reached Plymouth on 10 January 1805, in tow by the armed defence ship Harriet, which had encountered Santa Gertrudis some days after the gale.[3]

Santa Gertrudis was carrying $1,215,000,[3] and merchandize.[4][Note 1] The prize money was shared, making the captains rich for life.[2]

The Royal Navy took her into service as HMS Santa Gertruda, but did not commission the 40-year-old ship. Instead she served as a receiving ship.[6]

References, Notes & Citations
  1. The amount that a seaman received in a prize money disbursement in May 1808 is difficult to read from the London Gazette, but the amount appears to be on the order of £34 5s 10d, or an amount equivalent to more than a year and a half of salary.[5]
  1. Heathcote, p. 105
  2. Marshall, John (1835). Royal Naval Biography; Or, Memoirs of the Services of All the Flag-officers, Superannuated Rear-admirals, Retired-captains, Post-captains, and Commanders, Whose Names Appeared on the Admiralty List of Sea Officers at the Commencement of the Present Year, Or who Have Since Been Promoted Volume 4, Part 2. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown. pp. 225–6.
  3. Norie, J.W (1827). The naval gazetteer, biographer and chronologist; containing a history of the late wars from ... 1793 to ... 1801; and from ... 1803 to 1815, and continued, as to the biographical part to the present time. London: C. Wilson. p. 443.
  4. Lloyd's List
  5. "No. 16146". The London Gazette. 17 May 1808. p. 700.
  6. Winfield (2008), p.215.
Sources
  • Heathcote, Tony (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995. Pen & Sword. ISBN 0-85052-835-6.
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1-86176-246-1.
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