Action of 14 September 1779

Action of 14 September 1779
Part of the Anglo-Spanish War

HMS Pearl, engaging the Spanish frigate Santa Monica off the Azores, 14th. September 1779; by Dominic Serres
Date14 September 1779
Locationoff the Azores, Atlantic
Result British victory
Belligerents
Spain Spain  Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Spain Don Manuel Núñez Gaona (POW) Kingdom of Great Britain George Montagu
Strength
frigate
Santa Mónica
26 guns		 frigate
HMS Pearl
32 guns
Casualties and losses
1 frigate captured
38 killed
45 wounded
180 captured[1]		 12 killed
19 wounded
HMS Pearl and the Santa Monica, 14 September 1779 by Thomas Whitcombe

The Action of 14 September 1779 was a minor naval engagement between the British Royal Naval frigate HMS Pearl and the Spanish frigate Santa Mónica off the Azores during the Anglo-Spanish War.[2]

The Spanish Navy had been patrolling the Azores since July with a small squadron of ships under of Lt. Gen. Don Antonio de Ulloa, with his flagship Fenix, ships of the line Gallardo, Diligent and San Julián, and the frigates Santa Maria and Santa Mónica.[1]

On 14 September, Pearl, Captain George Montagu while cruising off the Azores in the early hours of the morning chased a large ship which turned out to be Santa Mónica under the command of Don Miguel de Nunes.[1]

At 09:30am, Pearl caught up with Santa Mónica and commenced action. After fighting for two hours, Santa Mónica had become severely damaged and had 38 men killed and 45 wounded; de Nunes therefore struck her colours. Santa Mónica was a new ship, mounting 26 long 12-pounder guns on her main deck, and two 4-pounders on her quarter-deck, with a crew of 271 men.[1] Santa Mónica in addition was larger than Pearl. Pearl was little damaged except in her rigging; she had suffered a loss of 12 men killed and 19 wounded. Ulloa was acquitted in a court martial back in Cadiz in October back because of the loss of Santa Mónica.[2]

The British Royal Navy took Santa Mónica into service as HMS Santa Monica. She wrecked on Tortola on 1 April 1782.

Citations and references

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Nichols, John (1830). The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 147. R. Newton. pp. 82–83. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 Winfield p.196-97.

References

  • Beatson, Robert (1804). Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, From 1727 to 1783. 6. Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme.
  • Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1-86176-295-X.
  • "HMS Pearl and the Santa Monica, 14 September 1779 (Oil paintings)". National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London. Retrieved 11 December 2014.

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