Action of 25 January 1797

Overview

The action of 25 January 1797 was a minor naval battle of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought in the Gulf of Cádiz. The Spanish third-rate ship of the line San Francisco de Asís was attacked and pursued for several hours by a British squadron of three fifth-rates frigates and a sixth-rate corvette under George Stewart, 8th Earl of Galloway. After an intermittent but fierce exchange of fire, the British warships, badly damaged, were eventually forced to withdraw. The San Francisco de Asís, which suffered only minor damage, was able to return to Cádiz without difficulties. The commander of the ship, Captain Alonso de Torres y Guerra, was promoted for his success.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The action of 25 January 1797 was a minor naval engagement fought in the Gulf of Cádiz during the French Revolutionary Wars, in which the Spanish third-rate ship of the line San Francisco de Asís repelled a British squadron of three frigates and a corvette under George Stewart. Despite facing multiple warships in a sustained exchange of fire lasting several hours, the San Francisco de Asís emerged with only minor damage and returned safely to Cádiz, while the British squadron withdrew badly damaged. The Spanish success was recognized at the command level: Captain Alonso de Torres y Guerra received a promotion for his conduct during the action.

Tactics

Commanders (2)