Action of 6 May 1801

Overview

The action of 6 May 1801 was a single-ship action fought between the Spanish xebec-frigate El Gamo and the British brig-sloop HMS Speedy during the War of the Second Coalition. Under the command of Commander Lord Cochrane, Speedy, with a crew of 54 and mounting 14 guns, captured El Gamo, which mounted 32 guns and had a crew of 319. The Spanish ship's captain, Francisco de Torres, was one of 14 Spaniards killed during the engagement, with the British capturing the rest of El Gamo's crew and eventually selling the ship to the Regency of Algiers.

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

Significance

The action of 6 May 1801 produced one of the most asymmetric single-ship captures of the French Revolutionary Wars. HMS Speedy, a brig-sloop carrying 14 guns and a crew of 54, took the Spanish xebec-frigate El Gamo, which mounted 32 guns and carried 319 men — a disparity of roughly six to one in crew strength. The Spanish captain Francisco de Torres was among the 14 killed, and the remainder of El Gamo's crew were captured. The prize was subsequently sold to the Regency of Algiers. The engagement became closely associated with Lord Cochrane's reputation for audacious offensive action against superior forces, and stood as a notable British success during the War of the Second Coalition in the Mediterranean theater.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)