action october action october minor naval engagement french revolutionary wars squadron british_royal_navy frigates frigates close spanish naval port spanish ships treasure convoy carrying silver luxury trade goods atlantic_ocean colonies spain sighted british frigate enforcing blockade late october spanish ships stages journey turning flee spanish soon found surrounded british frigates closed separated ships effort split opponents spanish captains unable escape captured short engagement october reached safety caught morning october approaches safe harbour short engagement amid rocks captured overwhelming british force captured ships taken britain combined transported great fanfare eventual value cargo assessed resulting largest prize money awarded background following secret terms treaty suddenly reversed position french revolutionary wars turning enemy ally spanish declaration war great_britain forced abandon mediterranean_sea entirely retreating ports force concentrated stationed main fleet base british blockade fleet won significant victory spanish battle cape vincent february spanish fleet playing significant role ongoing war spanish ports blockaded intention limiting spanish trade movement treasure convoys colonies south_america vast quantities gold silver valuable trade goods crossed atlantic regular armed frigate convoys intercept seize shipments royal_navy dispatched frigates patrol spanish coast encourage sailors royal_navy distributed prize money value ships material captured seizure spanish treasure fleet yield spectacular amounts money particularly large sums captured previous wars years conflict great_britain spain treasure convoy intercepted near action april occasion treasure smuggled ashore convoy seized pursuit august convoy gun frigates captain captain sailed cargo included sugar principally consisted million silver spanish dollars passage atlantic uneventful afternoon october convoy orders spanish port nearing destination fortified port city south northwestern point spain ports blockaded british frigates sailing independently crossing approaches search enemy shipping ship gun captain sighted spanish convoy position october turning away southeast spanish ships sail northeast search safe harbour pursuit october sail spotted southwest rapidly revealed second british frigate gun captain joined chase dawn sails sighted gun hms captain west gun hms captain north british frigates pursuit spanish captains sought split enemy divided directed closest british ship pursue faster young complied firing long range shot santa direction driving ship companion battle streamed past pursuit young focused attention coming range seeing battle inevitable bore bows effort young ship young turned order manoeuvre fired rapid responded kind hour frigates exchanged running fire realising escape impossible surrendered lost man killed wounded exchange suffered casualties subdued remainder british squadron continued southwards pursuit experienced officer good knowledge northern spanish coast intended lose rocky channels early october reached spanish coastal waters rounding rocks captain gore flow seven knots unaware obstacle crashed coming halt inflicting severe damage ship hull gore able bring soon continued pursuit assisted able block route frigates opened fire spanish ship sought shelter rocks close safe harbour movement hampered coastal blocked wind hour resistance approaching forced surrender ship superior british forces santa lost men killed wounded killed wounded single man wounded aftermath british force took control spanish squadron ships sailed appearance intending bring squadron battle immediately issued orders ships meet spanish promptly turned returned port coming range shore breeze enabled british ships prize rocks damage sailed directly fleet base plymouth arriving october find reached port day dispatches sent lord commander channel_fleet admiralty revealed scale prize found quantity trade series boxes containing coin including boxes dollars boxes dollars boxes containing dollars golden golden half totalled silver dollars sterling value trade sugar worth total boxes containing dollars bags dollars numerous loose coins total value silver dollars altogether sterling value cargo calculated equivalent captured ships written worthless additional money naval stores aftermath sailors squadron noted streets portsmouth wearing bank notes stuck hats buying watches fun issuing laws crew appeared gold laced hat man appeared silver escape representing articles bought compelled money gold lace vast sum money transported plymouth wagons guarded armed sailors accompanied musical bands cheering crowds security remained plymouth november removed london considerable ceremony placed sums awarded prize money distributed equal shares crews largest recorded captain given admiral command lieutenant warrant officer sailor marine regular seamen total times annual pay historian noted set pub captains normally paid year money years subsequent occasion spanish treasure fleet successfully intercepted battle cape santa maria october greater haul captured occasion admiralty obscure regulation seize bulk prize captains received historian noted action illustrates dominance royal_navy high standards stage war stating appearance frigates vast atlantic enormous resources british prosecution war frigate captains proceeded act perfect concert evidence needed shared standards mutual help assistance
Action of 16 October 1799