On This Day 1 May

[Coog]

The Action of 1 May 1781 was a minor naval engagement nearly 210 miles off the Port of Brest in which HMS Canada, a 74-gun third rate of the Royal Navy under Captain George Collier chased, intercepted and captured the 40-gun Spanish frigate Santa Leocadia, captained by Don Francisco de Wenthuisen.

On 30 April, the 74-gun ship HMS Canada, Captain Sir George Collier, having been detached by Vice-Admiral George Darby, commander-in-chief of the Channel Fleet, to watch the port of Brest, discovered a squadron of small ships. The squadron dispersed on her approach, upon which Canada chased the largest, the Santa Leocadia. After a pursuit of 210 miles, the Canada overtook the Santa Leocadia on the morning of 1 May.

After a running fight, which lasted up to an hour and a half, and in heavy seas which prevented the Canada from opening her lower deck ports, the frigate surrendered. She had suffered heavy casualties, with 80 men killed and 106 wounded (nearly half her complement), including her captain, Don Francisco de Wenthuisen, who lost an arm. The Canada had one of the trunnions of a lower deck gun shot off and suffered ten casualties.

What was remarkable about Santa Leocadia is that she was noted before the battle as being a remarkably, fast-sailing ship. The discovery of that fact that she was coppered when she was captured came in some ways as a surprise. It was now known to the British Admiralty that other navies had decided to copper their ships as well as the Royal Navy. The Santa Leocadia was first in the Spanish service that was coppered, and she was added to the British navy under the same name.

[Coog]

On 1 May 1828 HMS Black Joke fought the large and well-armed pirate Presidenté. After two hours of action, and following the death of their captain and two others, as well as the wounding of a number more, the crew of the Presidenté sought a truce. (Black Joke sustained one killed and a number wounded.) The crew of Presidenté underwent an examination before being committed for trial on charges of piracy. Many of her crew appeared to be British or have anglicized names, and they were sent back to England for trial. The next day Black Joke retook the Portuguese vessel Hosse, which Presidenté had taken as a prize. Presidente was lost at sea on her way to Sierra Leone but Black Joke earned salvage money for Hosse.

[David Manley]

1 May 1689. Battle of Bantry Bay. Adm. Arthur Herbert fought a French fleet looking to support James II. Herbert failed in his tactics and escaped more through French indiscipline than his skill.

[csadn]

1 May 1689. Battle of Bantry Bay. Adm. Arthur Herbert fought a French fleet looking to support James II. Herbert failed in his tactics and escaped more through French indiscipline than his skill.

I guess that's why the Republic of Cinnabar series is written by an American -- the British would naturally be a little Leery of Bantry.... >;)

[7eat51]

Thanks for pointing us here Bobby.

David's story, highlights the topic of the quality of French crewmen again. I think in our day of such technological advancement, the human factor can be overlooked quite easily. This is definitely true in manufacturing, and is one of the reasons Toyota has gotten to where it is - humans share center stage of Toyota's philosophy/strategy.