capture of Spanish frigate Gamo
E807403
The capture of the Spanish frigate Gamo was a celebrated 1801 naval action in which Thomas Cochrane, commanding the much smaller British brig-sloop HMS Speedy, audaciously seized the far more powerful Spanish warship, cementing his reputation for daring and tactical brilliance.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
naval battle
ⓘ
single-ship action ⓘ |
| aftermath | Cochrane promoted and celebrated in the Royal Navy NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWith | legendary exploits of Thomas Cochrane ⓘ |
| belligerent |
Spain
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
United Kingdom NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| BritishCommanderRank | lieutenant ⓘ |
| BritishCrewStrengthApproximate | about 50 men ⓘ |
| BritishShipArmamentApproximate | 14 guns ⓘ |
| BritishShipNation | United Kingdom NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| combatantShip |
HMS Speedy
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Spanish frigate Gamo NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| commandedBy | Thomas Cochrane NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| conflict | French Revolutionary Wars ⓘ |
| consequence |
HMS Speedy taken into Spanish service later after Cochrane left command
ⓘ
enhanced reputation of Thomas Cochrane ⓘ |
| date | 1801-05-06 ⓘ |
| describedIn | naval histories of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars ⓘ |
| era | Age of Sail ⓘ |
| flagOfBritishSide | Royal Navy White Ensign NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| flagOfSpanishSide | Spanish Navy ensign NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| followedBy | continued service of Cochrane in the Royal Navy ⓘ |
| hasCasualties |
British casualties relatively light
ⓘ
Spanish casualties significantly higher than British ⓘ |
| legacy |
contributed to Cochrane’s later fame and literary inspirations for naval heroes
ⓘ
often cited as a classic example of audacious naval tactics ⓘ |
| location |
Mediterranean Sea
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
off the coast of Spain ⓘ |
| notableFor |
audacious tactics by Thomas Cochrane
ⓘ
boarding action by a much smaller crew ⓘ extreme disparity in force between the two ships ⓘ |
| opposingCommander | Francisco de Towsend y Prado NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| outcome | capture of Spanish frigate Gamo by HMS Speedy ⓘ |
| partOf | Mediterranean naval operations of the French Revolutionary Wars NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| precededBy | earlier cruises of HMS Speedy in the Mediterranean ⓘ |
| relatedWork | biographies of Thomas Cochrane ⓘ |
| result | British victory ⓘ |
| shipCaptured | Gamo NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| shipClassOfBritishVessel | brig-sloop ⓘ |
| shipTypeOfSpanishVessel | frigate ⓘ |
| SpanishCrewStrengthApproximate | over 300 men ⓘ |
| SpanishShipArmamentApproximate | 32 guns ⓘ |
| SpanishShipNation | Spain NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| strategicContext | British effort to disrupt enemy shipping in the Mediterranean ⓘ |
| tacticUsed |
closing to grapple and board the enemy ship
ⓘ
maneuvering to reduce effectiveness of enemy broadside ⓘ |
| year | 1801 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.