A minor British naval victory off Conil de la Frontera secured one Spanish frigate for the Royal Navy, though the targeted treasure cargo escaped capture.
Key Facts
- Date
- 26 April 1797
- British ships
- HMS Irresistible (ship of the line), HMS Emerald (frigate)
- Spanish ships
- Santa Elena and Ninfa (frigates)
- Spanish frigates' cargo origin
- Havana, Cuba, bound for Cádiz
- Outcome for Santa Elena
- Wrecked on shore after surrender
- Outcome for Ninfa
- Captured and recommissioned into Royal Navy
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A Spanish convoy of two frigates carrying treasure from Havana was approaching Cádiz during the French Revolutionary Wars, while British ships were maintaining a blockade of that port. The British vessels, HMS Irresistible and HMS Emerald, intercepted the convoy and were substantially more powerful than the Spanish frigates.
Captain George Martin chased the Spanish frigates into rocky Conil Bay, where they were cornered and surrendered following a brief engagement. Spanish casualties were significantly higher than British losses. The Santa Elena was subsequently wrecked on the shore, and the Ninfa was taken as a prize.
The captured frigate Ninfa was recommissioned into the Royal Navy. However, the primary objective of seizing the treasure cargo failed, as a Spanish fishing boat had removed it before the engagement, leaving the British with the ships but not the valuable wealth they had been carrying from the Americas.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain George Martin.
Side B
1 belligerent