Action of 15 January 1782

The Action of 15 January 1782 was a minor naval engagement that took place near the island of Jamaica during the American Revolutionary War. A Royal Naval frigate HMS Fox intercepted and engaged two Spanish merchant frigates, one with twenty six guns and the other with twenty guns.[3][4][2][5]

Action of 15 January 1782
Part of American Revolutionary War
Date15 January 1782
Location
off Jamaica
Result British victory
Belligerents
 Great Britain Spain
Commanders and leaders
Thomas Windsor Unknown
Strength
1 frigate 2 merchant frigates
Casualties and losses
2 killed
7 wounded[1]		 2 merchant frigates captured[2]
41 killed & wounded
205 captured

HMS Fox was an Active-class fifth-rate frigate of thirty-two guns and was commanded by Captain Thomas Windsor from 1781. While on a cruise near Jamaica they saw two sail and then went to intercept. They turned out to be two small Spanish frigates and thus Windsor showed his colours.[1]

The two Spanish armed merchantmen Socorro Guipuzcoano of twenty-six guns and Dama Vizcaína of twenty guns tried to escape but Fox overhauled them both. They engaged Fox for nearly an hour before they finally struck. Fox had one boatswain and one seaman killed, and seven others wounded.[1]

The two Spanish ships were bound to Havana from San Sebastián. The prizes were carried into Jamaica and the prize money was distributed accordingly making Windsor and his crew rich men.[5]

For his action, Windsor was promoted and went on to command HMS Lowestoffe on 31 January.[6]

Notes
  1. Beatson, Robert (1804). Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain: From the Year 1727, to the Present Time Volume 5. J. Strachan & P. Hill, Edinburgh. p. 536.
  2. Southey, Thomas (1827). Chronological History of the West Indies: In Three Volumes, Volume 2. Longman. p. 540.
  3. Gaceta de Madrid - N. 1-52, p. 500
  4. Garay, p. 131.
  5. Boswell, James (1782). The Scots Magazine, Volume 44. Sands, Brymer, Murray and Cochran. p. 163.
  6. Winfield p. 190

Bibliography
  • Clowes, William Laird (2003). The Royal Navy: v. 4: A History - From the Earliest Times to 1900. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1861760128.
  • Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships of the Age of Sail. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781844157006.
  • Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish). 1781.
  • Garay Unibaso, Francisco (1987). Francisco Garay Unibaso: Correos marítimos españoles: Correos marítimos españoles a la América Española (Yndias Occidentales) de 1514 a 1827 (in Spanish). Ediciones Mensajero.
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