Lego Pirates: Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1797)

In the Treaty of San Ildefonso of 1796, Spain allied itself with Republican France to oust British forces from the Mediterranean. With a combined armada of 38 ships of the line, Franco-Spanish forces quickly drove the English Mediterranean Fleet from Corsica and Elba. Planning to unite with the French at Brest, a Spanish force numbering 27 ships of the line sailed to protect a convoy carrying gold and mercury to Cadiz. This fleet was hit by a strong gale which drove it far into the Atlantic, where its storm-wearied sailors soon met a British fleet of 15 ships of the line commanded by Admiral John Jervis. Among Jervis’s subordinates was Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson—aboard the HMS Captain—and after observing a crucial signaling error which would have allowed the Spanish fleet to slip back to Cadiz, Nelson brought his ship out of line and ran straight for the Vanguard of the Spanish fleet. With the support of HMS Culloden and Excellent, Nelson braved withering fire from no more than 6 ships of the line, including three 112-gun ships in addition to the 130-gun Santisma Trinidad, the most heavily armed ship afloat at the time. After almost 2 hours of fighting Captain was partially disabled from the loss of her wheel and foremast, but with the intervention of HMS Excellent, Nelson was able to ram his ship into the San Nicholas, which had collided with the first-rate San Jose in the melee. After a short series of boarding actions Nelson successfully captured both vessels, earning greater acclaim and further promotion in the Royal Navy.