From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Naval engagement
The
action of 25 February 1781
was a
naval engagement
fought off
Cape Finisterre
between the
Spanish naval
frigate
sixth rate
Grana
of 30 guns and the
Royal Navy
fifth-rate
frigate HMS
Cerberus
of 32 guns.
Grana
surrendered after a hard fight.
On 25 February 1781, whilst cruising 20
leagues
off Cape Finisterre, HMS
Cerberus
, under Captain Robert Mann, sighted
Grana
.
[3]
Grana
, under Don Nicolas de Medina, was a month out of
Ferrol
but had captured little.
Cerberus
closed on
Grana
and within fifteen minutes the British had won. The Spanish officers fought as long as they could, but as
Cerberus
'
s
broadsides
took effect the Spanish sailors refused to fight. Further resistance seemed pointless, so De Medina
struck
Grana
'
s colours.
In the action with
Cerberus
,
Grana
lost her first lieutenant and six men killed, and seventeen men wounded, out of her crew of 166 men; the British suffered only two men wounded. The Royal Navy took
Grana
into service as HMS
Grana
. Following his victory, Captain Mann received command of the 64-gun
HMS
Scipio
.
Citations and references
[
edit
]
Citations
References