Action of 4 April 1808

Battle location in Cadiz Bay. Rota is on left of map

Date	4 April 1808
Location	Off Rota, Cádiz, Spain
Result	British victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

Kingdom of Spain

Commanders and leaders

Captain Murray Maxwell

Strength

Frigates: HMS Mercury
HMS Alceste
HMS Grasshopper

large number of merchantmen,
20 gunboats,
shore batteries

Casualties and losses

1 killed, 2 wounded
1 Frigate damaged

Unknown casualties,
7 merchants captured,
2 gunboats destroyed,
7 gunboats run ashore

The Action of 4 April 1808 was a naval engagement off the coast off Rota near Cadiz, Spain where Royal Naval frigates Mercury, Alceste and Grasshopper intercepted a large Spanish convoy protected by twenty gunboats and a train of batteries close to shore.

Blockade duties around Cadiz were still being carried out by the Royal Navy over two years since Trafalgar (1805). The intention was the same as it was in 1805 to keep the Franco-Spanish fleet 'locked up' and also to keep a watchful eye on any movements by sea and attack if necessary. These included vessels such as that under the command of Captain Murray Maxwell with his 38-gun frigate Alceste, 28-gun frigate Mercury, Captain James Alexander Gordon, and 18-gun brig-sloop Grasshopper (16 carronades, 32-pounders, and two long sixes), under Captain Thomas Searle

38-gun frigate Alceste Captain Murray Maxwell, 28-gun frigate Mercury, Captain James Alexander Gordon, and 18-gun brig-sloop Grasshopper (16 carronades, 32-pounders, and two long sixes), Captain Thomas Searle, lay at anchor about three miles to the north-west of the lighthouse of San-Sebastian, near Cadiz, a large convoy, under the protection of about 20 gun-boats and a numerous train of flying' artillery on the beach, was observed coming down close along-shore from the northward. At 3 p.m., the Spanish convoy being then abreast of the town of Rota, the Alceste and squadron weighed, with the wind at west-south-west, and stood in for the body of the Spanish vessels.

At 4 p.m. the shot and shells from the Spanish gun-boats and batteries passing over them, the British ships opened their fire. The Alceste and Mercury devoted their principal attention to the gun boats; while the Grasshopper, drawing much less water, stationed herself upon the shoal to the southward of the town and so close to the batteries that by the grape from her carronade drove the Spaniards from their guns, and at the same time kept in check a division of gunboats which had come out from Cadiz to assist those engaged by the two frigates. The situation of the Alceste and Mercury was also rather critical, they having in the state of the wind to tack every fifteen minutes close to the end of the shoal.

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Wikipedia