Cutting out of the Herminone

Cutting out of the Herminone

Santa Cecilia, the former Hermione, is cut out at Puerto Cabello by boats from HMS Surprise by Nicholas Pocock

Date	25 October 1799
Location	Puerto Cabello, Captaincy General of Venezuela
Result	British victory

Belligerents

Great Britain

Spain

Commanders and leaders

Edward Hamilton

Ramon de Chalas

Strength

100 sailors & marines,
various boats from HMS Surprise

1 Frigate
Various shore batteries (including 200 guns)

Casualties and losses

11 wounded

119 killed, 231 captured (including 97 wounded)
Hermione captured

The Cutting out of the Hermione, or Capture of Hermione, was a naval action that took place at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela on 25 October 1799. The formerly British frigate HMS Hermione, which had been handed over to the Spanish by its crew following a vicious mutiny, lay in the heavily guarded sea port of Puerto Cabello now under the command of Don Ramon de Chalas. A British frigate, HMS Surprise, was sent under Edward Hamilton to recapture Hermione. In naval terms this was called a cutting out operation—a boarding attack by small boats, preferably at night and against an unsuspecting and anchored target. This had become a popular tactic during the later 18th century.

The HMS Hermione was a frigate of the Royal Navy, commanded by Captain Hugh Pigot. In September 1797 a number of the crew had risen up against the tyrannical Pigot and had murdered him and nine other officers, throwing their bodies overboard. Fearing retribution for their actions, the mutineers had sailed the HMS Hermione to the Spanish port of La Guaira, and handed her over to the Spanish. The mutineers claimed they had set the officers adrift in a small boat, as had happened in the mutiny on the Bounty some eight years earlier.

The Spaniards took HMS Hermione into service under the name Santa Cecilia where she remained for two years at La Guaira. Her crew which included 25 of her former crew, remained under Spanish guard.

Meanwhile, news of the fate of HMS Hermione reached Admiral Sir Hyde Parker when HMS Diligence captured a Spanish schooner. Parker wrote to the governor of La Guaira, demanding the return of the ship and the surrender of the mutineers but the Governor only moved the ship to Puerto Cabello. Meanwhile Parker dispatched HMS Magicienne under Captain Henry Ricketts to commence negotiations. Parker also set up a system of informers and posted rewards that eventually led to the capture of 33 of the mutineers. News eventually reached Parker that the Santa Cecilia had been sighted in Puerto Cabello, and ordered HMS Surprise to intercept her, should she attempt to put to sea.

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Wikipedia