Action of 6 May 1801 | |||||||
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Part of the French Revolutionary Wars | |||||||
![]() The action and capture of the Spanish xebeque frigate El Gamo, by Charles Edward Dixon | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
1 brig | 1 xebec | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
3 killed 9 wounded[1] |
14 killed 41 wounded 261 captured 1 xebec captured[1] |
The action of 6 May 1801 was a minor naval engagement between the 32-gun xebec-frigate El Gamo of the Spanish Navy under the command of Don Francisco de Torres and the much smaller 14-gun brig HMS Speedy under the command of Thomas, Lord Cochrane. El Gamo was captured despite being four times as large, with much greater firepower and a crew six times the size of Speedy, which had a reduced crew of 54 at the time of the engagement.