Cutting out of the Hermione

Cutting out of the Hermione
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Santa Cecilia, the former Hermione, is cut out at Puerto Cabello by boats from HMS Surprise, 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	Ramón de Chalas
Strength
100	351 1 frigate
Casualties and losses
1 killed [1] 12 wounded	120 killed 97 wounded[2] 1 frigate 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 Ramón 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.^[2][3]