This Day in Naval History

Calendar These pages list the key dates in the history of the sailing navies of the world.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

Jun.

Jul.

Aug.

Sep.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31

01 October	1746	HMS Exeter (58) and consorts captured and burnt Ardent.
	1748	Battle of Havana. British Caribbean squadron under Charles Knowles engaged a Spanish squadron Don Andres Reggio near Havana. After a number of aborted attacks, the British succeeded in driving the Spanish back to their harbour after capturing the Conquistador and running the vice-admiral's ship Africa on shore where she was blown up by her own crew after being totally dismasted and made helpless. Both commanders were reprimanded by their respective commands for their conduct during the engagement.
	1800	U.S. Schooner Experiment captures French Schooner Diana.
	1808	HMS Cruizer (18), Lt. (act. Cdr.) Thomas Well, captured a Danish gun brig (10).
	1811	A fire broke out in Greenwich Hospital, which consumed the infirmary, but no lives were lost.
02 October	1758	HMS Lizard (28) took Duc d'Hanovre off Brest.
	1776	HMS Cruizer (8), Cdr. Francis Parry, was burnt off the coast of South Carolina.
	1786	Augustus Keppel died
	1804	Devonshire, Cdr. Joseph Edmuns of HMS Fury, used as explosion vessel employed against French shipping in the Boulogne Roads. HMS Providence fireship was also used.
	1805	HMS Barracouta Schooner (4), Lt. J. Orchard, ran on shore on Jordan Key on the south side of Cuba
	1806	Boats of HMS Minerva (32), Cptn. George Ralph Collier, at Ons Island, took Spanish gunboat No. 2 commanded by Lt. Don Jesse Lopez.
	1817	HMS Julia Brig (16), Jenkin Jones, wrecked off Tristan d'Acunha, coast of Africa.
	1840	Removal of gunpowder from Beyrout by parties from HMS Hastings (72), Cptn. John Lawrence, and HMS Edinburgh (74)
03 October	1778	HMS Mary (3) lost in Plymouth sound
	1796	HMS Narcissus (20), Cptn. Percy Fraser, wrecked off New Providence.
	1799	HMS Speedy (14), Jahleel Brenton, chased Spanish coasters on shore in a bay to the east of Cape Trafalgar.
	1808	HMS Carnation (18), Cptn. Charles Mars Gregory (Killed in Action), captured by La Palinure (16), off Martinique.
04 October	1710	Danish fleet of 26 ships, under General Admiral Count Gyldenløve, engaged Swedish fleet of 21 ships, underAdmiral Wachtmeister, in Køge Bay, just south of Copenhagen. It was a Danish victory although their ship-of-the-line Dannebrog, Cptn Iver Huitfeldt (Killed in Action), blew up.
	1741	HMS Trial (14) scuttled as unfit for service
	1744	Loss of the HMS Victory (100), Cptn. Samuel Faulkner. Admiral Sir John Balchen and 1,100 men lost.
	1780	including HMS Thunderer (74), HMS Phoenix (44), HMS Barbadoes (14) foundered in the West Indies. 13 Royal Navy ships foundered in the great hurricane over 8 days.
	1797	HMS Alexandrian schooner (6), Lt. William Wood Senhouse, captured rench privateer schooner Epicharis (8) off Barbadoes
05 October	1762	Capture of Manila by British forces under Rear Ad. Samuel Cornish
	1780	HMS Stirling Castle (64), HMS Scarborough (22) and HMS Victor (10), foundered in the West Indies.13 Royal Navy ships foundered in the great hurricane over 8 days.
	1793	HMS Bedford (74), HMS Captain (74), Cptn. Reeve, and HMS Speedy (14), Charles Cunningham, captured frigate Modeste (36) and two armed tartans at Genoa.
	1799	HMS Ferret (12) engaged Spanish privateer.
	1804	HMS Indefatigable (44), Commodore Graham Moore, HMS Lively (38), Cptn. Sir Graham Eden Hamond, HMS Medusa (32), Captain John Gore, and HMS Amphion (32), Captain Samuel Sutton, take three Spanish frigates Medea (40), Cptn. Francisco de Piedrola y Verdugo, Fama (34), Cptn Miguel Zapiain y Valladares, and Santa Clara (34), Cptn. Aleson y Bueno, and a fourth, Mercedes (36), Cptn. Jose Manuel De Goicoa y Labarthad, blows up S. W. of Cape St. Mary. The 4 ships, under Rear Admiral Don Jose Bustamante y Guerra, had been carrying treasure:- $1,307,634 in silver with wool, bars of tin and pigs of copper belonging to the King; $1, 859,216 in silver dollars, $1,119,658 in gold and 150,011 gold ingots belonging to merchants, and seal skins and oil belonging to the Marine Company.
	1805	HMS Princess Charlotte (38), Cptn. George Tobin, recaptured Cyane off Tobago.
	1813	Rear Admiral Fremantle commences blockade of Trieste with HMS Milford (74), Cptn. J. D. Markland, HMS Eagle (74) and smaller ships
	1863	Confederate David seriously damages USS New Ironsides with a spar torpedo off Charleston, South Carolina.
06 October	1779	HMS Quebec (32), Cptn. George Farmer (Killed in Action), engaged French frigate La Surveillante (40), off Ushant, but her sails caught fire and she blew up. Accompanying cutter HMS Rambler (10), Lt. George, engaged a French cutter Expedition but it bore away with Rambler too shattered to follow.
07 October	1711	HMS Feversham (32), Cptn. Robert Paston, wrecked off Cape Breton
	1769	HMS Endeavour, Lt. James Cook, arrived at New Zealand.
	1795	Off Cape St.-Vincent the HMS Fortitude (74), HMS Bedford (74), Cptn. Augustus Montgomery, HMS Lutine, HMS Tisiphone and Censeur (jury-rigged and armed en flute), with their convoy sighted a large French squadron, which sailed in chase. In the subsequent exchange the Censeur was recaptured by the French along with 30 ships of the convoy, the rest continuing their passage to England.
	1807	Boats of HMS Porcupine (22), Cptn. Hon. Henry Duncan, cut out Italian gunboat Safo, Ensign Antonio Ghega, from tthe harbour of Zupaino, Adriatic.
	1864	USS Washusett captures Confederate raider CSS Florida in harbor of Bahia, Brazil.
08 October	1746	HMS Weazle (16), Cdr. Hugh Palliser, off Beachy Head, in a short time captured four French privateers including Jeanie (6). Antoine Colloit, and Fortune (10), John Gilliere.
	1800	HMS Gipsy (10), Lt. Coryndon Boger, captured armed sloop Quid pro Quo (8), Mons. Tourpie off the northern end of Guadeloupe. HMS Diligence (16), Charles Hodgson Ross, wrecked on the Honda Bank near Havana.
	1808	HMS Modeste (36), Cptn. Hon. George Elliot, captured French corvette Jena (18)
	1812	HMS Avenger Sloop (18), Urry Johnson, wrecked in the narrows of St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland.
	1842	Commodore Lawrence Kearny in USS Constitution addresses a letter to the Viceroy of China, urging that American merchants in China be granted the same treaty privileges as the British. His negotiations are successful.
09 October	1715	HMS Jamaica (14) wrecked on Grand Cayman
	1799	HMS Lutine (32) wrecked on the banks between Terschelling and Vlieland, coast of Holland, with a cargo of gold, silver bars and money. After the accident, many attempts were made to recover her valuable cargo, sometimes with success. In total, some 120 gold and 60 silver bars are known to be salvaged. The Lutine was insured, causing Lloyd's a lot of financial problems to pay the damage and her recovered bell is still sounded by Lloyds to announce shipwrecks .
	1800	HMS Galgo (14) [renamed Chance], George Samuel Stovin, upset in a squall in lat. 21° long. 61° west and foundered.
	1803	HMS Atalante (16), J. O. Masefield, drove three French vessels ashore at the mouth of the Pennerf.
	1804	HMS Albacore, Major Jacob Henniker, located 5 luggers armed as gunvessels anchored on a lee shore under cover of a battery near Cape Gris Nez de Flamanville. The enemy vessels were driven ashore and broke up under the heavy surf.
	1812	Boat party under Lt. Jesse D. Elliott captures HMS Detroit (6) and HMS Caledonia in Niagara River. Both vessels were subsequently burnt.
	1813	HMS Thunder bomb, W. O. Pell, captured the French lugger Neptune (16) off the Ower's Light.
10 October	1707	Convoy and escort, under Commodore Edwards, was intercepted by two French squadrons, under the Count de Forbin and Du Guai Trouin, off the Lizard. HMS Cumberland (80), HMS Ruby (48) and HMS Chester (48), Capt. John Balchen, were captured. HMS Devonshire (80), Cptn. Watkins, caught fire and blew up.
	1770	HMS Endeavour, Lt. James Cook, arrived at Batavia.
	1775	Continental Navy schooner Hannah (4), Nicolson Broughton, engages HM sloop Nautilus (16) near Beverly, Massachusetts
	1781	HMS Charon (44), Cptn. Thomas Symonds, HMS Guadaloupe (28), HMS Fowey (24), Cptn. Peter Aplin, HMS Vulcan fireship, and some transports, were burnt in the Chesapeake before Yorktown by hot shot from the American batteries. They would otherwise have been captured.
	1795	HMS Mermaid (32), Cptn. Warre, captured Brutus (10), Requiem Bay, Grenada
	1796	HMS Malabar (54), Cptn. Parr, foundered coming home from West Indies.
	1799	HMS Jupiter (50) engaged Prencuse.
	1812	HMS Sentinel Gun-boat (12), Lt. William Elletson King, wrecked North-east end of the Island of Rugen, Baltic.
11 October	1746	HMS Nottingham (60), Cptn. Philip Saumarez, took French ship Mars (64) off Cape Clear.
	1765	HMS Lapwing (10) lost
	1776	Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, New York. American fleet of 15 ships, under Benedict Arnold, defeated by British fleet of approx. 30 vessels.
	1780	HMS Laurel (28), HMS Andromeda (28), Cptn. Henry Brine, swept ashore at Martinique and HMS Deal Castle (24), Cptn. James Hawkins, and HMS Endeavour (14) also foundered in the West Indies.13 Royal Navy ships foundered in the great hurricane over 8 days.
	1781	HMS Firebrand fireship (16) blew up off Falmouth
	1782	Gibraltar relieved by Lord Howe.
	1797	Battle of Camperdown. British under fleet Adam Duncan defeat Dutch fleet under Jan Willem de Winter
	1808	HMS Greyhound (32), Hon. W. Pakenham, wrecked on the coast of Lemonia.
	1811	HMS Imperieuse (38), Capt, Hon. Henry Duncan, silenced a strong fort near Positano in the Gulf of Salerno and sank a gunboat. 2 other gunboats sheltering below the fort were taken..
	1814	Boats of HMS Endymion (50) Cptn. Henry Hope, repulsed trying to take American brigantine privateer Prince de Neufchatel off Nantucket .
	1828	HMS Jasper Sloop (10) , L. C. Rooke, grounded in running for Harbour of St. Maura.
12 October	1702	The Battle of Vigo Bay. An Anglo-Dutch fleet, under Sir George Rooke, captured or destroyed a French fleet, under Admiral Chateau-Renault, together with Spanish treasure galleons and transports, under Manuel de Valesco, in Vigo bay.
	1793	Boats of HMS Captain (74), Cptn. Reeve, and HMS Speedy (14), Charles Cunningham, found French frigate Imperieuse (40) at Porta Especia. She scuttled herself but was raised and taken into the Royal Navy
	1798	Battle of Tory Island. British squadron, under Sir John Borlase Warren, defeats a French invasion squadron, under Commodore Jean-Baptiste Francois Bompart, of ship-of-the-line Hoche and 8 frigates off Donegal, Ireland.
	1799	HMS Trincomalee (16), Lt. John Rowe, engaged Iphigenie (24) in the Persian Gulf. They fought at close quarters for 20 minutes when both vessels suddenly blew up.
	1800	HMS Urchin gunvessel, Lt. Thomas Pearson Croasdaile, foundered in Tetuan Bay while under tow by HMS Hector
	1806	HMS Constance (22), Cptn. Alexander Saunderson Burrows (Killed in Action), HMS Sheldrake (16), John Thicknesse, HMS Strenuous (14), Lt. John Nugent, and HMS Britannia cutter, Lt. Smith, took frigate La Salamandre (26) anchored close to the rocks off Erquy and covered by a battery of guns on the cliffs. Constance and the prize had both taken the ground and, in spite of the heavy fire from the shore, great efforts were made to get them off, but without success. The prize was set on fire but, although she was left completely wrecked on the rocks, the French later recovered and repaired Constance.
	1813	Island of St. George taken and Cattaro blockaded by HMS Bacchante (38), Cptn. William Hoste, HMS Saracen (18), Cptn. John Harper and 2 Sicilian gunboats
13 October	1775	The Continental Congress at Philidelphia resolves to build armed ships. Recognized as the date of the official establishment of the US Navy
	1796	HMS Terpsichore (32), Cptn. Richard Bowen, captured Spanish frigate Mahonesa (34), Cptn. Don Tomas Ayaldi, off Carthagena.
	1798	HMS Jason (38), Charles Stirling, wrecked on unknown rock near Brest.
	1804	HMS Firebrand fireship, William Maclean, wrecked off Dover.
	1805	HMS Jason (32), Cptn. P. William Champain, captured French national corvette Naiade (20), Lt. Hamond, in the Atlantic west of Barbados. Jason also took a Spanish schooner, Three Schooners, the same day.
	1813	HMS Telegraph (14), Cdr. Timothy Scriven, engaged Filbustier (22), Lt. Daniels, in the mouth of the Adour until her crew escaped ashore after setting her on fire. Attempts to save her did not succeed.
14 October	1747	The Second Battle of Cape Finisterre. A British fleet of 14 ships of the line, under Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Hawke, intercepted a French convoy protected by eight French ships of the line, under Admiral Desherbiers de l'Etenduère. It was a decisive British victory.
	1761	HMS Griffon (28) lost off Bermuda
	1782	HMS London (98) and HMS Torbay (74) and HMS Badger (14) chased French warships, Scipion (74) and Sibylle (40) off San Domingo. Scipion was engaged but London's tiller rope was shot away which gave Scipion time to escape although she eventually struck a rock whilst anchoring in Samana Bay and sank.
	1795	HMS Melampus (36) and HMS Latona (38) engaged batteries at Groix. HMS Mermaid (32), Cptn. Warre, captured Republicaine (18), Requiem Bay, Grenada
	1803	HMS Racoon (16), Austin Bissell, captured gun-brig Petite Fille, Amelie (4) and Jeune Adele (6) near Cumberland Harbour in Cuba.
	1810	HMS Briseis (10), George Bentham, captured French privateer Sans Souci (14) in North Sea.
	1811	HMS Pomone (38), Cptn. Robert Barrie, with Sir Hartford Jones on board, wrecked on the Needles. The master was severely reprimanded for not taking accurate bearings of Hurst lighthouse.
	1813	Capture of battery and 16 vessels at Marinelo, east of Civita Vecchia, by HMS Furieuse (38), Capt. William Mounsey.
15 October	1711	HMS Edgar (70), Cptn. George Paddon, blew up at Spithead after an accidental fire.
	1779	HMS Charon (44), Cptn. Luttrel, HMS Lowestoffe (32), Cptn. Christopher Parker (2), HMS Pomona (28), HMS Porcupine (24) and other small craft surprised fortress of San Fernando de Omoa in Honduras which during 4 day campaign was taken with 2 Spanish treasure ships. The treasure found in the fort and on board two treasure ships was worth some two million dollars.
	1795	HMS Melampus (36), Cptn. Sir Richard John Strachan, and HMS Latona (38), Cptn. the Honourable Arthur Kaye Legge, engaged French frigates Tortue (40) and Néréide (36) off Rochefort. HMS Thunderer (74), Cptn. Albermarle Bertie, HMS Pomone (40), Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren and HMS Concorde (36), Cptn. Anthony Hunt, took French brig-corvette Eveillé (16) off Isle d'Yeu
16 October	1798	HMS Mermaid (32), Cptn. Newman, and HMS Kangaroo (16), Edward Brace, engaged Loire (46).
	1799	Boats of HMS Echo (16) cut out American built French letter of marque Buonaparte (12), Enseigne de Vaisseau Pierre Martin, from Lagnadille at the north-west of Puerto Rico.
	1807	HMS Pert (16), Donald Campbell, wrecked off Santa Margarita.
	1815	Napoleon Buonaparte was landed on St. Helena where he remained under the watchful eye of the Royal Navy until his death on 6 May 1821.
17 October	1747	Squadron of 4 British privateer frigates, under Commodore George Walker, King George, Prince Frederick, Princess Amelia and Duke engaged Spanish Glorioso (70) near Cape St. Vincent. They were later reinforced by HMS Dartmouth (50), Cptn. John Hamilton, which caught fire and blew up, and HMS Russell (92) before Cptn. don Pedro Messia de la Cerda surrendered.
	1799	HMS Ethalion (38), Cptn J. Young, captured Spanish frigate Thetis (36), Don Juan de Mendoza, from Vera Cruz with specie valued at 1,411,256 dollars.
	1807	HMS Firefly schooner, Lt. Thomas Price, foundered in a hurricane off Curacao.
	1809	HMS Pelorus (18), Capt. Huskisson, and HMS Hazard (16), Hugh Cameron, were blockading Point-a-Petre when they observed a privateer schooner moored under the battery of St. Mary, Guadeloupe. Pelorus destroyed the battery and their boats boarded and blew up the schooner.
18 October	1760	HMS Lively (20), Cptn. Hon. Frederic Maitland, took Valeur (20) off Cuba. HMS Boreas (28), Cptn. Samuel Uvedale, takes La Sirene (32)
	1775	Capt. Henry Mowat RN, leading a four ship flotilla (HMS Canso, HMS Symmetry, HMS Spitfire, and HMS Halifax), commenced naval bombardment of Falmouth, Massachusetts (site of modern day Portland, Maine).
	1798	HMS Anson (38), Cptn Durham, and HMS Kangaroo (16), Edward Brace, captured Loire (46).
	1799	HMS Triton (32), Cptn. John Gore, HMS Naiad (38) and HMS Alcemene (32), Cptn. H. Digy, captured Santa Brigida (36), Don Antonio Pillon, from Vera Cruz with specie valued at 1,400,000 dollars. HMS Impregnable (98), Cptn. Jonathan Faulknor, wrecked after striking on Chichester Shoals of Portsmouth.
	1806	HMS Caroline (36), Cptn. Peter Rainier, captured Dutch frigate Maria-Riggersbergen (36), Captain Jager, off the coast of Java.
	1812	USS Wasp (18), Master Commandant Jacob Jones, captures HMS Frolic (18), Cptn. Thomas Whinyates,off the coast of Virginia. HMS Poictiers (74), Cptn. Sir J. P. Beresford, captured USS Wasp (18), Master Commandant Jacob Jones, and re-captured Frolic.
19 October	1810	Start of campaign to capture Lle de France by HMS Illustrious (74), Cptn. William Robert Broughton, and consorts.
	1811	Cptn. George Ralph Collier, HMS Surveillante (36), and a party of marines, in conjunction with a party of guerillas under Pastor, attacked the battery of Mundaca, put the enemy to flight, blew up the fortifications, and carried off all the stores. Boats of HMS Imperieuse (38), Cptn, Hon. Henry Duncan, and HMS Thames (32), Cptn. Charles Napier, took 10 polacres at Palinuro, Calabria.
	1843	Cptn. Robert Stockton in USS Princeton, the first screw propelled naval steamer, challenges British merchant ship Great Western to a race off New York, which Princeton won.
20 October	1744	HMS Bonetta (14), HMS Greenwich (54), Cptn. Edward Allen, HMS St. Albans (54), HMS Thunder bomb (8) and HMS Lark hulk (42) foundered off Jamaica during hurricane.
	1778	HMS Jupiter (50), Cptn. Francis Reynolds, and HMS Medea (28), Capt. James Montagu, engaged a French ship of the line Triton in the Bay of Biscay.
	1793	HMS Crescent (36), Cptn. James Saumarez, engaged French frigate Reunion with a cutter, Esperance (14) in company. Reunion was taken but Esperance escaped into Cherbourg.
	1798	HMS Fisgard (44) captured Immorlalite.
	1799	HMS Cerberus (32) engaged five Spanish frigates.
	1806	HMS Athenienne (64), Cptn. Robert Raynsford, wrecked on the Esquerques, off Sicily.
	1808	21 Danish gunboats, under Cptn. Johan C. Krieger, attacks a British convoy in the southern part of the Sound. The convoy consisting of 137 ships is escorted by HMS Africa (64), Cptn. John Barrett, HMS Thunder bomb, James Caulfield, and 2 brigs. Due to lack of wind Africa could not manouvere and was severely damaged.
	1813	HMS Achates (16), Isaac Morrison, engaged Trave off Cape Finisterre.
	1824	U.S. Schooner Porpoise captures four pirate ships off Cuba.
	1827	Battle of Navarino. A combined Turkish and Egyptian armada, under Ibrahim Pasha, was destroyed by an allied British, French, and Russian naval force, under Edward Codrington
21 October	1757	Action off Cape Francois. HMS Augusta (60), Commodore. Arthur Forrest, HMS Edinburgh (64) and HMS Dreadnought (60), Cptn. Maurice Suckling, intercept, off Cape Francois, a French convoy bound for Europe with an escort, under de Kersaint, of Intrepide (74), Sceptre (74), Opineatre (64), L'Outarde (44), Greenwich (50), Savage (30) and Unicorn (30).
	1762	George Rodney promoted Vice-Admiral.
	1794	HMS Artois (38), Cptn. Sir Edmund Nagle, captured Revolutionnaire (44), Henri-Alexandre Thèvenard, off Ushant, supported by HMS Arethusa (38), Cptn. Sir Edward Pellew, HMS Diamond (38), Cptn. Sir William Sidney Smith, and HMS Galatea (32), Cptn. Richard Goodwin Keats, .
	1797	Launching of USS Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts.
	1805	Battle of Trafalgar/Death of Nelson. Nelson defeats combined Franco-Spanish fleet under Admiral Villeneuve
	1806	Boats of HMS Renommee (44), Cptn. Sir Thomas Livingstone, at Colon, Majorca.
	1807	16 Danish ships-of-the-line, 15 frigates and corvettes, 14 smaller vessels, together with 92 merchant ships, loaded with naval equipment, leaves Copenhagen, flying the British flag, following the capitulation to the British forces on 6 September.
	1811	HMS Grouper Brig (4), James Atkins, wrecked off Guadaloupe.
22 October	1793	HMS Agamemnon (64), Cptn. Horatio Nelson, met 5 French frigates and engaged Melpomene (40) before withdrawing.
	1794	HMS Centurion (50), Cptn. Osborn, and HMS Diomede (44) engaged and driven off from blockading Mauritius by French squadron Prudente (36), Cybèle (40), Jean Bart (20) and Courier (14).
	1805	Trafalgar prizes Berwick (74) and Fougueux (74) wrecked or foundered in a storm after the battle.
	1813	HMS Laurestinus (22) wrecked in the West Indies
23 October	1707	Squadron, under Admiral Sir Clowdsley Shovell, HMS Association (90), Cptn. Edmund Loades (1st. captain) and Cptn. Samuel Whitaker, HMS Eagle (70), Cptn. John Leake, HMS Romney (54), Cptn. William Coney, and HMS Firebrand fireship (8), wrecked on the Scilly Islands.
	1762	HMS Brune (32), Cptn. Tobyn, took French frigate Oiseau (26), Chevalier de Mode, off Cartagena.
	1777	HMS Augusta (64) and the sloop HMS Merlin, Cdr. Samuel Reeve, took the ground, while attacking American Fort Mifflin, Delaware. Augusta accidentally caught fire and blew up and Merlin was also set on fire and abandoned.
	1790	William Bligh court martialled for loss of HMS Bounty.
	1804	HMS Conflict (12), Lt. Charles Cutts Ormsby, lost in engagement off Ostend.
	1805	Trafalgar prizes Santisima Trinidad (136), Rayo (100), Bucentaure (80), Neptuno (80), L'Aigle (74), Redoutable (74) and San Francisco de Asis (74) wrecked or foundered in a storm after the battle.
	1813	HMS Andromache (38), Capt. G. Tobin, captured French frigate Trave (44)
24 October	1744	HMS Colchester (50), Cptn. Frederick Cornwall, after striking the sands between Long Sand and Kentish Knock on 21 October.
	1779	HMS Proserpine (28) took Alemene.
	1793	HMS Thames (32) engaged Uranie, Cptn. Jean-François Tartu (Killed in Action).
	1796	HMS Santa Margaritta (36), Cptn. Thomas Byam Martin, captured French privateer Buonaparte (16)
	1798	HMS Sirius (36), Cptn. Richard King, captured Dutch Furie (36) and Waakzamheid (26) in the Texel
	1799	HMS Orpheus (32), Cptn. William Hills, captured Dutch-India company ships Zeelast (22) and Zeevraght (22) off Togolanda
	1804	HMS Conflict Gun-boat (12) Lt. Charles Cutts Ormsby, went aground while engaging an enemy at night, near Newport, Isle of Wight. The crew could not get her off and abandoned her but by the time HMS Griffin came up she had been captured by the French.
	1805	Trafalgar prize Indomptable (80) wrecked and Intrépide (74) blown up deliberately after the battle.
	1806	Start of 3 day engagement of HMS Pitt (12), Lt. Michael Fitton, which captured French privateer Superbe (14), Cptn. Dominique Diron, off Baracoa.
	1808	The Danish fortress at Christiansoe, under Cdr. Kohl, beats off an attack by a British squadron of 2 ships-of-the-line and 6 frigates.
	1816	HMS Comus (22), Cptn. James John Bremer, struck a reef off St. Shotts.Newfoundland.
25 October	1747	Second Battle of Cape Finisterre. 14 British ships of the line under by Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Hawke intercepted a French convoy protected by 8 French ships of the line commanded by Admiral Desherbiers de l'Etenduère.
	1796	HMS Santa Margaritta (36), Cptn. Thomas Byam Martin, captured Vengeur (18).
	1797	HMS Indefatigable (44), Sir Edward Pellew, captured privateer Hyene (24).
	1799	Boats of HMS Surprise (24), Cptn. Edward Hamilton, cut out from Porto Cavallo Hermione (32) which had been handed over to the Spanish by her mutinous crew at La Guira on 22 September 1797. HMS Amaranthe (14) wrecked off Florida
	1801	HMS Bonetta (18), Thomas New, wrecked on a shoal east of the Jardines, Cuba. Mr Goarman, 2nd Lt. and officer of the watch, was found guilty of causing the loss by sleeping on watch and for disobeying Capt. New's orders. He was dismissed from the service for ever, lost all his pay and was imprisoned for two years in the Marshalsea.
	1804	HMS Georgiana Gun-boat, Lt. Joshua Kneeshaw, grounded on a sand-bank on an ebb tide near Harfleur. She was burnt to avoid capture.
	1807	Boats of HMS Herald (20), G. M. Hony, cut out French privateer Caesar (4) anchored under the fortress at Otranto
	1810	HMS Calliope (10), John M'Kerlie, captured French privateer Comtesse d'Hambourg (14) off the Dogger Bank
	1812	USS United States (52), Cptn. Stephen Decatur, captures HMS Macedonian (38), Cptn. John Surman Carden, about 1,000 miles west of the Canary Islands
26 October	1781	HMS Hannibal (50) took Neckar.
	1788	HMS Bounty, Cptn. William Bligh, arrived at Matavai Bay at Tahiti.
	1803	Boats of HMS Osprey (18), George Younghusband, captured French schooner La Ressource (4) off Trinidad
	1807	HMS Subtle (8), Lt. William Dowers, wrecked off Bermuda
	1808	Crane Brig (4), Lt. Joseph Tindale, wrecked running on a rock to the W. of the Hoe, Plymouth. HMS Banterer (22), Cptn. Alexander Shippard, ran aground St. Lawrence River, Quebec
27 October	1728	James Cook born
	1800	Boats of HMS Phaeton (38), Sir James Nicoll Morris,cut out San Josef (8) from Fuengirola
	1803	HMS Merlin (16), Edward Pelham Brenton, and boats destroyed French privateer Sept Freres, Citizen Pollet, by driving her ashore to the west of Gravelines.
	1810	HMS Orestes (16), John Richards Lapenotiere, took French privateer Loup Garou (16), Charles Laurent Faures, some 120 miles west of Scilly
	1864	Lt. William Cushing, USN, sinks Confederate ram Albemarle with a spar torpedo attached to the bow of his launch.
28 October	1798	British squadron, under James Saumarez, of HMS Caesar (80), Cptn. Rodham Home, HMS Terrible (74) Sir Richard Bickerton and HMS Melpomene (38), Cptn. Sir Charles Hamilton, engaged four French frigates under Commodore Daniel Savary.
	1801	HMS Sir Thomas Paisley (16), Lt. Wooldridge, captured Spanish privateer El Virgine Del Rosario (10) off Cape de Gat
	1824	USS Wildcat lost in a gale between Cuba and Thompson's Island
	1864	Steamer General Thomas and gunboat Stone River destroy Confederate batteries on Tennessee River near Decatur, Alabama.
29 October	1704	Birth of John Byng
	1799	Boats of HMS Tigre (80), Cptn. Sir William Sydney Smith, engaged off Damietta, mouth of the Nile.
	1814	Launching of Fulton I , first American steam powered warship
30 October	1706	HMS Nassau (80) wrecked of Sussex coast
	1775	Congress authorizes four vessels for the defense of the United Colonies.
31 October	1745	Squadron under Rear Admiral Isaac Townsend took great part of a large French convoy off Martinique.
	1762	HMS Panther (60), Cptn. Hyde Parker, and HMS Argo, (28) Cptn. Richard King, took Galleon Saintissima Trinidada off the Phillipines.
	1780	HMS Ontario (22) sinks in Lake Ontario (found intact almost 230 years later)
	1793	HMS Quebec (32) and consorts attacked Ostend and Nieuport.
	1803	HMS Admiral Mitchell (12), Lt. Alexander Shippard, drove ashore a French gun-brig, and one vessel from the convoy he was escorting, under the battery at Patel.
	1808	HMS Circe (32), Cptn. Hugh Pigott, captured La Palinure (16), Lt. Fourniers, off Diamond Rock, Martinique
	1860	Thomas Cochrane died
September : November

*Dates of events prior to September 1752 may be quoted differently in some countries as both the Julian and Gregorian calendars were in use by countries. Calendars were regularised when Britain passed the Calendar Act of 1751 An Act for Regulating the Commencement of the Year; and for Correcting the Calendar now in Use.

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