Battle of St George's Cay
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:41 pm
The Battle of St George's Cay, fought in the Bay of Honduras 150 years ago, was surely one of the‑most remarkable engagements in the varied annals of the Royal Navy.
When it became known, in August, 1798, that the Spaniards were preparing for an amphibious descent upon the British settlement at Belize, the only King's ship on the station was the 16‑gun sloop‑ofwar MERLIN (Capt. John Ralph Moss) Supporting her, however, were several auxiliary vessels, which had been fitted up as gun‑boats and manned partly with naval ratings and merchant seamen. They were the TOWZER, TICKLER and MERMAID, with the armed schooners SWINGER and TEAZER and 8 gun‑flats, with a complement of 254 officers and men, all told.
The force which the Spaniards had massed for the attack consisted of about 20 armed schooners and sloops, together with ten or eleven transports carrying some two thousand troops under the command of Field‑Marshal Arthur O'Neil. On September 3rd the enemy attempted, unsuccessfully, to force a passage over the Montego Cay shoal, but were forced to withdraw. Further attempts were made on the 4th and 5th respectively which proved equally futile, owing to the admirable and steady gunnery of the British ships.
"Having no doubt that the next efforts of the Spaniards would be against St. George's Cay, from which they might easily go down to Belize, only nine miles distant, and there destroy the town and harass the inhabitants" says James' Naval History of Great Britain, "Capt. Moss, in the night of the 5th weighed and worked up to the Cay by noon of the following day. Twelve of the heaviest Spanish vessels were then under weigh for the purpose of making the attempt, but on seeing the MERLIN and the flotilla of gun‑boats so near, the former hauled to the wind and returned to their former anchorage between Long City and Cay Chapel.
"The Spaniards continued working and anchoring among the shoals at a distance of four or five miles from the British, until the 10th, when at about one o'clock in the afternoon, the nine sail armed sloops and schooners, each with a launch astern, full of armed men, bore down through the channel that led to the MERLIN. Five smaller vessels, also with troops aboard, were at anchor to windward, at a distance of about a mile and a half and the remainder of the Spanish flotilla lay at Long Cay spit, as if awaiting the issue of the contest.
The Spaniards approached in line‑abreast, using both sails and oars, and on arriving within long‑gun shot, dropped anchor. It seemed to be their intention to board the TOWZER and TICKLER, which vessels lay much nearer to them than the bulk of the flotilla. Capt. Moss, at half past one, made the signal to engage. The British immediately opened an animated and apparently destructive fire, which was returned by the Spaniards, and the cannonade lasted two hours and a half.
At the end of that time the Spaniards, in evident confusion, cut their cables and sailed and rowed off, assisted by a number of launches which took in tow the greater part of their vessels.
Not a man was hurt on the part of the British, but the Spaniards from the hasty manner of their retreat appear not to have been so fortunate. Owing to the shoal water the MERLIN was unable to follow the Spanish vessels and the remainder of the British flotilla, without her support, would have been no match for them. The whole therefore effected their escape.
The Spaniards remained under Cay Chapel until the night of the 15th when they moved off with a light Southerly wind. Nor did the Spaniards again venture to attack the British possessions in Honduras Bay.
The designs of the stamps issued to celebrate the sesquicentenary of this notable event in British history would appear, at first glance, to have been copied from contemporary prints. Such, we are assured, however, is not the case, both being modern composographs. The view of St. George's Cay is compounded from a pencil sketch, supplemented by an aerial photograph, for details.
The illustration of the stoop MERLIN was drawn to specifications supplied by the Admiralty, there being no authentic picture of the vessel itself extant.
The set of 1949 British Honduras stamps consist of six denominations, of which only three present a picture of. HMS MERLIN. They are:‑
SG 169. 5c. Dark Brown & Deep Blue. SG170. 10c. Green & Red‑Brown. SGI7I. 15c. Emerald & Ultramarine. The Remainder of the set:‑ SG166.1 cent Ultramarine & Green. SG167. 3 cent Blue & Yellow‑Brown and SG168. 4 cent Olive & Violet depict the Island of St Georges Cay.
Taken from the files of the late Ernest Argyle.
When it became known, in August, 1798, that the Spaniards were preparing for an amphibious descent upon the British settlement at Belize, the only King's ship on the station was the 16‑gun sloop‑ofwar MERLIN (Capt. John Ralph Moss) Supporting her, however, were several auxiliary vessels, which had been fitted up as gun‑boats and manned partly with naval ratings and merchant seamen. They were the TOWZER, TICKLER and MERMAID, with the armed schooners SWINGER and TEAZER and 8 gun‑flats, with a complement of 254 officers and men, all told.
The force which the Spaniards had massed for the attack consisted of about 20 armed schooners and sloops, together with ten or eleven transports carrying some two thousand troops under the command of Field‑Marshal Arthur O'Neil. On September 3rd the enemy attempted, unsuccessfully, to force a passage over the Montego Cay shoal, but were forced to withdraw. Further attempts were made on the 4th and 5th respectively which proved equally futile, owing to the admirable and steady gunnery of the British ships.
"Having no doubt that the next efforts of the Spaniards would be against St. George's Cay, from which they might easily go down to Belize, only nine miles distant, and there destroy the town and harass the inhabitants" says James' Naval History of Great Britain, "Capt. Moss, in the night of the 5th weighed and worked up to the Cay by noon of the following day. Twelve of the heaviest Spanish vessels were then under weigh for the purpose of making the attempt, but on seeing the MERLIN and the flotilla of gun‑boats so near, the former hauled to the wind and returned to their former anchorage between Long City and Cay Chapel.
"The Spaniards continued working and anchoring among the shoals at a distance of four or five miles from the British, until the 10th, when at about one o'clock in the afternoon, the nine sail armed sloops and schooners, each with a launch astern, full of armed men, bore down through the channel that led to the MERLIN. Five smaller vessels, also with troops aboard, were at anchor to windward, at a distance of about a mile and a half and the remainder of the Spanish flotilla lay at Long Cay spit, as if awaiting the issue of the contest.
The Spaniards approached in line‑abreast, using both sails and oars, and on arriving within long‑gun shot, dropped anchor. It seemed to be their intention to board the TOWZER and TICKLER, which vessels lay much nearer to them than the bulk of the flotilla. Capt. Moss, at half past one, made the signal to engage. The British immediately opened an animated and apparently destructive fire, which was returned by the Spaniards, and the cannonade lasted two hours and a half.
At the end of that time the Spaniards, in evident confusion, cut their cables and sailed and rowed off, assisted by a number of launches which took in tow the greater part of their vessels.
Not a man was hurt on the part of the British, but the Spaniards from the hasty manner of their retreat appear not to have been so fortunate. Owing to the shoal water the MERLIN was unable to follow the Spanish vessels and the remainder of the British flotilla, without her support, would have been no match for them. The whole therefore effected their escape.
The Spaniards remained under Cay Chapel until the night of the 15th when they moved off with a light Southerly wind. Nor did the Spaniards again venture to attack the British possessions in Honduras Bay.
The designs of the stamps issued to celebrate the sesquicentenary of this notable event in British history would appear, at first glance, to have been copied from contemporary prints. Such, we are assured, however, is not the case, both being modern composographs. The view of St. George's Cay is compounded from a pencil sketch, supplemented by an aerial photograph, for details.
The illustration of the stoop MERLIN was drawn to specifications supplied by the Admiralty, there being no authentic picture of the vessel itself extant.
The set of 1949 British Honduras stamps consist of six denominations, of which only three present a picture of. HMS MERLIN. They are:‑
SG 169. 5c. Dark Brown & Deep Blue. SG170. 10c. Green & Red‑Brown. SGI7I. 15c. Emerald & Ultramarine. The Remainder of the set:‑ SG166.1 cent Ultramarine & Green. SG167. 3 cent Blue & Yellow‑Brown and SG168. 4 cent Olive & Violet depict the Island of St Georges Cay.
Taken from the files of the late Ernest Argyle.