Action of 6 May 1801 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 Torris and the much smaller 14 - gun brig under the command of Thomas , Lord Cochrane . " El Gamo " was subsequently captured . The skirmish is notable for the large disparity between the size and firepower of the " El Gamo " and " Speedy " : the former was around four times the size , had 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 . Background . In March 1800 Commander Lord Cochrane took command of " Speedy " ; he had been operating in the Mediterranean and had fought many actions from its base in Port Mahon in Menorca . " Speedy " was cruising off Barcelona at dawn on 6 May 1801 when a large enemy frigate was sighted . The frigate , a xebec - rigged vessel named " Gamo " , commanded by Don Francisco de Torris and carrying 319 men , was armed with 8 - and 12 - pounder guns , with 24 - pounder carronade s . This amounted to a total broadside of 190 pounds , more than seven times that of " Speedy " . Furthermore , Cochrane had only 54 men on board " Speedy " , having men away as prize crews . Battle . Instead of evading the Spanish frigate , Cochrane closed on her , and at 9 . 30 am " Gamo " fired a gun and hoisted Spanish colours . In return Cochrane hoisted American colours . The Spanish hesitated , allowing Cochrane to get closer , hoist British colours , and evade the first broadside . " Gamo " fired another , which Cochrane again evaded , holding fire until " Speedy " ran alongside her and locked her yards in her rigging . " Gamo " attempted to fire upon her smaller opponent , but her guns were mounted too high and could not be depressed sufficiently , causing their shot to pass through " Speedy " s sails and rigging . Cochrane then opened fire with his 4 - pounders double - and treble - shotted , their shots passing up through the sides and decks , the first broadside killing the Spanish captain and boatswain . Seeing their disadvantage the Spanish second - in - command assembled a boarding party , at which Cochrane drew off , pounded their massed ranks with shot and musket fire , before drawing in close again . After having their attempts to board frustrated three times , the Spanish returned to their guns . Cochrane then decided to board the " Gamo " , and assembled his entire crew into two parties , leaving only the ship ' s doctor to command and crew " Speedy " . The British then rushed the " Gamo " , boarding from bow and waist , the boarders at the bow had their faces blackened to look like pirates . The Spanish faltered at this , and were then set - upon by the party that had boarded from the waist . There was a hard - fought battle between the two crews , until Cochrane called down to the doctor , at the time the only person on " Speedy " , ordering him to send the rest of the men over . At the same time he ordered the Spanish colours to be torn down . Thinking that their officers had surrendered the ship , the remaining Spanish seamen stopped fighting . Aftermath . The British had lost three men killed and nine wounded , while the Spanish had lost fourteen killed and forty - one wounded with the rest captured ; a total casualty list exceeding " Speedy " s entire complement . The British then secured the Spanish prisoners below deck and made their way back to Port Mahon , Menorca . Finding that he had been beaten by such an inferior foe , the Spanish second - in - command asked Cochrane for a certificate assuring him that he had done all he could to defend his ship . Cochrane obliged , with the equivocal wording that he had ' conducted himself like a true Spaniard ' . " El Gamo " was subsequently sold to the ruler of Algiers as a merchantman .