½ Penny Hampshire - Portsmouth / Admiral Jervis

Reverse

Fleet of ships under sail, legend and dates in exergue.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
CAPE ST. VINCENT
Feby _ 14
1797

Edge

Plain with inscription.

Lettering: A VALENTINE PRESENTED TO SPAIN BY ADML. JERVIS

Comment

Portsmouth was and still is the headquarters of the British naval fleet. 1797 was an eventful year and two of the Royal Navy's greatest victories were achieved in this year: St. Vincent in February and Camperdown in October. Yet between these two dates the navy passed through a serious crisis of fleet mutinies at Spithead and The Nore. 1797 also saw the rise to fame of Horatio Nelson, whose dramatic action at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent secured victory. At the battle Admiral Sir John Jervis (later Earl St. Vincent) led a squadron of 15 sail against a numerically far superior Spanish fleet. He fell on them off the southern coast of Portugal as they were running for Cadiz and divided their line into two parts. From his flagship, HMS Victory he ordered his ships to tack in succession and prevent the gap from being closed. Nelson, last but two in the line, saw that this manoeuvre would not be completed in time and made a quick decision to turn his ship, HMS Captain into the gap. He took on seven Spanish ships, including the Santissima Trinidad, the largest ship in the world and two other ships, the San Nicolas and San Josef. Through a hail of pistol and musket fire he led boarding parties onto both and captured both. By nightfall four ships had been taken and ten others crippled. Admiral Jervis was generous in his praise of Nelson who was knighted (KB). Commodore Nelson was to fly his flag as Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson - the promotion had been approved before the battle but Nelson did not hear of it until after St. Vincent.

Interesting fact