BAHAMA ship-of-the-line 1784

[shipstamps]

Built in 1784 at the Astillero Real at (the yard has gone a long time ago, and the Soviet-built on this site the Puerto Pesquero (fishing port) in Havana, Cuba as a third-rate ship of the line of three decks for the Spanish Navy.
She was built under the name SAN CRISTOBAL but soon changed to BAHAMA. She was one of the San Ildefonso class.
Tonnage 1.772 ton (bm) dim. 175.5 x 48ft.
Armament 74 guns.

1797 She was in the Spanish Mediterranean fleet under command of Admiral Don Jose de Cordova, when on 5 Feb. 1797 the fleet passed Gibraltar to join a French fleet to invade Ireland, The BAHAMA and two other ships of the line were ordered to escort a number of gunboats and transports into Algeciras.
When leaving port on 10 February she spotted the British frigate HMS MINERVA (38 guns) with Commodore Horatio Nelson on board, and gave chase. Nelson managed to outrun the BAHAMA and brought news of the sighting the Spanish fleet to Admiral Sir John Jervis.
The following day the two fleets met in a fog at the Battle of Cape Saint Vincent. Although Admiral Cordova lost four ships out of 27 to the British that day, many ships were not engaged at all. The BAHAMA, late in arriving back with the fleet that afternoon, only slightly participated in the battle.
At the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, the BAHAMA was under command of Dionisio Alcalá Galiano, with a crew of 690 men. She was in the rear squadron of the fleet. She first attacked the British HMS BELLEROPHON (74 guns) by raking her with a few forwards guns from a point nearly astern. She was aided in the attack by another Spanish ship the MONARCA (74 guns) and a French one, the L’AIGLE (74 guns).
The result was that soon the BELLEROPHON lost her main and mizzen top-mast, which quickly caught fire from her own guns. Fortunately for the BELLEROPHON, the British HMS COLOSSUS (74 guns) came up and diverted the BAHAMA’s attention by directing a deadly fire into her. Reduced to a wreck from broadsides from this new and unexpected enemy, the BAHAMA still fought on until her guns were silenced and she was boarded and taken possession of. During the battle her Commander Galiano was killed together with 100 of his men, 150 were wounded.
To the BAHAMA’s credit the COLOSSUS had the most killed and wounded of any ship in the British fleet that day.
The BAHAMA was taken into the Royal Navy, but due to her damaged condition she was converted into a prison hulk in 1806.
She remained as such until December1814 when she was broken up at Chatham.

Cuba 1996 10c sg4073, scott ?.

Source: mostly copied from Ships on Stamps CD-Rom. Ships of the Royal Navy by J.J. Colledge.
Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy by John D Harborn.

[hindle]

Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (1760-1805) was a Spanish naval officer and hydrographer. A native of Cabra (Córdoba), he became a midshipman in 1775.

In 1784, he began working in the service of Vincente Tofiňo. In 1785, he participated in the expedition of Antonio de Cordoba to the Straits of Magellan aboard the frigate Santa Maria de la Cabeza. In 1788, he was occupied with the cartography of the Azores.

He joined the expedition of Alessandro Malaspina in1789,

He was then sent to survey the waterways around Vancouver Island with Cayetano Valdes (The Juan de Fuca Straits had been reported as being a navigable route to the Atlantic.)

Having carried out his survey, he argued against the existence of a passage.

He proposed a topographical atlas of Spain, but Malaspina had become involved in a political scandal and his associates were tarred with the same brush, so it came to nothing.

1798-98 Defended Cádiz against the English blockade.

As captain of the Bahama, he brought back Princess Maria Luisa de Parma from Naples to Barcelona.

On his return to Naples, took command of the Soledad, in 1804.

Source: Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800 by Raymond John Howgego, published by Hordern House, ISBN 1-875567-36-4. Some of the wording copied verbatim with the author’s kind permission.

[hindle]

Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (1760-1805)

Spanish naval officer and hydrographer. A native of Cabra (Córdoba), he became a midshipman in 1775.

In 1784, he began working in the service of Vincente Tofiňo. In 1785, he participated in the expedition of Antonio de Cordoba to the Straits of Magellan aboard the frigate Santa Maria de la Cabeza. In 1788, he was occupied with the cartography of the Azores.

He joined the expedition of Alessandro Malaspina in1789,

He was then sent to survey the waterways around Vancouver Island with Cayetano Valdes (The Juan de Fuca Straits had been reported as being a navigable route to the Atlantic.)

Having carried out his survey, he argued against the existence of a passage.

He proposed a topographical atlas of Spain, but Malaspina had become involved in a political scandal and his associates were tarred with the same brush, so it came to nothing.

1798-98 Defended Cádiz against the English blockade.

As captain of the Bahama, he brought back Princess Maria Luisa de Parma from Naples to Barcelona.

On his return to Naples, took command of the Soledad, in 1804.

Source: Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800 by Raymond John Howgego, published by Hordern House, ISBN 1-875567-36-4. Some of the wording copied verbatim with the author’s kind permission.

[aukepalmhof]

The Cuba stamp which has disappeared