HMS Captain enters the story at Cape St Vincent, where Nelson used her in the capture of San Nicolás and San Josef. Her lower-deck 32-pounders and upper 18-pounders made her overwhelmingly powerful against a frigate or brig. Even Captain's quarterdeck battery could throw more weight than the small French brig Alerte's entire armament. The command attribution for June 1799 is less certain: Richard Strachan appears to have taken the ship sometime that year, while the preceding captain was absent for the action. Strachan is therefore the probable commander rather than a firmly dated appointment. The uncertainty shows how an incomplete command timeline can complicate reconstruction even when a ship's armament and role are well documented.
Notable Point · 1:08:40-1:11:00
HMS Captain's guns and uncertain commander in 1799
Captain had an immense gunnery advantage over Alerte, while surviving command dates identify Richard Strachan as the probable captain in the June 1799 chase.