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The Cutting out of the Hermione, or Capture of Hermione, was a naval action that took place at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela on 25 October 1799. The formerly British frigate HMS ''Hermione'', which had been handed over to the Spanish by its crew following a vicious mutiny, lay in the heavily guarded sea port of Puerto Cabello now under the command of Don Ramon de Chalas. A British frigate, , was sent under Edward Hamilton to recapture ''Hermione''. In naval terms this was called a ''cutting out operation''—a boarding attack by small boats, preferably at night and against an unsuspecting and anchored target. This had become a popular tactic during the later 18th century.〔 ==Background== The ''HMS Hermione'' was a frigate of the Royal Navy, commanded by Captain Hugh Pigot. In September 1797 a number of the crew had risen up against the tyrannical Pigot and had murdered him and nine other officers, throwing their bodies overboard. Fearing retribution for their actions, the mutineers had sailed the ''HMS Hermione'' to the Spanish port of La Guaira, and handed her over to the Spanish. The mutineers claimed they had set the officers adrift in a small boat, as had happened in the mutiny on the ''Bounty'' some eight years earlier. The Spaniards took ''HMS Hermione'' into service under the name ''Santa Cecilia'' where she remained for two years at La Guaira. Her crew which included 25 of her former crew, remained under Spanish guard.〔 Meanwhile, news of the fate of ''HMS Hermione'' reached Admiral Sir Hyde Parker when HMS ''Diligence'' captured a Spanish schooner. Parker wrote to the governor of La Guaira, demanding the return of the ship and the surrender of the mutineers but the Governor only moved the ship to Puerto Cabello. Meanwhile Parker dispatched under Captain Henry Ricketts to commence negotiations.〔 Parker also set up a system of informers and posted rewards that eventually led to the capture of 33 of the mutineers. News eventually reached Parker that the ''Santa Cecilia'' had been sighted in Puerto Cabello, and ordered ''HMS Surprise'' to intercept her, should she attempt to put to sea. Edward Hamilton decided that the honour of the Royal Navy depended on the recovery of the ship, and was determined to retake her. Anchoring near the port he devised a plan to cut her out of the harbour, and asked for a boat and an extra 20 men from Parker. Parker declared the scheme too risky, and refused to send the men, but Hamilton went ahead anyway. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cutting out of the Hermione」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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