Gravina, Federico

Parents: father of Juan Gravina i Moncada, mother of Donja Leonor Napoli i Monteaporto.

He entered the service in the navy at the age of 12, with the rank of midshipman. He then served as midshipman on the frigate of Santa Clara in Brazil. The first experience in leading people in battle was during the assault on a fortress on the small Ascension Island (near Santa Catalina Island). In 1777, his frigate crashed. Midshipman Gravina is one of the few survivors.

In 1778 he returned to Spain, where he served as lieutenant on the coast guard ship, patrolling the Spanish coast from Algerian corsairs. In 1779, he received command of his first ship, the Shebek of San Luis . On this ship participated in the siege of Gibraltar. He distinguished himself in an expedition to the island of Menorca (at that time under the protectorate of the British), participated in the assault on the fortress of San Felipe. Made into captains. In 1785 he was appointed to lead a squadron defending Spain from Algerian corsairs.

In 1790, he received command of a ship of the first rank, Paolo . A diplomatic crisis erupted between Spain and Britain this year over the establishment of a protectorate over colonies on the Pacific coast of North America. Gravina was commissioned to form the largest fleet in 200 years of Spanish history. Gravina showed outstanding organizational skills, but the crisis was resolved through diplomatic means - Spain and Britain signed an allied treaty.

In 1793, Vice Admiral Gravina in Portsmouth studied British naval tactics. Spain is dragged into Britain by the war against revolutionary France. Gravina leads a squadron of four ships. Its flagship is Hermenegildo .

In 1796, Spain concluded an allied treaty with France, by which it declared war on Britain. In 1801, Admiral Gravina went on an expedition to the West Indies (Santo Domingo) and Haiti.

From 1804 to 1805 he served as the Spanish ambassador in Paris. Present at the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte. In February 1805 he was appointed commander of the Spanish Royal Navy. He returned to Cadiz, raised the standard on Argonauta .

By the power of diplomatic intrigues, Admiral Gravina, along with the entire Spanish navy, was subordinated to the French admiral Villeneuve , much inferior to him in his abilities, weak-willed and non-initiative. Napoleon was preparing a landing of 180 thousand soldiers on the British Isles, in connection with which Villeneuve took a trip to the Caribbean with the aim of luring the British fleet away from the English Channel. The trick failed, the British guessed the maneuver and did not allow themselves to be distracted from the protection of the strait. Villeneuve went back, but near Cape Finister, the combined Franco-Spanish squadron met the British squadron under the command of Admiral Sir Robert Calder. In this battle, only the Spaniards fought, losing two ships. The French evaded the battle.

Villeneuve settled in Cadiz and remained there until the end of October 1805, despite Napoleon's urging. He was forced to go to sea only by the threat of an approaching displacement. The last meeting before the release took place on October 19. Admiral Gravina strongly objected to going to sea.

Firstly, his crews were heavily understaffed due to the epidemic in Andalusia. In order to somehow fill the ships with people, Gravina ordered his officers to recruit all males between the ages of 14 and 45, indiscriminately, who could be captured in the streets, markets and taverns. It took time to train recruits naval skills.

Secondly, being in Cadiz, the combined squadron is in more favorable conditions in relation to the British fleet, under the protection of coastal batteries. English ships, trying to block the allies in Cadiz, will be at a very disadvantage.

And thirdly, the period of storms was approaching. On the day of the meeting, October 19, the barometer fell rapidly, indicating an approaching storm. However, Villeneuve objected that the fall of the barometer should not justify the fall of courage and union debt.

At the meeting, it was decided to break into the Mediterranean Sea to connect with the Mediterranean squadron. The squadron went to sea on October 20. Gravina was to command the vanguard. However, near Cape Trafalgar, shortly after the appearance of enemy ships, Villeneuve gave the command to turn around and return to Cadiz. As a result of this maneuver, the Allied system broke down, the vanguard became the rearguard and was permanently immobilized.

Opponents were not slow to take advantage of Villeneuve's mistake and cut the system of allies. Gravina showed great personal courage. In this battle, he lost the hand that the buckshot shattered. Despite the injury, Admiral Gravina continued to lead the battle. He ordered all the ships that survived after the battle to follow themselves in Cadiz.

October 22, Gravina, hiding the ships in the bay of Cadiz from the storm, quickly repairs them. October 23, he again displays the ships capable of moving into the sea in order to try to save the crews from the ships that lost their course and control. As a result of this sortie, St. Anne was recaptured.

Admiral Gravina was never able to recover from the wound received in this battle. He died on March 9, 1806, at the age of 49.

• Battle of trafalgar
• Gravina is an island (Alaska, USA) named after Federico Gravina.

• T. Clayton, F. Craig. People, the battle, the storm. Samizdat.
• Biographical Index. Frederico Carlos Gravina.