page:  = Raid on Manila ( 1798 ) = 
   
   The Raid on Manila of January 1798 was a Royal Navy false flag military operation during the French Revolutionary Wars intended to scout the strength of the defences of Manila , capital of the Spanish Philippines , capture a Manila galleon and assess the condition of the Spanish Navy squadron maintained in the port . Spain had transformed from an ally of Great Britain in the War of the First Coalition into an enemy in 1796 . Thus the presence of a powerful Spanish squadron at Manila posed a threat to the China Fleet , an annual convoy of East <unk> merchant ships from <unk> in Qing Dynasty China to Britain , which was of vital economic importance to Britain . So severe was this threat that a major invasion of the Spanish Philippines had been planned from British India during 1797 , but had been called off following the Treaty of <unk> <unk> in Europe and the possibility of a major war in India between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore . 
   To ensure the safety of the merchant ships gathering at <unk> in the winter of 1797 – 98 , the British commander in the East Indies , Rear @-@ Admiral Peter <unk> , sent a convoy to China escorted by the frigates HMS <unk> and HMS Fox and commanded by Captain Edward Cooke . After completing his mission Cooke decided to investigate the state of readiness of Spanish forces in Manila himself . He was also intrigued by reports that a ship carrying treasure was due to sail from Manila , which would make a valuable prize . <unk> in <unk> and accompanied by Captain Pulteney Malcolm in Fox , Cooke reached the Spanish capital on 13 January 1798 . 
   <unk> in Manila Bay , Cooke pretended that his ships were French vessels and successfully lured successive <unk> of Spanish officials aboard , taking them prisoner in turn . Once he had determined from his captives the state of defences in Manila , that the treasure ship had been <unk> at <unk> and that the Spanish squadron was undergoing extensive repairs and thus unavailable for operations , he sent a raiding party against a squadron of gunboats in the mouth of the <unk> River . <unk> the gunboats in a bloodless attack , Cooke then released his prisoners and sailed southwards , unsuccessfully assaulting <unk> before returning to <unk> . 
   
   = = Background = = 
   
   In 1796 , after three years of the French Revolutionary Wars , Spain and the French Republic signed the Treaty of San <unk> . The secret terms of this treaty required Spain to renounce its alliance with Great Britain and subsequently to declare war on its former ally . In the East Indies this shift of political allegiance meant that the dominant British forces in the region were faced with the threat of attack from the Spanish Philippines to the east . Britain dominated the East Indies in 1796 , controlling the trade routes through the Indian Ocean from the ports of Bombay , Madras and Calcutta . Dutch Ceylon , the Dutch Cape Colony and parts of the Dutch East Indies had been captured in 1795 , and the French presence in the region had been confined to Île de France and a few subsidiary islands in the Western Indian Ocean . 
   Some of the most important trade routes began at <unk> and <unk> in Qing Dynasty China . Early in each year a large convoy known as the " China Fleet " , composed of large East <unk> merchant ships in the employ of the British East India Company , sailed <unk> to Europe from <unk> laden with tea and other commercial cargo . This convoy was economically significant to Britain : one convoy in 1804 was valued at over £ 8 million ( the equivalent of £ 600 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 as of 2016 ) . In January 1797 the convoy had been attacked by the French squadron in the East Indies , comprising six frigates commanded by <unk> @-@ <unk> Pierre César Charles de <unk> . In the ensuing <unk> Strait Incident the commander deceived <unk> into believing that the <unk> convoy contained disguised ships of the line and the French admiral retreated , only learning of his error on his return to Île de France . There was considerable concern in India that <unk> might try again in 1798 , or that the Spanish , who maintained a powerful squadron at <unk> , might make an attempt of their own . 
   <unk> 's initial impulse on learning in November 1796 of the impending declaration of war between Britain and Spain was to draw up plans for a major invasion of the Philippines , centred on Manila in repetition of the successful British capture of Manila in <unk> . Co @-@ operating with the Governor @-@ General of India Sir John Shore and Colonel Arthur <unk> among others , a substantial naval and military forces were earmarked for the operation which was in the advance planning stages , when unexpected news arrived in India in August 1797 announcing the Treaty of <unk> <unk> which brought the War of the First Coalition to an end . Britain now faced France and Spain alone , while <unk> from the Tipu Sultan of the Kingdom of Mysore , an old opponent of Britain in Southern India , were seeking French assistance with a renewed outbreak of hostilities . The resources planned for the operation against Manila were therefore retained in India and the operation cancelled , but the protection of the China Fleet was still essential and <unk> diverted some of his squadron eastwards to China . 
   A number of merchant ships had gathered at Bombay in the spring of 1797 in preparation for the trip to <unk> to load trade goods and join the China Fleet . To escort this force , <unk> provided the 40 @-@ gun frigate HMS <unk> , captured from the French at the Battle of <unk> in 1794 , and the 50 @-@ gun HMS Centurion , which sailed with the convoy in July , taking passage through the Straits of <unk> , joined there by the ships of the line HMS <unk> and HMS <unk> and the 32 @-@ gun frigate HMS Fox under Captain Pulteney Malcolm for the final voyage to <unk> . The convoy arrived without incident on 13 December 1797 , although the crews had been substantially weakened by tropical illnesses . 
   
   = = Cooke 's raids = = 
   
   
   = = = Reconnaissance of <unk> = = = 
   
   With his convoy safely at anchor in <unk> and the China Fleet several weeks from sailing , Cooke decided to reconnoitre Manila and make observations on the port and the Spanish squadron based there . As an added motivation , rumours in <unk> suggested that the annual Manila galleon was due to arrive . This ship brought up to two million Spanish silver dollars from Acapulco across the Pacific Ocean stopping at Guam on its way to Manila . <unk> its dollars in the Philippines , the ship then loaded trade goods from the East Indies for the return journey to New Spain . This round trip was essential to the maintenance of the Spanish Empire in the East Indies , which operated at an enormous financial loss only <unk> by the substantial subsidy from New Spain . Spanish dollars were the accepted currency across most of the East Indies , and disruption of this financial system could have profound effects on regional trade ; but British sailors had nevertheless been attacking the Manila <unk> since Thomas <unk> in <unk> . 
   Leaving the heavier warships at <unk> , Cooke sailed on 5 January 1798 only with <unk> and Fox , the latter carrying a Mr. Bernard , an experienced linguist . Passing Luzon , Cooke 's ships encountered a small Spanish merchant vessel , which was lured towards the frigates , which were flying French <unk> . <unk> the Spanish vessel , Cooke closely questioned the captain and learned that most of the Spanish squadron in Manila were undergoing extensive repairs at <unk> and were unfit to sail . Cooke rewarded the captain by releasing his vessel with its cargo intact , although he did remove 3 @,@ 900 silver dollars . The Spanish squadron had suffered badly in a typhoon in April 1797 and much of the damage had still not been repaired by the time Cooke 's small squadron arrived off Manila . Cooke had taken precautions to disguise his ships as French vessels , modelling <unk> on the powerful 40 @-@ gun Forte and Fox on the smaller <unk> . 
   
   = = = <unk> on <unk> = = = 
   
   Late in the afternoon of 13 January 1798 , <unk> and Fox arrived in Manila Bay , slipping <unk> past the fortress of <unk> and then sailing across the bay on the morning of 14 January , anchoring between Manila and <unk> . From his <unk> point Cooke could see the Spanish squadron dismasted and under repair in <unk> , the ships of the line San Pedro , Europa and <unk> and the frigates Maria de la <unk> and <unk> in dock and unfit for action . To Cooke 's disappointment he could also see the Manila galleon , <unk> being <unk> at the <unk> docks and another valuable merchant ship Rey Carlos aground in the harbour . The Spanish had learned only shortly before Cooke 's arrival that the British frigate HMS Resistance under Captain Edward <unk> was in Philippine waters and had decided to remove the valuable cargo from the treasure ship rather than risk an attack . 
   Fox was the first British ship into the anchorage , and was consequently approached by the <unk> , whose crew came aboard . Malcolm , like Cooke , spoke French <unk> and with Bernard translating was able to persuade the officer in charge that the new <unk> were Forte and <unk> seeking supplies and Spanish reinforcements for commerce raiding operations . The officer offered supplies but cautioned that none of the Spanish ships would be in a position to sail until March at the earliest . Cooke then joined the party on the deck of Fox , claiming to be Commodore <unk> , a French officer who , unknown to the Spanish , had been killed in the Action of 9 September 1796 off Sumatra . The Spanish officer was now completely convinced by the <unk> , which had been augmented by fake French uniforms . <unk> the visitor below decks , Cooke then passed wine around and together they drank a series of <unk> , including " the downfall of England " . 
   For an hour the officers drank , Malcolm and Cooke learning detailed information about the state of the defences and squadron in the Philippines , until a second boat pulled alongside Fox containing more officers keen to <unk> the French <unk> . This vessel was the personal barge of the Spanish commander at <unk> , Rear @-@ Admiral Don <unk> María de <unk> , who was not aboard , but who sent a message via an aide in a third boat . Each time , the officers were escorted below to join the festivities whereupon their crews were seized at <unk> and taken below decks as prisoners of war . In Malcolm 's cabin , the captured officers were informed of their situation , promised release before the British frigates sailed , and offered more wine . The crew of Fox meanwhile forced the captured Spanish sailors to strip and <unk> their clothing . <unk> into the Spanish boats this party rowed for the mouth of the nearby <unk> River , where they had learned that three heavy gunboats were moored . Taking the crews by surprise , the British boarding parties drove off the Spanish without a fight and brought all three boats alongside Fox . These vessels normally carried crews of thirty and were well @-@ armed , one with a 32 @-@ pounder long gun and two with 24 @-@ pounder long guns , each supplemented by four <unk> guns . 
   The harbour captain reached Fox shortly afterwards , furious at the seizure of the gunboats and demanding they be returned . Malcolm received him with a <unk> of near incomprehensible French and brought him to join the other captured officers in his cabin , while the boat 's crew were imprisoned below decks . Shortly afterwards , at 16 : 00 , Cooke and Malcolm hosted a large dinner for their officer captives and sent food and <unk> to the crew , the total number of Spanish sailors on Fox now numbering approximately 200 . Once the meal was finished , Cooke allowed all of the captives to return to their boats and row for shore without the conditions of parole , although he retained the captured gunboats . 
   
   = = = <unk> = = = 
   
   Cooke led his small squadron past <unk> on 15 January and turned south . Four days later in a storm one of the gunboats broke its tow line and was never seen again , lost with its twelve crew . The frigates subsequently scouted <unk> before reaching <unk> on 22 January . There Cooke raised Spanish colours in an attempt to <unk> the authorities into supplying food and water to his squadron but <unk> grounded on a <unk> at the entrance to the port which raised the suspicions of a <unk> sent by the governor of <unk> , <unk> <unk> . The captain of the Spanish boat asked the British ships the names of their captains , and on receiving no answer but a volley of rifle fire , he put the town on alert . With the defenders <unk> , Cooke abandoned his <unk> and after <unk> <unk> the following morning , ordered a bombardment of the fort protecting the harbour . This had little effect , though later the Spanish recovered at least 450 <unk> from different <unk> , and Malcolm then attempted an amphibious landing in order to storm the <unk> side of the fort . The boats came under heavy fire , one smashed by a <unk> , killing two and wounding four . Another boat grounded on a <unk> and became stuck ; so with his force in <unk> , as 250 villagers armed with lances ambushed and drove the British from the beach , Malcolm called off the operation . After exchanging shot for an hour both frigates cut their anchor cables and retreated out of range , with two dead and one wounded on <unk> and eight wounded on Fox , in addition to those lost in the boats . The defenders lost a single man killed and 4 wounded . 
   With his frigates now requiring repairs , Cooke withdraw half a league from <unk> and spent three days <unk> the masts and rigging of the ships . Then he sailed north , scuttling the two remaining gunboats as he did not believe they would survive the return journey to <unk> . Four days later , on 27 January the squadron halted at a village named " <unk> " in the north of the Sultanate of <unk> to collect fresh water . On the beach a boat party from <unk> was set upon by <unk> tribesmen . Two were killed and nine others taken captive and dragged into the forest before rescuers could arrive . Cooke complained to Sultan <unk> <unk> at <unk> <unk> and the captured sailors were eventually recovered , although not before <unk> and Fox had sailed for China to escort the merchant convoy back to India . 
   
   = = Aftermath = = 
   
   Cooke 's opportunistic diversion had determined that the Spanish forces in the Philippines posed no immediate threat , although the mission had cost 18 lives : Admiral <unk> later expressed his satisfaction with the outcome in a letter to the Admiralty . More might have been achieved with reinforcements : Historian C. <unk> Parkinson suggests that had Cooke 's squadron united with Resistance together they may have been able to destroy the disarmed Spanish warships at <unk> . He also notes however that in this scenario <unk> would have been commanding officer , a man with considerably less imagination and <unk> than Cooke . Historian Richard <unk> was critical of the mission , considering the operation to have " no glorious outcome " and citing the failure to capture the treasure ships as its greatest short @-@ coming . 
   The 1798 China Fleet sailed without further incident . During the ensuing year Resistance was destroyed by an accidental explosion in July in the <unk> Strait , and the majority of <unk> 's forces were focused on disrupting the French occupation of Suez in the Red Sea . This diversion of British resources created gaps in the coverage in merchant shipping and <unk> was able to send the frigate <unk> and <unk> <unk> @-@ <unk> to Manila late in the year to join the repaired Spanish squadron . At the beginning of February <unk> , this combined force sailed to <unk> , taking the British defences by surprise . The British commander Captain William <unk> <unk> , advancing on the Franco @-@ Spanish force which retreated during the day and disappeared under cover of darkness that evening in the <unk> Archipelago . The combined squadron then dispersed and the China Fleet was not attacked again until the Battle of <unk> <unk> in 1804 , at which a French squadron was again driven off in confusion . The frigates Cooke had mimicked , Forte and <unk> were sent to operate independently against British trade in the Indian Ocean in early <unk> . <unk> was captured by HMS <unk> at the Action of 9 February <unk> near Southern Africa , and Forte was intercepted by HMS <unk> under Cooke on 28 February near <unk> in Bengal . In the ensuing battle Forte was captured but Cooke mortally wounded , dying on 25 May . 
   
   