The action of 14 September 1779 was a minor naval engagement that occurred on 14 September 1779, off the Azores between the Royal Navy frigate HMS Pearl under the command of George Montagu and the Spanish Navy frigate Santa Mónica under the command of Miguel de Nunes, with the Pearl capturing the Santa Mónica after a brief engagement.

[1][2] In September 1779, three years into the war, George Montagu set sail on his newly commissioned ship, HMS Pearl, on a cruise in the eastern fringes of the Atlantic Ocean.

After outmanoeuvring and raking the Santa Mónica twice, de Nunes decided to surrender his ship and struck his colours.

[1][2] In the aftermath of the Seven Years' War, Spain was forced to cede Florida[Note 1] and Menorca in the Treaty of Paris to the British, gaining back Havana and Manila in return.

The force dispatched consisted of a small squadron of warships under the command of Lieutenant-general Don Antonio de Ulloa.

With the Pearl bearing down on him, de Nunes readied his ship for battle, meeting the approaching British frigate with a broadside, commencing the action.

After de Nunes struck his colours, Montagu sent a prize crew on board the Santa Mónica to take possession of her.

The two frigates than sailed back to a British port, with the weather being calm enough that neither ship foundered due to the damage they suffered in the battle.

Santa Mónica was also of a significantly larger size than the Pearl, which was an unrealized advantage that de Nunes had during the engagement.

He later saw service again at the Glorious First of June, where his actions during the battle engendered controversy thanks to his refusal to heed orders given by the British commander, Earl Howe.