The action of 3 May 1810 was a naval engagement in the Bay of Naples between a Royal Navy frigate captained by Jahleel Brenton and a French squadron of eleven warships.

[1] They pursued a French squadron, consisting of the 42-gun frigate Ceres, 28-gun corvette Fame, 8-gun brig Sparviere and the 10-gun cutter Achilles.

The French managed to take shelter in the harbour of Naples, and Captain Brenton of the Spartan, realising they would never come out while the two British ships were there, ordered Success to a point south-west of Capri.

After a hard-fought action in which Brenton was wounded badly, the Spartan succeeded in boarding and capturing the brig Sparviere and caused severe damage to the other ships.

[2][3] The Spartan, having lost only ten killed and twenty-two wounded, stood in triumphantly with her prize to the Mole of Naples, where Joachim Murat had watched the fight.