British forces employed in the defence of Cadiz against the besieging French under Marshal Soult, attack French gunboats at Puerta de Santa Maria. HMS Aetna, Devastation and Thunder, with a division of Spanish, and two divisions of British gun-boats, bombarded Fort Catalina at the southern end of the Bay of Bulls, while mortar and howitzer boats threw about 100 shells into French gunboats in the Guadalete river by El Puerto de Santa Marķa.

Aetna, one of three bomb vessels involved in this action and a similar battle the following day, has an eventful career. She was at Copenhagen, Basque Roads, took part in the Walcheren campaign and the Potomac Campaign of 1814 where she blew up Fort Washington and her crew took the surrender of Alexandria, the bombardment of Fort McHenry and service in support of operations around New Orleans. Despite her small size she was one of the most active vessels in the Royal Navy during the period.