Her boilers being removed in 1968 to refit the damaged Veinticinco de Mayo (ex HMS Venerable, ex HMNLS Karel Doorman). At midnight, three vessels were sighted and at 2am on 7th April, two of the ships were identified as being Spanish frigates, heading north-north-west and sailing close together.

William Henry Houlden; rank/rating, Cook; age, 26; place of birth, Rockferry; previous ship, 1st Ship. A white ensign is flying from the stern and there is an open stern gallery with "Leviathan" on its port and starboard sides. When HMS Leviathan presented her full broadside, both Spanish ships hauled down their colours and surrendered. I lived alongside her on HMS Tracker, for almost the whole of 1957, storing HMS Victorious, she was never anything but an unfinished ship, nothing wrong with her keel either, just an Urban Legend. As an officer of the old school, Bob struggles to adapt to the values of the ‘New Model Navy’ — and after a series of clashes with his crew, suddenly things seem to be going from bad to worse.For her part, HMS Leviathan had not suffered any significant damage, despite the ferocity of her fight with the Amerique. His previous appointment had been the 74 gun 3rd rate ship HMS Canada, which had been part of the fleet mobilised for the Spanish Armaments Crisis. John Charles Simms; rank/rating, Ordinary Seaman; age, 17; place of birth, Liverpool; previous ship, Wallasey of Liverpool. James Oakey; rank/rating, Able Seaman; age, 37; place of birth, Kilkenny; previous ship, Seaworker of London. His next project, the 32 gun Pallas Class Frigate HMS Unicorn wasn't launched until after his death in 1793.

Thomas McGruley; rank/rating, Fireman; age, 22; place of birth, Dublin; previous ship, Mauritania of Liverpool. After 75 minutes of furious fighting, the vastly superior firepower of the French ship got the better of HMS Bellerophon and Pasley was forced to signal his inability to continue to Howe aboard HMS Queen Charlotte. The novel details the trials and tribulations of Commander Bob Markready who tries to inspire his sailors and airmen alike to get the warship back on track.Hoggan, Mumford and the other delegates proceeded to Spithead in a hired boat and joined in the negotiations, being held aboard HMS Queen Charlotte.