Battle of São Vicente | |||||||
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Part of the Anglo–Spanish War | |||||||
![]() Painting of the Bay of São Vicente by Benedito Calixto | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Andrés de Equino | Edward Fenton | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
3galleons |
2 galleons 1pinnace | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 galleon sunk 1 galleon heavily damaged[3] 36 killed and 100 wounded[4] | 8 killed and 20 wounded[5][6] |
The Battle of São Vicente was a minor naval engagement that took place off São Vicente, Portuguese Brazil on 3 February 1583 during the Anglo–Spanish War between three English ships (including two galleons), and three Spanish galleons.[2] The English under Edward Fenton on an expedition having failed to enter the Pacific, then attempted to trade off Portuguese Brazil but were intercepted by a detached Spanish squadron under Commodore Andrés de Equino[7] (a.k.a. Andres de Eguino[8] or Andrés Higino[9]).[10] After a moonlit battle briefly interrupted by a rainstorm the Spanish were defeated with one galleon sunk and another heavily damaged along with heavy losses.[6][11] Fenton then attempted to resume trading but without success and thus returned to England.[12][13]
In June 1582 after a troublesome delay, an English expedition had set off to reach the South China Sea via the Cape of Good Hope on a voyage of exploration.[8] Their commander was Captain Edward Fenton with his 400-ton flagship galleon Leicester (ex-galleon Bear) under second-in-command Sir William Hawkins Jr (the nephew of Sir John Hawkins).[14] Following Fenton was the 300-ton vice-flagship Edward Bonaventure under Luke Warde; the 50-ton pinnace Elizabeth under Thomas Skevington and the 40-ton bark Francis under John Drake (Sir Francis Drake’s nephew).[8] The fleet's chaplain Richard Madox recorded the events of the voyage in a diary.[11]
On 11 December 1582 Fenton arrived off Portuguese Brazil, the original plan having been changed with the hope of going through the Straits of Magellan instead of the Cape.[15] On 17 December, after having refreshed with victuals ashore the English sighted and then captured the 46-ton Spanish bark Nuestra Señora de Piedad.[16] The ship was bound from Brazil towards the River Plate with twenty one settlers under Francisco de Vera.[11] From the Spaniard they had learned of Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa's departure from Rio de Janeiro to fortify the Strait of Magellan.[14] Three days later the English released their prize and by the 31st were unsure of being able to win past Sarmiento's new settlement in the Strait.[15] Fenton after heated discussion with Hawkins reversed course the same evening, and headed north towards São Vicente hoping to do trade with the settlers there.[3] The same night a storm dispersed the ships resulting in the loss of John Drake's eighteen-man Francis, never to be seen or heard of again.[10]
On 30 January 1583 Fenton reached the bay of São Vicente with Leicester, Edward Bonaventure, and Elizabeth, and were in talks with the Portuguese residents of nearby Santos.[14] Trade was refused on the account that Spain would react to this as hostile as they were now in Union; Fenton then went on to São Vicente itself hoping for better fortune.[8]
On 3 February three Spanish galleons; the largest being the 500-ton San Juan Bautista, the 400-ton Santa María de Begona and the 300-ton Concepción, entered the bay of São Vicente.[5][7] They had been detached from the fleet of Diego Flores Valdez (Sarmiento's second-in-command) at Santa Catarina Island to return to Rio de Janeiro.[14] Led by Commodore Andrés de Equino, they had some of the sick and injured from the Spanish expedition.[4] They knew of the presence of the English ships by way having caught up with the Piedad that had been released by them.[14]
At 11 pm in the moonlight, Equino had cleared for battle, stood in and bore down upon the three English ships.[14] The English were surprised with many still on shore in the dark but as the Spanish approached, they placed and anchored themselves in seven fathoms of water just off a sandbar.[1] Spanish combat tactics during this time was an attempt to grapple and then board.[3] English tactics on the other hand was the heavy use of firepower to batter opponents into submission.[11]
The Leicester being the main ship that stood the nearest as they approached opened a heavy fire.[6] The Spanish ships were repelled and then tried to pass Leicester and move onto the next ship Edward Bonaventure.[11] They were again repelled with heavy fire from the English cannons.[5] The moonlit exchange continued with the English ships standing their ground and repelling the Spanish until about 4 am, when a rainstorm interrupted the battle.[14] The Spanish ceased fire and moved off to effect repairs, with the English doing the same and collecting the rest of the men onshore.[4]
Both sides had no idea what damage they had done to each other until dawn broke the next day; the English as a result of their firepower could then see that the Spanish ship Begonia had sunk[7] revealing only her masts in the shallow water.[5] This time in daylight at 10 am Equino's two galleons attacked but were repelled again by the anchored English ships.[1][6]
Finally the Spaniards with rising casualties and a lack of ammunition then broke off the fight, then stood out to sea before retreating down the Santos river.[5][10] Fenton's ships also running low on ammunition had been victorious and stayed put on the bar for the time being.[3][4]
The battle had only cost eight Englishmen killed and twenty injured and only moderate damage to their ships.[6][17] An Indian who went aboard the Leicester told Fenton that the Spanish who had landed at Santos further down had suffered heavily.[11] As well as Begonia sunk with the loss of 32 men killed,[7] the galleon Concepción was heavily damaged bringing the total to nearly a hundred dead and many more wounded.[3] The Indian also said that the Spanish had carried the casualties to the shore in three small boats a number of times.[4]
Fenton's ships stayed at São Vicente for only the rest of the day trying to at least do some trade but the Portuguese answer was the same as before.[16] Fenton fearing more Spanish ships then moved off to Espírito Santo where news of the battle had been received but with mixed feelings with the populace; trade was again refused.[18] Disappointed, Fenton realized that trade with the Portuguese here was at an end.[12] With supplies running low and quarrels with Hawkins decided to sail for England.[10] Spanish sources argue that even if defeated, de Equino's action was pivotal in Fenton's decision to withdraw.[7]
Warde's Edward Bonaventure got separated from its consorts on 8 February and sailed alone towards England.[14] After touching at Fernando de Noronha Island; Fenton then reached Salvador to refresh before returning to England.[6] Richard Maddox died on the 27th but his diary proved invaluable and is now preserved at the British Museum.[19]