page_title: List of sieges
section_title: 18th century
hierarchical_section_title: List of sieges / Military sieges / Early modern / 18th century
caption_attribution_description: English: A depiction of an episode from the last major operation of the Seven Years War, 1756–63. It was part of the British offensive against Spain when the latter entered the war in support of France late in 1761. The British Government’s response was immediately to plan large offensive amphibious operations against Spanish overseas possessions, particularly Havana, the capital of the western dominions and Manila, the capital of the eastern. Havana needed large forces for its capture and early in 1762 ships and troops were dispatched under Admiral Sir George Pocock and General the Earl of Albemarle. The force which descended on Cuba consisted of 22 ships of the line, four 50-gun ships, three 40-gunners, a dozen frigates and a dozen sloops and bomb vessels. In addition there were troopships, storeships, and hospital ships. Pocock took this great fleet of about 180 sail through the dangerous Old Bahama Strait, from Jamaica, to take Havana by surprise. Havana, on Cuba's north coast, was guarded by the elevated Morro Castle which commanded both the entrance to its fine harbour, immediately to the west, and the town on the west side of the bay. Having landed troops and supplies in early June, 1762, a breach was finally made with mines in the north-east walls of Morro Castle. Here Serres shows a slightly later stage in the attack on the Morro Castle than in the companion picture in the series (see BHC0412). The red-coated troops, from the main siege camp to the left (east) of the castle are here shown are clearly seen marching in line across the narrow parapet of the transverse wall dividing the catsle's deep dry-ditch defence from the sea and storming up crumbling rampart into the castle. Over them, explosive mortar shells arc into the castle precinct, all set against a dramatically stormy, lowering sky. The defence of the Morro Castle was ably conducted by Don Luis de Velasco, a veteran Spanish naval officer, who was ordered to replace an ineffective army predecessor after news of the British landing arrived. He was seriously wounded in the final assault and died two days later. However, in recognition of his heroic defence, the head of his family in Spain was ennobled and it was decreed that 'Velasco' be the name of a ship in the Spanish navy.
context_page_description: A chronological list of sieges follows.
context_section_description: Siege of Riga (1700) – Great Northern War
  Siege of Tönning (1700) – Great Northern War
  Siege of Riga (1700) – Great Northern War
  Siege of Narva (1700) – Great Northern War
  Siege of Kaiserswerth (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Saint Donas (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Castiglione (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Landau (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Borgoforte (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Guastalla (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Venlo (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Stevensweert (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Roermond (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Nöteborg (1702) – Great Northern War
  Siege of Liége (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Rheinberg (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Hulst (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Trarbach (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of St. Augustine (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Andernach (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Governolo (1702) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Neubourg (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Kehl (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Bonn (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Thorn (1703) – Great Northern War
  Siege of Nago (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Arco (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Breisach (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Huy (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Limburg (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Landau (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Augsburg (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Guadeloupe (1703) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Castello de Vide (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Wagingera (1704)
  Siege of Barcelona (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Susa (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Portalegre (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Vercelli (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Rain (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Narva (1704) – Great Northern War
  Siege of Dorpat (1704) – Great Northern War
  Siege of Villingen (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Susa (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Fort Isabella (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Gibraltar (1704) – eleventh siege of Gibraltar, by Sir George Rooke's Anglo-Dutch fleet
  Siege of Ulm (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar (1704–05) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Ivree (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Landau (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Verrua (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Trarbach (1704) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Colonia del Sacramento (1704–1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of St. John's (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Valencia de Alcantara (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Albuquerque (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Huy (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Liège (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Second Siege of Huy (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Chivasso (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Mirandola (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Nice (1705–06) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Zoutleeuw (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Barcelona (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Hagenau (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Badajoz (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Zandvliet (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Diest (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of San Mateo (1705) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Alcantara (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Barcelona (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Hagenau (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1706) – War of the Spanish Succession
  
caption: The Capture of Havana, 1762: Storming of Morro Castle, 30 July by Dominic Serres, oil on canvas (1770–1775)
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