page_title: Battle of São Vicente
section_title: Battle
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of São Vicente / Battle
context_page_description: The Battle of São Vicente was a minor naval engagement that took place off Sao Vicente, Portuguese Brazil on 3 February 1583 during the Anglo–Spanish War between three English ships, and three Spanish galleons. 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. 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. Fenton then attempted to resume trading but without success and thus returned to England.
context_section_description: 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. 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. Led by Commodore Andrés de Equino, they had some of the sick and injured from the Spanish expedition. They knew of the presence of the English ships by way having caught up with the Piedad that had been released by them.
  At 11 pm in the moonlight, Equino had cleared for battle, stood in and bore down upon the three English ships. 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. Spanish combat tactics during this time was an attempt to grapple and then board. English tactics on the other hand was the heavy use of firepower to batter opponents into submission.
  The Leicester being the main ship that stood the nearest as they approached opened a heavy fire. The Spanish ships were repelled and then tried to pass Leicester and move onto the next ship Edward Bonaventure. They were again repelled with heavy fire from the English cannons. 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. The Spanish ceased fire and moved off to effect repairs, with the English doing the same and collecting the rest of the men onshore.
  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 revealing only her masts in the shallow water. This time in daylight at 10 am Equino's two galleons attacked but were repelled again by the anchored English ships.
  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. Fenton's ships also running low on ammunition had been victorious and stayed put on the bar for the time being.
caption: A typical Spanish galleon
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