Capture of Bahia The city of Salvador da Bahia on the coast of Brazil was captured by the Dutch in 1624 , as part of the " Groot Desseyn " plan of the Dutch West India Company . Although the Dutch intentions were reported to the Spanish , no counter - action was taken . Prelude . On December 22 , 1623 , a Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral Jacob Willekens and Vice Admiral Pieter Heyn and consisting of 35 ships , sailed from Texel carrying 6 , 500 men . 13 were owned by the United Provinces , while the rest belonged to the WIC ; these vessels were en route to Cape Verde , where they arrived after being scattered by a storm . There Willekens revealed his objective , which was the capture of the city of Salvador da Bahia . The Dutch plans to invade Brazil were soon reported by Spanish spies in the Netherlands to the court of Madrid , but Count - Duke of Olivares did not give them credit . On May 8 the Dutch fleet appeared off Salvador . The main objective of the expedition was the capture of the port to use it as a commercial base to ensure Dutch trade with the East Indies . In addition , they would control much of the sugar production in the region , as Salvador was a major center for the substance . The Portuguese governor of Salvador , Diogo de Mendonça Furtado , tried to organize the defense of the town with 3 , 000 men who had been hastily recruited as a mostly Portuguese militia from peasant levees and black slaves , all of them resentful of Spanish rule . The port was protected by the sea and two forts : Fort Santo António in the east and Fort São Filipe in the west . Additionally , a six - gun battery was erected on the beach and the streets were barricaded . Capture . The Dutch fleet entered the bay divided into two squadrons . One sailed towards the beach of Santo António and disembarked soldiers commanded by Colonel Johan van Dorth . The other anchored off the town and opened fire on the coastal defenses , which were quickly neutralized . At dawn the city was surrounded by more than 1 , 000 Dutch soldiers with two pieces of artillery . Intimidated , the Portuguese militia threw their weapons away and fled , leaving Mendonça with 60 loyal soldiers . Salvador had been captured at a cost of 50 casualties among the attackers . Willekens and Heyn installed a garrison under the command of Dorth before departing on new missions , according to the orders they had received . Four ships were sent back to Holland carrying booty and news , and also instructions to call for reinforcements to secure Salvador . The defenses of the city were reinforced and expanded with moat s and rampart s and the garrison was soon increased to 2 , 500 men with numerous Portuguese slaves seduced by promises of freedom and land . Aftermath . However , the Dutch garrison soon began to be harassed by the local guerrillas , led by Bishop Dom Marcos Teixeira , who had escaped inland . He managed to assemble a force of 1 , 400 Portuguese and 250 Indian auxiliaries . They built fortifications and organized ambushes against the Dutch in woodland . Dorth himself was killed in an attempt to drive off the attackers from the outskirts and morale sagged . He was replaced by Albert Schoutens , who also perished in another ambush , being replaced by his brother Willem . The Portuguese would return the next year and recapture the post .