Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797)
The First Sea Lord thought that the ease of Jervis' victory over José de Córdoba y Ramos guaranteed a successful attack on that southern harbour.With a clear advantage in the harbour's shallow waters, these vessels manoeuvred in the darkness and savaged Jervis' heavy ships of the line, striking at their vulnerable areas with impunity.[2] Coastal batteries opened fire, joined by Spanish warships anchored at harbour, and drove the attackers back, causing the British to lose grip over the blockade and allowing several merchant convoys to slip in and out of the port.Encouraged by this success, Jervis dispatched a small squadron under recently promoted Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson with the aim of seizing Santa Cruz by means of an amphibious attack.From the city's soldiers, partisans, local hunters, militia, artillery, and sailors from the French gun-brig Mutine, which the British had captured in May while most of her crew was ashore, General Gutiérrez scraped together a force of 1,700 men.Nelson's plan called for a night-time landing under Troubridge: The frigates would approach the shore in stealth and disembark troops with a view to falling on the Spanish batteries north-east of the harbour.The first phase involved 1000 seamen and marines landing at Valleseco beach, some two miles north of Santa Cruz harbour, from where the troops would surround and capture Fort Paso Alto.In the clearness of the summer Canary night, citizens realised that blurry figures were sailing towards the pier: the British boats, carrying the troops, were on their way.Despite the Paso Alto castle firing on them, the contrary currents, and the lack of animals to carry the artillery, 1,000 British soldiers landed on Valleseco beach with some equipment.With the British thwarted in Valleseco, Gutiérrez guessed Nelson's next move and brought most of the artillerymen to the port batteries, leaving just 30 militia men in Paso Alto.The Spanish frigate San José, anchored 500 metres away from the pier, fired an alarm shot when sailors on board heard the disembarking troops getting closer.The admiral refused to use the frigate Seahorse that was stationed close by, to be taken back to his flagship, as it would imply that Captain Fremantle would have to hoist a flag of distress and thereby demoralise the crews.The batteries increased the cannonade when they noticed that almost half of the thousand British soldiers had managed to land on the Carnicerías beach and were attempting to slip into the city.Troubridge was aware of his desperate situation with no support from ships or more reinforcements coming to his aid, but sent a message to Gutierrez demanding the surrender of the San Jose or he would burn the town.In the meantime, the Spanish general ordered the fire on the besieged British to be increased while he brought more artillerymen to the batteries closer to La Consolación.In Santa Cruz, where the remains of the ruins of the Castle of San Cristóbal are located, the plaza has a small museum where the cannon that is reputed to have been the one that injured Nelson, El Tigre, is displayed.
Battle of Santa Cruz de TenerifeWar of the First CoalitionSanta Cruz de TenerifeCanary IslandsGreat BritainHoratio NelsonAntonio Gutiérrez de Otero y SantayanaAnglo-Spanish War(1796–1808)Gulf of CádizCape St. VincentConil de la FronteraCádiz1st CádizFerrol1st Cape Santa Maria2nd Cádiz2nd Cape Santa MariaCape FinisterreTrafalgar3rd Cádiz1st CartagenaMurciaMenorca2nd Cartagena1st GibraltarMajorca2nd Gibraltar3rd GibraltarBarcelonaAlgecirasOropesa del MarNewfoundlandTrinidadSan JuanSt. George's CayePuerto CabelloDiamond RockRío de la PlataCardalMontevideoColonia del SacramentoParaná DeltaMiserereHavanaEast IndiesManilaNaval campaigns, operations and battles of the French Revolutionary WarsSardiniaNymphe vs. CléopâtreEmbuscade vs. BostonToulon1st GenoaCrescent vs. RéunionGuernseyMay 1794UshantAlexanderDen HelderCroisière du Grand HiverGulf of Roses2nd GenoaApril 1795Cornwallis's RetreatHyèresLevant ConvoySaldanha BayIrelandDroits de l'HommeJean-RabelCamperdownMars vs. HerculeÎles Saint-MarcoufOstendDives RiverTory IslandCroisière de BruixMalta ConvoyDunkirkCopenhagenBoulogneamphibious assaultRoyal NavySpanishRear-AdmiralstigmaSpanish NavyAdmiralJohn JervisLisbonSantísima TrinidadAdmiraltyblockadeFirst Sea LordJosé de Córdoba y Ramoswere repelled by unexpected Spanish resistanceVice-AdmiralMazarredogunboatsyachtsconvoysmutinySpanish treasure convoysAmericafrigatesRear AdmiralamphibiousHMS TheseusCaptainMillerHMS CullodenTroubridgeHMS ZealousHMS SeahorseFremantleHMS EmeraldHMS Terpsichorehired armedcutterLieutenantHMS LeanderThompsonLieutenant GeneralMutinehowitzerscarronadesRichard Westall