A Spanish naval victory off Guadeloupe that exposed Drake's plans and enabled Spain to reinforce San Juan, defeating the English expedition.
Key Facts
- Date
- 8 November 1595
- Spanish force
- 5 frigates
- English force
- 9 ships (rear of Drake's fleet)
- English ship captured
- Francis
- Spanish reinforcements sent to San Juan
- 500 soldiers
- Conflict context
- Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Anglo-Spanish War, Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins, and Sir Thomas Baskerville led an English military expedition against Spanish possessions in the Caribbean. Five Spanish frigates under Don Pedro Tello de Guzmán and Don Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio were deployed to intercept the English fleet near Guadeloupe Island.
On 8 November 1595, the Spanish flotilla of five frigates engaged the rear squadron of nine English ships off Guadalupe Island in the Caribbean Sea. The English ship Francis was captured and the remaining English vessels fled, delivering a clear Spanish victory and revealing Drake's strategic plans to the Spanish commanders.
Armed with knowledge of Drake's intentions, the Spanish flotilla sailed to San Juan, arriving on 13 November and reinforcing the town with 500 soldiers, supplies, and artillery positions covering the bay's entrance. When Drake's fleet attacked on 22 November, the fortified defenses repelled the English assault, resulting in a second consecutive Spanish victory.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Don Pedro Tello de Guzmán, Don Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio.
Side B
1 belligerent
Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Thomas Baskerville.