Battle of Guaira

Battle of La Guaira

Engraving of the attack by the British fleet on La Guayra (1743)

Date	2 March 1743
Location	La Guaira, Viceroyalty of New Granada present-day Venezuela
Result	Spanish victory

Belligerents

Great Britain

Spain

Commanders and leaders

Charles Knowles
Chaloner Ogle

Strength

Land:
2,400
Sea:
8 ships of line
9 frigates, bomb vessels and fireships,
2 transports

1,000

Casualties and losses

Officially:
97 killed
308 wounded
Other estimations:
~600 killed
~1,300 total

300 killed or wounded

The Battle of La Guaira or La Guayra, took place on 2 March 1743 in the Caribbean, off the coast of La Guaira, present day Venezuela. La Guaira was a port of the Royal Gipuzkoan Company of Caracas, whose ships had rendered great assistance to the Spanish navy during War of Jenkins' Ear in carrying troops, arms, stores and ammunition from Spain to her colonies, and its destruction would be a severe blow both to the Company and the Spanish Government. A British expeditionary fleet under Sir Charles Knowles was defeated, and the expedition ended in failure. 400 men were killed and wounded, among whom was the captain of the Burford, and many of the ships were badly damaged or lost. Sir Charles was therefore unable to proceed to Puerto Cabello until he had refitted.

The British Admiralty had decided to prosecute the Ear Jenkins war against the Spanish settlements, though on a different scale from that of the great expeditions of 1741 and 1742.

Sir Chaloner Ogle, who had replaced Admiral Edward Vernon after the defeat at the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741, prepared an invasion of another important commercial port on the Spanish Main. Believing La Guaira to be not well defended, Sir Chaloner Ogle wanted to take advantage and attack. On 22 February 1743, Sir Charles Knowles sailed from the island of Antigua with 19 ships:

Knowles underestimated the defences of La Guaira, believing it to be less well defended than Cartagena de Indias had been. He arrived at La Tortuga island on 27 February. It is said that the Spaniards had two months warning of the attack recruited extra defenders and obtained gunpowder from the Dutchs. Whether this be true or not cannot definitely be stated.

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Wikipedia