Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797)

The Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was an amphibious assault by the Royal Navy on the Spanish port city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Launched by Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson on 22 July 1797, the assault was defeated, and on 25 July the remains of the landing party withdrew under a truce, having lost several hundred men. Nelson himself had been wounded in the arm, which was subsequently partially amputated: a stigma that he carried to his grave as a constant reminder of his failure.

For other battles in the same place, see Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Part of the War of the First Coalition

The British Attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Oil on canvas, 1848.
Date22–25 July 1797
Location
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
28°28′N 16°15′W
Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
 Great Britain  Spain
Commanders and leaders
Horatio Nelson (WIA) Antonio Gutiérrez de Otero y Santayana
Strength
  • 4,000 regulars and sailors
  • 3 ships of the line
  • 1 fourth rate
  • 3 frigates
  • 1 cutter
  • 1 bomb-vessel
  • 400 guns
  • 1,700 regulars, militia, and sailors
  • 91 guns
Casualties and losses
  • 250 dead
  • 128 wounded
  • approx. 300 captured
  • 1 cutter sunk
  • 30 dead
  • 40 wounded
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.