Attack of Robert Blake

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Historic sites · Year: 1657

The attack on the bay of Santa Cruz carried out in 1657 by an English fleet commanded by Robert Blake is one of the most important military events in the historical development of the city. As its coat of arms states, Santa Cruz considers itself "invincible", since, unlike other places in the Canary Islands archipelago, it never suffered looting, although faced with the assault carried out by Blake's troops, the place was in imminent danger due to the military potential deployed by the enemy. Finally, the English fleet was repelled by the island defences, an event that earned Santa Cruz the right to incorporate the first lion's head of the three it has on its coat of arms.

Admiral Robert Blake (1599-1657) is one of the many glorious figures of the renowned British Royal Navy. He had sailed from England with 26 ships in the spring of 1656, with the mission to prevent Spain's communications with its American empire, achieving his objective through a fierce blockade of the port of Cádiz, and the total destruction of a treasure fleet in the bay of Cádiz on 8 September 1656. Another Spanish fleet was expected and Blake remained on watch for eight months.

The second treasure fleet, composed of two galleons and nine merchant ships, had left Havana at the end of December 1656. It was commanded by Admiral Diego de Egues y Beaumont, captain general of the fleet of New Spain. Upon hearing news of the disaster at Cádiz and knowing that the English were aware, the convoy headed for the Canaries, arriving at Santa Cruz de La Palma on 18 February 1657, with the purpose of obtaining news about enemy movements and instructions on how to act against the peninsular blockade. As nothing was known in La Palma, it immediately proceeded to Tenerife, arriving at Santa Cruz on 22 February. The captain general of the Canaries was Alonso Dávila y Guzmán, who immediately realised the danger not only to the treasure fleet but also to Santa Cruz by giving it refuge. He proposed to the admiral that he wait in Tenerife for orders from Madrid and, meanwhile, safeguard his precious cargo in the interior of the island, but the admiral ignored his advice and four days later set sail for the peninsula. A breakdown in the flagship forced him to return to the port of Santa Cruz, whose defences he did not trust. After the return, the military exchanged views on measures to be taken against an imminent attack. It was agreed that the entire treasure should be unloaded and safely deposited in La Laguna. The 24 cannons on the merchant ships of the fleet were distributed among the various fortresses and coastal batteries. They spent almost two months in tense waiting until the arrival of the English at Santa Cruz.

On 28 April 1657 Blake's fleet, composed of 33 ships, was positioned off the Anaga point. The castle of San Cristóbal fired two warning cannon shots, the alarm bells were rung and couriers and messengers quickly set off for La Laguna where the captain general resided. In Santa Cruz there were 16 ships anchored, of which 11 (two galleons and nine vessels) formed the treasure fleet, all located between Paso Alto and the castle of San Cristóbal, with the smaller ones very close to the coast and the larger ones anchored in the first line of the front. Around eight in the morning on 30 April the English ships headed for the coast and launched a slaughter on the Spanish ships with the intention of boarding, capturing them and collecting all valuables on board. The position of the Spanish ships prevented cannon fire from the castles and batteries. By eleven in the morning only the two Spanish galleons were still offering resistance, but in a lamentable state due to the English fire. Then, an enemy projectile sent a Spanish galleon to the bottom; the other, the flagship, resisted a little longer but was finally blown up by the Spaniards themselves to prevent its capture. The English quickly launched landing boats to capture the other vessels stranded on the beaches, but were repelled on all occasions by fire from the land.

By early afternoon the battle had ended. Of the 16 Spanish ships only two merchant vessels remained afloat, captured by the English but so badly damaged that they had to be set on fire. The attackers took quite some time to leave, both due to the navigation difficulties of the ships hit by Spanish cannonballs, and the strong contrary wind prevailing, which was taken advantage of by the coastal fortifications to continue firing on the retreating squadron, which managed to leave the bay around seven in the evening.

The result, curiously, pleased both sides: on the one hand, the English destroyed the Spanish fleet, although they could not take anything of what they were looking for; on the other, the Spanish contained the assault (in Paso Alto alone 1,200 projectiles and 200 palanquets fell), successfully guarding the treasure valued at about 10 million pesos safely inside the island. The following year, with much calmer waters, this treasure was sent to the peninsula.

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