battle battle amphibious military engagement forces britain vice admiral spain admiral took place city march present day colombia battle significant episode war ear large scale naval campaign war later greater conflict war austrian succession battle resulted major defeat army defeat caused heavy losses british disease took toll spanish forces especially yellow fever background war ear conflict great_britain spain lasted treaty british agreed trade spanish colonies limited conditions slave trade annual ship allowed britain monopoly supply slaves year spanish colonies permitted single yearly trading ship carry tons imports yearly trade fair receiving concessions spain british government granted monopoly merchants britain driving force britain international commerce trading demanded access lucrative spanish markets turn spanish colonists desired british goods burgeoning black market smuggled goods developed terms treaty spanish permitted board british vessels spanish waters boarding captain ship claimed spanish coast guard officer severed ear legend exhibited ear house_of_commons appears basis fact served war fever developing spain driven british desire commercial military domination atlantic basin cheering british prime minister reluctantly declared war october reportedly saying ring bells hands long spanish caribbean spanish caribbean trade network main ports mexico colombia panama main port trade ports came havana cuba november british captured british attack attempt damage spain finances poorly defended port attacked ships line vice admiral relative ease capture quickly recaptured spanish fleet departed caused britain given command large naval force quarter british_royal_navy major land sea amphibious expedition overall command lord goal expedition capture havana important spanish ports facilities ships refitted spain largest active shipyard lord died route remained unclear command overall demise resulted british command preventing coordination needed complex operation large fleet troop contingent demanded public led merchant class especially particular refused accept compromise agreements governments spain britain duke newcastle advocated public demands parliament vice admiral active ardent supporter war spain advocated offensive action parliament admiralty decision mount large west_indies expedition reached december opposed war favored small squadron actions dissatisfied situation despite earlier failed small squadron raid convinced large scale attack heavily fortified city prove successful smaller assault feared particularly prolonged siege lead heavy attrition disease typical situation given limited medical knowledge time objectives britain objective capture permanently retain spain ports caribbean basin taking control ports british effectively control entry exit routes south_america british bases launch attacks interior spain limited access deep water ports eastern coast american colonies unable resupply inland forces control ports provide british key control area allow time acquire spain american empire britain place build refit ships caribbean spain havana dockyard fleet remain area length time breaking quick capture havana dry dock favored objective newcastle sir lord admiralty britain divided ministry left course campaign held jamaica followed preferred initial objective good port britain existing caribbean bases thought havana defended initial target city indies eighteenth century large rich city people capital province main town significant fortifications recently repaired increased improved outlying forts batteries works harbor considered finest world served commercial fleet annually conveyed havana spain immense revenues gold silver peru founded target conquest past captured english french city faces caribbean west south bay entrances little mouth big mouth deep water entrance narrow allowed passage ship time entrance defended couple small peninsula battery great outer harbor entry channel inner harbor defended fort walls city mounted cannon suburbs guns city surrounded water filled ditch gates supported recently built suburbs surrounded wall ditch quarter mile south city hill square feet position commanded city plain hill small hill nearby commanded fresh water source available outside fort road best landing point beach miles long battle battle pitted british invasion force ships including ships line frigates hospital ships fire ships bomb ships armed total cannon troop transports merchant ships military personnel land force totaled including british regular infantry regiments 15th foot 24th foot newly raised marines american colonial troops commanded colonel lieutenant governor virginia battalions designated arriving north american colonies transports spanish force defending composed spanish regulars regiments arrived october brought vice admiral colonial regiment unspecified number sailors companies militia indian defenders manning ships line strategic fortifications command governor general experienced commander previous career daring spectacular naval officer day lost arm leg eye service spain use advantage strategy tactic available preliminary maneuvers expedition slow leaving britain initially contrary winds delayed sailing provisions consumed steep increase sickness occurred ship crews news sailing french squadrons spanish squadron caused delay british fleet reinforced response expedition suffered manpower shortages navy required drafting infantry regiments 34th 36th fill crew requirements ordered government transfer marines provide marines men war delays cost british months valuable campaign time americans transported jamaica new_york transports escorted british men war arrived sooner december americans originally command governor virginia second command died replaced commander americans found arrival arrangements british government provisions lack provision climate immediately began toll americans fleet britain suffering january land forces suffered dead including lord commander chief sick dead command land forces went previous combat command experience jamaica african slaves called added expedition work battalion additional delays embarking jamaica cost precious time including brief skirmish french squadron british spanish aware onset month rainy season called season november begin spanish received reinforcements suffering severely diseases similar british operations particular favored strong defense channel opposition led manning forward defenses allowing british easier initial landing attack fort san british expedition arrived march overall commander decisions councils war general commanding land forces sea forces navy lost sailors time result land forces needed fill crews city fronted ocean shore surf rough attempt approach sea access channel shallow allow passage ocean going ships channel deep draft passage harbor ran narrow defended fort castle having cannons mortars garrison soldiers command chief engineer boom stretched island southern peninsula cannon soldiers supporting entrance spanish line ships week bombardment british planned land near smaller access channel spanish defenders small nearby forts driven division ships fleet suffered casualties losing killed wounded taking damage cannon fire fort san landed evening followed march british land forces regular regiments regiments marines american land forces allowed ashore american troops battalions dispersed serve aboard ships line replace losses sailors available amphibious operations followed days artillery army camp americans constructed battery weeks pounder guns began fort squadron ships consisting suffolk led attempted batter fort submission days worst making impression fort having men killed ships heavily damaged disabled british artillery land days firing night day breach main fort fleet assisted fleet engaged spanish ships scuttled set fire scuttled spanish ships partially blocked channel captured british sink british attacked fort san land sea april infantry advanced breach spanish retreated fortifications inner harbor following week landing force embarked entered harbor operation cost british army killed wounded additionally died diseases yellow fever malaria sick hospitalized attack fort san council war decided attempt land assault called accounts capture outlying defensive works fleet passed channel harbor spanish withdrew concentrate forces fort san city ill considered badly planned assault fort outlying strong point refused support fleet making depth harbor ships cleared beach cannon fire landed april british gained inner harbor captured outlying forts strengthened main fort san digging trench clearing field fire approach hold fort commanded city british hands bombardment force surrender short time defended trench soldiers garrisoned fort keeping hand reserve marines sailors british advanced beach pass narrow met spanish force briefly contested passage giving way british engineer expedition killed fort construct battery breach walls british decided storm fort outright coup main walls night attack night attack allow assault northern fort facing dark guns able supporting fire southern lowest vulnerable walls attempt quickly storm carry attack started late initial advance near dawn april hope picked men followed commanded colonel main body men 15th 24th regiments commanded colonel grant mixed company 34th 36th regiments unarmed americans carrying scaling fort high walls wool packs fill trench finally reserve marines colonel column led spanish guides british southern low walled led steep approach slope received deadly volley musket fire thirty yards spanish deployed line advanced slowly trading fire north face grant fell early troops traded fire spanish americans dropped carried took cover brought forward short feet hour sun rose guns opened fire british casualties mounted clock column spanish infantry coming gates threatened cut british ships ordered retreat assault failed loss casualties force approximately sickness disease increased casualties expedition period surrounding attack fort san land forces reduced british withdrawal plan given overwhelming force attempt conduct fighting withdrawal delay british long start rainy season end april tropical delay campaigning months longer enemy remain crowded ships sea open land likely insufficient supply discomfort especially disease allies deadly enemies british aided contempt prevented cooperation initial landing important factor defeat british force fact defensive fortifications repaired improved past year pressed limit plan worked spanish prevailed rains came british board ships close quarters disease deadly april council decided retreat jamaica mid gone men land forces fit service condition land enemy month leaving died british strength reduced american expedition battle lasted days ended british fleet withdrawing defeat dead disease spanish suffered severely disease including died weeks falling ill plague bodies addition total british ships lost badly damaged disabled abandoned lack crews nineteen ships line damaged frigates seven transports lost american colonists volunteered lured promises land mountains gold died yellow fever outright starvation returned home including renamed virginia plantation admiral early stage battle spanish forces retreated different defense points larger fortress feeling victory hands dispatched messenger britain inform king george british forces entry inner bay industry expectation triumph came manufacturing commemorative medals occasion mainly button makers copied basic designs generally poor quality largest collections medals found commemorative china produced survival medals admiral shown looking defeated spanish admiral appeared kneeling contemporary song composed sailor prematurely celebrated victory glory account taking vice admiral town surrender admiral spain main reasons british defeat failure british find united leadership commander chief general died route inability land siege artillery ammunition near prevented involvement line ships support infantry forces effective spanish maneuvers carried admiral colonel defeat admiral sent letter decided retreat return reinforcements jamaica ironically responded order come english king build better larger fleet suitable transport coal ireland london aftermath following news disaster government soon collapsed spain retained control strategically important colonies including crucial port caribbean helped secure defense spanish main trade spain news britain defeat reached europe end june immense repercussions caused great_britain acting supporting austria prussian seizure december withdraw britain guarantees armed support encouraged france spain allies revealed allied prussia militarily isolated austria greater wider war war austrian succession began losses suffered british compromised subsequent actions caribbean ended failure despite reinforcements troops jamaica regular infantry britain recalled britain september taking command fleet half sailors fit duty time caribbean campaign ended ninety percent army died combat sickness british attacks took place caribbean little consequence situation atlantic weakened british forces led raids coast attacking february april operation particularly successful failure caused left naval forces assigned remain caribbean longer resulted weakened mediterranean squadron unable prevent spanish twice troops totalling italy november december commodore commander divisions returned europe ships caribbean fleet britain reinforced presence mediterranean describes british expedition disastrous quotes father bitter enemy writing lost seven millions money thirty thousand men spanish war fruit blood treasure glory having admiral head signs spite defeat inscription marble memorial credits victory deliberately elliptical style subdued conquered far naval forces carry victory probably reflects ironically conflict popular culture scottish folk pirate metal band song entitled battle album sunset golden age chronicles battle additional reading fiction adventures historical novel based experiences hall historical novel north american contingent french les editions detective historical novel grave main character blind judge sir describes junior officer blinded battle pages
Battle of Cartagena de Indias