Spanish treasure fleetThe Spanish treasure fleet, or West Indies Fleet (Spanish: Flota de Indias, also called silver fleet or plate fleet; from the Spanish: plata meaning "silver"), was a convoy system of sea routes organized by the Spanish Empire from 1566 to 1790, which linked Spain with its territories in the Americas across the Atlantic.
First Anglo-Dutch WarThe First Anglo-Dutch War, or First Dutch War, was a naval conflict between the Commonwealth of England and the Dutch Republic. Largely caused by disputes over trade, it began with English attacks on Dutch merchant shipping, but expanded to vast fleet actions. Despite a series of victories in 1652 and 1653, the Commonwealth was unable to blockade Dutch trade, although English privateers inflicted serious losses on Dutch merchant shipping.
Prize (law)In admiralty law, prizes (from the Old French prise, 'taken, seized') are equipment, vehicles, vessels, and cargo captured during armed conflict. The most common use of prize in this sense is the capture of an enemy ship and its cargo as a prize of war. In the past, the capturing force would commonly be allotted a share of the worth of the captured prize. Nations often granted letters of marque that would entitle private parties to capture enemy property, usually ships.
Dutch RepublicToday part ofNetherlandsBelgiumGermanyFranceThe Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, also known as the United Provinces (of the Netherlands), and referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation and great power that existed from 1588 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands and the first independent Dutchnation state.
DunkirkersDuring and after the Dutch Revolt (1568–1648), the Dunkirkers or Dunkirk Privateers were commerce raiders in the service of the Spanish monarchy and later the Kingdom of France. They operated from the ports of the Flemish coast: Nieuwpoort, Ostend, and Dunkirk. Although their existence predated him, Dunkirkers were mainly organized under the rule of Spanish governor Alexander Farnese.
Naval warfareCombat involving sea-going shipsNaval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. The armed forces branch designated for naval warfare is a navy.
Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660)BelligerentsCommonwealth of EnglandFrance(1657–59)SpainCommanders and leadersOliver Cromwell King Louis XIVCaribbean:William PennRobert VenablesEdward DoyleyChristopher MyngsHenry MorganSpain:Robert BlakeRichard StaynerBenjamin BlakeFlanders:John ReynoldsThomas MorganVicomte de TurenneKing Philip IVCaribbean:Bernardino de MenesesSpain: Diego de EgüésFlanders:Willem Bette†Juan José de AustriaLouis, Grand CondéCasualties and losses ~7,500 soldiers and sailors killed in action ~7,500 soldiers and sailors killed in actionThe Anglo-Spanish War of 1654–1660 was fought between the Commonwealth of England and Habsburg Spain.
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom, responsible for defending the country, the Crown Dependencies, and the Overseas Territories from naval attack or invasion. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France.
PrivateerA privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since piracy was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or delegated authority issued commissions, also referred to as letters of marque, during wartime. The commission empowered the holder to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war.
BlockadeA blockade is the use of military force to prevent food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, entering or leaving a country or region. Unlike sanctions or an embargo, which are legal barriers to trade, a blockade is physical. Blockades are distinct from sieges in that a blockade is usually directed at an entire country or region, rather than a fortress or city, and the objective of a blockade is not necessarily to conquer the area.
CombatantCombatant is the legal status of a person entitled to directly participate in hostilities during an armed conflict, and may be intentionally targeted by a belligerent for their participation in the armed conflict under the law of war. Combatants are not afforded immunity from being directly targeted in situations of armed conflict and can be attacked regardless of the specific circumstances simply due to their status, so as to deprive their side of their support.
Maritime transportMaritime transport (or ocean transport) or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers) or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by watercraft has been widely used throughout recorded history, as it provides a higher-capacity mode of transportation for passengers and cargo than land transport, the latter typically being more costly per unit payload due to it being affected by terrain conditions and road/rail infrastructures.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.