Battle of Santiago de Cuba (1748)

2nd Battle of Santiago de Cuba
Part of the War of Jenkins' Ear
View from Castillo del Morro to the Caribbean Sea.
Date 9 April 1748 Location Santiago de Cuba, Cuba Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Charles Knowles	Governor Arcos Moreno
Strength
8 ships of the line 2 frigates 2 sloops 1 tender	1 Fort 500 regulars
Casualties and losses
~100 killed ~200 wounded 2 ships of line disabled	minor

The 2nd battle of Santiago de Cuba, which took place on 9 April 1748, was a failed attempt by elements of the British Royal Navy under Rear-Admiral Charles Knowles to force the entrance of the port of Santiago de Cuba with the aim of striking a blow to the Spanish trade and privateering, since Santiago was a major base of the Spanish privateers in the Caribbean. Two British ships of line were put out of action by the batteries of Morro Castle and had to be towed to open sea. The remaining British warships retreated soon after.

Sir Charles Knowles, who had been promoted to rear-admiral of the white on 15 July 1747, and appointed as commander in chief on the Jamaica station, prepared in 1748 an expedition with the aim of recover from the setbacks suffered during the previous stages of the war by attacking the Spanish trade and protecting their own. On 17 February he departed Port Royal with 240 of Governor Trelawney’s Jamaican troops aboard his 80-gun flagship HMS Cornwall, 60-gun HMS Plymouth, 70-gun HMS Elizabeth, 58-gun HMS Canterbury, 60-gun HMS Strafford, 60-gun HMS Warwick, 60-gun HMS Worcester, 50-gun HMS Oxford, and the 16-gun, 100-man sloops Merlin and Weazel. He had initially intended to take his squadron and attack Santiago de Cuba, but contrary winds led to him deciding instead to attack Fort Saint Louis de Sud. He arrived on 8 March 1748, and after subjecting the fort to a heavy bombardment forced its surrender. Attacks on Petit-Goâve and Cap-Français, however, had to be postponed due to lack of troops. It was therefore decided to proceed with the attack upon Santiago.

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