Battle of the Downs

The naval Battle of the Downs took place on 31 October 1639 during the Eighty Years' War and was a decisive defeat of the Spanish, commanded by Admiral Antonio de Oquendo, by the United Provinces, commanded by Admiral Maarten Tromp.

Spain/Portugal (Antonio de Oquendo)

Order of Battle of the spanish Armada, 27 August 1639 (Orden de Batalla en media Luna). The total should be 75 ships. Note that dates in this section are OS, 10 days behind NS.

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Name guns (squadron) - Fate

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Santiago 60 (Castile) - Capitana Real or Royal Flagship. Escaped into

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Dunkirk, 22 October 1639

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San Antonio (pinnace) (Masibradi) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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San Agustin (pinnace) (Martin Ladron de Guevara) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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Santa Tereza 60 (Portugal) - Don Lope de Hoces, commander. Destroyed in action, 21 October 1639

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San Jeronimo

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San Agustin (Naples) - Vice-Admiral. Driven ashore, 21 October 1639. Sunk 3 or 4 days later

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El Gran Alejandro (Martin Ladron de Guevara) - Taken by the Dutch

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Santa Ana (Portugal)

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San Sebastian

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Santa Catalina (Guipuzcoa) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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San Lazaro

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San Blas (Masibradi) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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San Jer?imo (Masibradi) - Burnt in the Downs, 21 October 1639

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San Nicolas

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Santiago (Castile) - Burnt off Dover on the night of 23 October 1639

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San Juan Bautista (Guipuzcoa) - Sunk, 21 October 1639

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Esquevel 16 (hired Dane) - Taken by the Dutch, 18 September 1639

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San Jose (Dunkirk)

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Los Angeles (Castile) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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Santiago (Portugal) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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Delfin Dorado (Naples) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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San Antonio (Naples) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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San Juan Evangelista (Dunkirk)

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El Pingue (Hired ship) - Sunk in the Downs, 21 October 1639

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San Carlos (Masibradi)

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San Nicolas (Masibradi)

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San Miguel

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Orfeo 44 (Naples) - Lost on the Goodwin sands, 21 October 1639

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San Vicente Ferrer (Dunkerque)

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San Martin (Dunkerque)

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Nuestra Senora de Monteagudo (Dunkerque) - Escaped into Dunkirk, 22 October 1639

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Santiago 60? (Galicia) - Captured by the Dutch, 21 October 1639

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? - Flagship of Masibradi. Taken by the Dutch, 18 September 1639, and retaken same day. Escaped to Dunkirk, 22 October 1639. Wrecked 4 days later

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Santo Tomas (Martin Ladron de Guevara) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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Nuestra Senora de Luz

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Santa Clara

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San Gedeon (Dunkerque)

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San Jacinto

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San Carlos (Dunkerque) - Sunk, 21 October 1639

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Santo Cristo de Burgos (San Josef) - Lost off the French coast, 21 October 1639

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San Paulo (Masibradi)

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San Miguel

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La Corona (Hired ship)

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La Presa or San Pablo La Presa (Castile)

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San Esteban (Martin Ladron de Guevara) - Taken by the Dutch, 21 October 1639

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San Pedro de la Fortuna (hired ship) - Driven ashore but got off, 21 October 1639

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Los Angeles (Hired ship)

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Aguila Imperial

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La Mujer

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Santo Domingo de Polonia (hired Polish ship) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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San Jose (Flagship of Vizcaya) - Taken by the Dutch, 21 October 1639

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San Salvador (Flagship of Dunkirk) - Escaped into Dunkirk, 22 October 1639

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Sao Balthasar (Vice-Admiral of Portugal) - 800 tons. Back at Lisbon in 1640

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San Francisco 50? (Rear-Admiral of Dunkerque) - Escaped into Dunkirk, 22 October 1639

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San Pedro el Grande (Flagship of Ladron de Guevara)

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Santiago (Martin Ladron de Guevara)

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Jesus Maria (pinnace)

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San Pedro Martir (Urca) (hired ship) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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Fama (Urca) (hired ship) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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Santa Cruz (Masibradi)

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San Daniel (Guipuzcoa) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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San Juan Evangelista (hired ship of Hamburg) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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Santa Agnes (frigate) (Naples) - Stranded but got off, 24 October 1639

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Grune? (Castile) - Driven ashore, 21 October 1639

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Santa Teresa (Saetia) (Castile) - Taken by a French privateer, 21 October 1639

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Exchange (hired English transport) - All 8 English transports put into Plymouth, 3/13 September 1639, and reached the Downs, 12/22 October 1639, where they were detained

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Peregrine (hired English transport)

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Assurance (hired English transport)

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5 other hired English transports

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