Battle of San Fernando de Omoa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of San Fernando de Omoa |
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| Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
 Exterior view of the fort at San Fernando de Omoa. Photo taken in 2006 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |
 Spain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| William Dalrymple John Luttrell |
Matías de Gálvez Simón Desnaux Juan Dastiex |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 885 regulars, marines, militia, & natives 12 ships |
365 regulars & militia 2 ships |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 6 killed 14 wounded additional casualties to disease 1 frigate damaged |
2 wounded 360 captured 2 ships captured |
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The Battle of San Fernando de Omoa was a short but important fight. It happened between British and Spanish forces in 1779. This was during the American Revolutionary War, when Spain had joined the American side.
On October 16, 1779, British soldiers and sailors attacked a strong fort. This fort was called San Fernando de Omoa. It was located in what is now Honduras, on the Gulf of Honduras. The British managed to capture the fort and its 365 Spanish defenders. However, the British only held the fort for a short time. They left in November 1779 because many of their soldiers got sick. They also faced the threat of a Spanish counter-attack.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
When Spain joined the American Revolutionary War in June 1779, both Spain and Great Britain had been preparing for war. King Carlos III of Spain wanted to protect his lands in the Americas. One of his main goals was to defend the area known as the Captaincy General of Guatemala. This region included parts of modern-day Central America.
The Spanish quickly took action in North America. They captured a British outpost in September 1779. Meanwhile, the British wanted to control Spanish colonies in Central America. Their first target was San Fernando de Omoa. This fort was very important. The Spanish leader, Matías de Gálvez, called it "the key and outer wall of the kingdom."
However, the Spanish made the first move in Central America. In September, they captured a British settlement near present-day Belize City. The Spanish then moved their soldiers from a nearby port to Omoa. They expected a British attack there. The San Fernando de Omoa fort was built in the 1740s. It was one of the largest forts in Central America. It was also a main port for the region.
British Attack Plans
The Spanish decision to move their troops to Omoa changed British plans. A British naval officer, Commodore John Luttrell, first planned to attack a different port. But his force was too small to attack the strong Omoa fort.
Even when Luttrell and Captain William Dalrymple arrived at Omoa with 500 men, they had to retreat. This was after a short fight with cannons. The British then returned in early October with a much larger force. They had over 1,200 men and twelve ships.
The Battle Begins
The British set up cannons on land to fire at the fort. Their ships also fired cannons from the sea. Simón Desnaux, the fort's commander, fired back. He managed to damage one British ship, HMS Lowestoffe. The ship got stuck but was later freed.
Even though Desnaux's forces were much smaller, he refused to surrender. He hoped that Gálvez would send more soldiers to help.
On the night of October 20, a small group of British attackers climbed into the fort. They managed to open one of the gates. After a short fight, Desnaux surrendered. The British captured the fort. They also found two Spanish ships in the harbor. These ships held a lot of silver, worth more than three million Spanish dollars.
Spanish Counterattack
Gálvez immediately started planning to take the fort back. On November 25, his forces began to surround the fort. The British, now led by Dalrymple, exchanged cannon fire with the Spanish. Gálvez made his force seem bigger than it was by lighting extra campfires.
He tried to attack the fort on November 29. But problems with his cannons made him call off the attack. Still, Dalrymple's soldiers were getting very sick from tropical diseases. So, he decided to leave the fort that same day. His men were taken away by ship.
What Happened Next
The British continued to attack the Central American coast. But they never reached their main goal. They wanted to divide the Spanish colonies and reach the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish also failed to completely remove the British settlements in Central America. Most of these settlements were taken back by the British by the end of the war.
A Brave British Sailor
The capture of Omoa was a small victory, but one event became famous. It showed how brave British sailors could be. Captain William Dalrymple wrote about it in a letter. He said that a British sailor climbed the fort walls with two swords. He met a Spanish officer who had no weapons. The sailor was very generous. He gave one of his swords to the Spanish officer. He told him, "You are now on a footing with me." This meant they were equal in the fight.
This brave act was shown in many pictures made by British artists for years after the battle.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de San Fernando de Omoa para niños
