Cartagena 1741 (British: 29 line-of-battle ships) Galicia (60/70) Captured with only 60 men aboard! San Carlos (66) Scuttled to block Boca Chica channel. Africa (64) Scuttled to block Boca Chica channel. San Felipe (70) Burnt to avoid capture. Conquistador (62) Scuttled to block inner harbour entrance. Dragon (64) Scuttled to block inner harbour entrance. Official complements =ñ2,832 Actual sailors =ñ1,000 (w/o ñ25% marines and gunners.) Havana 1762 (British: 1x90,1x80,5x74,1x70,1x68,2x66,3x64,5x60,1x50) Europa (64) Scuttled in Havana harbour entrance. Asia (62/64) Scuttled in Havana harbour entrance. Neptuno (68) Scuttled in Havana harbour entrance. America (64) Captured at fall of Havana. Reina (70) Captured at fall of Havana. Tigre (70/74) Captured at fall of Havana. Infante (70/74) Captured at fall of Havana. Aquilon (68) Captured at fall of Havana. Soberano (74) Captured at fall of Havana. Conquistador (74) Captured at fall of Havana. San Genaro (60) Recently launched and unmanned. San Antonio (60) Recently launched and unmanned. San Carlos (80) Building. Destroyed on stocks. Santiago (80) Building. Destroyed on stocks. 3 x fragatas (26,24,22) Captured elsewhere in Cuba, the Bahamas, 3 x paquebotes (18,16,16) or Santo Domingo Official complements =ñ5,680 (the 12 completed navios only) Crews =ñ3,000 (1,854 captured at fall of Havana) Trinidad 1796 (British - 1x98, 3x74, 1x64, 2 x Frigates) Gallardo (74) Burnt to avoid capture. Arrogante (68) Burnt to avoid capture. San Vicente (80) Burnt to avoid capture. San Damaso (74) Burnt to avoid capture. 1 x fragata (34) Burnt to avoid capture. Official complements = 2,421 Actual crews = 1,704 As if this was not enough, twenty-one navios were wrecked and one accidentally burnt in the Americas between 1716 and 1750, probably illustrating the risks of escorting the flotas and galleones in unfamiliar waters with the inexperienced crews of the newly refounded navy. The greater professionalism of Carlos III's navy is shown by the fact that only two navios were wrecked and one burnt in the Americas during the rest of the century. In judging the severity of these American casualties it is as well to note that the major European defeats of Cape Santa Maria in 1780, St. Vincent in 1797 and Trafalgar in 1805 cost Spain six, four and ten navios respectively. More The Spanish Navy, 1762-1807 Introduction Carlos III and Sea Power Decline Under Godoy Major Spanish Warship Losses in the Caribbean: 1741-1796 Major Spanish Warship Types in Late 18th C. Back to Table of Contents -- El Dorado Vol V No. 4 Back to El Dorado List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by The South and Central American Military Historians Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com