Spanish Navy

Spanish flag S1E8 — The flag of the Spanish Navy.

The Spanish Navy (Armada Española) is the official maritime branch of the Spanish military.

History[]

Background[]

Spain was one of the dominant naval powers in both the new and the old world. The Spanish colonial empire depended on its considerable naval prowess to keep it safe and protect its commerce. Spain competed constantly with other colonial powers, such as England, France and Holland, for supremacy over Caribbean waters.

The Spanish Navy was known to transport gold and silver bullion from the Americas to Spain ever since the discovery of the New World. Convoys of treasure galleons soon attracted a great deal of pirates. To counter this, the treasure galleons were heavily-armed and protected by escorts. It was rare for a galleon to travel alone.

The Spanish Navy maintains a guardacosta (coast guard) of warships that patrol the waters around their colonies to keep shipping safe from pirates, and to prevent smuggling.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, Woodes and Thomas Rogers, privateers in the service of Queen Anne, attacked a Spanish galleon, Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación y Desengaño. The Spaniards held out for a long time, and shortly before surrendering, fired one last shot from their stern chasers that struck the Rogers' ship directly in the helm, scarring Woodes and killing Thomas. Woodes than slaughtered every man of the Spanish crew but one, depositing him in Acapulco^[1].

In 1705, the Spanish Navy launched a punitive mission against the pirates and privateers of Nassau known as the Rosario Raid. Due to the disrepair Fort Nassau had fallen into, they were able to land 200 soldiers with ease and burn the tent city on the beach, the structures in town and then move inland and kill and burn everything in their path. Among the dead was the wife of Richard Guthrie, who fenced the cargo of the pirates using his family company's cargo ships^[2].

In 1715, Vazquez, an agent of the Colonial Intelligence division of the Casa de Contratación, was charged with overseeing the departure of the Urca de Lima, the largest Spanish treasure galleon in the Americas, with a cargo of five million Spanish dollars in gold. Vazquez was worried because storm season was upon them and no escort could be found for the Urca. He was tasked with charting a course for the galleon known only to himself and the captain and to consider that route a state secret of the highest order. Despite doing so, Vazquez threatened to take his concerns to the court, and was stabbed by his superiors. Vazquez stumbled into a tavern in Port Royal, and told his story, including the schedule, to an English merchant captain named Parrish. This conversation was overheard by a spy in the employ of Captain Flint^[3].

Season One[]

In 1715, the infamous pirate, James Flint, organized an expedition to capture the treasure galleon Urca de Lima. He kept his plans secret from his crew, and worked on finding Parrish and the schedule. After three months, they found the ship, which refused to surrender. After the battle, Flint finds Vazquez's story written in the log, but te page containing the schedule has been torn out^[3].

After many preparations, which included acquiring the Ranger and her crew as consort under Gates' captaincy, as well as taking the Andromache's 12 pound cannons in battle and outfitting the Walrus with them, the two pirate ships set sail to hunt the galleon^[4].

After sailing through a hurricane, the pirates arrive in Division Bay in Florida flying Spanish banners to confuse the enemy, but find no evidence of the Urca. A Spanish Man O' War is then sighted to the south. Flint then orders his crew to drop anchor, and the Ranger to raise the Black and fire two shots over the bow of the Walrus. Gayes takes Flint aside to talk privately in the great cabin.

In the captain's cabin, Gates and Flint argue over fighting the warship. Gates says there's no point in fighting because all he sees is an empty bay and a Guardacosta warship. Flint says that the warship is clearly an escort found the Urca and did not just happen upon the scene on patrol. Gates responds that the entire point of pursuing the treasure galleon was that she had no escort. Flint replies that they drummed a ship into service. Gates says that the plan is madness and that he's taking the Ranger back to Nassau. After Gates reveals his role in orchestrating the mutiny brewing against Flint and reiterating his plan to abandon Flint, Flint kills him. Flint exits his cabin and sets his plan into motion, telling the crew that Gates had a heart attack. He orders that Mr. Thompson to take command of the Ranger and sail north, and when they fire on the Man O' War, he is to do the same. Dufresne warns him that they should say that their ship is anything but a tobacco ship, for if the Spanish Man O' War is Guardacosta, they will lilely investigate for Seville heavily regulates the tobacco trade.

When the Spanish Man O' War arrives at the scene, they find the Walrus flying the Spanish flag with the Ranger sailing away flying the Black. A Spanish Officer hails them and asks who they are. John Silver, a fluent Spanish speaker, responds that they are the Cazadora, and their captain is Marco Fernandez. When he says that they are a tobacco ship, the Man O' War pursues the Ranger, proving Flint's suspicions correct. Despite Dufresne launching a mutiny against Flint and attempting to flee, Silver fires a cannon, prompting the Spanish to return fire. Dufresne then has the pirates continue firing at the Spaniard's stern, while the Ranger comes about and fires on their bow. The Walrus hits the stern several times, causing a small explosion. However, the Spanish turn their broadsides on the pirates. The Ranger's powder magazine is hit and it explodes, going down with all hands. The Walrus is heavily damaged, but able to escape.

The Spanish Man O' War then sails north, where they find the Urca de Lima, which had been wrecked on the shores of Florida during the hurricane. Much of the crew goes ashore to help what remains of the Urca's begin salvaging the goal and setting up a camp that can be defended. The Man O' War remains anchored offshore to defend from any attack by the sea. The wreck and Spanish encampment is soon found by the survivors of the Walrus crew^[5].

Season Two[]

When threatened with hanging as punishment for the crimes against his crew, Flint devises a plan to take over the Spanish Man O' War. He explains to his men that the gold is defended on land by dozens of soldiers and 18 pounder batteries, and by the sea by the Man O' War. However, the amount of soldiers on the beach indicates that the watch on the ship is spare. He proposes that while the sun is setting, but before the night watch arrives, they can make an assault. He says that two men should swim out and eliminate the mainmast watch and hoist a signal for the rest of the pirates to attack. He volunteers in exchage for the crew's pardon. He asks for someone to go with him and John Silver steps up.

The two swim aboard the warship and climb through an open gunport into the crew's quarters, where they find dozens of soldiers asleep. Silver spies a Boatswain's Call and tries to take it, but in doing so wakes up a Sleeping Spanish Sailor, whom Flint swiftly kills. The two then kill another Spanish Sailor and Silver steals his uniform. They then go above deck and Silver calls the Lookout down and replaces him on the mast, and Flint kills him. However, the rest of the crew arrives, and captures the pair.

The Spanish Boatswain offers the two a deal while they are tied up belowdecks. Whoever tells him who they are and what their purpose is will be freed, given a small purse of coins, and deposited on the shore, the other would be killed. Silver immediately tells him that they are part of a pirate crew trying to take the ship, the rest of which is waiting in longboats behind the promontory to the south. The Boatswain frees Silver, and prepares to shoot Flint, but Silver knocks a lantern intot he Boatswain's head, killing him, and then grabs his pistol. Flint tells him to shoot the Scarred Spanish Sailor, as he is clearly the more veteran of the two remaining sailors. Silver shoots him and begins grappling with the second Spanish Sailor. Flint manages to free himself and kills the Spaniard as he is about to kill Silver.

The two barricade themselves in the cabin, while the Ranking Spanish Sailor outside on the deck leads several men in trying to break down the door, while Flint and Silver prepare to make a stand with three pistols, a sword and a dagger at their disposal. However, as the night watch makes their way to the ship in longboats, the rest of the Walrus crew arrives and kills the Spanish crew and sails away with the ship. The Spanish soldiers try to fire their muskets at the pirates, while those on the beach fire the batteries at the ship, but it is not enough to impede the pirates in any significant way^[6].

After they arrive at New Providence, Vincent and Nicholas are sent by Flint to return to Florida and learn the Spanish soldiers' watch strength, routines and schedules. When Flint returns with the rest of the men, they will need to know all of that information to make a final assault on the Spanish camp^[7].

Urca Wreck plagued — The Spanish camp by the wreck of the Urca after a plague devastates their numbers.

The scouts return on the night of the election over the combined crews of the Walrus and the Royal Lion. They inform everyone that the gold is gone. When they arrived, they found two Guardacosta men of war in the bay, who removed all of the gold from the beach. In truth, this was a lie concocted by Silver. The scouts found that a tropical disease had swept through the Spanish camp, devastating their numbers. Silver convinced the two to lie so they could sell the location of the gold to a smaller crew in exchange for larger shares^[8].

Jack Rackham leads the pirate crew of the Colonial Dawn in capturing the Urca de Lima gold. The remaining Spanish soldiers fight to the death, but they are overwhelmed by the pirates^[9].

Season Three[]

Woodes Rogers reveals to Eleanor Guthrie that among the various creditors funding his expedition to establish himself as the Governor of New Providence Island is the Spanish Empire. They demand that Rogers return the entirety of the Urca de Lima gold to Havana. Failure to do so would result in the launching of Havana's Fleet of ten ships and 1,500 soldiers to raze Nassau to the ground^[10].

Season Four[]

After Eleanor Guthrie, now married to Rogers, orders him to leave Nassau so she can complete a deal with the pirates where they surrender and leave the island in exchange for the cache, Rogers goes to Havana, even though Spain and England are at war. There, he is able to negotiate with Governor Raja, who leads Havana's Fleet in attacking Nassau to prevent the pirate threat from spilling over into Cuba^[11].

The twelve ships sail to Nassau, and after Rogers orders the fort, where all his allies are holed up, to stand down, the ships launch barrages of cannon fire at the city. They then land thousands of Spanish Regulars ashore, who then secure Nassau Town and fight small battles all over the island against the pirate forces^[12]. After Raja is satisfied that his men have done enough, the Spanish depart, promising not to return^[13].

Uniforms & Equipment[]

High ranking officers of the Spanish Navy often wear long black coats, while lower ranking officers wear short black jackets. They also commonly wear metal vambraces, which differentiate them from common sailors. Common sailors wear dark civilian clothing, often in various shades of black. Elite soldiers wear plate armor and helmets.

Spanish Navy personnel use a variety of weapons, including Escopeta and Brown Bess muskets, and Tower Sea Service pistols. They also use a variety of swords, including cutlasses, smallswords for officers and spadroons. Most sailors also carry some sort of knife or dagger as a sidearm.