Battle of Rio de Janeiro

Battle of Rio de Janeiro
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date12–22 September 1711
Location
Result French victory
Belligerents
 France
Commanders and leaders
René Duguay-Trouin
Strength
14,000–15,000[1]
Ships:[2]
4 ships of the line
+3,800
Ships:[2]
7 ships of the line
5 frigates
1 galliot
3 bomb-ketches
Casualties and losses
3 ships of the line scuttled
1 ship of the line destroyed
~300[3]

The Battle of Rio de Janeiro was a raid in September 1711 on the port of Rio de Janeiro in the War of Spanish Succession by a French squadron under René Duguay-Trouin. The Portuguese defenders, including the city's governor and an admiral of the fleet anchored there, were unable to put up effective resistance in spite of numerical advantages and the city had to pay a ransom to avoid destruction of its defences.

  1. ^ Boxer 1962, p. 96, "The Portuguese had 1,000 regular troops, 2,000 marines, 4,000 citizens in arms and 7 or 8,000 Blacks".
  2. ^ a b Boxer 1962, p. 94.
  3. ^ Boxer 1962, p. 96.