Capture of Saint Martin (1633)

Capture of Saint Martin
Part of the Eighty Years' War

Spanish capture of Saint Martin by Juan de la Corte (1597-1660), oil on canvas. Naval museum of Madrid
Date25 June to 1 July 1633
Location18°01′44″N 63°02′41″W / 18.028967°N 63.044733°W / 18.028967; -63.044733
Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
 Dutch Republic  Spain
Commanders and leaders
Dutch Republic Jan Claeszoon van Campen Spain Lope de Hoces
Spain Marquess of Cadreita
Strength
140 [1] 24 men-of-war
31 transports
1300 men
Casualties and losses
3 ships captured
8 killed or wounded [1]
26 killed or wounded [1]

Part of the Eighty Years' War, the Capture of Saint Martin was a Spanish naval expedition against the island of Saint Martin, then occupied by the Dutch Republic. The island, claimed by Spain since Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, lies a few hundred miles east of Puerto Rico. Its capture prevented Dutch privateers using it as a base for operations in the Caribbean.

  1. ^ a b c Mathews 1969, p. 10.