Anglo-Spanish War (1727)

The Anglo-Spanish War of 1727–1729 was a failed Spanish attempt to retake Gibraltar.

Spain had never accepted the loss of Gibraltar in 1704, confirmed by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
After theTreaty of Vienna in 1725, Spain had the support of Austria, and thought the time was right to try to recapture Gibraltar.
As a reaction Britain signed the Treaty of Hanover with France and Prussia. On February 11 1727 Spain, under command of the Marquis de las Torres and supervision of Chief Engineer of the Spanish Royal Engineer Corps Verboom, lay siege to the city ("Thirteenth Siege of Gibraltar"). Depending on the sources, Spanish troops were between 12,000 and 25,000. British defenders were 1,500 at the beginning of the siege, increasing up to about 5,000 by troops brought in over sea by a fleet commanded by Charles Wager.
After a five-month siege with several unsuccessful and costly attempts, Spanish troops give up and retire on June 12.
Spain lost over 2000 men, Great Britain around 300.

No more hostilities took place and a truce was declared in february 1728.
The final peace, that confirmed the status-quo, was concluded in the Treaty of Seville (1729).

Note

Some historians put the beginning of the war in 1726, because in that year the Anglo-Spanish relation was already very tense. A British fleet was send to the Spanish West Indies to disturb Spanish shipping, without actually starting a war. The Blockade of Porto Bello (1726-1727) was a complete failure.

Links

* [http://www.regiments.org/wars/18thcent/27spain.htm the Anglo-Spanish War 1727-1729]
* [http://freespace.virgin.net/gerald.hughes/indexa.htm?http://freespace.virgin.net/gerald.hughes/history/gibralt.htm&content The diary of a soldier in the garrison of Gibraltar under siege, 1727]
* [http://www.ingenierosdelrey.com/guerras/1727_gibraltar/1727_gibraltar.htm ASEDIO DE GIBRALTAR (1727)]
* [http://www.todoababor.es/articulos/g1726.htm La guerra de 1726-1727. La campaña de las Indias]