Battle of Punta Colares

Overview

The naval Battle of Punta Colares, also known as the Battle of Corales, was the first major naval engagement of the Cisplatine War. It took place between a fleet of the Empire of Brazil, commanded by admiral Rodrigo José Ferreira Lobo, and a squadron of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata under the command of admiral William Brown. The confrontations began at around 10 o'clock on 9 February 1826 and lasted for seven hours.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The naval Battle of Punta Colares, also known as the Battle of Corales, was the first major naval engagement of the Cisplatine War. The confrontation pitted a Brazilian fleet under admiral Rodrigo José Ferreira Lobo against a United Provinces squadron under admiral William Brown, with fighting lasting approximately seven hours. As the opening significant naval action of the war, it established the contest for maritime control that would shape the wider struggle over the Banda Oriental. The Cisplatine War turned heavily on the ability of each side to project force along the Río de la Plata and its approaches, making this early engagement a signal test of the relative naval capacity of the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)