Battle of Roatán

Overview

The Battle of Roatán was an American War of Independence battle fought on March 16, 1782, between British and Spanish forces for control of Roatán, an island off the Caribbean coast of present-day Honduras.

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

Significance

The Battle of Roatán was fought on March 16, 1782, as part of the broader Anglo-Spanish War, which ran concurrent with the American War of Independence. The engagement centered on control of Roatán, an island off the Caribbean coast of present-day Honduras, reflecting the wider contest between Britain and Spain for strategic position in the Caribbean and Central American littoral. Spanish commanders Matías de Gálvez, Gabriel Herbias, and Enrique MacDonell faced a British force under Edward Marcus Despard numbering approximately 600 men. The recorded outcome of the battle is not established in available sources, limiting assessment of its operational consequences within the campaign.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)