 Blake had scarcely returned from his previous voyage when he was named to lead a new expedition against Spain. Blake, whose health had been steadily deteriorating, was not fit for sea and asked for a colleague to share his responsibilites. Cromwell appointed one of his close supporters, Edward Mountagu. The two shipmates were very different. However, Mountagu, though much younger and of aristocratic birth, was eager to learn from the dour and ailing republican and quickly charmed his way into the older man's affections.
It was important to get the fleet to sea. There was discontent in the Channel fleet. To prevent any mutiny, money was voted to pay the seamen's arrears and Vice Admiral Lawson, the focus of the discontent, was named second in command of Blake's expedition, to get him out of harm's way. However Lawson and three captains resigned rather than sail for Spain.
The fleet sailed in March 1656. Blake and Mountagu contemplated an attack on Cadiz and the seizure of Gibraltar, but these ideas were abandoned. Soon the problems of supplying the fleet again became urgent. The English government succeeded in making a treaty with Portugal, thus giving the English friendly ports from which to supply the fleet. Concluding the treaty was not without difficulties. There was an attack on the English representative in Lisbon. Blake and Mountagu waited with increasing impatience for the promised compensation for losses sustained as a result of Portuguese actions in 1650, when Blake had last visited Lisbon.
It became clear that there would be no dynamic strike against the Spanish fleet and a long blockade was in prospect. Frustrated, Cromwell ordered some of the ships home. Blake tightened the blockade. He sent squadrons to attack Vigo and Malaga. Finally in September part of a small incoming Spanish treasure fleet was intercepted by Stayner's squadron and captured. Mountagu came home with the larger ships and the treasure, while Blake stayed out through the winter to maintain the blockade and await the arrival of the next Plate fleet. His health was failing, the winter weather was bad and the fleet was short of supplies, but in February 1657 his patience was rewarded with the news that the Plate fleet was approaching. His captains clamoured to give chase. Blake would have none of it. Twice he forestalled them. Only in April, when he was certain that the Spanish treasure ships were at anchor at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and that neither the Spanish battle fleet in Cadiz nor a marauding Dutch squadron under de Ruyter would go to their aid, did he give the order to abandon the blockade of the Spanish coast.
The Spanish ships at Santa Cruz were anchored under the guns of the shore forts. Blake used the same strategy as he had employed at Porto Farina. He selected thirteen larger frigates to sail inshore to attack the ships at anchor, while the remainder of the fleet, including all the more powerful ships, engaged the guns of the shore forts. The captains asked that Stayner lead the attack.
The Spanish resistance was much stiffer than that encountered at Porto Farina. Stayner's ships had to suffer withering fire as they slowly manoeuvred into position to make best use of the superior English gunnery. Once the English did open fire, they made short work of the smaller Spanish ships. The larger Spanish ships were soon caught in the crossfire of Stayner's inshore squadron and the main fleet under Blake in the bay. One by one the other Spanish ships were boarded and set on fire.
It now remained for the inshore squadron to warp out against the wind. Against orders five captains attempted to leave with prizes. Three times Blake ordered them to desist before his order was obeyed and the Spanish ships were fired. All the English ships, many of them badly damaged, managed to drag themselves to safety.
It was Blake's last and greatest victory. The entire Spanish squadron of sixteen ships was destroyed under the guns of their own shore forts, at a cost of two hundred English killed and wounded. More importantly it was a victory for caution, clear planning and discipline. Blake left little to chance, and stubbornly resisted his captains' clamour to chase pell-mell in search of prizes. Earlier he had not the judgement or the control of his captains to achieve this. This was the mature Blake - authoritative and authoritarian - whom Nelson (who failed in a similar attack on Santa Cruz) admired.
In July 1657 the dying man was allowed to return home. His one wish was to set foot on English soil once more. Though his ship, the George, was diverted to Plymouth, the old man was not to get his wish. He died as the ship entered Plymouth Sound on 7th August, issuing instructions to the last to help his comrades left blockading the coast of Spain. Secretary of State Thurloe wrote: "A very worthy and brave man is gone and a faithful servant of his Highness."
Blake's body was embalmed and carried on his nephew Samuel's ship to Greenwich to lie in state. From there it was taken up the Thames to London in a long procession of barges for a grand state funeral and buried in King Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster Abbey. |
