4. Gibraltar (1779-1783)
Britain captured Gibraltar in 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, and retained it in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Over the coming decades, the relationship between the Spanish and British remained poor, with the countries going to war again in the forgotten War of Jenkins' Ear a merchant seaman who had his ear cut off by a Spanish captain. During the Seven Years' War, Spain sided with France and declared war on Britain. The war didn't end well for France and Spain, who lost most of their North American properties. Waiting for a chance to gain revenge, the American Revolution offered the perfect chance to get back some of those holdings. Both helped the Americans and signed the Treaty of Aranjuez, agreeing to help each other regain their lost territories. With Gibraltar being an important link in Britain's control over the Mediterranean, 13,000 men were sent to recover the rock. General Eliott and over 5,000 troops garrisoned the fort. The Gulf of Cadiz was blocked to stop reinforcements from arriving, while the army constructed forts and trenches. As winter 1779 approached, the garrison lacked fresh food and found themselves needing medicine. The Spanish, meanwhile, were forced to bring in more troops. The proposed invasion of England was postponed and the Armada of 1779 was cancelled. Admiral George Rodney reached Gibraltar in the spring, bringing much needed supplies and troops. By summer the garrison was hungry and ill again. It took until the next April for more help to arrive. Admiral George Darby brought fresh supplies and took the civilians back to England with them. The Spanish were incensed. The night before a grand assault, half the British troops sneaked out and attacked the infantry, killing over 200, destroying the trenches and wrecking the cannons. The grand assault was postponed until 1782. On September 13, the grand assault began. The attackers had ten 'floating batteries' with 138 heavy guns, 40 Spanish gun boats, 18 ships of the line and 20 bomb vessels, with 30,000 sailors and marines manning the ships. On land, there were 86 guns and 35,000 troops, waiting to attack once the walls had been demolished. The 138 guns bombarded the walls, but, using red-hot shots, three of the boats were destroyed and the remaining seven had to be scuttled due to damage. Even worse, on October 10, the British captured a grounded 72-gun ship of the line and the 634 sailors who manned it. A final relief brought more supplies and troops for the British. With the American Revolution coming to an end in 1783, a peace agreement brought an end to hostilities. In February 1983 the siege ended, and, after three years and seven months, the Spanish and French troops headed home.