Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, notable, early modern

Battle of Abrolhos

Battle of Abrolhos was a naval engagement fought on 12 September 1631 at Abrolhos Archipelago, in what is now Brazil. It was part of the Dutch–Portuguese War, which ran from 1601 to 1661. The recorded result: See aftermath. Recorded strength: 20 warships; (5 unarmed) against 16 warships.

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The Battle of Albrolhos, 1631, scene III.
The Battle of Albrolhos, 1631, scene III.. Juan de la Corte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought12 September 1631
WhereAbrolhos Archipelago, Brazil18.033S, 38.667W
OutcomeSee aftermath
BelligerentsSpain; Kingdom of PortugalagainstDutch Republic; Dutch West India Company
Part ofDutch–Portuguese War1601 to 1661

Where it sits in the Dutch–Portuguese War

Battle of Príncipe, 1598Battle of Bantam, 1601Capture of Amboina, 1605Siege of Malacca, 1606Battle of Cape Rachado, 1606Battle of Pulo Buton, 1606Siege of Mozambique, 1607Siege of Mozambique, 1608Battle of Swally, 1612Battle of Elmina, 1625Battle in the Bay of San Salvador, 1627Battle of Jambi, 1630Battle of Abrolhos, 1631Battle of Mata Redonda, 1636Battle of Elmina, 1637Battle of Goa, 1638Second Battle of Salvador, 1638First Battle of Salvador, 1638Action of 30 September 1639, 1639Action of 12–17 January 1640, 1640Siege of Malacca, 1640Capture of Luanda, 1641Battle of Tabocas, 1645Action at Tamanana, 9 September 1645, 1645Battle of Tejucupapo, 1646First Battle of Guararapes, 1648Action of 23 March 1654, 1654Action of 2 May 1654, 1654Battle of Mannar, 165815981658Battle of Abrolhos, 1631
29 placed engagements of the Dutch–Portuguese War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date12 September 1631
PlaceAbrolhos Archipelago, Brazil
18.033S, 38.667W
KindNaval engagement, early modern
Strength20 warships; (5 unarmed)16 warships
Casualties and losses1 galleon sunk; 1 galleon captured; 500 dead and 100 woundedFlagship Prins Willem sunk; 1 or 2 other ships sunk; From 350 dead and 80 wounded to about 2,000 casualties
Commanders
  • Adrian Jansz Pater
  • Maerten Thijssen
Battle of AbrolhosBattle of AbrolhosNova ViçosaSão MateusItamarajuNanuque100 km18.033S, 38.667W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1631

Battle of Abrolhos is one of 1,470 engagements of the 17th century in the atlas and one of 56 in present-day Brazil.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2890640, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Abrolhos, revision 1370430814, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.