Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, early modern

Battle of Porto Bello

Battle of Porto Bello was a battle fought in 1739 at Portobelo, in what is now Panama. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Portobelo. It was part of the War of Jenkins' Ear, which ran from 1739 to 1748. The recorded result: British victory. Recorded strength: 6 ships of the line; 2 tenders against 700; 2 guarda costa vessels; 1 sloop; 1 snow.

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Fought1739
WherePortobelo, Panama9.554N, 79.655W, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsGreat BritainagainstSpain
Part ofWar of Jenkins' Ear1739 to 1748

Where it sits in the War of Jenkins' Ear

Battle of Porto Bello, 1739Action of 8 April 1740, 1740Siege of St. Augustine, 1740Siege of Fort Mose, 1740Battle of Cartagena de Indias, 1741Battle of Santiago de Cuba, 1741Battle of Bloody Marsh, 1742Battle of La Guaira, 1743Battle of Puerto Cabello, 1743Voyage of the Glorioso, 1747Action of 18 March 1748, 1748Battle of Santiago de Cuba, 1748Battle of Havana, 174817391748Battle of Porto Bello, 1739
13 placed engagements of the War of Jenkins' Ear in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1739 (year precision)
PlacePortobelo, Panama
9.554N, 79.655W
KindBattle, early modern
Strength6 ships of the line; 2 tenders700; 2 guarda costa vessels; 1 sloop; 1 snow
Casualties and losses3 killed; 7 wounded260–300 captured; 2 guarda costa vessels captured; 1 snow captured; 1 sloop sunk
Commanders
  • Edward Vernon
  • Francisco de la Vega
Battle of Porto BelloBattle of Porto BelloBlockade of Porto BelloBattle of Mata AsnillosBlockade of Porto BelloBattle of Mata AsnillosBalboaLa PalmaPenonome100 km9.554N, 79.655W
Placed at Portobelo; the exact site is not recorded. 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 1739

Battle of Porto Bello is one of 2,009 engagements of the 18th century in the atlas and one of 8 in present-day Panama.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q3024756, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Porto Bello (1739), revision 1375522505, 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.