01/07/2021
Today in Military History
6 January 1809
The Portuguese conquest of French Guiana was an 1809 military operation against Cayenne, capital of the South American colony of French Guiana. Performed by a combined expeditionary force that included Portuguese (from Portugal and from Colonial Brazil) and British military contingents.
In exchange for providing troops and transports for the operation, the Portuguese were promised Guiana as an expansion of their holdings in Brazil. The British contribution consisted solely of the minor warship HMS Confiance. The ship had a highly effective crew and an experienced captain in James Lucas Yeo, who was to command the entire expedition. The Portuguese contingent consisted of 700 regular soldiers of the colonial Army of Brazil, 550 marines of the Royal Brigade of the Navy detached in Brazil and several warships to act as transports and provide offshore artillery support. The French defenders were weakened and could only muster 400 regular infantry and 800 unreliable militia, formed in part from the territory's free black population.
The town of Cayenne is situated on an island in the mouth of the Cayenne and Mahury Rivers. Protected by a series of forts and gun batteries, while the town itself was dominated by a modern star fort. Yeo decided to attack a series of outlying forts on the Mahury River in an effort to draw out the French defenders. On 6 January, Yeo launched an attack during the night, landing at Pointe Mahury at 03:00 on 7 January in five canoes despite the heavy rains and rough surf. Yeo detached a Portuguese force against the Dégras de Cannes battery while he advanced on Fort Diamant with a force of seamen and marines. Both positions were rapidly carried, the British suffering seven men wounded to French losses of six killed and four wounded. Four cannons were seized, as were 90 French soldiers. Over the next four days, Yeo's men took the surrender of the outlying French garrisons and units. Resistance was inconsistent and despite Cayenne's strong fortifications, the territory fell within a week. It is considered to be the baptism of fire of the Brazilian Marine Corps, as there was a participation of the Royal Brigade of the Navy that would give origin to it
Today in Military History
6 January 1809
The Portuguese conquest of French Guiana was an 1809 military operation against Cayenne, capital of the South American colony of French Guiana. Performed by a combined expeditionary force that included Portuguese (from Portugal and from Colonial Brazil) and British military contingents.
In exchange for providing troops and transports for the operation, the Portuguese were promised Guiana as an expansion of their holdings in Brazil. The British contribution consisted solely of the minor warship HMS Confiance. The ship had a highly effective crew and an experienced captain in James Lucas Yeo, who was to command the entire expedition. The Portuguese contingent consisted of 700 regular soldiers of the colonial Army of Brazil, 550 marines of the Royal Brigade of the Navy detached in Brazil and several warships to act as transports and provide offshore artillery support. The French defenders were weakened and could only muster 400 regular infantry and 800 unreliable militia, formed in part from the territory's free black population.
The town of Cayenne is situated on an island in the mouth of the Cayenne and Mahury Rivers. Protected by a series of forts and gun batteries, while the town itself was dominated by a modern star fort. Yeo decided to attack a series of outlying forts on the Mahury River in an effort to draw out the French defenders. On 6 January, Yeo launched an attack during the night, landing at Pointe Mahury at 03:00 on 7 January in five canoes despite the heavy rains and rough surf. Yeo detached a Portuguese force against the Dégras de Cannes battery while he advanced on Fort Diamant with a force of seamen and marines. Both positions were rapidly carried, the British suffering seven men wounded to French losses of six killed and four wounded. Four cannons were seized, as were 90 French soldiers. Over the next four days, Yeo's men took the surrender of the outlying French garrisons and units. Resistance was inconsistent and despite Cayenne's strong fortifications, the territory fell within a week. It is considered to be the baptism of fire of the Brazilian Marine Corps, as there was a participation of the Royal Brigade of the Navy that would give origin to it
