Luis Vicente de Velasco

Luis Vicente Velasco de Isla

Luis Vicente Velasco de Isla (Noja, Cantabria, Spain February 9 1711 - Havana, Cuba July 31 1762) was a Spanish sailor and commander in the Royal Spanish Navy. He is known for his valiant defense against the British expedition against Cuba in 1762, during which action he was killed.

Biography

He became a sailor at the age of 15 and saw his first action against the Barbary pirates. He participated in the conquest of Oran in 1732.

In 1742 he was in command of a frigat with 30 guns, when he attacked two British ships with more guns, capturing one and sinking the other. He rescued the British crew and arrived in Havana with more prisoners than his own crew. in 1746 he captured an other British frigate with 36 guns and 150 men. In 1754 King Ferdinand VI of Spain gave him command of the Ship of the line, "La Reina".

Battle of Havana and death

File:Morro1762.jpg

The British fleet withdraws badly damaged from El Morro in 1762)

During the Seven Years' War the British send an expedition against Cuba in 1762 with a fleet of 23 ships, 24 frigates and 150 transport- and support ships, carrying an invasion army of 14.000 men, later reinforced by an other 4.000 men, under command of Admiral George Pocock. 10.000 men embarked under command of George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle and conquered the hights, which the governor of Cuba, Juan de Prado had left undefended.

Velasco defended the vital Morro Castle with 64 heavy guns and a garrison of 700 men. On July 1, the British launched a combined land and naval attack on the Morro. The fleet detached 4 ships of the line for this purpose: HMS Stirling Castle, HMS Dragon, HMS Marlborough and Cambridge. The naval and land artilleries simultaneously opened fire on the Morro. However, naval guns were ineffective, the fort being located too high. Counter-fire from 30 guns of the Morro inflicted 192 casualties and serious damage to the 4 ships of the line, forcing them to withdraw.

The fortess held out for an other 2 months despite daily heavy shelling, thanks to the energetic and valiant leadership of Velasco. The resistance came to an end when Velasco was hit by a bullet in the chest. The leader of the British attack force, Sir Reppel, allowed the transfer of the heavily wounded Velasco to Havana, where British surgeons tried to save his life, but in vane, he dies on July 31, 1762. The British and Spanish concluded a truce to allow for his burial.

Two weeks later, Havana fell into British hands.

Legacy

Velasco was honoured by Spanish and British for his bravery. There is a monument in his honour in Westminster Abbey and in the Tower of London, where the Spanish standard of El Morro is kept. British ships fired a salute until the beginning of the 20th century, when passing his hometown Noja.

King Carlos III of Spain had a statue erected in Meruelo, ordered a ship to be named in his honour, and gave his brother Iñigo José de Velasco the title of Marquis.