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111-547: The Montijo Air Base started to be built by the Portuguese Navy , before World War II , to replace its Naval Aviation base of Bom Sucesso in Lisbon. The War prevented the good progress of the works and the base ended only to be inaugurated in 1952, as the "Sacadura Cabral" Naval Aviation Centre . The inauguration of the base happened during the process of the creation of the independent Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) and

222-511: A Madagascar-hugging route cleared up the longitude problem, it was also abundant in fearful obstacles – coral islets, atolls, shoals, protruding rocks, submerged reefs, made for a particularly nerve-wracking experience to navigate, especially at night or in bad weather. To avoid the worst consequences of doubling Cape Correntes, India ships stayed as far from the African coast as possible but not so close to Madagascar to run into its traps. To find

333-681: A combined English and Dutch naval force from the Strait of Hormuz , with Portugal regaining the control of the Persian Gulf . A major joint Portuguese–Spanish naval and military expedition was organized in April 1625 to retake Salvador da Bahia in Brazil from the Dutch, who had captured the city one year before. The Portuguese fleet was commandeered by Manuel de Menezes and counted 22 ships, including

444-542: A common reference point). It was around here that the all-important southwesterly monsoon winds began to pick up. The armada would then sail east, and let the monsoon carry them headlong across the Indian Ocean until India, presuming the armada arrived at the equator sometime in August. In Pimentel's (1746) estimation, ships had to leave Mozambique before August 25 to avail themselves of the summer monsoon. If, however,

555-660: A flag officer and included divisions of naval artillery, naval infantry and naval artificers, with a total of more than 5000 men. Following the execution of Louis XVI of France by the French revolutionaries, Portugal entered the anti-revolutionary Coalition. In 1793, the Portuguese Navy was tasked with transporting by sea and escorting the Portuguese Expeditionary Army sent to help Spain in the War of

666-740: A fleet to deter the Ottoman advance in the Mediterranean . This expedition would culminate in the battle of Matapan on 19 July 1717, in which the Portuguese fleet, supported by Venetian and Maltese ships, under the command of the Portuguese Admiral Count of Rio Grande, defeated the Ottoman Navy. From 1762 to 1777, the Portuguese naval forces based in Brazil participated in the several conflicts that occurred with

777-579: A long moving sandbank and hazardous shoals, making it quite unsuitable as a stop for the India armadas. So in 1507, the 9th Portuguese India Armada (Mello, 1507) seized Mozambique Island and erected a fortress there (Fort São Gabriel, later replaced by Fort São Sebastião in 1558), to use its spacious and well-sheltered harbor. The principal drawback was that Mozambique Island was parched and infertile. It produced practically nothing locally, and even had to ferry drinkable water by boat from elsewhere. Replenishing

888-435: A pilot miscalculated and charted a course too close to the African coast, the current ran south, the winds were light or non-existent, subject to arbitrary gusts from strange directions, and the coasts were littered with shoals . Into this dreaded mix, Cape Correntes added its own special terror to the experience. The Cape was not only a confluence point of opposing winds, which created unpredictable whirlwinds, it also produced

999-486: A poor harbor; although waters were kept calm by an offshore reef, the anchorage area was littered with shoals. It did, however, have a peculiar protruding rock that served as a decent natural pier for loading and unloading goods. Malindi's other advantage was that, at 3º15'S, it was practically at exactly the right latitude to catch the southwesterly monsoon for an Indian Ocean crossing. Plenty of experienced Indian Ocean pilots – Swahili, Arab or Gujarati – could be found in

1110-712: A ship of the line and six frigates. In the late 18th century, under the command of the Marquis of Nisa, the Portuguese Navy took part in the Mediterranean Campaign of 1798 against the French Republic in Egypt and in the Siege of Malta . Portuguese India Armadas The Portuguese Indian Armadas ( Portuguese : Armadas da Índia ; meaning "Armadas of India") were the fleets of ships funded by

1221-629: A ship's journey. The circumnavigation of Madagascar opened an alternative route to get to India, which gave more flexibility in timing. The rule that quickly emerged was that if an outbound armada doubled the Cape of Good Hope before mid-July, then it should follow the old "inner route" – that is, sail into the Mozambique Channel , up the East African coast until the equatorial latitude (around Malindi , in modern-day Kenya ), then take

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1332-669: A significant deal of its prestige, beginning to decline as other newly emerging European empirical powers began to overtake it. Today, the Portuguese Navy assumes a dual role capacity: naval combat missions to assure Portugal's sovereignty and international commitments, and coast guard operations in its territorial waters and areas of influence. The Portuguese Navy also participates in missions related with international commitments assumed by Portugal (mainly within NATO ), as well as missions of civil interest. The first historically known battle involving Portuguese naval forces happened in 1180, during

1443-499: A strange and extraordinarily fast southerly current, violent enough to break a badly-sewn ship, and confusing enough to throw all reckoning out the window and lure pilots into grievous errors. The temptation would be to err in the opposite direction, and keep on pushing east until the island of Madagascar was sighted, then move up the channel (the current here ran north), keeping the Madagascar coast in sight at all times. Although

1554-456: Is based at BA6 with the mission of training PoAF personnel in survival and individual rescue , including in nuclear , radiologic , biological or chemical warfare environments, as well Explosive Ordnance Disposal . In 2018 it was announced that the base would also become a civil airport (serving Lisbon ) for low cost carriers by 2022. Portuguese Navy The Portuguese Navy ( Portuguese : Marinha Portuguesa ), also known as

1665-566: Is estimated that of all the ships lost on the India Run, nearly 30% of them capsized or ran aground around here - more than any other place. The ideal passage through the Mozambique Channel would be to sail straight north through the middle of the channel, where a steady favorable wind could be relied upon at this season, but this was a particularly hard task in an era where longitude was determined largely by dead reckoning . If

1776-428: Is reported to have been as large as 600 tons. The rapid doubling and tripling of the size of Portuguese carracks in a few years reflected the needs of the India runs. The rate of increase tapered off thereafter. For much of the remainder of the 16th century, the average carrack on the India run was probably around 400 tons. In the 1550s, during the reign of John III , a few 900-ton behemoths were built for India runs, in

1887-554: Is that outbound ships tried to steer clear from the South African coast, to avoid the rushing waters of the contrary Agulhas Current . The exception was the Agoada de São Brás ( Mossel Bay , South Africa), a watering stop after the Cape. It was not always used on the outbound journey since individual ships often charted wide routes around the Cape, and sighted coast again only well after this point. However, ships damaged during

1998-599: The São Gabriel of Gama's 1497 fleet, one of the largest of the time, was only 120 tons. But this was quickly increased as the India run got underway. In the 1500 Cabral armada, the largest carracks, Cabral's flagship and the El-Rei , are reported to have been somewhere between 240 and 300 tons. The Flor de la Mar , built in 1502, was a 400-ton nau, while at least one of the naus of the Albuquerque armada of 1503

2109-497: The Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. The result of this technical and scientific discoveries led Portugal to develop advanced ships, including the caravel , new and more sophisticated types of carracks for interoceanic travel and the oceanic galleon , and to find the sea route to the East and routes to South America and Northern North America. Bartolomeu Dias rounded

2220-547: The Carreira da Índia ("India Run"). The India armada typically left Lisbon and each leg of the voyage took approximately six months. The critical determinant of the timing was the monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean . The monsoon was a southwesterly wind (i.e. blew from East Africa to India) in the summer (between May and September) and then abruptly reversed itself and became a northeasterly (from India to Africa) in

2331-622: The Crown of Portugal , and dispatched on an annual basis from Portugal to India . The principal destination was Goa , and previously Cochin . These armadas undertook the Carreira da Índia ( ' India Run ' ) from Portugal , following the maritime discovery of the Cape route , to the Indian subcontinent by Vasco da Gama in 1497–99. The annual Portuguese India armada was the main carrier of

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2442-577: The Pacific Ocean leaving from California . In 1618, the first naval infantry regiment was founded ( Portuguese : Terço da Armada da Coroa de Portugal ), origin of both the modern marine corps of Portugal and of Brazil . During 14 days of fighting in February 1625, the Portuguese Navy gained a strategic victory when a squadron of galleons, commanded by Rui Freire de Andrade, and another one of galleys, commanded by Álvaro Botelho, expelled

2553-698: The Portuguese War Navy ( Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa ) or as the Portuguese Armada ( Armada Portuguesa ), is the navy of the Portuguese Armed Forces . Chartered in 1317 by King Dinis of Portugal , it is the oldest continuously serving navy in the world ; in 2017, the Portuguese Navy commemorated the 700th anniversary of its official creation. The navy played a key role in Portuguese maritime exploration during

2664-741: The São Bento (900 tons, built 1551, wrecked 1554) and the largest of them all, the Nossa Senhora da Graça (1,000 tons, built 1556, wrecked 1559). These kind of losses prompted King Sebastian to issue an ordinance in 1570 setting the upper limit to the size of India naus at 450 tons. Nonetheless, after the Iberian Union of 1580, this regulation would be ignored and shipbuilders, probably urged on by merchants hoping to turn around more cargo on every trip, pushed for larger ships. The size of India naus accelerated again, averaging 600 tons in

2775-589: The Terço da Armada da Coroa de Portugal , and about 4,000 men. On 1 December 1640, the Portuguese revolted and restored the full independence of Portugal after 60 years of Spanish domination. To defend its independence, the Portuguese Restoration War had to be fought against the Spanish forces. Although the threat from the powerful Spanish Navy existed, no major naval engagements occurred, with

2886-552: The ad hoc India armadas , dispatched to India on an annual basis. To aid the Christian forces to conquest Tunis in 1535, King John III sent the Portuguese galleon Botafogo , the world's most powerful warship of the time, armed with between 80-200 guns and under the command of the brother of the King, Louis, Duke of Beja . In 1567, a Portuguese naval squadron, under the command of Mem de Sá , took Fort Coligny and expelled

2997-557: The reign of Portugal's first king, Afonso I . The battle occurred off Cape Espichel , with a Portuguese naval squadron, commanded by the knight Fuas Roupinho , defeating a Muslim naval squadron. Fuas Roupinho also made two incursions at Ceuta , in 1181 and 1182, and died during the latter of these attempts to conquer the North African city. During the 13th century, in the Reconquista , the Portuguese naval forces helped in

3108-468: The spice trade between Europe and Asia during the 16th Century. The Portuguese monopoly on the Cape route was maintained for a century, until it was breached by Dutch and English competition in the early 1600s. The Portuguese India armadas declined in importance thereafter. During the Dutch occupation of Cochin and the Dutch siege of Goa , the harbour of Bom Bahia , now known as Mumbai (Bombay) , off

3219-439: The "cape of storms"–was a very challenging headland on the India Run. The outbound crossing was always difficult, and many a ship was lost here. Larger armadas often broke up into smaller squadrons to attempt the crossing, and would re-collect only on the other side – indeed quite far on the other side. There was usually no stop or collection point after the Cape crossing until well inside the Mozambique Channel . The reason for this

3330-626: The 12 December 1317. This is considered the official date of foundation of the Portuguese Navy, with its 700 years being commemorated on the 12 December 2017. In 1321, the Portuguese Navy successfully attacked Muslim ports in North Africa . Maritime insurance began in 1323 in Portugal. Between 1336 and 1341, the first attempts at maritime expansion were made, with an expedition to the Canary Islands , sponsored by King Afonso IV . In

3441-512: The 1580–1600 period, with several spectacularly large naus of 1500 tons or greater making their appearance in the 1590s. If the lesson was not quite learned then, it was certainly learned in August, 1592, when English privateer Sir John Burroughs (alt. Burrows, Burgh) captured the Madre de Deus in the waters around the Azores islands (see Battle of Flores ). The Madre de Deus , built in 1589,

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3552-578: The 16th century, the Portuguese India armada stabilized at 5-6 ships annually, with very few exceptions (above seven in 1551 and 1590, below 4 in 1594 and 1597). Organization was principally in the hands of the Casa da Índia , the royal trading house established around 1500 by King Manuel I of Portugal . The Casa was in charge of monitoring the crown monopoly on India trade – receiving goods, collecting duties , assembling, maintaining and scheduling

3663-563: The Atlantic, the Indian ocean, and in the Far East , also contributed to the technical and geographical advance of other European navies, such as the first circumnavigation by Ferdinand Magellan (including, in the expedition, other captains, sailors and pilots), sailing across the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean . From the late 15th century until the late 16th century, the Portuguese navy

3774-583: The Cape Verde peninsula, were the usual first stop for India-bound ships. Relative scarcity of water and supplies on the islands made this a sub-optimal stop, but the islands (especially Santiago ) served as a harbor against storms and were frequently a pre-arranged point for the collection and repair of damaged ships. The Angra de Bezeguiche (Bay of Dakar , Senegal) was a common watering stop for ships after doubling Cape Verde. The shores were controlled by Wolof and Serer kingdoms, whose relations with

3885-402: The Cape, provisions had grown stale, scurvy and dysentery had often set in, and deaths of crews and passengers from disease had begun. The ship itself, so long at sea without re-caulking or re-painting, was in a fragile state. To then force the miserable ship through the mast-cracking tempests of Cape of Good Hope, the seam-ripping violent waters of Cape Correntes and the treacherous rocks of

3996-511: The East African coast to Mozambique Island before the armada's scheduled arrival. The Mozambican factor also collected East African trade goods that could be picked up by the armadas and sold profitably in Indian markets – notably gold , ivory , copper , pearls and coral . After Mozambique, the rule for the India armadas was generally to continue sailing north until they reached the equator latitude (the Seychelles islands, at 4ºS, were

4107-592: The English crown. The loss of so much cargo in one swoop confirmed, once again, the folly of building such gigantic ships. The carracks built for the India run returned to their smaller size after the turn of the century. In the early Carreira da India , the carracks were usually accompanied by smaller caravels ( caravelas ), averaging 50–70 tons (rarely reaching 100), and capable of holding 20–30 men at most. Whether lateen-rigged ( latina ) or square-rigged ( redonda ), these shallow-drafted, nimble vessels had

4218-518: The European discoverer of the sea route to India . In 1500, when leading a second Portuguese Armada of 13 ships to India, Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered and explored Brazil , claiming it for Portugal. In the same year, Diogo Dias , as one of the Captains of the fleet to India of Pedro Álvares Cabral, is separated from the main fleet by a storm while crossing the Cape of Good Hope, and becomes

4329-688: The French from the Guanabara Bay . Following the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580 and having defeated António, Prior of Crato in the War of the Portuguese Succession , the Habsburg Philip II of Spain became King of Portugal as Philip I. Under the Iberian Union , Portugal continued to be formally an independent kingdom with its own Navy, but its foreign and naval policies became increasingly subordinate to and oriented by Spanish interests. The Portuguese Navy

4440-523: The India run back to Portugal and for runs to further points east. The return voyage was shorter than the outbound. The fleet left India in December, picking up the northeast monsoon towards the African coast. Passing through the Mozambique Channel, the fleet kept close to land to avoid the westerlies and catch the Agulhas Current to round the Cape of Good Hope. Once in the Atlantic, it caught

4551-587: The Midshipmen ( Academia Real dos Guardas-Marinhas ) was created in 1792, as a university -level naval academy . This Academy is the origin of the present Naval schools of Portugal and of Brazil . In 1792, the three naval regiments (two of infantry and one of artillery) were reorganized and merged as the Royal Brigade of the Navy ( Portuguese : Brigada Real de Marinha ). This Brigade was commanded by

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4662-576: The Navy underwent a large transformation, as warships started being differentiated from merchant ships. In 1705, a squadron of eight ships of the line was sent to help England against the Franco-Spanish forces that were besieging Gibraltar , this expedition culminating in the naval battle of Cabrita Point . At the request of the Republic of Venice and the Pope , in 1716, the Portuguese Navy sent

4773-501: The PoAF complete, with some personnel returning to the Navy and others staying in the air force. In 1993, with the arrival of the Portuguese Navy's first Westland Super Lynx Mk.95 for the Vasco da Gama -class frigates , the air base became home to a naval helicopter squadron. The Air Force Survival Training Center ( Portuguese : Centro de Treino de Sobrevivência da Força Aérea , CTSFA)

4884-528: The Portuguese India armadas, except in emergencies. The first real obstacle on the route was the Cape Verde peninsula (Cap-Vert, Senegal ), around which the Canary Current ends and the equatorial drift begins. Although not difficult to double, it was a concentration point of sudden storms and Cape Verde-type hurricanes , so ships were frequently damaged. The Cape Verde islands , to the west of

4995-573: The Portuguese Navy was able to break the Castilian siege of Lisbon and to supply the city, defeating the Castilian Navy in the naval battle of the Tagus . In the beginning of the 15th century, the country entered a period of peace and stability. Europe was still involved in wars and feudal conflicts which allowed Portugal to be the only capable country to methodically and successfully start

5106-507: The Portuguese were ambivalent, so a warm reception on the mainland could not always be counted on. In the middle of the bay was the island of Gorée ( ilha de Bezeguiche ), a safe anchoring spot, but the island itself lacked drinkable water. As a result, ships frequently watered and repaired at certain mainland points along the Petite Côte of Senegal such as Rio Fresco (now Rufisque ) and Porto de Ale (now Saly-Portudal ). It

5217-408: The Portuguese were establishing themselves in India, the armadas averaged around fifteen ships per year. This declined to around ten from 1510–1525. From 1526 to the 1540s, the armadas declined further to 7-8 ships per year — with a few exceptional cases of large armadas (e.g. 1533, 1537, 1547) brought about by military exigency, but also several years of exceptionally small fleets. In the second half of

5328-447: The Portuguese, it had the earliest Portuguese factory and fort in India, and served as the headquarters of Portuguese government and operations in India for the first decades. However, this changed after the Portuguese conquest of Goa in 1510. The capture of Goa had been largely motivated by the desire to find a replacement for Anjediva as the first anchoring point for the armadas. Anjediva had proven itself to be far from ideal. The island

5439-610: The Pyrenees against France. This was done by the Transport Squadron organized with four ships of the line, one frigate, four transport ships and 10 merchant ships. To aid United Kingdom to defend itself from a possible French invasion, the Portuguese Navy organized and sent the Channel Squadron, with five ships of the line, two frigates, two brigantines and a hospital-ship. From July 1794 to March 1796, under

5550-479: The Spanish in South America , but with limited success. From 1770, under the leadership of D. Martinho de Melo e Castro, secretary of State of the Navy, the Portuguese Navy went through large reform and modernization. Incidentally, as part of these reforms, the old procedure of baptizing Portuguese ships with names of Saints was replaced by names of mythical, historical or Royal persons. The Royal Academy of

5661-423: The West African coast as long as possible, until the doldrums hit (usually around Sierra Leone), then to strike southwest sharply, drift over the doldrums and then catch the South Equatorial Current (the top arm of the South Atlantic gyre) towards the coast of Brazil . This was usually referred to as following the volta do mar (literally, 'turn of the sea', i.e. the South Atlantic gyre). The volta do mar

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5772-419: The area of the Strait of Gibraltar , to protect the navigation with North Africa and the Mediterranean ). The first two fleets were mostly made of ships of the line (carracks and galleons ), while the Strait fleet was mostly made of ships powered by oars ( fustas and galleys ). These fleets would subsist until the beginning of the 19th century. Besides the permanent three fleets, the Navy continued to organize

5883-453: The armada arrived in the latter part of the season, say September, turning at the equator was a risky route. The southwesterly monsoon might be blowing in the right direction at the moment, but the ship ran the risk of not reaching a safe Indian port before the monsoon reversed direction (usually around late September to early October, when it became a northeasterly). So a late season ship was usually stuck in Africa until next April. Notice that

5994-434: The armada down to Cochin prevented Portuguese squads from Cochin racing up to rescue it. The Portuguese had tried setting up a fort in Anjediva, but it was captured and dismantled by forces on behalf of Bijapur. As a result, the Portuguese governor Afonso de Albuquerque decided the nearby island-city of Goa was preferable and forcibly seized it in 1510. Thereafter Goa, with its better harbor and greater supply base, served as

6105-418: The beginning of the Discoveries was the caravel , varying from 50 to 160 tons. The first results came soon when Gonçalves Zarco discovered Porto Santo Island in 1419 and Madeira Island in 1420, and Diogo de Silves discovered the azorean island of Santa Maria in 1427. In 1424, Gil Eanes crosses the Cape Bojador . Diogo Cão and Bartolomeu Dias arrived to the mouth of the Zaire River in 1482. In

6216-477: The channel, turned this final stage into a veritable hell for all aboard. Mozambique Island was originally an outpost of the Kilwa Sultanate , a collection of Muslim Swahili cities along the East African coast, centered at Kilwa , that formed a Medieval commercial empire from Cape Correntes in the south to the Somali borderlands in the north, what is sometimes called the " Swahili Coast ". The Kilwa Sultanate began disintegrating into independent city-states around

6327-418: The city, and Malindi was likely to have the latest news from across the sea, so it was a very convenient stop for the Portuguese before a crossing. However, stops take time, which, given the imminent monsoon reversal, was a scarce commodity. If the armada had been decently equipped enough at Mozambique island, a stop at Malindi, however delightful or useful, was an unnecessary and risky expenditure of time. With

6438-405: The coast of Newfoundland was charted by the Corte-Real brothers, sons of João Vaz Corte-Real, in a failed attempt to find the Northwest Passage in 1501. In 1499, João Fernandes Lavrador and Pero de Barcelos arrive in Labrador ( named after João Fernandes Lavrador ) and map its coast. The greatest achievement of these exploration voyages was attained by Vasco da Gama , who in 1498 became

6549-414: The coast of the northern Konkan region, served as the standard diversion for the armadas . For a long time after its discovery by Vasco da Gama, the sea route to India via the Cape of Good Hope was dominated by the Portuguese India armada – the annual fleet dispatched from Portugal to India, and after 1505, the Estado da India . Between 1497 and 1650, there were 1033 departures of ships at Lisbon for

6660-407: The command of António Januário do Valle, the Portuguese Channel Squadron patrolled the English Channel in cooperation with the Royal Navy. The Portuguese Navy ended the 18th century with a fleet that included 13 ships of the line, 16 frigates, three corvettes, 17 brigs and eight support ships. In addition, the Portuguese naval forces also included the Navy of India, based in the Indian Ocean , with

6771-410: The conquest of several coastal Moorish towns, like Alcácer do Sal , Silves and Faro . It was also used in the battles against Castile —through incursions in Galicia and Andalusia —and also in joint actions with other Christian fleets against the Muslims. King Denis gave a permanent organization to his naval forces, appointing Manuel Pessanha of Genoa to be the first Admiral of the Kingdom, on

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6882-416: The context of the 1383–85 Crisis , the Portuguese Navy took an active participation in the war against Castile. A Portuguese naval campaign conducted in Galicia led to the conquest of the coastal towns of Baiona , A Coruña and Neda , as well as the destruction of the naval base of Ferrol and of several ships that were on the way to reinforce the Castilian forces that were besieging Lisbon. In July 1384,

6993-406: The crossing frequently had no choice but to put in there for emergency repairs. Trade for food supplies with the pastoral Khoikhoi peoples that lived in the area was frequent (although there were also occasional skirmishes). São Brás was a more frequent stop on the return journey, as a place to repair the ships before doubling the Cape the other way. As a result, particularly in early years, São Brás

7104-463: The crossing of the Cape of Good Hope. The island had a town and a fortress, so some stock of supplies was usually at hand. The conditions of the ships by the time they reached Mozambique was often woeful. With the occasional exception of Cape Santo Agostinho and Mossel Bay, there were no stops between Cape Verde and Mozambique Island, an extraordinarily long time for 16th-century ships to remain at sea without repairs, watering, or resupply. Already before

7215-418: The environs of Pernambuco, the India naus sailed straight south along the Brazil Current, until about the latitude of the Tropic of Capricorn , visibly the Abrolhos islands or the Trindade and Martim Vaz islands, where they began to catch more favorable prevailing westerlies . These would take them quickly straight east, across the South Atlantic, to South Africa. The Cape of Good Hope –once aptly named

7326-420: The exploration of the Atlantic . Portuguese expansion during the 15th century can be divided in: Territorial expansion began in Morocco with the conquest of Ceuta in 1415. Exploration in the west African coast started in 1412 and ended with the crossing of the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. After his return from Ceuta , Henry the navigator founded a school of navigation in Sagres .The vessel employed in

7437-418: The first European to reach Madagascar . Besides the already existing role of Admiral of Portugal, the Crown creates the role of Admiral of India, whose first holder becomes Vasco da Gama in 1500. With the first established sea route to the Indian Ocean , the Portuguese started to use the carrack ship ( nau in Portuguese). Nevertheless, the Portuguese penetration in the Indian Ocean was not peaceful due to

7548-405: The first anchorage point of Portuguese armadas upon arriving in India. Although Cochin, with its important spice markets, remained the ultimate destination, and was still the official Portuguese headquarters in India until the 1530s, Goa was more favorably located relative to Indian Ocean wind patterns and served as its military-naval center. The docks of Goa were soon producing their own carracks for

7659-446: The fleets, contracting private merchants, correspondence with the feitorias (overseas factories ), drafting documents and handling legal matters. Separately from the Casa, but working in coordination with it, was the Armazém das Índias , the royal agency in charge of nautical outfitting, that oversaw the Lisbon docks and naval arsenal. The Armazém was responsible for the training of pilots and sailors, ship construction and repair, and

7770-417: The hope that larger ships would provide economies of scale . The experiment turned out poorly. Not only was the cost of outfitting such a large ship disproportionately high, they proved unmaneuverable and unseaworthy, particularly in the treacherous waters of the Mozambique Channel . Three of the new behemoths were quickly lost on the southern African coast – the São João (900 tons, built 1550, wrecked 1552),

7881-402: The ideal middle route through the channel, pilots tended to rely on two dangerous longitude markers – the Bassas da India and the Europa rocks . Although conveniently situated in the middle of the channel, they were not always visible above the waves, so sailors often watched for hovering clusters of seabirds , which colonized these rocks, as an indicator of their location. Unfortunately, this

7992-702: The islands was not a simple matter. Although Mozambique islanders had established watering holes, gardens and coconut palm groves (essential for timber) just across on the mainland (at Cabaceira inlet), the Bantu inhabitants of the area were generally hostile to both the Swahili and the Portuguese, and often prevented the collection of supplies. So ensuring Mozambique had sufficient supplies presented its own challenges. The Portuguese factors in Mozambique had to ensure enough supplies were shipped in from other points on

8103-506: The monarch.) Ships could be and sometimes were owned and outfitted by private merchants, and these were incorporated into the India armada. However, the expenses of outfitting a ship were immense, and few native Portuguese merchants had the wherewithal to finance one, despite eager government encouragement. In the early India runs, there are several ships organized by private consortiums, often with foreign capital provided by wealthy Italian and German trading houses. This fluctuated over time, as

8214-532: The monsoon, Portuguese India armadas usually arrived in India in early September (sometimes late August). Because of the wind pattern, they usually made landfall around Anjediva island ( Angediva ). From there, the armada furled their square sails and proceed with lateen sails south along the Malabar coast of India to the city of Cochin ( Cochim , Kochi) in Kerala . Cochin was the principal spice port accessible to

8325-750: The naval capability and the navigation knowledge of the Portuguese navigators, as well as their courage and determination. In 1520, King Manuel I organized the Portuguese Navy in three permanent armadas (fleets): the Armada of the Coast (for coastal patrol), the Armada of the Islands (based in the Azores, for the protection of the ocean navigation in the North Atlantic) and the Armada of the Strait (operating in

8436-474: The opposition of the Muslims. However, in 1509 Francisco de Almeida had a tremendous victory over the Muslims in the naval Battle of Diu , and the Portuguese presence and dominance in the area is definitely attained. In Morocco the Portuguese conquests continued and they took over the cities of Safim , Azamor , Mazagão and Mogador . In the Far East , Portuguese navigators continue their progress visiting

8547-529: The outer route. This rule was temporarily suspended between the 1570s and 1590s. From 1615, a new rule was introduced whereby return fleets from Goa were allowed to use the inner route, but return fleets from Cochin still had to use the outer route. With the entry of Dutch and English competition in the 1590s, the start of the return legs were delayed until February and March, with the predictable upsurge in lost and weather-delayed ships. Arrival times in Portugal varied, usually between mid-June and late August. It

8658-571: The procurement and provision of naval equipment – sails, ropes, guns, instruments and, most importantly, maps. The piloto-mor ('chief pilot') of the Armazém, in charge of pilot-training, was, up until 1548, also the keeper of the Padrão Real , the secret royal master map, incorporating all the cartographic details reported by Portuguese captains and explorers, and upon which all official nautical charts were based. The screening and hiring of crews

8769-462: The returning fleet. Portuguese India armadas tended to follow the same outward route. There were several staging posts along the route of the India Run that were repeatedly used. Setting out from Lisbon (February–April), India-bound naus took the Canary Current straight southwest to the Canary Islands . The islands were owned by Castile and so this was not a usual watering stop for

8880-639: The round trip took a little over a year, minimizing the time at sea. The critical step was ensuring the armada reached East Africa on time. Ships that failed to reach the equatorial latitude on the East African coast by late August would be stuck in Africa and have to wait until next spring to undertake an Indian Ocean crossing, and would then have to wait in India until the winter to begin their return, so any delay in East Africa during those critical few weeks of August could end up adding an entire extra year to

8991-622: The royal duties, costs of outfitting and rate of attrition and risk of loss on India runs were sometimes too high for private houses to bear. Private Portuguese merchants did, however, routinely contract for cargo, carried aboard crown ships for freight charges. Marine insurance was still underdeveloped, although the Portuguese had helped pioneer its development and its practice seemed already customary. The ships of an India armada were typically carracks ( naus ), with sizes that grew over time. The first carracks were modest ships, rarely exceeding 100 tons, carrying only up to 40–60 men; for example,

9102-503: The same year, the São Jorge da Mina castle was built on the coast of Western Africa, by Diogo de Azambuja , becoming one of the most important Portuguese naval bases. The structure exists to this day and is a robust example of slave trade in this era. In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to sail around the southernmost tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope . João Vaz Corte-Real arrived at Newfoundland in 1473. Part of

9213-513: The south equatorial current of the volta do mar , the armada would drift southwest through the doldrums and reach the southbound Brazil Current off the coast of Brazil (around Pernambuco ). Although India naus did not usually stop in Brazil, it was not unheard of to put in a brief watering stop at Cape Santo Agostinho (Pernambuco, Brazil), especially if the southeasterly trade winds were particularly strong (pilots had to be careful not to allow themselves to be caught and driven backwards). From

9324-647: The southeast of Asia , China in 1517 and Australia in 1522. In the same period they reached Taiwan (baptizing it Formosa ) and Japan where they became the first Europeans to arrive. They entered the Red Sea in 1542 to destroy the Ottoman armada in Suez . In the West the Portuguese visited the coast of New England in 1520, California in 1542 and Hudson Bay in 1588. All of these actions were only possible with

9435-413: The southeast trade winds and sailed to the west of Ascension and Saint Helena as far as the doldrums. The fleet then sailed almost straight north to the Azores , where it caught the prevailing westerlies and sailed due east into Lisbon. The size of the armada varied, from enormous fleets of over twenty ships to small ones of as few as four. This changed over time. In the first decade (1500–1510), when

9546-452: The southeasterly trade winds and the contrary Benguela Current , a particularly tiresome task for heavy square rigged carracks . However, it sometimes happened that by poor piloting, India naus would be inadvertently caught by the Guinea counter-current and forced to take that route, but such ships would not be likely to reach India that year. Assuming the India armada successfully caught

9657-478: The southern hemisphere, below the doldrums, the counter-clockwise gyre of the South Atlantic and the southeasterly trade winds , prevented sailing directly southeast to the Cape. Passing the doldrums was a navigational challenge, and pilots had to avail themselves deftly of the currents and every little breeze they could get to stay on course. The usual tactic was to proceed south or even southeast along

9768-538: The southern tip of Africa and Vasco da Gama reached India , linking Europe and Asia for the first time by ocean route, as well as the Atlantic and the Indian oceans. This led to the discovery of Brazil in the first expeditions that linked Europe, Africa, the New World , and Asia on a single voyage, such as the expedition of Pedro Álvares Cabral , and through the skills and experience of their navigators in

9879-463: The southwesterly monsoon across the ocean to India. If, however, the armada doubled the Cape after mid-July, then it was obliged to sail the "outer route" – that is, strike out straight east from South Africa, go under the southern tip of Madagascar, and then turn up from there, taking a northerly path through the Mascarenes islands, across the open ocean to India. While the outer route did not have

9990-456: The support of African staging posts and important watering stops, it sidestepped sailing directly against the post-summer monsoon. Return fleets were a different story. The principal worry of the return fleets was the fast dangerous waters of the inner Mozambican channel, which was particularly precarious for heavily loaded and less maneuverable ships. In the initial decades, the return fleet usually set out from Cochin in December, although that

10101-468: The time of the Portuguese arrival (1500), a process speeded along by the intrigues and interventions of Portuguese captains. The original object of Portuguese attentions had been the southerly Swahili city of Sofala , the main outlet of the Monomatapa gold trade, and the first Portuguese fortress in East Africa was erected there in 1505 ( Fort São Caetano de Sofala). But Sofala's harbor was marred by

10212-600: The trajectory, as described, skips over nearly all the towns on the East African coast north of Mozambique – Kilwa ( Quíloa ), Zanzibar , Mombasa ( Mombaça ), Malindi ( Melinde ), Barawa ( Brava ), Mogadishu ( Magadoxo ), etc. This is not to say Portuguese did not visit those locations – indeed, some even had Portuguese factories and forts (e.g. Fort Santiago in Kilwa, held from 1505 to 1512). But Portuguese armadas on their way to India did not have to stop at those locations, and so usually did not. The stop on Mozambique island

10323-567: The transference of the Naval Aviation from the control of the Navy to the new branch. On March 3, 1953, the Naval Aviation Centre was officially re-designated as Air Base No. 6. However, within the PoAF an independent group originating from the Naval Aviation units, known as " Forças Aeronavais ", continued to operate from BA6 in the anti-submarine role. Only by late 1956, early 1957, was the integration of these units in

10434-586: The war being fought mainly on land. At the same time, Portugal made peace agreements with England , France and the Netherlands . In the period of the Restoration War, the major engagements of the Portuguese Navy were not against the Spanish but against the Dutch , that—despite having signed a peace agreement with the Portuguese—decided to take advantage of the difficult conditions caused by

10545-526: The war effort of Portugal in Europe and to assault and capture some of its colonies in America , Africa and Asia. Despite some important initial setbacks, the Portuguese were finally able to react, repulsing the Dutch assaults on Mozambique , Goa and Macau and recapturing Northeast Brazil, Angola , São Tomé and Ano Bom , in several naval and military campaigns. During the reign of King John V of Portugal ,

10656-467: The waves – but they form a channel of calm waters between themselves and the mainland, a useful shelter for troubled ships. The scheduled stop was a little further north on Mozambique Island , a coral island off the coast, with two outlying smaller islands ( Goa Island , known as São Jorge , and the island of Sena). Mozambique's main attribute was its splendid harbor, which served as the usual first stop and collection point of Portuguese India armadas after

10767-540: The winter (between October and April). The ideal timing was to pass the Cape of Good Hope around June–July and get to the East African middle coast by August, just in time to catch the summer monsoon winds to India, arriving around early September. The return trip from India would typically begin in January, taking the winter monsoon back to Lisbon along a similar route, arriving by the summer (June–August). Overall,

10878-402: Was a 1600-ton carrack, with seven decks and a crew of around 600. It was the largest Portuguese ship to go on an India run. The great carrack, under the command of Fernão de Mendonça Furtado, was returning from Cochin with a full cargo when it was captured by Burrough. The value of the treasure and cargo taken on this single ship is estimated to have been equivalent to half the entire treasury of

10989-408: Was added to the squadron) and two zabras , and another squadron of four galleys , with a total of 16 vessels and more than 5,800 men. This expedition culminated in the naval battle of Gravelines . Linked to Spain by a dual monarchy , Portugal saw its large Empire being attacked by the English, the French and the Dutch, all enemies of Spain. The reduced Portuguese population (around one million)

11100-438: Was customary for return fleets to send their fastest ship ahead to announce the results in Lisbon, before the rest of the fleet arrived later that summer. Because of the timing, an armada had to leave Lisbon (February–April) before the previous year's armada returned (June–August). To get news of the latest developments in India, the outgoing armada relied on notes and reports left along the way at various African staging posts by

11211-455: Was eventually pushed forward to January. January 20 was the critical date, after which all return fleets were obliged to follow the outer route (east of Madagascar) which was deemed calmer and safer for their precious cargo. That meant they missed the important watering stop on Mozambique island on the return leg and had to put in elsewhere later, such as Mossel Bay or St. Helena . Between 1525 and 1579, all return fleets were ordered to follow

11322-417: Was generally undersupplied – it contained only a few fishing villages – but the armada ships were often forced to sojourn there for long periods, usually for repair or to await for better winds to carry them down to Cochin. Anjediva island also lay in precarious pirate-infested waters, on the warring frontier between Muslim Bijapur and Hindu Vijaynagar, which frequently threatened it. The same winds which carried

11433-489: Was not a reliable method, and many an India ship ended up crashing on those rocks. If they succeeded sailing up the middle channel, the India naus usually saw African coast again only around the bend of Angoche . If the ships were in a bad shape, they could stop at the Primeiras Islands (off Angoche) for urgent repairs. The Primeiras are a long row of uninhabited low coral islets – not much more than mounds above

11544-518: Was not sufficient to resist so many enemies, and the Empire started to fall apart. The Portuguese Navy was still involved in several other conflicts and maintained an important role in the fight against pirates . António Saldanha commanding a fleet of 30 carracks defeated an Ottoman fleet in the Mediterranean and conquered Tunis . Meanwhile, João Queirós accomplished a double crossing of

11655-411: Was not unheard of for India naus to water much further south, among the many inlets and islands (e.g. Bissagos ) along the African coast to Sierra Leone . Below Cape Verde, around the latitudes of Sierra Leone, began the Atlantic doldrums , a calm low pressure region on either side of the equator with little or no winds. At this time of year, the doldrums belt usually ranged between 5° N and 5° S. In

11766-690: Was one of the most powerful maritime forces in the world. For most of the 16th century, the Portuguese India Armadas and fleets, then the world leader in shipbuilding and naval artillery and technology, dominated most of the Atlantic Ocean south of the Canary Islands, the Indian Ocean and the access to the western Pacific. Following the Iberian Union , the Portuguese Empire and its maritime power lost

11877-588: Was soon ordered by King Philip to contribute to the Spanish Armada intended to invade England, although England was an old ally of Portugal. Portugal provided the most powerful squadron of ships of the Armada, including its flagship, the galleon São Martinho (called the San Martin by the Spanish). The Portuguese participation included a squadron of nine galleons (a tenth galleon provided by Tuscany

11988-630: Was the function of the provedor of the Armazém. From at least 1511 (perhaps earlier), the offices of the Casa da India were based in the ground floor of the royal Ribeira Palace , by the Terreiro do Paço in Lisbon, with the Armazém nearby. (Neither the Casa nor the Armazem should be confused with the Estado da Índia , the Portuguese colonial government in India, which was separate and reported directly to

12099-451: Was used as a postal station, where messages from the returning armadas would be left for the outward armadas, reporting on the latest conditions in India. If the armada went by the inner route, then the next daunting obstacle was Cape Correntes , at the entrance of the Mozambique Channel. Treacherously fast waters, light winds alternating with unpredictably violent gusts, and dangerous shoals and rocks made this cape particularly dangerous. It

12210-609: Was usually contrasted to the rota da Mina (Mina route). The latter meant striking southeast in the doldrums to catch the Equatorial Counter Current (or Guinea Current) east into the Gulf of Guinea . This was the usual route to the fort of São Jorge da Mina on the Portuguese Gold Coast . This was not part of the India run. The route from Mina down to South Africa involved tacking against

12321-511: Was usually the only necessary one. Nonetheless, if the armada had time, or got into trouble for some reason, the stopping choice was Malindi . A Portuguese ally since the earliest trip of Vasco da Gama in 1498, Malindi could usually be counted on to give a warm reception and had plenty of supplies. Unlike most other Swahili towns, Malindi was on the mainland and had an ample hinterlands with fertile cultivated fields, including groves of oranges and lemons (critical to combat scurvy ). However, it had

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