The Conquest of the Azores (also known as the Spanish conquest of the Azores), but principally involving the conquest of the island of Terceira, occurred on 2 August 1583, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, between forces loyal to the claimant D. António, Prior of Crato, supported by the French and English troops, and the Spanish and Portuguese forces loyal to King Philip II of Spain, commanded by the Admiral Don Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz, during the War of the Portuguese Succession. The victory of the Marquis of Santa Cruz resulted in the rapid Spanish conquest of the Azores, facilitating the integration of the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial possessions into the Spanish Empire.
Following a day's fighting, forces of the island of Terceira were defeated by Spanish Tercios, using the strategies and tactics of Álvaro de Bazán. A few days later, a contingent of Spanish-Portuguese troops landed on the island of Faial, where they defeated and captured a garrison of five French and one English companies (700 men in total). At the end of the campaign, approximately 9,000 Portuguese, French, Italian, and English were captured by the Spanish. The French, English, and Italian soldiers on the islands were allowed to retire unharmed, but 16 supporters of the Portuguese claimant, António, Prior of Crato, who had attempted to flee on the night of the attack were executed: António and a few of his supporters were lucky to escape with their lives.
Background
After the victory at the Battle of Ponta Delgada, the Marquis of Santa Cruz, secure within his Lisbon base, prepared an amphibious invasion of overwhelming force: 15,372 men and 98 ships, including 31 big merchantmen converted as troop transports, small vessels and landing craft, fighting galleons, 12 galleys, and 2 galleasses. This time his aim was not to fight a fleet but to land an army: the task force could certainly defend itself if necessary, but its primary role was to put troops, together with their supporting equipment and supplies, on a selected beach-head and then to back them up until the military objectives had been gained. Philip II ordered Bazán by letter to hang those French and English subjects on the island caught in arms against his forces.
The Terceirans expected the Spaniards to land at the harbours of Angra and Peggia, and had disposed their forces – under Charles de Bordeaux and Battista Scrichi – accordingly. However, Santa Cruz decided to deliver his main thrust at Mole, a beach 10 miles from Angra defended only by light earthworks occupied by infantry with some artillery support. António himself was on Terceira, where he supervised the raising of levies for defense, but left in November to persuade the French to furnish another 1,500 men, who arrived in June 1583. The Queen Mother of France, Catherine de' Medici, sent 1,200 French and 400 English soldiers organized in 9 companies under Aymar de Chaste, governor of Dieppe, who took the command of the islands.
De Chaste increased the fortifications of Terceira by building, on its southern and most exposed coast, up to 31 stone forts and 13 fascine outposts, connected altogether by trenches and furnished with a total of 293 cannons. The quality of the defending troops was diverse: the French and English were veteran soldiers, while the local militia under the command of the governor Manuel da Silva was unreliable for the battle. On the other hand, most of the Spanish troops, which included 3 tercios, 1 German regiment of 4 companies, 3 Italian companies, and one Portuguese company, were well-disciplined veterans of the Dutch Revolt.
Landing
The Spanish army landed on Calheta das Mós, next to Angra, in the early hours of 26 July. The date for the landing was selected because it was the first anniversary of Bazán's victory over the French fleet at Ponta Delgada. At 03:00 the 12 Spanish galleys led by Captain Diego de Medrano headed to the beach with the landing craft in tow carrying 4,500 soldiers aboard, with Bazán commanding the operation in person. The beach was guarded by the fort of Santa Catarina, garrisoned by a French captain named Bourguignon with 50 Frenchmen and 2 Portuguese companies. As the Spanish ships were sighted at dawn, Bourguignon opened fire with Santa Catarina's artillery. Passing within arquebus shot, Bazán's flagship, leading the way, received heavy gunfire and lost its coxswain. Backed up by nine other galleys, however, he silenced the fort.