Battle of Philippines (No name)

[john sefton]

PHILIPPINES (No name for the Battle fought off the Philippines) Anson set sail June 1740 with 5 men of war, a sloop and two supply ships to harass Spanish ports and shipping in the Pacific by the time Anson's squadron had rounded Cape Horn and rendezvoused at Juan Fernandez only the CENTURION, GLOUCESTER and the sloop TRYAL were left all were short handed due to scurvy and ship fever. After a series of raids on minor ports and an attempt to capture the Acapulco treasure galleon, Anson set sail across the Pacific to China reaching Macao. in Nov. 1742 with only the CENTURION and a ships company of 200 having been forced to abandon GLOUCESTER for lack of men to work on her. On 20 June 1743 Anson met the Acapulco galleon NUESTRA SENHORA DE COVADONGA off the Philippines and captured her with treasure worth f4000 000 but for Ansons success the year of 1743 would have proved to have been much to the advantage of the Spaniards, they had captured 262 British vessels worth £567,000. Stamp shows fight between CENTURION and Spanish ship NUESTRA SENORA DE COVADONGA in 1743 - Turks & Caicos 1983 8c SG771 (A Palmhof. T Broadley)