Editing War of the Austrian Succession (section)

===West Indies===
{{Campaignbox War of Jenkins' Ear}}
[[File:Edward Vernon by Thomas Gainsborough.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Vice-Admiral]] [[Admiral Vernon|Edward Vernon]]]]
War on Spain was declared by Great Britain on 23 October 1739, which has become known as the [[War of Jenkins' Ear]]. A plan was laid for combined operations against the Spanish colonies from east and west. One force, military and naval, was to assault them from the [[West Indies]] under Admiral [[Edward Vernon]]. Another, to be commanded by Commodore [[George Anson, 1st Baron Anson|George Anson]], afterwards Lord Anson, was to round [[Cape Horn]] and to fall upon the Pacific coast of Latin America. Delays, bad preparations, [[dockyard]] corruption, and the squabbles of the naval and military officers concerned caused the failure of a hopeful scheme. On 21 November 1739, Admiral Vernon did, however, succeed in capturing the ill-defended Spanish harbour of [[Battle of Porto Bello (1739)|Porto Bello]] in present-day [[Panama]]. When Vernon had been joined by Sir [[Chaloner Ogle]] with massive naval reinforcements and a strong body of troops, an attack was made on [[Battle of Cartagena de Indias|Cartagena de Indias]] in what is now [[Colombia]] (9 March{{snd}}24 April 1741). The delay had given the Spanish under [[Sebastián de Eslava]] and [[Blas de Lezo]] time to prepare. After two months of skilful defence by the Spanish, the British attack finally succumbed to a massive outbreak of disease and withdrew having suffered a dreadful loss of lives and ships.{{sfn|Hannay|1911|p=44}}

The war in the West Indies, after two other unsuccessful attacks had been made on Spanish territory, died down and did not revive until 1748. The expedition under Anson sailed late, was very ill-provided, and less strong than had been intended. It consisted of six ships and left Britain on 18 September 1740. Anson returned alone with his [[flagship]] the ''[[HMS Centurion (1732)|Centurion]]'' on 15 June 1744. The other vessels had either failed to round the Horn or had been lost. But Anson had harried the coast of [[Chile]] and [[Peru]] and had captured a Spanish galleon of immense value near the [[Philippines]], completing a [[George Anson's voyage around the world|circumnavigation of the world]]. His cruise was a great feat of resolution and endurance.{{sfn|Hannay|1911|p=45}}

After the failure of the British invasions and a Spanish [[Battle of Bloody Marsh|counter invasion]] of [[Province of Georgia|Georgia]] in 1742, belligerent naval actions in the Caribbean were left to the [[privateer]]s of both sides. Fearing great financial and economic losses should a [[Spanish treasure fleet|treasure fleet]] be captured, the Spanish reduced the risk by increasing the number of convoys, thereby reducing their value. They also increased the number of ports they visited and reduced the predictability of their voyages.{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}}

In 1744, a British force of 300 men accompanied by two [[privateer]]s from [[Saint Kitts]] successfully captured the French half of neighbouring [[Saint Martin (island)|Saint Martin]], occupying it until the 1748 [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]]. In late May 1745 two French royal frigates of 36 and 30 guns respectively under Commodore La Touché, plus three privateers in retaliation sailed from [[Martinique]] to invade and capture the British colony of [[Anguilla]] but were repelled with heavy loss in the [[Battle of Anguilla]].

The last year of the war saw two significant actions in the Caribbean. A second British [[Battle of Santiago de Cuba (1748)|assault on Santiago de Cuba]] which also ended in failure and a naval action which arose from an accidental encounter between two convoys. The [[Battle of Havana (1748)|action]] unfolded in a confused way with each side at once anxious to cover its own trade and to intercept that of the other. Capture was rendered particularly desirable for the British by the fact that the Spanish homeward-bound fleet would be laden with [[bullion]] from the American mines.{{sfn|Hannay|1911|p=45}} The advantage lay with the British when one Spanish warship ran aground and another was captured but the British commander failed to capitalise and the Spanish fleet took shelter in [[Havana]].