Dutch Admiral Piet Hein's conquest of the Spanish treasure fleet in 1628 still speaks to the imagination. He took advantage of the lack of wind to lure the Spanish fleet-with its precious cargo of South American silver destined to finance mercenary armies in Europe-into Cuba's Bay of Matanzas, where the ships ran aground on sandbanks. After firing a salvo of shots across the bow, the Dutch boarded and the Spanish surrendered, without a single fatality. The booty included 177,... (Full plot summary below)
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Dutch Admiral Piet Hein's conquest of the Spanish treasure fleet in 1628 still speaks to the imagination. He took advantage of the lack of wind to lure the Spanish fleet-with its precious cargo of South American silver destined to finance mercenary armies in Europe-into Cuba's Bay of Matanzas, where the ships ran aground on sandbanks. After firing a salvo of shots across the bow, the Dutch boarded and the Spanish surrendered, without a single fatality. The booty included 177,000 pounds of silver, 66 pounds of gold, 1,000 pearls, 37,375 animal hides, 361 cases of sugar, and 3,000 sacks of indigo and carmine dyes.
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