Drake's Raid on Nombre de Dios (1573)

Timeline

1. 1572–1573Caribbean Sea · CaribbeanDrake and John Hawkins and others first operated in the Caribbean, after which Drake independently organized a small expedition. The fleet sailed secretly to the coast of Panama and made contact with local escaped slaves, the Maroons, obtaining intelligence and guides for crossing the jungle.
2. 1573Nombre de Dios · PanamaDrake led about seventy soldiers in a night attack on Nombre de Dios—an important Spanish port on the Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Panama and the loading point for Peruvian silver transferred overland. The English briefly broke into the town, but Drake was wounded in the melee, his men failed to open the treasure vault in time, and they were forced to withdraw before dawn.
3. 1573Pacific coast of the Isthmus of Panama · PanamaIn the same expedition Drake sent another small party across the isthmus to the Pacific coast, where they ambushed and captured a Spanish silver mule train, obtaining about forty thousand pesos of silver before withdrawing safely. Although the night attack on Nombre de Dios failed to yield the expected fortune, the operation proved the feasibility of striking Panama's trade routes.