Goa expedition to Lourenço Marques
| Goa expedition to Lourenço Marques | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fort Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Lourenço Marques, built in 1782 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Kingdom of Portugal | Archduchy of Austria | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Godinho de Mira Lobo da Gama Mourão Garcez Palha | Daniel Pollet (POW) | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Sant'Ana S. Joaquim |
Proli Ferninand | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 500 men | 10 men | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown |
Garrison imprisoned 2 ships captured | ||||||||
The Goa expedition to Lourenço Marques was a military and diplomatic expedition launched by the Kingdom of Portugal in 1781 against Austrian establishments at Delagoa Bay, Mozambique. The operation aimed to reassert Portuguese sovereignty over the bay.
In 1778, William Bolts, in the service of Austria, established a settlement with 155 men. Bolts eventually departed, leaving it under the leadership of Andreas Daniel Pollet.
By April 1781, alarmed by the raising of the Imperial flag where they claimed as their own sphere of influence, the Portuguese dispatched an expedition to dismantle the establishment. The Portuguese destroyed the Austrian forts, imprisoned the garrison, including their commander, Pollet, and captured two ships. This expedition ended the Austrian presence in Delagoa Bay and led to the founding of Lourenço Marques, securing permanent Portuguese presence in the region.