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by Thaddeus Blanchette
This battle took place in 1649 in northeastern Brazil between the Dutch occupiers of the capitania of Pernambuco and the Luso-Brazilian rebel army. The Brazilian victory here set the stage for the final liberation of Pernambuco from the greedy claws of the dastardly Dutch.
The Dutch had some 4000 troops (including 400 black and indian auxililaries, 300 marines and 6 cannon). They were mainly central European mercenaries armed in typical Dutch colonial fashion. Many of the troops were recently arrived however, and unaclimated to Brazil's tropical conditions (indeed, 'Pernambuco' is a corruption of 'Fornaboco', or 'the mouth of Hell'). They were described by various contemporaries as 'pale and sickly' and 'dressed in heavy, European clothes and boots'. The Dutch were armed in 'the most modern European fashion' and carried 'many standards of blue and orange mixed'.
Of the regular infantry, 1/5th were armed with pikes and some, apparently, armed with blades (this in an attempt to imitate the successful tactics of the Luso-Brazilians at the First Battle of Guarararpes). The 'brasiliano' allies were not at all thrilled to be part of this expedition and in fact ran away as soon as the battle started. For this, they are rated as I. Given the closed nature of the terrain and the fact that at no time did the Brazilians seem battered by artillery, Iâve arbitrarily decided that the Dutch canons were probably nothing more than 3 lb regimental guns. Pikes are downgraded to I due to the general state of the Dutch army and the fact that apparently many of them had shortened their weapons before the battle. One could also downgrade the shot to I if balance seems to be a problem. The Dutch were some sick puppies at this point in the war...
The ocean is almost a league away off to the east, so no Dutch ships could take part in the battle.
CIC: Bd(O)
General: Bd(O)
6 Regts. of Infantry: Sh(O) x24, Pk(I) x6
Marines: Wb(O) x3
Artillery: Art(I) x2
'Brasiliano'Allies
Allied General: Wb(I)
Indians and Blacks: Wb(I) x 4
This group was divided into three major commands: a 'terco' (tercio) of blacks and mixed-race Brazilians under the black general Henrique Dias; more Brazilians and indians organized into a terco and several 'companhias de emboscada' (ambush companies) under the indian leader Camarao (it is important to note that these were considered to be an integral part of the army and not allies); Portuguese regular troops from the terco of Salvador and the colonial elite.
The Luso-Brazilians were very accomplished at fighting in the rough and difficult tropical terrain of colonial Brazil. Their preferred weapons were firearms, swords, spears and bucklers. Tactics consisted of giving a volley from a covering tree-line and them bowling into the enemy line like madmen. They had been fighting a succesful guerrilla war for almost a decade and the troops who made it to Guararapes were seasoned veterans. They wore little if any armor and generally walked barefoot. They are described as being "incredibly lithe and agile" and as "possessed of vast knowledge of the ways of their land". Though the army lacked artillery, 3000 foot soldiers and 200 cavalry took part in the battle.
General: Ln(F)
Subgenerals: Bd(F) x2 (Camarao and Henrique)
Portuguese Regulars: Sh(F) x4 (white)
Colonial Foot: Sh(F) x3, Bd(F) x1 (white)
Colonial Cavalry: Pi(F) x2 (white, some mixed race)
Henriqueâs Terco: Sh(F) x3 (Blacks and mixed race)
Camaraoâs Terco: Sh(F) x3 (Indians and mixed race)
Companhias de Emboscada: Sk(O) x10 (mixed race)
Indians: Wb(S) x4 (Indians)
Board should be roughly 48 inches EW x 36 inches NS. Top of board is north. NW quadrant consists of three hills running from the northeast corner to near the quadrant's southern border at point about 12 inches in from the western table edge. The hills are bare on top, each about 10" N to S and 3" E to W. These are surrounded by forest which peters off to the east and south near the quadrant borders. A road runs N to S along the west edge of the NW quadrant, meeting up with the road in the SW quadrant described below.
SW quadrant is mostly wetlands surrounded by a strip of forest. These run north to about 2-4 inches from the northern quadrant border, where they peter out. They also run from the western table edge in about 12 inches. In the clear space between the swamp and the NW quadrant, a road runs from the table edge east to the NE quadrant crossroads. Another crossroads is in the quadrant's NW corner where this road meets up with the one running down from the NW quadrant.
NE quadrant is clear with perhaps a few canebrakes scattered here and there. A 1 inch thick line of palm trees and dunes runs along the eastern table edge: the ocean is just beyond this line. A road runs in from the middle of the quadrant's northern edge and runs SW to the middle of the table where it forms a crossroads w/the roads running in from the SE and SW quadrants.
SE is mostly salt marsh running in from the SE corner to a depth of about 14 inches. The rest is clear. A road runs north from the southern table edge along the quadrant's western border. It meets up with the other roads at the NE quadrant crossroads.
The Dutch expected their adversaries to come down the coastal roads and had thus formed in a line running south along the southwesternmost hill, then turning east to run along the northern edge of the eastern swamp. The artillery was stationed with the eastern wing of the army. Unfortunately for them, the Luso-Brazilians had stolen a march and passed through the Guararapes hills to the west via a little known network of trails. They came boiling out of the western swamp and woods and hit the Dutch army in the rear and flank. After several hours of bitter hand-to-hand fighting (including several Portuguese cavalry charges), the Dutch retreated north along the road back to Recife, leaving their guns and 1,500 casualties on the field.
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