Destroying the Santa Cruz squadron

Stayner's trained warships quickly overpower the smaller armed merchantmen and fight down the stronger galleons. Smoke from gunfire and burning hulls increasingly shields the attackers from the batteries. The Spanish flagship is destroyed when fire reaches its powder magazine, and English boats finish burning vessels that have surrendered. Claims that some Spanish vessels survived are compatible with this result if those ships lay outside the main harbor, since the raid never attempted to occupy all Tenerife. Blake repeatedly orders captains to abandon prospective prizes. Escorting captured ships home would consume crews and weaken the continuing Cádiz blockade, so operational endurance takes priority over individual prize money.