Azopardo’s three ships encountered Romarate’s seven-vessel royalist force near San Nicolás. Although the river offered opportunities for a prepared defence, Azopardo weakened his ships by placing guns and sailors ashore. Two royalist vessels grounded during the first encounter, but the revolutionaries could neither board nor destroy them before they escaped. In the renewed attack América was holed and abandoned, while the crew of 25 de Mayo panicked and went overboard as boarding threatened. Invencible fought on until royalists boarded her, and Azopardo surrendered rather than explode the magazine with wounded men still aboard. A smaller, less-trained force with scarce interpreters and officers could ill afford to divide itself into still smaller packets.
Chapter · 2:19:23-2:24:34
San Nicolás: dividing an outnumbered flotilla
The revolutionary commander chose battle against seven better-armed royalist vessels and further weakened his position by sending guns and sailors ashore.