Year Label Captain-major Fleet Departure
from Lisbon
Arrival
in India
Notes
1497First India armadaVasco da Gama4 shipsApr 1497May 1498Return: depart India Oct 1498, arrive Lisbon Jul/Aug 1499
1500Second India armadaPedro Álvares Cabral13 shipsMar 1500Sep 1500Return: depart India Jan 1501, arrive Lisbon Jun/Jul 1501
1501Third India ArmadaJoão da Nova4 shipsApr 1501Aug 1501Return: depart India Jan 1501, arrive Lisbon Sep 1502
1501Brazil fleet(Gonçalo Coelho?)3 shipsMar 1501N/AMapping expedition, carried Amerigo Vespucci
1502Fourth India ArmadaD. Vasco da Gama20 ships in 3 squadronsFeb/Apr 1502Sep 1502Squadrons:

Return: depart India Feb 1503, arrive Lisbon Sep 1503

1503Fifth India ArmadaAfonso de Albuquerque10 ships in 3 squadronsMar/Apr 1503Aug/Oct 1503Squadrons:

Return: depart India Feb 1504, arrive Lisbon Sep 1504

1504Sixth India ArmadaLopo Soares de Albergaria13 shipsApr 1504Sep 1504Return: depart India Jan 1505, arrive Lisbon Jul 1505
1505Seventh India ArmadaD. Francisco de Almeida (Vice-roy)21 shipsMar 1505Sep 1505Carrying first vice-roy of Portuguese India
1505Sofala fleetPêro de Anaia6 shipsMay 1505Addendum to 1505 Armada
Onward ships arrive India May 1506
1505Follow-up fleetCide Barbudo2 shipsSep 1505Aug 1506Addendum to 1505 Armada
1506Eighth India ArmadaD. Tristão da Cunha16 ships in 2 squadsApr 1506Aug 1507
(miss monsoon)
Squadrons:
1507Ninth India ArmadaJorge de Melo Pereira8 ships in 3 squadsApr 1507xxx
(miss monsoon)
Squadrons (all winter in Africa) :
1507Mozambique fleetVasco Gomes de Abreu6 shipsApr 1507Considered part of 9th Armada, arrive Sofala Sep 1507.
1508Tenth India ArmadaJorge de Aguiar13 ships in 2 squadsApr 1508Dec 1508 (?)
(miss monsoon)
Squadrons:
1508Malacca fleetDiogo Lopes de Sequeira4 shipsApr 1508Apr 1509
(miss monsoon)
Addendum to 10th Armada, wintered in Africa, after stop in India (arr. Apr 1509) proceeded on to Malacca (arr. Sep 1509).
150911th India ArmadaD. Fernando Coutinho15 shipsMar 1509Oct 1509
151012th India ArmadaD. Gonçalo Sequeira7 shipsMar 1510***
(miss monsoon)
1510Malacca fleetDuarte Mendes de Vasconcelos4 shipsMar 1510****Addendum to 12th Armada
1510Madagascar fleetJoão Serrão3 shipsApr 1510****Addendum to 12th Armada
151113th India ArmadaD. Garcia de Noronha6 shipsApr 1511***
(miss monsoon)
151214th India ArmadaJorge de Melo Pereira12 ships in two squadronsMar 1512***Squadrons:
151315th India ArmadaJoao de Sousa de Lima3 shipsMar 1513***


Year Label Captain-major Fleet Departure
from Lisbon
Arrival
in India
Notes
1497First India armadaVasco da Gama4 shipsApr 1497May 1498
  • 1 ship scuttled
  • Travails in Mozambique and Mombassa
  • Alliance with Malindi
  • Opened sea route to India (Calicut)
  • Return: Dep India Oct 1498, Arr Lisbon Jul/Aug 1499
  • 1 ship lost on return
  • 2 ships complete journey
1500Second India armadaPedro Álvares Cabral13 shipsMar 1500Sep 1500
  • discovers Brazil on outward journey
  • 2 ships sent back in Atlantic
  • 4 ships lost at Cape
  • 1 stray ship (Diogo Dias) discovers Madagascar and Cape Guardafui
  • establish factory in Calicut, overrun in riot
  • opens hostilities with Calicut
  • establish alliance and factory in Cochin
  • open relations with Cannanore and Quilon
  • Return: Dep India Jan 1501, Arr Lisbon Jun/Jul 1501
  • scouts Sofala on return
  • 1 ship lost on return
  • Only 5 (out of 13) ships complete route.
1501Third India ArmadaJoão da Nova4 shipsApr 1501Aug 1501
  • discovers Ascension island
  • establish private factory in Cannanore
  • defeats Calicut fleet at Cannanore
  • Return: Dep India Jan 1501, Arr Lisbon Sep 1502
  • discovers island of Saint Helena on return
  • No ships lost

Tristão da Cunha

Depiction of the 7th India Armada (Almeida, 1505), from the Memória das Armadas, c.1568


Depiction of the 8th India Armada (Cunha, 1506), from the Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu, c.1565
1st India Armada (Vasco da Gama)
Departed: April, 1497
Arrived in India: May 1498
-------------------------
Left India: October 1498
Arrived Portugal: July (Coelho)/Aug (Gama) 1499.
-------------------------
Notes:
- Travails with Mozambique and Mombassa,
- opened relations with Malindi
- Opened sea route to India (Calicut)
one ship scuttled on return journey
Fleet: 4 ships (2 naus, 1 caravel, 1 supply ship), 170 men
1. São Gabriel (Vasco da Gama, pilot: Pêro de Alenquer)
2. São Rafael (Paulo da Gama, pilot: João de Coimbra) scuttled on return
3. Berrio (Nicolau Coelho, pilot: Pedro Escobar)
4.Unnamed supply ship (Gonçalo Nunes or Duarte Nunes)


1st India Armada (Vasco da Gama)style="border-bottom:3px solid; background:#efefef;"Departure
Departed: April, 1497
Arrived in India: May 1498
-------------------------
Left India: October 1498
Arrived Portugal: July (Coelho)/Aug (Gama) 1499.
-------------------------
Notes:
- Travails with Mozambique and Mombassa,
- opened relations with Malindi
- Opened sea route to India (Calicut)
one ship scuttled on return journey
Fleet: 4 ships (2 naus, 1 caravel, 1 supply ship), 170 men
1. São Gabriel (Vasco da Gama, pilot: Pêro de Alenquer)
2. São Rafael (Paulo da Gama, pilot: João de Coimbra) scuttled on return
3. Berrio (Nicolau Coelho, pilot: Pedro Escobar)
4.Unnamed supply ship (Gonçalo Nunes or Duarte Nunes)


1st India Armada (Vasco da Gama)
Ships OutDep LisbonArr India
3 ships + 1 supply shipApr 1497May 1498
Ships BackDep IndiaArr Lisbon
2 shipsOct 1498Jul/Aug 1499
Notes:
- Travails with Mozambique and Mombassa,
- opened relations with Malindi
- Opened sea route to India (Calicut)

Armadas

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1497

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1st India Armada (Vasco da Gama)
Ships OutDep LisbonArr IndiaNotes
4 ships (Vasco da Gama)Apr 1497May 1498* 1 supply ship scuttled
* travails with Mozambique and Mombassa,
* open alliance with Malindi
* opens sea route to India (Calicut)
Ships BackDep IndiaArr Lisbon
2 ships (Vasco da Gama)Oct 1498Jul/Aug 1499- 1 ship lost on return

1500

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2nd India Armada (Pedro Álvares Cabral)
Ships OutDep LisbonArr IndiaNotes
13 ships (Pedro Álvares Cabral)Mar 1500Sep 1500* discovers Brazil
* 2 ships sent back in Atlantic
* 4 ships lost at Cape
* stray ship discovers Madagascar
* est. factory in Calicut, overrun in riot
* opens hostilities with Calicut
* establish factory in Cochin
Ships BackDep IndiaArr Lisbon
5 ships (Pedro Álvares Cabral)Jan 1501Jun/Jul 1501* 1 ship lost on return
* Sofala scouted on return

1501

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3rd India Armada (João da Nova)
Ships OutDep LisbonArr IndiaNotes
4 ships (João da Nova)Apr 1501Aug 1501* discovers Ascension and Juan de Nova
* defeats Calicut fleet at Cannanore
Ships BackDep IndiaArr Lisbon
4 ships (João da Nova)Jan 1502Sep 1502* discovers island of Saint Helena


1502

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4th India Armada (Vasco da Gama)
Ships OutDep LisbonArr IndiaNotes
20 ships, in 3 squads =
10 ships (Vasco da Gama)Feb 1502Sep 1502
5 ships ((Vicente Sodré)Feb 1502Sep 1502
5 ships (Estevão da Gama)Apr 1502Sep 1502* 1 ship sunk, 1 ship built
* 1 ship stuck, discovers Maputo Bay
* est. factory in Mozambique Island
* open treaty with Sofala
* extorts tribute from Kilwa
* est. factory in Cannanore
* bomb & blockade Calicut
Ships BackDep IndiaArr Lisbon
c.12 ships (Vasco da Gama)Feb 1503Sep 1503* rediscovers island of Saint Helena
Ships on Patrol
6 ships (Vicente Sodré)stay in India* Indian Ocean patrol
* 2 ships lost at Kuria Muria

1503

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5th India Armada (Afonso de Albuquerque)
Ships OutDep LisbonArr IndiaNotes
10 ships, in 3 squads =
4 ships (Afonso de Albuquerque)Mar 1503Sep/Oct 1503
3 ships (Francisco de Albuquerque)Mar 1503Aug/Sep 1503* rediscover Ascension island
* 2 ships sunk near Cape, rest get separated
* est. Fort Manuel in Cochin
* est. factory in Quilon
* find & annex 4 ships from previous 4th armada
3 ships (António de Saldanha)Apr 1503May/Aug 1504* lose sense of direction, get separated, stuck in Africa
* discover Table Bay
* extort tribute from Zanzibar and Barawa
* prey on shipping in Gulf of Aden
* discover Socotra
* cross to India only in 1504.
Ships BackDep IndiaArr Lisbon
3 ships (Afonso de Albuquerque)Feb 1504Sep 1504* 2-3 ships lost on return
* only 2 ships of 5th Armada + 1 ship of 4th arrive in Lisbon
Ships on Patrol
3 ships (Duarte Pacheco Pereira)stay in India* new Indian Ocean patrol
* 1 ship of 5th + 2 ships of 4th
* engage Battle of Cochin (1504)


1504

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6th India Armada (Lopo Soares de Albergaria)
Ships OutDep LisbonArr IndiaNotes
13 ships (Lopo Soares de Albergaria)Apr 1504Sep 1504* bombards Calicut
* razes Cranganore
* find & annex 2 ships from previous 5th armada
Ships BackDep IndiaArr Lisbon
14 ships (Lopo Soares de Albergaria)Jan 1505Jul 1505* 1 ship lost near Cape
Ships on Patrol
3 ships (Manuel Telles de Vasconcelos)stay in India* same patrol ships as before


1505

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6th India Armada (Lopo Soares de Albergaria)
Ships OutDep LisbonArr IndiaNotes
21 ships (Francisco de Almeida)Mar 1505Sep 1505* 1 ship capsize near Cape Correntes
* 1 ship stuck + 1 ship on patrol in East Africa
* captures Kilwa, erects Fort Sant'Iago
* sacks Mombassa
* erects Fort São Miguel in Anjediva island
*reduces Onor to tribute
* erects Fort St. Angelo in Cannanore
* re-builds Fort Manuel of Cochin
* establishes Vice-Royalty of the Indies
6 ships (Pêro de Anaia)Apr 1505Sep 1505* erects Fort São Caetano in Sofala
* 4 ships sent on to India (1 capsize)
* find & annex 1 stray ship from earlier squad
* 2 ships stay as patrol (both lost)
2 ships (Cide Barbudo)Sep 1505Aug 1506* search-and-rescue mission in South Africa
* Leaves 1 ship in Sofala, 1 ship to India
Ships BackDep IndiaArr Lisbon
9 back (in 3 squads):
5 ships (Fernão Soares)Jan 1506May 1506* sail around Madagascar island
3 ships (Diogo Correia)Jan 1506Nov 1506
1 ship (Vasco Gomes de Abreu)Feb 1506Dec 1506* 2 sent, 1 ship remain stuck in East Africa.
Ships on Patrol
8-10 ships (Lourenço de Almeida)stay in India* annex 3 ships from previous patrol
* defeat Calicut fleet at Battle of Cannanore (1506)
* discovers Ceylon