Afonso de Albuquerque Captures Hormuz Approach

1507

The Portuguese commander Afonso de Albuquerque attempted his first assault on the island fortress of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Though forced to withdraw when several captains deserted, he surveyed the island's defenses with obsessive care. The reconnaissance would pay dividends when he returned eight years later with enough ships to strangle the Gulf's trade.