Year Label Captain-major Fleet Departure
from Lisbon
Arrival
in India
Notes
1497 First India armada Vasco da Gama 4 ships Apr 1497 May 1498 Return: depart India Oct 1498, arrive Lisbon Jul/Aug 1499
1500 Second India armada Pedro Álvares Cabral 13 ships Mar 1500 Sep 1500 Return: depart India Jan 1501, arrive Lisbon Jun/Jul 1501
1501 Third India Armada João da Nova 4 ships Apr 1501 Aug 1501 Return: depart India Jan 1501, arrive Lisbon Sep 1502
1501 Brazil fleet (Gonçalo Coelho?) 3 ships Mar 1501 N/A Mapping expedition, carried Amerigo Vespucci
1502 Fourth India Armada D. Vasco da Gama 20 ships in 3 squadrons Feb/Apr 1502 Sep 1502 Squadrons:

Return: depart India Feb 1503, arrive Lisbon Sep 1503

1503 Fifth India Armada Afonso de Albuquerque 10 ships in 3 squadrons Mar/Apr 1503 Aug/Oct 1503 Squadrons:

Return: depart India Feb 1504, arrive Lisbon Sep 1504

1504 Sixth India Armada Lopo Soares de Albergaria 13 ships Apr 1504 Sep 1504 Return: depart India Jan 1505, arrive Lisbon Jul 1505
1505 Seventh India Armada D. Francisco de Almeida (Vice-roy) 21 ships Mar 1505 Sep 1505 Carrying first vice-roy of Portuguese India
1505 Sofala fleet Pêro de Anaia 6 ships May 1505 Addendum to 1505 Armada
Onward ships arrive India May 1506
1505 Follow-up fleet Cide Barbudo 2 ships Sep 1505 Aug 1506 Addendum to 1505 Armada
1506 Eighth India Armada D. Tristão da Cunha 16 ships in 2 squads Apr 1506 Aug 1507
(miss monsoon)
Squadrons:
1507 Ninth India Armada Jorge de Melo Pereira 8 ships in 3 squads Apr 1507 xxx
(miss monsoon)
Squadrons (all winter in Africa) :
1507 Mozambique fleet Vasco Gomes de Abreu 6 ships Apr 1507 Considered part of 9th Armada, arrive Sofala Sep 1507.
1508 Tenth India Armada Jorge de Aguiar 13 ships in 2 squads Apr 1508 Dec 1508 (?)
(miss monsoon)
Squadrons:
1508 Malacca fleet Diogo Lopes de Sequeira 4 ships Apr 1508 Apr 1509
(miss monsoon)
Addendum to 10th Armada, wintered in Africa, after stop in India (arr. Apr 1509) proceeded on to Malacca (arr. Sep 1509).
1509 11th India Armada D. Fernando Coutinho 15 ships Mar 1509 Oct 1509
1510 12th India Armada D. Gonçalo Sequeira 7 ships Mar 1510 ***
(miss monsoon)
1510 Malacca fleet Duarte Mendes de Vasconcelos 4 ships Mar 1510 **** Addendum to 12th Armada
1510 Madagascar fleet João Serrão 3 ships Apr 1510 **** Addendum to 12th Armada
1511 13th India Armada D. Garcia de Noronha 6 ships Apr 1511 ***
(miss monsoon)
1512 14th India Armada Jorge de Melo Pereira 12 ships in two squadrons Mar 1512 *** Squadrons:
1513 15th India Armada Joao de Sousa de Lima 3 ships Mar 1513 ***


Year Label Captain-major Fleet Departure
from Lisbon
Arrival
in India
Notes
1497 First India armada Vasco da Gama 4 ships Apr 1497 May 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
1500 Second India armada Pedro Álvares Cabral 13 ships Mar 1500 Sep 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.
1501 Third India Armada João da Nova 4 ships Apr 1501 Aug 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 Out Dep Lisbon Arr India
3 ships + 1 supply ship Apr 1497 May 1498
Ships Back Dep India Arr Lisbon
2 ships Oct 1498 Jul/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 Out Dep Lisbon Arr India Notes
4 ships (Vasco da Gama) Apr 1497 May 1498 * 1 supply ship scuttled
* travails with Mozambique and Mombassa,
* open alliance with Malindi
* opens sea route to India (Calicut)
Ships Back Dep India Arr Lisbon
2 ships (Vasco da Gama) Oct 1498 Jul/Aug 1499 - 1 ship lost on return

1500

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2nd India Armada (Pedro Álvares Cabral)
Ships Out Dep Lisbon Arr India Notes
13 ships (Pedro Álvares Cabral) Mar 1500 Sep 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 Back Dep India Arr Lisbon
5 ships (Pedro Álvares Cabral) Jan 1501 Jun/Jul 1501 * 1 ship lost on return
* Sofala scouted on return

1501

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3rd India Armada (João da Nova)
Ships Out Dep Lisbon Arr India Notes
4 ships (João da Nova) Apr 1501 Aug 1501 * discovers Ascension and Juan de Nova
* defeats Calicut fleet at Cannanore
Ships Back Dep India Arr Lisbon
4 ships (João da Nova) Jan 1502 Sep 1502 * discovers island of Saint Helena


1502

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4th India Armada (Vasco da Gama)
Ships Out Dep Lisbon Arr India Notes
20 ships, in 3 squads =
10 ships (Vasco da Gama) Feb 1502 Sep 1502
5 ships ((Vicente Sodré) Feb 1502 Sep 1502
5 ships (Estevão da Gama) Apr 1502 Sep 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 Back Dep India Arr Lisbon
c.12 ships (Vasco da Gama) Feb 1503 Sep 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 Out Dep Lisbon Arr India Notes
10 ships, in 3 squads =
4 ships (Afonso de Albuquerque) Mar 1503 Sep/Oct 1503
3 ships (Francisco de Albuquerque) Mar 1503 Aug/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 1503 May/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 Back Dep India Arr Lisbon
3 ships (Afonso de Albuquerque) Feb 1504 Sep 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 Out Dep Lisbon Arr India Notes
13 ships (Lopo Soares de Albergaria) Apr 1504 Sep 1504 * bombards Calicut
* razes Cranganore
* find & annex 2 ships from previous 5th armada
Ships Back Dep India Arr Lisbon
14 ships (Lopo Soares de Albergaria) Jan 1505 Jul 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 Out Dep Lisbon Arr India Notes
21 ships (Francisco de Almeida) Mar 1505 Sep 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 1505 Sep 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 1505 Aug 1506 * search-and-rescue mission in South Africa
* Leaves 1 ship in Sofala, 1 ship to India
Ships Back Dep India Arr Lisbon
9 back (in 3 squads):
5 ships (Fernão Soares) Jan 1506 May 1506 * sail around Madagascar island
3 ships (Diogo Correia) Jan 1506 Nov 1506
1 ship (Vasco Gomes de Abreu) Feb 1506 Dec 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