Its most important episode was the siege imposed by the Portuguese on the far larger Dutch garrison of Luanda.

In 1641 Johan Maurits sent an expedition under Admiral Cornelis Jol from Recife in Dutch Brazil to seize the Angolan capital of Luanda.

The Dutch were able to easily capture Luanda in August as the Portuguese forces were occupied inland in a campaign against the Kingdom of Kongo.

Then Salvador Correia de Sa sent a force to Benguela where the Dutch garrison surrendered.

He also sent a fleet which recaptured the archipelago of São Tomé e Príncipe from the Dutch, who left behind their artillery.