# The Lost Fleet of Cortés: Ships That Sank in Lake Texcoco

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/the-lost-fleet-of-cort-s-ships-that-sank-in-lake-texcoco
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/the-lost-fleet-of-cort-s-ships-that-sank-in-lake-texcoco.md
Podcast: [The Conquistadors: Exploration, Greed, and Destruction — Fexingo History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470)
Published: 2026-06-15T14:59:11+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-conquistadors/episode-0097.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-conquistadors/episode-0097.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/episodes/the-lost-fleet-of-cort-s-ships-that-sank-in-lake-texcoco
Duration seconds: 356

## Resource

In 1521, Hernán Cortés ordered the construction of thirteen brigantines — shallow-draft warships — to break the Aztec hold on Tenochtitlan. But two of those ships never made it to battle. They sank in Lake Texcoco before a single shot was fired. What caused the loss? Who was responsible? And what did the sinking reveal about the fragile alliance between Spanish invaders and their Tlaxcalan allies? This episode examines the logistics, the sabotage rumors, the scapegoating of a Spanish carpenter, and the aftermath that reshaped Cortés's strategy. Drawing on Bernal Díaz del Castillo's account and the Florentine Codex, we piece together a forgotten episode that nearly derailed the siege. The lost ships of Lake Texcoco offer a rare window into the tensions, accidents, and human error that lurked behind the grand narrative of conquest. #Cortés #Brigantines #LakeTexcoco #Tenochtitlan #Tlaxcalan #BernalDíaz #FlorentineCodex #MartínLópez #Sabotage #Scapegoat #Conquistadors #Mesoamerica #SiegeOfTenochtitlan #Shipwreck #History #FexingoHistory #1521 #SpanishConquest Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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