In the summer of 1579 William Drury, Lord Deputy of Ireland, commissioned Gilbert and Raleigh to attack James FitzMaurice Fitzgerald again by sea and land and to intercept a fleet expected to arrive from Spain with aid for the Irish. At this time Gilbert had three vessels under his command: the 250-ton "Anne Ager" (named after his wife), the "Relief", and the 10-ton "Squirrell", a small frigate notable for having completed the voyage to America and back within three months under the command of a captured Portuguese pilot.