Battle of Gibraltar (1618)

Battle of Gibraltar (1618)
Part of Eighty Years' War
Date 24 June 1618 Location Strait of Gibraltar Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
Spanish Empire	Dutch Republic Republic of Venice
Commanders and leaders
Miguel de Vidazábal	Melchior van den Kerckhove  [ nl ] Mooy Lambert
Strength
10 galleons 2 caravels	18 galleons
Casualties and losses
70 killed or wounded	40 killed or wounded

The Battle of Gibraltar took place 24 June 1618 at the Strait of Gibraltar. It took place during the Twelve Years' Truce during the Eighty Years' War, when Spanish forces tried to block a Venetian and Dutch fleet from passing through the Strait. The battle was ultimately inconclusive when the Spanish received order to let them pass.

Background

The battle took place in a moment of indecision for the court of King Philip III, which was temporarily in peace with the Dutch Republic. When it was found out that Venice had hired a Dutch mercenary fleet, Miguel de Vidázabal's squaf of 7 galleons for the guard of the Strait was reinforced with two other galleons and three caravels. He was then ordered to intercept it. ^[1]

Battle

Vidazábal found 18 shps, eight of them belonging to the Dutch Republic, commanded by Mooy Lambert (although his full squadron consisted of 13 ships), while the other ten were Dutch ships flying Venetian colors, under the command of Melchior van den Kerckhove  [ nl ] and carrying 6,500 mercenaries. When one of the Spanish caravels ordered them to stop, the Dutch ships obliged while the Venetian-owned ships rejected it and prepared for war. With the Dutch remaining neutral and standing aside as per the Twelve Years Truce, the battle would be 10 Spanish ship on 10 Venetian ones. ^[2]

The battle started on June 28, with both fleets exchanging artillery and muskeet fire until nightfall. They both stopped avoid a night battle while intending to restart it on daybreak. However, by night Vidázabal was received a message by Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides, Marquis of Santa Cruz warning him that the court had deemed the fleet free to pass. The battle ended with 40 dead and 30 wounded in the Spanish side, with the casualties in the opposing force remaining unknown but being esteemed to be much greater due to all the troops they carried and the artillery they had been hit with. ^[2]

Aftermath

Only eight days after the battle, an armada from the Regency of Algiers tried to pass the Strait as well, but Vidazábal chased them, making many of the Argelian ships run aground and be set in fire. Vidazábal would die shortly after of a seizure. ^[2]

References

1. Fernández Duro (1903), p. 357.
2. Fernández Duro (1903), p. 358.

Bibliography

• Fernández, Ó.A.R. (2019). England and Spain in the Early Modern Era: Royal Love, Diplomacy, Trade and Naval Relations 1604-25. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   978-1-350-13343-3 . Retrieved 10 July 2022.
• Fernández Duro, Cesáreo (1903). Armada española desde la unión de los reinos de Castilla y Aragón. Sucesores de Rivadeneyra.
• Beverwijck, Johan Van (1640). "Joh. van Beverwyck Spaensche Xerxes, ofte Beschrijvinge, ende Vergelijckinge van des Scheep-strijdt tusschen de groote Koningen van Persen, ende Spaengjen, teghen de verbonde Griecken en Nederlanders". Google Books (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 July 2022.

35°54′55″N5°36′13″W / 35.915353°N 5.603746°W / 35.915353; -5.603746