Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
The age of the great galley fleets and the first ocean-going warships: Preveza, Lepanto, the Spanish Armada, Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his turtle ships, and the Eighty Years War at sea.
This chapter of Naval Battles holds 285 battles. For each one we give when and where it was fought, who fought it, the ships that took part, what happened, how it ended and why it is remembered. See all 2,188 battles on one page.
Marea can build any of the ships that fought in these battles, as she was on the day, with the maximum detail the records permit. Many of these battles cost thousands of lives, and we build their ships with that in mind.
This database was put together by Ai Refloat™, Marea’s own artificial intelligence, from naval histories, museums, official records and encyclopaedias in many languages. Ai Refloat is still young & like any teenager, it can be a little volatile and unpredictable at times, but above all, it is learning fast. So this list may well contain mistakes and we welcome the input of everyone who knows these battles better than we do.
Have you spotted a mistake, or is a battle missing? Tell us which battle and what to correct, and we will amend it accordingly. Tell us here
The battles
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Italian War
Battle of Rapallo (1495) Raid
Also known as Bataille de Rapallo
2 May 1495 · Rapallo, Liguria, Italy
Fought between Republic of Genoa against the Kingdom of France
Commanders Francesco Spinola and Fabrizio Giustignani (Genoa); Louis de Miolans, captured (France)
Forces 8 Genoese galleys, a carrack and 2 xebecs with 600 infantry, against 7 French galleys, 2 galleons and 2 fuste
Losses France: entire fleet captured
Result Genoese victory
Rumours spread by the Genoese led the French to send crews ashore to meet an expected land attack, leaving only two galleys fully manned. At dawn the Genoese squadron attacked the French fleet at its moorings and captured it all, then landed troops who, with a rising of the townspeople, retook Rapallo.
Why it is remembered Days later the Genoese took a convoy of 12 French ships carrying booty from Naples, freeing 300 captive women; the recovered bronze doors of the Castel Nuovo in Naples still bear the damage. The loss of his fleet hastened Charles VIII's withdrawal from Naples.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Karpathos (1498) Fleet battle
Also known as Kerpe Deniz Muharebesi
July 1498 · Between Karpathos and Crete, Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Knights Hospitaller
Commanders Kemal Reis (Ottoman); Nicolas Centurione, captured (Hospitallers)
Forces 5 Ottoman galleys against 10 Hospitaller galleys
Losses Hospitallers: 1 ship sunk, 5 captured. Ottoman: light.
Result Ottoman victory
Returning from Egypt, Kemal Reis found his way blocked between Karpathos and Crete by a Hospitaller fleet under Nicolas Centurione, and defeated it.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman and Venetian War of 1499 to 1503
Battle of Zonchio Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Sapienza (1499); First Battle of Lepanto; Sapienza Deniz Muharebesi
12, 20, 22 and 25 August 1499 · Off Zonchio, Ionian Sea, Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Küçük Davud Pasha, Kemal Reis and Feriz Beg (Ottoman); Antonio Grimani, Andrea Loredan and Nicolo da Pesaro (Venice)
Forces Ottoman: 60 galleys, 3 heavy galleys, 30 galiots, 40 fustas, 21 carracks and 111 barges. Venice: 46 galleys, 17 heavy galleys, 15 carracks, 4 caravels and 11 brigantines.
Result Ottoman victory
Over four days the Venetians tried to stop an Ottoman fleet bound to take Lepanto, but poor coordination meant they repeatedly failed to engage it fully. Lepanto fell soon afterwards.
Why it is remembered It marked the emergence of the Ottomans as a serious naval power in the Mediterranean.
Sources differ Dates: 12, 20, 22 and 25 August in one account; 14 to 25 August in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman and Venetian War of 1499 to 1503
Battle of Modon (1500) Landing or siege
Also known as Second Battle of Lepanto; Batalla de Lepanto (1500)
20 July to 9 August 1500 · Modon, Peloponnese, Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Kemal Reis and Feriz Beg (Ottoman); Girolamo Contarini and Marco Gabriel (Venice)
Forces Ottoman: 30,000 to 60,000 soldiers at Modon; fleet of 92 galleys, 20 carracks and 136 fustas and brigantines. Venice: 7,000 soldiers at Modon; fleet of 46 galleys and 20 carracks.
Losses Ottoman: 5,000 to 6,000 dead, 5 galleys sunk, several ships damaged. Venice: most soldiers killed, 2 galleys sunk, many ships damaged.
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottomans besieged Modon by land and sea while their fleet under Kemal Reis fought the Venetian fleet. The Ottomans won, as they had at Zonchio the year before.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Lionel Wyllie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Luso-Malabarese War
First Battle of Cannanore Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cannanore (1501)
31 December 1501 to 2 January 1502 · Off Cannanore, India
Fought between Portugal against Calicut
Commanders João da Nova (Portugal); the Zamorin of Calicut
Forces 4 Portuguese carracks against over 220 vessels, including 180 paraus and zambuks, with 7,000 men
Losses Calicut: 5 major ships and about 12 paraus and zambuks. Portuguese losses unknown.
Result Portuguese victory
The Zamorin of Calicut gathered a fleet to stop the Third Portuguese Armada under João da Nova from returning home. Over two days the badly outnumbered Portuguese broke out of Cannanore and defeated the blocking force using gunfire alone.
Why it is remembered The first major Portuguese naval battle in the Indian Ocean, and one of the earliest recorded deliberate uses of a line of battle, decided by cannon alone; it has been called the first modern naval battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Ottoman raid on the Balearic Islands (1501) Raid
1501 · Balearic Islands, with attacks on Sardinia and Pianosa
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Spain
Commanders Kemal Reis (Ottoman)
An Ottoman fleet under Kemal Reis raided the Balearic Islands, combined with attacks on Sardinia and Pianosa near Elba. It followed earlier Ottoman interventions in the western Mediterranean after the fall of Granada.
Why it is remembered A Spanish sailor captured in the raid seems to have carried an early map by Columbus.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Luso-Malabarese War
Battle of Calicut (1503) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kozhikode
5 to 6 January 1503 · Off Calicut (Kozhikode), Malabar coast, India
Fought between Portugal against Calicut and Arab privateers
Commanders Vasco da Gama (Portugal); Khoja Kassein and Cojambar (Calicut)
Forces 10 Portuguese carracks and 6 caravels against 20 large ships, 40 gun armed sambuks and hundreds of smaller vessels
Losses Portugal: low. Calicut: very heavy.
Result Portuguese victory
Vasco da Gama's 4th Armada, joined by Vicente Sodré's caravels, met a fleet raised by the Zamorin under two Arab corsairs. Sailing in line ahead, the Portuguese ships concentrated their fire on Cojambar's twenty large ships before they could organise, sinking several and badly damaging the rest.
Why it is remembered One of the first recorded uses of a naval line of battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Portuguese-Calicut wars
Battle of Cochin (1504) Landing or siege
Also known as Second siege of Cochin
16 March to 3 July 1504 · Cochin (Kochi) backwaters and the fords of Kumbalam (Cambalão), Palignar and Palurte, India
Fought between Portugal and the Kingdom of Cochin against the Zamorin of Calicut and his vassals
Commanders Duarte Pacheco Pereira (Portugal); the Zamorin of Calicut, Naubeadarim and Elcanol of Edapalli (Calicut)
Forces About 150 Portuguese, with about 90 men in a caravel, two bateis and the nau Concepção; a Calicut army of 57,000 or 84,000 with a fleet of 160 vessels (about 76 paraus, 54 catures and 30 tones) and about 300 guns
Ships Concepção
Losses Calicut, as reported by chroniclers: about 1,300 dead in the first assault, about 19 ships and 290 dead in the second, 22 paraus and about 600 dead in the third, about 1,000 men and some ships in the fourth. Portugal: no deaths reported in these assaults.
Result Portuguese and Cochin victory
Pacheco blocked the ford at Kumbalam with sharpened stakes and small ships lashed together with their broadsides facing the banks. The narrow channels forced the Calicut paraus to attack in small groups, which Portuguese gunfire broke up, and Pacheco also fired on the shore batteries. When the Zamorin shifted to the fords of Palignar and Palurte, Pacheco used the tides to move his boats between them and beat off further assaults.
Why it is remembered It kept the Portuguese foothold in India and cost the Zamorin much of his authority over the Malabar states.
Sources differ The Zamorin's army is given as 57,000 or 84,000. The site of the main ford is disputed. Chroniclers' casualty figures are unverified.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Maurício José do Carmo Sendim, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Barbary corsairs
Action off Elba (1504) Single-ship action
Midsummer 1504 · Near the island of Elba
Fought between Turkish corsairs against the Papal States
Commanders Aruj and Hayreddin Barbarossa (corsairs); Paolo Vettori, captured (Papal States)
Forces 1 corsair galiot against 2 papal galleys
Losses Papal: 2 galleys and 112 men captured, 300 Muslim slaves freed. Corsairs: none.
Result Corsair victory
The Barbarossa brothers ambushed two papal galleys near Elba with a single galiot and captured both.
Why it is remembered The first naval victory of the Barbarossa brothers.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Created by NormanEinstein, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Luso-Malabarese War
Battle of Pandarane Fleet battle
Autumn 1504 · Pandarane, India
Fought between Portugal against a Mamluk fleet
Commanders Lopo Soares de Albergaria (Portugal)
Forces 2 Portuguese caravels and 15 small boats with 360 men against 17 large carracks with 4,000 men
Losses Portugal: 23 killed, 170 wounded. Mamluk: all ships captured or destroyed, 2,000 men killed or captured, 130 guns captured.
Result Portuguese victory
Portuguese forces under Lopo Soares de Albergaria attacked a large fleet at Pandarane and captured or destroyed all its ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First Luso-Malabarese War
Battle of Cannanore (1506) Fleet battle
March 1506 · Off the harbour of Cannanore, India
Fought between Portugal against the Kingdom of Calicut
Commanders Lourenço de Almeida, with Ferdinand Magellan wounded (Portugal); the Zamorin of Calicut
Forces 3 Portuguese naus, 1 caravel and several foists against over 200 Calicut vessels
Losses Portugal: none. Calicut: a few dozen ships.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet under Lourenço de Almeida, son of the Viceroy, defeated the Zamorin's fleet of about 200 ships, armed with cannon made with the help of two Milanese and crewed by Hindu, Arab and Turkish sailors.
Why it is remembered It was followed by the Portuguese success at the siege of Cannanore in 1507 and the defeat at Chaul in 1508.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Mamluk and Portuguese conflicts; Gujarati and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Chaul Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Chaul (1508)
March 1508 · Harbour of Chaul, India
Fought between Mamluk Sultanate and Gujarat Sultanate against Portugal
Commanders Amir Husain Al-Kurdi, Malik Ayyaz and Mayimama Marakkar, killed (Mamluk and Gujarat); Lourenço de Almeida, killed (Portugal)
Forces 6 Egyptian carracks and 6 great galleys with 1,500 fighting men, and 40 Gujarati galleys, against 3 Portuguese ships and 5 caravels
Losses Portugal: 6 ships and 140 men. Mamluk and Gujarati: 600 to 700.
Result Mamluk and Gujarati victory
An Egyptian Mamluk fleet, joined by Gujarati galleys, attacked the Portuguese squadron of Lourenço de Almeida in the harbour of Chaul and defeated it. Almeida was killed.
Why it is remembered The first Portuguese defeat at sea in the Indian Ocean.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tancredi Scarpelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Adil Shahi and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Dabul Landing or siege
29 December 1508 · Dabul (now Dabhol), India
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Bijapur
Commanders Viceroy Francisco de Almeida and Nuno Vaz Pereira (Portugal)
Forces 19 Portuguese ships and 1,900 men against 6,000 men and 4 Gujarati merchant ships
Losses Bijapur: all ships destroyed and an unknown number of people killed. Portugal: negligible.
Result Portuguese victory
In revenge for an attack on the Portuguese armada on its way to Diu, Viceroy Francisco de Almeida's fleet bombarded Dabul and landed troops who broke through its wooden walls and ditch. The Portuguese killed every living person and animal they found and set the town on fire. They left on 5 January 1509.
Why it is remembered The massacre was long remembered, alongside Vasco da Gama's destruction of the pilgrim ship Miri, as an unforgiven act of the Portuguese conquest.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Cape Finisterre (1509) Single-ship action
Also known as Bataille du cap Finisterre (1509); Batalla del cabo Finisterre (1509)
18 January 1509 · Off Cape Finisterre, Galicia, Spain, Bay of Biscay
Fought between Portugal against French corsairs
Commanders Duarte Pacheco Pereira (Portugal); Pierre de Mondragon, killed (France)
Forces 4 French ships; Portuguese strength not given
Losses France: all 4 ships lost, with 1 sunk and 3 captured in one account, or 3 sunk and 1 captured in another
Result Portuguese victory
The French corsair Pierre de Mondragon, who had raided Spanish and Portuguese shipping and taken a Portuguese ship in 1508, was hunted by Duarte Pacheco Pereira, who found his squadron off Cape Finisterre and destroyed it. Mondragon was killed.
Sources differ French losses: 1 sunk and 3 captured in one account, 3 sunk and 1 captured in another account.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Mamluk and Portuguese conflicts; Gujarati and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Diu (1509) Fleet battle
3 February 1509 · Port of Diu, Arabian Sea, India
Fought between Portugal against the Mamluk Sultanate, the Gujarat Sultanate and the Zamorin of Calicut
Commanders Viceroy Francisco de Almeida (Portugal); Amir Husain Al-Kurdi, Malik Ayyaz and Kunjali Marakkar (allies)
Forces Portugal: 9 carracks, 6 caravels, 2 galleys and 1 brigantine, with 800 Portuguese and 400 Nairs. Allies: 10 carracks, 6 heavy galleys, 30 light galleys and 70 to 150 boats, with 450 Mamluks and 4,000 to 5,000 Gujaratis.
Losses Portugal: 32 killed and 300 wounded. Allies: all Mamluk ships sunk or captured, 4 Gujarati carracks captured, 1,300 Gujaratis and 428 Mamluks killed.
Result Portuguese victory
Francisco de Almeida's fleet attacked the joint fleet of Gujarat, Mamluk Egypt and Calicut in the port of Diu and destroyed it, sinking or taking every Mamluk ship.
Why it is remembered It opened the way for the Portuguese capture of Goa, Malacca and Hormuz, and is often seen as the start of European dominance in Asian seas.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Maurício José do Carmo Sendim (1786 to 1870), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · War of the League of Cambrai
Battle of Saint-Mathieu (1512) Fleet battle
10 August 1512 · Off Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Iroise Sea, near Brest, France
Fought between England against France and Brittany
Commanders Sir Edward Howard (England); René de Clermont (France)
Forces 25 English warships against 22 French and Breton warships
Ships Regent, Marie la Cordelière
Losses England: 400 killed and 1 warship destroyed. France: 1,230 killed and 1 warship destroyed.
Result English victory
An English fleet under Sir Edward Howard fought a Franco-Breton fleet off Brest. The largest ship on each side, the English Regent and the French Marie la Cordelière, were both destroyed in a great explosion aboard the Cordelière.
Why it is remembered Possibly the first battle between ships firing guns through gunports, and one of only two full fleet battles fought by Henry VIII's navy.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · War of the League of Cambrai
Battle of Brest (1513) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Brest (1513)
24 April 1513 · Off Brest, France
Fought between France against England
Commanders Vice-admiral Guyon Le Roy, sieur du Chillou (France); Admiral Sir Edward Howard, killed (England)
Forces 15 French ships including galleys and 24 hulks meant as fireships, against 24 English warships with 6,480 men
Losses Fairly heavy on both sides
Result French victory
An English squadron under Admiral Edward Howard fought a French squadron off Brest and was defeated. Howard, victor of Saint-Mathieu, was killed.
Why it is remembered The death of Admiral Sir Edward Howard.
Sources differ The French account on Blancs-Sablons Bay (22 or 25 April 1513) and the Polish account on Le Conquet (25 April 1513) describe a French victory in which Howard died; these may be the same action, with different dates and French commanders (Guyon Le Roy here, Prégent de Bidoux there).
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Malacca (1513) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalha de Malaca (1513)
January 1513 · Strait of Malacca
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Demak
Commanders Fernão Pires de Andrade (Portugal); Pati Unus of Demak
Forces 17 Portuguese galleons and about 350 men against 90, 100 or 300 ships and 5,000 men, later 12,000
Losses Demak: 60 ships and 4,000 to 8,000 dead. Portuguese losses unknown.
Result Portuguese victory
A large fleet from Demak under Pati Unus attacked the Portuguese garrison of Malacca and was defeated in the Strait of Malacca.
Sources differ Demak fleet given as 90, 100 or 300 ships; dead given as 4,000 or 8,000.
Sources Wikipedia (PT)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Portuguese and Mamluk naval war; Ottoman and Portuguese confrontations
Siege of Jeddah (1517) Landing or siege
12 April 1517 · Harbour of Jeddah, Red Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate against Portugal
Commanders Selman Reis (Ottoman) and Amir Husain Al-Kurdi (Mamluk); Lopo Soares de Albergaria (Portugal)
Forces 19 ships and 3,000 soldiers, including 1,300 Turks, against 36 to 43 Portuguese sail (15 naus) with 1,800 to 5,400 men
Losses Portugal: 2 or 3 ships destroyed. Ottoman and Mamluk: 1 ship partly damaged by an accidental fire.
Result Ottoman and Mamluk victory
A Portuguese expedition under Lopo Soares de Albergaria arrived off Jeddah on Easter Day 1517 and moored in the channel. After a brief naval action with few casualties, shore guns prevented a landing, and the weather finally forced the Portuguese to withdraw.
Sources differ Portuguese strength given as 36 to 43 sail and 1,800 to 5,400 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Barbary corsairs
Battle of Piombino Channel (1518) Fleet battle
Mid-September 1518 · Near Piombino, Italy
Fought between Tunisian corsairs against the Papal States
Commanders Kaid Ali (corsairs); Paolo Vettori, captured (Papal States)
Forces 12 corsair ships against 3 papal galleys
Losses Papal: 1 galley, the flagship, captured, with all but 7 of her people killed
Result Tunisian corsair victory
Tunisian corsairs ambushed the papal galleys near Piombino, took the flagship and captured its commander, Paolo Vettori.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish and Ottoman wars
Algiers expedition (1519) Landing or siege
24 August to 3 September 1519 · Algiers
Fought between Spain and the Kingdom of Sicily against the Sultanate of Algiers
Commanders Hugo of Moncada and Martin d'Argote (Spain); Hayreddin Barbarossa (Algiers)
Forces Spain: 58 ships and 23,000 soldiers (Clodfelter), 80 sailing ships and 6,000 men (Manfroni), 40 boats and 5,000 men (Grammont), or 170 ships and 20,000 men (the Ghazawat). Algiers: 20,000 Algerians and 600 Turks.
Losses Spain: 20 ships sunk, 4,000 killed and 3,000 captured, including 36 senior officers. Algerian losses unknown.
Result Algerian victory
A Spanish and Italian expedition ordered by Charles V and led by Hugo of Moncada attacked Algiers from the sea and was repulsed by the Algerians under Hayreddin Barbarossa.
Sources differ Spanish strength varies widely between Clodfelter, Manfroni, Grammont and the Ghazawat.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Wars of the Christian powers against the Barbary corsairs
Battle of Pianosa (1519) Fleet battle
25 April 1519 · Tuscan Archipelago, Tyrrhenian Sea, in sight of Elba
Fought between Republic of Genoa against Tunisian corsairs
Commanders Andrea Doria and Filippino Doria (Genoa); Kaid Ali, captured (corsairs)
Forces 6 Genoese galleys against 1 galley and 7 to 20 fustes
Losses Genoa: heavy. Corsairs: 500 dead, 25 captured, 1 galley and at least 5 fustes captured, several fustes sunk.
Result Genoese victory
A Genoese fleet under Andrea Doria heavily defeated the flotilla of the Tunisian corsair Kaid Ali in sight of Elba, capturing Kaid Ali.
Why it is remembered It broke the rising corsair base at Bizerte and made Andrea Doria one of the foremost captains of the Mediterranean.
Sources differ Corsair fustes given as 7 to 20 depending on the account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Created by NormanEinstein, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Swedish War of 1512 to 1520
Siege of Stockholm (1520) Landing or siege
Early May to 7 September 1520 · Stockholm, Sweden
Fought between Kalmar Union (Denmark) against Sweden
Commanders Christian II and Søren Norby (Denmark); Christina Gyllenstierna, surrendered (Sweden)
Forces 1,000 cavalry, 2,000 foot and an unknown number of ships (Denmark); Swedish strength unknown
Result Danish victory; Sweden reincorporated into the Kalmar Union
Christian II of Denmark besieged Stockholm with a combined fleet and army until Christina Gyllenstierna surrendered the city.
Why it is remembered Sweden was brought back into the Kalmar Union.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Dionysius Padt-Brügge, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
Fall of Tenochtitlan Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Tenochtitlan
26 May to 13 August 1521 · Tenochtitlan and Lake Texcoco, present-day Mexico City
Fought between Spain with the Tlaxcaltec and other indigenous allies against the Mexica
Commanders Hernán Cortés, Gonzalo de Sandoval, Pedro de Alvarado and Cristóbal de Olid (Spain); Chichimecatecuhtli, Xicotencatl II and Ixtlilxochitl II (allies); Cuauhtémoc, captured, and Coanacoch (Mexica)
Forces Spanish: 900 to 1,300 infantry, 86 cavalry, 16 cannon and 13 lake brigantines, with 50,000 to 200,000 indigenous allies. Mexica: 80,000 warriors and 400 war canoes
Losses Spanish: 450 to 860 Spaniards and 20,000 allies. Mexica: 100,000 killed in action, 300 war canoes sunk and at least 40,000 civilians killed or captured
Result Spanish and Tlaxcaltec victory
Cortés had thirteen brigantines built in Tlaxcala by his shipwright Martín López and launched them on Lake Texcoco, each with 12 oarsmen, 12 crossbowmen and musketeers and a captain. In the first battle on the lake they overturned or captured many of more than a thousand canoes; they then covered the causeways and, on nightly patrols, stopped food and water reaching the city by canoe, though in one ambush the Mexica took two launches and killed their captains. When Cuauhtémoc tried to escape by canoe, Sandoval's launches captured him, and the city fell on 13 August.
Why it is remembered Its fall destroyed the Mexica state and led to the creation of New Spain. Control of the lake by the brigantines was crucial to the siege.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Tunmen Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Tamão; First Battle of Tamao
21 June to 8 September 1521 · Tamão (Tunmen), China
Fought between Ming dynasty against Portugal
Commanders Wang Hong (Ming); Diogo Calvo, Duarte Coelho and Ambrósio do Rego (Portugal)
Forces Over 50 Ming junks against 5 Portuguese caravels with Siamese and Patani junks
Losses Portugal: 2 caravels and all junks abandoned. Ming losses unknown.
Result Ming victory
The Ming imperial navy fought a Portuguese fleet under Diogo Calvo at Tamão over the summer of 1521 and defeated it, the Portuguese abandoning two caravels and all their junks.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Sincouwaan Blockade and raiding
Also known as 茜草灣之戰 (Qiàncǎo Wān zhī Zhàn); Battle of Veniaga Island (Batalha da Ilha da Veniaga)
7 to 20 August 1522 · Sai Tso Wan, north west coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Fought between Ming dynasty coast guard against Portugal
Commanders Wang Hong, Zhang Ding, Ke Rong and Wang Ying'en, killed (Ming); Martim Afonso de Mello Coutinho and Pedro Homem, killed (Portugal)
Forces 30 Ming ships, including 8 large junks, against 6 Portuguese ships (2 heavy carracks, 2 small carracks and 2 junks) with 300 men
Losses Portugal: 1 ship destroyed, 1 captured and 42 men captured. Ming losses unknown.
Result Ming victory
After Portugal's seizure of Malacca, a Ming tributary, and Portuguese raiding on the Chinese coast, Martim Afonso de Mello arrived at the Pearl River and was blockaded by a Ming fleet. After two weeks unable to land, the Portuguese ran the blockade and escaped with the loss of two ships and several dozen men.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Malay and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Lingga Fleet battle
1525 · Lingga Island
Fought between Portugal, defending its ally the Sultan of Lingga, against the Sultanates of Bintan and Indragiri
Commanders Álvaro de Brito and Baltasar Raposo (Portugal); the Sultan of Indragiri and Laqueximena
Forces 2 Portuguese carracks with 80 soldiers against 160 lancharas with 2,000 men
Losses Portugal: 1 dead, 17 wounded. Bintan and Indragiri: 80 vessels and 600 dead.
Result Portuguese victory
Portuguese forces came to the defence of their ally the Sultan of Lingga and defeated a fleet of the Sultan of Bintan, the former Sultan of Malacca, and the Sultan of Indragiri.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: edited by M.Minderhoud, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese and Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Aceh (1528) Single-ship action
April 1528 · Off the coast of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
Fought between Sultanate of Aceh against Portugal
Commanders Ali Mughayat Syah (Aceh); Simão de Sousa Galvão, killed (Portugal)
Forces 20 Acehnese boats with 1,000 men against 1 Portuguese galley with 70 men
Losses Portugal: all but 2 killed and the galley captured. Aceh: heavy.
Result Acehnese victory
A lone Portuguese galley was attacked off the coast of Aceh by an Acehnese fleet and captured.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · War of the League of Cognac
Battle of Capo d'Orso Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cava; Battle of Amalfi
28 April 1528 · Gulf of Salerno, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy
Fought between Kingdom of France against Spain (Kingdom of Naples)
Commanders Filippino Doria and Gilbert du Croq (France); Alfonso d'Avalos and Hugo de Moncada, killed (Spain)
Forces 8 French galleys against 6 galleys, 3 brigantines, 2 fustes and 2 sailing boats
Losses France: 500 killed. Spain: 700 killed, 600 captured, 2 galleys, 1 brigantine and 1 fuste sunk, 4 galleys and 1 fuste captured.
Result French victory
Spanish forces trying to break the French blockade met the French fleet in the Gulf of Salerno and were crushed in a four hour fight in the evening. The faster Genoese galleys in French service outmanoeuvred the slower Spanish ones despite the veteran Spanish soldiers aboard.
Why it is remembered It gave the French complete command of the sea. The witness Paolo Giovio credited the victory to skilful seamanship rather than force.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: George Loring Brown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Algiers (1529) Fleet battle
Also known as Cezayir Deniz Muharebesi
June 1529 · Off Algiers
Fought between Ottoman Algiers against Spain
Commanders Hayreddin Barbarossa, with Sinan Reis leading the attack (Ottoman)
Forces 10 Ottoman galleys against 10 Spanish barques carrying soldiers
Losses Spain: all 10 barques captured, 355 men captured and the rest killed. Ottoman: light.
Result Decisive Ottoman victory
After Barbarossa took the Spanish island fort of Algiers in May 1529, a Spanish relief fleet from Barcelona arrived unaware of its fall. Barbarossa flew Spanish flags over the fort; when the Spanish anchored, the fort opened fire and Sinan Reis led ten galleys against the becalmed barques and seized them all.
Why it is remembered It strengthened Barbarossa's hold on Algiers.
Sources differ Spanish soldiers given as about 500 (355 captured, the rest killed) in one account and 1,000 (355 captured, 645 killed) in another account.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: Gerard van Keulen (dead 1726), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman and Habsburg wars
Battle of Formentera (1529) Fleet battle
28 October 1529 · Off the island of Formentera, near Ibiza, Spain
Fought between Regency of Algiers (Ottoman) against Spain
Commanders Aydin Reis (Algiers); Rodrigo Portuondo, killed (Spain)
Forces 15 galleys and 4 fustas against 8 Spanish galleys
Losses Spain: 7 galleys captured. Algiers: minor.
Result Ottoman and Algerian victory
An Ottoman fleet under Aydin Reis met a small Spanish squadron of eight galleys off Formentera and captured it.
Sources differ One account says the Spanish fleet of eight galleys was captured; another account gives 7 galleys captured.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish and Ottoman wars
Raid on Cherchell (1530) Raid
Also known as Raid on Cherchell (1531)
July 1530 · Cherchell, on the Algerian coast
Fought between Empire of Charles V (Spain and Genoa) against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Andrea Doria (Charles V); Ali Caramani (Algiers)
Forces 32 galleys, 8 galleons, 5 brigantines, 2 lateen vessels and 3 ships with 1,500 men, against 25 Algerian galleys and galliots
Losses Doria's force: 400 to 600 killed or captured. Algiers: all vessels scuttled, light casualties.
Result Algerian victory
The Genoese admiral Andrea Doria attacked the Algerian fortress of Cherchell as part of a campaign against the Barbary corsairs. The Algerians scuttled all their vessels, but Doria's force lost 400 to 600 men killed or captured and the raid was counted an Algerian victory.
Sources differ One account gives 1531, but others date the raid to July 1530. One also lists the Kingdom of France on Doria's side.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Siege of Coron Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Koroni
1533 to 1534 · Koroni (Coron), Messenia, Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire (with the Republic of Venice in the first siege) against the Spanish Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Knights Hospitaller, the Papal States, the Republic of Genoa and Greek rebels
Commanders First siege: Lütfi Pasha, Hassan the Moor, Suleyman of Albania (Ottoman); Andrea Doria, Bernardo Salviati, Rodrigo de Machicao, Jerónimo de Mendoza (Imperial). Second siege: Acomer, killed (Ottoman); Rodrigo de Machicao, killed (Imperial)
Forces First siege: Ottoman 60 galleys, 2 galiots, 40 carracks, 10 fustas and 10,000 soldiers; Imperial 27 galleys, 30 carracks and galleons, 1 brigantine, 2,500 soldiers in the fleet and 2,500 in Coron. Second siege: 10,000 Ottoman soldiers against 2,500 Imperial soldiers
Losses First siege: Ottoman 1 galley sunk, 1 carrack and 3 other ships captured, many ships damaged, 400 soldiers killed and 300 captured; Imperial 1 brigantine sunk, 1 carrack damaged, part of two crews captured or killed
Result First siege: Imperial victory; second siege: Ottoman victory
Charles V's army had occupied the fortress of Coron in 1532, and the Ottoman Empire tried twice to take it back. In the first siege an Imperial fleet under Andrea Doria routed the Ottoman fleet under Lütfi Pasha. The Imperial court then judged the place too costly to defend and did not reinforce it, and during the second siege the following year it was abandoned.
Why it is remembered The action exposed the weakness of the Ottoman navy at the time. The admiral and historian Edmond Jurien de La Gravière counted it among the most skilful naval operations of the sixteenth century.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Malacca (1534) Fleet battle
May 1534 · Near Malacca, Malaysia
Fought between Sultanate of Johor against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Paulo da Gama, died of wounds (Portugal); Lacxemena (Johor)
Forces 70 Johorese ships against 9 or 15 Portuguese ships
Losses Portuguese: 30 killed and all the rest wounded. Johor: heavy
Result Johor victory
A Johorese fleet attacked the Portuguese navy near Malacca and defeated it. A strong wind saved the Portuguese ships from destruction.
Why it is remembered It was a Johorese victory over the Portuguese at sea close to their base at Malacca.
Sources differ The Portuguese strength is given as either 9 or 15 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Count's Feud
Battle of Bornholm (1535) Fleet battle
June 1535 · Off the coast of Bornholm
Fought between Lübeck and the Hanseatic League against Sweden, Denmark, Royal Prussia and Holstein
Commanders Måns Svensson Some, Peder Skram, Johan Pein (allies); the Lübeck commander is unknown
Forces 26 Lübeck warships against 20 allied warships with about 4,000 men, about 11 of them Swedish ships with about 2,500 men
Losses Lübeck: at least 148. Allies: 74
Result Allied victory
In June 1535 a Lübeck fleet met the combined fleet of Sweden, Denmark, Prussia and Holstein off Bornholm. The allies won the engagement.
Why it is remembered It was one of the naval actions of the Count's Feud. Jacob Hägg painted the battle in 1894.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Count's Feud
Battle of Little Belt Fleet battle
16 June 1535 · Little Belt, Denmark
Fought between Sweden, Denmark and Prussia against Lübeck and the Hanseatic League
Commanders Måns Svensson Some, Peder Skram (allies); the Lübeck commander is unknown
Forces About 20 allied ships against 10 Lübeck ships
Losses Lübeck: 1 ship burnt and 9 ships captured. Allies: negligible
Result Allied victory
A combined Swedish, Danish and Prussian fleet fought a Lübeck fleet in the Little Belt on 16 June 1535. Lübeck lost every ship engaged, one burnt and nine captured.
Why it is remembered It was a heavy defeat for Lübeck in the Count's Feud.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Italian War of 1536 to 1538; Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Antipaxos Fleet battle
22 to 23 July 1537 · Antipaxos, Ionian Sea
Fought between Spanish Empire, Republic of Genoa, Papal States and Knights Hospitaller against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Andrea Doria, Leone Strozzi (Christian); Ali Çelebi (Ottoman)
Forces 36 galleys against 12 Ottoman galleys
Losses Christian: 250 dead and 1,250 wounded. Ottoman: 1 galley sunk, 11 galleys captured, 2,500 dead and 800 prisoners
Result Christian victory
A fleet under Andrea Doria, grand admiral of Charles V, met an Ottoman flotilla under Ali Çelebi off Antipaxos. Of the twelve Ottoman galleys one was sunk and the other eleven were captured.
Why it is remembered Events during the action helped bring about the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1537 to 1540.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts
Siege of Diu (1538) Landing or siege
Also known as First siege of Diu
26 June to 6 November 1538 · Diu, Gujarat, India
Fought between Portugal against the Ottoman Empire and the Gujarat Sultanate
Commanders António da Silveira, Francisco Pacheco (Portugal); Hadım Suleiman Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Khadjar Safar (Gujarat)
Forces A Portuguese garrison of about 600; a Gujarati army of about 16,000; an Ottoman force of 6,000 according to the main account (sources cite 40,000 men and 70 to 80 vessels) in galleys, galliots and galleons with over 400 guns
Losses Portugal: all but about 40 of the garrison killed or wounded; one Ottoman galley sunk by the Portuguese. Ottomans: about 1,200 dead and 500 wounded left behind. Gujarati losses not stated.
Result Portuguese victory
A Gujarati army besieged the Portuguese fortress from June, and an Ottoman fleet from Suez under Hadım Suleiman Pasha arrived on 4 September and blockaded it from the sea. Ottoman galleys bombarded the fortress from 28 September and attacked the Sea Fort on 27 and 28 October, but were driven off, and small Portuguese relief craft got through. On sighting a Portuguese fleet of 24 galleys in early November, the Pasha re-embarked and sailed away.
Why it is remembered It ended Ottoman plans to expand into the Indian Ocean, and the Ottomans never again sent so large an armada to India. Portugal held Diu until 1961.
Sources differ Ottoman strength 6,000 in the main account against 40,000 in other sources; ship totals of 139 Portuguese and 79 Ottoman in the main account are not reconciled with the narrative. The garrison is given as 600 men, though the fortress held about 3,000 people.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Manuel Luís da Costa, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars; Third Ottoman-Venetian War
Battle of Preveza Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Prevesa; Preveze Deniz Muharebesi (Turkish)
28 September 1538 · Near Preveza, Ionian Sea, north west Greece
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Holy League (Venice, the Papal States, Genoa, the Spanish Empire, Mantua and the Knights of Malta)
Commanders Hayreddin Barbarossa, Sinan Reis, Dragut Reis, Seydi Ali Reis (Ottoman); Andrea Doria, Vincenzo Cappello, Marco Grimani, Ferrante Gonzaga, Paolo Simeone (Holy League)
Forces Holy League: 130 to 170 galleys, 50 to 140 carracks and galleons, possibly 250 to 300 other ships, 2,500 to 2,594 cannon and 60,000 soldiers. Ottoman: 120 to 150 galleys, galliots and fustas, 366 cannon, 3,000 janissaries and 8,000 soldiers
Losses Holy League: figures vary by source (see conflicts). Ottoman: several ships damaged, 400 killed and 800 wounded
Result Ottoman victory
An Ottoman fleet under Hayreddin Barbarossa met the much larger fleet of the Holy League under the Genoese admiral Andrea Doria near Preveza, in the same waters as the Battle of Actium. The course of the battle is uncertain and the accounts contradict each other. The Holy League was defeated despite its great advantage in numbers and tonnage.
Why it is remembered It began some thirty years in which the Ottoman Empire was the leading naval power in the Mediterranean, until Lepanto in 1571. It was one of the three largest Mediterranean battles of the sixteenth century, and it left a rupture between the Christian navies.
Sources differ Holy League losses: two galleys and five carracks sunk or captured (Spanish and Italian sources); 128 ships sunk or captured (Turkish sources); 13 ships sunk, 36 captured and 3,000 prisoners (English sources). Venetian sources blame Doria's lack of initiative, possibly linked to talks with Barbarossa about changing sides; Imperial sources blame the Venetians for refusing to follow Doria's orders.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Osman Nuri Pasha and Hovhannes Umed Behzad (1809, 1874), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Alborán Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Alborán (Spanish)
1 October 1540 · Off the island of Alborán, Spain
Fought between Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Bernardino de Mendoza, wounded (Spain); Ali Hamet, captured (Ottoman)
Forces 10 Spanish galleys against 3 galleys, 5 galliots, 6 fustas and 2 brigantines
Losses Spanish: 137 killed and 500 wounded. Ottoman: 1 galley sunk, 10 ships captured, 700 killed and 437 captured; 837 galley slaves freed
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Bernardino de Mendoza attacked an Ottoman fleet under Ali Hamet off Alborán. The Spanish sank one galley and captured ten other ships, and Ali Hamet was taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered It was a clear Spanish success in the struggle with the Ottomans for control of the Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Girolata Raid
15 June 1540 · Gulf of Girolata, west coast of Corsica
Fought between Empire of Charles V and the Republic of Genoa against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Gianettino Doria, Berenguer de Requesens (Imperial); Dragut, captured (Ottoman)
Forces 21 galleys against 11 Ottoman galleys
Losses Ottoman: all 11 galleys captured and 1,200 prisoners taken; 1,200 galley slaves freed. Imperial: unknown
Result Imperial and Genoese victory
Dragut had been sent by Hayreddin Barbarossa to raid the Italian coast. His squadron lay at anchor in Girolata with the crews ashore dividing booty when 21 galleys under Gianettino Doria and Berenguer de Requesens surprised it. All eleven galleys were taken, and Dragut was carried to Genoa and set to row in Andrea Doria's galleys with his captains.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the capture of Dragut, one of the leading Ottoman corsairs, who was made a galley slave.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Alden Kitteredge Dawson (active c. 1870 to 1910), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Algiers (1541) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Algiers (1541)
October to November 1541 · Algiers
Fought between Empire of Charles V (Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Naples, Sicily), the Order of Saint John, Genoa, the Papal States and the Kingdom of Kuku against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Charles V, with Andrea Doria (navy) and the Duke of Alba (army) (Imperial); Hasan Agha (Algiers)
Forces 65 galleys and 450 transports with 12,000 sailors and 24,000 soldiers, against 1,500 to 2,000 janissaries and 6,000 to 8,000 Andalusi and Maghrebi Moors
Losses Imperial: 300 officers and 8,000 to 12,000 men killed, 150 ships sunk. Algiers: 200 killed
Result Algerian victory
Charles V led an amphibious attack on the Regency of Algiers in the autumn of 1541. Planning was poor, especially against bad weather, and the expedition failed with heavy loss of men and ships.
Why it is remembered It was a major defeat for Charles V in his wars against the Ottomans and their allies in North Africa.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Cornelis Anthonisz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts (1538 to 1559)
Battle of Suez (1541) Raid
26 April 1541 · Suez, Egypt
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Estêvão da Gama, Cristóvão da Gama (Portugal); Davud Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 16 light oared warships and 250 picked men, detached from a fleet of 80 ships and 2,300 soldiers, against 2,000 Ottoman horsemen and artillery
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result Ottoman victory
A Portuguese fleet under Estêvão da Gama entered the Red Sea and sacked Suakin. He then sent 16 light oared vessels and 250 men to attack Suez, but the defences, Davud Pasha's forces and the Ottoman artillery forced them back. Some of the retreating Portuguese who landed at Massawa were ambushed by the Adal Sultanate.
Why it is remembered The Portuguese stayed in the Red Sea for seven months without meeting the Ottoman navy, and Muslim trade there was paralysed during the campaign.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Italian War of 1542 to 1546
Battle of Muros Bay Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Muros (Spanish)
25 July 1543 · Estuary of Muros, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán the Elder (Spain); Jean de Clamorgan, Lord of Soane (France)
Forces 16 Spanish warships against 25 French warships
Losses French: more than 3,000 casualties, 3,000 prisoners, 23 ships captured and the flagship sunk. Spanish: 300 dead and 500 wounded
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Álvaro de Bazán the Elder attacked the French fleet of Jean de Clamorgan in the estuary of Muros in Galicia. The French lost their flagship and 23 ships were captured.
Why it is remembered It is considered the first large naval battle fought in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Italian War of 1542 to 1546
Battle of the Solent Fleet battle
18 to 19 July 1545 · The Solent, between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
Fought between England against France
Commanders John Dudley (England); Claude d'Annebault (France)
Forces 80 English ships with 12,000 soldiers against 175 French ships
Ships Mary Rose
Losses English: about 400 dead in the sinking of the Mary Rose. French: no ships lost
Result English victory according to one account; another account describes a standstill
The fleets of Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England fought in the Solent over two days. Neither side gained a clear advantage, and the English carrack Mary Rose sank with about 400 men. The fighting made a larger French invasion of England impossible and the French fleet withdrew soon afterwards.
Why it is remembered It is remembered mainly for the loss of the Mary Rose. It was one of only two full naval battles fought by Henry VIII's navy, and it is shown in the Cowdray engraving.
Sources differ One account gives an English victory; another account calls the engagement a standstill between both sides.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · The Rough Wooing
Siege of St Andrews Castle Landing or siege
1546 to 1547 · St Andrews Castle, Fife, Scotland
Fought between Scottish government with France against the Protestant Lairds of Fife with England
Commanders Regent Arran (Scotland); Leone Strozzi (France); Norman Leslie, William Kirkcaldy (Protestant garrison)
Result Government victory; the castle surrendered to the French
After Protestants killed Cardinal David Beaton at St Andrews Castle in 1546, they held the castle against the Regent Arran. Over 18 months the Scottish besiegers made little impact, until a French naval force arrived and the castle surrendered after artillery bombardment.
Why it is remembered The Protestant garrison, including the preacher John Knox, were taken to France and made galley slaves.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Perlis River Fleet battle
6 December 1547 · Perlis River, Malay Peninsula
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Aceh Sultanate
Commanders Francisco de Eça (Portugal); Bayaya Soora (Aceh)
Forces 9 light galleys and 230 Portuguese soldiers against 60 Acehnese vessels and 5,380 men
Losses Portuguese: 29 dead and 147 wounded. Aceh: 4,000 men killed, captured or missing; 45 vessels captured and 10 sunk
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet met the fleet of the Sultanate of Aceh in the Perlis River. The Portuguese won what is described as a complete victory, and the Acehnese fleet was almost entirely destroyed.
Why it is remembered A 1619 painting by André Reinoso shows Francis Xavier at Malacca encouraging the Portuguese soldiers to fight the Acehnese.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Bab al-Mandab Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Bab el-Mandeb
January 1551 · Bab al-Mandab, mouth of the Red Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Sefer Reis (Ottoman); Luiz Figueira, killed (Portugal)
Forces 4 Ottoman galliots against 4 Portuguese sailing ships and 1 oared fusta
Losses Portuguese: Figueira killed, his fusta taken and all his men captured. Ottoman: not stated
Result Ottoman victory
Figueira had earlier failed to catch Sefer Reis's faster galliots, and the viceroy Afonso de Noronha ordered a punitive counterattack. Sefer Reis expected him and waited at a chosen spot; Figueira took on all four galliots with his fusta alone and was surrounded. His sailing ships arrived too late to do more than fire at long range, the fusta was overrun, and the remaining Portuguese ships withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was one of the actions of Sefer Reis, an Ottoman admiral and privateer who fought the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Gaspar Bouttats, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Djerba Incident Other action
Also known as Cerbe Vakası (Turkish)
April 1551 · Lagoon south of the island of Djerba, Tunisia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Holy Roman Empire
Commanders Turgut Reis (Ottoman); Andrea Doria (Imperial)
Result The Ottoman fleet escaped
An Ottoman fleet under Turgut Reis was trapped by Andrea Doria's Imperial fleet in the lagoon south of Djerba. Turgut Reis got his fleet out by a tactical manoeuvre.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for Turgut Reis's escape from a fleet that had him cornered.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of the Bay of Velez Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Velez
1552 or 1553 · Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
Fought between Regency of Algiers against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Salah Reis (Algiers); Inácio Nunes Gato, captured (Portugal)
Forces 40 Algerian vessels against 5 Portuguese caravels and 1 small ship with 300 or 500 men
Losses Portuguese: deaths unknown, all captured. Algiers: unknown
Result Ottoman and Algerian victory
The forces of Salah Reis defeated a Portuguese flotilla under Inácio Nunes Gato, the official interpreter of John III of Portugal. They captured the whole Portuguese squadron and seized the Peñón de Vélez.
Why it is remembered It ended with the capture of the Peñón de Vélez by Salah Reis.
Sources differ The date is given as 1552 or 1553, and the Portuguese strength as 300 or 500 men.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars; Italian War of 1551 to 1559
Battle of Ponza (1552) Fleet battle
5 August 1552 · Off the island of Ponza, Italy
Fought between Ottoman Empire and France against the Spanish Empire and the Republic of Genoa
Commanders Dragut, Gabriel de Luetz d'Aramon (Franco-Ottoman); Andrea Doria, Juan de Mendoza (Spanish and Genoese)
Forces 100 Ottoman and 3 French galleys against 39 Spanish and Genoese galleys
Losses Spanish and Genoese: 7 galleys captured. Franco-Ottoman: minor
Result Franco-Ottoman victory
A Spanish and Genoese fleet under Andrea Doria was carrying troops to Naples when a Franco-Ottoman fleet under Dragut intercepted it near Ponza. Doria's fleet was diverted and lost seven galleys captured.
Why it is remembered The victory made it easier for the Ottoman fleet to raid the coasts of Sicily, Sardinia and Italy for the next three years.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts (1538 to 1559)
Battle of the Strait of Hormuz (1553) Fleet battle
August 1553 · Strait of Hormuz
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Diogo de Noronha (Portugal); Murat Reis (Ottoman)
Forces 6 galleons, 9 caravels and 25 foists against 15 galleys and 1 carrack
Losses Few on either side
Result Portuguese victory
An Ottoman fleet under Murat Reis clashed with a Portuguese fleet under Diogo de Noronha in the Strait of Hormuz. The Ottomans were forced to retreat.
Why it is remembered It is illustrated in the Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lisuarte de Abreu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts
Action at Diu Blockade and raiding
After August 1554 (exact date not given) · Off the peninsula of Diu, north west India
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Portugal
Commanders Sefer Reis (Ottoman); Balthazar Lobato (Portugal)
Forces Ottoman: four light galliots. Portuguese: four heavy merchant ships and Lobato's armed vessel.
Losses Portuguese: four merchant ships with about 160,000 cruzados taken, and Lobato's ship surrendered. Casualties not stated.
Result Ottoman victory
After the Ottoman defeat in the Battle of the Gulf of Oman in August 1554, Sefer Reis blockaded Diu with four light galliots and captured four heavy merchant ships. He put prize crews aboard and sent them to Mocha, but when Lobato's armed ship came in sight the Portuguese crews rose and overpowered the prize crews and sailed for India. Sefer Reis recognised the ships, retook them and chased Lobato's ship until she surrendered without a fight.
Why it is remembered Sefer Reis finished the cruise with nine ships and returned to his base within a few weeks, an example of his success against Portuguese shipping in the Indian Ocean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Portuguese conflicts (1538 to 1559)
Battle of the Gulf of Oman Fleet battle
10 to 25 August 1554 · Gulf of Oman
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Fernando de Meneses, Antão de Noronha (Portugal); Seydi Ali Reis (Ottoman)
Forces 6 galleons, 6 caravels and 25 fustas with 1,200 men against 15 galleys with 1,000 men
Losses Portuguese: few. Ottoman: all galleys captured or destroyed
Result Portuguese victory
A large Portuguese armada under Fernando de Meneses fought the Ottoman Indian fleet under Seydi Ali Reis in the Gulf of Oman. The Ottomans lost all their ships.
Why it is remembered Seydi Ali Reis later wrote that it was worse than any fight he had known under Barbarossa. The Portuguese attack is illustrated in the Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Lisuarte de Abreu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sengoku period
Battle of Miyajima Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Itsukushima (厳島の戦い)
15 to 18 October 1555 · Itsukushima (Miyajima), Aki Province, Seto Inland Sea, Japan
Fought between Mōri clan against the Ōuchi clan under Sue Harukata
Commanders Mōri Motonari, Mōri Takamoto, Kikkawa Motoharu, Kobayakawa Takakage, Murakami Takeyoshi (Mōri); Sue Harukata, Hironaka Takakane (Ōuchi)
Forces An estimated 4,000 to 10,000 Mōri, carried by their own fleet and the Noshima Murakami pirates, with a landing force of about 1,500 under Kobayakawa Takakage; an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Ōuchi, who had seized merchant vessels to reach the island
Losses Ōuchi: about 4,700 dead; Sue Harukata took his own life. Mōri: light.
Result Decisive Mōri victory
Sue Harukata used seized merchant ships to land on Itsukushima and attack Miyao Castle. The Mōri fleet crossed at night in a thunderstorm; Motonari landed behind the Ōuchi army while Kobayakawa Takakage feinted towards the castle and then landed at dawn to attack the front. Taken by surprise, the Ōuchi broke, and many drowned trying to swim to the mainland.
Why it is remembered It made the Mōri the leading power in western Japan and established Motonari's name as a strategist and the Mōri reputation for naval tactics.
Sources differ One account gives 16 October 1555; another account says the attack began early on 15 October and resistance ended by 18 October.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Utagawa Sadahide, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Zamorin-Portuguese conflicts
Cannanore War (1559) Landing or siege
29 or 30 March to 13 May 1559 · Cannanore, India
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Kingdom of Calicut and the Princes of Malabar
Commanders Paio de Noronha, Luis de Mello, Ruy de Mello, Antonio de Vilhena (Portugal); Ade Rajao (Princes of Malabar)
Forces Naval battle: 6 Portuguese ships with some 300 men against 13 ships with 2,000 men. Siege: 500 Portuguese against 100,000 men
Losses Naval battle: Portuguese unknown; the Malabar fleet destroyed. Siege: 25 Portuguese killed; more than 15,000 of their opponents killed
Result Portuguese victory
A series of naval and land engagements was fought between the Portuguese and the Princes of Malabar around Cannanore. At sea the Malabar fleet was destroyed, and on land the Portuguese held their fortress against a much larger besieging force.
Why it is remembered The Portuguese secured their fortress at Cannanore and restored peace to the region.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Djerba Fleet battle
Also known as Cerbe Deniz Muharebesi (Turkish)
9 to 14 May 1560 · Near the island of Djerba, off the coast of Tunisia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against an alliance of Spain (with Naples and Sicily), Genoa, the Papal States, Savoy and the Order of Saint John
Commanders Piali Pasha, Dragut (Ottoman); Giovanni Andrea Doria, Juan de la Cerda, Álvaro de Sande, captured (Christian alliance)
Forces 86 Ottoman galleys and galliots against 54 galleys and 66 other vessels (other sources give 200 ships in all)
Losses Christian alliance: 60 ships sunk or captured, 9,000 to 18,000 men killed and 5,000 prisoners taken at the siege. Ottoman: unknown
Result Ottoman victory
Spain sent a large fleet in 1560 to take Djerba, and it built a fortress there with a view to retaking Tripoli for the Knights Hospitaller. When an Ottoman fleet of similar size arrived, the Christians chose to leave, but their ill admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria fled and the fleet broke up on its way out. The Ottomans under Piali Pasha routed and captured much of it, then besieged the fortress and took it after several weeks, killing more than 5,000 men and taking a similar number prisoner.
Why it is remembered It marked perhaps the high point of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean and was one of the three great galley battles of the century with Preveza and Lepanto. The Ottomans did not follow it up quickly, and Spain rebuilt its fleet within two years.
Sources differ One account gives Christian losses as 27 galleys and some smaller vessels; another account gives 60 ships sunk or captured. The Christian fleet is given as 120 vessels or, in other sources, 200 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Lipari (1561) Fleet battle
July 1561 · Off the island of Lipari
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Kingdom of Sicily (part of the Spanish Empire)
Commanders Turgut Reis (Ottoman); Friar Bernardo, killed (Sicily)
Forces 9 Ottoman ships against 7 Sicilian ships
Losses Sicily: all ships captured. Ottoman: unknown
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman navy under Turgut Reis, Beylerbey of Tripoli, met the Sicilian navy under the priest Bernardo off Lipari. The Ottomans captured every Sicilian ship.
Why it is remembered The whole Sicilian squadron was lost in a single action.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Prelude to the Northern Seven Years' War
Battle of Bornholm (1563) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 30 May 1563
30 May 1563 · Off Bornholm, Denmark
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Jakob Bagge (Sweden); Jacob Brockenhuus, captured (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 19 Swedish ships against 3 Danish ships
Ships Hercules, Hector, Hjort
Losses Danish: 3 ships and 800 men captured. Swedish: negligible
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish fleet of 19 ships under Jakob Bagge met three Danish ships under Jacob Brockenhuus off Bornholm. All three Danish ships were captured with 800 men, and Brockenhuus was taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered The battle led to the outbreak of the Northern Seven Years' War.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Gibraltar (1563) Fleet battle
23 November 1563 · Gibraltar, Spain
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz (Spain); English commander unknown
Forces 5 Spanish galleys against 8 English naos
Losses English: all vessels captured and 240 prisoners. Spanish: minor
Result Spanish victory
An English fleet fought the Spanish garrison of the fortress of Gibraltar under Álvaro de Bazán. All eight English vessels were captured with 240 prisoners.
Why it is remembered The whole English force was taken by five Spanish galleys under Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Battle of Öland (1563) Fleet battle
11 September 1563 · Near Öland, Sweden
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway and Lübeck
Commanders Jakob Bagge (Sweden); Peder Skram, Friedrich Knebel (Denmark-Norway and Lübeck)
Forces 18 Swedish ships against 34 Danish and Lübeck ships
Result Inconclusive
A Swedish fleet under Jakob Bagge fought a larger Danish and Lübeck fleet under Peder Skram and Friedrich Knebel near Öland. Neither side won a decision.
Why it is remembered It was one of the first fleet actions of the Northern Seven Years' War.
Sources differ The Norwegian account on the Battle of Gotska Sandön, which gives the same date and commanders, puts the Swedish fleet at 31 to 38 vessels and calls the result a strategic Danish and Lübeck victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Sieges of Oran and Mers El Kébir (1563) Landing or siege
April to June 1563 · Oran and Mers El Kébir, Algeria
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Regency of Algiers, Ottoman Tripolitania, the Kingdoms of Ait Abbas and Kuku, and France
Commanders Alonso de Córdoba, Count of Alcaudete, Martín de Córdoba, Francisco de Mendoza y Vargas, Álvaro de Bazán (Spain); Hasan Pasha, Jafar Catania, Dragut (Algiers and Tripoli)
Forces Spanish garrisons of 1,500 men and 90 guns, relieved by 34 galleys and 4,000 men; against 15,000 men, 10,000 horsemen, 30 galleys, 15 galliots and fustas, 5 carracks and several smaller ships
Losses Algerian side: heavy losses of men, 5 galliots and 4 carracks captured. Spanish: unknown
Result Spanish victory
The Regency of Algiers, with its allies under Hasan Pasha, son of Hayreddin Barbarossa, tried to retake the Spanish bases of Oran and Mers El Kébir, held by Spain since 1505. The brothers Alonso and Martín de Córdoba held Oran and Mers El Kébir until a relief fleet under Francisco de Mendoza arrived. The Algerian forces then withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was a major Algerian attempt to drive Spain from its bases on the Algerian coast, and it failed when Spanish naval reinforcements arrived.
Sources differ One account marks Hasan Pasha and Jafar Catania as killed in action, which another account does not mention.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 12 July 1564 Single-ship action
12 July 1564 · Near Warnemünde
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Captain Björnson (Sweden)
Forces The Danish ships Byens Løffue (56 guns), Morian (47) and David (42) against the Swedish ship Hvita Falk
Ships Hvita Falk, Byens Løffue, Morian, David
Losses Sweden: Hvita Falk and her crew, with only two survivors. Denmark: negligible
Result Danish victory
Near Warnemünde the Danish ships Byens Løffue, Morian and David fought the Swedish Hvita Falk under Captain Björnson for several hours. At about noon Björnson blew up his ship rather than let her be captured, and only two men survived.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the Swedish captain destroying his own ship to prevent her capture.
Sources differ One account names three Danish ships; another account gives two.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 14 August 1564 Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle outside northern Öland
14 August 1564 · Northern tip of Öland, Baltic Sea
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Kristersson Horn (Sweden); Herluf Trolle, Friedrich Knebel (Denmark and Lübeck)
Forces 28 Swedish ships against 39 allied ships
Ships Elefanten, Böse Lejonet, Morian, David
Losses Sweden: one ship, the Elefanten. Allies: 3 ships and 600 men captured
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish fleet under Klas Kristersson Horn met the Danish and Lübeck fleet off the northern tip of Öland. Sweden lost the Elefanten but captured three allied ships, the Böse Lejonet, Morian and David, with 600 men.
Why it is remembered It was a Swedish victory in the naval war for the Baltic during the Northern Seven Years' War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Pieter van Soest, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
First Battle of Öland (1564) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 30 May 1564; Första slaget vid Ölands norra udde (Swedish)
30 to 31 May 1564 · Between Gotland and Öland, off the northern tip of Öland
Fought between Denmark and Lübeck against Sweden
Commanders Herluf Trolle, Friedrich Knebel (Denmark and Lübeck); Jakob Bagge, captured (Sweden)
Forces 36 Danish and Lübeck ships against 38 Swedish ships in one account. Another gives 26 Danish ships with 4,600 sailors and 10 Lübeck ships with 2,018 sailors, against 35 Swedish vessels with 3,500 sailors and 1,700 soldiers
Ships Mars, Fortuna, Lange Bark, Byens Løffue, Engel, Fuchs
Losses Sweden: the flagship Mars with about 800 men, and 101 men killed on other ships. Allies: Lange Bark sunk with unknown losses, and about 300 boarders killed on the Mars
Result Danish and Lübeck victory
Only part of each fleet could engage because of the wind. On 30 May the Swedish ship Mars damaged the Danish flagship Fortuna and sank the Lange Bark. On the second day the Mars was attacked with incendiaries and boarded by Byens Løffue, Engel and Fuchs; fire reached her powder magazine and she blew up, killing most of her crew and 300 boarders, and Jakob Bagge and his second Arved Trolle were taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the loss of the Swedish flagship Mars, painted by Hans Bohrdt. The war itself grew out of Erik XIV's claim to dominion over the Baltic.
Sources differ The Swedish fleet is given as 38 ships in one account and 35 vessels in another account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Maler: de:Hans Bohrdt, Fotograf: McKarri (Diskussion), Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 4 June 1565 Fleet battle
4 June 1565 · Bay of Mecklenburg
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Horn (Sweden); Herluf Trolle, wounded (Denmark-Norway and Lübeck)
Forces About 49 Swedish ships, including merchant ships, against 33 Danish and Lübeck ships
Ships Sankt Erik, Finska Svan, Svenska Hektor, Herkules, Engel, Pelikan, Troilus, Fuchs, Jegermesther, Merkurius, Svenske Jomfru
Losses Allies: 700 men. Sweden: unknown
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish fleet under Klas Horn fought the allied fleet under Herluf Trolle in the Bay of Mecklenburg. Afterwards the Danes withdrew to Køge Bay, south of Copenhagen.
Why it is remembered Herluf Trolle died of his wounds on 25 June, and his second, Jørgen Brahe, died of fever on 28 June.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 7 July 1565 Fleet battle
7 July 1565 · Baltic Sea near Bornholm
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Horn (Sweden); Otte Rud (Denmark-Norway and Lübeck)
Forces 49 Swedish ships against 36 Danish and Lübeck ships
Ships St Erik, Jegermesther
Losses Sweden: 3 ships lost, 362 dead and 523 wounded. Allies: 3 ships lost and about 4,000 dead and wounded
Result Swedish victory
A Swedish fleet of 49 ships under Klas Horn fought a combined Danish and Lübeck fleet of 36 ships under Otte Rud near Bornholm. Each side lost three ships, but allied casualties were far heavier, and the Swedes won a decisive victory.
Why it is remembered A drawing by the Danish master gunner Rudolf van Deventer shows the fight between the flagships St Erik and Jegermesther.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Rudolf von Deventer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sengoku period; Japanese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Fukuda Bay Raid
Also known as Fukudaura no tatakai (Japanese)
18 October 1565 · Fukuda Bay, Nagasaki, Kyushu
Fought between Matsura clan against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Matsura Takanobu (Matsura); João Pereira (Portugal)
Forces 8 to 10 large junks, about 60 smaller boats and 700 samurai against 1 Portuguese carrack and 1 galleon with more than 80 crew
Losses Matsura: 3 junks sunk, over 70 killed and 200 wounded. Portuguese: 8 killed
Result Portuguese victory
Two Portuguese trading vessels had avoided Matsura Takanobu's port of Hirado and gone to trade at Fukuda, a port of his rival Ōmura Sumitada. A flotilla of samurai attacked them there. Portuguese cannon fire caused heavy losses in ships and men, and the samurai withdrew.
Why it is remembered It is the first recorded naval battle between Europeans and Japanese. It was part of the Portuguese search for a safe harbour in Japan that eventually brought them to Nagasaki.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Battle of Rügen (1565) Fleet battle
21 May 1565 · Off the island of Rügen, north of Pomerania
Fought between Sweden against Denmark and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Horn (Sweden); Peder Huitfeldt (Denmark and Lübeck)
Forces 48 Swedish ships with 1,638 guns and 8,000 men against 6 Danish and 3 Lübeck ships
Losses Allies: 4 ships burnt and 5 captured. Sweden: unknown
Result Swedish victory
The allied ships were north of Pomerania to stop Swedish shipping to and from Greifswald when Klas Horn's fleet found them. Four fled into Greifswald and the others were burnt by their own crews to keep them from the Swedes. Horn planned to attack the ships in harbour, but after talks with the Duke of Pomerania it was agreed that the Duke would hold them on Sweden's behalf until peace, and their flags were handed to the Swedish admiral.
Why it is remembered The engagement ended with the surviving allied ships held by the Duke of Pomerania on Sweden's behalf.
Sources differ One account gives 9 allied ships (6 Danish, 3 Lübeck) and also says eight Danish ships were found. Another account and first paragraph say 5 ships were captured, while the account says the 4 ships in Greifswald were placed in the Duke of Pomerania's keeping.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Action of 26 July 1566 Fleet battle
26 July 1566 · East of Öland, Baltic Sea
Fought between Sweden against Denmark and Lübeck
Commanders Klas Horn (Sweden); Hans Lauritsen, Bartholomeus Tinnappel (Denmark and Lübeck)
Forces 60 Swedish ships against 25 Danish and 11 Lübeck ships
Ships Hector
Losses Sweden: significant but unknown. Allies: Vice Admiral Christopher Morgisen killed; in the storm afterwards 12 Danish and 3 Lübeck ships were wrecked and about 5,900 men drowned
Result Inconclusive, or a slight Swedish victory
Klas Horn found the allied fleet at the northern tip of Öland on 25 July and attacked the next morning when the wind turned. The fighting caused few losses, and the allied fleet withdrew towards Gotland, where it anchored to bury Vice Admiral Christopher Morgisen, killed by a cannonball. Two days later a storm drove the allied fleet onto the coast of Gotland near Visby, while the Swedish fleet, further out to sea, reached Älvsnabben by 6 August with only the Hector's main mast lost.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the storm that followed, which wrecked much of the allied fleet off Visby and drowned thousands of men.
Sources differ One account calls the result inconclusive; another account calls it a slight Swedish victory. The storm losses are given as 14 ships and about 5,900 drowned, and elsewhere as 15 ships (12 Danish, 3 Lübeck) with about 5,000 drowned and some 1,400 survivors.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Algiers expedition (1567) Raid
October 1567 · Algiers
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Juan Gascon, executed (Spain); Muhammad I Pasha, Della Raïs (Algiers)
Forces 2 Spanish galleys against 4 Algerian galleys
Losses Spain: both galleys captured. Algiers: unknown
Result Algerian victory
Spain tried to strike at Algiers by setting fire to the Algerian navy at night. The attempt failed, both Spanish galleys were captured, and their commander was executed.
Why it is remembered It was a failed Spanish attempt to burn the Algerian fleet in its own harbour.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Second Anglo-Spanish trade war (1568 to 1573)
Battle of San Juan de Ulúa (1568) Raid
24 September 1568 · San Juan de Ulúa, New Spain (modern Veracruz, Mexico)
Fought between Spain against English privateers
Commanders Francisco Luján, Juan de Ubilla, with the viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almanza (Spain); John Hawkins, Francis Drake (England)
Forces 13 Spanish ships against 6 English armed merchant ships with 400 crew
Losses Spain: 1 ship and 20 killed. England: 4 ships and 320 killed
Result Spanish victory
John Hawkins's flotilla anchored at San Juan de Ulúa to repair after a storm and was found there by two Spanish galleons carrying the new viceroy. The two sides agreed a truce to share the anchorage, but the Spanish secretly prepared an attack, seized the English guns on shore and tried to board the English ships. The boarders were driven off, but the captured shore guns badly damaged the English ships; two escaped and the other four were sunk or captured.
Why it is remembered The English saw it as Spanish treachery and the Spanish as a response to illegal smuggling. Resentment from the battle is considered a cause of the Anglo-Spanish War that broke out 17 years later.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Frederick Whymper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Aceh (1569) Single-ship action
May 1569 · Off the north western coast of Sumatra
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Aceh
Commanders Mem Lopes Carrasco (Portugal); Acehnese commander unknown
Forces 1 Portuguese carrack against 20 galleys, 20 war junks and 200 smaller craft
Ships The carrack of Mem Lopes Carrasco
Losses Portuguese: many dead and wounded. Aceh: several ships
Result Portuguese victory
A lone Portuguese carrack under Mem Lopes Carrasco met an Acehnese armada off Sumatra that was preparing to attack Portuguese Malacca. The carrack held out, and the Acehnese fleet withdrew after heavy losses.
Why it is remembered A single ship turned back an armada bound for Malacca. The fight is shown in a Portuguese illustration by Roque Gameiro, the assault on the carrack of Mem Lopes Carrasco.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Northern Seven Years' War
Bombardment of Reval (1569) Raid
Also known as Beskjutningen av Reval (Swedish)
9 to 22 July 1569 · Reval (modern Tallinn, Estonia)
Fought between Denmark-Norway and Lübeck against Sweden
Commanders Peder Munk, Henrik Gyldenstierne (Denmark-Norway and Lübeck)
Forces 3,000 Danish men and a disputed number of ships, against the Swedish garrison of Reval
Losses Sweden: several merchant ships plundered and captured. Allies: minimal
Result The allied fleet took a large booty from merchant ships but did not capture the town
A Danish and Lübeck fleet attacked the Swedish-held town of Reval. Peder Munk took a large booty by plundering merchant ships there. Had he landed his men in time, he could also have taken the city.
Why it is remembered The raid brought Peder Munk a large booty, though the town itself was not taken.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Venetian War (1570 to 1573)
Battle of Gozo (1570) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 1570
15 July 1570 · Off Gozo
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Order of Saint John
Commanders Uluj Ali (Ottoman); Francesco St Clement (Order of Saint John)
Forces 19 Ottoman ships, described as galleons, against 4 Maltese galleys
Losses Order of Saint John: 3 galleys lost and 80 knights captured. Ottoman: unknown
Result Ottoman victory
Four galleys of the Order of Saint John met an Ottoman fleet under Uluj Ali off Gozo. Three were captured and the fourth escaped.
Why it is remembered It was a heavy loss for the galleys of the Order of Saint John in the opening year of the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1570 to 1573.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Fourth Ottoman-Venetian War; Spanish-Ottoman wars; Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Lepanto Fleet battle
7 October 1571 · Gulf of Patras, Ionian Sea, western Greece
Fought between Holy League (Spain, Venice, Genoa, Savoy, Tuscany, the Papal States and the Knights Hospitaller) against the Ottoman Empire and the Regency of Algiers
Commanders John of Austria, Álvaro de Bazán, Luis de Requesens, Sebastiano Venier, Agostino Barbarigo (died of wounds), Gianandrea Doria, Marcantonio Colonna, Pietro Giustiniani (Holy League); Ali Pasha (killed), Mehmed Sirocco (killed), Uluç Ali (Occhiali), Caracossa (Ottoman)
Forces Holy League: 212 ships, including 109 galleys and 6 galleasses of Venice, 49 Spanish, 27 Genoese and 7 Papal galleys, with about 85,900 men (30,000 soldiers, 12,900 sailors, 43,000 oarsmen). Ottoman: 274 ships (211 galleys and 63 galliots) with about 88,000 men (34,000 soldiers, 13,000 sailors, 41,000 oarsmen)
Ships Real, Sultana, Fortuna de Napoli, Mendoza de Naples, Luna de España
Losses Holy League: 7,500 to 10,000 killed and 13 galleys sunk or destroyed. Ottoman: 20,000 to 40,000 killed, 117 galleys captured and 83 sunk or destroyed, and about 10,000 taken prisoner. About 15,000 Christian galley slaves were freed and some 10,000 drowned
Result Holy League victory
The Ottoman fleet sailed west from Lepanto and met the Holy League fleet coming east from Messina by way of Kefalonia. Six Venetian galleasses placed ahead of the line broke up the Ottoman formation with close range fire. On the northern wing Barbarigo was killed but Bazán's reserve restored the line and Sirocco was killed; in the centre Ali Pasha's Sultana rammed John of Austria's Real and was boarded and taken, and Ali Pasha died with her whole crew. Uluç Ali broke through a gap left by Doria's drift south but was checked by the reserve and withdrew.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval battle in the West since antiquity and the last major one fought almost entirely by oared galleys; the Ottoman fleet was almost destroyed, and the loss of trained crews blunted Ottoman naval initiative after 1580. Pius V instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory, and the battle is shown in Vasari's fresco in the Sala Regia and many later paintings.
Sources differ Casualty figures vary by source. Nolan gives about 80,000 men on the Christian side and up to 90,000 for the Ottomans. One account speaks of more than 450 warships in all, while another account totals 486 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Laureys a Castro, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Fourth Ottoman-Venetian War; Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Skirmish at Cerigo Channel Fleet battle
7 to 10 August 1572 · Cerigo channel, off the Morea
Fought between Holy League against the Ottoman Empire and the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Marcantonio Colonna, Juan de Cardona, Giacomo Foscarini, Giacomo Soranzo, Pietro Giustiniani (Holy League); Occhiali (Ottoman)
Forces 139 galleys, 6 galleasses and 20 galleons and carracks against 225 galleys and 5 mahons
Losses Holy League: minor. Ottoman: significant
Result Holy League victory
The Holy League fleet under Marcantonio Colonna, in the absence of John of Austria, met the Ottoman fleet rebuilt after Lepanto under Occhiali. After much manoeuvring the heavy guns of the League's galleasses and sailing ships offset the Ottoman numbers and twice put the Ottomans to flight, but the wind prevented a pursuit. Colonna then joined John of Austria, and together they routed Occhiali again.
Why it is remembered It was the first test of the Ottoman fleet rebuilt after Lepanto. The League's fleet later broke up during the siege of Navarino.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Apulia Raid
July to August 1573 · Coast of Apulia, Kingdom of Naples
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Spain and the Kingdom of Naples
Commanders Piali Pasha (Ottoman Empire); Spanish commander unknown
Forces Ottoman fleet of 220 vessels: 208 galleys and 12 barges
Losses Not recorded
Result Ottoman victory
Piali Pasha's fleet sailed on 3 June 1573, crossed the Strait of Otranto and landed on the coast of Apulia, where it took the castle of Kastro and plundered the region, carrying off prisoners and booty. Bad weather made it give up plans against the coasts of Naples and Sicily. On the way home it fortified the castle at Pylos, where Occhiali was left with a few galleys, and the fleet reached Istanbul on 1 November.
Why it is remembered No fleet action took place. While the Ottoman fleet was off Apulia, a Spanish fleet under John of Austria captured Tunis on 10 October 1573.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle on the Zuiderzee Fleet battle
Also known as Slag op de Zuiderzee (Dutch)
11 October 1573 · Zuiderzee (now the IJsselmeer)
Fought between Dutch rebels (Geuzen) against the Spanish Empire
Commanders Cornelis Jansz Dircksz (Dutch); Count of Bossu, captured (Spain)
Forces 24 Dutch ships with 700 sailors against 30 Spanish ships with 1,300 sailors
Losses Dutch: 1 ship and 25 sailors. Spanish: 6 ships captured and 300 sailors captured
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet defeated a larger and better equipped Spanish fleet on the Zuiderzee. The Spanish commander, the Count of Bossu, was taken prisoner.
Why it is remembered The defeat forced the Duke of Alva to give up Amsterdam. The battle was painted by Jan Theunisz Blanckerhoff.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jan Theunisz Blanckerhoff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Borsele Convoy battle
22 April 1573 · Off Borsele, Zeeland
Fought between Dutch rebels (Gueux) against Spain
Commanders Admiral Worst (Gueux); Sancho d'Avila (Spain)
Result Gueux success: most of the Spanish ships were forced back
A Spanish fleet sailed from Antwerp to supply Middelburg and Arnemuiden, which were besieged by Dutch troops. A Gueux fleet under Admiral Worst intercepted it. A few ships got through, but most of the Spanish fleet had to return to Antwerp.
Why it is remembered It was part of the struggle to supply the besieged Spanish garrisons of Middelburg and Arnemuiden.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Flushing Fleet battle
17 April 1573 · Near Flushing (Vlissingen), Netherlands
Fought between Dutch rebels against Spain
Commanders Lieven Keersmaker (Dutch); Sancho d'Avila (Spain)
Losses Spain: five ships seized
Result Five Spanish ships captured; the rest reached Middelburg and Arnemuiden
The Dutch fleet at first left Flushing but came back when the Spanish fleet came under fire from the town's guns. Five Spanish ships were taken, and the rest reached Middelburg and Arnemuiden.
Why it is remembered It was one of the early naval actions of the Eighty Years' War in the waters of Zeeland.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Haarlemmermeer Fleet battle
26 May 1573 · Haarlemmermeer, North Holland
Fought between Spain and Amsterdam against the Dutch rebel Geuzen
Commanders Count of Bossu (Spain and Amsterdam); Marinus Brandt (Geuzen)
Forces 100 Spanish and Amsterdam warships against 150 Geuzen warships
Losses Geuzen: 21 ships captured. Spain: low
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet and a fleet from Amsterdam, then still loyal to Spain, fought the Geuzen fleet on the Haarlemmermeer lake. The Geuzen were trying to break the siege of Haarlem and were forced to retreat after several hours of fighting.
Why it is remembered It was fought on a large lake that was drained in the nineteenth century. Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom painted the battle about 1621, and the painting is in the Rijksmuseum.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Lillo Fleet battle
30 May 1574 · Between the fortresses of Lillo and Liefkenshoek, near Antwerp
Fought between Dutch rebels against Spain
Commanders Lodewijk van Boisot (Dutch); Juan Adolf van Haamstede (Spain)
Forces 64 Dutch ships; Spanish strength unknown
Losses Spain: 10 ships captured. Dutch: no ships lost
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet under Lodewijk van Boisot attacked a Spanish fleet lying at anchor between the forts of Lillo and Liefkenshoek. Ten Spanish ships were captured.
Why it is remembered A tapestry of the battle by Jan de Maecht (1597 to 1598) is in the Zeeuws Museum.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of the Scheldt (1574) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Reimerswaal; Battle of Walcheren; Slag bij Reimerswaal (Dutch)
29 January 1574 · Eastern Scheldt, off Reimerswaal
Fought between Dutch rebel Sea Beggars, with English and Scottish volunteers, against Spain
Commanders Louis de Boisot, Joos de Moor (Dutch); Julián Romero, Gerard de Glymes, killed (Spain)
Forces 64 Dutch ships against 75 Spanish ships
Losses Dutch: 300 killed or wounded and 2 ships sunk. Spain: 15 ships sunk and 1,200 dead
Result Dutch victory
A Spanish fleet under Julián Romero tried to relieve the besieged town of Middelburg. The Sea Beggar fleet under Boisot intercepted it and destroyed or captured nearly fifteen ships.
Why it is remembered Middelburg surrendered nine days later, together with Arnemuiden. A tapestry of the battle was made to designs by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom and Karel van Mander the Younger.
Sources differ One account says nearly fifteen Spanish ships were destroyed or captured; another account gives 15 ships sunk.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrik Cornelisz. Vroom and Karel van Mandere de Oude, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Action of 26 September 1575 Single-ship action
26 September 1575 · Off Cadaqués, Catalonia
Fought between Regency of Algiers against the Spanish Empire
Commanders Arnaut Mami, Dali Mami (Algiers); Pedro Gaspar de Villena, killed (Spain)
Forces 3 Algerian ships against 1 Spanish galley
Ships El Sol
Losses Spain: the galley captured, most of those aboard killed and the survivors enslaved. Algiers: heavy
Result Algerian victory
The galley El Sol, separated by a storm from Sancho de Leiva's squadron on passage from Naples to Barcelona, was surrounded by three Algerian ships off Cadaqués. Her captain refused to surrender, and after a long fight and repeated assaults the Algerians boarded her. Most of the Spaniards, including the captain, were killed; the survivors were taken to Algiers as slaves, and a Spanish squadron that arrived could not catch the Algerians.
Why it is remembered Miguel de Cervantes and his brother Rodrigo, both veterans of Lepanto, were captured. Rodrigo was ransomed in 1577 and Miguel in 1580.
Sources differ The narrative says the Algerians attacked for four hours; Cervantes's own account speaks of sixteen hours of fighting and nine assaults.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sengoku period; Oda Nobunaga's siege of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji
Battles of Kizugawaguchi Fleet battle
Also known as Kizugawaguchi no Tatakai (Japanese)
1576 and 1578 · Mouth of the Kizu River, off Osaka
Fought between Forces of Oda Nobunaga against the Mōri clan under Mōri Terumoto, allies of the Ikkō-ikki
Commanders 1576: Kuki Yoshitaka (Oda); Murakami Motoyoshi (Mōri). 1578: Kuki Yoshitaka, Takigawa Kazumasu (Oda); Murakami Takeyoshi (Mōri)
Forces 1576: about 300 Oda vessels against about 700 Mōri vessels. 1578: 6 Oda atakebune with large guns against 600 Mōri vessels
Losses 1576: all the large Oda ships burnt. 1578: several Mōri vessels burnt and sunk
Result 1576: Mōri victory. 1578: disputed
Oda Nobunaga ordered Kuki Yoshitaka to blockade the sea approaches to the Ishiyama Hongan-ji, the fortress of the Ikkō-ikki at Osaka. In 1576 the Mōri fleet burnt the large Oda ships with incendiary weapons and broke the blockade to supply the fortress. In 1578 Kuki returned with six atakebune built in Ise Bay and armed with large guns, and burnt and sank Mōri vessels, but the supply line was not cut.
Why it is remembered The six atakebune of 1578 are described by some modern Japanese historians as an early form of armoured warship.
Sources differ The first battle is dated August 1576 in one account and 13 to 14 July in another account, following the Shinchō Kōki. Some sources call the 1578 battle an Oda victory; the historian Ogawa Yu argues it was not decisive because the supply line was not cut.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
1577 Portuguese voyage to Japan Other action
1577 · Coast of Korea
Fought between Kingdom of Portugal against Joseon Korea
Commanders Domingos Monteiro (Portugal)
Forces 1 Portuguese junk and its sampan against numerous Korean boats
Losses Portuguese: the sampan's crew killed. Korean: unknown
Result The Portuguese drove off the Korean boats
A private Portuguese junk bound for Japan was blown off course by a typhoon onto the coast of Korea, where many Korean boats surrounded the damaged vessel. The Koreans attacked the junk's sampan and killed its crew. The Portuguese drove them off with firearms and then tried to repair the junk and escape.
Why it is remembered If C. R. Boxer is right to link it with the 1578 voyage of the San Sebastián, its commander Domingos Monteiro would be the first Westerner to have set foot in Korea.
Sources differ Some regard the August 1578 voyage of the San Sebastián as the first documented European presence off Korea; C. R. Boxer links that episode to this voyage of 1577.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sengoku period, Hōjō and Takeda wars
Battle of Omosu Fleet battle
Also known as Omosu no Tatakai (Japanese)
March 1580 · Suruga Bay, off the Izu Peninsula
Fought between Hōjō clan against the Takeda clan
Commanders Hōjō Ujimasa, Fūma Kotarō (Hōjō); Takeda Katsuyori, Ohama Kagetaka (Takeda)
Result Hōjō victory
The navies of Hōjō Ujimasa and Takeda Katsuyori faced each other off the Izu Peninsula while the two land armies advanced. Before this, Fūma ninja under Fūma Kotarō had raided a Takeda camp at night and caused confusion in which the Takeda troops attacked each other. The Hōjō won.
Why it is remembered It is one of the very few naval battles fought in pre-modern Japan.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
1582 Cagayan battles Landing or siege
Also known as Combates de Cagayán (Spanish); Kagayan no Tatakai (Japanese)
1582 · Aparri and Lal-lo, Cagayan, Philippines
Fought between Spanish Philippines against wokou pirates
Commanders Juan Pablo de Carrión, Pedro Lucas, killed (Spain); Tay Fusa (wokou)
Forces 1 galley, 14 brigantines, 90 soldiers and several dozen native allies, against 1 junk with 200 to 260 fighters at sea and 18 sampans with 600 to 1,000 fighters at the fort
Losses Spanish: 20 dead. Wokou: 200 to 800 dead
Result Spanish victory
Wokou pirates led by Tay Fusa, possibly Naya Sukezaemon, had built a settlement near the Cagayan river, and the Spanish were ordered to attack it. Amphibious forces under Juan Pablo de Carrión, though heavily outnumbered, fought them at sea and at their fort and drove them from the island.
Why it is remembered Carrión founded Nueva Segovia, now Lal-lo, on one of the battle sites. In the 21st century the battles became a popular subject as a clash of samurai and Spanish tercios, though the forces were in fact mostly Asian pirates against Spanish, mestizo and Filipino fighters.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Juan Luis de Acosta, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · War of the Portuguese Succession
Battle of Vila Franca do Campo Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Ponta Delgada; Naval Battle of Terceira Island
26 July 1582 · Off São Miguel Island, Azores
Fought between Spain and Portugal against a mainly French expedition with English, Dutch and Portuguese supporters of the Prior of Crato
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán (Spain); Filippo di Piero Strozzi, captured (France)
Forces 28 Spanish warships against 60 warships
Losses Spain: 224 dead and 550 wounded. French and allies: 1,500 dead, 1,500 wounded, missing or captured; 4 ships sunk, 2 burnt, 4 captured and 7 missing
Result Spanish victory
A mainly French expedition, the largest French force sent overseas before Louis XIV, sailed to hold the Azores for the pretender António, Prior of Crato. A Spanish squadron of Portuguese and Castilian ships under Álvaro de Bazán met it off São Miguel and defeated it severely.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle between large fleets of carracks and galleons fought far from the mainland, and it led to the quick Spanish conquest of the Azores and completed the union of Portugal with the Spanish crown. A fresco by Niccolò Granello in the Hall of Battles at El Escorial shows it.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Niccolò Granello, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of São Vicente Single-ship action
3 February 1583 · Off São Vicente, Portuguese Brazil
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Edward Fenton (England); Andrés de Equino, also written Eguino or Higino (Spain)
Forces 2 English galleons and 1 pinnace against 3 Spanish galleons
Losses Spain: 1 galleon sunk, 1 heavily damaged, 36 killed and 100 wounded. England: 8 killed and 20 wounded
Result English victory
Edward Fenton's expedition failed to enter the Pacific and tried to trade off Brazil, where a detached Spanish squadron under Andrés de Equino intercepted it. In a moonlit action briefly interrupted by a rainstorm the Spanish lost one galleon sunk and another badly damaged. Fenton could not resume trading and returned to England.
Why it is remembered It was a minor English success over a Spanish squadron off the coast of Brazil.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Benedito Calixto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Action off Bermuda (1585) Single-ship action
Also known as Grenville's action off the Bermudas
27 to 31 August 1585 · Off Bermuda, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Richard Grenville (England); Alonzo de Cornieles (Spain)
Forces The 160 ton English galleass Tiger against the 300 to 400 ton Spanish galleon Santa Maria de San Vicente
Ships Tiger, Santa Maria de San Vicente
Losses Spain: the galleon captured, 10 killed or wounded and 280 taken prisoner. England: 2 wounded
Result English victory
Richard Grenville's galleass Tiger engaged the larger Spanish galleon Santa Maria de San Vicente off Bermuda. The Spanish ship surrendered after a heavy bombardment.
Why it is remembered A smaller English ship forced the surrender of a larger Spanish galleon.
Sources differ One account describes the action as lasting three days; another account dates it 27 to 31 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Newfoundland expedition (1585) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Bernard Drake's Newfoundland Expedition
July to 10 October 1585 · Grand Banks of Newfoundland, North Atlantic
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Bernard Drake (England)
Forces 10 English ships against numerous Spanish and Portuguese fishing ships
Losses Spain and Portugal: 23 ships captured, burnt or sunk and about 600 prisoners. England: light
Result English victory
At the start of the declared Anglo-Spanish War an English squadron under Bernard Drake went to the Grand Banks to seize the Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleets. It took or destroyed 23 ships and some 600 prisoners.
Why it is remembered It was a large military and financial success that almost drove the Spanish and Portuguese from these waters, with lasting consequences for English colonial expansion and settlement.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Johor (1586) Fleet battle
1586 · Malay Peninsula
Fought between Sultanate of Johor against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Ali Jalla Abdul Jalil Shah II (Johor); Pedro Vello, Pedro de Cuma Carneyro (Portugal)
Forces 8 Portuguese ships; Johor strength unknown
Losses Portugal: 4 ships lost. Johor: unknown
Result Johor victory
A Portuguese fleet raided a Johorese town successfully. On its way back it was defeated by the Sultan's navy and lost half its ships.
Why it is remembered The Sultan's navy turned a Portuguese raid into a defeat.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Pantelleria (1586) Convoy battle
Also known as Fight at Pantalarea
13 July 1586 · Off the island of Pantelleria
Fought between England (Levant Company) against Spain and the Knights of Malta
Commanders Edward Wilkinson (England); Pedro de Leyva (Spain)
Forces 5 English armed merchant ships against 11 Spanish and Maltese galleys and 2 frigates
Losses Spain and Malta: many galleys badly damaged and heavy casualties. England: 2 killed and 15 wounded
Result English victory
Five armed merchant ships of the Levant Company sailing in convoy were attacked off Pantelleria by Spanish and Maltese galleys. The English kept close to the shore, beat off every attack and sailed home.
Why it is remembered It tested English ship armament two years before it was used against the Spanish Armada.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Singeing the King of Spain's Beard Raid
12 April to 6 July 1587 · Bay of Cádiz, the Algarve, Lisbon and the Azores
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Francis Drake (England); Duke of Medina Sidonia at Cádiz, Álvaro de Bazán at Lisbon (Spain)
Losses Spain: 1 carrack and 4 other ships captured, 27 ships destroyed or burnt and about 100 smaller vessels lost. England: an unknown number dead of disease
Result English victory
Francis Drake attacked the Spanish fleet gathering in the Bay of Cádiz for the invasion of England, destroying much of it along with large quantities of supplies. He then raided forts along the Portuguese coast and captured a Spanish treasure ship returning from the Indies.
Why it is remembered The name is a derisive one for Drake's campaign. The damage put back the sailing of the Spanish Armada by a year.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); Eighty Years' War
Battle of Gravelines Fleet battle
8 August 1588 · Off Gravelines, Flanders
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Spain and Portugal (the Spanish Armada)
Commanders Charles Howard, Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Justinus van Nassau (England and Dutch Republic); Duke of Medina Sidonia, Hugo de Moncada, killed (Spain)
Forces The English fleet against the Spanish Armada; for the whole campaign, 197 English ships and 16,000 men against 137 ships and 55,000 men including the army in Flanders
Ships Maria Juan, San Lorenzo, San Mateo, San Felipe, Hope, Thomas, Bark Bond
Losses Spain: more than 600 dead, 800 wounded and five ships sunk or captured. England: 50 to 100 dead, 400 wounded and 8 fireships burnt
Result English and Dutch victory
On the night of 7 to 8 August English fireships, among them the Thomas and the Bark Bond, broke up the Armada's anchored crescent off Calais. At dawn the flagship and four other ships faced the whole English fleet, which held the wind and closed to fire heavy broadsides for some eight hours until its shot ran out. The Maria Juan sank off Blankenberge with 275 men, the galleass San Lorenzo went aground at Calais and was taken, and the galleons San Mateo and San Felipe drifted onto the Flemish and Dutch coast and were captured.
Why it is remembered It was the main battle of the Armada campaign. Afterwards the Armada nearly ran aground on the Dutch coast, escaped into the North Sea when the wind changed, and returned to Spain around Scotland and Ireland, losing many ships to wrecks.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Robert Adams, Augustine Ryther, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Azores Voyage of 1589 Raid
Also known as Cumberland's Third Voyage
August to September 1589 · Azores, Atlantic Ocean
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Earl of Cumberland, William Monson (England); Diego Gomez, Gaspar de Lemos Faria (Spain and Portugal)
Forces 6 English warships and 300 soldiers against various Spanish and Portuguese ships and fortifications
Losses Spain and Portugal: 1 galleon sunk, 13 ships captured, burnt, sunk or wrecked, 400 killed, wounded or captured. England: 40 casualties and 100 dead of disease and thirst
Result English victory
An English joint stock expedition under George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, attacked all the Azores islands for provisions and prizes. A number of Portuguese and Spanish ships were taken, and at Faial the English captured the fort and the main town, which they sacked and burnt. They returned home with thirteen prizes, though many men died of disease and in storms.
Why it is remembered It was profitable for its investors. On the voyage the mathematician Edward Wright made the navigational studies that first explained the mathematical basis of the Mercator projection.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Earl of Cumberland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); Eighty Years' War
English Armada Landing or siege
Also known as Counter Armada; Drake-Norris Expedition; Portugal Expedition; Invencible Inglesa (Spanish)
April to July 1589 · A Coruña and Lisbon, Iberian coast, and the Bay of Biscay
Fought between England, the Dutch Republic and Portuguese supporters of the Prior of Crato against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Francis Drake, John Norris, Robert Devereux, the Prior of Crato (England and allies); Marqués de Cerralbo, Álvaro Troncoso, María Pita at Coruña; Count of Fuentes, Martín de Padilla, Alonso de Bazán, Duke of Braganza at Lisbon (Spain and Portugal)
Forces More than 180 ships and 27,667 men against four galleons, an unknown number of armed merchant ships and 15,000 men
Losses England and allies: 11,000 to 18,000 killed, wounded or dead of disease, and 40 ships captured, sunk or scuttled. Spain: 900 dead or wounded, 3 galleons and 13 merchant ships destroyed
Result Spanish victory
Elizabeth I sent a large fleet under Francis Drake and John Norris against Spain in April 1589, the year after the Spanish Armada. It attacked A Coruña and Lisbon but failed in its aims and suffered very heavy losses, much of it to disease.
Why it is remembered It failed to press home the advantage England had won in 1588, and the Spanish victory marked a revival of Philip II's naval power.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War; Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of Bayona Islands (1590) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Bayona Bay
Early 1590 · Off the Bayona Islands (the Cíes Islands), near Baiona and Vigo, Spain
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic and England
Commanders Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain); Anglo-Dutch commander unknown
Forces 3 Spanish flyboats against 14 Anglo-Dutch ships
Losses Anglo-Dutch: all 14 ships captured, 7 of them by boarding, including the flagship. Spain: unknown
Result Spanish victory
A small Spanish force of three flyboats under Pedro de Zubiaur fought an Anglo-Dutch flotilla of 14 ships off the Bayona Islands. After several hours of hard fighting the Dutch flagship and six other ships were boarded and taken, and the rest surrendered. Zubiaur then brought the captured ships into Ferrol, to the great surprise of the port authorities.
Why it is remembered Three Spanish ships captured an entire flotilla of fourteen.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar (1590) Convoy battle
Also known as First Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar
24 April 1590 · Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between England (Levant Company) against Spain
Commanders Benedict Barnham (England); Pedro de Acuña (Spain)
Forces 10 English armed merchant ships against 12 Spanish galleys
Losses Spain: many galleys badly damaged and heavy casualties. England: light
Result English victory according to English sources; indecisive according to Spanish sources
Ten armed merchant ships of the Levant Company were intercepted by twelve Spanish galleys under Pedro de Acuña in the Strait of Gibraltar. The fight lasted about six hours.
Why it is remembered Armed merchant ships of the Levant Company held off a squadron of Spanish galleys.
Sources differ English sources say the galleys were repelled with heavy losses after a six hour fight; Spanish sources show the battle as indecisive.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of the Berlengas (1591) Raid
Also known as Battle of Berlengas Islands
15 July 1591 · Off the Berlengas Islands, Portugal
Fought between Spain against English privateers
Commanders Francisco Coloma (Spain); Earl of Cumberland, William Monson, captured (England)
Forces 5 Spanish galleys against 5 English warships
Losses England: 1 warship captured, 2 prizes retaken, the captain and principal men killed and more than 150 prisoners. Spain: 2 killed
Result Spanish victory
An English privateer squadron under George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, was at anchor off the Berlengas when it was surprised by five Spanish galleys under Francisco Coloma, which were patrolling the Portuguese coast against privateers. The galleys took one English ship and recovered two prizes.
Why it is remembered It was a check to the Earl of Cumberland's large scale privateering against Spain.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: After Nicholas Hilliard (died 1619), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Blaye (1591) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Blaye (Spanish)
1591 · Off Blaye, Gironde Estuary, France
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain)
Forces A Spanish force against an English fleet several times larger
Result Spanish victory
The Spanish captain Pedro de Zubiaur fought an English fleet several times the size of his own off Blaye and won.
Why it is remembered It is distinct from the better known Battle of Blaye of 1593, also won by Zubiaur.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Blockade of Western Cuba (1591) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Watts' West Indies Expedition of 1591
May to July 1591 · Between Cape San Antonio and Havana, Cuba
Fought between English privateers against Spain
Commanders Michael Geare, Lane, Christopher Newport (England); Diego de la Ribera, Antonio Navarro (Spain)
Forces 10 English ships against 7 galleons, 2 galleys, 2 pinnaces and ships of the plate fleet convoy
Losses Spain: 2 galleons captured, 8 other ships captured, sunk or burnt and 2 galleys badly damaged. England: 1 bark sunk
Result English victory
An English privateering expedition financed by John Watts and Sir Walter Raleigh blockaded the waters off western Cuba. It intercepted Spanish ships, some from Antonio Navarro's plate convoy, which was protected by a squadron under Diego de la Ribera. The English took or burnt ten Spanish ships, including two galleons, one a valuable prize, for the loss of one ship, and then returned to England.
Why it is remembered It was one of the most successful English expeditions to the Spanish Main of the war, in both military and financial terms.
Sources differ One account names the English leader as Ralph Lane; another account gives William Lane.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Cape Pracel Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla del Cabo Pracel (Spanish); Battle of Pracel
1591 · Off the coast of Cochinchina
Fought between Champa against the Ming dynasty
Commanders Pedro Ordóñez de Cevallos (with Champa)
Ships The galleon of Pedro Ordóñez de Cevallos
Result Champa victory; Ming defeat
A naval clash off the coast of Cochinchina set Champa against the Ming dynasty. The adventurer Pedro Ordóñez de Cevallos played the leading part, and his galleon was decisive in the Ming defeat.
Why it is remembered It is known for the part played by a single Spanish adventurer and his galleon in a battle between Asian powers.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of Flores (1591) Fleet battle
30 August to 1 September 1591 · Off Flores, Azores
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Alonso de Bazán, Martín de Bertendona, Marcos de Aramburu (Spain); Lord Thomas Howard, Richard Grenville, died of wounds (England)
Forces 55 Spanish warships against 22 English warships
Ships Revenge
Losses Spain: 2 ships sunk and about 100 killed or drowned. England: the Revenge captured and 250 killed or taken prisoner
Result Spanish victory
An English fleet under Lord Thomas Howard was waiting off the Azores for the Spanish treasure convoy when a stronger Spanish fleet appeared off Flores. Howard's ships escaped to the north, except the galleon Revenge under Sir Richard Grenville, who stayed to take his sick men off the shore. In a running fight through a day and a night the Revenge was boarded many times and beat off every attack, sinking or damaging several Spanish ships, until Grenville was badly wounded and the survivors surrendered.
Why it is remembered The last fight of the Revenge is the subject of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem The Revenge: a Ballad of the Fleet and of a painting by Charles Dixon.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War; Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of the Gulf of Almería (1591) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Almería Bay; Battle of Cape of Palos
Late August 1591 · Gulf of Almería, southern coast of Spain
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic and England
Commanders Martín de Padilla y Manrique, Count of Santa Gadea, Adelantado of Castile (Spain); Anglo-Dutch commander unknown
Forces About 20 Spanish ships against about 35 Anglo-Dutch ships
Losses Anglo-Dutch: 20 Dutch and 3 English ships captured and others badly damaged. Spain: none or minimal
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Martín de Padilla, returning from Venice with valuable goods, sighted an Anglo-Dutch fleet off Almería and attacked it. About 20 Dutch and 3 English ships were captured, and the Spanish fleet brought them into Almería.
Why it is remembered It was a one sided Spanish victory in which more than twenty enemy ships were taken.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Gabriel Villena from Albacete, España, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar (1591) Convoy battle
24 April 1591 · Off Gibraltar
Fought between England (Levant Company) against Spain
Commanders Robert Bradshaw, John Giles, killed (England); Pedro de Acuña (Spain)
Forces 4 English armed merchant ships, including the Centurion, against 5 Spanish galleys
Ships Centurion, Dolphin
Losses England: 1 ship sunk, 1 damaged, about 44 killed and 10 wounded. Spain: all 5 galleys badly damaged and 200 killed or drowned
Result English victory
Three English merchant ships escorted by the larger armed merchantman Centurion were attacked by five Spanish galleys off Gibraltar. The galleys were driven off, but not before one of them sank the English ship Dolphin.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the defence of the merchant convoy by the Centurion.
Sources differ This action and the 1590 action in the Strait are both dated 24 April and both name Pedro de Acuña as the Spanish commander.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom / Cornelis Vroom, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Angolpo Fleet battle
16 August 1592 (10 July 1592 in the lunar calendar) · Angolpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Yi Ŏkki, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Kuki Yoshitaka, Kato Yoshiaki (Japan)
Forces 56 Korean warships against 42 Japanese ships
Losses Japan: 20 ships. Korea: 19 dead and 114 wounded (figures shared with the Battle of Hansan Island)
Result Korean victory
After the Battle of Hansan Island, Admiral Yi's fleet attacked the Japanese ships at Angolpo. Across the two encounters about 100 Japanese ships were destroyed.
Why it is remembered With Hansan Island it halted Japanese naval operations along the southern coast of Korea.
Sources differ The main account places Angolpo on 16 August, two days after Hansan Island; the main account on Hansan Island dates both engagements to 15 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of the Barbary Coast Single-ship action
26 July 1592 · Off the Barbary Coast, Alborán Sea, near the Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Thomas White (England)
Forces The English merchant galleon Amity of London against a Spanish galleon and a flyboat
Ships Amity
Losses Spain: the galleon and the flyboat captured, 213 killed, wounded or captured. England: 15 killed or wounded
Result English victory
The English merchant galleon Amity of London under Thomas White fought two Spanish ships off the Barbary Coast in a hard action and captured both, one of them a galleon. The prizes were heavily laden with quicksilver and a large number of papal bulls bound for the West Indies.
Why it is remembered A single armed merchantman took two Spanish ships with valuable cargoes.
Sources differ One account says the English were outnumbered four to one; another account lists two Spanish ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); French Wars of Religion
Battle of the Bay of Biscay (1592) Convoy battle
November 1592 · Bay of Biscay
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain); English commander unknown
Forces 5 Spanish flyboats against an English convoy of 40 merchant ships supported by 6 warships
Losses England: the flagship boarded and burnt, 3 more ships captured and several badly damaged. Spain: 1 flyboat damaged
Result Spanish victory
Pedro de Zubiaur's five flyboats attacked an English convoy of 40 ships in the Bay of Biscay. The English flagship was boarded and burnt, throwing the convoy into confusion. Six English warships sent by Elizabeth I to Bordeaux to support the French Protestants then arrived and tried to defend the convoy, but after long and hard fighting three more English ships were taken.
Why it is remembered It was a heavy defeat for an English convoy at the hands of a much smaller Spanish force. Zubiaur defeated another English force in the same waters off Blaye the following April.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Tom Bayly from England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Busan (1592) Raid
Also known as Battle of Pusanpo; Battle of Busan Bay; 부산포 해전 (Korean)
1st day of the 9th month, 1592 (Korean calendar) · Off Busan, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun, Yi Ŏkki, Chŏng Un (killed), Kwŏn Chun, Song Hŭirip, Kim Wan, Yi Yŏngnam, Eo Yeong-dam, Yi Ŏllyang (Korea); Wakisaka Yasuharu, Kuki Yoshitaka, Tōdō Takatora, Kato Yoshiaki (Japan)
Forces 166 Korean vessels (74 panokseon and 92 hyeopseon) against 470 Japanese vessels
Losses Korea: no ships lost, a few panokseon damaged, 6 killed including officer Chŏng Un and 25 wounded. Japan: 128 warships destroyed
Result Korean victory
Admiral Yi Sun-sin made a surprise attack on the Japanese fleet anchored at Busan, aiming to retake the port and cut the Japanese army's supply line. The Koreans bombarded the anchored ships, destroyed more than a hundred, and withdrew with few casualties.
Why it is remembered After it the Japanese lost control of the seas around Korea.
Sources differ One account says officer Chŏng Un and six soldiers died; another account gives 6 killed in all, including Chŏng Un. One account gives over 100 Japanese ships destroyed and another account 128 warships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Chobayashiura Other action
Also known as 장림포 해전, 長林浦海戰 (Korean)
1592 · Near the Yangsan river, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
It was the first engagement of the Joseon navy's fourth sortie of the Imjin War, which aimed to destroy the Japanese forces based at Busanpo. It was a small skirmish on the Yangsan river side.
Why it is remembered It opened the Korean sortie aimed at the Japanese forces based at Busanpo.
Sources differ The Korean account gives the fourth sortie as running from 24 August to 2 September; another account on the Battle of Hwajungumi gives 29 August to 2 September.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Danghangpo Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Danghangpo Harbour
12 July 1592 · Goseong or Jinhae, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Yi Ŏkki, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Kato Kiyomasa, Ikoma Kazumasa (Japan)
Forces 51 Korean warships against 26 Japanese ships (9 large, 4 medium, 13 small)
Losses Japan: all 26 ships. Korea: unknown
Result Korean victory
A Korean fleet of 51 warships under Yi Sun-sin, Yi Ŏkki and Wŏn Kyun attacked 26 Japanese ships at Danghangpo harbour and destroyed them all.
Why it is remembered It was one of the series of Korean naval victories of 1592 in the Imjin War.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Dangpo (1592) Fleet battle
Also known as 당포 해전 (Korean); 唐浦海戰 (Hanja)
10 July 1592 (2 June 1592 in the lunar calendar) · Dangpo, Tongyeong, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Kurushima Michiyuki, killed, Kamei Korenori (Japan)
Forces 26 Korean ships (Yi Sun-sin's 22 panokseon and 1 turtle ship, Wŏn Kyun's 4 panokseon) against 21 Japanese warships
Ships Turtle ship
Losses Japan: all 21 ships sunk. Korea: none
Result Korean victory
Yi Sun-sin and Wŏn Kyun attacked a Japanese squadron of 21 warships at Dangpo and sank every one without loss. The Japanese commander Kurushima Michiyuki was killed.
Why it is remembered It was one of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's victories over the Japanese in 1592, won without loss.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Flores (1592) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Cruising Voyage to the Azores of 1592; Capture of the Madre de Deus
20 May to 19 August 1592 · Off Flores Island, Azores
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Walter Raleigh, John Burgh, Earl of Cumberland, Martin Frobisher (England); André de Mendonça, Alonso de Bazán (Spain and Portugal)
Forces 9 English warships and 7 support ships against various Spanish and Portuguese ships
Ships Madre de Deus
Losses Spain and Portugal: 1 carrack captured, 1 carrack destroyed, 1 galleon captured, 3 other ships captured or burnt, 1,000 killed, wounded or captured. England: 120 killed or wounded, 3 ships sunk in a storm and an unknown number dead of disease
Result English victory
An English fleet first led by Sir Walter Raleigh, then by Martin Frobisher and John Burgh, cruised off the Azores and took a number of Portuguese and Spanish ships. The largest prize was the great Portuguese carrack Madre de Deus, captured after a long fight off Flores.
Why it is remembered The carrack's cargo was worth nearly half the English crown's annual revenue; much of it was stolen when she reached Dartmouth, and quarrels over shares followed. The voyage had lasting effects on English finance and exploration.
Sources differ One account dates the operations 20 May to 19 August 1592; another account gives 20 May to 13 August.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Heysham Overend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Hansan Island Fleet battle
Also known as 한산도 대첩 (Korean)
15 August 1592 · Off the eastern coast of Hansan Island, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Yi Ŏkki, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Wakizaka Yasuharu, Kuki Yoshitaka, Kato Yoshiaki (Japan)
Forces 56 Korean warships, including 3 turtle ships, against 36 large, 24 medium and 13 small Japanese vessels at Hansando and 42 ships at Angolpo
Ships Turtle ships
Losses Japan: about 100 ships. Korea: 19 dead and 114 wounded
Result Korean victory
Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fleet fought the Japanese at Hansan Island and then at Angolpo on the same day. In the two encounters the Koreans destroyed about 100 Japanese ships.
Why it is remembered It halted Japanese naval operations along the southern coast of Korea.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: War Memorial of Korea Open Archives, KOGL Type 1, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Happo Single-ship action
7 May 1592 · Happo harbour, Masan, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Japanese commander unknown
Forces Yi Sun-sin's 24 panokseon, 15 hyeopseon and 46 fishing boats with Wŏn Kyun's 4 panokseon and 2 small ships, against 5 large Japanese ships
Losses Japan: all 5 ships. Korea: none
Result Korean victory
After the Battle of Okpo, Admiral Yi intended to spend the night at sea, but at about 5 p.m. came a report of five large Japanese ships heading for Happo. His fleet pursued them, caught them near Happo and destroyed them in a small skirmish.
Why it is remembered It was Admiral Yi's second victory of the war. His campaigns of 1592 made him a legendary figure in Korean history and were vital in halting the Japanese invasion.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Hwajungumi Single-ship action
Also known as 화준구미 해전, 花樽龜尾海戰 (Korean)
1 September 1592 · On the approach to Busanpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
Losses Japan: 5 warships sunk
Result Korean victory
During Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fourth sortie, as his fleet approached Busanpo, it fought a small action with Japanese warships and sank five of them.
Why it is remembered It was one of the small actions fought as the Korean fleet approached Busanpo.
Sources differ The main account dates the fourth sortie 29 August to 2 September 1592; the main account on Jangnimpo gives 24 August to 2 September.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Jeokjinpo Fleet battle
8 May 1592 · Jeokjinpo harbour, Tongyeong, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Japanese commander unknown
Forces Yi Sun-sin's 24 panokseon, 15 hyeopseon and 46 fishing boats with Wŏn Kyun's 4 panokseon and 2 small ships, against 13 Japanese ships
Losses Japan: 11 ships. Korea: none
Result Korean victory
After the Battle of Happo, reports of 13 more Japanese ships sent Yi Sun-sin's fleet in pursuit towards Jinhae on the morning of 8 May. The Koreans caught them at Jeokjinpo and sank 11.
Why it is remembered It followed directly on the Battle of Happo, with Yi's fleet given little rest between the two.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Newport's 1592 expedition Raid
April to June 1592 · Hispaniola and the Bay of Honduras
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Christopher Newport (England); Lope de Vega Portocarrero (Spain)
Forces 4 English ships and 200 men against militia, local forces and shore defences
Losses Spain: 4 towns sacked and 19 ships captured, sunk or scuttled. England: light
Result English victory
Christopher Newport led a series of privateering attacks on the Spanish Main, mainly on Hispaniola, where the largest engagement was at the town of La Yaguana. He then raided settlements and shipping in the Bay of Honduras and sailed home without losing a ship.
Why it is remembered It was a successful English privateering raid on Spanish towns and shipping in the Caribbean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Okpo Raid
16 June 1592 (7 May 1592 in the lunisolar calendar) · Okpo Bay, Gyeongnam, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Toyotomi Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Wŏn Kyun, Eo Yeong-dam (Korea); Tōdō Takatora (Japan)
Forces 43 Korean warships, 2 small ships and 46 fishing boats against 50 Japanese transports
Losses Japan: 26 transports. Korea: 1 wounded
Result Korean victory
The fleet of Yi Sun-sin and Wŏn Kyun destroyed a group of anchored Japanese transports at Okpo. The next day they destroyed 18 more transports in nearby waters, then parted and returned to their home ports on news of the fall of Hanseong.
Why it is remembered It was the first naval battle of the Imjin War and Admiral Yi's first victory. It alarmed the Japanese, as Yi then began to attack their supply and transport ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Sacheon (1592) Fleet battle
8 July 1592 (29 May 1592 in the lunar calendar) · Sacheon, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, wounded, Wŏn Kyun (Korea); Kurushima Michiyuki (Japan)
Forces 26 Korean warships (25 panokseon and 1 turtle ship) against 13 Japanese ships
Ships Turtle ship
Losses Japan: all 13 ships destroyed. Korea: Admiral Yi and Lieutenant Na Dae-yong wounded
Result Korean victory
In the first battle of his second campaign, Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fleet attacked Japanese ships at Sacheon and destroyed all thirteen.
Why it is remembered It was the first battle in which the turtle ship was used.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Yulpo Fleet battle
Also known as 율포 해전, 栗浦海戰 (Korean)
1592 · Yulpo bay, Geoje Island, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
The Korean and Japanese fleets fought in Yulpo bay on Geoje Island. It was the fourth battle of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's second campaign.
Why it is remembered It was one of the engagements of Admiral Yi's second campaign of 1592.
Sources Wikipedia (RU)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); French Wars of Religion
Battle of Blaye (1593) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Bec d'Ambès; Battle of the Gironde Estuary
18 April 1593 · Off Blaye and Bec d'Ambès, Gironde Estuary, France
Fought between Spain against England, supported by the France of Henry IV
Commanders Pedro de Zubiaur, Joanes de Villaviciosa (Spain); Admiral Wilkenson, killed, Vice Admiral Brailford, killed, Captain Limaille (England)
Forces First action: 4 Spanish pinnaces against 6 English galleons. In all: 16 Spanish flyboats and pinnaces against a French and English force variously given as 11 to 19 or 40 to 60 ships, including 6 galleasses
Losses English: 2 galleons sunk including the flagship, several ships damaged and 6 merchant ships captured. Spain: 2 ships burnt
Result Spanish victory
Blaye was under a seven month siege by the Protestant forces of Henry of Navarre, while its Catholic garrison under Governor Jean-Paul d'Esparbès de Lussan d'Aubeterre held out. A Spanish force under Pedro de Zubiaur fought the English ships supporting the besiegers off Blaye and Bec d'Ambès, sinking two galleons including the flagship and capturing six merchant ships.
Why it is remembered It was a Spanish naval victory in support of the Catholic garrison of Blaye during the French Wars of Religion.
Sources differ The size of the French and English force is given as 11 to 19 ships and as 40 to 60 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Guiguilacagouille, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Kumaura Landing or siege
Also known as Battle of Ungpo; 熊浦海戦 (Japanese)
1593 · Ungpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
This was a naval battle of the Bunroku campaign of the Imjin War and the longest action commanded by Yi Sun-sin, lasting about one month and three days. It included Yi's first landing operation.
Why it is remembered It influenced the outcome of the Battle of Haengju. In Korea it is sometimes counted, with Happo and Angolpo, among the three great naval battles of Jinhae.
Sources Wikipedia (JA)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Action of Faial Blockade and raiding
Also known as Battle of Faial Island
22 to 23 June 1594 · Off Faial Island, Azores
Fought between England against Portugal and Spain
Commanders Earl of Cumberland (England); Francisco de Melo Canaveado (Portugal)
Forces 3 English galleons of 250 to 300 tons with 420 sailors against the 2,000 ton Portuguese carrack Cinco Chagas with 700 men
Ships Cinco Chagas
Losses Portugal: the carrack destroyed, 600 killed or wounded and 13 survivors captured. England: 60 killed or wounded, 35 of them killed in the explosion
Result English victory
An English privateer squadron attacked the richly laden Portuguese carrack Cinco Chagas off Faial after a long and bitter fight. The carrack blew up, and her treasure was lost to the English as well as to the Portuguese and Spanish.
Why it is remembered The Cinco Chagas was reputed to be one of the richest ships ever to sail from the Indies.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: José Luís Ávila Silveira/Pedro Noronha e Costa, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604) and French Wars of Religion
Siege of Fort Crozon Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of El Leon
1 October to 19 November 1594 · Crozon Peninsula near Brest, Brittany (present-day Pointe des Espagnols)
Fought between England and France against Spain
Commanders Jean VI d'Aumont (France); John Norreys and Martin Frobisher, killed (England); Tomé de Paredes, killed, and Juan del Águila (Spain)
Forces England: 3,000 troops, 10 ships and 1,200 sailors. France: 3,000 infantry, 300 cavalry and 400 knights. Spain: 400 in the fort and 4,000 in the relief force
Losses Anglo-French: 700 killed and wounded or dead of sickness. Spanish: of 400 in the fort, only 13 survived
Result Anglo-French victory
Spain had built a fort on the Crozon Peninsula near Brest as a base in Brittany. English and French troops, supported by an English squadron, besieged it in a land and sea engagement from 1 October 1594, and several assaults were repelled. A Spanish relief force under Juan del Águila was delayed by French cavalry and arrived too late. An English assault using a ruse ended the siege, and almost all the defenders were killed.
Why it is remembered The loss denied Spain a large independent base and port in Brittany, and with Spain's support from the Catholic League gone, Henry IV was able to declare war on Spain. Martin Frobisher is listed among those killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Jangmunpo Fleet battle
Also known as 장문포 해전, 長門浦海戰 (Korean)
12 November to 29 December 1594 (1 October to 18 November in the lunar calendar) · Jangmunpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
A naval battle was fought at Jangmunpo between 12 November and 29 December 1594.
Why it is remembered It was the last battle before the Jeongyu War.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · French Wars of Religion; Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Siege of Morlaix (1594) Landing or siege
6 to 17 September 1594 · Morlaix, Brittany, France
Fought between French Royal army and England against Spain and the Catholic League
Commanders Marshal d'Aumont, John Norreys, Martin Frobisher (French Royal and English); Juan del Águila, Duke of Mercœur (Spain and the League)
Forces 5,000 men, 2,000 of them English, and 6 English ships against an unknown garrison
Losses Spain and the League: the garrison surrendered. Royal and English: low
Result Anglo-French Royal victory
The French Royal army under Marshal d'Aumont, with an English contingent under Sir John Norreys, besieged Morlaix, held by Spanish and Catholic League forces. Relief attempts by Spanish troops under Juan del Águila and by Leaguers under the Duke of Mercœur were turned back by Norreys. When an English fleet under Martin Frobisher arrived, the garrison quickly surrendered.
Why it is remembered The arrival of Frobisher's ships brought about the surrender of the town.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Action of San Mateo Bay Single-ship action
Also known as Action of Atacames Bay; Combate de Atacames (Spanish)
29 June to 1 July 1594 · Mouth of the Esmeraldas river, Ecuador
Fought between Spain against an English privateer
Commanders Beltrán de Castro (Spain); Richard Hawkins, captured (England)
Forces The English galleon Dainty and a captured pinnace against a Spanish galleon and a galley-zabra
Ships Dainty
Losses England: the Dainty captured, the pinnace retaken, 27 killed, 17 wounded and 93 captured. Spain: 28 dead and 22 wounded
Result Spanish victory
The English privateer Richard Hawkins in the galleon Dainty fought a Spanish squadron under Beltrán de Castro at the mouth of the Esmeraldas river over three days. The Dainty was taken and Hawkins was made prisoner.
Why it is remembered It ended with the capture of the English privateer Richard Hawkins and his ship.
Sources differ One account describes the Spanish squadron as three galleons; another account gives one galleon and one galley-zabra, and the Spanish account one galleon.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Second Battle of Danghangpo Fleet battle
Also known as 제2차 당항포 해전 (Korean)
23 April 1594 (4 March in the lunar calendar) · Danghangpo, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, with Eo Yeong-dam in command (Korea)
Forces Combined fleets of the Jeolla Left, Jeolla Right and Gyeongsang Right navies
Yi Sun-sin, Naval Commander of the Three Provinces, sent a combined fleet under his subordinate Eo Yeong-dam to drive the Japanese from the area around Danghangpo.
Why it is remembered It was the sixth combined fleet sortie and Yi Sun-sin's twelfth naval battle.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Action of 17 June 1595 Fleet battle
17 June 1595 · Off Longina, 10 miles south of Syracuse, Sicily
Fought between Ottoman Empire (Bizerte) against the Order of Saint John
Commanders Murat Reis the Elder (Ottoman); Claramonte and Seracourt, both wounded (Order of Saint John)
Forces 3 Ottoman galleys against 5 Maltese galleys
Losses Order of Saint John: heavy. Ottoman: unknown
Result Ottoman victory
Galleys of the Order of Saint John from Malta fought galleys from Bizerte, then part of the Ottoman Empire, south of Syracuse. The smaller Ottoman force under Murat Reis the Elder won, and both Maltese commanders were wounded.
Why it is remembered A smaller Ottoman squadron defeated a larger force of the Knights of Malta.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of Guadalupe Island (1595) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Guadalupe
8 November 1595 · Off Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Pedro Tello de Guzmán, Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio (Spain); Francis Drake's expedition (England)
Forces 5 Spanish frigates against 9 English ships, the rear of Drake's fleet
Ships Francis
Losses England: 1 ship captured, 45 killed and 25 captured. Spain: light
Result Spanish victory
Five Spanish frigates under Pedro Tello de Guzmán met nine ships at the rear of Drake's fleet off Guadeloupe. The English ship Francis was captured and the others fled. Learning Drake's plans, the Spanish reached San Juan ahead of him on 13 November and reinforced it with 500 soldiers and supplies.
Why it is remembered The warning and reinforcements it brought to San Juan led to Drake's defeat there on 22 November.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Las Palmas Landing or siege
October 1595 · Off Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Alonso Alvarado, Antonio Pamochamoso (Spain); Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Thomas Baskerville (England)
Forces 6 royal galleons, 21 men of war, 14 pinnaces and 2 flatboats against Spanish coastal forts and batteries
Losses Unknown on both sides
Result Spanish victory
The English fleet of Drake, Hawkins and Baskerville, bound for Puerto Rico, turned aside to Gran Canaria hoping for an easy victory and fresh supplies. It failed against the island's defences and withdrew towards the Spanish Caribbean.
Why it is remembered It was a failure for the expedition of Drake and Hawkins, in the course of which Drake later died of dysentery at Mosquito Gulf.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of San Juan (1595) Landing or siege
22 November 1595 · San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Pedro Tello de Guzmán, Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio, Sancho Pardo Donlebún, Governor Pedro Suárez Coronel (Spain); Francis Drake, John Hawkins (England)
Forces 5 Spanish frigates, 700 soldiers, 800 sailors and 70 shore guns against 25 or 27 English ships with 2,500 men
Losses Spain: 1 frigate burnt and 40 killed. England: 8 to 10 ships sunk and 400 killed
Result Spanish victory
Drake and Hawkins tried to take San Juan, Puerto Rico. They could not land at the Ensenada del Escambrón on the east end of San Juan Islet, and then tried to sail into San Juan Bay to sack the city, against frigates placed to cover the bay entrance and prepared shore batteries. They failed, and after Hawkins's death Drake abandoned San Juan.
Why it is remembered It was one of a series of defeats in Drake's last campaign. He sailed on to Panama, where he died of disease and was buried at sea.
Sources differ One account gives 27 English ships; another account 25.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carlo Giovannetti (Thief12), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604); Eighty Years' War
Capture of Cádiz (1596) Raid
30 June to 15 July 1596 · Bay of Cádiz and Faro
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Charles Howard, Robert Devereux, Jacob van Duivenvoorde, Walter Raleigh, Francis Vere (England and Dutch Republic); Alonso Pérez, Alonso de Bazán (Spain)
Forces 150 Anglo-Dutch ships and 14,000 men against 40 Spanish ships and 5,000 men
Losses Spain: 32 ships scuttled or sunk, including the treasure fleet burnt by the Spanish themselves; the city sacked and burnt. The main account also lists 3 galleons sunk or burnt, 2 other ships sunk, 5 other ships captured and about 2,000 killed
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
A large Anglo-Dutch fleet under Charles Howard, with troops under the Earl of Essex, raided Cádiz and met little resistance because of poor Spanish command. To deny the raiders their prize the Spanish set fire to the treasure fleet in the bay. The attackers landed, took, sacked and burnt the city, and carried prominent citizens back to England as hostages for ransom.
Why it is remembered It was one of the principal English victories of the war. Although it failed to seize the treasure fleet's silver, it contributed to Spain's bankruptcy the following year and provoked the Spanish armadas of 1596 and 1597.
Sources differ One account places the figures of 3 galleons sunk or burnt, 2 other ships sunk, 5 captured and about 2,000 killed under the Anglo-Dutch side; another account does not say which side suffered them.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Drake's Assault on Panama Landing or siege
Also known as Defence of Panama
6 to 20 January 1596 · Nombre de Dios and the Isthmus of Panama, Spanish Main
Fought between England against Spain
Commanders Francis Drake (died of dysentery), Thomas Baskerville (England); Alonso de Sotomayor, Juan Enríquez Conabut (Spain)
Forces English: 15 ships and 600 soldiers and sailors. Spanish: shore defences and 200 soldiers and militia.
Losses English: heavy, many to disease; 2 ships scuttled. Spanish: unknown.
Result Spanish victory
An English expedition under Drake and Baskerville landed at Nombre de Dios on the Spanish Main intending to cross the isthmus to Panama. Weakened by dysentery and other diseases, the English were repelled and defeated, and the expedition retreated towards England, harassed by the Spanish.
Why it is remembered Drake died of dysentery off Portobelo during the expedition; his burial at sea off Panama was painted by Thomas Davidson.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Davidson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Pinos Fleet battle
11 March 1596 · Off the Isla de Pinos (now Isla de la Juventud), Cuba
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Bernardino Delgadillo y Avellaneda (Spain); Thomas Baskerville (England)
Forces 13 Spanish galleons against 14 English warships
Losses England: 1 galleon and 1 patache captured, 325 killed or captured. Spain: 1 ship sunk and 80 killed or wounded
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Admiral Bernardino Delgadillo y Avellaneda caught the surviving ships of Drake's expedition, now under Sir Thomas Baskerville, off the Isla de Pinos. The Spanish captured two English ships.
Why it is remembered The surviving ships of Drake's expedition, now under Baskerville, lost two more ships to the Spanish.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Chilcheollyang Fleet battle
Night of 28 August 1597 · Chilcheollyang, near Geoje, Korea
Fought between Japan against Joseon Korea
Commanders Tōdō Takatora, Katō Yoshiaki, Wakisaka Yasuharu, Konishi Yukinaga, Shimazu Yoshihiro, Kuki Yoshitaka (Japan); Wŏn Kyun, Ch'oe Ho and Yi Ŏkki, all killed, Pae Sŏl, Pae Hŭngnip (Korea)
Forces 500 to 1,000 Japanese ships with about 140,000 men against up to 200 Korean ships
Losses Korea: 188 ships destroyed; Wŏn Kyun, Ch'oe Ho and Yi Ŏkki killed. Japan: minimal
Result Japanese victory
In a night action off Geoje the Japanese fleet decisively defeated the Joseon navy under Wŏn Kyun and destroyed nearly the whole Korean fleet. Only 13 Korean ships remained afterwards.
Why it is remembered It destroyed nearly the whole Joseon navy and left Yi Sun-sin with only 13 ships for the Battle of Myeongnyang.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Eoranpo Fleet battle
Also known as 어란포 해전, 於蘭浦海戰 (Korean)
8 October 1597 (28 August in the lunar calendar) · Eoranpo, now Eoran-ri, Songji-myeon, Haenam County, South Jeolla, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
Admiral Yi Sun-sin fought the Japanese at Eoranpo in his first battle after returning to command.
Why it is remembered It was Yi Sun-sin's first battle after his return as Naval Commander of the Three Provinces.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Hekihazu Single-ship action
Also known as Battle of Byeokpajin; 벽파진 해전, 碧波津海戰 (Korean)
16 October 1597 (7 September in the lunar calendar) · Byeokpajin, Gogun-myeon, Jindo County, South Jeolla, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
Forces 13 Japanese escort ships, from a force of 55 moving west, against Yi Sun-sin's fleet of 13 ships
Result Korean victory
After the Battle of Eoranpo, 13 escort ships from a westbound Japanese force of 55 appeared at Byeokpajin. At midnight Yi Sun-sin, leading from the front, drove them off.
Why it is remembered It was Yi's second battle after his return as Naval Commander of the Three Provinces. It confirmed to the Japanese that the Korean navy had only 13 ships and that Yi was back, and it formed part of Yi's plan to draw the Japanese towards the Myeongnyang Strait.
Sources Wikipedia (KO)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604) and Eighty Years' War
Islands Voyage Other action
Also known as Essex-Raleigh Expedition
June to August 1597 · Plymouth, the Bay of Biscay, Ferrol and the Azores
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, Thomas Howard and Walter Raleigh (England); Jacob Duivenvoorde (Dutch Republic); Martín de Padilla, Alonso de Bazán and Juan Gutiérrez de Garibay (Spain)
Forces Anglo-Dutch: 120 to 150 ships and 17,000 to 20,000 men, including 6,000 soldiers
Ships Garland, Moon
Losses Described only as high on the Anglo-Dutch side and low on the Spanish side
Result Spanish victory; the expedition failed
Elizabeth I sent the fleet to destroy Martín de Padilla's fleet at Ferrol, to seize and destroy Spanish possessions in the Azores and to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet as it passed the islands. Essex failed to occupy the Azores and failed to take the silver of the treasure fleet under Juan Gutiérrez de Garibay, and the fleet returned to England with great losses.
Why it is remembered It was Elizabeth I's last major naval campaign. Recriminations between Essex and Raleigh followed, and the failure contributed to Essex's loss of the queen's favour.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Myeongnyang Fleet battle
26 October 1597 (16 September in the Chinese and 13 September in the Korean lunisolar calendar) · Myeongnyang Strait, near Jindo Island, south west Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin, Kim Ŏkch'u, Kim Ŭngham, An Wi, Song Yŏchong, Pae Hŭngnip (Korea); Tōdō Takatora (wounded), Katō Yoshiaki, Kurushima Michifusa (killed), Wakizaka Yasuharu, Mōri Takamasa, Kan Michinaga, Kuki Yoshitaka (Japan)
Forces 13 Korean warships, with 32 scouting ships that probably did not fight, against 133 to 330 Japanese warships
Losses Japan: 31 warships sunk or crippled; Kurushima Michifusa killed and Tōdō Takatora wounded. Korea: no ships lost; at least 2 killed and 3 wounded aboard Yi's flagship and at least 8 drowned from An Wi's ship
Result Korean victory
After Wŏn Kyun's defeat at Chilcheollyang left only 13 ships, Admiral Yi Sun-sin held the Myeongnyang Strait against a Japanese fleet sailing to support the army's advance on the capital, Hanyang. Outnumbered at least ten to one, the Koreans sank or crippled 31 Japanese warships. Still outnumbered afterwards, Yi withdrew to the Yellow Sea to resupply.
Why it is remembered It was a last stand that ended in a humiliating defeat for the Japanese navy against a tiny Korean fleet.
Sources differ Korean sources say 120 to 133 Japanese ships fought, with up to 330 in all. Japanese losses are given as 31 ships rammed open, more than 30 destroyed (Hawley), about 30 destroyed (Lewis), half of the elders (Tōdō clan memoirs) and half of the Japanese (a prisoner's testimony).
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Third Spanish Armada Landing or siege
Also known as Spanish Armada of 1597
18 October to 15 November 1597 · English Channel, off Cornwall and Wales
Fought between Spain against England
Commanders Martín de Padilla, Juan del Águila, Diego Brochero, Carlos de Amésquita, Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain); Charles Howard, Robert Devereux, Walter Raleigh, Charles Blount, Ferdinando Gorges (England)
Forces 140 Spanish ships (44 galleons, 16 merchant galleons, 52 hulks, 24 small craft) with 9,634 soldiers and 4,000 sailors, against 12 English ships rising to 120 and 500 troops rising to 8,000
Losses Spain: 6 ships and 400 men captured; 22 ships sunk or destroyed and 1,000 dead in storms; in all 28 ships and 1,500 killed or captured. England: 1 bark sunk
Result English victory
Philip II sent a third armada to take Falmouth or Milford Haven as a base for invasion and to intercept Essex's fleet returning from the Azores. Off the Lizard a storm scattered it, though some ships pressed on and landed troops on the English and Welsh coasts. Martín de Padilla ordered a retreat, and returning English ships and later a fleet under Charles Howard captured a number of stragglers.
Why it is remembered It was the last armada sent by Philip II before his death. The scare, with the English coast left almost undefended, damaged relations between Elizabeth I and Essex, and Howard replaced Essex in command of the fleet.
Sources differ One account gives 14,000 soldiers and sailors; another account gives 13,000 to 14,000 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Jeolido Fleet battle
Also known as 折爾島海戦 (Japanese); 절이도 해전 (Korean)
1598 · Jeolido, identified with present Goheung County, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (Korea); Tōdō Takatora, Katō Yoshiaki (Japan)
After the Battle of Myeongnyang, Yi Sun-sin rebuilt the Joseon fleet and fought the Japanese navy under Tōdō Takatora and Katō Yoshiaki near Jeolido.
Why it is remembered It was fought by the Korean fleet that Yi Sun-sin rebuilt after Myeongnyang.
Sources Wikipedia (JA)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Imjin War
Battle of Noryang Fleet battle
16 December 1598 (19th day of the 11th month in the lunar calendar) · Noryang Strait, off Namhae Island, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea and Ming China against Japan
Commanders Yi Sun-sin (killed), Yi Yeong-nam (killed), Chen Lin, Chen Kan, Deng Zilong (killed) (Korea and Ming); Shimazu Yoshihiro, Tachibana Muneshige, Wakizaka Yasuharu, So Yoshitoshi, Konishi Yukinaga and others (Japan)
Forces About 150 allied ships (85 Joseon warships and 65 Ming warships, including 2 panokseon, 6 large junks and 57 small junks) against 300 Japanese ships, or 500 by Korean sources
Losses Japan: 200 ships sunk and 100 captured, 13,000 killed, 500 beheaded and more than 100 captured. Allies: 500 soldiers and sailors and 1 panokseon crippled
Result Joseon and Ming victory
In the early morning the combined Joseon and Ming fleet under Yi Sun-sin and Chen Lin attacked Shimazu Yoshihiro's fleet, which was trying to link up with Konishi Yukinaga, and destroyed or captured more than half of it. The battered survivors returned to Busan and a few days later left for Japan. At the height of the battle Yi Sun-sin was hit by an arquebus bullet and died soon afterwards.
Why it is remembered It was the last major battle of the Japanese invasions of Korea and ended the Imjin War. Yi Sun-sin and Chen Lin were celebrated as national heroes, and the battle is shown in the scroll Jeongwae Gigong Dogwon.
Sources differ The Japanese fleet is given as 300 ships, or 500 in Korean sources. The allied fleet is given as about 150 ships and as 148.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Japanese invasions of Korea (1592 to 1598)
Siege of Suncheon Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of the Japanese fortress
20 September to 2 November 1598 · Suncheon Japanese Castle and Jang Island, southern coast of Korea
Fought between Joseon and Ming China against Japan
Commanders Liu Ting, Chen Lin (Ming); Gwon Yul, Yi Sun-sin (Joseon); Konishi Yukinaga (Japan)
Forces Allied: 13,600 Ming and 10,000 Joseon troops and naval forces of 20,000 men. Japanese: 15,000 men and about 500 ships in the harbour.
Losses Ming: more than 800 casualties; 30 to 39 Chinese ships ran aground on 1 November and five were captured. Japanese: unknown.
Result Japanese victory; the siege was lifted
The combined fleets of Yi Sun-sin and Chen Lin seized Jang Island and surrounded Suncheon while the Ming army attacked from the land. Attempts to land were driven back by Japanese gunfire, and a joint land and sea attack on 31 October failed. On the night of 1 November the fleet bombarded the fortress at close range on the rising tide, but 30 to 39 Chinese ships ran aground when it turned and the Japanese captured five before Yi's ships drove them off. Liu Ting retreated and the siege was lifted on 2 November.
Why it is remembered It came late in the Japanese invasions of Korea; Konishi's garrison held out with its ships ready for evacuation.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: war correspondent artist of Ming assistant force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Bantam Fleet battle
27 December 1601 · Bantam Bay (now Banten Bay), Java, Indonesia
Fought between Dutch Republic against Portugal
Commanders Wolfert Harmensz (Dutch); André Furtado de Mendonça (Portugal)
Forces 5 Dutch ships against 8 Portuguese galleons and several fustas
Losses Portugal: 3 fustas captured. Dutch: none
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch exploration fleet of five ships under Wolfert Harmensz met a Portuguese fleet sent from Goa under André Furtado de Mendonça to restore Portuguese authority. The outnumbered Dutch forced the Portuguese to withdraw and took three fustas as prizes.
Why it is remembered A small Dutch fleet turned back a Portuguese force sent to reassert control in the Indonesian archipelago.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Nine Years' War; Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Castlehaven Fleet battle
6 December 1601 · Bay off Castlehaven, County Cork, Ireland
Fought between England against Spain and the Irish alliance
Commanders Richard Leveson (England); Pedro de Zubiaur (Spain)
Forces 4 English warships and 2 merchantmen against 6 Spanish ships supported by shore batteries, a castle and 600 Spanish and Irish foot soldiers
Losses Spain: 2 ships sunk and 4 driven ashore, 200 killed or wounded and 50 captured. England: 150 casualties and no ships lost
Result English victory
During the Fourth Spanish Armada an English squadron under Admiral Richard Leveson attacked a Spanish convoy of six ships under Pedro de Zubiaur in the bay off Castlehaven, protected by fortifications ashore. The Spanish ships were sunk, captured or run aground, and the English lost none.
Why it is remembered The defeat left Zubiaur's force stranded at Castlehaven and unable to help the Spanish besieged at Kinsale.
Sources differ One account says five of the six Spanish ships were sunk, captured or run aground; another account gives 2 sunk and 4 driven ashore.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War; Nine Years' War
Fourth Spanish Armada Landing or siege
Also known as Last Armada
August 1601 to 13 March 1602 · South western Ireland: Kinsale, Castlehaven and Baltimore
Fought between Spain and Gaelic Ireland against England
Commanders Juan del Águila (surrendered), Diego Brochero, Pedro de Zubiaur, Alonso de Ocampo, Pedro López de Soto, Hugh O'Neill, Hugh Roe O'Donnell (Spain and Ireland); Charles Blount, George Carew, Richard Leveson, Amyas Preston, Donogh O'Brien (England)
Forces 36 Spanish warships, 4,432 soldiers and 2,000 sailors, with 7,600 Irish; against 12,000 English soldiers and sailors, 6 galleons and 6 armed merchantmen
Losses Spain: 1,500 killed, wounded or sick, 3,700 surrendered and 8 ships captured, sunk or scuttled. Ireland: 1,200 killed, many executed. England: about 200 killed or wounded and 6,000 deserted, sick or dead of disease
Result English victory
Philip III sent an armada of 36 ships and 4,500 soldiers to help Hugh O'Neill's rebellion. Storms scattered it, but 1,800 men under Juan del Águila landed at Kinsale on 22 September, and Pedro de Zubiaur landed 700 more at Castlehaven in December. The English besieged Kinsale, Richard Leveson's small fleet blockaded it and then defeated Zubiaur's ships at Castlehaven, and after the Irish army was beaten outside Kinsale on 24 December Águila surrendered in January 1602.
Why it is remembered It was the last Spanish armada and the last major campaign against the British Isles in the war. The defeat weakened Spanish resolve and led towards the Treaty of London of 1604.
Sources differ One account gives 4,500 soldiers; another account 4,432.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1602) Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla del Cabo San Vicente (Spanish)
1602 · Off Cape St. Vincent
Fought between Spain against English privateers
Forces The Spanish Indies fleet, carrying a very large cargo of gold, against two English privateer squadrons
Result Spanish success: the English withdrew after being beaten off
Two English privateer squadrons attacked the Spanish Indies fleet, which was carrying a great quantity of gold. They were beaten off and withdrew.
Why it is remembered The Spanish Indies fleet beat off the attack with its cargo of gold aboard.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War; Eighty Years' War
Battle of the Narrow Seas Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Goodwin Sands; Battle of the Dover Straits
3 to 4 October 1602 · Strait of Dover, from off the English coast to off the Spanish Netherlands
Fought between England and the Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Robert Mansell, Jan Adriaanszoon Cant (England and Dutch Republic); Federico Spinola (Spain)
Forces 9 English and Dutch galleons, carracks and galiots against 6 Spanish galleys
Losses Spain: 1 galley destroyed, 2 sunk and 2,000 killed, wounded or captured. England and Dutch: unknown
Result Anglo-Dutch victory
An English fleet under Sir Robert Mansell intercepted six Spanish galleys under Federico Spinola in the Dover Straits. The fight began off the English coast and ended off the Spanish Netherlands, where a Dutch squadron under Jan Adriaanszoon Cant joined in and completed the destruction.
Why it is remembered The Spanish galley squadron was destroyed in the Channel. Andries van Eertvelt painted the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andries van Eertvelt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604)
Battle of Sesimbra Bay Fleet battle
3 June 1602 · Sesimbra Bay, Portugal
Fought between England against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Richard Leveson, William Monson (England); Álvaro de Bazán, Federico Spinola (Spain)
Forces 5 English galleons against 11 galleys, 1 large carrack and a fort
Losses Spain and Portugal: 2 galleys sunk, the carrack captured and 800 killed or wounded. England: 12 killed and 30 wounded
Result English victory
An English force sent by Elizabeth I to prevent further Spanish attacks on Ireland or England found a fleet of galleys and a large carrack in Sesimbra Bay. The English sank two galleys, drove off the rest, silenced the fort and captured the carrack.
Why it is remembered It was the last expedition sent against Spain on Elizabeth I's orders before her death. Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom made an illustration of the battle.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrik Hondius I, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Changi (1603) Fleet battle
10 October 1603 · Johor River, near Changi
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders Jacob Pietersz van Enkhuysen (Dutch); Teixeira de Macedo (Portugal)
Forces 4 Dutch ships against 40 Portuguese vessels
Losses Dutch: 5 to 6 dead and several wounded. Portuguese: many soldiers, and damage to the fleet
Result Dutch victory
Four Dutch ships fought a Portuguese fleet of 40 vessels near Changi. They damaged the Portuguese flagship so badly that she took on water and inflicted many casualties, and the other Portuguese ships withdrew.
Why it is remembered It demonstrated Dutch strength and determination to challenge Portuguese dominance in South East Asia.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Sluis (1603) Fleet battle
26 May 1603 · Off Sluis, Netherlands
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Joos de Moor (Dutch); Federico Spinola, killed (Spain)
Forces Dutch: 3 men of war, 2 galleys and several smaller vessels (Spanish source), or 2 galleys and 2 smaller vessels (Dutch source). Spain: 8 galleys and 1,130 soldiers (Spanish source), or 8 galleys and 4 smaller vessels (Dutch source)
Losses Dutch: 50 killed or wounded (Dutch source) or 720 killed and a man of war sunk (Spanish source). Spain: 800 killed or wounded (Dutch source) or 414 killed (Spanish source)
Result Dutch victory
A Spanish galley squadron under Federico Spinola tried to break the Dutch blockade of Sluis held by ships under Joos de Moor. After about two hours of fighting the badly damaged Spanish ships returned to Sluis. Spinola was killed.
Why it is remembered Federico Spinola, who had also fought at Sesimbra Bay and in the Narrow Seas, was killed. Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom painted the battle.
Sources differ Dutch and Spanish sources give different strengths and losses, as set out above.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Dangpo (1604) Single-ship action
Also known as Dangpo incident; Second Battle of Dangpo
4 to 5 June or 14 June 1604 · Off Dangpo, Tongyeong, Korea
Fought between Joseon Korea against a Japanese Red Seal ship of the Tokugawa shogunate
Commanders Shin Yeo-ryang and 28 other commanders (Korea)
Forces 25 Korean warships (panokseon and hahoseon) and 15 smaller ships with 233 soldiers, against 1 Red Seal ship with 49 crew
Losses Red Seal ship: most of the crew killed or captured. Korea: unknown
Result Korean victory
The Korean navy attacked a Japanese Red Seal ship off Dangpo. Most of her 49 crew were killed or captured.
Why it is remembered A painting of the battle made in 1604 survives.
Sources differ The date is given as 4 to 5 June or 14 June 1604.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Spanish War
Battle of the Gulf of Cádiz (1604) Single-ship action
7 August 1604 · Gulf of Cádiz
Fought between Spain against English corsairs in Barbary service
Commanders Antonio de Oquendo (Spain)
Forces 2 Spanish galleons against 1 galleon and 1 fusta
Losses Corsairs: 1 galleon captured, 1 fusta damaged and 100 dead and wounded. Spain: 1 galleon damaged
Result Spanish victory
Two Spanish galleons under Antonio de Oquendo engaged two English corsairs serving the Barbary States, who had been plundering shipping and villages from Galicia to the Gulf of Cádiz. One English ship was captured and the other damaged.
Why it is remembered It was fought days before the Treaty of London ended the war between England and Spain. A monument to Oquendo stands in San Sebastián.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of the Channel (1605) Convoy battle
Also known as Battle of the English Channel
July 1605 · English Channel
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Willem de Zoete (Dutch); Pedro de Zubiaur, died of wounds (Spain)
Forces 80 Dutch ships against 12 Spanish galleons and 2 frigates carrying a tercio under Pedro de Sarmiento
Losses Spain: 2 galleons sunk and 400 dead, and many troops captured. Dutch: several ships sunk
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet under Willem de Zoete tried to intercept and destroy a Spanish transport fleet under Pedro de Zubiaur carrying a tercio to the Low Countries. Zubiaur broke through with a few ships and took refuge in Dover, but many of the troops were captured by the Dutch or died in England. The rest reached Dunkirk in English ships.
Why it is remembered It was Zubiaur's last action; he died of his wounds at Dover.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Cape Rachado Fleet battle
16 to 18 August 1606 · Off Cape Rachado, near Portuguese Malacca
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Dutch East India Company (VOC)
Commanders Martim de Castro (Portugal); Cornelis de Jonge (VOC)
Forces 20 Portuguese ships against 11 VOC ships
Losses Portugal: 2 ships lost and 500 dead. VOC: 2 ships lost and 150 dead
Result Portuguese victory
A VOC fleet of 11 ships fought a Portuguese fleet of 20 off Cape Rachado. The Portuguese won, but both sides lost two ships and the Portuguese suffered heavier casualties.
Why it is remembered It was the largest naval battle in the Malay Archipelago between the two powers. The ferocity of the fight convinced the Sultanate of Johor to support the Dutch, an alliance that ended with the fall of Portuguese Malacca in 1641.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Anoniem / Anonymous (engraver / etcher), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War; Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1606) Fleet battle
16 June or 6 October 1606 · Off Cape St. Vincent
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Luis Fajardo (Spain); Willem Haultain, Regnier Klaazoon, killed (Dutch)
Forces 20, or more than 26, Spanish ships against 14 or 24 Dutch ships
Losses Dutch: Klaazoon's flagship destroyed, 2 ships captured and unknown casualties. Spain: none or very light
Result Spanish victory
A Dutch fleet was blockading the Spanish and Portuguese coast to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet when a Spanish fleet under Luis Fajardo attacked it. Vice Admiral Regnier Klaazoon's flagship was destroyed and two ships were captured, and the rest of the fleet returned home without achieving its aim.
Why it is remembered The Dutch fleet went home without intercepting the treasure fleet. An anonymous painting of the fight is in the Naval Museum of Madrid.
Sources differ The date is given as 16 June or 6 October 1606. One account names the Dutch admiral as Willem Haultain; another account gives Willem de Zoete. Strengths are given as 20 or more than 26 Spanish ships and 14 or 24 Dutch ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Pulo Buton (1606) Fleet battle
13 to 16 December 1606 · Pulo Buton
Fought between Portugal against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Álvaro de Menezes (Portugal); Cornelis Matelief de Jonge (VOC)
Forces 7 Portuguese galleons against 9 Dutch ships
Ships Erasmus
Losses Both sides: heavy. The Dutch ship Erasmus was badly damaged
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet under Álvaro de Menezes fought a Dutch force under Cornelis Matelief at Pulo Buton over four days. Both sides suffered heavily and the Portuguese were judged the victors.
Why it is remembered It followed Cape Rachado as a second clash between Matelief's fleet and the Portuguese in 1606.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Gibraltar (1607) Fleet battle
25 April 1607 · Bay of Gibraltar
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Jacob van Heemskerk, killed (Dutch); Juan Álvarez de Avilés, killed (Spain)
Forces 26 Dutch warships against 10 Spanish galleons and about 12 smaller warships
Losses Spain: 5 to 10 galleons and 9 to 12 smaller warships lost, 350 to 4,000 killed. Dutch: 100 killed and 60 wounded
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch fleet under Jacob van Heemskerk surprised a Spanish fleet at anchor in the Bay of Gibraltar. In four hours of fighting most of the Spanish ships were destroyed, and both commanders were killed.
Why it is remembered It led towards the Twelve Years' Truce. Cornelis van Wieringen painted the battle.
Sources differ Spanish losses are given as 5 to 10 galleons, 9 to 12 smaller warships and anywhere from 350 to 4,000 killed.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Cape Celidonio (1608) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Celidonio (French)
20 October 1608 · Eastern Mediterranean between Cape Celidonio and Cyprus, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Antalya
Fought between Grand Duchy of Tuscany against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Guillaume de Gadagne de Beauregard (Tuscany)
Forces 4 Tuscan sailing ships and 3 galleys against 42 Ottoman transports and escorts
Losses Ottoman: the flagship galley sunk and 9 transports captured. Tuscany: unknown
Result Tuscan victory
A Tuscan squadron under Guillaume de Gadagne de Beauregard attacked an Ottoman convoy of 42 transports and escorts off Cape Celidonio. The Ottoman flagship galley was sunk and nine transports were taken.
Why it is remembered A small Tuscan squadron broke up a large Ottoman convoy.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: Alexander Keith Johnston, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on La Goulette (1609) Raid
Also known as Action of 29 June 1609
30 July to 4 August 1609 · La Goulette (Halq al-Wadi), Ottoman Tunisia
Fought between Spain and France against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Luis Fajardo, Juan Fajardo, Philippe de Beaulieu-Persac (Spain and France); Uthman Dey, Jack Ward, Francis Verney, Richard Bishop (Tunis)
Forces 8 galleons, 2 carracks, 1 caravel, 1 frigate and some pataches against 22 armed ships, 1 galiot and 20,000 soldiers ashore
Losses Tunis: 21 vessels destroyed, 2 captured and over 780 dead. Spain and France: 3 dead and 40 wounded
Result Spanish and French victory
A Spanish fleet under Luis Fajardo, with one French ship, attacked La Goulette, the main port of Ottoman Tunisia, after Tunis corsairs planned to raid the Spanish treasure fleet. The corsair fleet in the port, which included the English renegades Jack Ward and Francis Verney, was destroyed.
Why it is remembered It was hailed as the heaviest blow to the corsairs since Lepanto, and it was the first early modern naval operation in the Mediterranean carried out entirely with sailing ships, without galleys. Its success was an early sign that the galley was becoming obsolete.
Sources differ The Wikidata label dates the action 29 June 1609; the main account gives 30 July to 4 August 1609.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Paphos (1609) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Karacehennem
July 1609 · Off Paphos, Cyprus
Fought between Ottoman Empire against Christian corsairs of the Order of Saint John
Commanders Damat Halil Pasha, Murat Reis the Elder, killed (Ottoman); Fressinet, killed (Order of Saint John)
Forces 50 Ottoman galleys against 1 galleon and 3 to 9 galleys
Ships Karacehennem
Losses Christian side: the galleon and 2 to 5 galleys captured. Ottoman: heavy
Result Ottoman victory
The Ottoman fleet under Kapudan-ı Derya Halil Pasha fought a squadron of heavily armed Christian corsair ships off Paphos. The Ottomans won decisively and captured a huge galleon of 90 guns, which they called Karacehennem (Black Inferno), with about 500 men and 200 muskets aboard.
Why it is remembered It is remembered for the capture of the great galleon Karacehennem.
Sources differ One account speaks of a squadron of corsair galleons; another account gives one galleon and 3 to 9 galleys. Galleys captured are given as 2 to 5.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Japanese-Portuguese conflicts
Nossa Senhora da Graça incident Single-ship action
Also known as Madre de Deus incident
3 to 6 January 1610 · Nagasaki Bay, Kyushu
Fought between Arima clan (Tokugawa shogunate) against Portugal
Commanders Arima Harunobu (Japan); André Pessoa, killed (Portugal)
Forces At least 33 Japanese vessels with about 3,000 samurai against 1 Portuguese carrack with about 40 men on deck
Ships Nossa Senhora da Graça
Losses Portugal: the carrack sunk and almost all aboard lost. Japan: several hundred
Result Japanese victory
Junks of the Arima clan carrying samurai attacked the richly laden Portuguese carrack Nossa Senhora da Graça near Nagasaki, and the fight lasted four days. As the samurai overran the ship her captain, André Pessoa, set fire to the powder store and she sank.
Why it is remembered Pessoa's desperate resistance impressed the Japanese, and the event was remembered in Japan into the 19th century. It is illustrated in Haruo Satō's book Arima Harunobu (1943).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: 佐藤, 春夫, 1892 to 1964, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on the Kerkennah Islands Raid
28 September to 2 October 1611 · Kerkennah Islands, off Ottoman Tunisia
Fought between Spain, Genoa and the Order of St John against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides and Ottavio d'Aragona (Spanish side); Tunisian commander unknown
Forces 35 galleys against 1,200 soldiers
Losses Spanish side: minor. Tunisian side: 680 dead and 500 prisoners
Result Spanish victory
A fleet of 35 Spanish, Genoese and Hospitaller galleys under Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides attacked the Kerkennah Islands and defeated the local Ottoman troops and Barbary corsairs, killing 680 and taking 500 prisoners.
Why it is remembered It was one of the Spanish galley raids against the Barbary coast in the early seventeenth century.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sinhalese-Portuguese War
Kandyan commerce raiding against Portugal (1612 to 1613) Blockade and raiding
Also known as Kandyan naval raid
16 May 1612 to 6 March 1613 · Waters around Ceylon and the Indian coast from Cape Comorin to Calicut
Fought between Kingdom of Kandy against the Portuguese Empire
Commanders A nephew of Kuruvita Rala, prince of Uva (name unknown), Wandige Nai Hami (Kandy); Jerónimo de Azevedo (Portugal)
Forces 3 Kandyan war galleys and 3 yachts; Portuguese strength unknown
Losses Portugal: 1 ship, 2 patasios, 4 fustas and 20 barques lost, 3 ships captured, and an estimated 400 to 500 men captured or killed. Kandy: no naval losses reported
Result Kandyan victory
With the help of the Dutch envoy Marcellus de Bochouwer, King Senarat of Kandy commissioned a fleet of three war galleys and three yachts. Sailing from Koddiyar Bay, it attacked Portuguese shipping around Ceylon and along the coast from Cape Comorin to Calicut.
Why it is remembered A small Kandyan squadron inflicted heavy losses on Portuguese shipping without losing a vessel.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on La Goulette (1612) Raid
23 May 1612 · La Goulette (Halq al-Wadi), Ottoman Tunisia
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Antonio Pimentel (Spain); Zymen Danseker (Tunis)
Forces 6 Spanish galleys against 10 ships
Losses Tunis: 7 vessels destroyed, 3 captured and many dead. Spain: minor
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish force under Antonio Pimentel attacked La Goulette, the main port of Ottoman Tunisia. It destroyed a fleet of western style ships built by the French privateer Zymen Danseker.
Why it is remembered Danseker had planned to use the fleet to carry Barbary piracy to Spain's territories in America.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Portuguese battles in the Indian Ocean
Battle of Swally Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Suvali
29 to 30 November 1612 (9 to 10 December 1612, Old Style) · Off Suvali (Swally), near Surat, Gujarat, India
Fought between English East India Company against Portugal
Commanders Thomas Best (England); Nuno da Cunha (Portugal)
Forces 4 English East India Company galleons against 4 Portuguese galleons and 26 barks (unarmed rowing vessels)
Losses Portugal: 3 galleons beached and 1 bark destroyed; numbers killed and wounded unknown. England: unknown
Result English victory
Four English East India Company galleons under Thomas Best fought four Portuguese galleons and 26 barks off Suvali, near Surat. Three Portuguese galleons were driven ashore and the English won.
Why it is remembered It was an English East India Company victory over the Portuguese off the coast of India. John Carwitham engraved the battle in 1738 to 1739.
Sources differ The title of Carwitham's engraving describes a three day fight between two English ships and four Portuguese galleons with 24 frigates, which differs from the main account's figures.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Cape Corvo Fleet battle
August 1613 · Off Cape Corvo, near Samos, south of the Karaburun Peninsula, Turkey
Fought between Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Ottavio d'Aragona (Spain); Sinari Pasha, captured (Ottoman)
Forces 8 Spanish galleys against 10 Ottoman galleys
Losses Ottoman: 7 galleys captured, 400 killed and 600 prisoners, among them the Bey of Alexandria and 60 Ottoman notables; 1,200 galley slaves freed. Spain: 6 killed and 30 wounded
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish squadron from Sicily under Admiral Ottavio d'Aragona attacked an Ottoman fleet under Sinari Pasha near Samos. The Spanish captured seven galleys and about 600 prisoners.
Why it is remembered It was the first major victory of the fleets of the Duke of Osuna, Viceroy of Sicily, and the greatest Spanish victory over the Ottomans since Lepanto.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Cornelis de Wael (1592, 1667) (supposed), Public domain, via Wikipedia (en)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Ottoman expedition to Messina Raid
August 1613 · Messina, Sicily
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Pedro Téllez-Girón, Duke of Osuna (Spain); Azaga, Escander, Azan Bey (Ottoman)
Forces 5 Spanish galleys against 2 carracks, 4 galleys and several galiots
Losses Ottoman: 7 vessels captured, many dead and prisoners. Spain: 5 dead
Result Spanish victory
The Ottomans attempted a disguised attack on the port of Messina. The Duke of Osuna's spies uncovered the plan, and almost all the members of the expedition were captured or killed.
Why it is remembered It was defeated through the intelligence work of the Viceroy of Sicily.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Moroccan conflicts
Capture of La Mámora Landing or siege
1 to 2 August 1614 · La Mámora, south of El Araich, Morocco
Fought between Spain against the Saadi Sultanate
Commanders Luis Fajardo (Spain)
Forces 100 Spanish warships and transports with a landing force of 5,000 men, against 14 privateer ships
Losses Morocco: 10 privateer ships captured and 4 destroyed. Spain: minimal
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis Fajardo raided La Mámora as part of a campaign against privateering on the Moroccan coast. The town was taken and the privateer ships there were captured or destroyed.
Why it is remembered Spain held the fortress until 1681, when Sultan Muley Ismail took it. An engraving by Girolamo Discepolo shows the capture.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: GIROLAMO DISCEPOLO (C. 1550 to 1615), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars; Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Raid on Żejtun Landing or siege
Also known as The Last Attack; L-aħħar ħbit (Maltese)
6 to 7 July 1614 · South eastern Malta, mainly Żejtun
Fought between Order of Saint John, Maltese civilians and Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Alof de Wignacourt, Luís Mendes de Vasconcellos, with Ottavio d'Aragona leading the relief (Malta and Spain); Khalil Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 52 Ottoman galleys and 8 other vessels with 5,000 to 6,000 men, against about 6,000 to 8,000 men in Malta and a relief force of 26 galleys
Losses Ottoman: some killed, about 50 to 60 captured, 1 galley sunk and 1 captured. Malta: some killed and about 20 injured
Result Christian victory
An Ottoman force landed in south eastern Malta and pillaged Żejtun and the surrounding area, sacking the parish church. The Order's cavalry and the people of the south eastern towns and villages drove the raiders back to their ships.
Why it is remembered It was the last major Ottoman attack on Hospitaller Malta.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Burmese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Arakan (November 1615) Fleet battle
18 November 1615 · Arakan River
Fought between Portugal and Sandwip against Arakan, with Dutch (VOC) naval support
Commanders Francisco de Meneses Roxo, killed, Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau (Portugal); Min Khamaung (Arakan)
Forces 14 galiots, 21 fustas, 48 jaleas and 1 patacho against 300 fustas, 100 galiots, 1,000 jaleas, 1 Dutch patacho and 1 Indian ship
Losses Portugal: about 200 killed, including Meneses Roxo. Arakan: heavy
Result Inconclusive
After the inconclusive fight in October, the Portuguese under Francisco de Meneses Roxo and Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau fought the Arakanese fleet again along the Arakan River. The battle was again inconclusive.
Why it is remembered The Portuguese abandoned the campaign afterwards and returned to Sandwip.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Burmese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Arakan (October 1615) Fleet battle
15 October 1615 · Arakan River
Fought between Portugal and Sandwip against Arakan, with Dutch (VOC) naval support
Commanders Francisco de Meneses Roxo (Portugal); Min Khamaung (Arakan)
Forces 13 Portuguese galiots and 1 patacho; Arakanese strength unknown
Losses Heavy on both sides
Result Inconclusive
A Portuguese fleet under Francisco de Meneses Roxo fought the Arakanese fleet under Min Khamaung, which had Dutch support. The campaign was begun by Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau, ruler of Sandwip, with the backing of the Viceroy of Portuguese India, Jerónimo de Azevedo. The attempt to take the city failed.
Why it is remembered It was the first of two Portuguese attempts on Arakan in 1615.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Cañete Fleet battle
Also known as Combat de Cañete (French)
22 July 1615 · Off Cañete, Peru
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Joris van Spilbergen (Dutch); Pedro Álvarez de Pulgar, killed, Rodrigo de Mendoza (Spain)
Forces 5 Dutch warships against 8 Spanish ships
Ships Santa Ana
Losses Spain: the flagship Santa Ana sunk, Pulgar killed and a patache captured
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch squadron under Joris van Spilbergen sailed to the coasts of Peru and Chile to attack the treasure galleons sent from Lima to Spain. The Viceroy of Peru, the Marquis of Montesclaros, formed an eight ship squadron to destroy it, and the fleets met off Cañete in very hard fighting. The Dutch, with stronger and handier ships, sank the Spanish flagship Santa Ana and took a patache, and the remaining six Spanish ships left the field.
Why it is remembered The victory gave the Dutch control of the sea, but their ships and crews were too damaged to attack Spanish ports, and supply problems and mutinies forced Spilbergen to return to Holland.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Formoso River Fleet battle
27 November to 2 December 1615 · Formoso River, Malay Peninsula
Fought between Portuguese Empire against the Aceh Sultanate
Commanders Francisco de Miranda Henriques, Diogo de Mendonça Furtado (Portugal); Iskandar Muda (Aceh)
Forces 4 Portuguese galleons, 6 half galleys and 10 jáleas against 300 to 500 Acehnese vessels (100 galleys, 150 ghurabs and 250 junks, lancharas and calaluzes) with 30,000, 40,000 or 60,000 men
Losses Portugal: 1 galleon and 1 half galley lost, 100 dead and 30 captured. Aceh: 20,000 men and 200 captured
Result Portuguese victory
One of the largest fleets Aceh ever sent against Portuguese Malacca met a Portuguese fleet in the Formoso River. The fighting was among the bloodiest the Portuguese fought in South East Asia, and the Acehnese suffered so badly that they gave up their plan to attack Malacca and returned home.
Why it is remembered It saved Malacca from a major Acehnese attack.
Sources differ The Acehnese fleet is given as 300 to 500 vessels and its men as 30,000, 40,000 or 60,000.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on La Goulette (1615) Raid
December 1615 · La Goulette (Halq al-Wadi), Ottoman Tunisia
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Eyalet of Tunis and the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Francisco de Ribera (Spain)
Forces 3 Spanish galleons and 1 tartane against 19 armed ships
Losses Tunis and Algiers: 4 vessels captured and several damaged. Spain: 3 dead and 30 wounded
Result Spanish victory
The Spanish privateer Francisco de Ribera chased Barbary pirates from Sicily to La Goulette, approached their harbour, captured several ships and escaped.
Why it is remembered A small force of galleons struck at the corsairs inside their own harbour.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Action of 29 April 1616 Fleet battle
29 April 1616 · Near Euboea, Aegean Sea
Fought between Grand Duchy of Tuscany against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Montauto (Tuscany)
Forces 6 Tuscan galleys against 6 Turkish galleys
Ships San Francesco
Losses Tuscany: 32 killed and 312 wounded. Ottoman: the 2 flag galleys captured.
Result Tuscan victory
Six Tuscan galleys under Montauto left Livorno at the end of March 1616. On 29 April they met six Turkish galleys near Euboea and captured the two flag galleys, while the other four fled. The Tuscan galley San Francesco was damaged and took no part.
Why it is remembered One of the actions of the Tuscan galley squadron against Ottoman shipping in the eastern Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Cape Gelidonya Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Cape Celidonia; Little Lepanto
14 to 16 July 1616 · Off Cape Gelidonya, south coast of Anatolia, near Cyprus
Fought between Spanish Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Francisco de Ribera (Spain); the Bey of Rhodes (Ottoman)
Forces 2 galleons, 2 carracks, 1 hulk and 1 patache with 1,600 soldiers, against 55 galleys with 12,000 soldiers
Losses Ottoman: 10 galleys sunk, 23 damaged and 3,200 killed. Spain: 34 killed and 93 wounded
Result Spanish victory
A small privateer fleet owned by the Duke of Osuna, Viceroy of Sicily, and commanded by Francisco de Ribera was attacked off Cyprus by an Ottoman galley fleet that greatly outnumbered it. The Spanish ships, mostly galleons, beat off the Ottomans and inflicted heavy losses.
Why it is remembered Sometimes called a Little Lepanto, it marked the point at which heavily armed sailing ships made the galley obsolete in the Mediterranean. Juan de la Corte's painting of Spanish galleons fighting Ottoman galleys is in the Naval Museum of Madrid.
Sources differ One account dates the battle 14 July 1616; another account gives 14 to 16 July.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Comoros Single-ship action
16 to 18 August 1616 · Off the Comoro Islands, Indian Ocean
Fought between Portugal against the English East India Company
Commanders Manuel de Meneses (Portugal); Benjamin Joseph, killed, then Henry Pepwell, wounded (East India Company)
Forces 1 Portuguese carrack with 600 men against 4 East India Company ships
Ships São Julião
Losses Portugal: the carrack São Julião run aground and scuttled. East India Company: 2 ships damaged; Benjamin Joseph killed and Henry Pepwell badly wounded.
Result Inconclusive
The Portuguese carrack São Julião, under Manuel de Meneses, fought a fleet of four East India Company ships under Benjamin Joseph off the Comoro Islands. She held out for three days. Heavily damaged, she ran aground on Grande Comore and her crew scuttled her.
Why it is remembered An early clash between Portugal and the English East India Company on the route to India, in which the English commander was killed.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on Constantinople (1616) Raid
October 1616 · Constantinople, Ottoman Empire
Fought between Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Ottavio d'Aragona (Spain)
Forces Spanish: 9 galleys. Ottoman: 48 galleys.
Result Spanish victory
On the orders of the Viceroy of Naples, the Duke of Osuna, Ottavio d'Aragona led nine Spanish galleys in a raid on the Ottoman capital, where 48 Ottoman galleys were present.
Why it is remembered It was a raid on the capital city of the Ottoman Empire itself.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Cape Palos (1617) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Palos (1617); Batalla del cabo de Palos (1617)
4 August 1617 · Off Cape Palos, south east Spain
Fought between Spain against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Lázaro de Eguiguren (Spain); Sulayman Reis and Mustapha Reis (Algiers)
Forces 7 Spanish ships with 1,857 men against 16 Algerian ships
Losses Spain: 2 ships lost, 715 killed or captured, and 442 wounded who died later. Algiers: unknown.
Result Algerian victory
A Spanish squadron sailing to Naples was intercepted off Cape Palos by an Algerian fleet more than twice its size. The Spanish lost two ships and suffered very heavy casualties.
Why it is remembered A severe Spanish defeat at the hands of the Algerian corsair fleet close to the Spanish coast.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Raid on La Goulette (1617) Raid
Also known as Incursión española en La Goleta (1617)
October 1617 · La Goulette (Halq al-Wadi), port of Tunis
Fought between Spain against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Ottavio d'Aragona (Spain); Yusuf Dey (Tunis)
Forces 1 Spanish galleon, 3 carracks, 1 patache and 6 galleys against 10 Tunisian ships
Losses Spain: minor. Tunis: all vessels destroyed.
Result Spanish victory
The Sicilian and Spanish captain Ottavio d'Aragona attacked La Goulette, the port of Ottoman Tunisia, in reply to attacks by Barbary corsairs. He destroyed the ships lying in the port.
Why it is remembered One of several Spanish strikes on corsair bases in North Africa in the early seventeenth century.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Playa Honda (1617) Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Playa Honda; Segunda Batalla Naval de Playa Honda; Ikalawang Labanan sa Playa Honda
14 to 15 April 1617 · Playa Honda (present day Botolan), Philippines
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Juan Ronquillo del Castillo (Spain); Joris van Spilbergen (Dutch Republic)
Forces 10 Spanish ships (7 galleons and 3 galleys) against 10 Dutch ships
Losses Spain: 1 galleon. Dutch Republic: 3 ships.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet of galleons and galleys under Juan Ronquillo del Castillo met a Dutch fleet of ten ships under Joris van Spilbergen at Playa Honda, on the coast of Luzon. The fighting lasted two days and ended in a Spanish victory, with three Dutch ships lost against one Spanish galleon.
Why it is remembered The best known of three battles at Playa Honda, in 1610, 1617 and 1624, all won by Spain against the Dutch.
Sources differ The English account calls this both the second battle of Playa Honda and the first of three known conflicts there, while also stating that the first battle took place in 1610.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Venetian-Habsburg conflicts
Battle of Ragusa Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Raguse (1617); Batalla naval de Ragusa
22 November 1617 · Off Ragusa, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Spanish Viceroyalty of Naples against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Francisco de Ribera (Spain); Lorenzo Venier (Venice)
Forces 15 Spanish galleons and a land force of 1,600 against 18 Venetian galleons, 34 galleys, 6 galleasses and 16 barks
Losses Spain: 300 killed. Venice: 4 galleys lost and 4,000 killed.
Result Spanish and Neapolitan victory
A Spanish squadron of galleons from the Viceroyalty of Naples under Francisco de Ribera fought a much larger Venetian fleet of galleons, galleys and galleasses under Lorenzo Venier off Ragusa. The Spanish won.
Why it is remembered A case of a smaller sailing galleon squadron defeating a mixed Venetian fleet of oared and sailing ships in the Adriatic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jan van Grevenbroeck (1731 to 1807), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Barbary war (1618 to 1622)
Action of 2 July 1618 Fleet battle
2 to 4 July 1618 · Near Gibraltar
Fought between Dutch Republic against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Mooy Lambert (Dutch Republic); Algerian commander unknown
Forces 9 Dutch ships against 30 Algerian corsair ships
Losses Dutch: 1 ship sunk. Algiers: 20 ships captured or destroyed; the main account states every corsair was thrown overboard.
Result Dutch victory
On an expedition against corsairs, Mooy Lambert met a fleet of Algerian corsairs near Gibraltar. The fighting lasted two days and ended in a Dutch victory.
Why it is remembered With his later expedition to Algiers in 1624, this action made Mooy Lambert's name.
Sources differ One account dates the encounter to 2 June; others give 2 to 4 July 1618.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Venetian-Habsburg conflicts
Battle of Gibraltar (1618) Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 24 June 1618
24 June 1618 · Strait of Gibraltar
Fought between Spain against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Miguel de Vidazábal (Spain); Melchior van den Kerckhove (Venice)
Forces 10 Spanish galleons and 2 caravels against 10 ships
Losses Spain: 70 killed or wounded. Venice: 40 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive
Spanish forces tried to stop a Venetian and Dutch fleet from passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, and fought only the Venetian ships. The action ended when the Spanish received orders to let the fleet pass.
Why it is remembered An episode of the Venetian-Habsburg tension of the 1610s, fought at the entrance to the Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Sack of Lanzarote (1618) Landing or siege
1 May 1618 · Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Fought between Regency of Algiers against Spain
Commanders Tabac Arráez (Algiers); the main account names Jan Janszoon on the Spanish side, taken prisoner
Forces 36 Algerian galleys with 3,000 or 5,000 men; Spanish strength unknown
Losses Algiers: unknown. Spain: 900 people captured before a naval battle and 700 captured after it, as the main account puts it.
Result Algerian victory
A force of 36 Algerian galleys landed on Lanzarote and sacked the island. They carried off 900 men, women and children to be sold as slaves. The main account also refers to a naval battle during the raid.
Why it is remembered One of the worst corsair raids on the Canary Islands, remembered for the hundreds of islanders taken into slavery.
Sources differ One account gives the Algerian strength as either 3,000 or 5,000 men, and gives captives as 900 before and 700 after a naval battle, while another account gives 900 in total. One account places Jan Janszoon among the Spanish commanders, which another account does not mention.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Valencia (1618) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Valencia (1618)
1618 · Off the coast of Valencia, Spain
Fought between Spain against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Octavio de Aragón (Spain); Alí Zaide (Ottoman corsairs)
Result Complete Spanish victory
A Spanish fleet under Octavio de Aragón fought an Ottoman fleet off the coast of Valencia. The Ottoman force was led by Alí Zaide, a Morisco from Zaragoza who had become an Ottoman corsair, and included heavy ships of western design. The battle ended in a complete Spanish victory.
Why it is remembered Notable for the corsair fleet's use of heavy western style sailing ships under a Spanish born Morisco commander.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ove Gjedde's expedition (first Danish expedition to India)
Action of 19 February 1619 Single-ship action
Also known as Action du 19 février 1619
19 February 1619 · Off Cape Verde
Fought between Denmark-Norway against French privateers
Commanders Ove Gjedde (Denmark-Norway); French commander unknown
Forces 4 Danish ships against 3 French ships
Ships Elephanten, Lion d'or, Jageren
Losses Denmark-Norway: unknown. French: 2 ships taken and 1 ship burned.
Result Danish victory
On the first Danish expedition to India, Ove Gjedde's squadron met French privateers off Cape Verde. Two French ships, the Lion d'or and the Jageren, were taken and a third was burned. The captured ships were taken into the Royal Danish Navy.
Why it is remembered An early action of the Danish voyage that led to the Danish settlement in India; it is shown in a painting of Ove Gjedde capturing the two privateers.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch colonial campaigns in Asia
Fall of Jayakarta Landing or siege
Also known as Conquest of Jacatra
17 to 30 May 1619 · Jayakarta (present-day Jakarta), Java
Fought between Dutch East India Company against the Banten Sultanate and Jayakarta
Commanders Jan Pieterszoon Coen and Pieter de Carpentier (VOC); Jayawikarta and Arya Ranamanggala (Banten)
Forces VOC: 1,000 troops and 16 ships. Banten: thousands
Result Dutch victory; the VOC took Jayakarta
Following a first Dutch attempt to conquer the city, the Dutch East India Company under Jan Pieterszoon Coen attacked Jayakarta with 16 ships and about 1,000 troops in May 1619 and seized it from the Banten Sultanate.
Why it is remembered The Dutch founded Batavia on the site, and the defeat marked the beginning of the decline of the Banten Sultanate.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Barend Wijnveld, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Barbary corsair warfare
Battle of Cartagena (1620) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Cartagena (1620)
10 October 1620 · Off the port of Cartagena, near Cape Cope, south east Spain
Fought between Algerian corsairs against a combined Dutch, French and English squadron
Commanders Salomo de Veenboer, also called Sulayman Rais (Algiers), killed
Forces Eight Algerian corsair ships against two Dutch, two French and one English warship
Losses Algiers: Veenboer killed by a cannon ball that broke both his legs. The Murcia council heard that one ship had been carried off.
Result Death of the Algerian commander; the corsair squadron was beaten
Veenboer, a Dutch renegade who commanded a squadron of Algerian corsairs, sailed from Algiers with eight ships and two months later met a squadron of two Dutch, two French and one English warships. He chose to attack, and after a long fight off the port of Cartagena he was struck by a cannon ball and died soon after. His enemies sent his body ashore in a boat, and the Murcia council recorded that eight enemy ships had fought five off Cope and that one was carried off.
Why it is remembered With Veenboer dead and his lieutenant Jan Janszoon moving to Salé the same year, the south east coast of Spain lost two of its most feared corsairs, and no corsair sailing ships were recorded there between April 1621 and March 1626.
Sources differ The Murcia council letter speaks of eight enemy ships fighting five near Cape Cope, rather than in front of Cartagena itself.
Sources Wikidata · dialnet.unirioja.es
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Portuguese rivalry in the Persian Gulf
Battle off Jask Fleet battle
16 December 1620 to 7 January 1621 · Off Jask, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf
Fought between Portuguese Estado da Índia against the English East India Company
Commanders Rui Freire de Andrade (Portugal); Andrew Shilling, died of wounds, and John Weddell (East India Company)
Forces 4 Portuguese galleons with additional galliots and 1,000 men against 4 English ships
Losses Portugal: 160 dead and 430 casualties. East India Company: 8 dead.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet under Rui Freire de Andrade fought English East India Company ships under Andrew Shilling and John Weddell in a series of engagements off Jask. Later, during the Siege of Qishm, Freire sent his squadron to attack Jask, where Portuguese and Hormuzi forces plundered the town and the English factory.
Why it is remembered The first military confrontation between two European powers in the Persian Gulf. It hardened English hostility towards the Portuguese there.
Sources differ One account gives a Portuguese victory although Portuguese casualties were far heavier; the German account on the same fighting gives an English victory on 28 December 1620.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Chios (1621) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Quíos (1621)
20 March 1621 · Off Chios, Aegean Sea
Fought between Spain, Genoa, Tuscany and the Order of St John against the Ottoman Empire, Tunis and Algiers
Commanders Carlo Doria and Clemente Hidalgo (Christian fleet); Ali Rostan, Sampson Denball and Mahomet Escabrig (Ottoman and Barbary fleet)
Forces 13 galleys, 1 galleon and 1 nao against 12 galleys, 4 galiots, 6 naos and 3 tartanes
Losses Christian fleet: 84 dead. Ottoman and Barbary fleet: 362 dead, many captured; 1 galiot, 2 naos and 2 tartanes captured.
Result Christian victory
A Spanish and Italian fleet fought an Ottoman and Barbary fleet near the island of Chios. The Christian fleet won and captured several of its opponents' smaller vessels.
Why it is remembered One of a run of Spanish and allied galley victories over Ottoman and Barbary squadrons in the early 1620s.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Gibraltar (1621) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Saint-Vincent (1621); Batalla de Gibraltar (1621)
10 August 1621 · Strait and Bay of Gibraltar
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic (the main account also lists Denmark-Norway)
Commanders Fadrique de Toledo (Spain); Willem Haultain de Zoete (Dutch Republic)
Forces 9 Spanish ships (6 galleons and 3 warships) against more than 50 Dutch ships, of which 20 were warships and the rest merchantmen
Ships Santa Teresa
Losses Spain: no ships lost, some damage; the flagship Santa Teresa dismasted. Dutch: 7 ships lost (the main account gives 5 sunk and 2 captured).
Result Spanish victory
After the Twelve Years' Truce ended, Spain tried to gather a fleet at Gibraltar to strike at Dutch trade in the Mediterranean, but only Toledo's nine ships were ready. They intercepted a Dutch East India Company fleet escorted by Willem Haultain de Zoete. Toledo's flagship set two Dutch ships on fire while the smaller galleons captured two and burned another; the Santa Teresa was dismasted and taken in tow. The Dutch got away with most of their merchantmen.
Why it is remembered An early Spanish success after the end of the Twelve Years' Truce, painted by Enrique Jácome y Brocas around 1630.
Sources differ One account dates the battle to 10 August 1621; another account gives 21 August 1621.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Enrique Jácome y Brocas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Barbary-Portuguese conflicts
Sinking of the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Blockade and raiding
Also known as Batalha Naval da Ericeira; Attaque du Nossa Senhora da Conceição
8 to 11 October 1621 · Off Lisbon, Portugal
Fought between Kingdom of Portugal against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Luís de Sousa, died of wounds (Portugal); Hassan Reis and Tabaco Reis (Algiers)
Forces 1 Portuguese carrack with 22 guns and 600 to 800 crew against 17 Algerian ships of 30 to 40 guns each with about 5,000 corsairs
Ships Nossa Senhora da Conceição
Losses Portugal: many killed and wounded; the carrack sunk. Algiers: most ships damaged.
Result Portuguese success in the first fight, Algerian victory in the second
The richly laden Portuguese carrack Nossa Senhora da Conceição, under Luís de Sousa, was attacked by a fleet of Algerian corsairs off Lisbon. She held them off in a first fight but was heavily damaged after days of battle. She caught fire and sank with her cargo.
Why it is remembered The loss of a rich carrack within reach of Lisbon, showing how far Algerian corsairs could operate in the Atlantic.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andries van Eertvelt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War and Eighty Years' War
Battle of Macau Landing or siege
Also known as Bataille de Macao; Batalha de Macau
22 to 24 June 1622 · Macau, south east China
Fought between Dutch East India Company against Portugal (with Spain)
Commanders Cornelis Reijersen and Hans Ruffijn, killed (Dutch East India Company); Lopo Sarmento de Carvalho (Portugal)
Forces 13 Dutch ships and 800 men against about 150 Portuguese and Spanish defenders and an unknown number of enslaved Black fighters
Losses Dutch: more than 300 killed (136 of them Dutch), 126 wounded, 4 ships sunk. Defenders: 6 Iberians killed (4 Portuguese and 2 Castilians), about 20 wounded, and a small number of enslaved fighters killed.
Result Portuguese victory
A Dutch East India Company fleet attacked the Portuguese settlement of Macau, firing on it from the water and landing troops. The Portuguese were outnumbered and lacked proper fortifications, but they drove off the Dutch on 24 June after three days of fighting.
Why it is remembered A much celebrated Portuguese victory, and the only major engagement fought mainly between two European powers on the Chinese mainland.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Jacob van Meurs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Action of 3 October 1624 Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de la isla de San Pedro
3 October 1624 · Near San Pietro Island, Sardinia
Fought between Spain (Naples), Tuscany and the Papal States against the Regency of Algiers
Commanders Diego Pimentel, wounded (Spain); Azan Calafate, captured (Algiers)
Forces 15 galleys (8 Neapolitan, 4 Tuscan, 3 Papal) against 3 large ships, 2 pataches and 1 tartane
Losses Christian squadron: unknown. Algiers: more than 100 killed and 150 taken prisoner; 1 large ship destroyed, 2 large ships and 2 pataches captured, 1 tartane lost.
Result Spanish, Tuscan and Papal victory
A galley squadron from Naples, Tuscany and the Papal States under Diego Pimentel engaged six Algerian ships under Azan Calafate near San Pietro Island. The Algerian flagship was destroyed and four ships were captured. The Christian slaves held aboard were freed.
Why it is remembered A clear galley victory over Algerian sailing ships in the war against the Barbary corsairs.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars and Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of the Dalmatian Coast Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de la costa de Dalmacia
13 July 1624 · Off the coast of Dalmatia, Adriatic Sea
Fought between Spain, the Order of St John and Genoa against the Ottoman Empire, Tunis and Algiers
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides, Marquis of Santa Cruz (Spain); Barbary commander unknown
Forces 35 galleys against 13 galleys
Losses Christian fleet: unknown. Barbary fleet: 6 galleys sunk and 7 galleys captured.
Result Spanish victory
The Marquis of Santa Cruz, with a Spanish, Genoese and Maltese fleet, caught a Barbary corsair fleet from Tunis and Algiers off the Dalmatian coast. He had been pursuing this fleet before the Battle of the Gulf of Tunis. All thirteen corsair galleys were sunk or captured.
Why it is remembered It completed the destruction of the corsair squadron that Santa Cruz had hunted through the summer of 1624.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of the Gulf of Tunis Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla del golfo de Túnez
4 June 1624 · Gulf of Tunis
Fought between Spain and the Order of St John against the Eyalet of Tunis
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides, Marquis of Santa Cruz, and Nicolo della Marra (Spain and Malta); Ali Arraez Rabazin (Tunis)
Forces 14 galleys against 3 galleons
Losses Spain and Malta: minor. Tunis: all vessels captured, 212 prisoners, many dead.
Result Spanish and Maltese victory
A Spanish and Maltese galley fleet under the Marquis of Santa Cruz attacked a Barbary corsair flotilla of three galleons under Ali Arraez Rabazin in the Gulf of Tunis. All three corsair ships were captured.
Why it is remembered One of three victories won by the Marquis of Santa Cruz over Barbary corsairs in 1624.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom / Cornelis Vroom, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Spanish-Ottoman wars
Battle of Palermo (1624) Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Palermo (1624)
May 1624 · Off Palermo, Sicily
Fought between Spain and the Order of St John against Tunis and Algiers
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides, Marquis of Santa Cruz (Spain); Barbary commander unknown
Forces 28 galleys against 13 galleys
Losses Christian fleet: unknown. Barbary fleet: 7 galleys sunk and 6 galleys captured.
Result Christian victory
A Spanish and Maltese galley fleet under the Marquis of Santa Cruz fought a Barbary corsair fleet from Tunisia and Algiers off Palermo. All thirteen corsair galleys were sunk or captured.
Why it is remembered One of three galley victories won by the Marquis of Santa Cruz against Barbary corsairs in 1624.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Action of 26 June 1625 Fleet battle
26 June 1625 · Off Syracuse, Sicily
Fought between Order of St John against the Ottoman Empire (Bizerta corsairs)
Commanders Michele de Pontalier Tallamey, wounded (Order of St John); Ottoman commander unknown
Forces 5 Maltese galleys against 6 Bizertan vessels (2 galleys and 4 other vessels)
Ships San Giovanni, San Francesco
Losses Order of St John: 2 galleys captured and 350 killed. Ottoman: unknown.
Result Ottoman victory
The Maltese general Tallamey was in harbour at Syracuse when six Bizertan vessels were sighted. He put to sea without embarking extra troops and let his galleys attack one by one. Wounded, he broke off and fled to Malta; two galleys escaped to Syracuse, and the San Giovanni and San Francesco were captured.
Why it is remembered The defeat led Tallamey to resign and made the Maltese Council issue new orders on the manning of galleys and the qualifications of captains.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Huguenot rebellions
Battle of Blavet Raid
Also known as Bataille du Blavet
17 January 1625 · Blavet harbour (modern Port-Louis), Brittany
Fought between Huguenot forces against the Kingdom of France
Commanders Benjamin de Rohan, Duke of Soubise (Huguenots); the Duke of Nevers and the Duke of Vendôme (France)
Forces 12 small Huguenot warships with 300 soldiers and 100 sailors against 6 great royal warships
Result Huguenot victory
Soubise and his Huguenot force attacked a royal French fleet lying in Blavet harbour in Brittany and seized the royal ships there.
Why it is remembered The attack set off the second Huguenot rebellion against the French Crown.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Elmina (1625) Landing or siege
Also known as Batalha da Mina (1625); Schlacht um Elmina 1625
25 October 1625 · Elmina Castle (São Jorge da Mina), Gold Coast, present day Ghana
Fought between Dutch West India Company against Portugal
Commanders Jan Dircksz Lam, killed (Dutch West India Company); Fernando de Sottomayor (Portugal)
Forces 1,200 Dutch soldiers carried by 15 ships against 56 Portuguese and 200 African allies
Losses Dutch: all killed except 45, including the commander and all his officers. Portugal: 27 killed.
Result Portuguese victory
A Dutch West India Company fleet of 15 ships landed 1,200 soldiers near the Portuguese castle of São Jorge da Mina and opened the attack by bombarding it. As the Dutch marched on the castle they were ambushed by the Portuguese and their African allies and almost all were killed. The Dutch ships fired more than 2,000 cannonballs at the castle before they withdrew.
Why it is remembered A heavy Dutch defeat on the Gold Coast, reversed twelve years later when the Dutch took Elmina in 1637.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Portuguese rivalry in the Persian Gulf; Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle off Hormuz (1625) Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Persian Gulf; Batalha naval do Golfo Pérsico; Azione del 1º febbraio 1625
11 to 12 February 1625 · Strait of Hormuz
Fought between Portuguese Estado da Índia against the English East India Company and the Dutch East India Company, with Safavid Iran
Commanders Nuno Álvares Botelho and Rui Freire de Andrade (Portugal); John Weddell (English East India Company); Albert Becker, killed (Dutch East India Company)
Forces 8 Portuguese galleons, 20 light galleys and 20 terranquins against 8 English and Dutch carracks and 2 pataches
Losses Portugal: 130 killed. Allies: 29 English and 45 Dutch killed.
Result Inconclusive
A Portuguese fleet fought a combined Dutch and English East India Company fleet in the Strait of Hormuz over two days. Neither side won outright.
Why it is remembered Described as perhaps the largest naval battle ever fought in the Persian Gulf. Although a draw, it marked the end of Portuguese influence in the Gulf. It is the subject of a painting by João Dantas of about 1812.
Sources differ The English account dates the battle to 11 to 12 February 1625; the title of the Italian account gives 1 February 1625.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-Portuguese rivalry in the Persian Gulf
Loss of the Lion (1625) Single-ship action
Also known as Defence of the Lion; engagement off Surat
17 October to 18 November 1625 · Off Swally (Surat), India, and off Bandar Abbas, Persian Gulf
Fought between Portuguese Estado da Índia against the English East India Company
Commanders Nuno Álvares Botelho, Rui Freire de Andrade and Gaspar Gomes (Portugal); Captain Blyth, Richard Swanley, killed, and Henry Crosbey (East India Company)
Forces 4 Portuguese galleons and 14 to 20 frigates against 3 English ships
Ships Lion
Losses Portugal: 26 dead. East India Company: 1 ship lost and 68 dead; all but one of the Lion's surviving crew were executed.
Result Portuguese victory
On 17 October 1625 Portuguese forces under Nuno Álvares Botelho attacked an English fleet off Swally; the Lion was boarded but the English drove the Portuguese off. The Lion later lay at Bandar Abbas, where Botelho arrived from Hormuz with 14 to 20 frigates. After a hard defence she was destroyed by fire and explosion, and all but one of her crew were executed.
Why it is remembered Remembered as the Defence of the Lion, an episode of the Anglo-Portuguese struggle in the Gulf that ended in the execution of her crew.
Sources differ The final attack at Bandar Abbas is dated to either 8 or 18 November 1625.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Manuel de Faria y Sousa (book author), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Huguenot rebellions
Recovery of Ré Island Landing or siege
Also known as Reprise de l'Île de Ré
September 1625 (naval battle 15 September) · Île de Ré and off Saint-Martin-de-Ré, west France
Fought between France, with Dutch and English ships, against the Huguenots of La Rochelle
Commanders Henri de Montmorency (fleet), Charles de Guise, Toiras and Willem Haultain de Zoete (royal side); the Duke of Soubise and Jean Guiton (Huguenots)
Forces 35 French, 20 Dutch and 7 English warships against 28 Huguenot warships and 3,000 men
Losses Not stated for the September fighting. In an earlier action on 16 July 1625 Soubise blew up a Dutch ship, with the loss of 300 Dutch sailors.
Result Royalist victory
Soubise had held the Île de Ré since February 1625. On 15 September Montmorency's fleet defeated the La Rochelle fleet off Saint-Martin-de-Ré, and two royal regiments under Toiras landed and defeated Soubise's 3,000 men. Soubise fled to England with his few remaining ships, and Montmorency recovered both Ré and Oléron.
Why it is remembered It led to the Treaty of Paris of February 1626. The reliance on Dutch and English ships showed France's need for its own navy, which Richelieu then set out to build.
Sources differ One account gives Soubise 15 ships on his return to Ré, while another account gives 28 warships. The capture is dated 16 September in one caption, with the action described as 12 to 15 September.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War
Relief of Genoa Landing or siege
Also known as Socorro de Génova
28 March to 24 April 1625 · Genoa, Liguria
Fought between Spain and the Republic of Genoa against France and Savoy
Commanders Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz, the Duke of Feria and Carlo Doria, Duke of Tursi (Spain and Genoa); the Duke of Lesdiguières and Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Savoy (France and Savoy)
Forces 23 galleys and 2,700 to 4,000 Spanish infantry (15,000 Spanish and Genoese after the relief) against a Franco-Savoyard army of 30,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry
Losses France and Savoy: 5,000 dead or wounded and 2,000 captured. Spain and Genoa: 1,300 dead.
Result Spanish and Genoese victory
Genoa, an ally of Spain, was besieged by a French and Savoyard army. A Spanish fleet under the Marquis of Santa Cruz came to its aid, relieved the city and forced the besiegers to lift the siege. The Spanish and Genoese then drove the Franco-Piedmontese army out of Liguria.
Why it is remembered It secured the Spanish Road and is the subject of the painting The Relief of Genoa by the Marquis of Santa Cruz by Antonio de Pereda in the Museo del Prado. France gave up its claims under the Treaty of Monzón.
Sources differ Spanish strength is given as 2,700 to 4,000 infantry, without a single figure.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Antonio de Pereda, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of San Juan (1625) Landing or siege
Also known as Batalla de San Juan (1625)
24 September to 2 November 1625 · San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Juan de Haro y Sanvitores (Spain); Boudewijn Hendricksz (Dutch Republic)
Forces 17 Dutch ships, which landed 800 men, against a Spanish garrison of 330 men in El Morro, with Puerto Rican militia
Losses Dutch: more than 400 dead and one ship left behind. Spain: not stated.
Result Spanish victory
A Dutch fleet of 17 ships under Boudewijn Hendricksz sailed into San Juan harbour past the guns of El Morro and landed 800 men, who occupied the empty town. The governor, Juan de Haro, refused to surrender and held El Morro while militia retook the San Antonio bridge. On 22 October the Dutch burned more than 100 houses, the bishop's palace and library and the city archives, but Spanish sorties drove them back to their ships, and they sailed away on 2 November.
Why it is remembered Commemorated in a seventeenth century painting by Eugenio Cajés in the Museo del Prado. Spain then strengthened the defences of Puerto Rico.
Sources differ One account gives 29 September 1625 as the date of the battle; another account gives 24 September to 2 November 1625. A third account speaks both of a two month siege and of a 21 day exchange of cannon fire.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch invasions of Brazil
Battle in the Bay of São Salvador Raid
3 March 1627 · Bay of All Saints, São Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company) against Portugal
Commanders Piet Pieterszoon Hein (Dutch West India Company); Portuguese commander unknown
Forces 3 Dutch ships against about 34 Portuguese vessels, 16 of them armed
Losses Portugal: 22 to 25 ships captured. Dutch: none.
Result Dutch victory
Piet Hein found about 34 vessels at São Salvador, 16 of them armed, and sailed his three ships into their midst. After a long fight the Dutch captured 22 to 25 ships, carrying 2,700 chests of sugar, tobacco and cotton.
Why it is remembered One of Piet Hein's raids on Portuguese shipping in Brazil, the year before his capture of the Spanish treasure fleet at Matanzas.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Huguenot rebellions; Anglo-French War (1627 to 1629)
Siege of La Rochelle Landing or siege
Also known as Le grand siège de La Rochelle
10 September 1627 to 28 October 1628 · La Rochelle and Île de Ré, Bay of Biscay, western France
Fought between French Royalists, with a Spanish fleet, against the Huguenots of La Rochelle and England
Commanders Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu, Toiras, Bassompierre (France); Jean Guiton, Soubise (La Rochelle); Duke of Buckingham, Earl of Denbigh, Earl of Lindsey (England)
Forces Royal siege army of 22,000 and 30 to 40 Spanish warships; La Rochelle held 27,000 civilians and soldiers; Buckingham's expedition of 80 ships and 7,000 soldiers; Lindsey's 1628 relief fleet of 29 warships and 31 merchantmen
Losses La Rochelle: 22,000 killed; its population fell from 27,000 to 5,000 through fighting, famine and disease. English: about 5,000 killed in Buckingham's expedition. French at Île de Ré: 500 killed.
Result French Royalist victory; La Rochelle surrendered unconditionally
In June 1627 Buckingham landed about 6,000 men on Île de Ré but failed to take Saint-Martin and withdrew after heavy losses. The royal army besieged La Rochelle and built a 1,400 metre sea wall on sunken hulks to cut the city off from the sea, with artillery firing on English ships that tried to resupply it. Denbigh's relief fleet of April 1628 returned without fighting, and Lindsey's fleet of September 1628 bombarded French positions but could not break the wall. The starving city surrendered on 28 October 1628.
Why it is remembered It marked the height of the struggle between Catholics and Protestants in France and ended in complete victory for Louis XIII. Henri Motte's 1881 painting shows Cardinal Richelieu on the sea wall during the siege.
Sources differ One account gives Buckingham's fleet as over 100 ships in another account but 80 ships in a third account.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Henri-Paul Motte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Polish-Swedish War (1626 to 1629)
Battle of Oliwa Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Oliva; Battle of Gdańsk Roadstead; Bitwa pod Oliwą; Slaget på Danzigs redd
28 November 1627 · Off Oliwa, just north of Gdańsk (Danzig), Baltic Sea
Fought between Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against Sweden
Commanders Arend Dickmann, killed (Poland-Lithuania); Nils Stiernsköld, killed (Sweden)
Forces 10 Polish-Lithuanian ships (4 galleons, 3 full rigged pinnaces, 3 fluyts) with 179 guns and 1,160 men against 6 Swedish ships (5 galleons, 1 pinnace) with 140 guns and 700 men
Ships Ritter Sankt Georg, Meerweib, Meermann, König David, Fliegender Hirsch, Arche Noah, Tigern, Solen, Pelikanen, Månen, Enhörningen, Papegojan
Losses Poland-Lithuania: 47 killed or wounded. Sweden: 304 killed or wounded, 68 captured; the galleon Tigern captured and the galleon Solen blown up.
Result Polish-Lithuanian victory
A Swedish squadron under Nils Stiernsköld was blockading Gdańsk when the Polish-Lithuanian fleet sailed out and attacked it. The flagship Ritter Sankt Georg, supported by Meerweib, engaged the Swedish flagship Tigern, which was boarded and captured. Meermann attacked the Solen, whose captain blew her up rather than surrender. The four surviving Swedish ships fled to the open sea and the blockade was lifted for a time.
Why it is remembered The largest battle fought by the navy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is inscribed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, streets in Gdańsk are named after the battle and Dickmann, and a monument stands in Oliwa.
Sources differ The main account says in one place that both admirals were killed during the battle and in another that Dickmann died from a cannon shot after it and Stiernsköld soon afterwards of wounds.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-French War (1627 to 1629)
Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré Landing or siege
Also known as Siège de Saint-Martin-de-Ré; Siege of St. Martin's
1627 · Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Île de Ré, near La Rochelle
Fought between England, with Huguenot volunteers from La Rochelle, against France
Commanders George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham (England); Marquis de Toiras (France)
Forces England: initially 100 ships, 6,000 soldiers, 1,000 horses and 4 cannon, with 800 La Rochelle volunteers and later 2,000 Irish soldiers and 400 recruits. France: initially 1,200 men and 200 horsemen, reinforced by 4,000 men in October
Losses English: around 5,000. French: around 500
Result French victory; Buckingham withdrew
Buckingham landed on the Île de Ré with a fleet of about 100 ships and besieged the fortress-town of Saint-Martin. After three months a French relief force of ships and troops reached Toiras and repelled the English, and Buckingham was forced to withdraw in defeat.
Why it is remembered It followed Buckingham's failure at Cádiz in 1625 and is considered the opening conflict of the Anglo-French War of 1627 to 1629.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-French War (1627 to 1629)
Action of 17 July 1628 Convoy battle
17 July 1628 · St Lawrence River, near present day Rimouski, Quebec
Fought between England against France
Commanders David Kirke and Lewis Kirke (England); Claude Roquement de Brison (France)
Forces 5 or 6 English men of war and 1 pinnace against 4 large French merchant vessels and 1 barque
Losses England: none reported. France: 4 merchant vessels captured and 400 prisoners.
Result English victory
An English force under the Kirke brothers intercepted and captured a French supply convoy bound for New France in the St Lawrence.
Why it is remembered The loss of the convoy badly weakened New France's ability to resist attack.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle in the Bay of Matanzas Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla de la Bahía de Matanzas; Slag in de Baai van Matanzas
7 to 8 September 1628 · Bay of Matanzas, Cuba
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company) against Spain
Commanders Piet Hein, with Witte de With as flag captain (Dutch Republic); Juan de Benavides Bazán (Spain)
Forces 31 Dutch vessels against 21 Spanish vessels
Losses Spain: 12 vessels captured with their cargo. Casualties described as minimal.
Result Dutch victory
A Dutch squadron under Piet Hein intercepted part of the Spanish treasure fleet off Cuba. As night fell the Spanish ships entered the Bay of Matanzas ahead of the Dutch and were run aground. The next day Hein attacked with his boats and the Spanish surrendered without terms. The prize included 177,537 pounds of silver, 135 pounds of gold, hides, indigo, cochineal, logwood and sugar, valued at 11,509,524 guilders.
Why it is remembered Piet Hein returned home in 1629 as a hero; the main account describes him as the first and last to capture so large a part of a Spanish silver fleet. The Spanish prisoners were released and given supplies for the march to Havana.
Sources differ The main account lists the casualties as minimal without making clear which side this refers to.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: William Elliot Griffis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Langat River Fleet battle
1628 · Langat River, Malay Peninsula (present day Selangor, Malaysia)
Fought between Portugal against the Sultanate of Aceh
Commanders Francisco Coutinho (Portugal); the King of Dely (Aceh)
Forces 15 Portuguese half galleys against 100 Acehnese vessels, 35 of them galleys
Losses Portugal: few. Aceh: 99 vessels, 3,000 men and 800 guns.
Result Portuguese victory
A Portuguese fleet of half galleys fought a much larger Acehnese fleet in the Langat River on the Malay Peninsula. The Portuguese won and the Acehnese lost almost their whole fleet.
Why it is remembered A large Portuguese victory over an Acehnese fleet, a year before the Portuguese defeated Aceh again at the Duyon River near Malacca.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Anglo-French War (1627 to 1629)
Surrender of Quebec Blockade and raiding
1628 to 1629; Champlain surrendered on 20 July 1629 · Saint Lawrence River and Quebec
Fought between England against France
Commanders David Kirke (England); Samuel de Champlain, who surrendered (France)
Result English victory; England occupied Quebec until 1632
English privateers led by David Kirke intercepted the supplies bound for Quebec. Cut off, the settlement was taken without a battle, and Champlain surrendered it to Kirke on 20 July 1629.
Why it is remembered It brought an English occupation of Quebec that lasted until 1632.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Acehnese-Portuguese conflicts
Battle of Duyon River Fleet battle
Also known as Batalha do Rio Duyon
June to December 1629 · Duyon River, near Portuguese Malacca
Fought between Portugal and the Sultanate of Johor against the Sultanate of Aceh
Commanders Nuno Álvares Botelho, António Pinto da Fonseca and Abdul Jalil Shah III (Portugal and Johor); the Laksamana, captured, Marraja, killed, and the King of Dely, killed (Aceh)
Forces 1,260 Portuguese soldiers, 400 auxiliaries, 4 brigantines and 28 galleys, with 2,000 Pahang warriors in 60 vessels, against 236 Acehnese ships and 19,000 to 20,000 men
Losses Portugal: 60 dead. Aceh: all ships captured or destroyed, all men killed or captured, 170 heavy guns taken, the Laksamana captured.
Result Portuguese victory
An Acehnese invasion force was sent to conquer Malacca. A relatively small Portuguese fleet under Nuno Álvares Botelho defeated it so completely that not a ship or man returned to Aceh.
Why it is remembered Botelho is remembered in Portugal as one of the last great commanders of Portuguese India. After the battle the Sultanate of Perak, a vassal of Aceh, went over to the Portuguese.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: António de Bocarro, Goa, 1635, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War
Battle of L'Anse-aux-Papillons Raid
Also known as Bataille de l'Anse-aux-Papillons
Late 1629 · Anse-aux-Papillons, Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts), Lesser Antilles
Fought between France against English colonists
Commanders François de Rotondy, sieur de Cahuzac (France)
Forces French fleet with 200 to 300 men
Losses English: 3 ships.
Result French victory
At the end of 1629 a French fleet fought English colonists at the Anse-aux-Papillons on Saint Christopher. The English lost three ships.
Why it is remembered A clash between French forces and English colonists on Saint Christopher during the Thirty Years' War.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Jambi Fleet battle
5 April to 5 May 1630 · Jambi River, Sumatra, Indonesia
Fought between Portugal against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Nuno Álvares Botelho, drowned, and Rui Freire de Andrade (Portugal); Dutch commander unknown
Forces 27 Portuguese ships against 28 Dutch ships
Losses Portugal: 1 galliot sunk; Botelho drowned. Dutch: 7 ships burned or captured.
Result Portuguese victory
Portuguese and Dutch ships fought on the Jambi River in the Indonesian archipelago over about a month. The Portuguese won, but their commander Nuno Álvares Botelho drowned during the fighting.
Why it is remembered Remembered for the death of Botelho, one of the last great commanders of Portuguese India.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Sinking of the Flensborg Single-ship action
Also known as Frigate Flensborg; Flensburg
1630 · Off the Cape of Good Hope
Fought between Denmark-Norway (Danish East India Company) against Portugal
Forces 1 Danish frigate with a crew of more than 84
Ships Flensborg
Losses Denmark-Norway: the Flensborg blown up.
Result Portuguese success
The frigate and man of war Flensborg, a Danish East Indiaman launched in 1625, sailed from Copenhagen on 2 December 1629 for Tranquebar as the third Danish cargo to India. She was blown up by the Portuguese off the Cape of Good Hope in 1630.
Why it is remembered A loss on the early Danish trade route to India.
Sources differ The main account is about the ship; it does not describe the fighting itself.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War (Dutch invasions of Brazil)
Battle of Abrolhos Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of the Abrolhos; Batalha Naval dos Abrolhos; Batalla de los Abrojos; Battle of Pernambuco
12 September 1631 · Off Pernambuco, Brazil
Fought between Spain and Portugal against the Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company)
Commanders Antonio de Oquendo (Spain and Portugal); Adrian Jansz Pater, killed, and Maerten Thijssen (Dutch West India Company)
Forces 20 Spanish and Portuguese warships (5 of them unarmed) against 16 Dutch warships
Ships Prins Willem
Losses Spain and Portugal: 1 galleon sunk, 1 galleon captured, 500 dead and 100 wounded. Dutch: the flagship Prins Willem and 1 or 2 other ships sunk; casualties given as anything from 350 dead and 80 wounded to about 2,000.
Result Spanish and Portuguese victory, as the main account states
A joint Spanish and Portuguese fleet under Antonio de Oquendo met a Dutch West India Company fleet off the coast of Pernambuco. After six hours of fighting the Dutch were beaten off; their flagship Prins Willem was sunk and their admiral Adrian Jansz Pater was killed.
Why it is remembered Painted around 1632 by Juan de la Corte; the canvas hangs in the Naval Museum in Madrid.
Sources differ Dutch casualties are given as 350 dead and 80 wounded in one source and about 2,000 in another. The main account refers the result to the aftermath rather than stating a clear victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Juan de la Corte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of the Slaak Fleet battle
Also known as Slag op het Slaak; Seeschlacht auf dem Slaak
12 to 13 September 1631 · The Slaak, Volkerak channel near Goeree-Overflakkee, Netherlands
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Vice-Admiral Marinus Hollare (Dutch Republic); the Marquis of Aytona (nominal) and Count Jan van Nassau-Siegen (Spain)
Forces About 50 Dutch vessels, mostly small river craft with some larger flyboats, and an English and Scottish regiment of 2,000 ashore, against about 90 Spanish vessels, mostly small transports, carrying 5,500 soldiers
Losses Spain: 83 vessels sunk, destroyed or captured; 1,500 killed, wounded or drowned; 4,000 prisoners. Dutch: light.
Result Dutch victory
A Spanish flotilla tried to reach Willemstad and Hellevoetsluis through the Zeeland waters in order to cut the Dutch Republic in two. After failing to take Tholen, Jan van Nassau tried to slip past the Dutch fleet at night. The Dutch let the flotilla pass and then attacked it from behind in the narrow Slaak; hundreds drowned and the survivors were taken prisoner by Dutch and English troops ashore. Van Nassau escaped to Antwerp with two ships.
Why it is remembered It stopped a Spanish attempt to divide the United Provinces. Frederick Henry forbade a proposal to throw the prisoners into the sea. The battle was painted by Abraham de Verwer.
Sources differ One account gives about 90 Spanish vessels, another account 35 ships and 60 vessels; another account gives 83 vessels lost while one account suggests perhaps a third of the fleet escaped.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Abraham de Verwer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Sino-Dutch conflicts
Battle of Liaoluo Bay Fleet battle
Also known as 料羅灣海戰; Liàoluó Wān Hǎizhàn
7 July to 22 October 1633 (decisive action in October) · Liaoluo Bay, Kinmen, Taiwan Strait
Fought between Ming dynasty against the Dutch East India Company and allied Chinese pirates
Commanders Zheng Zhilong (Ming); Hans Putmans (Dutch East India Company) and Liu Xiang (pirates)
Forces About 150 Ming junks, 50 of them large, against 8 Dutch warships and 50 pirate junks
Ships Broeckerhaven, Slooterdijck, Koudekerke, Zalm, Perdam, Zeeburg, Wieringen, Bleiswijk
Losses Dutch: 250 killed and wounded; Koudekerke sunk, Slooterdijck captured and Broeckerhaven set on fire. Ming: unknown.
Result Ming victory
In July 1633 the Dutch under Hans Putmans surprised and burned Zheng Zhilong's new fleet at Amoy. In October Zheng drew the Dutch and their pirate allies into Liaoluo Bay and surrounded them, using large war junks as fireships. The Broeckerhaven was set on fire, the Slooterdijck was boarded and taken and the Koudekerke was boarded and sunk; the rest escaped to Taiwan by sailing close to the wind.
Why it is remembered The largest naval encounter between Chinese and European forces before the Opium Wars. Ming officials called it a miracle at sea, and Putmans gave up his raids on the Chinese coast.
Sources differ One account gives 2 Dutch warships sunk and 1 captured, while another account describes one sunk, one captured and one burned. Some sources say Wieringen was sunk; a third account says she survived and foundered in 1636.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Simon de Vlieger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Capture of Saint Martin (1633) Landing or siege
25 June to 1 July 1633 · Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Lope de Hoces, wounded, and the Marquess of Cadreita (Spain); Jan Claeszoon van Campen, wounded (Dutch Republic)
Forces 24 Spanish men of war and 31 transports with 1,300 men against a Dutch garrison of 140
Losses Dutch: 3 ships captured, 8 killed or wounded. Spain: 26 killed or wounded.
Result Spanish victory
A Spanish naval expedition attacked the island of Saint Martin, then held by the Dutch, and took it after about a week.
Why it is remembered The capture stopped Dutch privateers from using the island as a base in the Caribbean. It was painted by Juan de la Corte; the canvas is in the Naval Museum in Madrid.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Attributed to Juan de la Corte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War
Capture of Tortuga Landing or siege
21 to 23 January 1635 · Tortuga, off northern Hispaniola (present day Haiti)
Fought between Spain (Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico) against English, French and buccaneer settlers
Commanders Ruy Fernández de Fuenmayor, with Francisco Turrillo de Yebra (Spain); Philip Bell and Christopher Wormeley (settlers)
Forces 4 Spanish warships with 200 armed men and 50 sailors against 150 to 600 settler men and 6 merchant frigates, with pataches and small craft
Losses Spain: 2 killed, 4 wounded, some drowned. Settlers: 196 killed, 39 captured, 2 frigates and 1 patache burnt, the fort taken and the settlement burned.
Result Spanish victory
Told by a defector of a thriving but poorly defended settlement on Tortuga, Santo Domingo sent 250 men in four warships under Ruy Fernández de Fuenmayor. They captured the port, burned the settlement and drove out almost all the colonists, after summarily executing hundreds of them.
Why it is remembered No garrison was left, and the island was soon resettled by French pirates, becoming a pirate stronghold from the late 1630s. The raid is seen as a precursor to the Franco-Spanish War of 1635.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Battle of Elmina (1637) Landing or siege
Also known as Batalha da Mina (1637); Schlacht um Elmina 1637
24 to 29 August 1637 · Elmina, Gold Coast, present day Ghana
Fought between Dutch West India Company against Portugal
Commanders Hans Coine (Dutch West India Company); Portuguese governor not named
Forces 9 Dutch ships with 500 seamen and 800 soldiers against 30 Portuguese soldiers and 1,000 African allies
Losses Four companies of Dutch fusiliers were destroyed in the first attack on the hill of St Jago; other losses not stated.
Result Dutch victory
The Dutch West India Company sent nine ships from Brazil against Elmina. Colonel Hans Coine landed near Cape Coast and moved 800 soldiers by canoe down the Sweet River. After hard fighting the Dutch took the hill of St Jago overlooking the fort and bombarded it; as grenadiers prepared to attack, the Portuguese asked to surrender.
Why it is remembered The Dutch took the castle of São Jorge da Mina, a historic Portuguese stronghold. The garrison was allowed to leave for São Tomé.
Sources differ One account says the Dutch landed on 24 July; another account gives 24 to 29 August 1637. One account gives 1,300 men in total, another account 500 seamen and 800 soldiers.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johannes Vingboons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle off Lizard Point Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla de Lizard Point; Slag bij Lizard Point
18 February 1637 · Off Lizard Point, Cornwall
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Miguel de Horna (Spain)
Forces 6 Spanish galleons and 2 frigates against 6 Dutch men of war escorting 44 merchant ships
Losses Dutch: 3 warships sunk, 3 warships captured and 14 merchant ships captured. Spain: no ships lost.
Result Spanish victory
Miguel de Horna, commander of the Armada of Flanders, intercepted an Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of 44 vessels escorted by six Dutch warships off Cornwall. He sank or captured 20 ships and returned safely to Dunkirk.
Why it is remembered A Spanish raid from Dunkirk that took or sank 20 ships of an escorted convoy in English waters without losing a ship.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Cabañas Convoy battle
Also known as Batalla de Cabañas
31 August to 3 September 1638 · Off Cabañas, Cuba
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company)
Commanders Carlos de Ibarra, wounded (Spain); Cornelis Jol (Dutch West India Company)
Forces 7 Spanish galleons, 7 pataches and 7 smaller ships against 17 Dutch galleons
Losses Spain: several ships damaged. Dutch: 7 galleons sunk and many crewmen killed.
Result Spanish victory
The Dutch privateer Cornelis Jol tried to capture the Spanish treasure fleet under Carlos de Ibarra off Cabañas in Cuba. After several days of fighting the Dutch fleet withdrew with heavy damage and the treasure fleet escaped.
Why it is remembered The Spanish treasure fleet escaped capture, and the Dutch fleet lost seven galleons.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman campaign to retake Azov from the Cossacks
Battle of the Chushka Spit Fleet battle
Also known as Çoçka Burnu Muharebesi
26 to 28 July 1638 · Chushka Spit (Çoçka Burnu), Kerch Strait, present day Russia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Cossacks
Commanders Piyale Kethüda (Ottoman)
Result Ottoman victory
During the Ottoman expedition to recover the fortress of Azov, the Ottoman fleet under Piyale Kethüda inflicted a heavy defeat on the Cossacks at the Chushka Spit.
Why it is remembered Part of the Ottoman struggle with the Cossacks over Azov in 1638.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: BilinmiyorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War and Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Siege of Fuenterrabía (1638) Landing or siege
Also known as Siege of Hondarribia
June to 7 September 1638 · Hondarribia (Fuenterrabía), Gipuzkoa, Spain
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Juan Alfonso Enríquez de Cabrera, Admiral of Castile (Spain); Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, Henri de Sourdis and the Duke of Épernon (France)
Forces A French army of 18,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry with 20 to 30 warships and 7,000 sailors against a garrison of 1,300 and a Spanish relief army of 15,000 infantry and 500 cavalry
Losses France: 4,000 dead or wounded and 2,000 captured. Spain: unknown; only 300 people survived in the town.
Result Spanish victory
A French army supported by warships besieged Fuenterrabía for two months and fired 16,000 shells into the walled town, which was almost destroyed but did not surrender. On 7 September a Spanish army under the Admiral of Castile relieved the town and defeated the French.
Why it is remembered The raising of the siege is still celebrated every 8 September with the Alarde parade, and the town received the title of very noble, very loyal, very valiant and always faithful.
Sources differ One account gives a French force of 27,000 men; another account gives 18,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 7,000 sailors.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Artiste inconnu, vers 1638., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Getaria Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Getaria; Seegefecht bei Guetaria
22 August 1638 · Getaria, Bay of Biscay, northern Spain
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Henri de Sourdis and Claude de Launay-Razilly (France); Lope de Hoces (Spain)
Forces 27 French warships and 7 fireships with 5,000 men against 12 to 14 Spanish galleons, 2 Dunkirk privateers and 3 to 14 frigates with 4,000 to 7,000 men
Losses France: no ships lost, 40 dead. Spain: all ships destroyed except one; 3,000 to 4,000 dead.
Result French victory
The French fleet was supporting the siege of Fuenterrabía, which was close to starvation. Lope de Hoces was ordered to draw the French ships away to give a relief force time to arrive. A French force under Henri de Sourdis attacked his squadron at Getaria and destroyed almost all of it, but the siege was lifted in September 1638.
Why it is remembered The first significant victory of the newly formed French Navy, which Richelieu saw as vindication of his investment in it. It was painted by Andries van Eertvelt.
Sources differ Spanish strength is given only as ranges: 3 to 14 frigates and 4,000 to 7,000 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Andries van Eertvelt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Ottoman campaign to retake Azov from the Cossacks
Battle of Temryuk Fleet battle
Also known as Temrük Muharebesi
19 August 1638 · Temryuk, present day Russia
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Cossacks
Commanders Piyale Kethüda (Ottoman)
Result Decisive Ottoman victory
During the Ottoman expedition to recover the fortress of Azov, the Ottoman fleet under Piyale Kethüda decisively defeated the Cossacks at Temryuk.
Why it is remembered It followed the Ottoman success at the Chushka Spit three weeks earlier in the same campaign.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: BilinmiyorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War
Battle of Vado Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Vado; Battle of Genoa (1638)
1 September 1638 · Gulf of Vado, off Genoa
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Marquis de Pont-Courlay (France); Rodrigo Gutierez Velasco, killed (Spain)
Forces 15 French galleys against 15 Spanish galleys
Losses Spain: Admiral Velasco killed. Other losses not stated.
Result French victory
A French galley squadron of fifteen vessels under the Marquis de Pont-Courlay defeated a Spanish squadron of about equal strength in the Gulf of Vado, off Genoa. The Spanish admiral was killed in the fighting.
Why it is remembered Described as the last great galley battle in the Mediterranean.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
Image: User Christophe.moustier on fr.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Battle of Valona Raid
Also known as Bataille de Valona
August 1638 · Bay of Valona (Vlorë), Albania
Fought between Republic of Venice against Barbary corsairs of Algiers and Tunis
Commanders Antonio Marino Cappello (Venice); the main account names Ali Bitchin and Raïs Hamidou (Algiers)
Forces 28 Venetian galleys and 2 galleasses against 16 corsair galliots (8 Tunisian and 8 Algerian)
Losses Corsairs: the 16 galliots destroyed. Venice: not stated. Residents of Valona were killed when the town was bombarded.
Result Venetian victory according to one account; another account gives an Algerian victory
After Barbary corsairs raided Calabria and took Venetian merchant ships, Venice sent Antonio Marino Cappello with 28 galleys towards Albania. Eight Tunisian and eight Algerian galliots lay crowded in the port of Valona and were caught by surprise. Cappello attacked and destroyed them, and also bombarded the town, damaging houses and partly destroying a mosque.
Why it is remembered A Venetian strike on a corsair squadron sheltering in an Ottoman port.
Sources differ The French account records an Algerian victory, while its text describes the Venetians destroying the corsair galliots. It also lists Albanian pirates on the Venetian side, which other accounts do not mention.
Sources Wikipédia (FR)
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Action of 18 February 1639 Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Dunkirk (1639); Combat de Dunkerque; Zeeslag bij Duinkerke
18 February 1639 · Off Dunkirk
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Maarten Tromp (Dutch Republic); Miguel de Horna (Spain)
Forces 12 Dutch warships against 12 Spanish galleons, 3 pinnaces and 5 transports
Losses Dutch: no ships lost. Spain: 3 ships lost (2 galleons left behind and 1 run aground); at least 600 killed and wounded.
Result Dutch victory
Miguel de Horna tried to take the Dunkirk squadron out to join Oquendo at A Coruña, escorting transports carrying 2,000 Walloon soldiers, in sight of Tromp's blockading squadron. After a four hour battle Horna was forced back into Dunkirk, leaving two galleons behind while another ran aground. Many of Tromp's ships were badly damaged and he had to lift the blockade, so Horna later completed his mission.
Why it is remembered Tromp stopped the sortie, but the damage to his ships ended the blockade and De Horna later completed his mission. It was painted by the circle of Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten.
Sources differ The main account gives Spanish casualties as at least 600 killed and wounded in one place and 1,600 killed or wounded with 250 captured in another; it also gives an unclear figure of 1,700 for the Dutch.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Circle of Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War
Action of 30 September 1639 Raid
Also known as Azione del 30 settembre 1639
30 September 1639 · Port of Goa, Portuguese India
Fought between Dutch East India Company against Portugal
Commanders Cornelis Simonsz van der Veere (Dutch East India Company); António Teles de Meneses (Portugal), as named for the wider Goa campaign
Forces Dutch ships with 261 guns, 810 sailors and 170 soldiers
Ships Bom Jesus, São Sebastião, São Boaventura
Losses Portugal: the galleons Bom Jesus and São Sebastião captured, the Bom Jesus burned, and the new galleon São Boaventura blown up.
Result Dutch success in this raid
The Dutch admiral Cornelis Simonsz van der Veere raided the port of Goa. The galleons Bom Jesus (74 guns) and São Sebastião (50 guns) were being careened with their guns removed and were taken without a fight. The Bom Jesus was set alight and drifted onto the new galleon São Boaventura, which refused to surrender, caught fire and blew up. Some unarmed Portuguese frigates came up late but were driven off by Dutch boats.
Why it is remembered Part of the Dutch blockade of Goa in 1638 and 1639.
Sources differ The source covers the whole Battle of Goa of 1638 to 1639, recorded as a Portuguese victory; this raid of 1639 itself went in favour of the Dutch.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Johannes Vingboons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War and Thirty Years' War
Battle of the Downs Fleet battle
Also known as Zeeslag bij Duins; Batalla de las Dunas (1639)
21 October 1639 · The Downs, between Dover and Deal, English Channel
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Maarten Tromp, Witte de With, Joost Banckert and Johan Evertsen (Dutch Republic); Antonio de Oquendo, Lope de Hoces, killed, and Miguel de Horna (Spain)
Forces 95 Dutch warships against 29 Spanish galleons, 22 galleys and 13 frigates with 6,500 sailors and 8,000 marines, plus 30 transports carrying 9,000 soldiers
Ships Aemilia, Frederik Hendrik, Vlissingen, 't Wapen van Zeeland, Groot Christoffel, Santiago, Santa Teresa, San Jerónimo, San Juan Bautista, San Carlos, San Agustín, Orfeo, San José
Losses Spain: 35 to 40 ships, 5,000 sailors or marines, and 3,000 soldiers captured or interned in England. Dutch: 100 to 1,000 men and 1 to 10 ships.
Result Dutch victory
Olivares sent Oquendo with a large convoy of troops for Flanders and orders to bring the Dutch to battle. After running fights with Tromp in the Channel in September, Oquendo took refuge in the Downs under English neutrality, while most of his troops were ferried to Dunkirk in small frigates. On 21 October the Dutch attacked with fireships; the Santa Teresa, commanded by Lope de Hoces, was destroyed by a fireship, and the Spanish lost about ten ships captured or destroyed while about twelve more ran themselves ashore. Oquendo escaped in fog with about ten ships, most of them Dunkirkers.
Why it is remembered It ended Spanish attempts to challenge Dutch control of the sea lanes and is said to be the first major action fought in line of battle. It was painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger in 1659.
Sources differ Losses vary widely by source: Spanish ship losses from about 40 (De Boer) to 43 (Quintella), Spanish dead from 5,000 to 7,000, and Dutch losses from one ship and about a hundred dead (Dutch sources) to 10 ships (d'Estrades).
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Fight in the Channel Convoy battle
Also known as Azione del 18 settembre 1639
16 to 17 September 1639 · Off Calais, English Channel
Fought between Dutch Republic against Spain
Commanders Maarten Tromp, with Witte de With and Joost Banckert (Dutch Republic); Antonio de Oquendo (Spain)
Forces 17 Dutch ships with 500 guns on the first day and 29 on the second, against 67 Spanish ships with 2,500 guns (40 to 45 men of war and 40 to 50 transports carrying some 13,000 soldiers)
Losses Dutch: 1 ship exploded. Spain: 1 ship captured and severe damage to the galleons.
Result Inconclusive
Tromp with 12 ships found Oquendo's fleet carrying troops to Dunkirk and waited for De With with five more before attacking. Despite the odds the Dutch gained the upper hand in a running fight that lasted into the night. Banckert arrived with 12 more ships the next day and the fighting went on until the Dutch ran out of gunpowder, when Oquendo retired to the Downs.
Why it is remembered It drove Oquendo into the Downs, where he was decisively defeated a month later.
Sources differ One account dates the fighting to 16 and 17 September 1639; the Italian account title and a period illustration refer to 18 September 1639.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Santoña Bay Landing or siege
Also known as Batalla de la Bahía de Santoña
14 to 27 August 1639 · Santoña Bay and Laredo, Cantabria, northern Spain
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis, Archbishop of Bordeaux (France)
Forces A French fleet of 189 vessels supported by 12,000 men
Ships Nuestra Señora de la Concepción
Losses Spain: a new, fully equipped royal galleon captured and the galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepción destroyed by her own crew; the towns of Santoña and Laredo sacked.
Result French victory
A French fleet under Henri de Sourdis landed on the Cantabrian coast and sacked and laid waste to the fishing towns of Santoña and Laredo. The French captured a new Spanish royal galleon, and the crew of a second, the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, destroyed her to prevent her capture.
Why it is remembered The wreck of the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción still lies where she sank.
Sources Wikipedia (ES)
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War (Dutch invasions of Brazil)
Action of 12 to 17 January 1640 Fleet battle
Also known as Slag bij Pernambuco; Azione del 12-17 gennaio 1640
12 to 17 January 1640 · Off Itamaracá, Pernambuco, Brazil
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company) against Spain and Portugal
Commanders Willem Loos, killed (Dutch West India Company); Fernando de Mascarenhas (Spain and Portugal)
Forces About 40 Dutch ships (the main account gives 30 warships and supply ships, 10 small vessels, 2,800 men) against about 80 Spanish and Portuguese vessels (the main account gives 30 galleons, 34 armed transports and 13 small vessels)
Losses Spain and Portugal: 2 vessels. Dutch: 1 vessel; Willem Loos killed.
Result Dutch victory
A Spanish and Portuguese fleet under Fernando de Mascarenhas tried to land reinforcements to support the Portuguese militia besieging Recife. On 12 January it was intercepted by a Dutch force under Willem Loos. The battle went on, with breaks, until the evening of 17 January, when the Spanish and Portuguese fleet withdrew to the north.
Why it is remembered The main account on the Battle of the Downs counts this repulse, together with the Downs, as the end of Spanish attempts to challenge Dutch supremacy at sea.
Sources differ One account puts the troops carried at about 5,000; another account gives 10,000 to 15,000 men.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Peter Schenk the Elder / After Frans Post, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Cádiz (1640) Convoy battle
Also known as Bataille de Cadix (1640); Batalla de Cádiz (1640)
21 July 1640 · Off Cádiz, south west Spain
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé (France); Jerónimo Gómez de Sandoval (Spain)
Forces 24 French galleons and 12 fireships against 10 Spanish galleons and 1 patache
Losses Spain: 1 galleon burned and 1 patache sunk. France: unknown.
Result French victory
A French squadron under Maillé-Brézé attacked a Spanish convoy arriving from the Americas just off Cádiz, attacking it from both sides. The Spanish lost a galleon and a small vessel, but the convoy completed its voyage and delivered most of its cargo, including its silver.
Why it is remembered Noted for Maillé-Brézé's tactic of attacking the convoy from both sides at once.
Sources differ The main account marks the date as Julian calendar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Anonyme, école française du XVIIIème siècle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650
Christianshavn Incident Single-ship action
Also known as Skirmish at Santa Cruz; Christianshavnhændelsen; Træfningen ved Santa Cruz
5 March 1640 · Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands
Fought between Spain against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Spanish captain and commander unknown; Willem Leyel, surrendered, and Carsten Ludvigsen (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 1 Spanish ship and the guns of the San Cristóbal garrison against 1 Danish ship with 22 men
Ships Christianshavn
Losses Spain: none. Denmark-Norway: the Christianshavn damaged and confiscated.
Result Spanish victory
In a minor skirmish near Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Danish ship Christianshavn was badly damaged by Spanish forces. The Danes had to retreat into the harbour, where they were detained and the ship confiscated.
Why it is remembered A minor incident between Denmark and Spain involving Willem Leyel, later governor of Tranquebar.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Cape St Vincent (1641) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille du cap Saint-Vincent (1641); Batalla del Cabo de San Vicente (1641)
4 November 1641 · Near Cape St Vincent, Portugal
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Juan Alonso de Idiáquez y Robles (Spain); Artus Gijsels (Dutch Republic)
Forces 24 Spanish warships (9 galleons, 10 Dunkirk men of war, 4 frigates, 1 caravel) against 20 Dutch warships
Losses Dutch: 2 ships sunk, 100 to 200 killed or wounded. Spain: 2 ships sunk, about 1,100 killed or wounded.
Result Inconclusive
A Spanish fleet under Juan Alonso de Idiáquez intercepted a Dutch fleet under Artus Gijsels near Cape St Vincent. After a hard fight each side had lost two ships. The damaged Dutch fleet had to give up its planned attack on the Spanish treasure fleet.
Why it is remembered It stopped a Dutch attempt on the Spanish treasure fleet. It was painted by Carel Christiaan Antony Last.
Sources differ One account says the Dutch claimed only about a hundred killed and that the Spanish had over a thousand dead; another account gives 100 to 200 Dutch and 1,100 Spanish killed or wounded.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Carel Christiaan Anthony Last, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Bandeirante raids on the Jesuit missions
Battle of Mbororé Fleet battle
Also known as Batalla de Mbororé
11 to 16 March 1641 · Mouth of the Mbororé stream on the Uruguay River, near Panambí, Misiones, Argentina
Fought between Guaraní of the Jesuit missions against bandeirantes from São Paulo with Tupí auxiliaries
Commanders Nicolás Ñeenguirú, with captains Ignacio Abiarú, Francisco Mbayroba and Arazay, and Father Romero (Guaraní); Manuel Pires and Jerónimo Pedroso de Barros (bandeirantes)
Forces About 4,000 to 4,200 Guaraní with about 300 firearms, a cannon, armed canoes and rafts; 450 bandeirantes and 2,700 native auxiliaries in about 300 to 700 canoes and rafts
Losses Guaraní: unknown. Bandeirantes: heavy; only a few of the expedition are said to have returned to São Paulo.
Result Decisive Guaraní victory
The bandeira came down the Uruguay River in canoes and rafts and on 11 March 1641 met the Guaraní canoes and their cannon at the mouth of the Mbororé. The Guaraní quickly gained the upper hand, and the raiders who got ashore fortified themselves at Acaraguá. For several days the Guaraní bombarded the stockade from land and river; when the bandeirantes tried to escape upriver on 16 March they were cut off and pursued with heavy losses.
Why it is remembered It stopped the slave raids of the bandeirantes on the Jesuit missions between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers and led the Viceroy of Peru to allow the Jesuits to raise their own militias in 1649.
Sources differ Guaraní strength 4,000 or 4,200. Bandeirante canoes 300, 700 or up to 900; Tupí auxiliaries 2,700 in one account but 600 to 6,000 elsewhere. The English account does not describe the river fighting; the Spanish account does.
Sources Wikipedia (ES) · Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659) and Catalan Revolt
Battle of Tarragona (August 1641) Fleet battle
Also known as Second Battle of Tarragona; Segunda batalla de Tarragona
20 to 25 August 1641 · Off Tarragona, Catalonia
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders The Duke of Fernandina and the Duke of Maqueda (Spain); Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis (France)
Forces 30 to 35 Spanish galleons and frigates, 29 galleys and 65 transports against 26 French galleons, 19 galleys, 8 brigantines and 4 fireships
Losses France: severe losses of men and damage to ships; 1 fireship captured. Spain: minor.
Result Spanish victory
Tarragona was besieged by land by a Franco-Catalan army and blockaded from the sea by Sourdis. A Spanish fleet under the Dukes of Fernandina and Maqueda broke the blockade and forced the French fleet to retire. With a relief force arriving by land, the Franco-Catalan army raised the siege and fell back to Valls.
Why it is remembered It saved Tarragona for Spain. Richelieu dismissed Sourdis, and Olivares also dismissed and imprisoned the victor, Fernandina, for failing to destroy the French fleet; Fernandina was restored after Olivares fell in 1643.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Barcelona (1642) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Barcelone; Seegefecht bei Barcelona (1642)
29 June to 3 July 1642 · Off Barcelona, Catalonia
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé (France); Juan Alonso Idiáquez, Duke of Ciudad Real (Spain)
Forces 44 French sailing vessels, 17 galleys and 14 fireships against 36 Spanish sailing vessels, 10 galleys, 6 fireships and 35 barcos longos
Ships Galion de Guise
Losses France: 800 killed and wounded; the Galion de Guise destroyed. Spain: 1,600 killed, wounded and captured; 2 galleons destroyed and 1 captured.
Result French victory
A Spanish fleet trying to relieve isolated Spanish garrisons on the Catalan coast was met by Maillé-Brézé's French fleet off Barcelona. In a three day battle the French, using many fireships, forced the Spanish to retreat to Majorca for repairs. The large French vice flagship Galion de Guise was caught by one of her own side's fireships and went down in flames.
Why it is remembered Its main effect was the fall of Perpignan to the Franco-Catalan army. Probable remains of a French ship from the battle were found near Sitges in 2015.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Capture of Den Bengalske Prise Blockade and raiding
Also known as Capture of the Bengali Prize
Late 1642 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between Danish India against the Mughal Empire (Bengal Subah)
Commanders Bernt Pessart (Danish India)
Forces 2 Danish yachts against 1 Bengali ship
Ships Fortuna, Valby, Den Bengalske Prise
Losses Bengal: 1 ship captured. Denmark: unknown.
Result Danish victory
After Bernt Pessart, governor of Tranquebar, declared war on the Mughal Empire, two Danish yachts, the Fortuna and the Valby, were sent to Bengal to take prizes. They captured a large and valuable sampan, which was renamed Den Bengalske Prise and taken into the Danish fleet in India.
Why it is remembered Taken soon after Bernt Pessart declared war on the Mughal Empire; the prize joined the Danish fleet in India.
Sources differ The Danish historian Kay Larsen noted that the capture may have taken place in early 1643.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francois Balthasar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First English Civil War
Siege of Portsmouth Landing or siege
10 August to 7 September 1642 · Portsmouth, Hampshire
Fought between Parliamentarians against Royalists
Commanders Sir William Waller and John Urry (Parliament); Lord Goring (Royalists)
Forces 400 to 800 Parliamentarians with at least 2 guns and 7 ships against 500 Royalists and 1 ship
Losses Royalists: unknown; 1 ship captured. Parliamentarians: unknown.
Result Parliamentarian victory
A Parliamentarian force, supported by seven ships, besieged the Royalist garrison of Portsmouth early in the First English Civil War. The town fell to Parliament after a little under a month.
Why it is remembered Portsmouth passed to Parliament in the opening weeks of the First English Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francis Grose (b. before 11 June 1731, 12 June 1791), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War (Franco-Spanish War)
Battle of Cartagena (1643) Fleet battle
Also known as Bataille de Carthagène (1643); Batalla de Cartagena (1643)
3 September 1643 · Off Cabo de Gata, near Cartagena, Spain
Fought between France against Spain
Commanders Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé (France); Martín Carlos de Mencos and Joos Petersen (Spain)
Forces 20 French galleons, 2 frigates and 12 fireships against 29 Spanish galleons and 14 galleys
Losses France: low. Spain: 2 galleons sunk and 2 captured, and 8 more ships later sank in Cartagena beyond repair (the main account gives 3 ships).
Result French victory
Maillé-Brézé sailed south to seek out the Spanish fleet, made up of Dunkirkers under Joos Petersen, ships from Naples and a squadron under Martín Carlos de Mencos. At 7 in the morning on 3 September he attacked with a favourable wind and scattered them, sinking two galleons and taking two more. The rest retreated into Cartagena, where eight more ships were beyond repair and sank.
Why it is remembered No Spanish ship left Cartagena for more than a year, cutting trade between Spain and Italy. It was painted by Théodore Gudin in 1844.
Sources differ One account gives 2 galleons sunk, 2 captured and 8 more sunk in port; another account gives Spanish losses as 3 ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Trịnh-Nguyễn War
Battle of the Gianh River (1643) Fleet battle
7 July 1643 · Mouth of the Gianh River, Ba Đồn, Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam
Fought between Nguyễn lords of Đàng Trong against the Dutch East India Company
Commanders Nguyễn Phúc Tần (Nguyễn); Pieter Baeck, killed, and Jan Erntsen, killed (Dutch East India Company)
Forces 50 to 60 Nguyễn junks against 3 Dutch ships
Losses Dutch: 100 dead, 7 captured, 2 ships sunk. Nguyễn: 7 junks sunk or damaged, 800 dead.
Result Nguyễn victory
The Dutch fleet was working with the northern lord Trịnh Tráng to attack the Nguyễn in the south. A Nguyễn fleet under prince Nguyễn Phúc Tần pursued the three Dutch ships and engaged them at the mouth of the Gianh River. Two Dutch ships were sunk and both Dutch commanders were killed.
Why it is remembered A defeat of a European squadron by a Vietnamese fleet of junks.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Skirmish off Narsapur Blockade and raiding
Also known as Skirmish of Narsapur Road
14 December 1643 · Narsapur Road, Golconda (present day Narasapuram, India)
Fought between Danish India against the Mughal Empire (Bengal Subah)
Commanders Willem Leyel (Danish India); Jadche Jadgar, surrendered (Bengal)
Forces 2 Danish ships with some guns and 140 men against 1 Bengali ship with 9 guns
Ships Valby, Christianshavn
Losses Bengal: 1 ship and its 9 guns taken. Denmark: unknown.
Result Danish victory
When Willem Leyel, governor of Tranquebar, resumed the Dano-Mughal War, two Danish ships were sent to Bengal to take prizes. After a short skirmish at Narsapur Road they captured a large skude, a single decked vessel, which they took to Emeldy in Golconda and sold.
Why it is remembered It marked the renewal of the Dano-Mughal War under Willem Leyel.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francois Balthasar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Torstenson War
Action of 12 June 1644 Single-ship action
12 June 1644 · Off Møn, Denmark
Fought between Sweden against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Rolof Johansson and Cornelius Lucifer (Sweden); Claus Kaas and Lucas Hendriksen (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 2 Swedish ships with 72 guns against 3 Danish warships
Ships Smålands Lejon, Draken, 2 Løver, Svanen
Losses Sweden: 2 killed, 8 wounded, 2 ships damaged. Denmark-Norway: 1 ship damaged.
Result Swedish victory
Clas Fleming sent the Smålands Lejon and the Draken ahead of the Swedish fleet to look for the Danish fleet between Møn and Falsterbo. On the morning of 12 June they met three Danish warships off Møn. After a short bombardment by the Smålands Lejon the smallest Danish ship withdrew, and after eight more hours of fighting the other two withdrew as well; the damaged Swedish ships could not pursue.
Why it is remembered A reconnaissance fight that preceded the Battle of Colberger Heide in the Torstenson War.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Maltese corso
Action of 28 September 1644 Convoy battle
Also known as Azione del 28 settembre 1644
28 September 1644 · Eastern Mediterranean, off Rhodes
Fought between Knights Hospitaller of Malta against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Gabriel de Chambres Boisbaudran, killed, and Nicolás Cotoner (Hospitallers); Ibrahim Çelebi, killed (Ottoman)
Forces 6 Hospitaller galleys with more than 400 men against an Ottoman convoy of 1 galleon and 9 pinks and saiques, with more than 600 people aboard the galleon
Losses Hospitallers: 125 killed and more than 262 wounded. Ottoman: the galleon and 1 saique captured, 1 pink sunk, about 220 killed and 380 people captured.
Result Hospitaller victory
Six Hospitaller galleys under Gabriel de Chambres Boisbaudran attacked an Ottoman convoy of ten sailing ships, including a richly laden galleon under Ibrahim Çelebi. Both commanders were killed. After hours of fighting the Hospitallers took the galleon and 380 people aboard her, among them a woman of the imperial harem and a young boy said to be the favourite and the first born son of Sultan Ibrahim.
Why it is remembered On the way to Malta the Hospitallers called at Venetian Crete, and this was used as a pretext for the long Cretan War between the Ottomans and Venice that began in 1645. It is shown in a 1707 engraving in the Theatrum Europaeum.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Torstenson War
Battle of Colberger Heide Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Kolberger Heide; Battle of Colberg Heath; Seeschlacht auf der Kolberger Heide
1 July 1644 · Off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, near Fehmarn, Baltic Sea
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden
Commanders Christian IV, wounded, Jørgen Vind, died of wounds, and Grabow (Denmark-Norway); Klas Fleming, Ulfsparre and Klas Bjelkenstjerna (Sweden)
Forces 40 Dano-Norwegian ships with about 927 guns against 34 Swedish ships with 1,018 guns and 7 fireships
Ships Patientia, Trefoldighed, St Sophia, Scepter, Krona, Göta Ark
Losses Denmark-Norway: 37 killed and 170 wounded. Sweden: 32 killed and 69 wounded. No ships lost on either side.
Result Indecisive; a minor Dano-Norwegian success
A Dano-Norwegian fleet under Jørgen Vind, with King Christian IV aboard, fought a Swedish fleet under Klas Fleming off the Holstein coast. Neither side lost a ship. Christian IV was wounded and lost an eye, and Vind died of his wounds soon after. Afterwards the Danish fleet kept the Swedish fleet shut in Kiel Bay for a time.
Why it is remembered Seen as the last Dano-Norwegian victory over Sweden in the struggle for the Baltic. The king's conduct is shown in a well known painting by Vilhelm Marstrand and recalled in the opening lines of the Danish royal anthem; a medal of 1715 commemorates it.
Sources differ Historians differ: some call it a Dano-Norwegian victory, others inconclusive, and both sides claimed victory.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Vilhelm Nikolai Marstrand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Capture of Den Lille Elefant Blockade and raiding
Also known as Capture of The Little Elephant
February 1644 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between Danish India against the Mughal Empire (Bengal Subah)
Commanders Willem Leyel and Hans Knudsen (Danish India)
Forces 1 Danish frigate against 1 large Bengali ship
Ships Christianshavn, Den Lille Elefant
Losses Bengal: 1 ship captured.
Result Danish victory
After the capture off Narsapur, another Danish expedition was sent to Bengal. The Danish frigate Christianshavn captured a large Bengali ship, which was taken to Corengy and taken into the Danish fleet in India as Den Lille Elefant.
Why it is remembered One of the Bengali vessels taken into Danish service during the Dano-Mughal War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francois Balthasar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Torstenson War
Battle of Fehmarn (1644) Fleet battle
Also known as Sjöslaget vid Femern 1644; Seeschlacht bei Fehmarn (1644)
13 October 1644 · North west of the island of Fehmarn, Baltic Sea
Fought between Sweden, with hired Dutch ships, against Denmark-Norway
Commanders Carl Gustaf Wrangel and Mårten Anckarhielm (Sweden); Pros Mund, killed, Corfits Ulfeldt, Benjamin Grabov and von Jasmund, captured (Denmark-Norway)
Forces 16 Swedish ships with 392 guns and 21 hired Dutch ships with 483 guns against 17 Danish ships with 448 guns
Ships Patentia, Tre Løver, Oldenborg, Lindormen, Delmenhorst, Højenhald, Pelikanen, Lammet, Smålands Lejon, Regina, Göteborg, Meerman, Swarte Arent
Losses Denmark-Norway: 10 ships captured and 2 wrecked, about 100 dead and 1,000 captured. Sweden: 59 dead, 2 fireships expended and 1 hired Dutch ship sunk.
Result Swedish victory
The fleets engaged around ten in the morning. The Danish flagship Patentia was boarded by the Swedish Regina and Göteborg and taken, and Admiral Pros Mund was killed. Smaller Danish ships fled and were chased by the Dutch, while others were captured, run aground or destroyed by fireships; only the Pelikanen and Lammet reached Copenhagen. The Swedish flagship Smålands Lejon was badly damaged and withdrew early.
Why it is remembered Called one of the greatest victories of the Swedish navy. The naval dominance it gave Sweden helped bring about the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645.
Sources differ The main account is inconsistent on the fate of some ships: the Delmenhorst is described as exploding in the battle account but as captured in the ship list, and the loss of the Swarte Arent is told in two different ways.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Willem van de Velde the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Torstenson War
Battle of Listerdyb Fleet battle
Also known as Action of 16 May 1644; Seeschlacht im Lister Tief; Sjöslaget vid Lister Dyb
16 May 1644 · List Deep, between Sylt and Rømø, off Jutland, North Sea
Fought between Denmark-Norway against Sweden (with hired Dutch ships)
Commanders Christian IV (Denmark-Norway); Maerten Thijssen and Hendrik Gerritsen (Dutch ships for Sweden)
Forces 9 Danish warships against 26 smaller Dutch ships leased to Sweden
Result Dano-Norwegian victory
Nine Danish ships under King Christian IV forced 26 smaller Dutch ships hired by Sweden, in two groups of 13 under Maerten Thijssen and Hendrik Gerritsen, to retreat back into the List Deep. Four more Dutch ships appeared during the battle but took no part.
Why it is remembered A Danish success with King Christian IV in personal command, against a much larger number of hired Dutch ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · First English Civil War
Siege of Lyme Regis Landing or siege
20 April to 16 June 1644 · Lyme Regis, Dorset
Fought between Royalists against Parliamentarians
Commanders Prince Maurice (Royalists); Thomas Ceeley and Robert Blake (Parliamentarians)
Forces Royalists: 2,500 to 6,000 troops. Parliamentarians: 500 to 1,000 troops, 240 reinforcements, about 900 seamen and civilians
Losses Royalists: over 2,000. Parliamentarians: about 120
Result Parliamentarian victory
Lyme Regis lay on the shipping route between Bristol and the Channel and was held for Parliament, its land side protected by earthworks and four forts built under Robert Blake. Prince Maurice laid siege on 20 April, bombarded the town and tried three times to storm it. The town was regularly supplied and reinforced by sea, and on 14 June Maurice withdrew as a relieving army under the Earl of Essex approached.
Why it is remembered Regular supply and reinforcement by sea weakened the siege, and the Parliamentarian port held.
Sources differ Royalist strength is given as 2,500 to 6,000 in one account; another account says Maurice brought around 4,000 troops.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Action off Pipli River Blockade and raiding
21 January 1644 · Mouth of the Pipli River (present day Subarnarekha), Bengal
Fought between Danish India against the Mughal Empire (Bengal Subah)
Commanders Willem Leyel (Danish India); Abdul Gany, captured (Bengal)
Forces 1 Danish yacht against 1 Bengali ship
Ships Valby
Losses Bengal: 1 ship captured, with 19 enslaved people aboard taken.
Result Danish victory
After the capture off Narsapur, another Danish expedition went to Bengal. At the mouth of the Pipli River the Danish yacht Valby captured a small ship, which was taken to Emeldy in Golconda and sold.
Why it is remembered One of the Danish prize captures of the Dano-Mughal War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Francois Balthasar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Attack on Saint Martin Landing or siege
Also known as Ataque a San Martín
20 March to 17 April 1644 · Fort Amsterdam, Sint Maarten, Caribbean
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Commanders Governor Diego Guajardo Fajardo (Spain); Peter Stuyvesant, wounded (Dutch Republic)
Forces 8 Dutch ships with 400 to 600 men against 120 Spanish defenders
Losses Dutch: hundreds of men; Stuyvesant's leg shattered by a cannonball and amputated.
Result Spanish victory
The Dutch tried to retake Saint Martin, a former base of the Dutch West India Company that Spain had seized in 1633. Peter Stuyvesant besieged Fort Amsterdam without success and had to withdraw with the loss of hundreds of men. A Spanish cannonball shattered his leg, which had to be amputated.
Why it is remembered Stuyvesant, later governor of New Amsterdam, lost his leg here. The Spanish left the island in 1648 when the Eighty Years' War ended.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Conflict between Willem Leyel and Bernt Pessart
Skirmish at the Strait of Malacca Single-ship action
Also known as Træfningen ved Malakkastrædet
1644 · Strait of Malacca
Fought between Dutch Malacca against Danish India (Bernt Pessart)
Commanders Unnamed Dutch mate, wounded (Dutch Malacca); Bernt Pessart, captured, Michel Evertsen and Peter Sivart, killed (Danish)
Forces 1 Dutch boat against 1 Danish ship
Ships Dend gode Haab
Losses Danish: 36 imprisoned; the ship confiscated. Dutch: unknown.
Result Dutch victory
Bernt Pessart, who claimed to be governor of Tranquebar, clashed with the authorities of Dutch Malacca. All of his crew were imprisoned or killed and his ship, Dend gode Haab, was confiscated. Pessart and his men were later released and worked with the Dutch to spy on the Spanish in Manila.
Why it is remembered An episode in the dispute over the governorship of Danish Tranquebar.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Schouten, Wouter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Capture of the St. Michael Blockade and raiding
Also known as Seizure of St. Michael; Kapre af St. Michael
29 September 1644 · Bay of Bengal
Fought between Danish India against the Bengal Subah
Commanders Willem Leyel (Danish India); an unnamed nakoda (Bengal)
Forces 1 Danish ship against 1 Bengali ship and 1 boat
Ships Fortuna, St. Michael
Losses Bengal: 1 ship captured.
Result Danish victory
The Danish ship Fortuna seized a Bengali ship in the Bay of Bengal. The prize was taken into the Danish navy and named St. Michael.
Why it is remembered One of several Bengali vessels taken into Danish service during the Dano-Mughal War.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dutch-Portuguese War (Insurrection of Pernambuco)
Action at Tamanana Fleet battle
Also known as Action at Tamandaré; Porta Tamandere
9 September 1645 · Bay of Tamandaré, Pernambuco, Brazil
Fought between Dutch Republic (Dutch West India Company) against Portugal
Forces 8 Dutch ships, according to a 1671 print, against the Portuguese fleet at anchor
Ships Utrecht, Eenhoorn, Ree (Gouden Ree), Overijssel, Zeelandia, Ter Veere, Leyden, Zoutelandia
Result Dutch victory
A Portuguese fleet trying to enter the bay of Tamandaré, or lying at anchor there, was attacked by a Dutch fleet and badly beaten. A print of 1671 names the eight Dutch ships, with the Utrecht as flagship. Some Portuguese who escaped left an account of the battle.
Why it is remembered A Dutch naval success in the first months of the Pernambuco insurrection, recorded in a 1671 engraving now at Royal Museums Greenwich.
Sources differ The only account found, in the history of the Insurrection of Pernambuco, mentions the action in one sentence. Commanders and losses could not be confirmed.
Sources Wikipedia · Royal Museums Greenwich
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Action of 26 May 1646 Fleet battle
Also known as Bozcaada Deniz Muharebesi (1646)
26 May 1646 · Mouth of the Dardanelles
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Tommaso Morosini (Venice); Kapudan Pasha Kara Musa Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 7 of Morosini's 28 Venetian sailing ships against 75 Ottoman galleys and 5 galleasses
Losses Ottoman: several ships damaged, none lost, although some accounts say ships that reached Chios had to be abandoned. Venice: not stated.
Result Venetian success; the Ottoman fleet withdrew
The Venetians were blockading the Dardanelles to stop supplies reaching Crete and Constantinople. The Ottoman fleet came out to break the blockade while much of the Venetian fleet was dispersed at Imbros. After seven hours of fighting the Ottomans withdrew into the strait, apart from a few galleys that got through to Chios. On 4 June, in a calm, sixty Ottoman galleys broke out towing four galleasses and went on to carry 20,000 troops to Crete.
Why it is remembered A Venetian success that did not stop the Ottomans from breaking out and reinforcing Crete days later; Morosini had asked Venice for galleys and received none.
Sources differ Most accounts say no Ottoman ships were lost; some suggest the galleys that reached Chios were abandoned because of their damage.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of Chania (1646) Raid
14 August 1646 · Port of Chania, Crete
Fought between Republic of Venice and allies against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Giovanni Cappello (Venice)
Result Venetian attack failed
The fleet of Venice and her allies under Giovanni Cappello tried to destroy the Ottoman ships at anchor in the port of Chania. The attack failed because the Venetians could not get through the harbour defences.
Why it is remembered A failed attempt to destroy the Ottoman fleet supporting the invasion of Crete.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Thirty Years' War and Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Battle of Orbetello Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Isola del Giglio; Bataille d'Orbetello
14 to 16 June 1646 · Off Orbetello, Tuscany
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Miguel de Noronha, Count of Linhares (Spain); Armand de Maillé, Marquis of Brézé, killed (France)
Forces 22 Spanish sailing ships, 30 galleys and 5 fireships against 24 French sailing ships, 20 galleys, 8 fireships and 4 fluyts
Losses France: 1 fireship exploded; Admiral Brézé killed. Spain: 1 frigate scuttled.
Result Spanish victory according to one account; another account calls the fight inconclusive
A Spanish fleet under the Count of Linhares came to break the French blockade of Orbetello, besieged by a French army since 12 May. In a light breeze the sailing ships were towed into action by galleys. After a hard but inconclusive fight in which Brézé was killed, the French fleet withdrew to Toulon. The Spanish did not follow up, and the siege was raised on 24 July by a Spanish army from Naples.
Why it is remembered Tactically unusual, as sailing ships were towed into battle by galleys. It cost France the admiral Maillé-Brézé.
Sources differ One account gives a Spanish victory; another account describes the fight as inconclusive.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Matthäus Merian (1593 to 1650), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Dano-Mughal War
Battle of Balasore Fleet battle
Also known as Slaget ved Balasore
26 December 1647 · Balasore, Bengal (present day Odisha, India)
Fought between Danish India against the Bengal Subah and the English East India Company, with Dutch involvement
Commanders Willem Leyel and Christen Clausen (Danish India); Malik Beg and the local nawab (Bengal); Richard Hudson (English East India Company)
Forces 5 Danish ships against several Bengali ships with 16 guns and 1,000 men, more than 13 English ships, and 2 Dutch ships with 60 men
Ships Christianshavn, The Bengali Prize
Losses Danish: none. Bengal: 1 ship and 8 elephants. English: 9 to 12 ships, as the main account states.
Result Unclear; the main account refers to the aftermath
Bengali and English ships confronted Danish ships at Balasore. When the English failed to persuade the Danes, the Bengalis began attacking the English vessel, and the English were rescued by the Dutch.
Why it is remembered A confused clash in the Dano-Mughal War involving Danish, Bengali, English and Dutch ships.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of Makronisos Fleet battle
Also known as Bibercik Deniz Muharebesi
27 January 1647 · Off the island of Makronisos (Bibercik), south of Euboea, Aegean Sea
Fought between Ottoman Empire against the Republic of Venice
Commanders Koca Musa Pasha, killed (Ottoman); Tommaso Morosini, killed (Venice)
Losses Both commanders killed.
The Ottoman fleet under Koca Musa Pasha and the Venetian fleet under Tommaso Morosini fought off the island of Bibercik, south of Euboea. Both commanders were killed in the battle.
Why it is remembered Remembered for the deaths of both fleet commanders.
Sources Wikipedia (TR)
Image: Konrad Grünenberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Eighty Years' War
Battle of Puerto de Cavite Raid
Also known as La Batalla del Puerto de Cavite; Labanan sa Puerto ng Cavite
10 June 1647 · Puerto de Cavite, Manila Bay, Philippines
Fought between Spain against the Dutch Republic
Forces 12 Dutch ships against several local ships and the shore defences
Losses Dutch: 2 ships, including the flagship. Spain: unknown; the stone fort of Porta Vaga destroyed.
Result Spanish victory
Twelve Dutch ships attacked Cavite, home port of the Manila galleons. Spanish and Filipino defenders sank the Dutch flagship with artillery fire and the Dutch withdrew.
Why it is remembered It kept the Manila galleon port in Spanish hands; the Dutch went on harassing Manila Bay until the war ended in 1648.
Sources Wikipedia
No free image of this battle has been found yet.
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · English Civil War
Skirmish at the Isle of Wight Single-ship action
Also known as Skärmytsling vid Isle of Wight
1 May 1647 · Off the Isle of Wight
Fought between Sweden against England
Commanders Mårten Anckarhielm (Sweden); Richard Owen (England)
Forces 5 Swedish warships and 10 merchant ships against 2 English warships and 2 merchant ships
Losses England: 8 killed, 1 warship damaged. Sweden: unknown; one warship later taken.
Result Swedish ships escaped; one was later seized by the English
Swedish and English warships fought a brief skirmish off the Isle of Wight. The Swedes outran their English pursuers, but one Swedish warship was later found at anchor at Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken by the English into the Downs on 3 May.
Why it is remembered A minor clash between Swedish and English warships in the Channel during the English Civil War.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Thomas Rowlandson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Cretan War (1645 to 1669)
Battle of Focchies Fleet battle
Also known as Battle of Foça; Battaglia di Focea; Foça Deniz Muharebesi
12 May 1649 · Harbour of Focchies (Foça), near Smyrna, Aegean Sea
Fought between Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders Giacomo da Riva (Venice); Mehmed Pasha (Ottoman)
Forces 19 Venetian warships, including hired English and Dutch armed merchantmen, against 11 Ottoman warships, 10 galleasses and 72 galleys
Losses Venice: 105 killed and wounded, 1 warship destroyed. Ottoman: 9 warships, 3 galleasses and 2 galleys destroyed; 1 warship, 1 galleass and 1 galley captured; casualties unknown.
Result Venetian victory
Giacomo da Riva, reinforced with hired English and Dutch armed merchantmen, sailed against the Ottoman fleet in the harbour of Focchies to stop it reaching Crete. The Ottomans placed ten galleasses across the harbour entrance, but the Venetians broke through and fought for four hours, overwhelming the Ottoman ships with superior firepower.
Why it is remembered A crushing Venetian victory, though not a complete one: Ottoman ships still reached Crete, which fell two decades later. It was painted by Abraham Beerstraaten in 1656.
Sources Wikipedia
Image: Abraham Beerstraaten, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Franco-Spanish War (1635 to 1659)
Action of 23 November 1650 Single-ship action
Also known as Combat de Tortosa; Batalla de Cambrils (1650)
23 November 1650 · Off Cambrils, Catalonia
Fought between Spain against France
Commanders Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, Duke of Alburquerque (Spain); Baron de Ligny, captured (France)
Forces 6 Spanish galleys with 30 guns in all against 4 French galleons with 86 guns and 500 extra musketeers
Losses France: all 4 galleons and their crews captured, 500 soldiers taken prisoner, 4 guns taken. Spain: minimal.
Result Spanish victory
A small Spanish squadron of six galleys under the Duke of Alburquerque attacked a French squadron of four galleons under the Baron de Ligny near Cambrils and captured all of them.
Why it is remembered Described as almost unique in naval history: six galleys with 30 guns defeated four galleons with 86 guns.
Sources Wikipedia
Galleys and Galleons, 1492 to 1650 · Third English Civil War
Battle of Cartagena (1650) Raid
Also known as Batalla de Cartagena (1650); destruction of Prince Rupert's ships at Cartagena
14 to 16 November 1650 · Port of Cartagena and the nearby bay of Portmán, south east Spain
Fought between Commonwealth of England against the English Royalists
Commanders Admiral Robert Blake (Commonwealth); the Royalist ships belonged to Prince Rupert's squadron
Forces Four Royalist warships, towing two captured and badly damaged merchantmen, plus a fifth ship, the Black Prince; against Blake's Parliamentary squadron, of unknown strength
Ships Black Prince (El Príncipe Negro)
Losses Royalists: all their ships in the port were lost, and the Black Prince was set on fire in a first encounter and beached at Portmán, her crew escaping ashore. Casualties are not recorded in the Cartagena council minutes.
Result Parliamentary victory; the Royalist ships were destroyed in a neutral Spanish port
On the night of 14 November 1650 the castle of La Concepción gave the alarm as four unknown warships entered Cartagena and anchored: they were Royalist ships coming from Lisbon and pursued by a Parliamentary squadron, two of whose ships soon appeared at the harbour mouth. The city council declared the Royalists under the King of Spain's protection and sent to Madrid for orders, while Blake wrote demanding that they be expelled or that he be allowed in to attack, and gave his word as a gentleman not to attack them by surprise. On 16 November the Parliamentary ships nevertheless destroyed the Royalist ships inside the harbour, and the council sent home the militia companies coming from Murcia because the ships had 'dado al través'.
Why it is remembered Shortly afterwards Philip IV ordered that Rupert's ships be refused entry to all Spanish ports, after an earlier Royalist attack on Parliamentary ships under the Spanish guns at Vélez-Málaga. Powder salvaged from the wrecks was used for Cartagena's gun salutes until 1652.
Sources differ The council minutes later refer to the ships 'lost in this port last year of 1651', a year the author of the study regards as an error. He also notes that Cesáreo Fernández Duro gave a different and much shorter version of events.
Sources Wikidata · archivo.cartagena.es
Image: Follower of William Dobson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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