Everything about Battle Of Gibraltar totally explained
The naval
Battle of Gibraltar took place on
25 April 1607 during the
Eighty Years' War when a
Dutch fleet surprised and engaged a
Spanish fleet anchored at the
Bay of Gibraltar. During the four hours of action, the entire Spanish fleet was destroyed. 2007 was the 400th anniversary of the Dutch victory over Spain.
Forces
The Dutch fleet of 26 smaller warships and four cargo ships was led by
Jacob van Heemskerk.
The Dutch flagship was
Æolus. Other Dutch ships were
De Tijger (Tiger),
De Zeehond (Seal),
De Griffioen (Griffon),
De Roode Leeuw (Red Lion),
De Gouden Leeuw (Gold Lion),
De Zwarte Beer (Black Bear),
De Witte Beer (White Bear) and
De Ochtendster (Morningstar).
The Spanish fleet of 21 ships, including 10
galleons of the largest size, was led by Don Juan Álvarez de Ávila.
The Spanish flagship
San Augustin (St Augustine) was commanded by Don Juan's son. Other ships were
Nuestra Señora de la Vega (Our Lady of Vega) and
Madre de Dios (Mother of God).
The battle
Van Heemskerk left some of his ships at the bay entrance to prevent the escape of any Spanish ship. The attacking ships were ordered to focus on the Spanish
flagship and the Dutch fleet stood into the bay.
Van Heemskerk was killed during the first approach on the Spanish flagship as a
cannon ball severed his leg. The Dutch effectively then doubled up the galleons (in a move that almost two centuries later was copied by Admiral
Nelson during the
Battle of the Nile of
1798) and a few of the galleons caught fire. One Spanish ship exploded due to a shot into the powder magazine. The Dutch captured the Spanish flagship, but let it go adrift.
Following the destruction of the Spanish ships, the Dutch deployed boats and killed hundreds of swimming Spanish sailors.
The Dutch lost 100 men including admiral Van Heemskerk. 60 Dutch were wounded. The Spanish lost their entire fleet, meaning 21 ships and 4,000 men, including Álvarez.
Further Information
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