Battle of Gibraltar (1607)

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, most of the Spanish ships were destroyed.

Battle of Gibraltar
Part of the Eighty Years' War
Battle of Gibraltar by Cornelis van Wieringen
Date 25 April 1607 (1607-04-25) Location Bay of Gibraltar Result Dutch victory
Belligerents
Dutch Republic	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Jacob van Heemskerk †	Juan Álvarez de Ávila †
Strength
26 warships	10 galleons ± 12 smaller vessels
Casualties and losses
100 killed 60 wounded	350–4,000 killed 5–10 galleons 9–12 smaller vessels

Forces

A Dutch fleet of 26 warships was led by Jacob van Heemskerk. The Dutch flagship was Æolus. Other Dutch ships were De Tijger, De Zeehond, De Griffioen, De Roode Leeuw, De Gouden Leeuw, De Zwarte Beer, De Witte Beer, and De Ochtendster.

A Spanish fleet of 21 ships, including 10 galleons, was led by Don Juan Álvarez de Ávila. The Spanish flagship San Augustin was commanded by Don Juan's son. Other ships were Nuestra Señora de la Vega and Madre de Dios. The Spanish fleet was covered by a fortress, although the Dutch fleet was out of range of its guns at all times and they could not intervene in the battle.[1]

Battle

Van Heemskerk left some of his ships at the bay entrance to prevent the escape of any Spanish ships. Twenty from the Dutch fleet were ordered to focus on the Spanish galleons while the rest attacked the smaller vessels.[2] Van Heemskerk was killed during the first approach on the Spanish flagship as a cannon ball severed his leg. The Dutch then doubled up on the galleons and a few of the galleons caught fire. One 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. Sixty Dutch were wounded. Depending on the sources, most or all of the Spanish ships were lost and between 350 and 4,000 Spaniards were killed or captured. Álvarez de Ávila was amongst the dead.

The battle resulted in a 12-year truce in which the Dutch Republic achieved de facto recognition by the Spanish Crown.

Footnotes

1. (in Spanish) Fernández Duro, p. 234.
2. Vier eeuwen varen,, p. 64.

Sources

• Fernández, C. (1898). Armada Española desde la unión de los reinos de Castilla y Aragón (in Spanish). Madrid: Rivedeneyra.
• Vere, F. (1955). Salt in their Blood: the lives of the famous Dutch admirals.
• De Jonge, J. C. Geschiedenis van het Nederlandse zeewezen (in Dutch).
• Akveld, L. M.; et al. (1973). Vier Eeuwen Varen (in Dutch).
• Warnsinck, J. C. M. (1941). Twaalf Doorluchtige Zeehelden (in Dutch).

External links

• Media related to Battle of Gibraltar (1607) at Wikimedia Commons