Battle of Berlengas Islands
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Berlengas Islands took place on 15 July of 1591 during the Anglo-Spanish War of 1585
. It was fought between an English privateer squadron under George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, and 5 Spanish galleys commanded by Don Francisco Coloma, who succeeded in capture several English ships and put the rest to flight.
In the spring of 1591, George Clifford, who had set out his fortunes by large-scale privateering, sailed to Cape St. Vincent
with one royal ship and four of his own. Sir William Monson of Stuart, future Admiral of the Royal Navy, was his second in command. During their cruise off the coast of Spain, many prizes were taken from the Spanish, as well as from the Dutch
, at that time allied with England. Very little had been achieved, however when they were surprised by 5 Spanish galleys under Don Francisco Coloma, General of the Armada de Guarda Costa near the Berlengas, a group of small islands off the Portuguese coast near the city of Peniche. Coloma captured a 14-gun, 150-man man-of-war, a caravel
and a zabre at the slight cost of 2 men killed. Monson, who was among the prisoners, was carried to Portugal and imprisoned two years at Cascais
and Lisbon
.
Anglo-Spanish War (1585)
The Anglo–Spanish War was an intermittent conflict between the kingdoms of Spain and England that was never formally declared. The war was punctuated by widely separated battles, and began with England's military expedition in 1585 to the Netherlands under the command of the Earl of Leicester in...
. It was fought between an English privateer squadron under George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, and 5 Spanish galleys commanded by Don Francisco Coloma, who succeeded in capture several English ships and put the rest to flight.
In the spring of 1591, George Clifford, who had set out his fortunes by large-scale privateering, sailed to Cape St. Vincent
Cape St. Vincent
Cape St. Vincent , next to the Sagres Point, on the so-called Costa Vicentina , is a headland in the municipality of Sagres, in the Algarve, southern Portugal.- Description :This cape is the southwesternmost point in Portugal...
with one royal ship and four of his own. Sir William Monson of Stuart, future Admiral of the Royal Navy, was his second in command. During their cruise off the coast of Spain, many prizes were taken from the Spanish, as well as from the Dutch
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, at that time allied with England. Very little had been achieved, however when they were surprised by 5 Spanish galleys under Don Francisco Coloma, General of the Armada de Guarda Costa near the Berlengas, a group of small islands off the Portuguese coast near the city of Peniche. Coloma captured a 14-gun, 150-man man-of-war, a caravel
Caravel
A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward...
and a zabre at the slight cost of 2 men killed. Monson, who was among the prisoners, was carried to Portugal and imprisoned two years at Cascais
Cascais
Cascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
and Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
.