Action of 14 April 1655 facts for kids

The Battle of Porto Farina was a naval battle that happened on April 4, 1655, in a place called Porto Farina (which is now Ghar el-Melh) in northern Tunisia. It was fought between an English fleet led by Admiral Robert Blake and several ships belonging to Barbary corsairs. These corsairs were like pirates who operated from North Africa. In this battle, Blake's fleet managed to destroy two shore batteries (which are like small forts on land with cannons) and nine Algerian ships. This was a very important victory because it was the first time that ships alone had successfully destroyed shore defenses without soldiers having to land on the shore.

The Battle of Porto Farina

The English Demands

Early in 1655, Admiral Blake sent a message to the leader of Tunis, known as the Bey of Tunis. Blake demanded that an English merchant ship and English prisoners be returned. He also asked for money as payment for damages and a promise for future agreements. However, the Bey of Tunis refused these demands.

Admiral Blake then spent nearly two months sailing between Sardinia, Tunis, and Sicily. He sent his demands again, hoping for a different answer, but the Bey still said no.

The Attack Begins

On April 3, Blake's fleet arrived at Porto Farina. The Barbary ships were gathered there, getting ready for a trip to the Dardanelles. They planned to help the Turks in their battles that season.

The very next day, April 4, the English fleet launched its attack. Blake had divided his ships into two groups. The first group attacked the Barbary ships directly. They managed to get onto the enemy ships and set them on fire. By 8 AM, these ships were destroyed.

Silencing the Forts

At the same time, Blake's second group of larger ships attacked the forts on the shore. These forts had cannons that could fire at the English ships. However, the English ships were very powerful. By 11 AM, they had silenced the forts, meaning the cannons could no longer fire.

This was a big deal because it was the first time in history that a fleet of ships had defeated strong forts on land without any soldiers landing ashore to fight. The English had 25 sailors killed and 40 wounded during the battle.

Aftermath of the Battle

Even after this impressive victory, the Bey of Tunis still refused to meet Blake's demands. However, Blake's attack was very helpful to the Venetians. Two months later, the Venetians fought against Muslim states in the action of 21 June 1655, and Blake's actions had weakened their opponents. Over the next ten years, the Ottomans (who were allied with the Barbary states) would make the forts at Porto Farina even stronger.

Ships in the Battle

England (Admiral Robert Blake)

Admiral Blake's fleet was split into two main groups:

• First Division included ships like Newcastle, Kentish, Taunton, Foresight, Amity, Princess Mary, Pearl, Mermaid, and Merlin.
• Second Division included larger ships such as George, Andrew, Plymouth, Worcester, Unicorn, Bridgewater, and Success.

Barbary States

The Barbary states had 9 ships that were pulled ashore. These ships were captured and burned by the English fleet during the battle.