Battle of Cabrita Point facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Cabrita Point
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
A lithograph of the battle
Date 21 March 1705 Location Off Marbella, Atlantic Ocean Result Grand Alliance victory
Belligerents
England Portugal  Dutch Republic	France Spain
Commanders and leaders
John Leake	Bernard Desjean
Strength
35 ships of the line	18 ships of the line
Casualties and losses
Unknown killed and wounded	Unknown killed and wounded 3 ships of the line captured 2 ships of the line destroyed

The London Gazette, dated 14–17 May 1705, showing Leake's return from Gibraltar after the battle.

The Battle of Cabrita Point, also known as the Battle of Marbella, was an important naval battle. It happened on March 21, 1705, during the War of the Spanish Succession. This war was fought to decide who would be the next king of Spain.

The battle took place while Spanish and French forces were trying to take back Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a strategic rock at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. The battle ended with a victory for the allied forces. These allies were England, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Their win effectively stopped the French and Spanish from taking Gibraltar by sea.

Why the Battle Happened

The allies had taken control of Gibraltar on August 1, 1704. They captured it for Archduke Charles of Habsburg. Spain then began to surround the city by land. In 1704, the French tried to attack Gibraltar from the sea, but they failed. This was during the Battle of Vélez-Málaga.

In January 1705, Philip V of Spain really wanted to get Gibraltar back. He put Marshal de Tessé in charge of the siege. Tessé quickly realized that Gibraltar could not be taken if the allies could still get supplies by sea. So, he ordered Admiral Pointis to block the port with his fleet. Pointis had 18 "ships of the line," which were large warships. Some of these ships were Spanish, led by José Fernández de Santillán.

At this time, the English fleet did not have a permanent base in Gibraltar. Their ships were anchored in Lisbon, Portugal. The commander of Gibraltar, Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt, sent an urgent message to Lisbon. He asked Sir John Leake to come and help. Leake quickly sailed with five warships and some soldiers. By the morning of March 10, his fleet had grown. He now had 23 English, eight Portuguese, and four Dutch ships.

The Battle Begins

Cabrita Point in 1843

Leake's fleet arrived near the Strait of Gibraltar late on March 9. They waited there through the night. The next morning, around 5:30 a.m., they were about two miles from Cabrita Point. They saw five ships leaving the Bay of Gibraltar. These were French ships: Magnanime, Lys, Ardent, Arrogant, and Marquis.

At first, the French ships headed towards the Barbary Coast (North Africa). But they soon realized Leake's ships were catching up. So, they turned towards the Spanish coast instead.

Around 9 a.m., Sir Thomas Dilkes in the HMS Revenge got close enough to fire at the French ship Arrogant. After a short fight, the Arrogant surrendered. Before 1 p.m., two Dutch ships captured the French ships Ardent and Marquis. The Magnanime and Lys were forced to run aground (get stuck) on the shore near Marbella. The Magnanime, which was Admiral Pointis's ship, hit the shore so hard that all its masts broke. The French later burned both the Magnanime and the Lys to prevent them from being captured.

The rest of the French fleet had been pushed away by a strong storm. They had found shelter in the bay of Málaga. After the battle, they quickly left and sailed to Toulon, France.

What Happened Next

Because of this big loss, Marshal de Tessé changed his plans. He stopped the full siege of Gibraltar and turned it into a blockade. This meant he would try to stop supplies from reaching the city, but not attack it directly. He pulled most of his forces back on March 31. Admiral Pointis retired from the navy after this battle.

Sir John Leake had not only won an amazing victory, but he had also saved Gibraltar from being captured. This battle greatly increased his reputation as a skilled naval commander.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Marbella para niños