Battle of Cape Palos (1758) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Cape Palos |
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| Part of Spanish-Barbary Wars | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spain |
 Regency of Algiers |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Isidoro García del Postigo |
Mahamud Rais  |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 3 ships of the line | 1 ship of the line 1 frigate |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 killed 12 wounded and some bruises |
100+ killed 44 drowned 306 prisoners 1 ship of the line sunk 1 frigate damaged |
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The Battle of Cape Palos was a naval battle that happened on June 9 and 10, 1758. It was part of the Spanish-Barbary Wars. In this fight, three Spanish warships met two Algerian warships. The Algerian ships were protecting another ship they had captured. After a long battle, the main Algerian ship gave up. The other Algerian ship got away but later crashed. The captured ship also escaped. The main Algerian ship sank because of the damage, but many prisoners were taken, and some people who had been captured were set free.
Why the Battle Happened
For a long time, since the 1500s, pirates from the Barbary Coast were a big problem. They attacked ships and towns in the Mediterranean Sea. These pirates, called Barbary corsairs, would raid places to capture people and goods. This was a major part of how the Barbary states made money. These states were like independent areas under the Ottoman Empire. For Spain, the pirates from Algiers were always a threat to their southern and eastern coasts.
After a peace treaty in 1748, Spain decided to focus on these pirate threats. The Spanish Navy sent two groups of warships to patrol the Barbary coast. This helped keep the pirates in check and kept the Spanish sailors busy.
Most of these patrols involved small fights between smaller ships. But in 1751, a bigger battle took place. Two Spanish large warships fought two Algerian large warships near Cape St Vincent. In that battle, the main Algerian ship, the Danzik, was destroyed. Its partner ship, the Castillo Nuevo, escaped and became Algiers' new main ship. Spanish ships kept clearing the area of Algerian pirates. Then, in 1758, another big battle happened, and the Castillo Nuevo was involved again.
The Battle Itself
On June 2, 1758, three Spanish warships left Cartagena. Their mission was to patrol the coast and chase away Algerian ships. These were powerful ships called ships of the line. They had 68 guns each. Their names were Soberano, Vencedor, and Héctor. Captain Isidoro García del Postigo led the Spanish group.
On the morning of June 9, near Cape Palos, the Spanish ships saw three other ships. They looked suspicious, so the Spanish began to chase them. By two in the afternoon, the ship that the Algerians had captured broke away and sailed south. The two Algerian warships turned north. An hour later, they raised their flag, ready to fight and protect the captured ship's escape. These were the Castillo Nuevo, a 60-gun ship of the line, and the Caravela, a 40-gun frigate. The Spanish ships tried to get closer by flying British flags, but the Algerians were ready to fight.
At half past four in the afternoon, the ships were close enough. The Spanish raised their own flags and the battle began. Soon, the Caravela separated from the Castillo Nuevo and tried to escape. The Spanish ship Héctor chased it. So, the battle split into two parts: the Soberano and Vencedor fought the Castillo Nuevo, while the Héctor chased the Caravela.
The Soberano and Vencedor kept their distance from the Castillo Nuevo. They used their powerful guns to attack it from afar. This made the battle last longer because the cannonballs didn't hit with full force. The Algerians fought very stubbornly. The Spanish first used regular cannonballs, then switched to smaller metal pieces. They wanted to damage the Algerian ship enough to capture it, not sink it. At eleven at night, the Algerian ship was badly damaged. At midnight, the Spanish stopped attacking to rest. Finally, at one in the morning, the Castillo Nuevo surrendered.
At dawn, the Spanish sent boats to rescue the Algerian survivors. The ship was sinking because of the damage. More than 100 Algerians died in the battle, and 44 drowned. 306 were taken prisoner, including their commander, Mahamud Rais. The Spanish also freed 53 people who had been captured by the Algerians. These included Dutch, German, and one Irish person. The Spanish had very few losses: 2 killed, 11 wounded, and some minor injuries. One historian said the Algerians were not very good at using their guns, which is why the Spanish had so few casualties.
Meanwhile, the Héctor had been chasing the Caravela all the way to the Barbary coast. From half past five in the afternoon, the Héctor fired its front guns to try and stop the frigate. The Caravela kept fleeing and firing back. Soon, the Algerian ship was damaged and stuck near the coast. But then a sudden storm hit, forcing the Héctor to pull away. The Spanish ship had some damage to its ropes and sails. It never saw the Caravela again. The Héctor only had one wounded sailor and some minor injuries.
When the three Spanish ships met again, they searched for the Caravela. They searched until June 12. They found a shipwreck near Alhucemas, and believed it was the Caravela. As for the captured ship that escaped, the Spanish learned from the freed prisoners that it was a ship from Hamburg. It had a valuable cargo. This was why the Algerian warships fought so hard to protect it.
The Spanish ships used a lot of ammunition because they fired from a distance. But this method successfully damaged the Algerian ships. Historians believe it's unlikely the frigate survived after so much damage. They also say that even though the Spanish had more ships, Captain García del Postigo's victory was impressive. He kept his own losses low and used long-range attacks well. It was also smart for a large ship of the line to chase a faster frigate.
What Happened Next
This battle meant the Spanish had destroyed the third main Algerian ship in the 1700s. The Danzik was destroyed in 1751, and another in 1732. Even though Spain won this battle and others, it didn't completely stop the Algerian pirates. However, their attacks did start to decrease. This was because Spain worked to improve its navy and encouraged its own private ships to fight the pirates.
Later, Charles III of Spain tried to solve the problem with Algiers. He used both military force and diplomacy. In 1775, he sent an army to Algiers, but it failed. In 1778, talks for a peace deal failed. In 1782, Algiers refused to join a treaty between Spain and the Ottoman Empire. Because of this, Spain sent more attacks against Algiers in 1783 and 1784. Finally, in 1785, as Spain prepared another attack, Algiers agreed to a peace treaty in 1786. This treaty finally put an end to the pirate raids.
