Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar (1591) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar (1591)
Part of the Anglo–Spanish War
A Spanish galley in action
Date April 24th 1591 Location Off Straits of Gibraltar, Spain Result English victory
Belligerents
Spain	England Levant Company
Commanders and leaders
Giovanni Andrea Doria	Robert Bradshaw
Strength
5 galleys	4 armed merchant vessels
Casualties and losses
5 galleys severely damaged 200 killed or drowned	1 ship sunk 1 ship damaged Approximately 44 killed & 10 wounded

This article is about the Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar, a sea fight that happened near Gibraltar on April 24, 1591. It was part of the Anglo-Spanish War. In this battle, five Spanish galleys attacked four English merchant ships. The English ships fought back bravely. They managed to push the Spanish away, but one English ship, the Dolphin, was sunk.

Why This Battle Happened

English merchant ships often sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar. This area was controlled by Spain. To be safer, ships would travel together in groups.

One of these ships was the Centurion. It was a large merchant ship with weapons. But it did not have many sailors. The Centurion had just delivered its goods to Marseilles. It was getting ready to sail back to England.

Other smaller ships were also leaving Marseilles. Their captains asked Robert Bradshaw, the Centurion's captain, to wait for them. They all agreed to sail together for protection. This was because Spanish galleys had attacked ships in the Straits the year before.

Meanwhile, Spain had sent six galleys from Cartagena. These ships were part of a larger group. They were meant to take the Spanish ambassador to Rome.

The Battle Begins

On April 24, 1591, the English ships were sailing along the coast of Spain. They suddenly stopped moving because there was no wind. This happened in the Straits of Gibraltar.

They quickly saw six Spanish galleys coming towards them. The Centurion was ready for a fight. Its crew had prepared their weapons. However, only 48 men and boys were able to fight.

As the Spanish galleys got closer, the Centurion fired its cannons. The other English merchant ships stayed a bit further away at first. Five of the Spanish galleys then attacked the Centurion. They used grappling hooks to pull their ships close. Two galleys were on each side, and one was at the back.

Fighting on the Sea

The English crew fought hard on both sides of the Centurion. They cut the ropes and grappling hooks. They kept firing their cannons to damage the Spanish ships. The Centurion caught fire several times, but the crew put out the flames quickly.

Each of the five Spanish galleys had about 200 soldiers. They fired at the Centurion and even shot through its main mast. But the Spanish soon ran out of cannonballs. They had to load their cannons with hammers and chains from their galley-slaves.

Eventually, the Spanish had to let go of the Centurion. They had lost many soldiers and their ships were badly damaged. Around 200 Spanish soldiers were killed or drowned.

Meanwhile, the smaller English ship, the Dolphin, was fighting another galley. The Dolphin eventually exploded. It is not clear if enemy fire caused it or if its crew blew it up. No one on the Dolphin survived, including its captain, John Giles.

After the Fight

The battle lasted for five and a half hours. Both the English and Spanish were ready to stop fighting. The Spanish did not attack again.

The Centurion had four men killed and ten men badly hurt. The next day, six more Spanish galleys appeared. They watched the Centurion but did not try to fight.

The rest of the English ships made it safely to London. The sinking of the Dolphin meant a loss of about £2,000. The Centurion went on to fight in other important battles. It took part in the Capture of Cadiz in 1596. It also helped capture San Juan in 1598.