Pedro de la Plesa facts for kids

Pedro de la Plesa was a Spanish privateer who lived in the 1600s. A privateer was like a sailor who had permission from their government to attack enemy ships during wartime. Pedro de la Plesa was a "Dunkirker," meaning he sailed from the port of Dunkirk and worked for the Spanish King during a big conflict called the Eighty Years' War. He is known for an event where he and another privateer, Juan Garcia, left their friend Captain Jan Jacobsen to fight alone against Dutch ships.

Who Was Pedro de la Plesa?

Pedro de la Plesa was a captain who worked for the Spanish Empire. He was part of a group of privateers known as Dunkirkers. These were sailors and captains who sailed from the port of Dunkirk, which was under Spanish control at the time. Their job was to attack and capture ships belonging to Spain's enemies, especially during the Eighty Years' War against the Dutch Republic.

A Risky Mission in 1622

In October 1622, Pedro de la Plesa set sail from Dunkirk. He was with two other captains, Juan Garcia and Jan Jacobsen. Their goal was to get past a blockade set up by enemy ships. A blockade is when enemy ships surround a port to stop other ships from entering or leaving.

However, as Pedro de la Plesa sailed out of Ostend, a Dutch yacht quickly spotted him. The captain of the yacht, Jacob Volckertzoon Vinck, immediately sailed to a nearby Dutch fleet. He told Admiral Harman Kleuter about the Dunkirkers.

The Chase and the Battle

Admiral Kleuter's fleet quickly started chasing the Spanish privateers. Soon, another group of Dutch ships joined them. This second group was from Den Briel and was led by Captain Lambert Hendrikszoon.

When the Spanish captains saw how many Dutch ships were chasing them, they realized they were greatly outnumbered. Pedro de la Plesa and Juan Garcia decided to retreat. They turned their ships towards England to escape.

Captain Jan Jacobsen, however, made a different choice. He decided to fight the nine Dutch warships that were pursuing them. It's not clear if Jacobsen chose to fight to the end or if he was trying to protect the retreat of Pedro de la Plesa and Juan Garcia. In the end, Jan Jacobsen died in this long and difficult battle.

See also

In Spanish: Pedro de la Plesa para niños