Naval Battle of Tarragona (July 1641)
Encyclopedia
The Naval Battle of Tarragona fought between 4 and 6 July 1641, was a naval engagement of the Reapers' War in which a Spanish galley fleet led by the Duke of Fernandina attempted to break the French naval blockade over Tarragona
, at that time besieged by land by the French and Catalan armies under the French Viceroy of Catalonia. The French blockading fleet was under Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis, Archbishop of Bordeaux, and consisted both of sailing and rowing vessels. On 4 July it was engaged with the Spanish galleys, of which some managed to enter the port of the town during a fierce action. In the end, a large number of Spanish galleys were abandoned when their crews panicked and fled to the beaches. On the night of 6th July Abraham Duquesne
escorted 5 fireships to the mole of the harbor, where the Spanish galleys were abandoned, and set fire to them.
The worsening of the situation inside Tarragona after the battle, caused largely because the vessels that had entered the port fell blocked, adding hundreds of mouths to feed, compelled Philip IV of Spain
to order the assembling of a second relief fleet. This time, the number of vessels gathered was too much larger, sawing the joining of Fernandina's squadron with another one commanded by the Duke of Maqueda. Sourdis offered battle to them on 20 August, but was defeated and the blockade was lifted. Viceroy Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt
had to face simultaneously a land relief, and was forced to abandon the siege, retreating to Valls
. Even if the siege and the 2nd Battle were two clear setbacks for the French, some Spanish authors also claim that Fernandina won the first battle.
on 26 January 1641, the Franco-Catalan armies took the initiative in the war and began to recover their lost ground. Marshal Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt
, the newly appointed Viceroy of Catalonia by Louis XIII of France
, decided to laid siege to the port city of Tarragona, one of the major towns of the Principality still in Spanish hands whereby the defeated force under the Marquis de Los Vélez had passed after his defeat. The preparations began in March with the concentration of soldiers and supplies at the town of Valls
. Meanwhile, the main Spanish army, then led by the Federico Colonna, Prince of Butera, had received reinforcements and moved from Tortosa
to Constantí, a village near Tarragona were a small garrison was left. The Prince entrenched his army into Tarragona and prepared the defense. One April it was launched the Franco-Catalan offensive. On the 29th, La Mothe was in front of Tarragona ahead a force of 10.000 foot and 2.000 horse soldiers, and the siege began.
The fleet commanded by Henri d'Escobuleau de Sourdis was deployed to support the land operations. The French admiral, with some 30 vessels, began a blockade of Tarragona, but given that the city was flanked by 15 miles of beach, his blockade was as much illusory. To resolve the problem, Sourdis engaged his forces in the capture of the fort of Salou
on 9 May and the tower of the Alfaques on 13 May. On 8 June a third fort was built at Tamarin, completing the defenses. The French blockade was not at all ineffective. Though some Spanish vessels managed to enter the port, two Spanish galleys and a big patache full of men and supplies were driven ashore near Port Vendres by 6 of the blockading ships; two sailing vessels and four galleys led by Captains Paul and Banaut. Meanwhile, the Duke of Fernandina, who had with him 21 galleys, captured the gallion Lion d'Or near Blanes
but was battered by three French galleons under Captain Boissis, Quelus and Maran.
Sourdis, who had at that moment 15 galleon
s, 4 pataches, 5 fireships, 11 galleys and two prizes, committed the mistake of allowing to join forces the Spanish squadrons of Naples
, Genoa
and Sicily
under the command of its Generals Melchor de Borja, Gianettino Doria and Francisco Mejía. An aviso intercepted shortly afterwards by the French noticed that the Spaniards were preparing a double relief of the town by land and by sea led respectively by the Marquis of Leganés and the Duke Fernandina. The Spanish fleet had 41 galleys and 7 brigantines and appeared off the Alfaques on 3 July. A day later it was in sight of Tarragona, eastwards of the nearest French vessels under Rear admiral de Cazenac. Sourdis was ill and had entrusted the command of his fleet to Chevalier Cangé. The Archbishop, nevertheless, assisted to the battle lying on his bed aboard a shallop.
Vice admiral de Montigny, Abraham Duquesne
and other commanders came close and attacked the Spanish galleys. The Spaniards panicked and began to evacuate the galleys which had refuged behind the mole, one of which was set fire by a French fireship. Firstly the Genoese and later the Spaniards, in all 4,500 men, they tried to escape both by swimming or aboard the boats of the galleys. About 300 of them were drowned. The confusion amidst the town was considerable, with soldiers and civilians deeping into the waves with carts to collect the supplies. Several Spanish galleys were lost: Duquesa of Genoa and Patrona of Sicily sank, the Spanish Santa Barbara of Antonio de Sobremonte was about to sink, as well as Patrona of Genoa and Quatralba of Sicily. The Santa Olalla ran aground near Salou and was destroyed by a party of French cavalry. 450 prisoners and 3 Spanish flags were taken. One of the Spanish officers killed was Captain Leonardo de Moles, infamous all over Catalonia for his crimes against the populace of the country.
During the night, the captains of the French fireships did they best to fill their vessels with gunpowder, and on 6 July, under the escort of 5 sailing ships commanded by Duquesne, they went to set fire to them remaining Spanish galleys. All of them were abandoned, so it was easy for the French to burn them. Both in the naval battle and the attack on the habor, no more than a fifty of French were killed. Frustrated by their defeat, the Spaniards even put price to Sourdis' head. The Duke of Fernandina, with the galleys which had failed to break the French blockade, managed to escape, claiming to have won the battle for having introduced some relief into Tarragona. Some Spanish historians give credit to this claim, but other, as the Catalan Víctor Balaguer
, said that the 11 ships which entered into the port were not full of supplies but of men, which worsened the situation in the city and made necessary a second relief.
, fearing another major blow to his forces in Catalonia, ordered to assemble a second, far bigger force, to force Sourdis to abandon his blockade and introduce soldiers and supplies into the town. The command of this new fleet was entrusted to the Duke of Maqueda, who sailed from Cádiz
on 20 July and collected some separated vessels during his voyage around the Levantine coast. The Duke of Fernandina joined this force with his surviving galleys, increasing its strength to 35 sailing ships, 29 galleys and other vessels, up to 108 sail. Sourdis met this fleet off Tarragona on 18 August. The superior numbers of the Spaniards allowed them to flank the French vessels and batter Sourdis inflicting major damaged to two of his galleons. The Archbishop had no chance of victory and ordered the withdrawal.
The Spanish victory saved Tarragona and La Mothe-Houdancourt was forced to leave the siege, retreating to Constantí and Valls
pursued by the Spanish army. Cardinal Richelieu deprived Sourdis of his office and replaced him by the young Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé
, his nephew. According to his opponent Gianettino Doria, Sourdis' treatment was ungrateful. In spite of his success, also the Duke of Fernandina was deprived of his charge. The Count-Duke of Olivares feel dissatisfied because Fernandina did not pursued the French fleet and imprisoned him. In the following months Maillé-Brézé proved to be an exceptional commander. He defeated the Spanish fleet off Barcelona
, a victory which allowed the French armies to capture Collioure
and Perpignan
.
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
, at that time besieged by land by the French and Catalan armies under the French Viceroy of Catalonia. The French blockading fleet was under Henri d'Escoubleau de Sourdis, Archbishop of Bordeaux, and consisted both of sailing and rowing vessels. On 4 July it was engaged with the Spanish galleys, of which some managed to enter the port of the town during a fierce action. In the end, a large number of Spanish galleys were abandoned when their crews panicked and fled to the beaches. On the night of 6th July Abraham Duquesne
Abraham Duquesne
Other topics that could fall under Duquesne can be found at Marquis Duquesne Abraham Duquesne, marquis du Bouchet was a French naval officer, who also saw service as an admiral in the Royal Swedish Navy. He was born in Dieppe, a seaport, in 1610, and was a Huguenot...
escorted 5 fireships to the mole of the harbor, where the Spanish galleys were abandoned, and set fire to them.
The worsening of the situation inside Tarragona after the battle, caused largely because the vessels that had entered the port fell blocked, adding hundreds of mouths to feed, compelled Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
to order the assembling of a second relief fleet. This time, the number of vessels gathered was too much larger, sawing the joining of Fernandina's squadron with another one commanded by the Duke of Maqueda. Sourdis offered battle to them on 20 August, but was defeated and the blockade was lifted. Viceroy Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt
Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt
Philippe, comte de la Mothe-Houdancourt , Duke of Cardona, was French Viceroy of Catalonia and a Marshal of France who fought in the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
had to face simultaneously a land relief, and was forced to abandon the siege, retreating to Valls
Valls
Valls is the capital of the comarca of Alt Camp, in Catalonia, Spain. The typical food is calçots and also typical are the human towers called castells...
. Even if the siege and the 2nd Battle were two clear setbacks for the French, some Spanish authors also claim that Fernandina won the first battle.
Background
After the decisive Catalan and French victory over the Spanish army at the Battle of MontjuïcBattle of Montjuïc (1641)
Battle of Montjuïc took place on 26 January 1641 during the Catalan Revolt. A Spanish force under Pedro Fajardo launched an attack on a Catalan rebel force, made up mainly of Miquelet militias led by Francesc de Tamarit, and their French allies....
on 26 January 1641, the Franco-Catalan armies took the initiative in the war and began to recover their lost ground. Marshal Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt
Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt
Philippe, comte de la Mothe-Houdancourt , Duke of Cardona, was French Viceroy of Catalonia and a Marshal of France who fought in the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
, the newly appointed Viceroy of Catalonia by Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
, decided to laid siege to the port city of Tarragona, one of the major towns of the Principality still in Spanish hands whereby the defeated force under the Marquis de Los Vélez had passed after his defeat. The preparations began in March with the concentration of soldiers and supplies at the town of Valls
Valls
Valls is the capital of the comarca of Alt Camp, in Catalonia, Spain. The typical food is calçots and also typical are the human towers called castells...
. Meanwhile, the main Spanish army, then led by the Federico Colonna, Prince of Butera, had received reinforcements and moved from Tortosa
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
to Constantí, a village near Tarragona were a small garrison was left. The Prince entrenched his army into Tarragona and prepared the defense. One April it was launched the Franco-Catalan offensive. On the 29th, La Mothe was in front of Tarragona ahead a force of 10.000 foot and 2.000 horse soldiers, and the siege began.
The fleet commanded by Henri d'Escobuleau de Sourdis was deployed to support the land operations. The French admiral, with some 30 vessels, began a blockade of Tarragona, but given that the city was flanked by 15 miles of beach, his blockade was as much illusory. To resolve the problem, Sourdis engaged his forces in the capture of the fort of Salou
Salou
Salou is a municipality of the comarca of Tarragonès, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The city is approximately 10km from Tarragona and Reus on the Costa Daurada and 112km from Barcelona...
on 9 May and the tower of the Alfaques on 13 May. On 8 June a third fort was built at Tamarin, completing the defenses. The French blockade was not at all ineffective. Though some Spanish vessels managed to enter the port, two Spanish galleys and a big patache full of men and supplies were driven ashore near Port Vendres by 6 of the blockading ships; two sailing vessels and four galleys led by Captains Paul and Banaut. Meanwhile, the Duke of Fernandina, who had with him 21 galleys, captured the gallion Lion d'Or near Blanes
Blanes
Blanes is a town on the Costa Brava in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.The coast of Blanes has 4 km of different kinds of beaches, including the Blanes beach and S'Abanell beach.-Main sights:...
but was battered by three French galleons under Captain Boissis, Quelus and Maran.
Sourdis, who had at that moment 15 galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
s, 4 pataches, 5 fireships, 11 galleys and two prizes, committed the mistake of allowing to join forces the Spanish squadrons of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
, Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
and Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
under the command of its Generals Melchor de Borja, Gianettino Doria and Francisco Mejía. An aviso intercepted shortly afterwards by the French noticed that the Spaniards were preparing a double relief of the town by land and by sea led respectively by the Marquis of Leganés and the Duke Fernandina. The Spanish fleet had 41 galleys and 7 brigantines and appeared off the Alfaques on 3 July. A day later it was in sight of Tarragona, eastwards of the nearest French vessels under Rear admiral de Cazenac. Sourdis was ill and had entrusted the command of his fleet to Chevalier Cangé. The Archbishop, nevertheless, assisted to the battle lying on his bed aboard a shallop.
Battle
The Spanish galleys formed into three squadrons in order to flank the blockading fleet, but seeing Cangé's vessels to far from Cazencac's squadron, 29 of them led by Melchor de Borja crossed the French formation going astern of the 12 ships under the French Rear admiral. Then they gained the wind. The thirtieth galley, San Felipe, was closely engaged by two French galleys and surrendered. Two other Spanish galleys which lagged behind were captured by the French La Pille and La Reine commanded by Jean-Philippe de Vallbelle. Melchor de Borja had his galleys badly damaged by Cazenac's ships in the process, but thanks to his manoeuver, the Duke of Fernandina managed to reach the relative safety of the harbor with 11 galleys and the 5 brigantines with supplies. Cangé was able to keep them covered behind the mole tanks to the heavy gunfire of his ships and gave time to his remaining vessels to joining him.Vice admiral de Montigny, Abraham Duquesne
Abraham Duquesne
Other topics that could fall under Duquesne can be found at Marquis Duquesne Abraham Duquesne, marquis du Bouchet was a French naval officer, who also saw service as an admiral in the Royal Swedish Navy. He was born in Dieppe, a seaport, in 1610, and was a Huguenot...
and other commanders came close and attacked the Spanish galleys. The Spaniards panicked and began to evacuate the galleys which had refuged behind the mole, one of which was set fire by a French fireship. Firstly the Genoese and later the Spaniards, in all 4,500 men, they tried to escape both by swimming or aboard the boats of the galleys. About 300 of them were drowned. The confusion amidst the town was considerable, with soldiers and civilians deeping into the waves with carts to collect the supplies. Several Spanish galleys were lost: Duquesa of Genoa and Patrona of Sicily sank, the Spanish Santa Barbara of Antonio de Sobremonte was about to sink, as well as Patrona of Genoa and Quatralba of Sicily. The Santa Olalla ran aground near Salou and was destroyed by a party of French cavalry. 450 prisoners and 3 Spanish flags were taken. One of the Spanish officers killed was Captain Leonardo de Moles, infamous all over Catalonia for his crimes against the populace of the country.
During the night, the captains of the French fireships did they best to fill their vessels with gunpowder, and on 6 July, under the escort of 5 sailing ships commanded by Duquesne, they went to set fire to them remaining Spanish galleys. All of them were abandoned, so it was easy for the French to burn them. Both in the naval battle and the attack on the habor, no more than a fifty of French were killed. Frustrated by their defeat, the Spaniards even put price to Sourdis' head. The Duke of Fernandina, with the galleys which had failed to break the French blockade, managed to escape, claiming to have won the battle for having introduced some relief into Tarragona. Some Spanish historians give credit to this claim, but other, as the Catalan Víctor Balaguer
Victor Balaguer
Víctor Balaguer , Catalan Spanish politician and author, was born at Barcelona on 11 December 1824, and was educated at the university of his native city....
, said that the 11 ships which entered into the port were not full of supplies but of men, which worsened the situation in the city and made necessary a second relief.
Aftermath
As the situation inside Tarragona did not improve after the first relief, Philip IV of SpainPhilip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
, fearing another major blow to his forces in Catalonia, ordered to assemble a second, far bigger force, to force Sourdis to abandon his blockade and introduce soldiers and supplies into the town. The command of this new fleet was entrusted to the Duke of Maqueda, who sailed from Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
on 20 July and collected some separated vessels during his voyage around the Levantine coast. The Duke of Fernandina joined this force with his surviving galleys, increasing its strength to 35 sailing ships, 29 galleys and other vessels, up to 108 sail. Sourdis met this fleet off Tarragona on 18 August. The superior numbers of the Spaniards allowed them to flank the French vessels and batter Sourdis inflicting major damaged to two of his galleons. The Archbishop had no chance of victory and ordered the withdrawal.
The Spanish victory saved Tarragona and La Mothe-Houdancourt was forced to leave the siege, retreating to Constantí and Valls
Valls
Valls is the capital of the comarca of Alt Camp, in Catalonia, Spain. The typical food is calçots and also typical are the human towers called castells...
pursued by the Spanish army. Cardinal Richelieu deprived Sourdis of his office and replaced him by the young Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé
Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé
Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé was a French admiral.He was born in Milly-le-Meugon, in one of the most powerful French families of the time; his father was Urbain de Maillé-Brézé, marquis de Brézé, Marshal of France, his uncle Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII's renowned minister, and his...
, his nephew. According to his opponent Gianettino Doria, Sourdis' treatment was ungrateful. In spite of his success, also the Duke of Fernandina was deprived of his charge. The Count-Duke of Olivares feel dissatisfied because Fernandina did not pursued the French fleet and imprisoned him. In the following months Maillé-Brézé proved to be an exceptional commander. He defeated the Spanish fleet off Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, a victory which allowed the French armies to capture Collioure
Collioure
Collioure is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.It lies on the Mediterranean and was a part of the ancient Roussillon province....
and Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
.