Battle of Berlengas Islands

Battle of Berlengas Islands
Part of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585)
The Atlantic Ocean seen from the Berlengas Islands.
Date 15 July 1591 Location Off the Berlengas Islands (present-day Portugal) Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
England	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Earl of Cumberland William Monson (prisoner)	Francisco Coloma
Strength
5 warships[1]	5 galleys[2]
Casualties and losses
3 ships captured[2] More than 150 prisoners[2]	2 killed[2]

The Battle of Berlengas Islands took place on 15 July 1591 during the Anglo-Spanish War of 1585. It was fought between an English privateer squadron under George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, and 5 Spanish galleys commanded by Don Francisco Coloma, who succeeded in capture several English ships and put the rest to flight.

In the spring of 1591, George Clifford, who had set out his fortunes by large-scale privateering,^[1] sailed to Cape St. Vincent with one royal ship and four of his own.^[3] Sir William Monson of Stuart, future Admiral of the Royal Navy, was his second in command.^[3] During their cruise off the coast of Spain, many prizes were taken from the Spanish, as well as from the Dutch, at that time allied with England.^[3] Very little had been achieved, however when they were surprised by 5 Spanish galleys under Don Francisco Coloma, General of the Armada de Guarda Costa near the Berlengas, a group of small islands off the Portuguese coast near the city of Peniche.^[2] Coloma captured a 14-gun, 150-man man-of-war, a caravel and a zabre at the slight cost of 2 men killed.^[2] Monson, who was among the prisoners, was carried to Portugal and imprisoned two years at Cascais and Lisbon.^[4]

Notes

References

• Bourne, Henry Richard Fox (1868). English seamen under the Tudors. 1. London, UK: R. Bentley. 
• Fernández Duro, Cesáreo (1898). Armada Española desde la unión de los reinos de Castilla y Aragón. III. Madrid, Spain: Est. tipográfico "Sucesores de Rivadeneyra". 
• Goldsmith, William (1825). The naval history of Great Britain: from the earliest period, with biographical notices of the admirals, and other distinguished officers. London, UK: J. Jaques. 
• MacCaffrey, Wallace T. (1994). Elizabeth I: War and Politics, 1588-1603. Princeton, USA: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-03651-9. 

Coordinates: 39°25′38″N 9°31′11″W / 39.42722°N 9.51972°W / 39.42722; -9.51972