Battle of Alborán
Encyclopedia
The battle of Alborán took place on 1 October 1540 off the island of Alborán
during the Ottoman-Habsburg struggle for the control of the Mediterranean when a Spanish fleet under the command of Bernardino de Mendoza
destroyed an Ottoman fleet commanded by Ali Hamet sinking a galley and capturing 10 other ships.
n renegade
in service of the Ottoman Empire, formed in Algiers
by orders of Admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa a small fleet of three galleys, five galliots, six fustas and two brigantines powered by 900 captive oarsmen
and with 2,000 Turkish soldiers and Valencian
Morisco
s aboard commanded by General Caramani, a former slave in the Spanish galleys. In August, knowing that the Spanish galleys were in the Balearic Islands
, the fleet set sail to the western waters of the Alborán Sea
. Few days later 1,000 soldiers of the galleys landed on the beach of Gibraltar
and attacked the village. Although they failed to capture the well-protected castle, 73 civilians were taken prisoners, 40 vessels moored in the port were plundered, and a galley under construction owned by Don Álvaro de Bazán the Elder
was burnt. Then the prisoners were carried off to Vélez de la Gomera, on the Moroccan
coast, where they were imprisoned until their releasment following a payment of 7,000 ducats.
Bernardino de Mendoza, commander of the galleys of Spain, was reported in Denia
about the Turkish activities. Assuming that Hamet's fleet would return to Algiers along the African coast after being confirmed that it had not gone through Oran
, he sailed to the west in command of 10 galleys. On 1 October, after both fleets sighted each other near the island of Alborán, Hamet's vessels attacked the Spanish with great determination in the hope that their numerical superiority would tip the balance to their side in the boarding
. However, an Spanish artillery salvo
inflicted severe damage on them before they could get close enough to engage the galleys.
The galleys of Hamet and Caramani attempted unsuccessfully to board Mendoza's flagship. The Spanish commander, aware that the outcome of the battle depended heavily on this fight, ordered his soldiers and rowers move to one of the bands of the galley, so the opposite side stood up and acted as a parapet
against Hamet's galley gunfire. Most of Mendoza's soldiers boarded and captured the galley of Caramani, killing the Ottoman general and the majority of its crew. After that, they passed to the galley of Hamet and captured it. The Turkish commander jumped into the water and tried to escape swimming.
Another Spanish galley commanded by Pedro de Guerra sank an Ottoman galley of a single shot and captured another boarding it. The galley Santa Ana, meanwhile, was attacked by two Algeria
n vessels, one of which was forced to surrender, while the other escaped. Ali Hamet, who had been rescued by an Algerian galliot, was captured by Enrique Enríquez's galley while trying to escape. The battle ended with an incident during which Enrique Enríquez ordered his men open fire over an Ottoman galley captured by the crew of the Santa Bárbara believing it was still in Turkish hands. Seven Spanish died and twelve were injured.
in which the freed prisoners, the crews of the Spanish galleys, their captains, and Bernardo de Mendoza himself participated. Shortly after the Emperor Charles V
was informed of the victory by the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, who recommended the Emperor thank God for the victory.
Isla de Alborán
The Isla de Alborán is a small islet in the Alborán Sea, part of the western Mediterranean, about 50 km north of the Moroccan coast and 90 km south of the province of Almería, Spain. A Spanish possession since 1540, it was taken from the Tunisian pirate Al Borani in the Battle of Alborán. It is...
during the Ottoman-Habsburg struggle for the control of the Mediterranean when a Spanish fleet under the command of Bernardino de Mendoza
Bernardino de Mendoza
Bernardino de Mendoza was a Spanish military commander, a diplomat and a writer on military history and politics.- Life and works :Bernardino de Mendoza was born in Guadalajara, Spain around 1540...
destroyed an Ottoman fleet commanded by Ali Hamet sinking a galley and capturing 10 other ships.
Background
In mid-1540 the Barbary pirate Ali Hamet, a SardiniaSardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
n renegade
Turncoat
A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party...
in service of the Ottoman Empire, formed in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
by orders of Admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa a small fleet of three galleys, five galliots, six fustas and two brigantines powered by 900 captive oarsmen
Galley slave
A galley slave was a slave rowing in a galley. The expression has two distinct meanings: it can refer either to a convicted criminal sentenced to work at the oar , or to a kind of human chattel, often a prisoner of war, assigned to his duty of rowing.-Antiquity:Contrary to the popular image of the...
and with 2,000 Turkish soldiers and Valencian
Kingdom of Valencia
The Kingdom of Valencia , located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. When the Crown of Aragon merged by dynastic union with the Crown of Castile to form the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Valencia became a component realm of the...
Morisco
Morisco
Moriscos or Mouriscos , meaning "Moorish", were the converted Christian inhabitants of Spain and Portugal of Muslim heritage. Over time the term was used in a pejorative sense applied to those nominal Catholics who were suspected of secretly practicing Islam.-Demographics:By the beginning of the...
s aboard commanded by General Caramani, a former slave in the Spanish galleys. In August, knowing that the Spanish galleys were in the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
, the fleet set sail to the western waters of the Alborán Sea
Alboran Sea
|300px|thumb|]]The Alboran Sea is the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between Spain on the north and Morocco and Algeria on the south...
. Few days later 1,000 soldiers of the galleys landed on the beach of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and attacked the village. Although they failed to capture the well-protected castle, 73 civilians were taken prisoners, 40 vessels moored in the port were plundered, and a galley under construction owned by Don Álvaro de Bazán the Elder
Álvaro de Bazán the Elder
Don Álvaro de Bazán, called the Elder was a Spanish naval commander from an old navarrese noble family who received several nobilary titles such as the rank of Admiral of Castile, Marquis del Viso, and General-Captain of the Galleys of Spain. He was the father of Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of...
was burnt. Then the prisoners were carried off to Vélez de la Gomera, on the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
coast, where they were imprisoned until their releasment following a payment of 7,000 ducats.
Battle
Dénia
Dénia is a city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia, the judicial seat of the comarca of Marina Alta...
about the Turkish activities. Assuming that Hamet's fleet would return to Algiers along the African coast after being confirmed that it had not gone through Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, he sailed to the west in command of 10 galleys. On 1 October, after both fleets sighted each other near the island of Alborán, Hamet's vessels attacked the Spanish with great determination in the hope that their numerical superiority would tip the balance to their side in the boarding
Boarding (attack)
Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
. However, an Spanish artillery salvo
Salvo
A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute.Troops armed with muzzleloaders required time in which to refill their arms with gun powder and shot...
inflicted severe damage on them before they could get close enough to engage the galleys.
The galleys of Hamet and Caramani attempted unsuccessfully to board Mendoza's flagship. The Spanish commander, aware that the outcome of the battle depended heavily on this fight, ordered his soldiers and rowers move to one of the bands of the galley, so the opposite side stood up and acted as a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
against Hamet's galley gunfire. Most of Mendoza's soldiers boarded and captured the galley of Caramani, killing the Ottoman general and the majority of its crew. After that, they passed to the galley of Hamet and captured it. The Turkish commander jumped into the water and tried to escape swimming.
Another Spanish galley commanded by Pedro de Guerra sank an Ottoman galley of a single shot and captured another boarding it. The galley Santa Ana, meanwhile, was attacked by two Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n vessels, one of which was forced to surrender, while the other escaped. Ali Hamet, who had been rescued by an Algerian galliot, was captured by Enrique Enríquez's galley while trying to escape. The battle ended with an incident during which Enrique Enríquez ordered his men open fire over an Ottoman galley captured by the crew of the Santa Bárbara believing it was still in Turkish hands. Seven Spanish died and twelve were injured.
Aftermath
Of the 16 Ottoman ships, ten were captured and one sunk. More than 700 Turks, including all the captains, were killed. In addition 427 of them were captured and 837 Christian slaves were freed. The Spanish, meanwhile, had 137 dead and about 500 wounded, including Bernardino de Mendoza, who was wounded in the head by a harquebus shot. To celebrate the victory was organized a great procession in MálagaMálaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
in which the freed prisoners, the crews of the Spanish galleys, their captains, and Bernardo de Mendoza himself participated. Shortly after the Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
was informed of the victory by the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, who recommended the Emperor thank God for the victory.