Battle of Gibraltar
Part of the Eighty Years' War
The Battle of Gibraltar by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom. Oil on canvas. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Date 25 April 1607 Location Bay of Gibraltar, near present-day Gibraltar Result Decisive Dutch victory
Combatants
United Provinces	Spain
Commanders
Jacob van Heemskerk †	Juan Álvarez de Ávila †
Strength
26 warships 4 merchant ships	21 warships
Casualties
100 dead 60 wounded	4,000 dead 21 ships destroyed

The naval Battle of Gibraltar took place on 25 April 1607 during the Eighty Years' War when a Dutch fleet surprised and engaged a Spanish fleet anchored at the Bay of Gibraltar. During the 4-hour action, the entire Spanish fleet was destroyed. Combatants Dutch rebels Spanish Empire The Eighty Years War, or Dutch Revolt (1566–1648), was the revolt of the Seventeen Provinces in the Netherlands against the Spanish king. ... Download high resolution version (1105x770, 150 KB)Battle of Gibraltar 1607 The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... The Rijksmuseum Rembrandt van Rijn: The Night Watch 1642 Johannes Vermeer: Milkmaid 1658-1660 Frans Hals: Portrait of a Young Couple The Rijksmuseum (IPA: ; Dutch for Empire Museum) is a national museum of the Netherlands, located in Amsterdam on the Museumplein. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... Events January 20 - Tidal wave swept along the Bristol Channel, killing 2000 people. ... The Bay of Gibraltar The Bay of Gibraltar (also known as Gibraltar Bay, ; Spanish: Bahía de Gibraltar) is a bay at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. ... Map of Dutch Republic by Joannes Janssonius United Netherlands redirects here. ... Jacob van Heemskerk Jacob van Heemskerk (b. ... Combatants Dutch rebels Spanish Empire The Eighty Years War, or Dutch Revolt (1566–1648), was the revolt of the Seventeen Provinces in the Netherlands against the Spanish king. ... Combatants Dutch rebels Spain Commanders Jan de Marnix van Aldegonde † de Beauvoir Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties 700–800 dead Unknown The Battle of Oosterweel took place on March 13, 1567, and is traditionally seen as the beginning of the Eighty Years War. ... The Eighty Years War, or Dutch Revolt from 1568 to 1648 was the secession war in which the proto-Netherlands first became an independent country and in which the region now known as Belgium became established. ... Combatants Dutch rebels Spanish Friesland Commanders Louis of Nassau Adolf of Nassau † Johan de Ligne Strength 3,900 infantry 200 cavalry 3,200 infantry 20 cavalry Casualties 50 dead or wounded 1,500 – 2,000 dead, wounded, or captured The Battle of Heiligerlee in Groningen on 23 May 1568 was... Combatants Dutch rebels Spain Commanders Louis of Nassau Duke of Alva Strength 10,000 infantry 2,000 cavalry 16 guns 12,000 infantry 3,000 cavalry Casualties 7,000 dead or wounded 300 dead or wounded After the Battle of Heiligerlee Louis of Nassau failed to capture the city Groningen. ... The Battle of Jodoigne was fought in 1568 between Spanish and Dutch forces. ... 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Combatants Dutch rebels Spain Commanders Cornelis Jansz Dircksz Maximilian de Henin Count of Bossu Strength 24 ships, 700 sailors 30 ships, 1300 sailors Casualties Unknown 6 ships captured by the Dutch – 300 sailors taken prisoner The Battle on the Zuiderzee (October 11th 1573) was a naval battle during the Eighty... The Siege of Alkmaar was a turning point in the Eighty Years War. ... The siege of Leiden occured during the Eighty Years War in 1573 and 1574. ... The Battle of Reimerswaal (January 29th 1574) was a naval battle during the Eighty Years War between a Dutch and a Spanish fleet. ... Combatants Dutch rebels Spain Commanders Louis of Nassau † Henry of Nassau † Sancho dAvilla Strength 5,500 infantry 2,600 cavalry 5,000 infantry 800 cavalry Casualties 3,000 dead or wounded 150 dead or wounded {{{notes}}} The Battle of Mookerheyde was a battle of the Eighty Years War fought... Combatants Dutch rebels Spain Commanders Unknown John of Austria Strength Casualties 10,000 dead, wounded, or captured 100 dead or wounded The Battle of Gembloux marked a terrible defeat for the Protestant rebels fighting against Spain in the Eighty Years War. ... Combatants Dutch rebels Spain Commanders Burghers of Maastricht Alexander Farnese Strength 2,000 soldiers and some militia. ... In 1581 Spanish troops under the command of Claude de Berlaimont, lord of Haultepenne, took Breda by surprise thanks to a sentry who had been bribed by a follower of the king, Charles de Gavre, who was kept a prisoner at the castle. ... The naval Battle of Punta Delgada, also called the Battle of Terceira, took place on July 26, 1582 during the Eighty Years War that resulted in the defeat of a combined Dutch, English, Portuguese, and French Huguenot fleet by a Spanish fleet under Santa Cruz. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Battle of Boksum (January 17th 1586) was a battle during the Eighty Years War between a Spanish and a Dutch rebel army (largely comprised of Frisians) commanded by Willem Lodewijk of Nassau, a nephew of William of Orange. ... Combatants Dutch rebels, English soldiers Spain Commanders  ?  ? Strength  ?  ? Casualties  ?  ? The battle of Zutphen was a confrontation of the Eighty Years War on September 22, 1586, in Zutphen, the Netherlands. ... The first Siege of Bergen op Zoom were a series of 3 surpirse attacks by the Duke of Parma lasting from September 23th till November 13th 1588. ... The Spanish Armada or Great/Grand Armada (Old Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, large and most fortunate navy; but called by the English, with ironic intention, la Armada Invencible, the Invincible Fleet) refers to the Spanish-controlled fleet which sailed against England in 1588, with the intention of escorting... The peat ship. ... Battle of Turnhout, 1597. ... Combatants United Provinces Spain Commanders Maurits of Nassau Archduke Albrecht of Austria Strength 9,500 infantry 1,400 cavalry 14 guns 6,000 infantry 1,200 cavalry 9 guns Casualties 1,700 dead or wounded 3,000 dead or wounded 600 captured {{{notes}}} The Battle of Nieuwpoort, between a Dutch... Combatants United Provinces Spain Commanders Francis Vere Archduke Albrecht Ambrosio Spinola Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties 30,000 dead or wounded 15,000 captured 55,000 dead or wounded The Siege of Ostend was a three year siege which resulted in a Spanish victory. ... The Battle of Sluis was a naval battle during the Eighty Years War in which a Dutch fleet defeated a Spanish squadron led by the Portuguese captain Federico Spinola. ... The Siege of Bergen-op-Zoom (1622) was a battle during the Eighty Years War. ... Combatants United Provinces Spain Commanders Maurice of Nassau Ernst von Mansfeld Ambrosio Spinola Strength 14,000 Unknown Casualties 10,000 dead, wounded, or captured Unknown {{{notes}}} The Siege of Breda was a battle of the Eighty Years War and Thirty Years War. ... The Battle in the Bay of Matanzas was a naval battle during the Eighty Years War in which a Dutch squadron was able to defeat and capture a Spanish treasure fleet. ... The Siege of s-Hertogenbosch was a battle of the Eighty Years War in which a Dutch Republican army captured the city of s Hertogenbosch which had been loyal to the King of Spain. ... The Capture of Maastricht describes the siege of the city by the Dutch commanded by Frederick Henry and the revolts in and around Maastricht itself during the Eighty Years War. ... Combatants United Provinces Spain Commanders Maurice of Nassau Ernst von Mansfeld Ambrosio Spinola Strength 14,000 Unknown Casualties 10,000 dead, wounded, or captured Unknown {{{notes}}} The Siege of Breda was a battle of the Eighty Years War and Thirty Years War. ... The Battle of Kallo (June 20th 1638) was a battle of the Eighty Years War it took place when a Dutch army tried to surround the city of Antwerp. ... Combatants Spain United Provinces Commanders Antonio de Oquendo Maarten Tromp Strength 77 ships 117 ships Casualties 15,200 dead 60 ships destroyed or captured 100 dead 1 ship burned The naval Battle of the Downs took place on 31 October 1639 during the Eighty Years War and was a decisive... The Siege of Hulst (1645) was the last major siege of the Eighty Years War, in which the heavily fortified town of Hulst was conquered by Dutch troops commanded by Frederick Henry after 28 days. ... Battle of Puerto de Cavite was a fought as an extension of the Eighty Years War between Spanish and the Dutch in the orient. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... Events January 20 - Tidal wave swept along the Bristol Channel, killing 2000 people. ... Combatants Dutch rebels Spanish Empire The Eighty Years War, or Dutch Revolt (1566–1648), was the revolt of the Seventeen Provinces in the Netherlands against the Spanish king. ... A rare occurance of a 5-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea. ... The Bay of Gibraltar The Bay of Gibraltar (also known as Gibraltar Bay, ; Spanish: Bahía de Gibraltar) is a bay at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. ...

Forces

The Dutch fleet of 26 smaller warships and 4 cargo ships was led by Jacob van Heemskerk.
The Dutch flagship was Æolus. Other Dutch ships were De Tijger (Tiger), De Zeehond (Seal), De Griffioen (Griffon), De Roode Leeuw (Red Lion), The Golden Lion, De Zwarte Beer (Black Bear), De Witte Beer (White Bear) and De Ochtendster (Morningstar). Jacob van Heemskerk Jacob van Heemskerk (b. ...

The Spanish fleet of 21 ships, including 10 galleons of the largest size, was led by Don Juan Álvarez de Ávila.
The Spanish flagship San Augustin (St Augustine) was commanded by Don Juan's son. Other ships were Nuestra Señora de la Vega (Our Lady of Vega) and Madre de Dios (Mother of God). A Spanish galleon A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by the nations of Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries. ...

The battle

Van Heemskerk left some of his ships at the bay entrance to prevent the escape of any Spanish ship. The attacking ships were ordered to focus on the Spanish flagship and the Dutch fleet stood into the bay. A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ...

Van Heemskerk was killed during the first approach on the Spanish flagship as a cannon ball severed his leg. The Dutch effectively then doubled up the galleons in a move similar to the Battle of the Nile of 1798 and a few of the galleons caught fire. One Spanish ship exploded due to a shot into the powder magazine. The Dutch captured the Spanish flagship, but let it go adrift. A small cannon on a carriage, Bucharest. ... Combatants Britain France Commanders Horatio Nelson François-Paul Brueys DAigalliers Strength 14 ships of the line (thirteen 74-gun, one 50-gun) 13 ships of the line (one 120-gun, three 80-gun, nine 74-gun) and 4 frigates Casualties 218 killed 677 wounded 3 battleships burnt 9... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Following the destruction of the Spanish ships, the Dutch deployed boats and killed hundreds of swimming Spanish sailors.

The Dutch lost 100 men including admiral Van Heemskerk. 60 Dutch were wounded. The Spanish lost their entire fleet, meaning 21 ships and 4,000 men, including Álvarez.

External links

• An account from MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS

v · d · e   Gibraltar topics

History Battle of Gibraltar · Treaty of Utrecht · Great Siege of Gibraltar · Death on the Rock · Aurora incident Image File history File links Flag_of_Gibraltar. ... // Prehistoric Evidence of hominid inhabitation of the Rock dates back to the Neanderthals. ... The Treaty of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed in Utrecht in 1713 that helped end the War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Annes War) By its provisions, Louis XIVs grandson Philip V of Spain was recognized as King of Spain, but Spains European empire... Combatants Great Britain Spain, France Commanders George Eliott The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the War of American Independence. ... Death on the Rock was a controversial and BAFTA award winning episode of Thames Televisions current affairs strand This Week. ... Aurora entered service in the year 2000 and is owned and operated by P&O Cruises. ... Politics Governor · Chief Minister · House of Assembly · Political parties · Elections · Disputed status Politics of Gibraltar takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... Flag of the Governor of Gibraltar The Governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdoms overseas territory of Gibraltar. ... The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the leader of the largest party in the Gibraltar House of Assembly, and is formally appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British Crown. ... The Gibraltar House of Assembly is the legislature of the British territory of Gibraltar, which consists primarily of the Rock of Gibraltar, the northern side of the Strait of Gibraltar which is the passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. ... This article lists political parties in Gibraltar. ... Elections in Gibraltar gives information on election and election results in Gibraltar. ... The disputed status of Gibraltar exists because of a three hundred year old claim by Spain which is rejected by the United Kingdom and the Gibraltarians. ... Economy Gibraltar pound ISO 4217 code: GIP Symbol: £ 1/100th unit: penny Introduced in: 1927 Exchange Rates May 2006 USD exchange: 0. ... Military Royal Gibraltar Regiment · RAF Gibraltar · HMS Gibraltar · Gibraltar Services Police Cap Badge of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British Colony of Gibraltar. ... RAF Gibraltar is a Royal Air Force station on Gibraltar. ... Seven ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Gibraltar, after the colony of Gibraltar. ... The Gibraltar Services Police (GSP) is a civil police force which guards and enforces law on Ministry of Defence installations on Gibraltar. ... Infrastructure Communications · Transport · Royal Gibraltar Police // Telecommunications Until 1990, telephone services were operated by the Gibraltar Telephone Department. ... Gibraltar during the 18th Century was a Military Garrison where the British Governor ruled supreme with no elected civilian government. ... Symbols Flag of Gibraltar · Coat of arms of Gibraltar · Gibraltar Anthem Flag ratio: 1:2 Flag of Gibraltar on the top of the Rock of Gibraltar The Flag of Gibraltar is an elongated banner of the Coat of arms of Gibraltar, granted by Royal Warrant Queen Isabella of Castile on the 10th July 1502. ... Coat of arms of Gibraltar The Coat of Arms of Gibraltar were first granted on July 10, 1502 by Isabella of Castile. ... Gibraltar retains as its official anthem God Save the Queen in common with the other United Kingdom dependencies. ...