The action of 23 November 1650 was a minor naval battle between

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, in which a small Spanish squadron of 6

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be u ...

s commanded by Don Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, Duke of Alburquerque, captured the entirety of a French squadron of

galleon Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships first used as armed cargo carriers by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries during the age of sail and were the principal vessels drafted for use as warships until the Anglo-Dutch ...

s under the Baron de Ligny, near

Cambrils Cambrils () is a coastal town in the comarca of Baix Camp, province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is near the tourist town Salou and is frequently visited by those travelling by air using Reus Airport. History Roman empire to Middl ...

, during the Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659). The French fleet consisted of a galleon of 500

ton Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean * the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds ...

s and 30

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

s, 2 of 300 tons with 20 cannons, and the last of 300 tons and 16 cannons. The French fleet was sent filled with provisions to help the defenders in the Siege of Tortosa, but the squadron of the Duke of Albuquerque, knowing the enemy's plans, intercepted the French by surprise, achieving a complete victory. This case is almost unique in naval history, 6 galleys with 30 guns in total, completely defeated a squadron of four galleons with 86 guns in total, and whose crew had been reinforced by 500

musketeers A musketeer (french: mousquetaire) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare particularly in Europe as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a pr ...

. The Spaniards captured all the artillery (2 pieces of artillery of campaign and 4 mortars), ammunition carts, flags, equipment (over 1,000 musketry), and supplies from the enemy. King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

personally congratulated the Duke of Albuquerque for the victory. On 4 December 1650, the French troops led by the Duke of Mercoeur finally capitulated to the Spanish forces commanded by the Marquis of Mortara at Tortosa.Coll/Muñoz pp. 226–229

References

Bibliography

*Israel, Jonathan. ''Conflicts of empires: Spain, the low countries and the struggle for world supremacy, 1585-1713'' Hambledon Continuum Publishing (2003) * Rodríguez González, Agustín Ramón. ''Victorias por mar de los Españoles''. Biblioteca de Historia. Madrid 2006. *Black, Jeremy. ''European warfare 1494-1660''. Routledge. (2002) . * Sanz, Fernando Martín. ''La política internacional de Felipe IV.'' Fernando Martín Sanz. (2003) . * Mossèn Sanabre. ''La acción de Francia en Cataluña por la pugna de la hegemonia en Europa''. Barcelona (1956) * Castrillo González, Carmen. ''Catálogo de manuscritos de la Biblioteca Universitaria de Salamanca''. Escrito por Biblioteca Universitaria de Salamanca. * Muñoz i Sebastià, Joan Hilari/Querol Coll, Enric. ''La Guerra dels Segadors a Tortosa 1640-1651''. Romanya-Valls SA (2004) {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Naval battles involving Spain Naval battles involving France Naval battles of the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659) Battles of the Reapers' War Battles in Catalonia Conflicts in 1650 1650 in Europe

See also

References

Bibliography