| Battle of Palermo (1624) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofSpanish–Ottoman wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spanish Empire.svg) Order of St. John | .svg) Eyalet of Tunis Regency of Algiers | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 28 galleys | 13 galleys | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Minor | 7 galleys sunk 6 galleys captured | ||||||
TheBattle of Palermo of 1624 was a naval battle between Hispano-Maltese fleet led byÁlvaro de Bazán y Benavides and aBarbary corsair fleet fromTunisia andAlgiers.
In 1624, Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides returned toSicily from patrolling nearIbiza and capturing there three loadedOttomangalleons in route toAlexandria.[1] Learning that a combined Barbary fleet, composed by galleys from the Regency of Algiers and the Ottoman Tunisian port ofBizerte, was cruising and making prey around the coasts ofItaly andSpain, he decided to take action.[2] Bazán sailed off fromPalermo at the head of 14 galleys from Sicily and 14 from theOrder of St. John ofMalta.[3] By coincidence, the Barbary armada was at the other side of the cape of Palermo, and both fleets clashed three days later.[3]
Despite their disadvantage in numbers, the Barbary galleys formed and became ready for battle. Comfortable with his own predicament, Bazán sent Ensign Juan de Quesada in a boat and offered them to surrender, but the Turk captain in command of the Muslims declined the offer and demanded in turn be given free passage ofAlgiers, where they were previously heading to.[4] The battle started shortly after, with Bazán ordering to open fire with all of their artillery. The Barbary fleet was overwhelmed and attempted to turn back and escape the way they came, but the Christians hunted them down, sinking seven of them and capturing the remnant six. Many prisoners were taken and 400 Christiangalley slaves were freed.[5]
Victory was communicated to Viceroy of Sicily,Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, who ordered the booty to be divided among the crewmen.[5] Bazán would sail again against Barbary fleets later into the month, achieving victory in the battles ofGulf of Tunis and theDalmatian Coast.[6]