Battle of Sesimbra Bay

Battle of Sesimbra Bay
Part of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585)
Sesimbra Bay as seen today.
Date 3 June 1602 Location Vicinity of Sesimbra Bay, Portugal 38°24′N 9°06′W / 38.4°N 9.1°W / 38.4; -9.1 Result English victory[1][2]
Belligerents
Spain Portugal under Philip of Spain	England
Commanders and leaders
Álvaro de Bazán Federico Spinola	Richard Leveson William Monson
Strength
11 galleys, 1 carrack, Fort and various shore defenses	5 galleons, 2 prizes
Casualties and losses
1 carrack captured, 2 galleys sunk, 1 fort immobilized, 800 killed or wounded[3]	12 killed, 30 wounded[4]

The Battle of Sesimbra Bay was a naval engagement that took place on 3 June 1602, during the Anglo-Spanish War. It was fought off the coast of Portugal (then within the Iberian Union) between an English naval expeditionary force sent out with orders by Queen Elizabeth I to prevent any further Spanish incursions against Ireland or England itself. The English force under Richard Leveson and William Monson met a fleet of Spanish galleys and a large carrack at Sesimbra Bay commanded by Álvaro de Bazán and Federico Spinola. The English were victorious in battle, sinking two galleys, forced the rest to retreat, neutralized the fort, and captured the carrack in what was the last expedition to be sent to Spain by orders of the Queen before her death the following year.^[5]