Battle of Cartagena (1643)

Battle of Cartagena
Part of Franco-Spanish War (1635)
Date 3 September 1643 Location Cartagena (Spain) Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé	Martín Carlos de Mencos Joos Petersen
Strength
20 galleons 2 frigates 12 fire ships	29 galleons 14 galleys
Casualties and losses
Unknown	3,000 men 10 ships sunk 2 ships captured

The Battle of Cartagena was a naval battle fought on September 3, 1643 during the Thirty Years' War off Cape de Gate near Cartagena, Spain.

In 1643 the French admiral Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé sailed south, to search and destroy the Spanish fleet to extend the dominance of the French Navy in the Mediterranean.
He found a fleet of Dunkirkers under Joos Petersen, ships from Naples and a squadron from the Mar Oceano fleet under Martín Carlos de Mencos.

On September 3 at 7:00 AM Maillé-Brézé attacked with favorable winds and dispersed the enemy fleet. He sank 2 ships and captured 2 others, while the rest of the Spanish fleet fled into the port of Cartagena. Here 8 more ships were beyond repair and sank.

The port was closed and no Spanish ship left the harbour for more than a year.

All commerce between Spain and Italy was thus made impossible.