Capture of Béjaïa (1555)
| Capture of Bougie | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of The Ottoman–Habsburg wars | |||||||||
 Historic map of Algiers and Bougie by Piri Reis | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Regency of Algiers |
 Spain | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Salah Rais |
Luis Peralta Alonso Peralta Andrea Doria (too late to help) | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 6,000 | 500–1000 men | ||||||||
The Capture of Bougie occurred in 1555 when Salah Rais, the Ottoman ruler of Algiers, took the city of Béjaïa from the Spaniards. The main fortification in Bougie was the Spanish presidio, occupied by about 100 men under first under Luis Peralta, and then his son Alonso Peralta.[1]
The city was captured by Salah Rais from his base of Algiers, at the head of several thousand men and a small fleet consisting in 2 galleys, a barque, and a French saëte ("flèche", or "arrow") requisitioned in Algiers.[1] Peralta had sent messages to Spain for help, and Andrea Doria prepared to leave with a fleet from Naples, but it was too late.[1]
The Spanish force was defeated, but Alonso Peralta was allowed to leave unharmed with 40 men of his choice. He was severely criticized upon his return to Spain, and was beheaded in Valladolid on 4 May 1556.[1]
The capture of Bougie permitted the Ottomans to encircle the Spanish position at Goletta and that of their ally Ahmad Sultan in Tunis, as they now had strong bases in Béjaïa and Tripoli.[2]
Notes