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Siege of Fuenterrabía and Battle of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
In 1638, French forces under the Prince of Condé besieged the Spanish border fortress of Fuenterrabía, but Spanish admiral Miguel de Oquendo defeated…
Timeline
- 1638Fuenterrabía (Hondarribia) · Basque CountryThe Prince of Condé (Louis de Bourbon) led a combined French army and navy in besieging Fuenterrabía, a strategic fortress controlling the mouth of the Bidasoa River and guarding the entrance to northern Spain. The French attempted to cut the garrison's supplies by land and sea, forcing its surrender.
- 1638Off Saint-Jean-de-Luz · Basque coastSpanish admiral Miguel de Oquendo sailed his fleet to the waters off Saint-Jean-de-Luz and engaged the French fleet (commanded by the Marquis of Alquines) in fierce battle. The Spanish fleet successfully broke the blockade, destroying or capturing several French ships and completely lifting the French naval blockade of Fuenterrabía.
- 1638Fuenterrabía · Basque CountryWith the naval defeat, the besieging French army's supplies were cut off, and the Prince of Condé was forced to raise the siege. The Spanish garrison held firm and Fuenterrabía was preserved. This was one of the Spanish Empire's few important military victories of the period, briefly stabilizing the Bay of Biscay coastal defenses.
Sources
- Spain and the Great Powers in the Seventeenth Century — R. A. Stradling (1988)
- The Thirty Years War — C. V. Wedgwood (1938)