Battle of Palermo (1624)

In 1624, Álvaro de Bazán y Benavides returned to Sicily from patrolling near Ibiza and capturing there three loaded Ottoman galleons in route to Alexandria.^[1] Learning that a combined Barbary fleet, composed by galleys from the Regency of Algiers and the Ottoman Tunisian port of Bizerte, was cruising and making prey around the coasts of Italy and Spain, he decided to take action.^[2] Bazán sailed off from Palermo at the head of 14 galleys from Sicily and 14 from the Order of St. John of Malta.^[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 of Algiers, 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 Christian galley slaves were freed.^[5]