Battle of Pantelleria (1586)

Island of Pantelleria coast: The English ships came close to shore for their protection.

Date	13 July 1586
Location	Off Pantelleria, Mediterranean
Result	English victory

Belligerents

Spain

Order of Saint John

England

Levant Company

Commanders and leaders

Pedro de Leyva

Edward Wilkinson

Strength

11 galleys
2 Frigates

5 armed merchant galleons & vessels

Casualties and losses

Many galleys severely damaged,
Heavy casualties

2 killed & 15 wounded

England

The Battle of Pantelleria (1586) also known as the Fight at Pantalarea was a naval engagement that took place during the Anglo–Spanish War off the island of Pantelleria on 13 July 1586. The encounter was between an English armed merchant fleet of five ships of the Levant Company in convoy under Edward Wilkinson and a fleet of eleven Spanish and Maltese galleys under Don Pedro de Leyva. The English managed to repel all the attacks and returned home unmolested. Although minor the battle had significant consequences in testing English firepower of which was to be used against the Spanish armada two years later when England was under threat of invasion.

The Company of Merchants of the Levant (or the Turkey Company) had been trading in the Mediterranean since 1580 after a successful petition to Queen Elizabeth I. They had established "factories" in Aleppo (its headquarters), as well as Constantinople, Alexandria and Smyrna. After the Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585 and the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots in February 1587, Philip II of Spain decided that it was time to invade England and war was declared. As a result, the Levant company armed their ships as part of an investment by the English crown.

Philip II's maritime force lay within the Straits of Gibraltar where two squadrons of galleys were cruising under Giovanni Andrea Doria. Further in was the Sicilian squadron, composed of Spanish and Maltese galleys, under Captain-General Don Pedro de Leyva (who had replaced Don Alonso Martinez de Leyva the previous year). Both Doria and Leyva had orders to intercept any English merchant fleets which would have to sail through them.

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