Battle of Winchelsea

Overview

The Battle of Winchelsea or the Battle of Les Espagnols sur Mer was a naval battle that took place on 29 August 1350 as part of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. It was a victory for an English fleet of 50 ships, commanded by King Edward III, over a Castilian fleet of 47 larger vessels, commanded by Charles de la Cerda. Between 14 and 26 Castilian ships were captured, and several were sunk. Only two English vessels are known to have been sunk, but there was a significant loss of life.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Winchelsea, also known as Les Espagnols sur Mer, was a naval engagement fought during the Hundred Years' War in which an English fleet of 50 ships under King Edward III defeated a Castilian fleet of 47 larger vessels commanded by Charles de la Cerda. Between 14 and 26 Castilian ships were captured and several were sunk, against a loss of only two English vessels, though with significant English casualties. The engagement demonstrated English capacity to defeat a numerically comparable but individually larger enemy fleet, securing control of the waters and preventing Castilian naval power from being brought to bear against English interests in the context of the wider Anglo-French conflict. The presence of Edward the Black Prince among the commanders indicates the strategic weight attached to the action by the English crown.

Commanders (3)