Battle of the Channel

Battle of the Channel (1605)
Part of the Eighty Years War
Date July 1605 Location English Channel Result Dutch victory
Belligerents
Spain	Dutch Republic
Commanders and leaders
Pedro de Zubiaur  (DOW)	Willem de Zoete
Strength
12 galleons 2 frigates	80 ships
Casualties and losses
2 galleons sunk 400 dead	Several ships sunk

The Battle of the Channel was a 1605 naval engagement in the English Channel between a Spanish transport fleet captained by Pedro de Zubiaur and the Dutch armada under Willem de Zoete. The Spanish fleet carried a tercio under Pedro de Sarmiento for the Eighty Years' War, which the Dutch attempted to intercept and destroy. Zubiaur managed to break through overwhelming numerical superiority with a few of his ships and take refuge in Dover, England. However, many of the troops he transported were captured by the Dutch or died in England. The battle was the last deployment of Zubiaur, who died in Dover from his wounds, after which the remaining troops reached their destination in Dunkirk in English ships.