Battle of Mers-el-Kébir (1501)

The Battle of Mers-el-Kébir occurred in the year 1501 and was a failed attempt to capture Mers-el-Kébir by the Portuguese.

Background
After the conquest of Granad in 1492, Spain began establishing their rule on the coasts of Algeria and Tunis. Portugal could not afford to be left behind if they did not launch campaigns in Morocco. Portugal sought to expand more in Morocco as it would be easier, cheaper, and more convenient than travelling to the east. Another issue was to deal with the Barbary corsairs who were ravaging the coasts of Spain and the Ottomans, who were having a war with the Venetians. The Venetians sought Portugal's help; the Portuguese king, Manuel I agreed to help.

Battle
In late July 1501, Manuel dispatched a fleet of 35 ships consisting of 3,500 men led by Joao de Meneses to seize Mers-el-Kébir and establish a garrison there. The Portuguese armada faced a storm that did not allow them to disembark easily and struggled for 8 days. The Moors and the Arabs, aware of the upcoming invasion, began preparations to oppose them. They gathered a large number of men to the shores. The Muslims predicted the landing point where the Portuguese would disembark. The Portuguese landed but found great resistance, forcing them to retreat. Those who could not escape to their ships were captured and sold as slaves in Oran.