 In August 1654 the indispensible Blake was sent out to the Mediterranean. France and Spain were at war in Naples. Opinion at home in the corridors of power was divided between those who wanted a confrontation with France for the consistent support that country had given the Royalists and those who favoured war with Spain, the policy which had been traditional since Elizabethan times. In any event it was in England's interests to see the war between France and Spain prolonged, since while it continued neither was a threat to England.
It is not clear what Blake's precise orders were. There was much secret correspondence between Cromwell and Blake, but we can only guess at its content. It seems that, while Penn was to be sent with an expedition, the "Western Design", to attack Spain in the New World, Blake was to patrol the Straits and the Western Mediterranean to frustrate French actions against the Spanish in Naples and to be on hand should war on Spain be declared. An obvious objective of Blake's mission was to sieze the Spanish treasure fleet that came annually from the New World. In a situation of undeclared war the whole mission was a delicate one. It is not surprising that Blake, the most experienced and trustworthy of England's admirals, was given the task.
The presence of Blake's fleet in the Straits did indeed prevent French reinforcements reaching their Mediterranean fleet and deterred the Portuguese from sending their fleet to help the French. On hearing of Blake's arrival in the Mediterranean, the French expedition to Naples retired to Toulon. Blake's first objective had been achieved.
Having been frustrated in one foreign war, Blake now intervened in a second. The Turks and Venetians had been fighting a long war in Crete. The Sultan had sent a squadron to Tunis to persuade its Moslem ruler to throw his fleet behind the attack on Crete. It was not difficult for Blake to find an excuse to attack any Moslem ruler in North Africa, for part of his remit was to free Christian slaves held on the Barbary Coast.
In April 1655, Blake, on his own initiative, attacked the Turkish squadron sheltering at Porto Farina north of Tunis. The larger English ships engaged the shore forts while the frigates went inshore. Boarding parties soon swept away all opposition and all eight Turkish ships were burned. In a confined harbour, with an unfavourable wind, the English ships got to open sea by the novel expedient of 'warping out', i.e. pulling on anchors dropped outside the harbour before entry.
Though the opposition had been feeble and English casualties light, it was a tactic that Blake was to use again against the Spaniards in what was a classic assault on a fleet in harbour. It was just as well that it had been an unequivocal victory, for Blake was almost certainly exceeding his orders. In the event Cromwell was pleased. The victory speeded up the treaty with the neighbouring Moslem power of Algiers and the wholesale release of English, Irish and even Dutch prisoners who had been held as slaves.
Blake, now free to pursue the Spainiards, set off for the Straits where a large Spanish fleet had put to sea. In August Blake sighted the Spanish fleet off Cadiz but did not attack. The swell was too high so that the lower gun ports could not be opened; his orders were not explicit. Were these Blake's excuses, or did Blake know that the Spaniards were not destined for the West Indies? Cromwell was furious. Blake was ordered to remain out to await and ambush the Spanish Plate fleet. He was in no condition to do so. His ships were "foul" i.e. encrusted with marine growth below the waterline, from being out too long in a warm sea, and therefore slow and unmanageable. Short of food, water and other necessities, and with the crews discontented, Blake took the decision to return home in September.
Blake did have some important successes to show, whilst Penn, who had returned from the West Indies the previous month, had less. In the event Blake's show of strength against the French did spur the French to make a treaty with England. |
