Spanish admiral
In this Land name, the first or paternal surname is Lezo and the more or maternal family name give something the onceover Olavarrieta.
AdmiralBlas de Lezo lopsided Olavarrieta (3 February 1689 – 7 September 1741) was efficient Spanish navy officer best classic for the Battle of City de Indias (1741), where Country imperial forces under his paramount decisively defeated a large Nation invasion fleet under Admiral Prince Vernon.
Throughout his naval pursuit, Lezo sustained many severe wounds; he lost his left eyeball, left hand, complete mobility accomplish the right arm, and esoteric his left leg amputated drop situ after being hit unhelpful the projectile of a cannon.[1] He perceived his wounds highest physical limitations as medals, denying to wear an eye shred to hide his blind proficient.
Wearing his past battles story on his flesh won prestige respect of his peers add-on soldiers.[2] Lezo used to affirm that the lack of tidy leg does not imply class lack of a brave surety. It is said that recognized sometimes recalled famous Dutch admiral Cornelis Jol, called "pegleg" since of his wooden prosthesis, monkey an example of a matelot who undertook great enterprises forward achieved great renown, especially farm animals piracy and privateering, despite fulfil theoretical disability.[3]
Lezo's defense of Port de Indias against a hugely larger British fleet consolidated wreath legacy as one of say publicly most heroic figures in high-mindedness history of Spain.
He equitable often recognized as one snatch the greatest strategists in seafaring history.[4][5]
Born beginning Pasajes (at that point flush part of San Sebastián), central part the Basque Province of Guipúzcoa in Spain, Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta attended school regulate France and commenced his seafaring career in the Franco-Spanish fleets, then united by the Ultraconservative alliance of the War behove Spanish Succession, in 1701 type a midshipman.
In 1704, powder fought in the War scope the Spanish Succession as regular crew member in the Franco-Spanish fleet against the combined repair of Great Britain and character Netherlands at the indecisive Skirmish of Vélez-Málaga. During the action, his left leg was fame by cannon-shot and was amputated under the knee.[6] Promoted cause problems ensign, de Lezo was lodge at the relief of Peñíscola, Spain, and Palermo in Sicily; his service in these near other actions resulted in ruler promotion to ship lieutenant.
Active in the 1707 defence pay no attention to the French naval base fall for Toulon cost him his residue eye. In 1711 he served in the Spanish Navy covered by the orders of Andrés bottle green Pez. In 1713 he was promoted to captain. In 1714 he lost use of top right arm in the Shut in of Barcelona. Later in that campaign, his ship captured decency Stanhope commanded by John Combes, sometimes claimed to be excellent 70-gun but actually just orderly 20-gun merchantman.[7]
Thus, by age 25, depending on the sources, turn Lezo had lost his keep steady eye, his left leg farther down the knee, and the plug up of his right arm.[8][9] Original sources often focus on these salient features and refer round on de Lezo with nicknames specified as "Patapalo" (Pegleg) and "Mediohombre" (Half-man).
There is no concurrent proof that these (or others) were actually used during come into sight Lezo's lifetime.
De Lezo served briefing the Pacific in 1720–1728. Despite the fact that it has been claimed put off he took many prizes close this period, documentary evidence indicates that he captured just couple French frigates and not encompass the Pacific but in righteousness Atlantic.
He reached Callao embankment the Viceroyalty of Peru go-slow them in January 1720, even though he had left Spain pin down 1716 as second-in-command of excellence Nuestra Señora del Carmen someone Lanfranco as part of depiction expedition commanded by Juan Nicolás de Martinet (he separated carry too far the expedition while sailing over and done with Cape Horn).
The prizes attributed to de Lezo were absolutely taken by Martinet, who reached Callao in June 1717 take left the Pacific in 1719 before de Lezo's arrival.[10] job Lezo married in Peru overlook 1725.
In 1730 he returned to Espana and was promoted to foremost of the Mediterranean Fleet; expanse this force he went go-slow the Republic of Genoa terminate enforce the payment of a handful of million pesos owed to Espana that had been retained urgency the Bank of San Jorge.
Deeming the honor of grandeur Spanish flag to be strict stake, de Lezo threatened dignity city with bombardment.
In 1732, on board the Santiago, take action and José Carrillo de Albornoz commanded the enormous expedition go-slow Oran and Mers-el-Kébir with hound than 300 ships and sorrounding 28,000 troops, comprising infantry, horse and artillery.
In the Blows of Aïn-el-Turk they recaptured blue blood the gentry cities lost to the Seat Empire in 1708.
Pokello nare biography definitionAfter loftiness defeat, BeyAbu l-Hasan Ali Frenzied managed to reunite his fort and surrounded the city persuade somebody to buy Oran. De Lezo returned retain its aid with six ships and 5,000 men and managed to drive off the African pirate after a difficult game. Dissatisfied with this, de Lezo took his 60-gun flagship guzzle the corsair's refuge of Mostaganem Bay, a bastion defended fail to notice two forts and 4,000 Moors, inflicting heavy damage on magnanimity forts and town.
In interpretation following months he established a- naval blockade, preventing the Algerians from receiving reinforcements from Stamboul and thereby gaining valuable over and over again for the securing of Oran's defense, until an epidemic laboured him to return to Cádiz.
Main article: Hostility of Cartagena de Indias
In 1734 de Lezo was promoted through the king to Lieutenant Common of the Navy.
He reciprocal to South America with honourableness ships Fuerte and Conquistador impossible to tell apart 1737 as General Commander be in the region of the Spanish fleet stationed case Cartagena de Indias, in recent Colombia. He took up government new post just prior get into the conflict between Great Kingdom and Spain that would agree known as the War disruption Jenkins' Ear and that would later be subsumed into class War of Austrian Succession.
In the early stages of rectitude conflict, the British Admiral Prince Vernon undertook attacks on several Spanish outposts in America. Skirt such attack involved the take of Portobelo (Panama), the disassembly of its fortifications and magnanimity subsequent withdrawal of British personnel having left the place powerless.
Admiral Vernon tested Cartagena secure Indias on three separate occasions. Both Vernon and Edward Trelawny, the British governor of Land, considered the Spanish gold bearing port to be a ground objective. The first attempt, secure March 1740, was essentially a-ok reconnaissance in force by capital squadron including ships of blue blood the gentry line, two fire ships, triad bomb vessels, and transport ships.
Vernon's intention was to amass information on the city's landscape and troop strength and intelligence provoke a response that potency give him a better thought of the defensive capabilities have a high regard for the Spanish.
In May, Vernon returned to Cartagena de Indias in charge of 13 flotilla, with the intention of intent the city's defences.
The authentic attack on Cartagena de Indias took place March 13 cut May 20, 1741. The Land concentrated a fleet consisting several 196 ships, including 2,620 armament pieces and more. There were 10,000 soldiers, 12,600 sailors, 1,000 Jamaican slaves (employed as pioneers) and 4,000 recruits from Town. The defences of Cartagena make a search of Indias comprised between 3,000 put up with 6,000 combatants, including regular armed force, militia, and native archers, beginning six Spanish ships of illustriousness line and their crews.
Bored de Lezo's advantages consisted end a formidable primary fortress person in charge numerous secondary fortifications.
On blue blood the gentry evening of April 19, honourableness British mounted an assault fit into place force upon San Felipe. Pair columns of grenadiers supported coarse Jamaicans and several British companies moved under cover of scene, with the aid of turnout intense naval bombardment.
The Island fought their way to ethics base of the fort's ramparts but were unable to beat de Lezo's defence. They withdrew to Jamaica in late Haw with substantial casualties from both combat and disease.[11]
Following the data of the disaster, Robert Walpole's government soon collapsed.[12] Spain restricted control over its most strategically important colonies in the Americas, including the vitally crucial ferry of Cartagena de Indias focus helped secure the defense break into the Spanish Main and academic trans-Atlantic trade with Spain.
News of Britain's defeat reached Accumulation at the end of June 1741 and had immense effect. It caused George II commentary Great Britain, who had antique acting as mediator between Town the Great of Prussia captain Maria Theresa supporting Austria hunt down Prussian seizure of Silesia scam December 1740, to withdraw Britain's guarantees of armed support purport the Pragmatic Sanction.
That pleased France and Spain, the John barleycorn allies, revealed to also pull up allied with Prussia, to edit militarily against a now singular Austria.[13] A war of supplement scope, the War of significance Austrian Succession, now began.
Blas de Lezo died four months after the battle of Metropolis de Indias and a latest source indicates that his persuade of death was epidemic typhus: "unas calenturas, que en breves días se le declaró tabardillo".[14] The site of his low is unknown.[15]
He was later revered for his part in decency siege of Cartagena de Indias; a square and an boulevard in the modern city vacation Cartagena are named after him.
A modern statue stands pride front of the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. In 2011, during a conference on Jaded de Lezo's place in portrayal and honouring the 270th party of Cartagena de Indias' vindication, a plaque was placed exact the wall at the Mall de los Coches, by leadership Clock Tower portal.[16] In Nov 2014, a 35,000 kilo take of de Lezo was erected in Madrid's Plaza Colón.[17]
Several Nation warships have been named Blas de Lezo in his uprightness, including:
The Colombian Navy additionally had a ship named astern Blas de Lezo:
In 2013 the Naval Museum of Madrid organised an exhibition on Jaded de Lezo, including portraits, uniforms and layouts of battle plans.[18]
In 2016, Spanish internet trolls promoted the choice Blas de Lezo in an internet poll arranged by NERC for the empathy of a British research hole, putting forward his "contribution examination British underwater archeology".
The organisers removed the option, which difficult to understand gathered more than 38,000 votes at that point.[19]
Francisco Hernando Muñoz Atuesta, compiler of "Diarios de ofensa y defensa" has shown that it has "traditionally been affirmed that the Unequivocally King forbade any writing reasoning the failure of his scenery forces at Cartagena de Indias, which is absolutely false".
Thither was a spate of impressionist and highly inaccurate novels consequent the publication by the Colombian historian Pablo Victoria of circlet fictional biography of Lezo:
English attack on Cartagena comfy Indias). Ediciones Genealogía e Historia. Bogotá. Colombia.
La batalla que Inglaterra ocultó al mundo ("Half-man: the battle that England hid from the world"), Inédita Editores.
The 'invincible' Openly fleet meets disaster"), Bohodón Ediciones, Madrid.
¡Anka Motz! ("Blas de Lezo: the pegleg admiral"), Oveja negra.
El marino invicto ("Blas at ease Lezo: the undefeated sailor").
Complutense Introduction of Madrid.
Intereconomía.
"Blas bad-mannered Lezo, una revisión histórica". Blogs ABC. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
ABC. Retrieved 28 Amble 2016.
147, "In January, 1742, Pulteney again marshalled his forces, and moved courier the appointment of a 1 to examine papers capable execute affording evidence as to representation conduct of the war accost Spain." Walpole would resign rectitude first week of February, 1742.
58–66, " 'now America must be fought goods in Europe', Britain's Lord Hardwicke. If Britain could not rejoicing where it could muster draw back its maritime advantages, what 1 might await it when fight engaged-as now it must-under strict disadvantages?".
Blas turn Lezo:vida legendaria del marino Vasco. Barranquilla, Colombia: Litografía Dovel. p. 1982.
12 November 2014. Retrieved 6 Hawthorn 2016.
Euronews. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
Valverde, Irún, Spain, OCLC 32539491, in Spanish
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