Siege of Fort Crozon

In the wake of reorganising his navy, King Philip II of Spain was intent on establishing advanced bases in western France from which his navy could constantly threaten England and Ireland. In 1593 Blavet had been established by the Spanish in Brittany and news of this caused concern in England. Reports of a Spanish expedition under Juan del Águila hoping to seize the major port of Brest caused greater concern and John Norreys, already in France, wrote a warning letter to the Queen. Elizabeth, seeing the danger, ordered Norreys to join with Martin Frobisher and expel the Spanish. As part of Spanish preparations for an intended siege of Brest, a well-situated fort was to be built on the peninsula completely commanding the Roadstead of Brest. Águila's chief engineer, Captain Cristóbal de Rojas, designed a modern fortification, christened El Leon - companies took turns in construction, foraging, and defence. Spanish admiral Pedro de Zubiaur arrived with twelve ships landing equipment, which accelerated the construction of the fort, and two shaped bastions with a glacis were formed in front of the drawbridge guarding where the peninsula joined the mainland. The fort had a significant number of guns, one bastion containing eighteen culverins and another smaller bastion had six; many of these guns were brought by the fleet of Zubiaur. Don Tomé de Paredes was appointed commander of the garrison of the fort, with his company, that of Diego de Aller and Pedro Ortiz Dogaleño totalling 401 men, with a mission to complete the construction of the fort. In June, 1,000 veteran English troops led by Sir Thomas Baskerville, who had been fighting in the Netherlands, were the first to arrive, landing at Paimpol. This was joined in August by another force of 2,000 soldiers from Plymouth under the command of John Norreys and ten ships of war with 1,200 sailors and marines commanded by Martin Frobisher in his flagship Vanguard. The French under the overall command of Jean VI d'Aumont consisted of 3,000 troops, under the command of Baron de Molac, 300 mounted arquebusiers and 400 knights. In the opening campaign the town of Morlaix was besieged and captured from the Spanish and Leaguer forces in September. The town of Quimper was taken next and in October the Anglo-French force headed towards Brest to lay siege to the Crozon peninsula. ==Siege==

On 1 October the siege began when Frobisher's ships arrived and blockaded the fort (which was still not finished) and fired off a desultory bombardment before the land force arrived. They also had to cope with sorties from the Spanish bastions, day and night, so that the siege positions were not permanently positioned. Águila's relief force started off having been delayed because he did not have cavalry, but continued on with 4,000 infantry and two pieces of artillery. The French cavalry force armed with arquebusiers numbering 300 made frequent attacks delaying Águila further. Aumont received news of Águila's relief force and ordered the besiegers to double their efforts, in particular putting pressure on the miners to complete the mining for detonation and to launch an immediate assault. The ruse was successful - they then threw themselves at the breach and this time swept in, overwhelming the Spanish in desperate hand-to-hand fighting. The Spanish fought bravely but were all eventually put to the sword; no quarter was given even if there were women and children inside. When news of the fort's fall reached him, Águila, who was only a few miles away, led a hasty retreat, leaving behind his heavy baggage and artillery in order to escape a feared trap. ==Aftermath==

The Anglo-French force then consolidated themselves in the fort. The French criticized the English, in particular Norreys for being brutal and cruel, and Aumont ordered any remaining survivors to be respected as prisoners of war. The Spanish retention of Blavet allowed for a spoiling attack on Cornwall the following year but this was only a minor descent that proved that England's defences were found wanting. Águila would later take part in the disastrous 4th Spanish Armada to Ireland in 1601 which ended in defeat at the siege of Kinsale. Legacy Both Samuel de Champlain and Martin Frobisher, two early explorers of Canada, were at this siege and most probably met there and knew one another. Soon after the destruction the French named the place Pointe des Espagnols in tribute to the courage of the defenders. == References ==