Targa expedition (1490)

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Sack of Targa and Comice
Part of Moroccan-Portuguese conflicts

Morocco in the late 15th early 16th century.
Date1490[1]
Location
Targa
Result Portuguese victory[1]
Belligerents
Kingdom of Portugal Wattasid Morocco
Commanders and leaders
Dom Fernando de Meneses[1] Unknown.
Strength
130 horse, 1870 foot[1].
50 ships.[1]
Unknown
Casualties and losses
40 dead.[2] Several hundreds captured.

The Portuguese Targa expedition took place in 1490 when a Portuguese fleet commanded by Dom Fernando de Meneses [pt] plundered the town of Targa, a known pirate haven in Morocco. On the same occasion, Dom Fernando sacked the Moroccan mountain town of Comice.

History[edit]

The Portuguese occupied Ceuta in 1415 at the Conquest of Ceuta. In 1490, King John II prepared an expedition against the Moroccan qaid of Chefchaouen Ali Ibn Rashid al-Alam ("Barraxa" in Portuguese), and entrusted command to the son of the Marquis of Vila Real, Dom Fernando de Meneses, who was provided with 50 ships.[1] Having called at Gibraltar, he messaged the captain of Ceuta Dom António de Meneses [pt] (who was his brother) that he would disembark in that city shortly to attack Chefchaouen, but Dom António dissuaded him from undertaking the campaign, which he considered impractical.[1] Dom Fernando was instead persuaded to attack the town of Targa, which was a known pirate haven to the south-east of Ceuta.[3][1] Having been joined by some Spanish volunteers, the expedition ultimately numbered 130 horse and 1870 foot.[1]

As soon as the fleet came into sight of Targa, the settlement was evacuated by its inhabitants, leaving ample spoil behind.[1] The Portuguese disembarked, captured 25 ships, 370 people,[2] weapons including cannons, released a number of Christian POWs and razed the town along with the surrounding agricultural fields.[1]

Unsatisfied with the attack on Targa, Dom Fernando later that year joined forces with the captains of Portuguese Tangier and Alcácer-Ceguer to sack a town on the Rif mountains the Portuguese identified as Comice.[1] With an army then numbering 400 horses and 1200 feet the Portuguese sacked the town and captured ample spoil, including 100[1] or 1000[2][4] persons, cattle and horses.[1] 40 Portuguese died in the action.[2]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Ignacio da Costa Quintella: Annaes da Marinha Portugueza Typographia da Academia Real das Sciencias, 1839, pp.216-217.
  2. ^ a b c d Agostinho Manuel de Vasconcellos: Vida y acciones del Real Don Iuan el Segundo, Decimotercio de Portugal, Imprenta de Maria de Quiñones, 1639, p.244.
  3. ^ Irene Vaquinhas: Revista de História da Sociedade e da Cultura n.º 19, Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, 2019, p.110.
  4. ^ Juan de Ferreras: Synopsis historica chronologica de España, Volume 11, 1775, p. 389.