Siege of Melilla (1774)
- When
- 1774–1775
- Where
- Melilla
- Episodes
- 2
In December 1774, Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah launched a siege against the Spanish fortress of Melilla with a large army. The city was defended by Governor Don Juan Sherlocke until a relief fleet arrived in March 1775.
Episodes
- Siege Begins
Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah invaded Melilla in December 1774 with a large army of Royal Moroccan soldiers and Algerian mercenaries.
- Siege Lifted
The siege was lifted by a relief fleet in March 1775, ending the attempt to capture the Spanish fortress.
Background and detail
Background. Melilla is, in the present day, an autonomous Spanish city on the North African coast. In 1773, the Sultan sent an ambassador to Britain for military equipment. Diplomatic tensions escalated when Charles III declared war on the sultanate in October 1774.
The Siege. The Sultan assembled an army of 30,000 to 40,000 men and artillery. He began a bombardment of Melilla in December 1774. The small garrison under Governor Sherlocke held out until a relief fleet lifted the siege in March 1775.
People involved
- Mohammed ben Abdallah · Sultan of Morocco
- Don Juan Sherlocke · Governor of Melilla
Sources
- Siege of Melilla (1774–1775) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
- Melilla Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
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