Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (3 February 1689 – 7 September 1741) was a
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
navy officer best remembered for the
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ( es, Sitio de Cartagena de Indias, lit=Siege of Cartagena de Indias) took place during the 1739 to 1748 War of Jenkins' Ear between Spanish Empire, Spain and Kingdom of Great Britain, Britain. The result of lo ...
(1741) in the Viceroyalty of New Granada, where
Spanish imperial forces under his command decisively defeated a large British invasion fleet under Admiral
Edward Vernon
Admiral Edward Vernon (12 November 1684 – 30 October 1757) was an English naval officer. He had a long and distinguished career, rising to the rank of admiral after 46 years service. As a vice admiral during the War of Jenkins' Ear, in 1 ...
.
Throughout his naval career, Lezo sustained many severe wounds; he lost his left eye, left hand, complete mobility of the right arm, and had his left leg amputated
in situ
''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...
after being hit by the
projectile
A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found in ...
of a cannon. He perceived his wounds and physical limitations as medals, refusing to wear an eye patch to hide his blind eye. Wearing his past battles history on his flesh won the respect of his peers and soldiers.
Lezo's defense of Cartagena de Indias against a vastly larger British fleet consolidated his legacy as one of the most heroic figures in the history of Spain. He is often recognized as one of the greatest strategists in
naval history
Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large lan ...
.
Biography
Early missions and injuries
Born in
Pasajes
Pasaia ( es, Pasajes) is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community of northern Spain. It is a fishing community, commercial port and the birthplace of the famous admiral Blas de Lezo.
Pasaia l ...
(by then still part of
San Sebastián
San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...
), in the
Basque Province of Guipúzcoa in Spain, Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta attended school in France and commenced his naval career in the Franco-Spanish navy in 1701 as a
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
. In 1704 he fought in the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
as a crew member in the Franco-Spanish fleet against the combined forces of Great Britain and the Netherlands at the indecisive
Battle of Vélez-Málaga
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
. During the battle, his left leg was hit by cannon-shot and was amputated under the knee.
Promoted to
ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
, Lezo was present at the relief of
Peñíscola
Peníscola () or Peñíscola (), anglicised as Peniscola, is a municipality in the Province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain. The town is located on the Costa del Azahar, north of the Serra d'Irta along the Mediterranean coast. It is a p ...
, Spain, and
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
; his service in these and other actions resulted in his promotion to ship lieutenant. Participating in the 1707
defence of the French naval base of Toulon cost him his left eye. In 1711 he served in the Spanish Navy under the orders of
Andrés de Pez
Andrés de Pez y Malzarraga (1657 - May 7, 1723) was a Spanish Naval commander and founder of Pensacola, Florida.
Life and career
Andrés de Pez was born in Cádiz in 1657 into a naval tradition. His father and older brother were Spanish Naval cap ...
. In 1713 he was promoted to captain. In 1714 he lost use of his right arm in the
Siege of Barcelona. Later in this campaign, his ship captured the ''Stanhope'' commanded by John Combes, sometimes claimed to be a 70-gun but actually just a 20-gun merchantman.
Thus, by age 25, depending on the sources, de Lezo had lost his left eye, his left leg below the knee, and the use of his right arm. Modern sources often focus on these salient features and refer to Lezo with nicknames such as "''Patapalo''" (
Pegleg
A pegleg is a prosthesis, or artificial limb, fitted to the remaining stump of a human leg. Its use dates to antiquity.
History
By the late 19th century, prosthetics vendors would offer peglegs as cheaper alternatives to more intricate, lifelik ...
) and "''Mediohombre''" (Half-man). There is no contemporary proof that these (or others) were actually used during Lezo's lifetime.
First posting to the Americas
Lezo served in the Pacific in 1720–1728. Although it has been claimed that he took many prizes during this period, documentary evidence indicates that he captured just two French frigates and not in the Pacific but in the Atlantic. He reached
Callao
Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...
in the
Viceroyalty of Peru
The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...
with them in January 1720, although he had left Spain in 1716 as second-in-command of the ''Nuestra Señora del Carmen'' or Lanfranco as part of the expedition commanded by Juan Nicolás de Martinet (he separated from the expedition while sailing past Cape Horn). The prizes attributed to Lezo were actually taken by Martinet, who reached Callao in June 1717 and left the Pacific in 1719 before Lezo's arrival. Lezo married in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
in 1725.
Return to the Mediterranean
In 1730 he returned to Spain and was promoted to chief of the Mediterranean Fleet; with this force he went to the
Republic of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...
to enforce the payment of two million pesos owed to Spain that had been retained in the Bank of San Jorge. Deeming the honor of the Spanish flag to be at stake, de Lezo threatened the city with bombardment.
In 1732, on board the ''Santiago'', he and
José Carrillo de Albornoz commanded the enormous
expedition to Oran and
Mers-el-Kébir with more than 300 ships and around 28,000 troops, comprising infantry, cavalry and artillery. In the Battle of Aïn-el-Turk they recaptured the cities lost to the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1708. After the defeat,
Bey
Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...
Abu l-Hasan Ali I
Abu l-Hasan Ali I ( ar, أبو الحسن علي باش; 30 June 1688 – 22 September 1756), also known as Ali Pasha and Ali Bey I,) was the second leader of the Husainid Dynasty and the ruler of Tunisia from 1735 to 1756.
Biography
He was a ...
managed to reunite his troops and surrounded the city of Oran. de Lezo returned to its aid with six ships and 5,000 men and managed to drive off the
Algerian pirate after a difficult fight. Dissatisfied with this, Lezo took his 60-gun flagship into the corsair's refuge of
Mostaganem Bay, a bastion defended by two forts and 4,000
Moors
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
, inflicting heavy damage on the forts and town. In the following months he established a naval blockade, preventing the Algerians from receiving reinforcements from
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
and thereby gaining valuable time for the securing of
Oran
Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
's defense, until an epidemic forced him to return to
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
.
General Commander and Battle of Cartagena de Indias
In 1734 de Lezo was promoted by the king to Lieutenant General of the Navy. He returned to South America with the ships ''Fuerte'' and ''Conquistador'' in 1737 as General Commander of the Spanish fleet stationed at
Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, bordering the Caribbean sea. Cartagena's past role as a link ...
, in modern-day
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
. He took up his new post just prior to the conflict between Great Britain and Spain that would become known as the
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear, or , was a conflict lasting from 1739 to 1748 between Britain and the Spanish Empire. The majority of the fighting took place in New Granada and the Caribbean Sea, with major operations largely ended by 1742. It is con ...
and that would later be subsumed into the War of Austrian Succession.
![Blas de Lezo Madrid 2014 03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Blas_de_Lezo_Madrid_2014_03.jpg)
In the early stages of the conflict, the British Admiral
Edward Vernon
Admiral Edward Vernon (12 November 1684 – 30 October 1757) was an English naval officer. He had a long and distinguished career, rising to the rank of admiral after 46 years service. As a vice admiral during the War of Jenkins' Ear, in 1 ...
undertook attacks on various Spanish outposts in America. One such attack involved the capture of Portobelo (Panama), the dismantling of its fortifications and the subsequent withdrawal of British forces having left the place defenceless.
![61 - Carthagène - Décembre 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/61_-_Carthag%C3%A8ne_-_D%C3%A9cembre_2008.jpg)
Admiral Vernon tested Cartagena de Indias on three separate occasions. Both Vernon and Edward Trelawny, the British governor of Jamaica, considered the Spanish gold shipping port to be a prime objective. The first attempt, in March 1740, was essentially a
reconnaissance in force by a squadron including
ships of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colum ...
, two
fire ships
A fire ship or fireship, used in the days of wooden rowed or sailing ships, was a ship filled with combustibles, or gunpowder deliberately set on fire and steered (or, when possible, allowed to drift) into an enemy fleet, in order to destroy sh ...
, three
bomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannons ( long guns or carronades) – although bomb vessels carried a few cannons for self-defence – but mortars mounte ...
s, and
transport ship
A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
s. Vernon's intention was to gather information on the city's topography and troop strength and to provoke a response that might give him a better idea of the defensive capabilities of the Spanish.
In May, Vernon returned to Cartagena de Indias in charge of 13 warships, with the intention of probing the city's defences.
The actual attack on Cartagena de Indias took place March 13 through May 20, 1741. The British concentrated a fleet consisting of 196 ships, including 2,620 artillery pieces and more. There were 10,000 soldiers, 12,600 sailors, 1,000
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n slaves (employed as pioneers) and 4,000 recruits from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. The defences of Cartagena de Indias comprised between 3,000 and 6,000 combatants, including regular troops, militia, and native archers, and six Spanish ships of the line and their crews. Blas de Lezo's advantages consisted of a formidable primary fortress and numerous secondary fortifications.
On the evening of April 19, the British mounted an assault in force upon
San Felipe. Three columns of
grenadiers supported by Jamaicans and several British companies moved under cover of darkness, with the aid of an intense
naval bombardment
Naval gunfire support (NGFS) (also known as shore bombardment) is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the ...
. The British fought their way to the base of the fort's
ramparts but were unable to overcome de Lezo's defence. They withdrew to Jamaica in late May with substantial casualties from both combat and disease.
Following the news of the disaster, Robert Walpole's government soon collapsed. Spain retained control over its most strategically important colonies in the Americas, including the vitally crucial port of Cartagena de Indias that helped secure the defense of the
Spanish Main
During the Spanish colonization of America, the Spanish Main was the collective term for the parts of the Spanish Empire that were on the mainland of the Americas and had coastlines on the Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico. The term was used to di ...
and its trans-Atlantic trade with Spain.
News of Britain's defeat reached Europe at the end of June 1741 and had immense repercussions. It caused
George II of Great Britain
, house = Hanover
, religion = Protestant
, father = George I of Great Britain
, mother = Sophia Dorothea of Celle
, birth_date = 30 October / 9 November 1683
, birth_place = Herrenhausen Palace,Cannon. or Leine ...
, who had been acting as mediator between
Frederick the Great
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
of
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
and
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...
supporting Austria over Prussian seizure of
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
in December 1740, to withdraw Britain's guarantees of armed support for the
Pragmatic Sanction
A pragmatic sanction is a sovereign's solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law. In the late history of the Holy Roman Empire, it referred more specifically to an edict issued by the Emperor.
When used ...
. That encouraged France and Spain, the Bourbon allies, revealed to also be allied with Prussia, to move militarily against a now isolated Austria. A war of wider scope, the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
, now began.
Death
Blas de Lezo died four months after the battle of Cartagena de Indias and a contemporary source indicates that his cause of death was epidemic typhus: "unas calenturas, que en breves días se le declaró tabardillo". The site of his grave is unknown.
He was later honoured for his part in the siege of Cartagena de Indias; a square and an avenue in the modern city of Cartagena are named after him. A modern statue stands in front of the
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
Castillo (Spanish for "castle") may refer to:
People
* Castillo (surname)
Places Geography Dominican Republic
* Castillo, Dominican Republic, a town in Duarte Province, Dominican Republic
Nicaragua
* El Castillo (municipality), a municipali ...
. In 2011, during a conference on Blas de Lezo's place in history and honouring the 270th anniversary of
Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, bordering the Caribbean sea. Cartagena's past role as a link ...
' defence, a plaque was placed on the wall at the Plaza de los Coches, by the Clock Tower portal. In November 2014, a 35,000 kilo statue of Lezo was erected in Madrid's ''
Plaza Colón''.
Legacy
![Blas de Lezo (F-103) in Tallinn](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Blas_de_Lezo_%28F-103%29_in_Tallinn.JPG)
Several Spanish warships have been named ''Blas de Lezo'' in his honour, including:
* An
''Elcano''-class cruiser, named ''
General Lezo
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
'', built in 1884.
* A
''Blas de Lezo''-class cruiser built in 1924, sunk in a shipwreck in 1932.
* The former a ''Gearing''-class destroyer – 1978 to 1991.
* An
''Álvaro de Bazán''-class frigate,
F103 was built at the Spanish Izar shipyard and launched in May 2003. She was commissioned in December 2004 and has a displacement of 5,800 tonnes.
The Colombian Navy also had a ship named after Blas de Lezo:
*
ARC ''Blas de Lezo'' (BT-62), acquired: 26 November 1947, Struck: January 1965. This ship was the former , a
''Mettawee''-class gasoline tanker.
In 2013 the
Naval Museum of Madrid
The Naval Museum ( es, Museo Naval) is a national museum in Madrid, Spain. It shows the history of the Spanish Navy since the Catholic Monarchs, in the 15th century, up to the present. The displays set naval history in a wide context with informat ...
organised an exhibition on Blas de Lezo, including portraits, uniforms and layouts of battle plans.
Recent publications
![Blas de Lezo unknown author](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Blas_de_Lezo_unknown_author.jpg)
Francisco Hernando Muñoz Atuesta, compiler of "Diarios de ofensa y defensa" has shown that it has "traditionally been affirmed that the English King forbade any writing on the failure of his armed forces at Cartagena de Indias, which is absolutely false".
There was a spate of impressionistic and highly inaccurate novels following the publication by the Colombian historian Pablo Victoria of his fictional biography of Lezo:
* Francisco Hernando Muñoz Atuesta (2015), ''Diarios de Ofensa y Defensa. Ataque inglés sobre Cartagena de Indias" (Diaries of Offense and Defense. English attack on Cartagena de Indias). Ediciones Genealogía e Historia. Bogotá. Colombia.
* Carlos Alonso Mendizábal (2008), ''Blas de Lezo, el malquerido'' ("Blas de Lezo, the unloved one"), Dossoles, Burgos.
* Ramiro Ribas Narváez (2009), ''La conjura de la mentira. Derrota de Inglaterra en Cartagena de Indias'' ("Conspiracy of lies: the defeat of England at Cartagena de Indias"), Akrón.
* Alber Vázquez (2010), ''Mediohombre. La batalla que Inglaterra ocultó al mundo'' ("Half-man: the battle that England hid from the world"), Inédita Editores.
* Felipe Blasco Patiño (2010), ''El hombre sin rey. ¿Pudo un solo hombre cambiar el destino de América? El desastre de la Armada Invencible inglesa'' ("The man without a king: could one man change the fate of America? The 'invincible' English fleet meets disaster"), Bohodón Ediciones, Madrid.
* Santiago Iglesias de Paúl (2011), ''El marino que cazaba lagartos... y que luchó junto a Blas de Lezo'' ("The sailor who hunted lizards... and fought alongside Blas de Lezo"), JM Ediciones.
* Orlando Name Bayona (2012), ''Blas de Lezo. El almirante patapalo. ¡Anka Motz!'' ("Blas de Lezo: the pegleg admiral"), Oveja negra.
* Juan Antonio Pérez-Foncea (2012), ''El héroe del Caribe. La última batalla de Blas de Lezo'' ("The Caribbean hero: Blas de Lezo's last battle"), Libroslibres.
* José Vicente Pascual (2013), ''Almirante en tierra firme. La aventura de Blas de Lezo, el español que derrotó a Inglaterra'' ("Admiral on dry land: the adventures of Blas de Lezo, the Spaniard who defeated England"), Áltera, Madrid.
* Francisco Javier Romero Valentín (2013), ''El paisano de Jamaica'' ("The Jamaican compatriot"), Amazon Media.
* David López (2013), ''El aventurero Vivar'' ("Vivar the adventurer"), Rocaeditorial.
* Víctor San Juan (2014), ''Morirás por Cartagena'' ("You shall die for Cartagena"), Punto de Vista Editores.
* Rafael Vidal & José Pablo García (2014), ''Blas de Lezo. El marino invicto'' ("Blas de Lezo: the undefeated sailor").
* Pablo Victoria (2014), ''Los amores prohibidos de Cecilita Caxiao. La extraña historia de cómo se salvó el diario de guerra de Blas de Lezo'' ("The forbidden loves of Cecilita Caxiao: the strange story of how Blas de Lezo's war diary was saved"), Amazon Media.
* Fernando de Artacho (2015), ''El almirante Mediohombre'' ("Admiral Half-man"), Algaida, Sevilla.
Arms
See also
*
Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada ( es, Virreinato de Nueva Granada, links=no ) also called Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada or Viceroyalty of Santafé was the name given on 27 May 1717, to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in norther ...
References
Bibliography
*
* Quintero Saravia, Gonzalo M. (2002) ''Don Blas de Lezo: defensor de Cartagena de Indias'' Editorial Planeta Colombiana, Bogotá, Colombia, , in Spanish
* Meisel Ujueta, Alfonso (1982) ''Blas de Lezo:vida legendaria del marino Vasco'' Litografía Dovel, Barranquilla, Colombia
OCLC 27881652 in Spanish
* Manfredi Cano, Domingo (1956) ''Blas de Lezo'' Publicaciones Españolas, Madrid
OCLC 17273075 in Spanish
* Barcáiztegui y Manso, José Javier de, Conde del Llobregat (1927) ''Un general español cojo, manco y tuerto, don Blas de Lezo, natural de Pasajes'' B. Valverde, Irún, Spain
OCLC 32539491 in Spanish
* Hartmann, Cyril Hughes (1953), ''The Angry Admiral. The Later Career of Edward Vernon, Admiral of the White'', William Heinemann Ltd, London.
* Ranft, B. McL. (1958), ''The Vernon Papers'', The Navy Records Society, London.
External links
2009 plaque honoring Blas de Lezo in Categena"Cartagena de Indias: heroísmo, patrimonio y placer en Colombia" ''Guía turística de Cartagena de Indias'' 2.0Viajes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lezo, Blas De
1689 births
1741 deaths
People from Pasaia
Spanish admirals
Spanish amputees
Spanish generals