The Battle of Pantelleria (1586) also known as the Fight at Pantalarea was a naval engagement that took place during the Anglo–Spanish War off the island of Pantelleria on 13 July 1586. The encounter was between an English armed merchant fleet of five ships of the Levant Company in convoy under Edward Wilkinson and a fleet of eleven Spanish and Maltese galleys under Don Pedro de Leyva. The English managed to repel all the attacks and returned home unmolested. Although minor the battle had significant consequences in testing English firepower of which was to be used against the Spanish armada two years later when England was under threat of invasion. Background The Company of Merchants of the Levant (or the Turkey Company) had been trading in the Mediterranean since 1580 after a successful petition to Queen Elizabeth I. They had established "factories" in Aleppo (its headquarters), as well as Constantinople, Alexandria, and Smyrna. After the Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585 and the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots in February 1587, Philip II of Spain decided that it was time to invade England and war was declared. As a result, the Levant company armed their ships as part of an investment by the English crown. Philip II's maritime force lay within the Straits of Gibraltar where two squadrons of galleys were cruising under Giovanni Andrea Doria. Further in was the Sicilian squadron, composed of Spanish and Maltese galleys, under Captain-General Don Pedro de Leyva (who had replaced Don Alonso Martinez de Leyva the previous year). Both Doria and Leyva had orders to intercept any English merchant fleets which would have to sail through them. Five of the Levant company's ships left London in November 1585 - the 300 ton galleon Merchant Royal (being head of the fleet) under 'acting Admiral' Edward Wilkinson and the William and John were bound for Tripoli and the Toby for Constantinople. The Susan and the 300 ton armed merchant galleon Edward Bonaventure were bound for Venice. After completing their trading ventures, the ships met at Zante (Zakynthos) and after provisioning for the voyage home they set out together. Encounter On 13 July 1586, near the island of Pantelleria, between Tunis and Sicily, they soon sighted a number of ships that turned out to be galleys, eleven in all supported by two frigates. Wilkinson ordered the ships to venture close to the coast of the island