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Vol. 65, No. 1 spring 2020


52 in Sicily, where all the commanders agreed to attack the Ottoman navy. It sailed to Corfu for a conference


on September 27, when the attack plan was fi nalized, then moved along the Greek coast for a fi nal approach to Lepanto.


On October 6, the Ottomans began to move their fl eet from the protected anchorage at Lepanto and out into the Gulf of Patras to face the Holy League. As dawn broke on October 7, the two fl eets began to position themselves into a line abreast formation, approaching each other head on. Both fl eets formed into three groups: center and leſt and right wings. (Figure 2) T e Ottoman wings had the objective of fl anking their opponent by relying on the shallow draſt of their galleys and their local knowledge of the coastal waters. T e two fl agships, Don Juan’s Real and Ali Pasha’s Sultana, would lead the fi ght for the center. T e Holy League planned to utilize cannon fi re as a primary weapon; the fl eet included six galleasses that were placed in front of the battle line and used as fl oating gun platforms. T e Ottomans preferred to use archers as their main weapon and planned to close with their opponents and fi ght at close range by attempting to ram and then board the enemy ships and fi ght hand-to-hand. T e battle line extended for four miles from side to side and consisted of some 450-500 ships and over 100,000 oarsmen, soldiers and crew. T e Ottomans were believed to have an advantage in number of ships, approximately 280 to 220, but the Holy League had heavier galleys with more fi repower.


T e battle started with the Ottomans engaging the galleasses as they approached the Holy League battle line. T e galleasses’ broadside fi repower was eff ective and disabled several galleys. T e other galleys found a way through to start to engage their adversaries. On board La Real, Don Juan waited to fi re the forward cannons until the Turks were within point blank range. Aſt er this, La Real and the Sultana collided, and the Ottomans attempted to board. T is fi ghting continued for over an hour, as the two sides remained deadlocked in the center. On the leſt wing, the Venetian galleys had good success at preventing


the Ottomans from turning the fl ank, and many Ottoman galleys were run aground onto the shore. On the right wing the Ottomans were commanded by Uluch Ali, a renowned Algerian corsair who was perhaps the Ottomans most accomplished sailor. He was opposed by the Genoan Gian’Andrea Doria, the great-nephew of the venerable Admiral Andrea Doria. T e fi ght here was more of a cat and mouse game with each side maneuvering for the advantage. Finally, a gap opened between the center and right wing of the Holy League line, and Uluch Ali succeeded in penetrating into the rear of the Holy League fl eet. Had this happened earlier in the battle it might have proved decisive, but the battle in the center had turned against the Ottomans, as Ali Pasha was hit by a bullet and disabled, and then beheaded. T e soldiers on La Real stuck his head on a pike and displayed it to the Ottomans, who began to fall back. T is allowed the Holy League galleys to regroup and fi ght off the fl anking threat. Uluch Ali then retreated from the fi ght, taking 80-90 ships with him back to Istanbul. Most of the remaining Ottoman ships were sunk, burned or captured. T e battle lasted approximately four hours and the total loss of life was estimated between 30,000 and 40,000 men. (Figure 3)


In the aſt ermath of the battle, the Venetian and


Spanish governments both negotiated peace treaties with the Ottomans, who tended to stay in the Eastern Mediterranean thereaſt er. Fighting continued in North Africa over Algiers and Tunis, which remained the lairs of Muslim corsairs for many years. T e victor of Lepanto, Don Juan of Austria, gained fame and renown with everyone except Philip II. He retained command of the fl eet for a raid on Tunis in 1573, but he was then sent to the Netherlands as governor- general to fi ght the ongoing Protestant rebellion. He died of typhoid in Flanders in 1578.


T e war galley of the Renaissance era T e galley was the main weapon of


all the


Mediterranean battle fl eets for two millennia. It evolved through one, two and three tiers of oarsmen to


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