Battle of the Counts
Encyclopedia
The naval Battle of the Counts took place on 23 June 1287 at Naples
, Italy
, when an Aragonese-Sicilian galley fleet commanded by Roger of Lauria
defeated a large combined Angevin (Apulian and Principatan) galley fleet commanded respectively by Reynald III Quarrel and Narjot de Toucy
.
Lauria had taken his fleet to Augusta, eastern Sicily
, after a report of an Angevin galley fleets landing invasion troops there. He landed his troops, who recaptured the town, leaving the Angevins holed up in the castle
. However, the invasion was a decoy and the Angevin galleys had sailed around the south of Sicily and linked up with their allies, forming a fleet about twice the size of Lauria's. Their plan was to land troops in the south-west of Sicily.
Lauria searched for the allied fleet and finally found it at Naples. Unable to attack it close to the city he bombarded the nearby coast to lure it out, as he had done in 1284, and sent in a formal challenge. The Angevin fleet came out arranged in 5 squadrons, each commanded by a count (hence the name of the battle). They were Reynald III Quarrel of Avella, Hugh of Brienne
, the Count of Aquila, Count Jean de Joinville
and Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola
. Each of their flag-galleys was surrounded to each side by 4 other galleys and to the rear by 2 galleys. The fleet flag-galley had 2 galleys to its front also. This made 63 galleys, and there may have been a small reserve since about 70 of the about 84 Angevin galleys are said to have come out to fight. 2 tarides carried the Papal and Angevin banners.
Lauria had around 40-45 galleys. He followed his usual tactic and retreated until the Angevin galleys had become disorganized, weathered their initial attack, then counterattacked from the sides, damaging the Angevin galleys oars. In a battle lasting much of the day, Henry di Mari again fled, leaving about 40 Angevin galleys to be captured, along with 5000 prisoners, including many counts and barons.
Ships involved:
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, when an Aragonese-Sicilian galley fleet commanded by Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria, Loria or de Llúria in Catalan , was an Sicilian-Aragonese admiral, who was the commander of the fleet of Aragon during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talented naval tactician of the medieval period...
defeated a large combined Angevin (Apulian and Principatan) galley fleet commanded respectively by Reynald III Quarrel and Narjot de Toucy
Narjot de Toucy (died 1293)
Narjot de Toucy was the son of Philip of Toucy and of Portia de Roye. Narjot was therefore the grandson of his namesake who died in 1241....
.
Lauria had taken his fleet to Augusta, eastern Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, after a report of an Angevin galley fleets landing invasion troops there. He landed his troops, who recaptured the town, leaving the Angevins holed up in the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
. However, the invasion was a decoy and the Angevin galleys had sailed around the south of Sicily and linked up with their allies, forming a fleet about twice the size of Lauria's. Their plan was to land troops in the south-west of Sicily.
Lauria searched for the allied fleet and finally found it at Naples. Unable to attack it close to the city he bombarded the nearby coast to lure it out, as he had done in 1284, and sent in a formal challenge. The Angevin fleet came out arranged in 5 squadrons, each commanded by a count (hence the name of the battle). They were Reynald III Quarrel of Avella, Hugh of Brienne
Hugh of Brienne
Hugh de Candie, Count of Brienne and Lecce was the second surviving son of Count Walter IV of Brienne and Marie de Lusignan of Cyprus....
, the Count of Aquila, Count Jean de Joinville
Jean de Joinville
Jean de Joinville was one of the great chroniclers of medieval France.Son of Simon de Joinville and Beatrice d'Auxonne, he belonged to a noble family from Champagne. He received an education befitting a young noble at the court of Theobald IV, count of Champagne: reading, writing, and the...
and Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola
Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola
Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola was the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleanor of England.He participated in the Battle of Evesham against the royalist forces of his uncle, King Henry III of England, and his cousin, Prince Edward...
. Each of their flag-galleys was surrounded to each side by 4 other galleys and to the rear by 2 galleys. The fleet flag-galley had 2 galleys to its front also. This made 63 galleys, and there may have been a small reserve since about 70 of the about 84 Angevin galleys are said to have come out to fight. 2 tarides carried the Papal and Angevin banners.
Lauria had around 40-45 galleys. He followed his usual tactic and retreated until the Angevin galleys had become disorganized, weathered their initial attack, then counterattacked from the sides, damaging the Angevin galleys oars. In a battle lasting much of the day, Henry di Mari again fled, leaving about 40 Angevin galleys to be captured, along with 5000 prisoners, including many counts and barons.
Ships involved: