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Battle of the Dardanelles (1656)
Encyclopedia
The Action of 26 June 1656 or Third Battle of the Dardanelles in the Sixth Ottoman-Venetian War
took place on 26 and 27 June 1656 inside the Dardanelles Strait. The battle was a clear victory for Venice
and the Knights Hospitaller
over the Ottoman Empire
, although their commander, Lorenzo Marcello, was killed on the first day.
. Ottoman forces had captured most of the island in the early years of the war, but where unable to seize its capital, the heavily fortified city of Candia (modern Heraklion
). The Venetians, superior at sea, endeavoured to cut off the supplies and reinforcements to the Ottoman army, and attempted several times to blockade the Straits of the Dardanelles, through which the Ottoman fleet had to sail to reach the Aegean Sea
from its base around Constantinople
.
, outside the Dardanelles Strait, on 23 May 1656 with 13 sailing ships, 6 galleasses
and 24 galleys as well as some more vessels under Pietro Bembo. On 11 June, 7 Maltese
galleys under Gregorio Carafa arrived, making a total of 29 sailing ships, 7 galleasses and 31 galleys.
On 23 June the Ottomans, under Kenan or Chinam Pasha, a Russian convert, appeared in the Strait with 28 sailing ships, 9 galleasses and 61 galleys. On 24 June Turkish land batteries
on either side of the Straits tried to drive the Venetians off but failed.
n side of the Strait just below the Narrows, and a mêlée
ensued, the result of which was never in doubt. Kenan Pasha got back past the Narrows with 14 galleys but the rest were either captured, sunk or burnt. Sultan/San Marco was the most advanced Venetian ship and did the most to prevent the Ottoman retreat, but she ran aground under the Ottoman guns and was abandoned.
During the course of the battle, the Venetian Captain General Marcello was killed by a direct cannon hit, but his death kept a secret from all but his second, the provedditore of the fleet Barbaro Badoer.
Some small-scale fighting happened the next day, and at the end of it, the Ottoman fleet had lost 4 large sailing ships, 2 pinks, 5 galleasses and 13 galleys captured, and 22 sailing ships, 4 galleasses and 34 galleys sunk or burnt. Only 2 Ottoman sailing ships and 14 galleys escaped. Of the captured ships, Malta received 2 galleasses, 8 galleys and 1 "super galley" (or galleass?). The Venetians lost 3 sailing ships burnt and their casualties were 207 killed, 260 wounded and 94 missing. Maltese casualties were 40 killed and 100 or more wounded. Some 5,000 Christian slaves employed in the Ottoman fleet were freed.
, and enabled the Venetians to occupy the strategically important islands of Tenedos
and Lemnos
, thus establishing a tight blockade of the Straits. As a result, the resupply of Crete was effectively cut off, and Constantinople itself suffered a shortage of food during the winter. In a three-day battle in July 1657 however, the blockade would be broken again.
Cretan War (1645–1669)
The Cretan War or War of Candia , as the Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War is better known, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States, fought over the island of Crete, Venice's largest and richest overseas possession...
took place on 26 and 27 June 1656 inside the Dardanelles Strait. The battle was a clear victory for Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
and the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
over the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, although their commander, Lorenzo Marcello, was killed on the first day.
Background
Since 1645, Venice and the Ottoman Empire had been at war over the possession of the island of CreteCrete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. Ottoman forces had captured most of the island in the early years of the war, but where unable to seize its capital, the heavily fortified city of Candia (modern Heraklion
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
). The Venetians, superior at sea, endeavoured to cut off the supplies and reinforcements to the Ottoman army, and attempted several times to blockade the Straits of the Dardanelles, through which the Ottoman fleet had to sail to reach the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
from its base around Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
.
Preface
Marcello reached the island of ImbrosImbros
Imbros or Imroz, officially referred to as Gökçeada since July 29, 1970 , is an island in the Aegean Sea and the largest island of Turkey, part of Çanakkale Province. It is located at the entrance of Saros Bay and is also the westernmost point of Turkey...
, outside the Dardanelles Strait, on 23 May 1656 with 13 sailing ships, 6 galleasses
Galleass
The galleass developed from large merchant galleys.Converted for military use they were higher and larger than regular galleys. They had up to 32 oars, each worked by up to 5 men. They usually had three masts and a forecastle and aftcastle. Much effort was made in Venice to make these galleasses...
and 24 galleys as well as some more vessels under Pietro Bembo. On 11 June, 7 Maltese
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
galleys under Gregorio Carafa arrived, making a total of 29 sailing ships, 7 galleasses and 31 galleys.
On 23 June the Ottomans, under Kenan or Chinam Pasha, a Russian convert, appeared in the Strait with 28 sailing ships, 9 galleasses and 61 galleys. On 24 June Turkish land batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
on either side of the Straits tried to drive the Venetians off but failed.
Battle
In the morning of 26 June the wind was from the north, and the Ottomans made good progress, the Venetian galleys being unable to assist their sailing ships. Then the wind backed, turning to the SE, trapping the Ottomans against the AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n side of the Strait just below the Narrows, and a mêlée
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
ensued, the result of which was never in doubt. Kenan Pasha got back past the Narrows with 14 galleys but the rest were either captured, sunk or burnt. Sultan/San Marco was the most advanced Venetian ship and did the most to prevent the Ottoman retreat, but she ran aground under the Ottoman guns and was abandoned.
During the course of the battle, the Venetian Captain General Marcello was killed by a direct cannon hit, but his death kept a secret from all but his second, the provedditore of the fleet Barbaro Badoer.
Some small-scale fighting happened the next day, and at the end of it, the Ottoman fleet had lost 4 large sailing ships, 2 pinks, 5 galleasses and 13 galleys captured, and 22 sailing ships, 4 galleasses and 34 galleys sunk or burnt. Only 2 Ottoman sailing ships and 14 galleys escaped. Of the captured ships, Malta received 2 galleasses, 8 galleys and 1 "super galley" (or galleass?). The Venetians lost 3 sailing ships burnt and their casualties were 207 killed, 260 wounded and 94 missing. Maltese casualties were 40 killed and 100 or more wounded. Some 5,000 Christian slaves employed in the Ottoman fleet were freed.
Aftermath
It was the heaviest naval defeat the Ottomans had suffered since the Battle of LepantoBattle of Lepanto (1571)
The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic maritime states, decisively defeated the main fleet of the Ottoman Empire in five hours of fighting on the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off western Greece...
, and enabled the Venetians to occupy the strategically important islands of Tenedos
Tenedos
Tenedos or Bozcaada or Bozdja-Ada is a small island in the Aegean Sea, part of the Bozcaada district of Çanakkale province in Turkey. , Tenedos has a population of about 2,354. The main industries are tourism, wine production and fishing...
and Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
, thus establishing a tight blockade of the Straits. As a result, the resupply of Crete was effectively cut off, and Constantinople itself suffered a shortage of food during the winter. In a three-day battle in July 1657 however, the blockade would be broken again.
Venice (Lorenzo Marcello, with Pietro Bembo)
- Fregata Contarini
- Tomaso Francesco
- Principessa grande
- Tre Re
- Croce d'Oro
- Principessa piccola
- Gallo d'Oro
- Sacrificio d'Abram
- Aquila Coronata (Kronede Arend)
- Profeta Samuel
- Arma di Nassau - Burnt
- Lionessa
- Arma di Lech
- Leon Negro
- Madonna del Carmine
- Santa Caterina
- Profeta Elia
- San Bartolamio
- Fama Volante
- Ercole
- Rosa Bianca
- Speranza (or San Nicola)
- Principe di Colognia
- San Pietro (hired Dutch) - Burnt
- Sultana/San Marco (ex-Ottoman) - Aground, abandoned and burnt
- Santa Margarita
- Paramor
- ?
- ?
- 7 galleasses
- 24 galleys
Ottoman Empire (Kenan Pasha)
- 4 large sailing ships - Captured
- 24 other sailing ships - 22 sunk/burnt
- 2 pinks - Captured
- 9 galleasses - 5 captured, 4 sunk/burnt
- 61 galleys - 13 captured, 34 sunk/burnt