Battle of Djerba
Part of the Turkish-Spanish Wars
Date May 9-14, 1560 Location near the island of Djerba off the coast of Tunisia Result Ottoman victory
Combatants
Christian Alliance: Spain Republic of Venice Papal States Republic of Genoa Duchy of Savoy Knights of Malta Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ... Djerba [1] (also transliterated as Jerba, Jarbah or Girba جزيرة جربة) is the largest island off North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes off the coast of Tunisia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Spain. ... Image File history File links State flag of the Most Serene Republic of Venice File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Map of the Venetian Republic, circa 1000 CE. The republic is in dark red, borders in light red. ... Image File history File links Wappen_Vatikanstadt. ... Map of the Papal States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Genoa. ... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... Image File history File links Savoie_flag. ... For the earlier history of Savoy, see County of Savoy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Sovereign_Military_Order_of_Malta. ... The Knights Hospitaller (also known as Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta, Cavaliers of Malta, and the Order of St. ...	Ottoman Empire
Commanders
Giovanni Andrea Doria	Piyale Pasha Turgut Reis
Strength
50-60 galleys 40 other vessels 12,000-14,000 soldiers	90 galleys 30 galliots 20,000 soldiers
Casualties
30 galleys lost 9,000 dead or wounded	Several galliots lost 1,000 dead or wounded

The Battle of Djerba (near the island of Djerba off the coast of Tunisia) was a naval battle that took place in 1560 and in which the Ottomans under Piyale Pasha's command overwhelmed a large joint European fleet, chiefly Spanish forces, sinking half its ships. ^[1] Image File history File links Ottoman_Navy1453-1789. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem At the height of its power (1680) Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Andrea Doria or DOria (November 30, 1466-November 25, 1560) was a Genoese condottiero and admiral. ... Piyale Pasha (circa 1515-1578), also known as Piale Pasha in the West or Pialí Bajá in Spain (Turkish: Piyale PaÅŸa), was an Ottoman-Turkish admiral between 1553 and 1567 and a high ranking Ottoman Vizier after 1568. ... Turgut Reis Turgut Reis (1485-1565) was a Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral as well as Bey of Algiers; Beylerbey of the Mediterranean; and first Bey later Pasha of Tripoli. ... Djerba [1] (also transliterated as Jerba, Jarbah or Girba جزيرة جربة) is the largest island off North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes off the coast of Tunisia. ... Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29... Piyale Pasha (circa 1515-1578), also known as Piale Pasha in the West or Pialí Bajá in Spain (Turkish: Piyale PaÅŸa), was an Ottoman-Turkish admiral between 1553 and 1567 and a high ranking Ottoman Vizier after 1568. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ...

Background

Since losing against Barbarossa Hayreddin's Ottoman fleet at the Battle of Preveza in 1538 and the disastrous expedition of Emperor Charles V against Barbarossa in Algiers in 1541, the major European sea powers in the Mediterranean, namely Spain and Venice, felt more and more threatened by the Ottomans and their corsair allies. Indeed, by 1558 Piyale Pasha had captured the Balearic Islands and together with Turgut Reis raided the Mediterranean coasts of Spain. King Philip II of Spain appealed to Pope Paul IV and his allies in Europe to organize an expedition to retake Tripoli from Turgut Reis, who had captured the city from the Maltese Knights in August 1551 and had subsequently been made Bey (Governor) of Tripoli by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha (Turkish: Barbaros Hayreddin PaÅŸa or Barbaros Hayrettin PaÅŸa, Arabic: Khair ad-Din) (c. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem At the height of its power (1680) Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... The naval Battle of Preveza took place on 28 September 1538 near Preveza in northwest Greece and was an important victory for an Ottoman fleet commanded by Khair ad Din (Barbarossa) over a Spanish-Venetian fleet commanded by the great Genoese admiral Andrea Doria fleet despite the allies having a... Events Treaty of Nagyvarad. ... Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. ... Nickname: al-Bahjah Location of Algiers within Algeria Algiers 944 A.D. Area    - City 273 km² Population    - City (2003) around 2. ... Events The first official translation of the entire Bible in Swedish February 12 - Pedro de Valdivia founds Santiago de Chile. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Map of the Venetian Republic, circa 1000 CE. The republic is in dark red, borders in light red. ... Events January 7 - French troops led by Francis, Duke of Guise take Calais, the last continental possession of England July 13 - Battle of Gravelines: In France, Spanish forces led by Count Lamoral of Egmont defeat the French forces of Marshal Paul des Thermes at Gravelines. ... Piyale Pasha (circa 1515-1578), also known as Piale Pasha in the West or Pialí Bajá in Spain (Turkish: Piyale PaÅŸa), was an Ottoman-Turkish admiral between 1553 and 1567 and a high ranking Ottoman Vizier after 1568. ... Capital Palma Official language(s) Catalan and Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4,992 km²  1. ... Turgut Reis Turgut Reis (1485-1565) was a Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral as well as Bey of Algiers; Beylerbey of the Mediterranean; and first Bey later Pasha of Tripoli. ... Philip II of Spain. ... Paul IV, né Giovanni Pietro Carafa (June 28, 1476 – August 18, 1559) was Pope from May 23, 1555 until his death. ... Tripoli (Arabic: طرابلس Tarābulus) is the capital city of Libya. ... The Knights Hospitaller (also known as Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta, Cavaliers of Malta, and the Order of St. ... Events Russia, Reforming Synod of the metropolite Macaire, Orthodoxy: introduction of a calendar of the saints and an ecclesiastical law code ( Stoglav ) Major outbreak of the sweating sickness in England. ... Bey is the Turkish word for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. ... Suleiman I (Turkish: Süleyman; Arabic: ‎ Sulaymān) (November 6, 1494 – September 5/6, 1566), was the tenth Sultan from the House of Osman of the Ottoman Empire, and its longest-serving, reigning from 1520 to 1566. ...

Forces

The historian William H. Prescott reportedly wrote that the sources describing the Djerba campaign were so contradictory that he defied the reader to reconcile them. Anyone attempting to piece together the campaign will be forced to the same conclusion. Most reputable historians believe that the fleet assembled by the allied Christian powers in 1560 consisted of between 50 and 60 galleys and between 40 and 60 smaller craft. For example, Giacomo Bosio, the official historian of the Knights of St. John writes that there were 54 galleys.^[2] Fernand Braudel^[3] also gives 54 warships plus thirty-six supply vessels. One of the most detailed accounts is by Carmel Testa ^[4] who evidently has access to the archives of the Knights of St. John. He lists precisely 54 galleys, 7 brigs, 17 frigates, 2 galleons, 28 merchant vessels and 12 small ships. These were supplied by a coalition that consisted of Genoa, Naples, Sicily, Florence the Papal States, and the Knights of S. John^[5][6] The joint fleet was assembled at Messina under the command of Giovanni Andrea Doria, nephew of the famous Genoese admiral Andrea Doria. It first sailed to Malta, where bad weather forced the fleet to remain for two months. During this time some 2,000 men were lost to sickness. William Hickling Prescott (May 4, 1796 - January 29, 1859) was a historian. ... Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ... The Knights Hospitaller (the or Knights of Malta or Knights of Rhodes) is a tradition which began as a Benedictine nursing Order founded in the 11th century based in the Holy Land, but soon became a militant Christian Chivalric Order under its own charter, and was charged with the care... Fernand Braudel Fernand Braudel (August 24, 1902–November 27, 1985) was a French historian. ... The Knights Hospitaller (the or Knights of Malta or Knights of Rhodes) is a tradition which began as a Benedictine nursing Order founded in the 11th century based in the Holy Land, but soon became a militant Christian Chivalric Order under its own charter, and was charged with the care... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... The Bay of Naples Naples (Italian: , Neapolitan: Nàpule, from Greek Νεάπολη < Νέα Πόλις Néa Pólis New City) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of the Campania region and the Province of Naples. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian, Sicilian and Spanish, Σικελία in Greek) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 km² and 5 million inhabitants. ... Florences skyline Florences skyline at night from Piazza Michaelangelo Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... Map of the Papal States. ... The Knights Hospitaller (also known as Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta, Cavaliers of Malta, and the Order of St. ... Messina, Italy Strait of Messina, Italy. ... Andrea Doria (November 30, 1466-November 25, 1560) was a Genoese condottiero and admiral. ...

On 10 February, 1560, the armada set sail for Tripoli. The precise numbers of soldiers aboard are not known. Braudel gives 10,000-12,000; Testa 14,000; older figures in excess of 20,000 are clearly wild exaggerations considering the number of men a sixteenth-century galley could carry.

Although the expedition landed not far from Tripoli, the lack of water, sickness and a freak storm caused the commanders to abandon their original objective, and on 7 March they returned to the island of Djerba, which they quickly overran. The Viceroy of Sicily, Don Juan de la Cerda, Duke of Medina Coeli, ordered a fort to be built on the island, and construction was begun. By that time a Turkish fleet of about 86 galleys and galliots under the command of Suleiman's admiral Piyale Pasha was already underway from Istanbul. Piyale's fleet arrived at Djerba on 11 May 1560, much to the surprise of the Christian forces. ^[7] Suleiman I (Turkish: Süleyman; Arabic: ‎ Sulaymān) (November 6, 1494 – September 5/6, 1566), was the tenth Sultan from the House of Osman of the Ottoman Empire, and its longest-serving, reigning from 1520 to 1566. ... Piyale Pasha (circa 1515-1578), also known as Piale Pasha in the West or Pialí Bajá in Spain (Turkish: Piyale Paşa), was an Ottoman-Turkish admiral between 1553 and 1567 and a high ranking Ottoman Vizier after 1568. ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: Konstandinúpoli, historically known in English as Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and economic center. ...

The Battle

The battle was over in a matter of hours, with about half the Christian galleys captured or sunk. Anderson ^[8] gives the total number of Christian casualities as 18,000 but Guilmartin ^[9] more conservatively puts the losses at about 9,000 of which about two-thirds would have been oarsmen.

The surviving soldiers took refuge in the fort they had completed just days earlier, which was soon attacked by the combined forces of Piyale Pasha and Turgut Reis (who had joined Piyale Pasha some days after the battle), but not before Giovanni Andrea Doria managed to escape in a small vessel. After a siege of three months, the garrison surrendered and, according to Bosio, Piyale carried about 5,000 prisoners back to Constantinople, including the Spanish commander, D. Alvaro de Sande, who had taken command of the Christian forces after Doria had fled. The accounts of the final days of the besieged garrison are irreconcilable. Ogier de Busbecq, the Hapsburg Ambassador in Constantinople, recounts in his famous Turkish Letters that, recognizing the futility of armed resistance, de Sande had tried to escape in a small boat, but was quickly captured. ^[10] In other accounts, for instance Braudel's, he led a sortie on 29 July and was in that way captured. Through Busbecq's efforts, de Sande was ransomed and released several years later and fought against the Turks at the Siege of Malta in 1565. Turgut Reis Turgut Reis (1485-1565) was a Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral as well as Bey of Algiers; Beylerbey of the Mediterranean; and first Bey later Pasha of Tripoli. ... Map of Constantinople. ... Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq from a 17th century engraving Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq (1520 or 1521-October 28, 1592; Latin: Augerius Gislenius Busbequius; sometimes Augier Ghislain de Busbecq) was the illegitmate son of the Seigneur de Busbecq, Georges Ghiselin and his mistress Catherine Hespiel. ... The Island of Malta The Siege of Malta was a significant military event during World War II that occurred between 1940 and 1942 on the island of Malta. ...

Aftermath

The victory in the Battle of Djerba represented the apex of Ottoman naval domination in the Mediterranean, in ascendance since the victory at Preveza 22 years earlier. The Ottomans soon assaulted the new base of the Knights of St. John in Malta in 1565 (whom they had previously expelled from Rhodes in 1522), but did not succeed this time. It was not until the destruction of a large Ottoman fleet by a combined Christian fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 that the myth of the seeming invincibility of the Turkish naval forces finally ended. Although the Ottomans were able to build another large fleet in less than a year, captured Cyprus from Venice in 1572 and reconquered Tunis from the Spaniards and their Hafsid vassals in 1574, the unchecked Ottoman supremacy in the Mediterranean had come to an end. Location map of Rhodes Rhodes, (Greek: Ρόδος (pron. ... Combatants Holy League: Republic of Venice Spain Papal States Republic of Genoa Duchy of Savoy Knights of Malta Ottoman Empire Commanders Don John of Austria Ali Pasha † Strength 206 galleys 6 galleasses 216 galleys 56 galliots Casualties 9,000 dead or wounded 12 galleys lost 30,000 dead or wounded... Events January 11 - Austrian nobility is granted Freedom of religion. ... Events January 16 - Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... Flag of Tunis under the Hafsids according to the Catalan Atlas c. ... Events April 14 - Battle of Mookerheyde. ...

Notes

1. ^ Ted Thornton's History of the Middle East Database
2. ^ Giacomo Bosio, History of the Knights of St. John, ed. by J. Baudoin, 1643, Book XV, p. 456.
3. ^ Fernand Braudel, The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1995).
4. ^ Carmel Testa,Romegas (Midsea Books, Malta, 2002).
5. ^ http://www.dallog.com/savaslar/cerbe.htm Battle of Djerba (Turkish)
6. ^ R.C. Anderson, Naval Wars in the Levant(Princeton University Press, Princeton 1952).
7. ^ John Guilmartin, Gunpowder and Galleys (Cambridge University Press, Cambrigde, 1974).
8. ^ Anderson op cit.
9. ^ Guilmartin op cit.
10. ^ Oghier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Life and Letters, volume I (Slatkine Reprints, Geneva, 1971).