The naval Battle of Malta took place on July 8, 1283 in the entrance to Grand Harbor, Valetta, when a galley fleet commanded by Roger of Lauria (Ruggiero di Lauria) defeated a fleet of Angevin galleys commanded by William Cornut and Bartholomew Bonvin. Cornut was killed. July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... Events June 1 - Treaty of Rheinfelden - Duke Rudolph II of Austria has to waive his right to the Duchies of Austria and Styria Teutonic Knights subjugate Prussia Sopot comes under the control of Gdańsk Gregory Cyprius becomes Patriarch of Constantinople Northern section of the Grand Canal of China is completed... St Johns Co-Cathedral Valletta, population 7048 (official estimate for 2000), is the capital of Malta. ... Roger of Lauria, or Ruggiero di Lauria (c. ...

Charles of Salerno, in the absence of his father (Charles I of Naples), had sent the Provençal fleet to relieve the besieged garrison of Malta, which was trapped in the "Castle of the Sea" in Grand Harbor after the inhabitants of Malta had revolted. Charles II, known as the Lame (Fr. ... Charles I (March 1227 - January 7, 1285) was the posthumous son of King Louis VIII of France, created Count of Anjou by his elder brother King Louis IX in 1246, thus founding the second Angevin dynasty. ...

di Lauria learnt this and sent his own fleet. Arriving at night, he made contact with a besieger and sent a sentry boat into the harbor. It reported that the Angevin galleys were beached under the castle walls. di Lauria moved his galleys into line abreast at the entrance to the harbor, silencing the guard boats in the process, and connected his ships together. At about dawn he ordered a trumpet challenge to be sounded. His reason for doing this is not clear. Perhaps he wanted to show the bravery and boldness of his crews, or to prevent anyone from saying he couldn't have won if the enemy hadn't been asleep, but since he later attacked a sleeping enemy, it would seem that he did it to draw the Angevins out to his prepared position. It would've been difficult for him to attack in the confines of the harbor, and he would've lost the element of surprise anyway. Also, beached galleys were almost impossible to defeat in close combat, as they could be continually reinforced from shore.

The Angevin crews rushed to launch their galleys, and they moved out in a disorganized manner. di Lauria first used his Catalan archers, then closed for hand-to-hand combat. Cornut was killed by di Lauria in single combat when he boarded di Lauria's flagship, but Bonvin broke through the line with some galleys and escaped. About 10 galleys were captured.

Ships involved

di Lauria

probably 22 galleys; possibly as few as 18
4 lignas?
1 tarida?
1 vassellus?

Cornut and Bonvin

about 19 galleys - about 10 captured