The naval battle of Lepanto in 1571. Battle of Lepanto - the last great battle of the galleys

In the 16th century The Mediterranean Sea was ruled by the Turks and African vassals of the Turkish Sultan. Muslim maritime hegemony hit the trade interests of the Italian cities: Venice and Genoa. The Spanish king, under whose subordination Naples was also, also felt restless. No wonder Charles organized campaigns against African pirates. The Battle of Lepanto was supposed to change the balance of power at sea. This largest naval battle after the Battle of Cape Actium went down in history as the last battle of the rowing fleets.

In 1570, Sultan Selim II started a war with the aim of capturing Cyprus, which belonged to the Venetian Republic. The Turkish army attacked the island, killed more than 20 thousand people, and besieged the city of Ammochostos. Pope Pius V actively began to create an anti-Turkish coalition. The Holy League included Spain, Venice, Genoa, Naples, Tuscany, Parma, Savoy, and the Order of Malta. Spain took on half of the military expenses, Venice - a third, the Pope - one sixth. Fleet preparation has begun in early spring. Philip II allowed his brother, the illegitimate son of Charles V, 24-year-old Don Juan of Austria, to become the head of the entire army. At one time, a church path was expected for him, but Juan was more interested in military affairs. In 1564, he entered the naval service, the next year he participated in the liberation of Malta from the Turks, and in 1568, with the rank of captain general, Don Juan spoke out against the Berber corsairs.

In May, a large Turkish fleet and army under the command of Al-i-Pasha were concentrated in Rhodes, blocking the path to Cyprus. In June the Turks were off Crete, then began to raid other islands. Meanwhile, the Allies united at Messina in Sicily. Arriving in Lepanto (now the Greek city of Nafpaktos), Ali Pasha received an order from the Sultan to attack Christians.

On September 26, the united Christian fleet arrived on the island of Corfu, then moved to Komenitsa Bay. The Turks did not know about the number of enemy ships, and the intelligence officers downplayed it in their report to Ali Pasha. The Turkish ships were exhausted by the latest military operations, and there were not enough boarding troops. The advisers said that it was better to withdraw the fleet to the Dardanelles, where Christians would hardly dare to move at this time. But young Ali Pasha was eager to carry out the Sultan’s orders. On October 3, 1571, the allies withdrew from Comenica. Meanwhile, the Turkish fleet left Lepanto. The battle took place on October 7 at Cape Scrofa at the entrance to the Patras Gulf of the Ionian Sea.

As part of the allied Christian fleet, 207 galleys and 6 galleasses took part in the battle. The Turks had 210 galleys and 66 galliots. The Allies had qualitative advantages: Turkish artillery was inferior to theirs; the Turks were armed with a few arquebuses; many Ottoman soldiers did not have protective equipment; on each of the Turkish ships there were no more than 40 people, while the Christians had one and a half hundred or more soldiers on each galley. In total, there were about 80 thousand people on the ships on both sides, including rowers.

The Turks' order of battle was traditional form crescent and consisted of a center, two wings and a small reserve. The right flank was commanded by the king of Alexandria - Mehmed Sirok Bey (Sirocco), the left - by the Algerian king Ulug-Ali. They both had great experience command of pirate expeditions. The strong center was headed personally by Ali Pasha. The allies also had a commander-in-chief in the center, Don Juan, the right wing was led by the Genoese Doria, and the left wing by the Venetian Barbarigo. There were 30 galleys of the Marquis of Santa Cruz in reserve. The galleasses moved forward - two in front of each part order of battle.

The battle began at 11–12 noon with the deployment of the Allied fleet. Right wing Doria went far ahead and broke away from the center. Don Juan ordered the rowers to be unchained and weapons given to them. On a boat with a cross in his hands, he personally walked along the line of ships, recalling the Pope's absolution. There was a calm, and a green flag waved on the flagship - a signal for the start of the battle. The opponents moved towards each other. Three centers of battle immediately emerged.

The strong artillery fire of the galleasses directed at the Turkish center caused confusion among the Turks, but Ali Pasha quickly restored order. His ships passed by the galleasses, which no longer took part in the battle. Doria, fearing an encirclement, attacked the enemy’s left flank, followed by the center, which moved to the right - this created a gap between the left flank and the rest of the formation of ships. This allowed Sirocco to enter his ships into this corridor, and the Turkish ships, moving around the Allied left flank from the coast, completed the encirclement of Barbarigo's flank. It helped Sirocco, in particular, that he knew the bay well. However, the environment did not bring success. The ensuing boarding battle was affected by the numerical and technical superiority of the crews of the allied ships. The Venetians threw back the Turks and hurried to the aid of the center, where the battle was especially stubborn. The enemy ships were thrown ashore, 30 galleys were captured. By 12.30 the Turkish right wing was completely defeated.

The battle in the center lasted from 12 to 14 o'clock. Here the Turks had the best forces, and the battle was especially fierce. In the center, Don Juan's two flagships grappled with similar ships of Kapudan Pasha. A hand-to-hand fight ensued, which lasted an hour. The Turks did not have time to help their flagship. Ali Pasha fell from a bullet. His head was impaled on a spear and raised above don Juan's flagship. At some point, the ships Ulug-Ali and Doria maneuvered against each other appeared in the center. The Genoese naval commander and commander-in-chief was promptly supported by the reserve of Santa Cruz. Together they defeated the Algerian.

In total, during the battle, Christians sank 20 and captured about 200 enemy ships. The Turks lost 30 thousand soldiers, the Allies - about 8 thousand, quickly making up for the losses by releasing the captured rowers. By the way, on the ship “Marquise” a platoon of Spanish soldiers was commanded by Miguel Cervantes, the author of “Don Quixote”. In this battle he was wounded and forever lost the ability to use his left hand.

Throughout Europe, prayer services were held in honor of the victory, the pope established a new religious holiday, but the results of the Battle of Lepanto were not fully exploited. After spending a month arguing about how to proceed, the allies withdrew the ships to the ports. The Turkish Sultan quickly restored his fleet. With these ships, Ulug-Ali won the campaign of 1572. The Holy League collapsed, in March 1573 Venice signed a treaty in which it ceded Cyprus Ottoman Empire. The Turks reasserted their dominance in the eastern Mediterranean.

Naval Battle of Lepanto went down in history as the largest-scale battle of a galley fleet. It was also one of the last. About 500 galley ships from both sides took part in the battle. To end the Ottoman Empire's dominance in the Mediterranean, the Holy League was organized. Spanish, Venetian, Genoese and Maltese ships united under one banner in the Turkish-Venetian war of 1570 - 1573.

In the early morning of October 7, 1571, off Cape Scrofa in the Patras Gulf of the Ionian Sea, allied forces clashed with the Turkish fleet. It was difficult to imagine a better moment to strike at the weakened Turkish fleet, so the commanders of the League forces decided to give battle.

Largest naval battle in the Gulf of Patras

In the afternoon, the opponents lined up opposite each other in a crescent shape and began to approach each other. Six powerful Venetian galleasses, two on each flank, immediately sank two Turkish ships with artillery guns mounted on board. The Turks were never able to board these large ships with high sides and gun decks, which resembled floating fortresses. Low maneuverability did not allow the galleasses to fully participate in the battle, which did not stop them from raining artillery shells on the Ottoman fleet.

Several outbreaks at once hand-to-hand combat flared up as soon as the opponents came face to face. Commander of the right flank of the Turkish flotilla Mehmed Sirocco imposed a boarding battle on the Venetian Barbarigo, the left wing of the allies was surrounded. But here the numerical superiority of the boarding soldiers took its toll. If each allied galley had about 150 soldiers, then the Turkish galley had only about 40 people on board. Powers Holy League under Barbarigo easily defeated the weakest right flank of the Turks.

The most fierce battle broke out between the central forces of the opponents. The attack by the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman fleet, Ali Pasha, on the flagship galley Real, on which Don Juan of Austria was located, also failed. Don Juan himself fought bravely in hand-to-hand combat and practically did not lead the battle as a whole. According to some versions, Ali Pasha died in a shootout. Others claim that the commander of the Muslim fleet committed suicide to avoid capture.

The left flank of the Turkish fleet under the leadership of Uluj Ali attacked from the side central forces John of Austria. By that time, the reserve galleys of the Marquis of Santa Cruz began to arrive in the center. The right flank of the Allied forces, Andrea Doria, was also approaching. Uluj Ali had no choice but to retreat from the battlefield.

As a result of the Battle of Lepanto The fleet of the Ottoman Empire, considered invincible, suffered a crushing defeat. When calculating the losses of both sides, historians differ in numbers. The most frequently cited numbers: the Turks had 224 ships destroyed and about 15 thousand people died; the allied fleet lost only 13 galleys and about 7.5 thousand soldiers.

Sadly, this brilliant victory did not have the desired impact on the outcome of the Turkish-Venetian war. Shortly after the Battle of Lepant, the Holy League disintegrated. The Ottoman Empire quickly restored its naval forces and confirmed its dominance in the Mediterranean, again capturing Cyprus and forcing Venice to pay a huge indemnity.

Venice
Genoa
Tuscany
Parma
Savoy
Order of Malta Order of Malta
Imperial Army

Battle of Lepanto 1571, or Third Battle of Lepanto(Spanish) Batalla de Lepanto, Italian Battaglia di Lepanto, tour. İnebahtı Deniz Muharebesi) was a naval battle that took place on October 7, 1571 in the Gulf of Patras off Cape Scrofa between the fleets of the Holy League and the Ottoman Empire.

Background

Balance of power

Holy League forces

The forces of the united Holy League represented the strongest and most numerous fleet that Europe had ever seen. In total, a fleet of about 300 different ships was assembled, of which 108 Venetian galleys, 81 Spanish galleys, 32 galleys offered at the expense of the Pope and other Italian states, in addition, the fleet included 6 huge Venetian galleasses. Total number The ship's crew consisted of about 84 thousand people, of which approximately 20 thousand were soldiers from the boarding teams.

Turkish forces

Progress of the battle

The allied fleet blocked Turkish ships in the Gulf of Patras. The Turkish commander believed that the Allied forces were anchored off the island of Cephalonia, while Don Juan of Austria himself believed that the Turks were stationed at Lepanto.

On the morning of October 7, 1571, both fleets, completely unexpectedly for both sides, met at the entrance to the bay 60 km from the city of Lepanto (Nafpaktos). The coast, which until time hid the enemy forces, is low, and the Spaniards saw the sails of the Turkish fleet earlier. It was much more difficult for the Turks to detect the Allied rowing ships. Nevertheless, the Turks noticed the Christians and began to line up in battle formation. The sails were lowered, and changes in formation were made by oars. The battle formation of the Turkish fleet consisted of a center, two wings and a small reserve located behind the center (5 galleys, 25 galliots).

The right wing of the Turks (53 galleys, 3 galliots), led by Mehmet Sirocco, was the weakest. The center (91 galleys, 5 galliots) was commanded by Ali Pasha himself. The left wing (61 galleys, 32 galliots) consisted mainly of ships of Algerian pirates, led by Uluj Ali. Uluj Ali, a Calabrian by birth, was preparing for a career as a priest, but was kidnapped by pirates. After being captured, he changed his faith and name (his real name was Ochchali), made a career and became Pasha of Tripoli. Many of the ships were also led by sailors who had fled Europe and converted to Islam: the Venetian Hassan, French Jafar, Albanian Dali Mami. The forces of the Turkish fleet stretched over 8-10 km.

The Allied fleet formed into the same battle formation. The center (62 galleys) was headed by Don Juan of Austria himself. The right wing (58 galleys) was commanded by Giovanni Andrea Doria. The left wing of the allies (53 galleys) was led into battle by the Venetian Barbarigo. 30 galleys under the command of the Marquis of Santa Cruz were allocated to reserve. Don Juan ordered the Christian oarsmen to be unchained and armed.

Both fleets moved forward. According to some sources, the Allies deliberately pushed forward heavy galleasses, and then pulled the main part of the galleys towards them in order to meet the Turks with a united front at the moment of collision. The Turks moved in one line, and when the moment of collision came, their light galleys were in front, and the slow galliots lagged behind. After the contact of the fleets, three centers of struggle simultaneously arose.

The Allied left wing, due to unfamiliarity with the terrain and fear of running aground, stayed away from the shore. The Turks took advantage of this. Galleys from the right wing went around the allies along the coast and attacked from the rear. Some of the Turkish galleys wedged themselves between the enemy's center and his left wing. As a result, the entire left flank of the Christians was surrounded.

Barbarigo was forced to accept a boarding battle while surrounded, but the Allies' advantage in weapons and numbers immediately affected boarding teams. Each Allied galley had at least 150 soldiers, and the Turkish ships in this sector had only 30-40 boarding soldiers on board.

In the afternoon, the Turks, who surrounded the stronger Barbarigo, were defeated. Encircling enemy ships did not give the Turks any benefit, since the enemy was much stronger in close combat. In the center, where the main forces of the rivals collided, the battle was stubborn. The main targets of the attack were the flagship galleys of Don Juan of Austria (“Real”) and Ali Pasha (“Sultana”). Ali Pasha was eventually killed in a shootout. His head was raised on a long pike, which caused panic among the Turkish sailors. The Turkish center began to give in and retreat.

The commander of the left wing of the Turkish fleet, Uluj Ali, performed the following maneuver - with a large part of his wing, he turned to the center and struck the forces of Juan of Austria from the side. Ali Pasha's flagship galley was already finished, and Juan, breaking general order, began to turn towards the ships of Uluj Ali. At the same time, the Allied reserve under the command of the Marquis of Santa Cruz entered the battle.

The commander of the Allied right flank, Doria, also turned and began to approach the center of the Allied battle formation, directly towards Uluj Ali. Uluj Ali's ships could have been surrounded, so he began to withdraw from the battle. However, before leaving the battlefield, he managed to capture the Maltese flagship galley.

Losses

The defeat of the Turkish fleet was complete; historians differ only in the assessment of losses. The following figures are most often cited: the Turks lost 224 ships, including 117 captured by the Allies. 12 thousand slaves were captured and released on Turkish ships. At least 10 thousand slave rowers (Christians, since Muslims could not be kept in slavery) died along with the sunken ships. Up to 15 thousand Turkish soldiers and sailors died. According to various estimates, from 300 to 5 thousand Turks were captured. 30 Turkish cannons were also captured.

Allied losses were much smaller. Dupuis believes that the Allies lost 13 galleys, 7,566 people were killed and 8 thousand were wounded, although this figure may be somewhat underestimated.

In this battle, 24-year-old Miguel Cervantes distinguished himself (the future famous writer served in the Spanish Marine Regiment in Naples from 1570), who commanded a platoon of Spanish soldiers on the Marquise galley. In the battle, Cervantes received three gunshot wounds: two in the chest and in the left forearm (his hand was then inactive throughout his life).

Consequences and assessments

The Battle of Lepanto became the largest naval battle of the 16th century, proving to Europeans that the hitherto invincible Turks could be defeated. Venetian historian and diplomat Paolo Paruta expressed public opinion during the funeral oration in the Cathedral of San Marco, dedicated to the fallen in the battle, in the following words:

They showed us by their example that the Turks are not as invincible as we previously thought... Thus, it can be said that although the beginning of this war was a sunset time for us, leaving us in endless night, now the courage of these people is like a true, life-giving the sun, gave us the most beautiful and most joyful day that this city has ever seen in its entire history.

After the battle, Don Juan of Austria and other military leaders visited numerous sanctuaries in honor of the Virgin Mary to thank her for the victory. In an urgent message to the Venetian Senate they said: “Non virtus, non arma, non duces, sed Maria Rosarii victores nos fecit” (“Not force, not weapons and not commanders, but

Battle of Lepanto (1571)

Conflict Battle of Lepanto
date 7 October 1571
Place Patraikos Strait, Ionian Sea
Bottom line Decisive League victory

Parties

Holy League:
Spain
Venice
Papal States
Malta
Genoa
Sicily
Naples
Tuscany
Parma
Imperial Army

Ottoman Empire
Algerian pirates

Commanders

register ]
_____________________________
Ali Pasha†

Strengths of the parties

206 galleys
6 galleasses
_____________________________
220-230 galleys
50-60 galiots

Losses

9,000 killed and wounded
12 galleys
_____________________________
30,000 killed and wounded
240 ships

Prerequisites
________
League Forces
The forces of the united Holy League represented the strongest and most numerous fleet that Europe had ever seen. In total, a fleet of about 300 different ships was assembled, of which 108 Venetian galleys, 81 Spanish galleys, 32 [You must register to view this link] , exhibited at the expense of the pope and other Italian states, in addition, the fleet included 6 huge Venetian [You must register to view this link] . The total number of ship crews was approx. 84 thousand people, including approximately 20 thousand soldiers from the boarding teams.

A. B. Snisarenko, describing the review of the fleet, gives a slightly different composition: 81 galleys and 12 Spanish warships under the command of the Genoese Gian Doria, 12 papal galleys led by the Vatican admiral Mark Antionio Colonna, 108 galleys, 6 galleasses and 2 Venetian warships Admiral Sebastian Venier, 3 Maltese galleys, 3 galleys of the Duke of Savoy, and a number of other small ships.

In addition to the boarding teams, the fleet included boarding teams of 12 thousand Italians, 5 thousand Spaniards, 3 thousand Germans and 3 thousand volunteers from other countries and regions, among whom was the future author of Don Quixote, Miguel Cervantes.

Turkish forces
The Turkish fleet consisted of approximately equal numbers of ships, approximately 210 galleys and 66 galleots. The total number of teams and boarding parties could reach 88 thousand people (of which about 16 thousand were in boarding teams). At the head of the Turkish fleet was Ali Pasha Muezzinzade.

Spoiler:

Battle
_____________________________________________
The allied fleet blocked Turkish ships in the Gulf of Patraikos. The Turkish commander believed that the Allied forces were anchored off the island of Cephalonia, and Don Juan of Austria himself believed that the Turks were in Lepanto.

On the morning of October 7, 1571, both fleets, completely unexpectedly for both sides, met at the entrance to the bay 60 km from the city of Lepanto (Nafpaktos). The coast, which until time hid the enemy forces, is low, and the Spaniards saw the sails of the Turkish fleet earlier. It was much more difficult for the Turks to detect the Allied rowing ships. Nevertheless, the Turks noticed the Christians and began to line up in battle formation. The sails were lowered, and changes in formation were made by oars. The battle formation of the Turkish fleet, as on land, consisted of a center, two wings and a small reserve located behind the center (5 galleys, 25 galliots).

The right wing of the Turks (53 galleys, 3 galliots), led by the king of Alexandria, Megmet Sirocco, was the weakest. The center (91 galleys, 5 galliots) was commanded by Ali Pasha himself. The left wing (61 galleys, 32 galliots) consisted mainly of ships of Algerian pirates, and was led by [You must register to view this link] . Many ships were also led by sailors who had fled from Europe and converted to Islam (Venetian Hassan, Frenchman Jafar, Albanian Dali-Mami). Ulj-Ali, a Calabrian by origin, was preparing for a career as a priest, but was kidnapped by pirates. Having been captured, he changed his faith and name (real name - Ochchali), made a career and became Pasha of Tripoli.

In general, the forces of the Turkish fleet stretched over 8 - 10 km.

The Allied fleet formed into the same battle formation. The center was headed by Don Juan of Austria himself (62 galleys). The right wing (58 galleys) was under the command of the Genoese Doria. Some historians consider him a descendant of the famous admiral Andrea Doria, who defeated the Turks and Algerian pirates many times. The Allied left wing (53 galleys) was under the command of the Venetian Barbarigo. A reserve of 30 galleys was under the command of the Marquis of Cruz. Don Juan also ordered the Christian oarsmen to be unchained and armed.

The battle began with both the Turks and the Allies moving forward. Judging by some sources, the Allies deliberately pushed forward the heavy galleasses, and then pulled the main part of the galleys towards them, so that at the moment of collision they would meet the Turks with a united front. The Turks moved in one line, and when the moment came to collide, their light galleys were in front, and the slow galleasses lagged behind. The forces of both sides met and at the same time three centers of struggle arose.

The Allied left wing, due to unfamiliarity with the terrain and fear of running aground, stayed away from the shore. The Turks took advantage of this. Galleys from the right wing went around the allies along the coast and attacked from the rear. Some of the Turkish galleys wedged themselves between the enemy's center and his left wing. As a result, the entire left flank of the Christians was surrounded.

Barbarigo was forced to accept a boarding battle while surrounded, but the Allies' advantage in weapons and the number of boarding teams immediately affected. Each Allied galley had at least 150 soldiers, and the Turkish ships in this sector had 30 - 40 boarding soldiers on board.

After noon, the Turks, who surrounded the stronger Barbarigo, were defeated. Encircling the enemy did nothing. In the center, where the main forces of the rivals collided, the battle was stubborn. The main objects were the flagship galleys of Don Juan of Austria and Ali Pasha. Ali Pasha was eventually killed in a shootout. His head was raised on a long pike, which caused panic among the Turkish sailors. The Turkish center began to give in and retreat.

The commander of the left wing of the Turkish fleet, Ulj-Ali, performed the following maneuver - with a large part of his wing, he turned to the center and struck the forces of Juan of Austria from the side. Ali Pasha's flagship galley was already finished, and Juan, breaking the general order, began to turn towards Ulj-Ali's ships. At the same time, the Allied reserve under the command of the Marquis of Cruz entered the battle.

The commander of the Allied right flank, Doria, also turned and began to approach the center of the Allied battle formation, directly towards Ulj Ali.

Ulj-Ali's ships could have been surrounded, so he began to withdraw from the battle. However, before leaving the battlefield, he managed to capture the Maltese flagship galley.

Spoiler:

Losses
________________________________________
The defeat of the Turkish fleet was complete. Historians differ only in the assessment of losses. The following figures are most often cited: the Turks lost 224 ships, including 117 captured by the Allies. 12 thousand slaves were captured and released on Turkish ships. At least 10 thousand slave rowers (Christians, since Muslims could not be kept in slavery) died along with the sunken ships. Up to 15 thousand Turkish soldiers and sailors died. About the number of prisoners consensus No. They give figures from 300 to 5 thousand Turks. 30 Turkish guns were captured.

Allied losses were much smaller. Dupuis estimates that the Allies lost 13 galleys, 7,566 people were killed and 8,000 were wounded, although this figure may be somewhat underestimated.

Miguel Cervantes, who commanded a platoon of Spanish soldiers on the Marquise galley, distinguished himself in this battle. Cervantes was wounded twice: in the chest and in the left hand, which then remained inactive for his entire life.

Consequences
_________________________________________

In Western culture
_________________________________________
The largest naval battle of the 16th century, which put an end to Turkish power in the Mediterranean basin, was glorified by Cervantes. In the introduction to the “Edifying Stories,” the author of “Don Quixote” wrote about himself in the third person: “In sea ​​battle At Lepanto, his hand was crippled by a shot from an arquebus, and although this injury seems like a different disgrace, in his eyes it is beautiful, for he received it in one of the most famous battles that were known in past centuries and that may happen in the future. ..” The greatest Spanish poet of that time, Fernando de Herrera, responded to the battle with an enthusiastic “Song of the Victory of Lepanto”; many other poets of Spain and Italy glorified the winners and, above all, Don Juan of Austria.

Victory at Lepanto in many countries Western Europe, was then viewed not just as an ordinary naval battle, the victory of Spain and the League over Turkey, but as the most important victory of Christianity over Islam. The artist Titian created the painting “Spain Coming to the Aid of Religion,” which shows the Spanish King Philip II as an instrument of heaven, punishing infidels and heretics.

Even the Scottish king James, the son of Mary Stuart, raised in Protestantism, wrote a poem in honor of the battle as a child and published it in 1591, which caused a conflict with the Scottish clergy, outraged by the fact that the king “like a hired poet” wrote a poem “in honor of a foreign papist bastard."

In the 20th century G.K. Chesterton wrote a ballad dedicated to the battle “Lepanto” (Russian translation by M. Froment, 1937), in which Don Juan of Austria is called “the last knight of Europe.”

In memory of the battle in 1572, Pope Pius V introduced a pan-Catholic holiday, which since 1573 (already under Pope Gregory XIII) has been called the “Feast of the Rosary.”

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

Battle of Lepanto 1571 or Third Battle of Lepanto- a naval battle that took place on October 7 in the Gulf of Patras, off Cape Scrofa, between the combined forces of the Holy League, which included Spain, the Venetian Republic, the Pope, the Order of Malta, Genoa, Sicily, Naples, Savoy, Tuscany and Parma, and the Ottoman fleet empires

Prerequisites

League Forces

A. B. Snisarenko, describing the review of the fleet, gives a slightly different composition: 81 galleys and 12 Spanish warships under the command of the Genoese Gian Doria, 12 papal galleys led by the Vatican admiral Marcantonio Colonna, 108 galleys, 6 galleasses and 2 warships of the Venetian admiral Sebastian Venier, 3 Maltese galleys, 3 galleys of the Duke of Savoy and a number of other small ships.

In addition to the ship's teams, the fleet included boarding teams of 12 thousand Italians, 5 thousand Spaniards, 3 thousand Germans and 3 thousand volunteers from other countries and regions, among whom was the future author of Don Quixote Miguel Cervantes.

Turkish forces

The Turkish fleet consisted of approximately equal numbers of ships, about 210 galleys and 66 galleots. The total number of teams and boarding parties could reach 88 thousand people (of which about 16 thousand were in boarding teams). At the head of the Turkish fleet was Ali Pasha Muezzinzade.

Battle

The allied fleet blockaded Turkish ships in the Gulf of Patras. The Turkish commander believed that the Allied forces were anchored off the island of Cephalonia, and Don Juan of Austria himself believed that the Turks were at Lepanto.

In general, the forces of the Turkish fleet stretched over 8 - 10 km.

The Allied fleet formed into the same battle formation. The center was headed by Don Juan of Austria himself (62 galleys). The right wing (58 galleys) was under the command of the Genoese Giovanni Andrea Doria, great-nephew of the famous admiral Andrea Doria, who defeated the Turks and Algerian pirates many times. The Allied left wing (53 galleys) was under the command of the Venetian Barbarigo. A reserve of 30 galleys was under the command of the Marquis of Cruz. Don Juan also ordered the Christian oarsmen to be unchained and armed.

The battle began with both the Turks and the Allies moving forward. Judging by some sources, the Allies deliberately pushed forward heavy galleasses, and then pulled the main part of the galleys towards them in order to meet the Turks with a united front at the moment of collision. The Turks moved in one line, and when the moment came to collide, their light galleys were in front, and the slow galleasses lagged behind. The forces of both sides met and simultaneously three centers of struggle arose.

The Allied left wing, due to unfamiliarity with the terrain and fear of running aground, stayed away from the shore. The Turks took advantage of this. Galleys from the right wing went around the allies along the coast and attacked from the rear. Some of the Turkish galleys wedged themselves between the enemy's center and his left wing. As a result, the entire left flank of the Christians was surrounded.

Barbarigo was forced to accept a boarding battle while surrounded, but the Allies' advantage in weapons and the number of boarding teams immediately affected. Each Allied galley had at least 150 soldiers, and the Turkish ships in this sector had 30 - 40 boarding soldiers on board.

In the afternoon, the Turks, who surrounded the stronger Barbarigo, were defeated. Encircling the enemy did nothing. In the center, where the main forces of the rivals collided, the battle was stubborn. The main objects were the flagship galleys of Don Juan of Austria and Ali Pasha. Ali Pasha was eventually killed in a shootout. His head was raised on a long pike, which caused panic among the Turkish sailors. The Turkish center began to give in and retreat.

The commander of the left wing of the Turkish fleet, Uluj Ali, performed the following maneuver - with a large part of his wing, he turned to the center and struck the forces of Juan of Austria from the side. Ali Pasha's flagship galley was already finished, and Juan, breaking the general order, began to turn towards Uluj Ali's ships. At the same time, the Allied reserve under the command of the Marquis of Cruz entered the battle.

The commander of the Allied right flank, Doria, also turned and began to approach the center of the Allied battle formation, directly towards Uluj Ali.

In the 20th century, G. K. Chesterton wrote a ballad dedicated to the battle “Lepanto” (Russian translation by M. Froment), in which Don Juan of Austria is called “the last