Battle of Paphos
| Battle of Paphos (1609) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Ottoman–Habsburg wars | |||||||
 Ottoman drawing of Cyprus | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Order of Saint John |
 Ottoman Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Fressinet † |
Damat Halil Pasha Murat Reis the Elder † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4 or 10 ships | 50 ships | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3 or 6 ships captured | Heavy | ||||||
The Battle of Paphos was a naval engagement between the Ottoman and Maltese Hospitallers in the waters of Cyprus near Paphos. The Ottomans were victorious and captured several Maltese galleys.
Background
[edit]In the year 1609, several Christian fleets from Malta, Tuscany, or Savoy were cruising in the eastern Mediterranean. The Maltese knights were raiding eastern cities such as Mitylene and Ayaz near Alexandretta and capturing Ottoman ships, achieving successful attacks. News of these attacks reached the Ottoman Kapudan Pasha, Damat Halil Pasha.[1] The Kapudan pasha was not able to chase them because the Grand Vizier had ordered three galleys to fetch the emir Yusuf al-Sayfa, governor of Tripoli in Syria, who had again submitted to the Ottomans after a rebellion. Other ships had been ordered by the Grand Vizier to ferry the troops over the Bosphorus for the year's land campaign. Thus it was only in July 1609 that Halil Pasha was able to sail with 50 galleys.[2]
Battle
[edit]The Ottomans sailed to meet the Christians. Near the Cypriot city of Paphos, they met the Maltese.[3][4] The Maltese flotilla consisted of 4[5][6] or 10 ships,[7][8] commanded by a French knight named Fressinet. The Maltese ships consisted of a large galley called Red Galeon. The Ottomans called the ship Kara-djèhennem, or Black Hell.[9] The ship consisted of 80-90 guns. Since the ship was heavily defended, the Ottomans began firing at it for the whole day until they managed to neutralize it. Achieving this, the Ottomans, led by Murat Reis the Elder, began boarding the ship. A fierce battle ensued, during which both sides sustained heavy losses. Both Murad and Fressinet died during the battle. Nevertheless, the Ottomans successfully managed to capture the ship.[10][11] Maltese casualties are varied. Out of 4 ships, only one managed to escape.[12][13] Other sources mention that six ships out of 10 were captured. The victors also captured 160 cannons and 2,000 rifles.[14][15]
Aftermath
[edit]Afterwards Halil Pasha went to Famagusta and then returned, chasing Tuscan and Maltese corsairs on his way. He entered the Bosphorus again on the 25th of November, 1609. The victorious admiral was raised to the rank of Grand Vizier by the sultan. The prizes he captured were 5 galleons, 6 tartanes, 4 galleys, and 540 captives, some of whom were Maltese Knights.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ R. C. Anderson, p. 75
- ^ Alexander H. De Groot, p. 154-155
- ^ Joseph von Hammer, p. 168
- ^ Joseph-Marie Jouannin, p. 194
- ^ Alexander H. De Groot, p. 155
- ^ R. C. Anderson, p. 75
- ^ Joseph von Hammer, p. 168
- ^ Joseph-Marie Jouannin, p. 194
- ^ Alexander H. De Groot, p. 155
- ^ Joseph von Hammer, p. 168
- ^ Alexander H. De Groot, p. 155
- ^ R. C. Anderson, p. 75
- ^ Alexander H. De Groot, p. 155
- ^ Joseph von Hammer, p. 168
- ^ Joseph-Marie Jouannin, p. 194
- ^ Alexander H. De Groot, p. 155
Sources
[edit]- Anderson, R. C. (1952). Naval Wars in the Levant 1559–1853. Princeton: Princeton University Press. OCLC 1015099422.
- Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall (1835), Histoire de l'Empire ottoman, Vol. VIII (In French).[1]
- Alexander H. De Groot (2010), The Netherlands and Turkey: Four Hundred Years of Political, Economical, Social and Cultural Relations.
- Joseph-Marie Jouannin (1843), Turquie (in French).[2]