TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Naval battle · 1416
The Battle of Gallipoli occurred on 29 May 1416 between the fleets of the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman state off the port city of Gallipoli, the main Ottoman naval base. The battle was the main episode of a brief conflict between the two powers, resulting from Ottoman attacks against possessions and shipping of the Venetians and their allies in the Aegean Sea in 1414–1415. The Venetian fleet, under Pietro Loredan, was charged with transporting a Venetian embassy to the Ottoman sultan, but was authorized to attack if the Ottomans refused to negotiate. The subsequent events are known chiefly from a detailed letter written by Loredan after the battle. The Ottomans exchanged fire with the Venetian ships as soon as the Venetian fleet approached Gallipoli on 27 May, forcing the Venetians to withdraw.
| Date | 29 May 1416 |
|---|---|
| Location | between Gallipoli and Marmara Island, approx. |
| Result | Venetian victory |
| Belligerents | Republic of Venice | Ottoman state |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Pietro Loredan (WIA) | Çali Bey † |
| Strength | 10 galleys | 32 galleys & galleots |
| Casualties | 12 killed 340 wounded | 4,000 killed 1,100 captured (several hundred executed) 12–27 ships captured |
One of the Turkish captains that had been taken prisoner composed a letter to the Sultan, stating that the Venetians had been attacked without cause. He also informed Loredan that the remnants of the Ottoman fleet were such that they posed no threat to him: a single galley and a few galleots and smaller vessels were seaworthy, while the rest of the galleys in Gallipoli were out of commission. At Tenedos, Loredan held a council of war, where the prevailing opinion was to return to Negroponte for provisions, for offloading the wounded, and for selling three of the galleys for prize money for the crews.
Took place during the reign of Mehmed I (1413–1421). Mehmed I
Open the reign of Mehmed I on the mapText: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.