Battle of Zonchio

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Battle of Zonchio

Part of the Ottoman-Venetian Wars (1499-1503)

unknown Venetian artist, British Museum

Date	25 August 1499
Location	Zonchio, Ionian Sea
Result	Ottoman victory

Combatants

Commanders

Strength

47 galleys, 17 galliots, circa 100 small vessels
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67 galleys, 20 galliots, circa 200 small vessels
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"Göke" (1495) was the flagship of Kemal Reis at the Battle of Zonchio

The naval Battle of Zonchio (also known as the Battle of Sapienza or the First Battle of Lepanto) took place on four separate days: August 12, 20, 22 and 25, 1499. It was the first naval battle in history where cannons were used on ships.

In January 1499 Kemal Reis set sail from Istanbul with a force of 10 galleys and 4 other types of ships, and in July 1499 met with the huge Ottoman fleet which was sent to him by Davud Pasha and took over its command in order to wage a large scale war against the Republic of Venice. The Ottoman fleet consisted of 67 galleys, 20 galliots and circa 200 smaller vessels.

After reaching the Cape of Zonchio in the Ionian Sea with the large Ottoman fleet in August 1499, Kemal Reis defeated the Venetian fleet of 47 galleys, 17 galliots and circa 100 smaller vessels under the command of Antonio Grimani at the Battle of Zonchio which is also known as the Battle of Sapienza of 1499 or the First Battle of Lepanto and was a part of the Ottoman-Venetian Wars of 1499-1503. During the most critical stage of the battle two Venetian carracks, captained by Andrea Loredan, a member of the influential Loredan family of Venice and by Alban d'Armer boarded one of the command ships of the Turkish fleet. The commander of the vessel, Burak Reis, was unable to disentangle his ship from the boarders and chose to set her aflame. The sight of the three great ships burning together dealt a severe blow to the Venetian morale.^[1]

Antonio Grimani was arrested on September 29 but was eventually released. Grimani later became the Doge of Venice in 1521. The Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II gifted 10 of the captured Venetian galleys to Kemal Reis, who later stationed his fleet at the island of Cefalonia between October and December, 1499.

The Turks and Venetians soon confronted each other for a second time at the Second Battle of Lepanto, which is also known as the Battle of Modon, and the Turks were once again victorious under Admiral Kemal Reis.