Battle of Djerba 1560
_millia_valorosi_soldati,_e_buona..._-_btv1b55005215t.jpg){kind=link}
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1560 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Early modern (1500–1799) | derived from year |
| Location | Tunisia | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Africa | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Ottoman–Spanish War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Duchy of Savoy, Hispanic Monarchy, Knights Hospitaller, Ottoman Empire, Papal States, Republic of Genoa | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 33.7833, 10.8833 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Djerba (Turkish: Cerbe Deniz Muharebesi, Arabic: معركة جربة) took place in May 1560 near the island of Djerba, Tunisia. The Ottomans under Piali Pasha's command overwhelmed a large joint Christian alliance fleet, composed chiefly of Spanish, Papal, Genoese, Maltese, and Neapolitan forces. The allies lost 27 galleys and some smaller vessels as well as the fortified island of Djerba. This victory marked perhaps the high point of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean Sea.
Until about 1573 the Mediterranean headed the list of Spanish priorities under Philip II of Spain (1556–98); under his leadership the Habsburg galley fleet increased to about 100 ships, and more in wartime. Spain sent a major fleet against the Turks in 1560, aiming for the island of Djerba off the coast west of Tripoli. The fleet took the coast and, after much division between their commanders, built a fortress, hoping to use it to later reconquer Tripoli for the Knights Hospitaller, who had ruled it from 1530 and 1551 before their fall to the Ottomans.
The arrival of an Ottoman fleet of similar size interrupted the plans. The Christians opted to leave rather than facing the Ottomans, but with the sudden flight of their ill admiral, Giovanni Andrea Doria, the Christian fleet disbanded in their way out and…
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Djerba (revision 1381288714), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of Djerba (1432) 1432 · 0 km
- Battle of the Mareth Line 1943 · 56 km
- Battle of Wadi Akarit 1943 · 72 km
- Action off Zuwarah 1943 · 146 km
- Battle of the Tarigo Convoy 1941 · 163 km
- Battle of Al-Watiya Airbase 2019 · 173 km
Other battles of the Ottoman–Spanish War
- Battle of Formentera 1529
- Siege of Coron (1533–1534) 1534
- Conquest of Tunis (1535) 1535
- Siege of Castelnuovo 1539
- Battle of Alborán 1540
- Capture of Mahdia (1550) 1550
- Siege of Oran (1556) 1556
- Sieges of Oran and Mers El Kébir 1563
- Battle of Lepanto 1571
- Conquest of Tunis (1574) 1574
All 11 battles of the Ottoman–Spanish War →
Browse more: battles in Tunisia · Africa · Early modern battles