Battle of Focchies

Battle of Focchies
Part of the Cretan War (1645–1669)
Battle of the combined Venetian and Dutch fleets against the Turks, Abraham Beerstraaten
Date May 12, 1649 Location Off Focchies, Mediterranean Sea 38°40′03″N 26°45′29″E / 38.6675°N 26.7581°E / 38.6675; 26.7581 Result Venetian victory
Belligerents
Venice	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Giacomo da Riva	Mehmed Pasha
Strength
19 warships	11 warships 10 galleasses 72 galleys
Casualties and losses
105 killed and wounded 1 warship destroyed	Unknown killed and wounded 9 warships destroyed 3 galleasses destroyed 2 galleys destroyed 1 warship captured 1 galleass captured 1 galley captured

The Battle of Focchies was a significant naval engagement that took place on 12 May 1649, in the harbour of Focchies, Smyrna between a Venetian force of nineteen warships under the command of Giacomo da Riva, and an Ottoman force of eleven warships, ten galleasses, and seventy-two galleys, with the battle resulting in a crushing victory for the Venetian fleet. The battle was an episode in the Cretan War from 1645 to 1669 between the Venetian Republic (along with its allies, the Knights of Malta, the Kingdom of France and the Papal States) and the Ottoman Empire over dominance of various territories in the Mediterranean Sea. The war was one in a series of wars between the two warring powers, which contested for control of the Adriatic and Mediterranean trade routes. The primary territory that was contested during the war was Crete, the largest and most profitable of the overseas holdings of the Venetian Republic. The battle came after a squadron of Venetian ships under the command of Giacomo da Riva, a Venetian admiral, came to the rescue of the blockading Venetian force in the Dardanelles Straits, after the blockade had run into unexpected weather conditions and many ships sunk as a result.^[1]

Admiral da Riva moved to engage the Ottoman fleet, attempting to prevent them from sailing to Crete and reinforcing the Ottoman forces that were laying siege to the island. To reinforce his fleet before engaging the Ottomans, da Riva hired several English and Dutch armed merchantmen, promising to their captains that he would compensate them for any damages or casualties that they suffered. The Venetian fleet set sail towards the harbour, with the intention to destroy the Ottoman fleet while it was trapped. When the Ottomans saw that the Venetian fleet advancing, ten galleasses were placed in front of the harbour entrance to cover the other ships. The Venetians easily broke through the galleasses, and intense combat began and lasted for four hours, with the Venetian (and hired) warships engaging the Ottoman fleet, easily overwhelming them with superior firepower. The Ottomans put up a spirited defence, but could not stop the Venetians from destroying a significant portion of the fleet. Despite the overwhelming victory, it was not a complete one, and Ottoman naval forces were able to sail to Crete to bring reinforcements, with Crete falling to the Ottomans two decades later.^[1]