Navy of the Order of Saint John

Navy of the Order of Saint John
View of the entrance to the Grand Harbour, with various Hospitaller ships in the foreground
Active	12th century–1798
Branch	Order of Saint John of Jerusalem
Type	Navy
Base	Rhodes (1309–1522) Birgu (1530–1571) Valletta (1571–1798)
Engagements	Battle of Chios (1319) Battle of Preveza (1538) Algiers expedition (1541) Battle of Djerba (1560) Battle of Lepanto (1571) Battle of Pantelleria (1586) Action of 28 September 1644 Battle of the Dardanelles (1656) Battle of the Dardanelles (1657) Battle of Matapan (1717) Battle of Damietta (1732) Bombardment of Algiers (1784) French invasion of Malta (1798) and various other battles
Insignia
Flag
Variants

The navy of the Order of Saint John, also known as the Maltese Navy after 1530, was the first navy of a chivalric order. It was established in the Middle Ages, around the late 12th century. The navy reached its peak in the 1680s, during the reign of Grand Master Gregorio Carafa.^[1] It was disbanded following the French invasion of Malta in 1798, and its ships were taken over by the French Navy.