Battle of Modon (1500)

The Battle of Modon, aka the Second Battle of Lepanto, took place in August 1500 during the war of 1499–1503 between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. The Ottomans, who had won the Battle of Zonchio (First Battle of Lepanto / Battle of Sapienza) the previous year, were again victorious under Admiral Kemal Reis.

Battle of Modon
Part of the Ottoman–Venetian War of 1499–1503
Flagship of Kemal Reis
Date July 20 – August 9, 1500 Location Modon, Peloponnese Result Ottoman victory
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire	Republic of Venice
Commanders and leaders
Kemal Reis Feriz Beg	Girolamo Contarini Marco Gabriel
Strength
Modon: 30,000–60,000 soldiers Fleet: 92 galleys 20 carracks 136 fustas and brigantines[1]	Modon: 7,000 soldiers Fleet: 46 galleys 20 carracks[2]
Casualties and losses
5,000–6,000 dead 5 galleys sunk Several ships damaged[3]	Most soldiers killed 2 galleys sunk Many ships damaged[3]

Battle, 1500 AD by William Lionel Wyllie

Background

In December 1499, the Venetians attacked Lepanto with the hope of regaining the territories which they lost with the Battle of Zonchio. Kemal Reis set sail from Cefalonia and retook Lepanto from the Venetians. He stayed in Lepanto between April and May 1500, where his ships were repaired by an army of 15,000 Ottoman craftsmen who were brought from the area.

From there Kemal Reis set sail and bombarded the Venetian ports on the island of Corfu. He then besieged the fortress of Modon from sea with a fleet 220 ships. The Venetian fleet, although counting ony 66 ships, heade south towards Modon in an attempt to relief the place. It was originally led by captain general Melchiorre Trevisan, who died of illness in route on July 17 and was replaced by Girolamo Contarini.^[4]

Battle

On July 20, Kemal Reis started bombarding Modon to help the siege, while Contarini arrived three days later. The Venetian armada was immediately opposed by the bulk of the Ottoman fleet coming out of their base in the gulf of Navarino, so only an exchange of artillery happened before Contarini ordered to withdraw.^[5]

Contarini repeated the attempt the following day, but this time the Venetian wings successfully flanked Kemal's fleet before the latter could advance towards the sea in order to open in length and capitalize on its numbers. The Venetians fired their artillery, inflicting damage in the Ottoman fleet and breaking its formation, but the Turkish advantage in numbers imposed when their galleys started surrounding them. Four Venetian galleys abandoned their own formation and fled, and another galley attempting to call them back was surrounded and sunk by the Turks. The battle continued until nightfall, when the Venetian fleet was finally overpowered and Contarini ordered to retreat to Zante.^[6]

In Zante, Contarini was criticized by the other captains, being mainly accused of having forced the armada to go toe to toe with a too large enemy fleet.^[7] On August 9, Modon finally capitulated. Most of the men either died fighting to the last breath or were killed, while the woman and children were taken and enslaved. Only some men in small boats managed to reach Zante to tell the news.^[8]

Aftermath

With the Battle of Modon, the Ottoman fleet and army quickly overwhelmed most of the Venetian possessions in Greece. On August 16, after a violent storm prevented the Venetian armada from trying another relief, Kemal Reis captured Coron along with a Venetian brigantine. From there he sailed towards the Island of Sapientza (Sapienza) and sank the Venetian galley Lezza.

In September Kemal assaulted Voiussa, and in October he appeared at Cape Santa Maria on the Island of Lefkada before ending the campaign and returning to Constantinople in November. Modon and Coron, the "two eyes of the Republic", were lost. Ottoman cavalry raids reached Venetian territory in northern Italy. With the exception of Cephalonia, which was recovered in 1500 with the help of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Venice suffered enough setbacks to seek peace in 1502, keeping Cephalonia but recognizing the rest of Ottoman gains.

See also

• Ottoman Navy