Action of 15 February 1700
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The Action of 15 February 1700 was a naval engagement between the Maltese and the Tunisian galleys. The Maltese galley encountered a Tunisian ship. The engagement ended in disaster for the Maltese as their ship crashed after a collision, destroying the ship and killing the majority of its crew.
| Action of 15 February 1700 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maltese galley | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Order of Saint John |
 Ottoman Tunis | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Bailly Spinola | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
1 ship 700 men[1] | 1 ship | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
1 ship destroyed 522 killed | Unknown | ||||||
Battle
On February 15, 1700, a squadron of 7 Maltese galleys was cruising off the eastern coast of Sicily close to the Correnti island. Bailly Spinola led the squadron. During their patrol, they sighted two Tunisian ships sailing south.[2][3] Without wasting time, the flagship, Capitana, quickly sailed towards one of the ships using the strong winds. The Maltese determined to board the Tunisian ship. A bloody fight ensued, during which Spinola's brother received a mortal wound. His servant attempted to help him get up but was killed by a musket shot.[4][5][6][7]
The Maltese were almost at their success; however, a dangerous circumstance occurred. The Tunisian ship was on the point of being struck and ran foul of the Capitana. This violent collision damaged the Maltese galley bow badly, and the winds from the south ended in a violent storm, which dispersed them alongside the Maltese squadron. The Maltese ship St. Paul, led by De Javon, immediately arrived to help the shipwreck survivors. They were able to save the survivors they could, including Spinola. The St. Paul remained in the same place, hoping to save more, but a violent storm threw them away from the spot.[8][9]