Giovanni Andrea Doria Giovanni Andrea Doria, a Genoese admiral, commanded a Spanish-led allied military force against the fleet of the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Djerba, fought off the coast of Tunisia in May 1560. © Archiv Gerstenberg—ullstein picture/Getty Images. (more) Battle of Djerba [1560] Actions Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Djerba Give Feedback Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Djerba Feedback Written by Tony Bunting Tony Bunting is a historian who has recently completed a research project at the University of Central Lancashire on the evolution of nineteenth-century British imperialism. He was a contributor to 1001... Tony Bunting Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 29, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Date: May 1560 (Show more) Location: Jerba Tunisia (Show more) Participants: Ottoman Empire Spain (Show more) See all related content → Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question The Battle of Djerba was fought in May 1560 off the coast of Tunisia between the fleets of the Ottoman Empire and a Spanish-led alliance, commanded by the Genoese admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria. Victory for the Ottomans marked the pinnacle of their naval superiority in the Mediterranean.

　　Victory in 1538 for the Ottoman fleet at Preveza was followed by increasingly threatening Turkish incursion into the western Mediterranean, putting the Spanish coast and the Balearic Islands at risk. To counter this, a new Christian alliance was formed that assembled a fleet of around fifty ships under the command of Giovanni Andrea Doria.

　　Britannica Quiz World Wars In February 1560, the Christian fleet embarked to capture the Libyan port of Tripoli. However, the primary objective of the mission was canceled because of sickness spreading through the fleet and adverse weather conditions. Instead, in March, the fleet reached the coast of Tunisia and easily took the fortress island of Djerba. The Ottoman network of North African forts quickly relayed news of the fall of Djerba to Admiral Piyale Pasha, who immediately gathered a fleet of one hundred ships and sailed for Djerba.

　　The Ottomans reached the island in May, catching the Christians by surprise and attacking their fleet as it lay anchored in port. The unprepared state of the Christian fleet allowed the Ottomans, within a few hours, to capture or sink more than half of its ships. The Christians sought refuge in the fort and were besieged for a few months before surrendering later in the year. Victory at Djerba prepared the way for the Ottoman Siege of Malta in 1565.

　　Losses: Christian allied, 30 ships sunk or captured, 15,000 dead or captured; Ottoman, fewer than 5 ships lost, 750 dead.