Naval Battles In The Mediterranean In The 16th Century

By André Geraque Kiffer

As the main characteristics of this period in the Naval War, we highlight that since ancient times, war at sea had been fought as on land, with shock weapons, bows and arrows on floating wooden platforms instead of battlefields. Cannons in the 16th century were still considered to be in fixed positions, with the intention of being fired independently, rather than in combination shots. Only from the 1590s begin to develop the technique of shooting together with command or “broadside” and the battle lines tactic. Based on the summary of battles, I try to analyze and highlight the decisive factors, before simulating alternative “what if…” hypotheses through a board game. In the simulations of these naval battles I will use combined adaptations between the board games War Galley and Flying Colors of GMT Games, thus characterizing well to have been a century of transition between the rowing ships for the sailing ships during the development of the war in the 16th century. During the analysis and simulation of wars, campaigns and battles whenever applicable, I will make use of my concepts on the Art and Science of War combined with the game of Chess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clube de Autores
• Release date: Feb 4, 2024

Book preview

ANDRÉ  GERAQUE  KIFFER

An  historical  simulation  of  naval battles  in  the  Mediterranean

in  the  16th  century

Author's  Edition

Resende

2020

---  Kiffer,  André  Geraque.

An  historical  simulation  of  naval  battles  in  the Mediterranean  in  the  16th  century.  André  Geraque  Kiffer.

Author's  Edition,  Resende,  2020. Bibliography:  89  p.  18  im.  21  cm..

1.  History.  2.  Art  of  War.  3.  Science  of  War.  4.  Wargames. I.  Author.  II.  Title.

ISBN  978-65-00-07471-0

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3 PROLOGUE

Supported  by  a  summary  of  the  historical  fact  (war, campaign  and  /  or  battle),  I  try  to  analyze  and highlight  the  decisive  factors,  before  simulating alternative  what  if…  hypotheses  through  a  board game.  In  the  simulation,  all  the  possibilities  of  the study's  purpose  are  completed,  when  the  past  of history  is  analyzed  based  on  the  theory  of  the present  and  designed  for  similar  situations  in  the future.  So  far  I  have  published  the  following  series: I.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  Wars  of  the  First Empires  in  2010;  VIII.  Historical  Simulation  of  the First  World  War  in  2011;  II.  Historical  Simulation  of the  Wars  in  Classical  Greece  in  2012;  III. Historical  Simulation  of  the  Roman  Wars  in  2016; and  IV.  Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the Medieval  Era  in  2018.  I  plan  to  publish  the  following series:  V.  Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the Modern  Era  (1453  to  1774);  "VI.  Historical Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Age  of  Revolutions  (1775-

1860);  VII.  Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the

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Industrial  Age  (1861  to  1913);  IX.  Historical Simulation  of  World  War  II;  and  X.  Historical Simulation  of  the  Cold  War  (1917  to  1989)".  After being  based  on  this  comprehensive  view  of  Military History  since  1560  BC  in  Ancient  Egypt,  and  on  the knowledge  acquired  in  my  studies  for  a  doctor’s degree  of  Military  Science  in  2000  and  a  bachelor's degree  in  History  in  2019,  I  will  complete  the  project by  writing  and  publishing  an  own  theory  on  the  Art and  Science  of  War. Keywords:  History.  Art  of  War.  Science  of  War.

Wargames.

5 SUMMARY

SIXTEENTH  CENTURY  NAVAL  BATTLES………...6 PREVEZA,  1538.…………………………………….13 LEPANTO,  1571.…………………………………….39

ANNEXES........………………………………………65

6 SIXTEENTH  CENTURY  NAVAL  BATTLES

Names  of  people  and  places  will  be  kept  in their  original  languages,  unless  there  is  an  English form  necessary  for  understanding.  Titles  or technical  terms  in  other  languages,  when  there  is  no better  translation  into  English,  will  be  kept  and explained  the  first  time  they  appear.

Im  1:  Art  and  Science  of  War  in  the  Early  Modern  Era.

As  the  main  characteristics  of  this  period  in  the Naval  War  ,  we  highlight  that  since  ancient  times, war  at  sea  had  been  fought  as  on  land,  with  stun guns,  bows  and  arrows  on  floating  wooden

platforms  instead  of  battlefields.

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The  first  cannons  on  the  ships  were  small pieces  of  wrought  iron  mounted  on  open  decks, often  requiring  only  one  or  two  men  to  deal  with them.  They  were  designed  to  injure,  kill  or  simply stun,  shock  and  frighten  enemy  crews  before  an approach.

With  cannons  becoming  more  durable,  capable of  withstanding  stronger  charges  of  gunpowder, they  increased  their  potential  to  cause  critical damage  to  the  vessel,  not  just  the  crew.  Since  these weapons  were  much  heavier  than  previous antipersonnel  weapons,  they  needed  to  be  placed on  lower  decks  on  ships  and  fired  through  hatches to  prevent  the  ships  from  becoming  unstable.

Despite  these  technical  developments,  cannons in  the  16th  century  were  still  considered  to  be  in fixed  positions,  with  the  intention  of  being  fired independently,  rather  than  in  combination  shots.  It was  only  from  the  1590s  onwards  that  the  technique of  shooting  together  with  command  or  broadside

and  the  tactics  of  battle  lines  began  to  develop.

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In  simulations  of  sea  battles  we  will  use combined  adaptations  between  the