Battle of Ponza (1300)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Ponza
partof=War of the Sicilian Vespers


caption=
date=June 14 1300
place=near Naples, present-day Italy
result=Aragonese–Angevin victory
combatant1=Crown of Aragon
Angevin Empire
combatant2=Sicily
commander1=Roger of Lauria
commander2=Conrad d'Oria
strength1=59 galleys
strength2=32 galleys
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=26 galleys captured

The naval Battle of Ponza took place on 14 June 1300 near the islands of Ponza and Zannone, in the Gulf of Gaeta (NW of Naples), when a galley fleet commanded by Roger of Lauria defeated an Aragonese-Sicilian galley fleet commanded by Conrad d'Oria.

Lauria's 40 Angevin galleys were at Naples when 32 Sicilian galleys under d'Oria arrived and challenged him to come out. For the first time he refused, probably because of a lack of confidence in his Angevin crews, and d'Oria ravaged some offshore islands. This allowed 12 Apulian galleys to arrive from the south and 7 Genoese galleys to arrive also, and join Lauria's fleet, making 59 galleys. Now Lauria emerged and found the Sicilians near Zannone Island to the west. After d'Oria dismissed a suggestion to retreat, he tried a quick attack on Lauria's flag-galley and the banner-carrying galleys, his own galley running alongside Lauria's, "head to toe" and Lauria's crew suffered even though his galley couldn't be boarded. 1 Sicilian galley fled after capturing one of Lauria's galleys, and it was followed by 6 more. 5 Genoese Ghibelline galleys held back, awaiting fortune, and 18-29 (2 sources give 28, but this adds up to too many) Sicilian galleys were captured, d'Oria's being the last to surrender (when Lauria threatened to burn it).

Ships involved:

Aragon and Angevins

*40 Angevin (Regicolae) galleys
*12 Apulian galleys
*7 Genoese (Grimaldi) galleys

icily

*32 galleys - About 26 captured