Battle of Les Formigues
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| Battle of Les Formigues | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Aragonese Crusade | |||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Crown of Aragon | France, Genoa | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Roger of Lauria | Henry di Mari, John de Orreo |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 40 galleys | 30 galleys | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| Unknown | 15–20 or more galleys sunk or captured | ||||||
The naval Battle of Les Formigues (or Las Hormigas) took place probably in the early morning of 4 September 1285 near Las Hormigas, about 85kms north-east of Barcelona, when an Aragonese-Sicilian galley fleet commanded by Roger of Lauria defeated a French and Genoese galley fleet commanded by Henry di Mari and John de Orreo.
There are 3 almost completely different accounts of this battle. Either Lauria or the French were ashore for the night and encountered by the other, or they were both at sea when the encounter took place. The accounts agree that it happened at night, which was unusual for Medieval naval battles, but suited Lauria who was skilled at night-fighting. He used 2 lanterns on each galley to increase his apparent numbers. 10-16 Genoese galleys under John de Orreo fled, leaving about 15-20 French galleys to be captured, and some others sunk or burnt. A little later Lauria destroyed a French fleet of ships and galleys to the north at Rosas.
Ships involved:
[edit] Sicily and Catalonia (Roger of Lauria)
about 30 Sicilan galleys
about 10 Catalan galleys
[edit] France and Genoa (di Mari and de Orreo)
about 30 galleys - 15-20 captured, some sunk or burnt
