Ottoman Algeria in Western Diplomatic History with ... - Bibliothèque

3. 3. The Fleet and Corsairing
In the 16 th century, the fleet was composed essentially from galleys and
galleots—those being smaller and lighter—propelled by oars and dependant
entirely on human power. The galleys dominated the naval history of Algiers
until they were superseded by a new type of vessels, the man-of-war or sailing
battleship. The galleys were heavily armed and were primarily used in
squadron warfare in which hundreds of such vessels and tens of thousands of
fighting men were generally involved. 110 The galleots, however, had no fire
power—or almost—and were for the most adopted for a different kind of
warfare called corsairing or guerre de course, because they were “quicker,
handier, and more maneuverable than the galley.” 111
Corsairing, consisted
mainly of chasing then boarding enemy merchant vessels, called also
merchantmen; what ensued was much like land fighting—body-to-body fights
whereby the strongest and bravest ended up by taking control of the enemy’s
ship and making it prize. Algiers rather excelled in that kind of fighting
especially after the retreat of the Ottoman fleet from the western Mediterranean
following the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Algerian corsairing vessels were either
built in local shipyards or were captured merchantmen, which were armed and
converted for corsairing. Naval stores and ammunitions (including masts, sailcloth,
ropes, cannons, powder, bullets, etc,) were bought either directly in the
110 At Lepanto (1571), the largest and last sea battle involving galleys, a total force of about 450 galleys
(Muslim and Christian) took part in fighting. More about armament, command, and tactics can be
found in Guilmartin, “Tactics of Lepanto,” p. 41-65.
111 Ibid., p. 45-47.
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