How did galleys battle?
score:22
The question as it stands would require a book to answer it. Luckily for you, the book has been written: "Naval Warfare Under Oars, 4th to 16th Century" by Rodgers (1940). To quote from Chapter 8 on the Italian Naval Wars in the 13th century:
Tactical Customs
Ordinarily, squadrons moved in column with the admiral leading; in battle the fleet formed in line, sometimes in a straight line, sometimes a crescent with the wing ships either advanced or withdrawn.... Frequently, when the fleet was near the shore, the ships were bridled for battle; that is, they stretched cables from one ship to the next, so that the enemy could not break through the line.... The engagement commenced at a distance with flights of arrows, stones, and bolts from the machines. When attacking sailing ships, it was an object to tear the sails with arrows and cut the rigging with scythes. After ships collided, the rowers left their oars to fight; divers tried to bore holes under the water. Liquid soap was thrown on the hostile decks to make them slippery. Greek fire was thrown in pots and also quick lime, liquid pitch, and boiling oil and incendiary darts.... It is noteworthy that few ships were sunk by the ram or otherwise as compared with ancient times. For siege work the ships rigged flying bridges and ladders from the masts to swing against the walls and enable the soldiers to reach their tops. On the other hand, the entrances to harbors were defended by chains drawn across the channel, and on some occasions by piling (lizze) driven to obstruct the channel and by sunken ships.
To answer your question more fully you may want to get this 350-page book, published by the United States Naval Institute Press.
Upvote:1
I agree that the question is too broad. And it begins with the statement "until 16 century galleys were the main battleships, which is not correct. (Viking ships and many others before 16-th were not galleys. Greek and Roman ships were not galleys, though they are somewhat similar. They used different weapons, and different tactics.) All battleships in the old times used oars in battle but this is the only thing that is common to them. The oars and the methods of rowing was also different.
Galleys were used until 18-th century. 16-18-th century galleys carried guns. Usually one or two big guns. The guns could be only aimed forward or backward, otherwise they would interfere with oars. So they were used essentially as gunboats. They could also take an enemy by boarding sometimes. They were used only in Mediterranean and in the Baltic. There is no much use of a galley in the Atlantic ocean or in the North sea.
You are also asking about a typical naval battle. There was a famous one which is relatively well-documented: the Battle of Lepanto. Here is an 18-th century galley battle: Battle of Gangut.
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