Notable naval victories of the Knights of Malta

Abstract

The naval prowess of the Hospitaller Order of St John was renowned throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. A paper entitled 'The Warships of the Order of St John 1530-1798', presented during History Week 1994, by Joseph Muscat, a historian who is 'considered one of the foremost authorities on Malta's maritime history, described the role of the Order's navy as follows: "A policing role against all Muslim shipping was maintained by the warships of the Order in the Mediterranean Sea. The Knights insisted on the right of search on all ships sailing in all directions of the Mediterranean. It seems there was a tacit acceptance on the part of Christian shipping although English captains were always against such a practice. It must be pointed out that the fourth vow of the Knights obliged them to fight Muslim forces always and everywhere even when outnumbered by three to one."