The 1651 battle south of Naxos gave the Venetians a significant victory against a larger Ottoman force. The Ottoman ships withdrew, but could still use Rhodes to send supplies onward to Candia. For the next two years, Venetian blockade activity remained ineffective while Ottoman traffic approached by different routes. Commanders were reluctant to risk scarce ships, crews, and money in the aggressive operations needed to turn sea fighting into a decisive blockade.
Chapter · 32:00-34:25
Naxos and the limits of cautious command
Venice won the three-day Battle of Naxos against a larger fleet, but conservative command did not turn that success into control of the routes to Crete.