Prior to Doria's arrival, Grimani attempted to land troops near the Fortress of Preveza, but he retreated to Corfu after suffering a number of casualties in the ensuing encounter with Ottoman forces under Murat Reis.

Sinan Reis, one of his lieutenants, suggested landing troops at Actium on the Gulf of Arta near Preveza, an idea that Barbarossa initially opposed, but which later proved to be important in securing the Ottoman victory.

Venetian sources, which became the mainstream version due to their primacy and color, portray Doria as causing the defeat by his inaction, while Hispano-Genoese accounts blame Grimani and Cappello for refusing to follow his battle plan.

Cappello and Grimani disagreed and pressed to capitalize on the chance as swiftly as possible, and after three hours of parliament, Doria relented and ordered the galleys to turn north, where they would reunite with sailing ships.

However, weather disrupted his strategy, as a lack of wind had caused the sailing ships to lag behind, giving Barbarossa the perfect chance to reach and envelope them without leaving himself the protection of the Ottoman shore.

[14] The excess of tactical maneuvering exasperated Cappello and Grimani, who came to the extent of personally boarding Doria's flagship to beg him to give battle.

[15][12] However, the night fell without an attempt to engage by Doria, who repeated his feint twice without success before ordering all Christian vessels to escape next morning.

The Genoese admiral sent a messenger on a brigantine to call Grimani and Cappello, communicating them his intention to attack and wanting to know their readiness, which they both confirmed.

[16] As the Ottoman galleys were already surrounding the sailing ships, the Genoese admiral dispatched the Spanish Viceroy of Sicily, Ferrante Gonzaga, in another brigantine to urge Cappello and Grimani to follow his strategy.

The ship fought fiercely for the entire day waiting for galleys that never came, ending up damaged in the process, although ultimately managing to avoid being captured, even after Barbarossa's flagship joined the frey.

The two main flagship, captained by Francisco Sarmiento and Juan Villegas de Figueroa, repulsed multiple Ottoman attacks.

Figueroa was eventually boarded and overwhelmed, forcing his marine infantry to fight in a last stand, until the vessel received so much damage that it sank.

Another ship captained by Machín de Munguía with another marine company faced another batch of dozens of Turkish galleys, becoming dismasted and severely damaged in the process, although ultimately escaping unboarded.

[21] Sephardic scholar Joseph ha-Kohen even proposed that God had confounded Doria's mind as a punishment for mistreating Jewish prisoners in his campaigns.

[23] By Doria's insistence, the Holy League continued the campaign and captured the fortress of Castelnuovo, present day Herceg Novi, Montenegro, hoping for it to become the beach head of an invasion of the Ottoman Balkans.