The terrible losses taken by the French contingents during the first three years of the war had not gone unnoticed by Roger of Lauria and Alfonso III. Roger continued the naval campaign by raiding along the coast of Languedoc and Provence in March 1286. While the raids did capture a number of ships and hostages, booty was not its prime objective. Roger's goal was to cripple the Angevin naval effort permanently by systematically destroying any towns that might be able to provide new men or material to the fleet. Following these attacks, the regions of Languedoc and Provence ceased to provide any meaningful units to the Angevin cause. Roger then went on to raid the North African coast in August. Meanwhile, the activity around Sicily had been minimal. Two small squadrons under Berenger of Sarriá and Berengar of Villaragut had raided along the Apulian coast during the summer of 1286. Though designed to disrupt shipping and undermine the Angevin naval presence, these raids did not prevent the Angevins from rebuilding substantial fleets at Naples and Brindisi.
With the negotiations for
settlement of the Sicilian question stagnating, Honorius was pushing the
Angevins to renew their assault. The Angevins had assembled approximately
40 galleys at Brindisi and another 43 galleys with support ships at
Sorrento. In April 1287 the Apulian fleet at Brindisi set sail under the
command of Reynald Quarel, Count of Avella, and landed at Augusta, Sicily
on May 1st. Quarel quickly disembarked his troops and seized the town.
James and Roger responded immediately and drove the Angevins out of the
town and into the Castello Svevo. However, the landing seems to have been
only a feint to draw off the Aragonese fleet, for when it arrived at
Augusta Reynald had set sail.
Leaving his soldiers to hold the city,
Reynald sailed south and west around Sicily, evaded Roger, and arrived at
Sorrento where he combined his fleet with that of the Regno to form a
force of over 80 galleys.
King James of Sicily had permitted the arsenals in Sicily to fall into disrepair so that when the new Angevin threat was recognized and Roger of Lauria was recalled to Sicily, the Aragonese were in no position to stop the primary assault. This neglect led to a series of recriminations involving Roger who had to publicly defend himself before entire curia. He set about rectifying the situation and personally worked in the Messina arsenal to refit the fleet.
