Two days later the monks standing vigil on the western wall saw their fervent prayers answered. Approaching the city across the Sea of Marmora were three Genoese galleys and a large Imperial transport vessel. They had proceeded this far unopposed because Baltoghlu had concentrated his fleet before the city and left the Dardanelles unguarded.

The three Genoese galleys, hired by the Pope, were filled with arms and provisions; the Imperial transport was loaded with corn. It was not the vast armada the city awaited, but supplies were needed, and the ships would bring news.

The moment a messenger brought the news of these ships to Mohammed, he leapt onto his horse and galloped off to personally give his admiral instructions. The Turkish fleet was based at the Double Columns behind Pera. Mohammed's instructions to Baltoghlu were terse: capture the ships if possible, otherwise sink them. If he failed, he was not to return alive.

By now Baltoghlu was better prepared to engage the Christians. Many of his ships now had guns with higher elevations and the sides of his ships were protected with walls of shields. Baltoghlu embarked the Janissaries the Sultan had brought and set out with his entire fleet, thousands of oars churning the sea.

The Sultan watched with his entourage from Galata Point as the fleets approached each other. Al the same time thousands of citizens of Constantinople lined the city's walls as spectators.

It was early afternoon when the Turkish fleet intercepted the four Christian vessels southeast of the city. The sea was turbulent, causing some difficulties for Baltoghlu's rowers, and a stiff wind favored the Christians.

The Turks swarmed round the high decks of their enemies. Despite the modifications, the Turkish cannon had proved useless. Braving the showers of Christian javelins, arrows, stones, darts and snot, the Turks valiantly tried to set afire the Christian hulls and board the vessels above them. But with the their feet planted on heaving, slippery decks, the Janissaries did not fight well. Again and again the Christian flotilla shook off these attacks and sailed on.

But when the Christian ships were within sight of success, were rounding the point of the city and turning toward the sanctuary of the Golden Horn, Allah himself seemed to intercede - the wind suddenly ceased.

The Christian sails flapped uselessly. Worse, the strong currents off the city's point sent the four ship drifting helplessly directly toward Galata Point where the anxious Sultan watched.

Once more Baltoghlu's oar-powered fleet closed in, but this time not too close. Baltoghlu's crews and soldiers had already suffered far too many casualties in direct assaults against the enemy vessels. This time Baltoghlu decided he could take his time raking the enemy's decks with cannon fire and launching flaming lances,

He signaled his ships to commence fire. But again the unwieldy guns could not be brought to bear on their targets. Some fires were started with the lances but these were quickly put out by the well-trained Christian crews. Baltoghlu finally signaled another assault.

The Turkish admiral ran his trireme into the poop of the Imperial transport. Other ships quickly joined him with grappling hooks and scaling ladders. Meanwhile one Genoese galley was completely surrounded by five triremes, the second was locked in combat with some thirty fustae long-boats, and the fourth ship was surrounded by at least forty parandaria fully loaded with Turkish soldiers.

The Christians fought with precision and discipline against the savage attacks. Their armor saved them from injury countless times while their axes and swords lopped off heads and hands of the screaming boarders. At the same time the Imperial vessel showered the Turkish fleet with unquenchable Greek fire, setting many Turkish ships aflame.

On his flagship Baltoghlu again and again ordered waves of his men to the assault of the high docks of the Imperial transport. More ships attempted to find space to come to his aid. Gradually, however, the currents were drifting the Genoese galleys towards the Imperial transport. Finally all four ships managed to lash themselves together. In the churning sea they became a floating fortress surrounded by the milling turmoil of the smaller Turkish ships.

All this Mohammed watched with much anxiety and excitement. Often he prodded his wheeling horse so far into the sea that his cloak trailed in the water, waving his arms, cursing and shouting orders at Baltoghlu.

The drama continued all afternoon. Each minute the danger to the Christian ships increased. They were running short of arrows and missiles. And more Turkish vessels were maneuvering to join the f ray.

The sun set, and suddenly came a gust of breeze. Then the wind came up and the Christian sails billowed. Gradually the four Christian vessels began to gain steerage, began to plough through the Turkish fleet. They limped slowly toward the boom.

In the gathering darkness, Baltoghlu lost contact with his fleet. The Turkish attacks became sporadic. Then to add to the Turks' confusion a great fanfare of massed trumpets sounded from the boom. As the Turks peered forward they dimly made out Venetian galleys approaching the scene. The din of trumpets grew louder - as though the entire Christian fleet had sallied to the attack. Baltoghlu, fearful of this new threat (actually it was only three Christian ships striving to sound like twenty) ordered the Turks to retreat.

The four ships were escorted into the Golden Horn with their precious cargoes to the cheers of the citizens on the walls. That night there was great rejoicing in Constantinople. Turkish losses were reliably estimated at a hundred killed and three hundred wounded. While practically half the Christian seamen had suffered some wound, only twenty-three had been lost.

Mohammed returned to his tent filled with rage. The three consecutive reverses he had suffered were not only dangerously demoralizing his army, they were also undermining his own position in respect to Vizier Halil Pasha and other government ministers who had opposed the siege from the beginning. That same night Mohammed received a letter from Sheik Ak Shemseddin, one of the chief religious authorities in the camp, informing him that, the troops were beginning to blame their Sultan for his misjudgment and lack of authority. Rumors began to spread throughout the Turkish camp that the siege might be abandoned.

The next morning Beltoghlu was summoned to the Sultan's tent. He stood before his master shamefully and fearfully. He was nursing an eye badly injured by a stone hurled from one of his own ships. Mohammed publicly accused his admiral of being a coward, an incompetent and a traitor, and ordered him beheaded. But Baltoghlu's officers testified to his courageous leadership, his tenacity and skill under difficult conditions. After considering this, Mohammed ordered all Baltoghlu's possessions confiscated and distributed to the Janissaries. The admiral was then stripped, pinned to the ground by four slaves, and beaten with a golden rod a hundred times. He was carried from the Sultan's tent penniless and eternally disgraced.