Shakespeare is rumored to have wrote Much Ado in 1598, but it wasn't produced until 1600. The setting for Much Ado About Nothing takes place in Messina, Italy, and after extensive research it seems like the battle that Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick "return from" seems to be the Battle of Lepanto. The Battle of Lepanto took place when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Spain, the Republic of Venice, the Papacy, the Republic of Genoa, the Duchy of Davoy, the Knights Hospitaller and others decisively defeated the main fleet of the Ottoman Empire. This battle took place on sea (Gulf of Patras in the Ionian Sea) and lasted 5 hours with the Holy League victorious. There is no contextual evidence within the play that says what type of military Don Pedro, Claudio, and benedick are apart of, which makes this scenario very likey. 
These are the victors of the Battle of Lepanto, from left; John of Austria, Marcantonio Colonna, and Sebastiano Venier)
This is an artists drawing a the different fleets ships just before contact during the battle.
This is an artists drawing the ships fleets on both sides , before the Battle of Lepanto.
Googled (History of Messena, Italy in 1600)
http://www.traditioninaction.org/History/A_001_Lepanto.html
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