Battle of Dungeness

Dover - Plymouth - Elba - Kentish Knock - Dungeness - Portland - Livorno - Gabbard - Scheveningen

In the Battle of Dungeness in the First English- Dutch War met on December 10, 1652 ( on 30 November 1652 that used in England Julian calendar), the fleet of the United Provinces of the Netherlands to the fleet of the Commonwealth of England, close to the Cape Dungeness in Kent. In Dutch it is called Battle of the singles.

Prehistory

In October 1652 believed the English Channel, the Dutch established after the defeat in the Battle of the Kentish Knock no more threat and sent 20 ships into the Mediterranean. However, the Dutch made ​​great efforts to strengthen its fleet.

On 1 December the Dutch fleet sailed under Maarten Tromp out of Hellevoetsluis and escorted a convoy of merchant ships to India. After Tromp had brought the convoy safely through the Straits of Dover, he searched for English ships.

The Battle

The fleets clashed on December 9: On the Dutch side were 88 battleships and 5 Brander, on the English side 42 vessels under the Fleet Commander Robert Blake. But the bad weather prevented that day every fight.

The next day, by 15 clock the fighting began. The English lost until nightfall five ships - two of them boarded the Dutch. Other English ships were damaged. The Dutch lost a vessel by fire. Blake pulled back and anchored in the Downs.

Follow

The victory gave the Dutch control over the English Channel. But Tromp could not be satisfied, but he had to miss the chance to destroy the English fleet.

The Englishman repaired their ships in the winter, covered their naval tactics and gave out the sailing and fighting instructions, in which for the first time the tactics of the battle line has been described.

In February 1653, the English fleet was again strong enough and could the Dutch challenge again - this led to the Battle of Portland.