De Ruyter, always foremost in fight, led the van upon this occasion;
De Witt the main body, and De Wilde the rear. Evertz, another
distinguished Dutch admiral, was stationed with a reserve, to send
succor where it should be most needed.
Just before the battle opened De Witt sent a despatch boat round the
fleet, to enjoin the captains to do their duty on this great day. But
it is well known that apathy, intrigue and discontent ruled on every
Dutch deck, and in almost every cabin; and no good could result from
such an appeal at the eleventh hour.
The Brederode, Tromp’s old flag-ship, was in the fleet, but the admiral
appointed in Tromp’s place thought it not prudent to remain among
Tromp’s devoted followers, and just before the action commenced his
flag was removed to a huge Indiaman. Several other ships, besides
the Brederode, resented the disgrace of their favorite leader, and
either disputed the new admiral’s orders, or obeyed them without the
zeal which is essential to victory. Hoping that success would restore
loyalty, De Witt hove his topsails to the mast, and formed line.
By four in the afternoon the English line was also formed and well
up, the only order issued from the Resolution being “to attack, but
hold their fire until close in with the enemy.” Then the whole of the
English van bore down upon the Dutch, who kept up an intermittent
and harmless fire as it approached. Just then the Dutch line tacked,
and the two fleets came into almost instant collision. They were so
close together that an unusual number of shots told, and the crash of
the first broadside was terrific; the roar of artillery continuing
incessantly for more than an hour.
After that the action became less furious, and there were pauses in the
storm of battle. The Dutch ships fell off to a greater distance, and,
as a breeze arose the clouds of powder smoke partially cleared away.
But, although the Dutch fell back, they fell back fighting, and with
their faces to the enemy; and, with their usual obstinate valor they
continued the battle until night fell upon the scene of slaughter. The
Dutch had lost most men, while the English had suffered most severely
in masts and rigging. It was thought by experienced commanders, in both
fleets, that De Witt would have been completely defeated and broken
had he not drawn off at nightfall.
Ruyter had, as usual, commanded his important division with consummate
skill and bravery. He lost a large proportion of the crew of his own
ship, and his masts and rigging were almost destroyed, and the hull
seriously shattered. De Witt himself, by his courage and conduct during
the battle, atoned in part for his rashness in fighting such an enemy
in the then condition of his fleet. But, in spite of their efforts,
the Dutch had the worst of it. Two of their ships foundered in the
first shock of battle; and two others were boarded and taken, one of
them being the Rear Admiral’s flag-ship. As has been seen, the loss
of life in the Dutch fleet was great, and this, in addition to the
general disaffection, caused about twenty of De Witt’s captains to take
advantage of the darkness, withdraw their ships from the main fleet,
and make for Zealand, where they carried the first news of disaster.
As many of the Dutch fleet remained in sight, and kept their lights
burning during the night, Blake naturally assumed that they would fight
again at daylight. Every one, therefore, on board the English fleet was
engaged in repairing damages, in securing prisoners, caring for the
wounded and burying the dead.
At daylight the whole fleet bore down for the Dutch position, and, from
the attitude of the latter, it seemed likely that the bloody work of
the previous day would begin again.
De Witt wished to fight; but a change of counsel took place before the
fleets got within cannon shot of each other. Evertz and De Ruyter’s
opinion prevailed, and it was decided to collect the scattered ships,
to gain one of their own ports, repair, refit, and re-man the ships,
and await the orders of the States General.
Blake, in his disabled state, could not prevent them from carrying out
this decision; and was obliged to content himself with petty raids upon
the Dutch coasts, such as Tromp had inflicted upon the English in the
preceding year.
The news of this action was received in London and throughout England
with great exultation. It was the first great naval action fought
by the English since the days of Elizabeth. England had come off
victorious against the best seamen and most experienced admirals of the
world. Tromp, Evertz, and Ruyter had been regarded as invincible sea
commanders; yet now a land officer, with but three years’ experience
of the sea, with soldiers and landsmen, had successfully withstood the
attacks of veteran sailors who had swept the great navies of Spain from
the face of the ocean.
Blake took his place at once among the highest of living Admirals.
* * * * *
Parliament wished at once to release the ships hired from the merchant
service, and to reduce the fortifications about Deal and Sandown.
This Blake replied to by a demand for thirty new frigates, but such was
the momentary confidence and security felt that he did not obtain them.
Vendome’s renewed complaints were treated with haughty indifference,
and the Council dreamed of a “_mare clausum_,” the dominion of the
Narrow Seas, and the exclusion of the Dutch from all the valuable
fisheries.
They little understood the resources and determination of the people
with whom they had to deal.
1652-3.
And now we shall see how sturdy Van Tromp came to the fore again.
De Witt’s return with his discomfited fleet was the signal for great
disorders in Holland. The enemies of the Orange party did not hesitate
to accuse him of rashness, cowardice and treason. The sailors of the
fleet, who had been almost mutinous before the battle, really became so
after it.
Even on board his own flag-ship De Witt was not entirely free from
danger. He had, before sailing, executed some seamen for mutiny, and
excited much silent rage thereby; but when he came back unsuccessful,
the popular passions were aroused, and he was mobbed as soon as he
landed, in Flushing; his proud heart being almost broken by the insult
from a people he had served so long and well, he fell sick, and
relinquished his command. Ruyter shared some of his unpopularity, but
was persuaded to continue in his command.
Having so often triumphed at sea, the Dutch could not understand that
their reverses were not the result of gross misconduct in their sea
generals; and they now remembered that, if Tromp’s success in the early
part of the war had not been very great, he had not, at least, suffered
defeat, and they felt that the elements, and not man, had destroyed the
powerful fleet which he had lost.
His reputation became once more the first in Holland, while personal
feeling and his past training peculiarly fitted him to meet the English.
The States General were ready to reverse their decision when they found
him necessary, and this was confirmed when they found that the King of
Denmark, alarmed by the sudden growth of England’s maritime power, was
making interest with leading Dutch statesmen, not only for a vigorous
renewal of hostilities, but also for the restoration of Tromp to his
offices and honors.
The most eminent of his rivals in naval ability and in political
influence were, upon his restoration, appointed to serve under him as
Vice and Rear Admirals. These were De Witt, Ruyter, Evertz and Floritz.
De Witt, completely mortified and disgusted, excused himself on the
plea of ill health; and Ruyter joined the fleet as second in command.
The Danish King now refused to allow the English ships, which had been
sent to the Baltic for the naval stores so necessary to the fleet, to
return through the Sound or the Belts, and thus proved a new enemy for
the Commonwealth to deal with.
As the term for which Blake had been appointed sole General and
Admiral of the fleet had expired, he requested the appointment of two
colleagues, as he considered the coast command of England equally
important with that of the cruising fleet.
Colonel Deane and General Monk were accordingly so commissioned, both
these officers being in the land service, and at that time actively
employed in Scotland.
Winter had now set in, and Blake distributed the fleet, some for convoy
duty, and some for repairs. The Dutch were hard at work in their
dock-yards, and Blake, with a reduced force, cruised from port to port
of the Channel, not expecting the enemy to appear at sea before the
return of fine weather. In this he had greatly mistaken the energy and
influence of Tromp, who, in an incredibly short time, fitted out and
manned a vast fleet; and while the English squadrons were dispersed
in various directions, suddenly appeared off the Goodwins with more
than one hundred sail of the line, frigates and fire-ships. His plan
was bold and well conceived. Coming suddenly into the Downs with this
large force, he intended to close up the Thames, cut off reinforcements
preparing there, and then to fall upon Blake’s division, and either
capture it or drive it westward out of the Channel; then, with the
coast at his mercy, he could dictate terms to the Commonwealth. At that
time a winter cruise or campaign was hardly thought possible; but Tromp
relied upon a swift and daring blow to finish the war in a few days.
Blake was then in the Triumph, and the first intimation he had of
Tromp’s being at sea was from his own look-out ships. On the 9th of
December the two fleets were in presence of each other, between Calais
and Dover; and the English Admiral then learned that Tromp was in
command, and accordingly prepared himself for serious work.
A council of war was held on board the Triumph. Blake declared his
intention to fight, even without his detached squadrons, rather than
leave the coast exposed to the incursions of the great and uncrippled
Dutch fleet.
All that December day the two Admirals worked for the weather gage. The
succeeding night was long, cold and stormy, and the ships were unable
to keep well together. At daylight of the 10th the manœuvres for the
weather gage were renewed, the two flag-ships, the Brederode and the
Triumph, both drawing toward the Nase, and by three in the afternoon
the fleets were quite near each other, off that headland of Essex.
Tromp being most anxious to engage, made a sudden effort to get
alongside the English Admiral. The latter’s ship, however, by a
skillful evolution, passed under the Brederode’s bows to the weather
gage. In passing the two ships exchanged broadsides, and the battle
opened. Blake’s ship was closely followed by the Garland, and missing
the Triumph, Tromp ran afoul of this second ship, and carried away
her bowsprit and head. The Garland and the Brederode then engaged,
the English ship, though much lighter, fighting bravely until joined
by the Bonaventure, 30, when the two together rather overmatched the
Brederode. Tromp, by every possible appeal, encouraged his men; but his
position was becoming very precarious, when Evertz, seeing him in such
straits, attacked the Bonaventure, placing that small ship between the
two Dutch flag-ships. The four ships were all grappled together, and
it was more than an hour before the weight of metal obliged the two
English ships to yield. After they had suffered great loss the Dutch
boarded and captured them. Of the other English ships the Triumph, the
Vanguard and the Victory bore the brunt of the action. In spite of
being surrounded by enemies, and suffering severely in men, hull, masts
and rigging, they all came out of the desperate encounter uncaptured.
Night came early at that season, and the fleets were about separating,
when Blake heard of the capture of the Garland and Bonaventure, and he
at once attempted their recapture. This brought on a more destructive
conflict than the previous one. Blake was surrounded by the Dutch
ships, and the Triumph was three times boarded, and the assailants as
often repulsed. She was reduced to a wreck, and with difficulty kept
afloat, and had it not been for the Sapphire and the Vanguard, which
stood by him with extraordinary courage and devotion, the English
Admiral must have succumbed. Thick fog and darkness at last interposed
and enabled Blake to draw off his ships toward Dover Roads.
The next morning there was a dense fog, and the Dutch were not to be
seen. His disabled vessels required a shelter, and the English Admiral,
therefore, resolved to run into the Thames, and there repair damages,
ascertain the enemy’s intentions, and wait the recall and concentration
of his scattered squadrons.
In the action off the Nase the Dutch had had much the best of it, but
had lost many men, and one of their ships had blown up, every soul on
board of her perishing. Tromp’s and Ruyter’s ships were both unfitted
for further service, and many others were crippled; but they were the
victors, and once more masters of the Channel.
Blake offered to resign, but the Council would not hear of this, and
only seemed intent upon weeding out of the fleet those captains who had
not shown sufficient zeal and courage. Several were broken after proper
inquiry, among others, Blake’s own brother, who was reported as guilty
of neglect of duty.
More vessels were concentrated and placed under Blake’s orders, and the
effective force of the navy raised to 30,000 men.
While reforms, renovations and recruitments were being carried on under
Blake’s own eye, Tromp sailed up and down the Channel with a broom at
his masthead, typical of his having swept the Narrow Seas; and the
States General proclaimed a state of blockade of the British Islands.
Caricatures and ballads were circulated in the Dutch cities, all
bearing upon the late naval event. The fear that Tromp would seize
the Channel islands, and the certainty that he had effectually cut
off commerce, hastened the preparations of the English for a second
winter campaign; and, on the 8th of February, 1653, Blake, still in the
Triumph, sailed, at the head of some sixty men-of-war and frigates,
having Monk and Deane with 1200 soldiers from the army on board. Penn,
the father of the Quaker proprietor of Pennsylvania, was the vice
admiral, and Lawson the rear admiral.
In the Straits of Dover he was joined by the Portsmouth squadron, of
twenty sail; and with this addition to his strength, Blake resolved to
seek the Dutch fleet, and once more give battle.
Tromp had gone to the southward, to meet a large fleet of Dutch traders
which had collected near Rochelle, with the intention of convoying them
home. Here intelligence reached him that the English were about to
quit the Thames with a large fleet, and he hoped to be able to return
in time to block it up in the river mouth, and to keep the Portsmouth
squadron from effecting a junction with the main body. But Blake had
stolen a march upon the Dutch Admiral, and when the latter came up
with Cape la Hogue, he was surprised to find a force equal to his own
prepared to dispute the passage of the seas so lately swept by his
broom. He, however, accepted battle eagerly, for he was confident of
victory.