Battle of Camperdown
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The naval Battle of Camperdown took place on 11 October 1797 during the French Revolutionary Wars, and was a victory for a British fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan over a Dutch fleet under Admiral de Winter. The battle site was the North Sea, off the coastal village of Camperduin, north-west of Alkmaar. From 1795 till 1806 The Netherlands were named: Batavian Republic (Bataafsche Republiek).
Throughout 1797, Duncan had been blockading the Dutch fleet in Den Helder and Texel. The Dutch fleet was intended to cover a landing of French troops in Ireland to support a planned rebellion, so when Duncan took his squadron to Yarmouth to refit, the Dutch took the opportunity to come out into the North Sea. The British, alerted by the cutter Black Joke and the lugger Speculator, gave chase.
The two fleets met 18 miles from the Dutch coast, the British with 24 ships heading south-east and the Dutch with 25 in a single line heading east-south-east. The British attacked in a 2-column assault presaging the Battle of Trafalgar eight years later, with Duncan leading the easternmost group in Venerable and Vice Admiral Richard Onslow leading the westernmost group in Monarch. Venerable broke through the Dutch line and engaged de Winter's flagship, Vrijheid, from the lee side. Several British ships broke the Dutch line and ships in both fleets were engaged on both sides. Several Dutch ships managed to flee east; 11 were captured including the flagship, Vrijheid 74, but the British ships were too damaged to pursue the remainder. British casualties were 220 killed and 812 wounded; Dutch casualties were 540 killed and 620 wounded). The similarity in casualty rates reflect both sides tactics of firing into the hulls of their opponents (Mariner's Mirror vol. 23 (1937) lists casualties as British: 193 killed, 622 wounded; Dutch: 520 killed, 952 wounded).
As a result of the battle, the first French expedition to Ireland did not arrive until August 1798, by which time the rebellion had been largely crushed.
Ships involved (and their guns):
Listed in battle order (Dutch) and approximate order (British)
Contents |
[edit] Britain (Adam Duncan)
First group
Lancaster 64
Isis 50
Belliqueux 64
Bedford 74
Ardent 64
Venerable 74 (flag)
Triumph 74 (Essington)
Circe 28
Second group
Beaulieu 40
Agincourt 64
Adamant 50
Veteran 64
Monarch 74 (VA Onslow)
Powerful 74
Director 64 (William Bligh)
Monmouth 64
Russel 74 (Trollope)
Montagu 74 (Knight)
Others
Martin (cutter)
Rose (cutter)
King George (cutter)
Active (cutter)
Diligent (cutter)
Speculator (lugger)
[edit] The Netherlands (Jan Willem de Winter)
Battle line
Gelijkheid 64/68 - Captured by Belliqueux and Lancaster 3.10pm
Beschermer 50/56
Hercules 64 (Musquetier?) - On fire, captured
Admiraal (Tjerk Hiddes) De Vries 64/68 - Captured by Isis 3.00pm
Vrijheid 74 (flag) - Captured 3.15pm
Staten-Generaal 74 (Story)
Wassenaar 64 - Captured by Powerful and Veteran 2.00pm
Batavier 50/56
Brutus 74 (RA Bloys van Treslong)
Leyden 64/68
Mars 44
Cerberus 64/68
Jupiter 74/72 (VA Reyntjes) - Captured by Russell?? 1.45pm
Monnikendam 40/44 - Captured 2.00pm, wrecked
Haarlem 64/68 - Captured by Adamant 1.15pm
Alkmaar 50/56/52? - Captured 2.30pm
Delft 50/54/60 - Captured 2.15pm, sunk: 15 October 2.30am Reconstruction of Linieschip 'Delft' in Rotterdam (Delfshaven)
Smaller ships on off-battle side etc.
Embuscade 32 - Captured, aground and recaptured later
Heldin 32
Minerva 24 (ship-corvette)
Waakzaamheid 24 (ship-corvette)
Ajax 18 (brig-corvette)
Atalanta 18 (brig-corvette)
Daphne 18 (brig-corvette)
Galathée 18 (brig-corvette)
Haasje 6 (advice boat ?)
? (advice boat)
Second gun figures come from Mariner's Mirror vol. 23 (1937)
[edit] References
- Mariner's Mirror vol. 23 (1937)
