Battle on the Zuiderzee

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Dutch ships after the battle.

Date	October 11, 1573
Location	The Zuiderzee, now the IJsselmeer
Result	Decisive Dutch victory

Combatants

Dutch rebels

Spain

Commanders

Cornelis Jansz Dircksz

Maximilian de Henin Count of Bossu

Strength

24 ships, 700 sailors

30 ships, 1300 sailors

Casualties

Unknown

6 ships captured by the Dutch – 300 sailors taken prisoner

The Battle on the Zuiderzee (October 11th 1573) was a naval battle during the Eighty Years' War in which a Dutch Fleet destroyer a larger and better equipped Spanish fleet on the Zuiderzee.

[edit] Prelude

One the largest Dutch cities, Amsterdam, was occupied by the Spanish. The supply routes for this cities almost exclusively went through the Zuiderzee. The Dutch rebels tried to disturb this route as much as they could. In 1573 the Spanish Govenor Maximilian de Henin Count of Bossu tried to destroy the rebels once and for all by sending a large fleet from Amsterdam to the Zuiderzee. Bossu's Fleet consisted of 30 ships with over 1300 crew, his flagship "The Inquisition" weighed over 250 tons and had armoured plating. On the opposing side the Gueux managed to assemble a fleet of 24 (much smaller and more lighty armed) ships and 700 men.

[edit] Battle

Bossu left Amsterdam on October 5th and was almost completely attacked by the Dutch. The latter, because heavily outgunned, has chosen a boarding tactic and tried to get to the Spanish ships as fast as possible. Because of the wind the Dutch ships failed to reach the Spanish fleet and the Duth fleet was severely damaged by the Spanish guns.

It wasn't until October 11th the wind turned and the Dutch could execute a surprise attack. The Spanish flagship was boarded and rann aground. The attackers threw boiling water and threw primitve molotov cocktails at the Spanish and the battle lasted for a whole night. When Bossu found out his fleet had abbandoned him he surrenderd.