More information : Primary Sources:
NB: Contemporary English and Dutch accounts vary in their dating of the incident, since at this period the Julian Calendar was still in use in England, 10 days behind the Gregorian Calendar as already adopted by the Dutch (and the enemy of the Anglo-Dutch fleet on this occasion, the French). Hence the date of the battle in English sources was 30-JUN-1690, in Dutch and French sources 10-JUL-1690, and the date range for the aftermath of the battle similarly varied. (6)
'On mande de Hasting, que 2 vaisseaux de guerre Hollandois y étoient arrivés pour se faire radouber, aïant été fort maltraités, mais que quelques navires de guerre François les aïant suivis jusqu'à la Rade, les autres s'étoient resolus de bruler leurs vaisseaux plutôt que de les laisser prendre, et après s'être tous sauvés a terre, ils y avoient mises feu.' (4)
['They write from Hastings, that two Dutch men of war arrived there to refit, having suffered greatly, but since several French warships had followed them towards the Roads, the others resolved to burn their ships rather than allow them to be taken, and after all escaping to land, they set fire to them.'] (4)
[NB: The above text appears to be ambiguous. In the light of the item coming from Hastings, and the two Dutch men of war concerned, it could mean that those two were burnt there and then by their compatriots; rather than allow them to be taken; but the description, "the others", could also refer to the other ships being burnt during the retreat, which is consistent with what is known about the aftermath of the battle.] (6)
'Whitehall, July 11. Whereas several Dutch seamen are come on shoar upon the coast of Sussex and Kent, having left the ships that were disabled in the late fight; those are to advertise them . . . that Her Majesty has given directions that the Commissioners of the Navy . . . do immediately, upon the application of such of them as are not sick or wounded, given them conduct-mony for the carrying them to Chatham.' (5)
The following two sources have been translated from the original Dutch:
List of ships in the order of battle in a letter by Cornelis Evertsen, dated from the HOLLANDIA before the battle, 5 July 1690 [New Style]:
GEKROONDE BURG, 62 guns, Vice-Admiral van der Putten. (6)
Letter from Cornelis Evertsen, dated from the HOLLANDIA in King's Deep, in the Thames, 17 July 1690 [New Style]:
'It was clear to see that the enemy fleet was in earnest to follow us . . . and to burn dismasted ships or force them ashore . . . so in the night following [the battle] the ship the GEKROONDE BURGT, commanded by Vice-Adm. van der Putten, was burnt . . . ' (7)
He follows the body of the letter with a list of the damage to the fleet by Admiralty, in which the GEKROONDE BURG appears, although she does not appear in his second list, detailing ships lost ('geruineert') and missing after the battle:
'From the Admiralty of Zeeland . . . Vice-Admiral van der Putten, GEKR. BURG, 62, burnt by order . . . ' (7)
Letter from M de Tourville, dated 13 July 1690 [New Style], reproduced in this source from the Archives de la marine, and translated by compiler:
‘Cependant, la nuit du 10 et du 11, ils ont été obligés de mettre le feu à deux de leurs vaisseaux, dont un est un vice-amiral de Hollande de quatre-vingts pièces de canon . . . ‘ (10)
'However, during the night of the 10th/11th, they were forced to set fire to two of their ships, of which one was a Dutch Vice-Admiral of 80 guns . . . ' (10)
Letter from M de Villette-Mursay, appended to M de Tourville's letter of 15 July [New Style], 1690:
'Je vis dès le premier jour que celui qe M de la Roque-Persin poursuivait donna à la côte, et que tout l’équipage se jeta à terre auprès d’un village qui est sous le cap de Beveziers, du côté de l’est. Ce vaisseau était un hollandais à trois ponts. J’avais commandé un brûlot et donné au chevalier de Saujon le commandement des chaloupes qui devaient favoriser cette exécution ; mais, comme elle ne se pouvait faire que sous le feu des vaisseaux, j’en fis approcher ceux de MM. Riberé et de Forbin-Gardanne, qui ne tirent que seize à dix-sept pieds d’eau ; et M de Riberé vient de me savoir qu’il n’y a pas d’eau à une portée de canon, et que, de plus, ce vaisseau-là ne se relèvera jamais.' (10)
'I saw that after the first day the ship chased by M de la Roque-Persin came onshore, and all the crew came ashore near a village under Beachy Head, on the eastern side. That ship was a Dutch three-decker. I ordered a fireship and gave the order to the chevalier de Saujon to command pinnaces which were to execute that mission; but, as it could not be done save under fire from the ships, I ordered Riberé and de Forbin-Gardanne to approach, since their ships only drew 16 to 17 feet of water; Riberé informed me that there was no water within cannon-shot*, and that that ship would never be got off again.' (10)
* i.e. implying that the vessel was now 'high and dry', not being within reach of water by the length of a whole cannon shot, and thus could not be reached by the French, and likewise be unable to float off again.
Letter from M de Tourville, dated from 'off Rye, 16 July' [New Style], 1690:
'Le vice-amiral de Hollande, échoué proche de Beveziers, s’est tiré à terre ; il s’est déchargé de tout ce qu’il avait dans son bord ; on ne le peut brûler que par des détachements de chaloupes, ce qui est difficile, parce qu’aucun de nos navires de guerre n’en peut approcher pour les soutenir. Il y a lieu de croire qu’ils se sont retranchés, ayant fait une tente proche du vaisseau, sur lequel ils ont arboré le pavillon de vice-amiral. Comme ce vaisseau est à sept lieues d’ici, au vent de l’armée, et que cela m’empêcherait de suivre les ennemis, je verrai en repassant ce que je pourrai faire.' (10)
'The Dutch Vice-Admiral, wrecked near Beachy Head, was dragged ashore; they took everything out of her; it was not possible to burn her except by sending out pinnaces, which was difficult, because none of our warships were able to approach to support them. We have grounds for believing that they are entrenched, for there is a tent close to the vessel, over which they have raised the Vice-Admiral's flag. Since this vessel is 7 leagues [21 miles] from here, to the windward of the army, and since it would prevent me from following our enemies, I shall see what I can do on my return.' (10)
Secondary Sources:
The battle took place in the Channel near Beachy Head on 10-JUL-1690 [New Style]. After the battle the combined English and Dutch fleets retreated to the Thames, and of the original 22 ships only 14 made it to the mouth of the Thames. During the battle one of the Dutch ships was burnt by the French, whilst six more were scuttled and burnt by their own crews to prevent capture by the enemy. (Another grounded but was finally recovered.) [Translated from the original Dutch website, which has a contemporary print of the event.] (1)
Seven Dutch ships were lost during the engagement and its aftermath. (2)
Seven Dutch ships were set alight, four of which were sunk by Lieutenant-General de Villette-Mursay. (3)
GEKROONDE BURCHT, 72 guns, built 1682, last known service 1690. (8)
'Après la bataille, le GEKROONDE BURG, 62 canons, de van de Putte, se fait sauter.' (9)
'After the battle, the GEKROONDE BURG, 62 guns, van de Putte [sic], was set on fire' [the reflexive 'se fait' implies 'by her own crew'] or 'was blown up'. (9)
Interpretation of wreck event and location of loss:
The original sources conflict to some degree, probably as a result of the 'fog of war'. What seems clear is that the GEKROONDE BURG was lost after nightfall on the day of the battle or in the early hours of the next morning, according to both Cornelis' Evertsen's letter of 7th/17th July (7), and M de Tourville's letter of 3rd/13th July (10). M de Tourville's letter of 6th/16th July is consistent with this interpretation, since he mentions the Dutch Vice-Admiral on the shore near Beachy Head. At that time he was off Rye, and states that that ship was 7 leagues (21 miles) from there. This would put the place of loss east of Beachy Head: consistent with Villette-Mursay's letter of the 5th/15th, "on the east side of Beachy Head" (10); with proximity to Beachy Head itself in the immediate aftermath of the battle; the direction of the combined Anglo-Dutch fleet's retreat; and with the fact that the other ships were burnt further east along the Sussex coast on subsequent days.
The letter from Evertsen (7) suggests that the GEKROONDE BURG was ordered to be fired, suggesting that she was fired by her own crew. This seems to be the interpretation of the phraseology used in the secondary French source (9): 'se fait sauter', implying by her own crew.
Tourville's first letter of 3rd/13th July (10) concurs with this interpretation. Villette-Mursay's letter of 5th/15th July (10) and Tourville's subsequent letter of the 6th/16th (10) although consistent in place of loss, both suggest that the French had attempted to burn her but could not get close enough, and that her crew, although not aboard, remained in the vicinity.
The position of loss has therefore been attached to the named location for Langney Point, although this is for representational purposes only and is not intended to be definitive; the vessel may have been lost nearer to Beachy Head, or nearer to Pevensey Bay, and may therefore be identifiable with one of the ships lost in Pevensey Bay. (11)
Built: 1682 (8)
Armament: 62 guns (6)(9); 72 guns (8); 80 guns (10)
Commanding Officer: Vice-Admiral van der Putten (6)(7)(8); van de Putte (9)
Owner: Navy of the United Provinces of the Netherlands [all sources]
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss
Additional sources cited in source (2) [in Dutch]:
J R Bruijn, Varend verleden. De Nederlandse oorlogsvloot in de 17e en 18e eeuw (Meppel, 1998)
T van Gent, 17 zeventiende eeuwse admiralen en hun zeeslagen (Den Haag, 2000)
J C de Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche zeewezen, deel 3 (3e druk, Zwolle 1869)
J C Mollema, Geschiedenis van Nederland ter zee, deel 3 (Amsterdam, 1941)
J CM Warnsinck, De vloot van den koning-stadhouder 1689-1690 (Amsterdam, 1934)
J C M Warnsinck, Van vlootvoogden en zeeslagen (3e druk, Amsterdam, 1942) |