Battle of Camperdown

The Battle of Camperdown
	Part of The French Revolutionary War
	File:Whitcombe, Battle of Camperdown.jpg; The Battle of Camperdown, 11 October 1797 by Thomas Whitcombe, painted 1798, showing the British flagship Venerable engaged with the Dutch flagship Vrijheid.
Date	11 October 1797
Location	North Sea, off Camperduin, Holland
Result	Decisive British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	File:Batavische Rep Kriegsmarine.gif Batavian Republic (Netherlands)
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Adam Duncan	Admiral de Winter
Strength
24 Ships	25 Ships
Casualties and losses
193 killed; 622 wounded	520 killed; 952 wounded; 11 ships captured

The Battle of Camperdown (11 October 1797) was a British naval victory in the North Sea over the Dutch during the French Revolutionary Wars. The British fleet under Admiral Duncan defeated the Dutch fleet under Admiral de Winter off the coastal village of Camperduin, north-west of Alkmaar.

The battle may also have given rise to the phrase "to nail your colours to the mast".

Background

From 1795 (after a French invasion which sent stadtholder William V, Prince of Orange into exile) till 1806 (when they were made a monarchy under Louis Bonaparte) The Netherlands were known as the 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, and there were plans for the Dutch to eventually land in Scotland with some 50,000 troops and to take over the Scottish central belt with the help of the Society of the United Scotsmen. The long wait in harbour depleted the supplies aboard ship and also sapped morale. The Dutch were unaware that for several weeks, only four of Duncan's ships were maintaining the blockade, as the rest of his squadron had been affected by the unrest later known as the Mutiny at the Nore. By September, this was over, with the ringleaders of the mutiny hanged and the seamen returned to duty.

In late September, the Dutch abandoned their planned invasion. The British Admiralty learned of this and instructed Duncan to take his squadron to Yarmouth to refit. The Dutch took the opportunity to come out into the North Sea, intending to cure unrest among their own crews, and hopefully engage isolated British ships. The British, alerted by the cutter Black Joke and the lugger Speculator, rendezvoused off Texel and waited for the Dutch to return to port.

Battle

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 two columns, 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. In this instance, the attack was made in haste to prevent the Dutch ships from reaching the protection of shallow waters near the coast. Duncan hoisted the signal for "General Chase", allowing each ship to engage as opportunity offered. Some British captains actually held back, while others pressed forward. The two British columns formed as ships followed the boldest leaders, Duncan and Onslow.

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).

Throughout the battle, the British had the advantage of heavier ships and guns, and also in training and drill. Several British ships were armed with carronades, short guns firing a heavy shot, which had a devastating effect at close range. The Dutch ships which were captured were all too badly battered to be repaired.

Admiral de Winter was taken prisoner when his flagship was forced to strike her colours (dismasted and with over half her crew killed or wounded). He attempted to hand his sword to Duncan, but Duncan refused and shook his hand instead. Both Duncan and de Winter were physically large men (Duncan was reportedly six feet, four inches). De Winter later remarked, "It is matter of marvel that two such gigantic objects as Admiral Duncan and myself should have escaped the general carnage of this day."

Aftermath and Legacy

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.

British Fleet

Ships involved (and their guns), listed in approximate order:

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
Russell 74 (Trollope)
Montagu 74 (Knight)

Others

Martin (cutter)
Rose (cutter)
King George (cutter)
Active (cutter)
Diligent (cutter)
Speculator (lugger)

Dutch Fleet

Ships involved (and their guns), listed in battle order:

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 2.30am on 15 October

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)

References

Mariner's Mirror vol. 23 (1937)
Nelson's War, Peter Padfield, Book Club Associates, London, 1976

External links