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The Second Anglo-Dutch War was fought between England and the
United Provinces from 1665 to
1667.
Prelude
In April 1654 the First Anglo-Dutch War was concluded
with a British victory despite the fact that peace was not signed for another eight months. With Admiral Tromp's death early in
the final engagement during a fierce gale de With assumed the Dutch command, and although he fought bravely was obliged to retire
beyond the proximity of the Dutch shoals, after which General Monck's fleet of 100 ships themselves struggling against the storm
were commanded to haul off.
Further skirmishes continued throughout 1664 leading to a declaration of war by the Dutch in January 1665. After incidents
involving the English capture of Dutch trading posts and colonies in West
Africa and North America - subsequently recaptured by the Dutch - the
English declared war on the Netherlands on March 4, 1665.
After the First Anglo-Dutch War the Dutch were better prepared, having extended their navy by ordering sixty new warships. The
outbreak of war was followed ominously with the Great Plague and the
Great Fire of London. These events in such close succession
virtually brought Britain to its knees.
Administrative difficulties in the Navy continued whilst a fleet of 80 ships under General Monck, the Commonwealth veteran,
(after, the Earl of Albemarle) set sail at the end of May 1665. Prince Rupert was detached with 20 of these ships to intercept a
French squadron on the 29th May, known to be passing up English Channel to join the Dutch fleet.
Leaving the Downs Albemarle came upon de Ruyter with a fleet of 85 ships at anchor, he immediately engaged the nearest Dutch
ship before the rest of the fleet could come to its assistance. The Dutch set upon a starboard tack, taking the battle toward
their own shoals, compelling Albemarle to turn about, so outflanked by the Dutch rear and centre culminating in a ferocious
unremitting battle that raged until nightfall.
At daylight on 2nd June, Albemarle's strength was reduced to 44 ships, but with these he renewed the battle tacking past the
enemy four times in close action. With his fleet in to poor a condition to meet the challenge he retired towards the coast with
the Dutch in pursuit.
The following day Albemarle ordered the damaged ships forward covering their return until Prince Rupert returning with his 20
ships, joined him. Gradually they fought windward through the Dutch, at length managing to brake off the action.
The War
The first encounter between the nations was, as in the First Anglo-Dutch War, at sea. The war started with the Battle of
Lowestoft, where the English gained a victory.
The huge Four Days Battle 1666, one of the longest naval engagements in history, ended up in both sides claiming victory; Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter had
retreated first, but he had also caused twice as many losses for the English as they had for the Dutch.
After this, the English won several victories, but due to financial problems they were forced to reduce their operations. King
Charles laid up his fleet and sued for peace. The Dutch however, enraged by the wanton destruction of over 400 merchant ships by
the British during their raid on the Vlie estuary and the following sacking of the isle of ter Schelling, decided to repay this insolence first.
Medway
In June, 1667, de Ruyter launched the Dutch
"Raid on the Medway" at the mouth of the River Thames. After capturing the fort at Sheerness, they went on to break through the massive chain protecting the entrance to the Medway and, on the
17th, attacked the English fleet which had been laid up at Chatham. The daring raid remains England's greatest military disaster since the Norman Conquest. Many of the Navy's remaining ships were destroyed, either by the Dutch or by being scuttled by the English to block the
river. The English flagship, HMS Royal Charles, was abandoned by its skeleton crew, captured without a shot being fired,
and towed back to the Netherlands. Its coat-of-arms is now on display in
the Rijksmuseum. Fortunately for the English the raiders spared the Chatham Dockyard, England's largest industrial complex.
The Dutch success had a major psychological impact throughout England, with London feeling especially vulnerable just a year
after the Great Fire. This, together with the cost of the
war, of the Great Plague and the extravagant spending of Charles II, meant that the English were keen to sign a peace
treaty -- and so were the Dutch as they had to deal with a French invasion of the Spanish Netherlands at the same time.
Peace
On July 31, 1667, the Treaty of Breda sealed peace between the two nations. The treaty allowed the
English to keep the territory around New Amsterdam (the current New York), the Dutch received control over Suriname instead.
The peace did not last long, with England joining France to attack the Netherlands
in 1672 - the Third
Anglo-Dutch War.
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