Battle of Camperdown

The battles of Camperdown (deformation of Kamperduin ) is a naval battle gained by the marine British over a Dutch fleet , on October 11th, 1797.

Context

At the end of May 1797, the British fleet of the the North Sea was so reduced, much of boats being in repair, that the admiral Adam Duncan was at sea with only two vessels, the Venerable (74 guns) and the Adamant (50 guns). Having spent the summer to block the Dutch fleet of the vice-admiral of Winter in bay of Texel, Duncan turned over to Yarmouth on October 3rd to supply itself. October 9th, it received information according to which the Dutch fleet had left Texel. According to the French, of Winter sought the British ships, while in Great Britain one claimed that was to join the French fleet with Brest and to invade Ireland. Duncan left Yarmouth at any speed and while arriving at Texel on October 10th, the British admiral found 22 vessels commercial but any man-of-war. The boats which it had blocked all the summer were escaped.

Continuation and battles

The admiral sailed towards the south and found the Dutchmen in front of Kamperduin (close to Haarlem) on October 11th at 7 a.m. While arriving in disorder, it had to await the back of its fleet, but indicator at 11 a.m. that the Dutchmen tried to gain the ground, it hoisted the signal to engage closely with the enemy. Coincidence, the formation of the British boats resembled that of the boats with Trafalgar, i.e. the vessels in two parallel lines bored the center and the back of the enemy line. The Batavian vessels lined up in two lines parallel with the coast, the frigate S in withdrawal but located in the intervals of the first line.

The British boats succeeded in cutting the line and are reflected to attack the Dutch vessels on the two sides. In spite of the British advantage of many guns, the two vessels Dutch the Jupiter and the Vrijheid caused many damage, so much so that the Venerable had to leave engagement. Attacked simultaneously by four boats the Vrijheid did not go before to have lost its three masts. With the capitulation of Winter, the Dutch fleet went, and the British took possession of 11 vessels - the Delft ran on October 14th and Monnikendam failed on the beach close to West Kapelle. Less exerted than the British, the Dutchmen fought courageously and the casualties and died on the two sides were numerous: 540 killed Dutchmen and 620 wounded, against 203 died British, and 622 wounded.

Contrary to the French and Spaniards who direct their fire towards the veils and masts to decrease the capacity of the enemy boats to operate, the Dutchmen drew towards the hulls from the adversaries, just like the British navy, which explains the high number of dead and wounded and as well as safeguarding of the veils, the masts and the scattered one.

External bonds

Friends off Camperdown

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