Egbert Bartholomeuszoon Kortenaer

Egbert Bartholomeuszoon Kortenaer (1604- June 13rd, 1665) was an admiral of the United Provinces. Its second name is sometimes given in the form Bartolomeuszoon or Meeuwiszoon. All these orthographies are variations of the patronym “wire of Bartholomew”.

Kortenaer was born in 1604 in a very humble family, which explains why one does not know with rigor his birth date. In 1626 it is promoted Bosco, in 1636 second Master. During the First Anglo-Dutch war it was useful as a first Master on the Dutch flagship Brederode. At the time of the Bataille of Dungeness it lost its hand and its eye rights. When Maarten Tromp was killed with the Bataille of Scheveningen, Kortenaer maintained its flag raised to prevent that the squadron from which it came to take the command way his moral to fall. The Kortenaer October 21st, 1653 was promoted Capitaine and the years which followed it often directed squadrons as Ordering when the officers were absent.

During the Battle of Oresund which took place on November 8th, 1658, as an officer ordering on Eendragt, it pushed back all the Swedish attacks whereas the Lieutenant-admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, his superior, was victim of a crisis of drop. Its heroic control was worth to him to be named Vice-amiral on May 8th, 1659 and to be decorated by Frederic III with Denmark with the Ordre with the Elephant. January 29th, 1665, little before the beginning Second Anglo-Dutch war, it was promoted Lieutenant-Admiral Admiralty Maas; he did not see himself however entrusting the command of the fleet Dutchwoman because he was a Orangiste. An English secret report/ratio described it as “the best man than they have”.

Kortenaer ordered the avant-garde of the fleet Dutchwoman during the Bataille of Lowestoft and assisted Van Wassenaer. It was mortally wounded during the battle whereas it was on Groot Hollandia by a ball of gun. A poem of Gerard Brandt is engraved on his marble tomb with Rotterdam.

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