The naval Battle of Dover (also known as the Battle of Goodwin Sands), fought on 19 May 1652 (29 May 1652

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years d ...

), was the first engagement of the First Anglo-Dutch War between the navies of the

Commonwealth of England The Commonwealth was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when England and Wales, later along with Ireland and Scotland, were governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War and the trial and execu ...

and the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

Background

The

English Parliament The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised t ...

had passed the first of the Navigation Acts in October 1651, aimed at hampering the shipping of the highly trade-dependent Dutch. Agitation among the Dutch merchants had been further increased by

George Ayscue Admiral Sir George Ayscue (c. 1616 – 5 April 1672) was an English naval officer who served in the English Civil War and the Anglo-Dutch Wars who rose to the rank of Admiral of the White. He also served as Governor of Scilly Isles (1647) and G ...

's capture in early 1652 of 27 Dutch ships trading with the royalist colony of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

in contravention of an embargo. Both sides had begun to prepare for war, but conflict might have been delayed if not for an unfortunate encounter on 29 May 1652 (19 May in the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandri ...

then in use in England) near the Straits of Dover between a Dutch convoy escorted by 40 ships under Lieutenant-Admiral

Maarten Tromp Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp (also written as ''Maerten Tromp''; 23 April 1598 – 31 July 1653) was a Dutch army general and admiral in the Dutch navy. Son of a ship's captain, Tromp spent much of his childhood at sea, including being capture ...

and an English fleet of 25 ships under General-at-Sea Robert Blake.

Battle

An ordinance of

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

required all foreign fleets in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

or the Channel to dip their flag in salute, but when Tromp did not comply because he saw no reason to lower his flag for the English, Blake fired three warning shots. When the third hit his ship, wounding some sailors, Tromp replied with a warning broadside from his flagship ''Brederode''. Blake then fired a broadside in anger and a five-hour battle ensued.

Aftermath

Both fleets were damaged, but as darkness fell the Dutch fleet withdrew in a defensive line to protect the convoy, and the English captured two Dutch stragglers: ''Sint Laurens'', which was taken back by them but not used, and ''Sint Maria'', which was abandoned in a sinking condition and later made its way to the Netherlands. Tromp then offered his excuses to Blake and asked for the return of the prize, but this was refused by Blake. War was declared by the Commonwealth on 10 July 1652.

Ships involved

England (Robert Blake)

Totals: Ships: 24 Cannon: 908 ;Anthony Young's squadron: ;Robert Blake's squadron in Rye Bay: ;Nehemiah Bourne's squadron in the Downs:

The Netherlands (Maarten Tromp)

Totals: Ships: 44 Cannon: 1274 ;Convoyers: ;The fleet in The Downs: ;Van: ;Rear: :* :* :* :* :*

Notes

References

* R Hainsworth, C Churches (1998) ''The Anglo-Dutch Wars 1652-1674'', Sutton Publishing * NAM Roger (2004) ''The Command of the Ocean'', Penguin Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodwin Sands, Battle of Naval battles of the First Anglo-Dutch War 1652 in England Conflicts in 1652 17th century in Kent