THIS WEEK'S GREAT DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1927, Page 6

THIS WEEK'S GREAT DAY.

FEBRUARY 18.—THE DEFEAT OF

VAN TROMP.

(By CHARLES COX WAV.)

Two hundred and seventy-four years ago, on February 18, 1653, the first shot was fired in the most memorable of the numerous sca-fight.s which took place between the fleets of Great Britain and Holland during the days of the Commonwealth.

• •During the first half of the seventeenth century the sea power of Great Britain bad slowly fallen from the proud position in which it had been placed by the doughty deeds of the Elizabethan mariners, while the fleet of Holland had gradually developed into a'formidable rival.

In 1651 the British Couiinouwealth passed the celebrated Navigation Act, which provided that all goods brought into English ports from bcvoiid Europe should be carried only oil vessels belonging to Britain or her colonies, while all European products should be brought in by cither the ships Britain or of the country from which the products came. The enforcement of the Act struck a fatal blow at the profitable sea trade established by the Dutch nation, and led to its declaring war against Britain.

In May, 1652, Admiral Make, while sailing up the English Channel with a fleet of 20 British ships, encountered Van Tromp, the great Dutch admiral, who had 40 ships under his command, and after a brisk engagement the latter fled with a loss of two ships. Several other lights occurred between the two commanders during the next few months, and in November, when a large number of the British ships hnd gone into dock for the winter, a Dutch fleet of 90 ships, under the command of Van Tromp, Middenlv appeared at the mouth of the River Thames, and did considerable damage to 37 British vessels which were lying there at anchor. The Dutch were greatly elated at their easy victory, and Van Tromp sailed up and down the English coast with a broom nailed to the masthead of his ship as a token of his intention to sweep the English from the seas, while Blake waited for a favourable opportunity to crush his boastful rival.

In February, 1653, \an Tromp sailed up the English Channel with 72 ships of war and 30 armed traders, convoying 300 liomeward-bound merchant vessels. Blake was ready, and at once sailed out to meet him with a fleet of 80 ships. The battle commenced in the early hours of the 18th February, and, after raging for three days, ended in a glorious victory for the British admiral. Van Tromp, who lost 11 of his ships of war and 30 merchant vessels, and had 2000 men killed and 1500 taken prisoners, finally succeeded in escaping into the shallow water off the French coast. The British only lost one ship, although many were badly damaged, and their loss in men was very heavy. Early in the fi?ht Blake was severely wounded, but he'kept his ship, the Triumph, foremost in the fray until the end, and she went into dock with over 700 shot-hole* in her hull.

This great victory re-established British prestige on the seas, and the Dutch uation made overtures of peace to Cromwell, but they were coldly received, and the war went on. * During the following summer* Van Tromp was again twice l>eaten in engagements with the British fleet, and in the second conflict was killed.