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The Battle of the Texel, 11–21 August 1673 by Willem van de Velde, painted 1683. The ship at the centre is Dutch Admiral Cornelis Tromp's flagship Gouden Leeuw, 80 guns.
The naval Battle of Texel took place between the Dutch and the combined English and French fleets on 11 August 1673 (New Style), and was the last major battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, which was itself part of the Franco-Dutch War (1672–1674), during which Louis XIV of France sought to establish control over the Spanish Netherlands. The English involvement came about because of treaty obligations and was highly unpopular.
The overall commanders of the English and Dutch military forces were James, Duke of York, afterwards King James II of England, and William III of Orange, James' son-in-law and also a future King of England. The Battle of Texel was joined when a Dutch fleet sought to oppose the landing of troops by a combined Anglo-French fleet.
Prince Rupert of the Rhine commanded the Allied fleet of about 92 ships and 30 fireships, taking control of the centre himself, with D'Estrees comanding the van, and Sir Edward Spragge the rear division. The Dutch fleet of 75 ships and 30 fireships was commanded by Admiral Michiel de Ruyter1607 1676, Lieutenant-Admiral-General of the United Provinces by Ferdinand Bol, painted 1667. Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter ( March 24, 1607 April 29, 1676) is the most famous admiral in Dutch history. De Ruyter fought the English in the first three Angl, with Banckerts in charge of the van and Cornelis Tromp the rear.Although outnumbered, de Ruyter gained the weather gauge and sent his van under Banckerts in to separate the Allied van (under D'Estrees) from the main fleet. His ploy was effective, and the French ships were unable to play a significant part in the remainder of the battle, which became a gruelling encounter between the bulk of the Dutch fleet and the English centre and rear divisions. Both suffered badly during hours of fierce fighting.
Spragge and Tromp, commanding their respective rear divisions, clashed repeatedy, each having their ships so damaged as to need to shift their flags to fresh ships three times. On third occasion, Spragge drowned when his boat took a shot and sank.
With both fleets exhausted, the English eventually abandoned their attempt to land troops, and both sides retired. No ship was sunk, but many were seriously damaged and about 3,000 men died: two-thirds of them English or French. After the battle Prince Rupert complained that the French had not done their share of the fighting, but historians ascribe the lack of French impact on the battle to de Ruyter's brilliant fleet handling. Despite its inconclusive finish, the battle was a clear strategic victory for the Dutch.
In the months following, the Netherlands formed an alliance with Spain and the French withdrew. The war came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of WestminsterThe Treaty of Westminster was the peace treaty that ended the Third Anglo-Dutch War. It was signed on February 19, 1674. It led to a restoration of the status quo ante bellum, including the return of New York and New Jersey to England. Peace treaties. between the English and the Dutch in 1674Events February 19 England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, which renamed it New York May 21 John Sobieski is elected by the nobility to be the King of.
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