This book takes the
reader back to the seventeenth century, a time when
England’s foe was often the Dutch rather than the French
of the Nelson Era. And a time much less familiar to most
students and fans of naval history.
Knowing this, the
author begins his narrative by pointing out all the
differences between the two periods. To drive home this
lesson, the first chapter is entitled “The Generals.” The
differences in command structure and ranks of the
commanding officers starts with them being called
“Generals-at-Sea.” These men, who had led armies on land,
were considered tacticians who could do the same at sea.
The basis for officer
appointments was primarily a measure of their family
connection or loyalty to Charles II, the King of Great
Britain. His brother, James, Duke of York, was the Lord
High Admiral. He chaired a council of senior officers who
decided how and when the fleet should engage the enemy.
The council issued
daily orders to the ship captains, who followed their
division’s general into battle. But neither the generals
nor most of the captains knew anything about sailing a
yacht, let alone the largest, most complex
ships-of-the-line in existence.
Captains were referred
to as “Gentlemen-Captains.” These were lesser members of
the nobility, who were also appointed for their loyalty
and better breeding. Most had little interest in their
ship’s crews or learning how the vessels functioned.
It was the ship’s
Master who was responsible for raising and lowering the
sails, guiding the vessel’s maneuvering, and all the other
aspects of running the ship. The captains took charge of
the ship’s cannons and decided when and at whom to shoot.
True, there were some
“tarpaulin-captains” who had started as sailors on the
lower deck and learned their profession on the way to
being promoted to the quarterdeck. These individuals had
served the king in the past and were trusted to conduct
themselves properly in a conflict.
The Royal Navy was in
its infancy and officers were only appointed for a
campaign or sailing season. Each winter the ships returned
to port and the entire crew was released. Manning the
ships began anew in time for the spring thaw. As a result,
officers “could and sometimes did serve as captains one
year and lieutenants the next, or admirals one year and
captains the next.” (17)
Problems manning the
fleet annually were identical to those in the succeeding
centuries, with the same social issues and poor qualities
of crews they entailed. Conditions for the sailors were
also similar, including a diet of salt-beef and hardtack
(biscuits) and harsh discipline.
Additional chapters
discuss differences in the ships, their armament, the use
of flags and pendants to denote divisions and their
commanders, and the rudimentary signals then in use.
Having skillfully
guided the reader to an understanding of naval science in
the seventeenth century, the narrative shifts to
describing the origins of the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
The Dutch resented the
encroachment of the English into the East Indies. Many
disputes and fights arose between the traders of both
countries. English merchants complained to Parliament of
the losses and indignities suffered at the hands of the
Dutch, and Parliament demanded the king act to prevent
these losses, yet the Dutch became the first aggressors,
giving the English the war they wanted. The true feeling
in England, as told to diarist Samuel Pepys by Captain
George Cocke, a director of the Royal African Company, was
“the trade of the world is too little for us two,
therefore one must [go] down.” (68)
Both sides faced
financial difficulties that encouraged them to confine the
conflict to one summer with enough ships to hopefully be
victorious. The English didn’t have the funds for a long
war and the Dutch needed to make sure their merchant ships
were able to sail past England to keep their own finances
flowing.
What follows in the
narrative is a very detailed examination of the Second
Anglo-Dutch war, beginning with all the necessary
preparations for a naval war. The first battle was off
Lowestoft, England in 1665 and each fleet had about 100
ships and over 21,000 men. Although the Dutch had more
guns, the English had the advantage in firepower with
larger cannons firing heavier shot.
Each fleet move during
the battle is carefully described, including the fighting
between individual ships and the carnage that resulted. In
the end, the English were the victors, but the cost among
the officers and nobility was great. The king’s companion,
the Earl of Falmouth, was among the deceased. The fact
that he was standing next to the king’s brother at the
time he was killed was too much for Charles, and he
required that James give up his position as Lord High
Admiral of the fleet.
Later a squadron of
ships was sent to Bergen, Norway to attack merchant ships
taking shelter there. But the well-armed Dutch ships drove
off the English warships without losing a vessel.
Luckily, the remaining
English fleet spotted and was able to capture a group of
unprotected merchantmen and later a few East Indiamen
loaded with valuable cargoes. With prizes to protect and
stores running low, the fleet headed home, ending the
actions of 1665.
The in-depth look at
the Four Days’ Battle begins with examining why a sizeable
portion of the English fleet was sent to face a French
fleet that never materialized, leaving the remaining ships
to fight the Dutch fleet alone during the first two days.
Six chapters are devoted to the actual battle. From first
sighting to the end of the chase, each maneuver of the
fleets is described along with which ships traded shots as
the conflict progressed.
A chapter titled
“Aftermath” details the combatants’ return to port, the
conditions of the ships, and losses suffered. There was
praise and celebrations for the Dutch, mourning and
recriminations for the English.
“Sequel” deals with the
Dutch raid on the Medway and the St. James Day battle
after the English fleet chased the Dutch out to sea.
Finally, the epilogue
concludes the narrative by describing the tribunals that
investigated how the English had lost the war, the
subsequent fortunes and eventual deaths of the flag
officers and captains, and the endings of many of the
ships.
There are thirteen
detailed appendices including several that list each ship
that made up each fleet, notes, sources and a
comprehensive index. A two-page map of the waters between
England and the Dutch provinces appears at the beginning
and end of the book. The areas where each battle occurred
are clearly outlined on the maps. There are also two
inserts with black & white pictures
of the main players and ships in the engagements.
There is a wealth of
knowledge presented in this work. The research that went
into it is very meticulous. This edition includes years of
updated research done since the hardback was originally
published in 1996 as A Distant Storm. Happily, the text is always
interesting and entertaining. If you want to learn the
facts about this period of naval warfare there is no
better way to do so than by reading this book. I’m
certainly glad I did.
Review Copyrighted ©2018 Irwin
Bryan
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