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Today In History - enter events here!

Second Anglo - Dutch War ( 1665 - 1667 ) and the Battle of Nevis

In April 1666 the French entered in the war on side of the Dutch by taking possesion of island St. Kitts, but also Montserrat and Antigua, and only Nevis was still English in the Leewards. On 14 May 1667 combined fleet of France and Holland decided to take Nevis. The fleet consisted of 16 French man of war ranging in size from 16 to 38 guns ( under command of de la Barre ) and 3 Dutch man of war, one of 38 and two of 28 guns ( under Abraham de Crynsens ). Thus fleet of 19 ships carried total of 452 cannons. De la Barre plan was to engage the English ships near Nevis and then land 1100 troops from Martinique and Guadeloupe. In addition, Indian Caribs were to attack from windward side of island forcing the English to split their foces and defend the both sides at the same time.
Captain Berry waited for the attack with 10 large man of war headed by <i>Coronation</i> of 50 guns, two frigates and 2 fireships. De la Barre sighted the enemy at 6 a.m. and at 8 a.m. commenced action in disorderly fashion. la Barre brought his flagship <i>Lys Couronne</i> of 38 guns into action with <i>Coronation</i>, but found himself surrounded by the English, and badly damaged barely managed to escape. The Dutch came in and gave <i>Coronation</i> severe pounding but were forced to withdraw in threat of English fireships. In the thick of the battle an English man of war took a hit in her powder magazine and blew up and sank with most of her crew, and a 30-gun French man of war and smaller flybot were destroyed by fireships. By 2 p.m., de la Barre ordered his fleet to withdraw to Basseterre harbour on St. Kitts and the English under Barry had beaten a stronger enemy fleet and the French conquest of the Leewards had been stopped in its tracks.
 
In 1779, Commodore John Paul Jones took command of USS <i>Bonhomme Richard</i>, a merchant ship rebuilt and given to America by the French shipping magnate, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray. On September 23, 1779, the five ship squadron included the 44 gun <i>Bonhomme Richard</i>, 32 gun <i>Pallas</i>, 32 gun <i>Alliance</i>, 12 gun <i>Vengeance</i> and <i>Le Cerf</i> engaged a merchant convoy off the coast of Flamborough Head, east Yorkshire. The 44 gun British frigate HMS <i>Serapis</i> and the 22 gun <i>Countess of Scarborough</i> counter-engaged, scattering the attacking squadron and allowing the merchants to disengage and attempt escape. <i>Vengeance</i> and <i>Le Cerf</i> unsuccessfully pursued the convoy.

<i>Bonhomme Richard</i>, <i>Pallas</i>, and <i>Alliance</i> engaged the British warships. The 44 gun <i>Serapis</i> engaged the older 44 gun <i>Bonhomme Richard</i> while the <i>Alliance</i> stood off and took no action. The 32 gun <i>Alliance</i> finally counter-engaged <i>Serapis</i>, firing a broadside into both ships, disregarding their nationality. (The <i>Alliance's</i> captain was a Frenchman, who was jealous of Jones' military genius and often went off on his own agenda against the Commodore's orders.) <i>Serapis</i> twice raked <i>Bonhomme Richard</i> with broadsides which cut her mainmast and holed her below the waterline, taking individual hits in return.

With <i>Bonhomme Richard</i> burning and sinking, it is believed her ensign was shot away. The British commander asked if she had struck her colors. Jones replied, saying, “I have not yet begun to fight!” He then rammed <i>Serapis</i> and tied up to her, an attempt by the Americans to board <i>Serapis</i> was repulsed, as was an attempt by the British to board <i>Bonhomme Richard</i>. Finally, an American party under command of Nathaniel Fanning seized control of the enemy tops and used this position to clear the deck below with grenades, mortars and gunfire. Meanwhile the 22 gun <i>Countess of Scarborough</i> engaged the 32 gun <i>Pallas</i> and was eventually captured, both ships taking extensive damage.

The <i>Bonhomme Richard</i>, shattered, on fire, and leaking badly defied all efforts to save her and sank at 11:00 on September 25, 1779. John Paul Jones sailed the captured <i>Serapis</i> to the United Provinces for repairs.

Upon arrival in port, the <i>Alliance's</i> captain was promptly detained and sentenced to court-marshal and Jones eventually hoisted his penant over the <i>Alliance</i>, making it his new flagship.

Though <i>Bonhomme Richard</i> sank subsequent to the battle, the outcome of the battle convinced the French crown of the wisdom of backing the colonies in their fight to separate from British authority. The defeat of <i>Serapis</i>, no less in home waters, stung the British admiralty.
 
Actually, that battle between the <i>Bonhomme Richard</i> and <i>Serapis</i> where Jones shouted his defiance in the face of overwhelming odds was a metaphor for the entire war. At so many critical junctures during the Revolution the American cause could have been lost, yet timely heroics, British bickering and bumbling or just plain luck kept the American fight for independence from going down in flames. I'm reminded of a line that Tim Allen's character in "Galax Quest" kept uttering whenever the situation was at its bleakest. <i>Never give up, never surrender!</i> You can imagine old Commodore John Paul Jones nodding his approval. He certainly didn't.
 
Nice find Officerpuppy, cool stuff mate! :onya
 
outdated information in the link

lead poisoning is known to have played a role in their fate

(early canning practices using large quantities of lead solder in the cans)
 
On this day in the year 1722, the last of the "big league" pirates lost his life - marking the end of the golden age of piracy.... Read the rest of the article at the main PA! page here: http://www.piratesahoy.net/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE2YQsFpD4Q

MK
 
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