Battle of the Downs

The Battle of the Downs took place on October 21st during the Eighty Years War ^. / October 31, 1639 ^greg. in the Downs in the English Channel . The fleet of the United Netherlands under Admiral Maarten Tromp defeated the Spanish-Portuguese fleet of Admiral Antonio de Oquendo .

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  Maarten H. Tromp

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  The Dutch fleet before the battle, contemporary painting

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  Battle of the Downs

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  Antonio de Oquendo

The Spanish fleet of more than 70 ships was on its way from La Coruña to Dunkirk . There were about 24,000 reinforcements on board for the Spanish army in the Netherlands. On the way through the English Channel she was sighted at the end of September by a Dutch squadron of around a dozen ships under the orders of Tromp, who sailed ahead of her, but awaited further support for an attack. When, after a few days, he received reinforcements from several ships under Vice Admiral Witte de With , he attacked the Spaniards, forming his ships in keel line . This was the first known application of ship of the line tactics , which later became the standard in naval warfare. By concentrating the fire of his ships on the strongest enemy ships, he was able to seriously damage them and make the Spaniards turn away.

De Oquendo, unwilling to risk losing the troops entrusted to him, gave instructions to rearrange the fleet in the Downs , a shallow stretch of sea off the coast of Kent . This was considered an English and therefore neutral area. He hoped that the usual severe weather of the season would force the Dutch into the ports. They used the time the Spaniards spent repairs to replenish their powder stocks. After they found the Spanish fleet still at the Downs on their return, they asked for further reinforcements for a new attack. The Dutch Admiralty then requisitioned a number of merchant ships that were armed with cannons and manned by volunteers. This increased the Dutch fleet to a total of over 100 ships in the course of October, including several incendiary ships .

In the meantime the Spaniards had begun to bring troops to Flanders on English ships and under the English flag. Tromp responded by stopping the ships and having them searched.

On October 31st Tromp attacked the anchored Spaniards with three squadrons in a favorable wind. Other squadrons formed flank protection and kept an eye on the nearby English fleet. Many Spanish commanders preferred to put their ships aground rather than leave them to the Dutch while others attempted breakthroughs. They were received by the Dutch with their incendiary ships. The Portuguese flagship Santa Teresa was also set on fire. De Oquendo managed to break through to Dunkirk with just a few ships.

In total, the Spaniards lost over 40 ships and probably several thousand men and women that day. The Dutch losses were about ten ships and 1,000 men. Although this battle did not end the war, it severely weakened Spanish naval power and set back the war in Flanders.

Web links

• George Edmundson: History of Holland. Chapter X: From the End of the Twelve Years' Truce to the Peace of Muenster

Coordinates: 51 ° 12 ′ 0 ″  N , 1 ° 30 ′ 0 ″  E