Battle of Lowestoft

[Gargleblaster]

As tillergirl is mentioning the forum is slow. I thought a bit of historical trivia might be in order.

The Battle of Lowestoft has been mentioned as the least important and least remembered of all naval battles. I wonder how many forum members would be able to name who was fighting the Royal Navy and when it occurred.

Of course it should not be confused with the Battle of Languard Fort another naval battle from the same era.

And then from another era perhaps the most important naval battle ever won by the Royal Navy was the Battle of Gravelines. And yes it is probably more important in terms of Englands's security than Travalgar.

Our club on the Medway has an annual quiz night, I have been waiting for questions on this East Coast history as I may know the answers.

 

[oldgit]

Have not the Dutch neglected to return Queenbourgh to the citizens of the Town ?
Believe they hold a celebration of this each year.

 

[tillergirl]

Wasn't it the Germans in WW1?

 

[oldgit]

Wasn't it the Germans in WW1?

Sheppey was bombed in WW1 there is an online map somewhere displaying a map of the course the bomber took., not sure if it was an aircraft or dirigible.

 

[tillergirl]

I was meaning about Lowestoft by the comment. I vaguely remember a piece on the local TV news that either Lowestoft or Great Yarmouth got shelled in WW1. A Zeppelin crash landed at Little Wigborough returning from bombing London in 1916. The crew surrendered to the West Mersea Specal Constable.

 

[johnalison]

I was meaning about Lowestoft by the comment. I vaguely remember a piece on the local TV news that either Lowestoft or Great Yarmouth got shelled in WW1. A Zeppelin crash landed at Little Wigborough returning from bombing London in 1916. The crew surrendered to the West Mersea Specal Constable.

It's a good story. We once went to a Zepfest held in the field where it landed and learned quite a bit about it. They had marked out the outline of where the wreckage lay and had some relics to show us.

 

[LittleSister]

I vaguely remember a piece on the local TV news that either Lowestoft or Great Yarmouth got shelled in WW1.

I believe Great Yarmouth was the first, or one of the very first, places bombed.

 

[LittleSister]

Aren't we forgetting the Battle of Solebay (i.e. Southwold)?

Battle of Solebay - Wikipedia

The Battle of Solebay 28 May - 7 June 1672 | Royal Museums Greenwich.

 

[14K478]

Aren't we forgetting the Battle of Solebay (i.e. Southwold)?

Battle of Solebay - Wikipedia

The Battle of Solebay 28 May - 7 June 1672 | Royal Museums Greenwich.

It is said that the red lion outside the Red Lion pub in Martlesham came from a Dutch warship which took part in the Battle of Sole Bay. It is also said that all the warships of the Dutch Republic carried the same figurehead - a red lion.

 

[davidej]

I'm no expert but I think Sheppey was bomber by Gothas which didn't make it to London

Gothas were a large two engined biplanes which the Germans used for strategic bombing.

I was for years a member of the Catamaran Yacht Club whose clubhouse at Bartons Point, Sheppey was on a disused WW2 anti-aircraft battery site. Right on the flight path to London

 

[snowbird30ds]

I think Sheppey was bombed by Gothas

They need to try harder and finish the job....

 

[Slowboat35]

Hard to imagine how WW1 or Zepelins comes into the Battle of Lowestoft!

To partially answer the OP's question I'd say it was the Second Dutch War in 1660 or thereabouts, the Dutch Admiral would have been Tromp or DeRuyter - I think Tromp and the British commander the Grand Old Duke of York, or am I confusing that with the Battle of Landguard?
Hardly an "insignficant" battle as iirc something like a hundred ships and 30,000 men fought on each side though no result was achieved. Still, the Dutch were sent packing even if more or less intact.

 

[johnalison]

Hard to imagine how WW1 or Zepelins comes into the Battle of Lowestoft!

To partially answer the OP's question I'd say it was the Second Dutch War in 1660 or thereabouts, the Dutch Admiral would have been Tromp or DeRuyter - I think Tromp and the British commander the Grand Old Duke of York, or am I confusing that with the Battle of Landguard?
Hardly an "insignficant" battle as iirc something like a hundred ships and 30,000 men fought on each side though no result was achieved. Still, the Dutch were sent packing even if more or less intact.

I have a book somewhere that I bought at Landguard Fort about the battle of Landguard. One thing that struck me was that the Dutch had something like fifty, or maybe it was eighty, ships permanently stationed in the Gunfleet to interrupt our coastal trade.

 

[Slowboat35]

I imagine the Navy was in such a parlous state at the time that we couldn't do much about it, rather like it's state today.
Could somone ps resuscitate Sam Pepys?

 

[davidej]

They need to try harder and finish the job....

To misquote someone more famous…..

They did £15million of improvements.

 

[Gargleblaster]

To partially answer the OP's question I'd say it was the Second Dutch War in 1660 or thereabouts, the Dutch Admiral would have been Tromp or DeRuyter - I think Tromp and the British commander the Grand Old Duke of York, or am I confusing that with the Battle of Landguard?
Hardly an "insignficant" battle as iirc something like a hundred ships and 30,000 men fought on each side though no result was achieved. Still, the Dutch were sent packing even if more or less intact.

It could have been a more important battle if the Duke of York had followed through when the Dutch Admiral van Wassenaer Obdam was killed and the rest of the Dutch fleet withdrew from the battle. If they had destroyed more ships there may have been no 3rd Dutch war. It was also a fairly insignificant battle as the winds were light and it was fought as individual ship battles rather than a fleet action. The Royal Charles did destroy the Dutch flagsip Eendracht in a spectacular fashion.

I was interested as I recently read some historical fiction that placed Charles II at Languard Fort watching the battle. As the centre of the battle was 40 miles east of Lowestoft, Charles II would have required remarkably good eyesight.

 

[oldgit]

They need to try harder and finish the job....

The locals are endeavouring to do that job themselves

 

[oldgit]

I imagine the Navy was in such a parlous state at the time that we couldn't do much about it, rather like it's state today.
Could somone ps resuscitate Sam Pepys?

The Dutch decided to pay Chatham a fraternal visit in 1667, the blokes who were supposed to be defending the dockyard had not been paid for years.
It is alleged that the Great and the Good learning that the Dutch were coming, promptly took themselves and their chattels orf to the safety of London.
Stories of small arms fire being exchanged between defenders on the shore and the Dutch right in the middle of Chatham and the sound of cannon fire being heard in South London
Sunday 30 June 1667
It was always assumed that our fleet would be safe this far upstream due to the depth of water and the difficulty of navigating the Medway.
The Dutch simply hired some fisherman with local knowledge and heeled the bigger ships over to reduce their draft to enable them to get the ships across the shallow bits.
The Dutch do have a bit of the "Royal Charles " on display in a museum , we have asked for it back, but unaccountably they have declined .
They did however lend it to Greenwich Maritime Museum a few years ago , presumably during an era when there was a good chance of us honouring promises we made.

Queenborough Independence Day – Getting our town back!