Battle of Dogger Bank (1696)
{{Short description|Naval battle of the Nine Years' War}}
{{About|a 1696 battle|other naval battles fought at Dogger Bank|Battle of Dogger Bank (disambiguation)}}
{{No footnotes|date=July 2024}}
{{infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Dogger Bank
| partof = War of the Grand Alliance
| image = Treffen tussen een vloot onder Jan Bart en een Hollandse vloot, 1696 Le 18 Juin 1696, Jean-Bart commandant une Esacdre de 7 Frégates rencontre la Flote Hollandoise venant de la Baltique (titel op obj, BI-B-FM-069-18.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = Print by Yves-Marie Le Gouaz, 1806
| date = 17 June 1696
| place = Dogger Bank, Atlantic Ocean
| coordinates = {{coord|54.724|2.769|display=inline,title}}
| result = French victory
| combatant1 = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of France}}
| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Dutch Republic|1581}}
| commander1 = {{flagdeco|Kingdom of France|naval}} Jean Bart
| commander2 = {{flagdeco|Dutch Republic|1581}} Rutger Bucking{{KIA}}
| strength1 = 7 frigates
1 fireship
2 longboats
2 privateers
| strength2 = 5 frigates
112 merchant ships
| casualties1 = 31 killed and wounded
| casualties2 = Unknown killed and wounded
1,200 captured
4 frigates destroyed
1 frigate captured
25 merchant ships destroyed
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox War of the Grand Alliance}}
}}
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought on 17 June 1696 as part of the War of the Grand Alliance. It was a victory for a French force of seven ships over a Dutch force of five ships and the convoy it was escorting.
Battle
French privateer Jean Bart found a Dutch convoy of 112 merchant ships, escorted by five Dutch ships near Dogger Bank.
The French had more warships and more cannons than the Dutch. Furthermore, the French crews were very experienced and led by an exceptional commander, so the outcome of the battle was very predictable. However, the French had to hurry because a large English squadron, under Admiral John Benbow, was aware of the French presence and was looking for them.
The battle started on 19:00, when Bart on the Maure attacked the Dutch flagship, the Raadhuis-van-Haarlem. the Dutch fought valiantly for three hours until their captain was killed. Then they surrendered and so did the 4 other ships, one after another.
Bart captured and burned 25 merchant ships until Benbow's squadron of 18 ships approached. The French squadron fled towards Denmark. They remained there until July and then slipped through the allied lines into Dunkirk with 1200 prisoners, on 27 September.
Ships involved
=France=
- Maure, frigate, 54 cannons, flagship of captain Jean Bart: 15 killed, 16 wounded.
- Adroit, frigate, 44 cannons
- Mignon, frigate, 44 cannons
- Jersey, frigate, 40 cannons
- Comte, frigate, 40 cannons
- Alcyon, frigate, 38 cannons
- Milfort, frigate, 36 cannons
- Tigre, fire ship
- Saint Jean, long boat
- Deux Frères, long boat
- Lamberly, 8 cannons, privateer
- Bonne Espérance, 6 cannons, privateer
=Netherlands=
- Raadhuis-van-Haarlem, 44 cannons, flagship of captain Rutger Bucking (killed): captured and burnt
- Comte de Solnis, 38 cannons, captured
- Wedam, 38 cannons, captured and burnt
- ?, 24 cannons, captured and burnt
- ?, 24 cannons, captured and burnt
- 112 merchant ships, of which 25 were captured and bur
Bibliography
- Jean-Jacques Michaud, "Le Soleil de glace", revue Navires et Histoire, numéro 36, June/July 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Dogger Bank (1696)}}
Category:Naval battles of the Nine Years' War involving France
Category:Naval battles of the Nine Years' War involving the Dutch Republic