- Order of battle at the Battle of Camperdown
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The Battle of Camperdown, William Adolphus Knell, pre-1875, National Museums Scotland
The Battle of Camperdown was an important naval action of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought off Camperduin on the Noord Holland coast on 11 October 1797 between a British fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Dutch fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter. The French Republic had overrun the Dutch Republic two years earlier, reforming it into the Batavian Republic. In early 1797 the Dutch Navy was ordered to sail to Brest and unite with the French Atlantic Fleet in preparation for an invasion of Ireland.[1] Shortly afterwards, the British fleets were paralysed by the Spithead and Nore mutinies, in which the sailors refused to take their ships to sea until they were awarded better pay and conditions.[2] For two months the English Channel was undefended, but the Dutch failed to take the opportunity to sail from their harbour in the Texel. Their preparations were not complete, and a small squadron of loyal British ships under Duncan convinced de Winter that the British fleet was at sea by sending nonsensical signals to fictitious ships over the horizon.[3]
By October 1797, the plan to attack Ireland had been abandoned and the British North Sea Fleet was again at full strength. During a brief period replenishing supplies at Yarmouth, news reached Duncan on 10 October that the Dutch had sailed and he returned to the Dutch coast, intercepting de Winter's fleet on its way back to the Texel.[4] The Dutch formed a line of battle in shallow coastal waters to meet Duncan's attack, which was conducted in a confused mass, the British ships separating into two groups that struck the van and rear of the Dutch fleet,[5] overwhelming each in turn and capturing eleven ships, including de Winter's flagship House of Orange.[9] In addition, the Dutch were disaffected and poorly trained due to the long months blockaded in their harbours, which made them inferior seamen and gunners when compared with the highly experienced British crews.[10] Dutch ships were also more weakly constructed than their British counterparts with a shallower draught, a necessity in the shallow waters of the Dutch coast but a liability when fighting warships built for the open ocean.[11] The Dutch did however have the advantage of weight of shot, especially when their well-armed frigates and brigs are included statistically. Unlike the smaller British ships, these lighter craft were intended to contribute in battle, covering the gaps in the line between their larger companions.[12]
Contents
Orders of battle
The ships in the orders of battle below are listed in the order in which they appeared in the respective battle lines. Listed in the casualties section are the totals of killed and wounded as best as can be established: due to the nature of the battle, Dutch losses were hard to calculate precisely. Officers killed in action or who subsequently died of wounds received are marked with a † symbol. As carronades were not traditionally taken into consideration when calculating a ship's rate,[13] these ships may have actually been carrying additional or fewer guns than indicated below.
- * Ships in this colour were captured during the battle
British fleet
Admiral Duncan's fleet Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total Windward division HMS Triumph Third rate 74 Captain William Essington 295584Hull and masts damaged, ten guns dismounted HMS Venerable Third rate 74 Admiral Adam Duncan
Captain William George Fairfax156277Hull and masts very badly damaged HMS Ardent Third rate 64 Captain Richard Rundle Burges † 41107148Hull and masts very badly damaged HMS Bedford Third rate 74 Captain Sir Thomas Byard 304171Hull and rigging badly damaged HMS Lancaster Third rate 64 Captain John Wells 31821Lightly damaged HMS Belliqueux Third rate 64 Captain John Inglis 2578103Hull and rigging badly damaged HMS Adamant Fourth rate 50 Captain William Hotham 000Undamaged HMS Isis Fourth rate 50 Captain William Mitchell 22123Lightly damaged Sixth rate 28 Captain Peter Halkett 000Not engaged in the action. Leeward division HMS Russell Third rate 74 Captain Henry Trollope 077Lightly damaged HMS Director Third rate 64 Captain William Bligh 077Masts and rigging damaged HMS Montagu Third rate 74 Captain John Knight 358Lightly damaged HMS Veteran Third rate 64 Captain George Gregory 42125Three guns dismounted, otherwise lightly damaged HMS Monarch Third rate 74 Vice-Admiral Richard Onslow
Captain Edward O'Bryen36100136Hull and masts very badly damaged HMS Powerful Third rate 74 Captain William O'Bryen Drury 107888Hull and masts badly damaged HMS Monmouth Third rate 64 Captain James Walker 52227Lightly damaged HMS Agincourt Third rate 64 Captain John Williamson 000Very lightly damaged Fifth rate 40 Captain Francis Fayerman 000Undamaged Minor warships HMS Martin Sloop 16 Commander Charles Paget 000Not engaged in the action. Rose Hired cutter 10 Lieutenant Joseph Brodie 000Not engaged in the action. King George Hired cutter 12 Lieutenant James Rains 000Not engaged in the action. Active Hired cutter 12 Lieutenant J. Hamilton 000Not engaged in the action. Diligent Hired cutter 6 Lieutenant T. Dawson 000Not engaged in the action. Speculator Hired lugger 8 Lieutenant H. Hales 000Not engaged in the action. Total casualties: 203 killed, 622 wounded Source: Clowes, p. 326, James, p. 380 Dutch fleet
Vice-Admiral de Winter's fleet Line of battle Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total Gelijkheid * Third rate 68 Commander H. A. Ruijsch 40 killed[14] Badly damaged and may have been dismasted. Captured at 15:10, later became HMS Gelykheid Beschermer Fourth rate 56 Captain Hinxt † Unknown Lightly damaged Hercules * Third rate 64 Commander Ruijsoort Unknown Hull very badly damaged and set on fire, mizenmast collapsed. Captured and became HMS Delft. Admiraal Tjerk Hiddes De Vries * Third rate 68 Captain J. B. Zegers Unknown Badly damaged and ship may have been dismasted. Captured at 15:00, later became HMS Devries Vrijheid * Third rate 74 Vice-Admiraal Jan de Winter
Commander L. W. van Rossum †58 98 156[14] Hull very badly damaged and ship dismasted. Captured at 15:15, later became HMS Vryheid Staaten Generaal Third rate 74 Rear-Admiral Samuel Story 20 40 60[15] Hull badly damaged, masts and rigging lightly damaged Wassenaar * Third rate 64 Commander A. Holland † Unknown Damaged. First captured at 14:00, subsequently rejoined the combat and was captured again. Later became HMS Wassenaer Batavier Fourth rate 56 Commander Souter Unknown Lightly damaged Brutus Third rate 74 Rear-Admiral Johan Bloys van Treslong
Commodore Polders10 50 60[15] Lightly damaged Leijden Third rate 68 Commander J. D. Musquetier Unknown Lightly damaged Mars Fifth rate razee 44 Commander D. H. Kloff 1 14 15[15] Mizenmast collapsed Cerberus Third rate 68 Commander Jacobsen 5 9 14[15] Lightly damaged Jupiter * Third rate 72 Rear-Admiral Hermanus Reijntjes † 61 killed[14] Hull and rigging severely damaged, main and mizenmasts collapsed. Captured at 13:45, later became HMS Camperdown Haarlem * Third rate 68 Captain O. Wiggerts Heavy casualties Hull severely damaged and mizenmast collapsed. Captured at 13:15, later became HMS Haerlem Alkmaar * Fourth rate 56 Captain J. W. Krafft 26 62 82[15] Hull severely damaged and ship dismasted in the immediate aftermath of the battle. Captured at 14:30, later became HMS Alkmaar. Delft * Fourth rate 56 Captain Gerrit Verdooren van Asperen 43 76 119[14] Hull severely damaged. Captured at 14:15. Sank during journey to Britain with the loss of an additional 34 lives.[16] Frigate line Atalante Brig 18 Commander B. Pletsz Unknown Heldin Fifth rate 32 Commander Dumenil de Lestrille Unknown Galathée Brig 18 Commander Riverij Unknown Minerva Sixth rate 24 Commander Eijlbracht Unknown Ajax Brig 18 Lieutenant Arkenbout Unknown Waakzaamheid Sixth rate 24 Commander Meindert van Nierop Unknown Ambuscade * Fifth rate 36 Commander J. Huijs Unknown Captured but later driven ashore on the Dutch coast and retaken by Dutch forces Daphné Brig 18 Lieutenant Frederiks Unknown Badly damaged Monnikkendam * Fifth rate 44 Commander Thomas Lancester 50 killed[14] Badly damaged. Captured at 14:00 but subsequently wrecked on the Dutch coast Haasje Advice boat 6 Lieutenant Hartingveld Unknown Total casualties: 540 killed, 620 wounded Sources: Clowes, p. 326, James, p. 381, Lloyd, pp. 145–150 References
Bibliography
- Clowes, William Laird (1997) [1900]. The Royal Navy, A History from the Earliest Times to 1900, Volume IV. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-013-2.
- Gardiner, Robert (editor) (2001) [1996]. Fleet Battle and Blockade. Caxton Editions. ISBN 0-84067-363-X.
- James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 2, 1797–1799. Conway Martime Press. ISBN 0-85177-906-9.
- Lloyd, Christopher (1963). St Vincent & Camperdown. London: B. T. Batsford Ltd.
- Padfield, Peter (2000) [1976]. Nelson's War. Wordsworth Military Library. ISBN 1-84022-225-5.
- Pakenham, Thomas (2000) [1997]. The Year of Liberty: The Story of the Great Irish Rebellion of 1798. London: Abacus. ISBN 978-0349112527.
Categories:- Conflicts in 1797
- French Revolutionary Wars orders of battle
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