- Battle of Dover (1217)
The battle of Dover was a
naval battle fought in early1217 between an English fleet of 30-40 ships underHubert de Burgh and a French fleet of 80 (mostly small craft) underEustace the Monk . An English victory, the battle is notable as the first known example of the use of sailing tactics.During the
First Barons' War , the rebelling barons had asked Prince Louis take the throne of England away from King John. In1216 , Louis had landed in England and captured all of theCinque Ports in the southeast, except forDover , where de Burgh stubbornly held out against a siege of many months.In August, Louis sent reinforcements for the siege across the
English Channel , consisting of 900 troops and supplies on board 10 warships and 70 small craft. De Burgh had a fleet of 16 large ships and about 20 converted merchant vessels; he sailed out from Dover to intercept the French before they could land.In a novel move, de Burgh attacked from upwind, first launching a shower of
crossbow bolts, followed byquicklime dust to blind the French. After this, the ships closed for the usual boarding and hand-to-hand combat, in which the English were able to destroy or capture 3/4 of Eustace's ships.Eustace was able to get away, but in the naval Battle of Sandwich in August, he was captured and later beheaded.
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