The ships that participated in the Battle of Lowestoft, a naval engagement between the English and Dutch off the English port of Lowestoft on 13 June (New Style) 1665 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. 95 English ships (later rising to 100 when ships joined during the battle), commanded by James Stuart, Duke of York, faced 107 Dutch ships led by Jacob van Wassenaer, Baron Obdam. The battle ended in a victory for the English, capturing 9 Dutch ships and sinking 8 others, for the loss of only one ship (the Charity).
British fleet Although the fleet list dated 10 May (20 May N.S.) names 109 vessels of the 6th Rate and above, 19 had been detached for other duties before the battle, while 5 previously unlisted vessels had arrived. Thus there were 95 ships at the commencement of the battle. 5 of the detached vessels rejoined the fleet during the battle, bringing the total to exactly 100 ships.Frank Fox, The Four Days' Battle of 1666, p.317 This total included 24 hired merchantmen (indicated as such in the 'Notes' column).
The White Squadron The White (or Van) Squadron was under Prince Rupert - his flagship being the Royal James.
Ship GunsCommanderNotesVan Division Colchester 28 Captain Daniel Helling Triumph 70 Vice-Admiral Christopher Myngs Monck 54 Captain Thomas Penrose Newcastle 48 Captain Thomas Page Lion 52 Captain Edward Spragge Ruby 46 Captain William Jennens Expedition 30 Captain Tobias Sackler John and Abigail 40 Captain Joseph Sanders Hired merchantman Happy Return 40 Captain John Hubbard Hired merchantman Katherine 36 Captain Thomas Elliot Hired merchantman John and Katherine 36 Captain John Whately Hired merchantmanCentre Division Reserve 46 Captain John Tyrwhit Rainbow 56 Captain Willoughby Hannam Exchange 36 Captain Samuel Wentworth Hired merchantman Revenge 58 Captain Robert Holmes Royal James 78 Admiral Prince RupertFlag-captain John Kempthorne Garland 28 Captain Charles Talbot Hound 8 Captain James Coleman Fireship Dolphin 4 Captain William Gregory FireshipAssurance32 Captain John JeffriesMary Rose48 Captain William ReevesHenrietta58 Captain Walter WoodBendish42 Captain Robert Taylor Hired merchantmanPortland46 Captain John AylettRear DivisionEast India Merchant44 Captain John Wilgresse Hired merchantmanSt. Andrew 60 Captain Valentine PineAdvice40 Captain William PooleBear42 Captain John WaterworthConstant Katherine40 Captain Francis Sanders Hired merchantmanKent46 Captain Thomas EwensAnne58 Captain Arnold BrownResolution58 Rear-Admiral Robert SansumSansum killed in the battleMilford28 Captain John SealeSmall craftHind8 Captain John WithersKetchSea VentureJamesDesireLittle SampsonWilliam & Mary
The Red Squadron The Red (or Centre) Squadron was under the Duke of York - his flagship being the Royal Charles.
Ship GunsCommanderNotesVan DivisionBristol48 Captain John HartGloucester58 Captain Robert ClarkRoyal Exchange46 Captain Giles Shelley Hired merchantmanDiamond 46 Captain John KingMartin Galley14 Captain Richard WhiteRoyal Oak100 Vice-Admiral Sir John LawsonLawson died of his wounds after the battle24 Captain John WetwangGuinea36 Captain John AbelsonAbelson killed in the battleSt. George60 Captain Joseph JordanCoast Frigate34 Captain Thomas Lawson Hired merchantmanDover46 Captain Jeffery PearseKing Ferdinando36 Captain Francis Johnson Hired merchantmanCentre DivisionPlymouth56 Captain Thomas AllinFountain30 Captain Jean Baptiste du TielBlackamore38 Captain Richard Neales Hired merchantmanMary58 Captain Jeremiah SmithHappy Return50 Captain James LambertRoyal Charles80 James, Duke of YorkSir William PennFlag-captain John HarmanMermaid28 Captain Jasper GrantFame12 Captain John Gethings FireshipBramble8 Captain Nepthali Ball FireshipAntelope46 Captain John ChicheleyOld James68 Captain James Ley, 3rd Earl of MarlboroughMarlborough killed in the battleLoyal George42 Captain John Earle Hired merchantmanYarmouth52 Captain Thomas AyliffeVanguard56 Captain Jonas PooleConvertine48 Captain John PearceCharity46 Captain Robert Wilkinson Sunk by Dutch fireshipRear DivisionEagle44 Captain Thomas Hendra Hired merchantmanAmity36 Captain John ParkerSatisfaction46 Captain Richard May Hired merchantman58 Captain Robert SalmonSwiftsure60 Rear-Admiral Sir William BerkeleyBonaventure40 Captain Arthur LaughornePortsmouth38 Captain Robert MohunGeorge40 Captain Robert Hatubb Hired merchantmanLeopard54 Captain Richard BeachSapphire 38 Captain Henry HydeLoyal Merchant44 Captain Robert Sanders Hired merchantmanSmall craftRoe8 Captain James LockKetchEaglet8 Captain William Berry KetchSt. GeorgeBachelorIsabellaHopeful MargaretSeaflowerEdward & Eve
The Blue Squadron The Blue (or Rear) Squadron was under Earl of Sandwich - his flagship being the Royal Prince.
Ship GunsCommanderNotesVan DivisionForester28Captain Edward CotterellRoyal Katherine70Rear-Admiral Thomas TeddemanEssex52Captain Richard UtberMarmaduke38Captain John BestPrincess52 Captain George SwanleyGolden Phoenix36 Captain Samuel Dickinson Hired merchantmanAdventure36Captain Benjamin YoungSociety36 Captain Ralph Lascelles Hired merchantmanDreadnought58 Captain Henry TernePrudent Mary36 Captain Thomas Haward Hired merchantmanCentre DivisionDragon38 Captain John LloydCenturion46 Captain Robert Moulton, Jr.Montagu58 Captain Henry FenneOxford24 Captain Philemon BaconPrince Royal86 Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of SandwichFlag-captain Roger CuttancePembroke28 Captain Thomas DarcyBryar12 Captain Richard Cotton FireshipDunkirk54 Captain John HaywardBreda46 Captain Robert Kirby Kirby killed in the battleJohn & Thomas44 Captain Henry Dawes Hired merchantmanSwallow46 Captain Richard HodgesMadras42 Captain John Norbrook Hired merchantmanRear DivisionJersey48Captain Hugh HideHambro' Merchant36 Captain James Cadman Hired merchantmanHampshire40 Captain George BattsCastle frigate36 Captain Philip Euatt Hired merchantmanAssistance40Captain Zachary BrownUnicorn56Captain Henry TeddimanProvidence30Captain Richard JamesYork58Captain John SwanleyHenry 70Vice-Admiral Sir George AyscueGuernsey28Captain Humphrey ConnisbySmall craftNonsuch8Captain Robert CrossmanKetchThomas & RebeccaHopewellJohn SmackJohnHoyTwo Sisters
Of the ships which had been on the 10 May fleet list but had been detached (excluding the five which rejoined during the battle), the merchantman Good Hope had been captured by the Dutch on 20 May, the Merlin was in the Thames, the Coventry and Lizard were at Portsmouth, the Little Mary at Plymouth, the Paradox at Scilly, the merchantman Maryland was in Harwich ("defective"), the Success in Lowestoft, the Speedwell at Newcastle, the Little Gift in Ireland and the Truelove in the Downs. Three more were engaged in scouting - the Paul, Hector and Blackamoor (a pink). None of these was larger than 5th Rate.Frank Fox, The Four Days' Battle of 1666, p.321-322.
Dutch fleet The Dutch fleet comprised 107 ships carrying 4,864 guns and 21,613 men. Of these 107 ships, 81 were ships of the line from the five Dutch Admiralties, while 11 were hired merchantmen from the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostinische Compagnie), indicated by "VOC" in the lists below. There were also 9 frigates and 6 three-mast yachts. The Admiralty to which a ship belonged as indicated by a letter in parentheses preceding the name: (A) Amsterdam Admiralty (F) Friesland Admiralty (M) Maas (or Rotterdam) Admiralty (N) Noorderkwartier Admiralty (Z) Zeeland Admiralty
No attempt can be made to indicate order of battle as the Dutch had not adopted the line-ahead system at this date, but the ships are indicated by squadron, within each of which the order of precedence is given, with the ships of the admiral, vice-admiral and rear-admiral listed first.
Squadron Command ships
Squadron Squadron Commander Flagship Guns Ref1st (Amsterdam) Lieutenant-Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam Eendracht 72 2nd (Zeeland) Lieutenant-Admiral Johan Evertsen Hof van Zeeland 58 3rd (Maas) Lieutenant-Admiral Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer Groot Hollandia 68 4th (Friesland) Lieutenant-Admiral Auke Stellingwerf Zevenwolden 58 5th (Amsterdam) Vice-Admiral Cornelis Tromp Liefde 70 6th (Zeeland) Vice-Admiral Cornelis Evertsen the Elder Vlissingen 46 7th (Noorderkwartier) Vice-Admiral Volckert Schram Wapen van Nassau 60
The 1st (Amsterdam) Squadron
Ship Guns Commander Notes (M) Eendracht 72 Jacob van Wassenaer, Baron Obdam Sunk by magazine explosion (A) Amsterdam 54 Vice-Adm Abraham van der Hulst (A) Huis Tijdverdrijf 58 SbN (Rear-Adm) Albert Klaaszoon Graeff (A) Huis te Kruiningen 58 Jacob Andrieszoon Swart (A) Vrijheid 50 Jan van Amstel (A) Landman 44 Hugo van Nieuwenhof (A) Vrede 40 Hendrik Gotskens (A) Stad Gouda 48 Otto van Treslong (A) Dom van Utrecht 48 Jacob Willemszoon Broeder (A) Harderwijk 46 Jacob Wiltschut (A) Haarlem 46 Adam van Brederode (A) Zeelandia 34 Balthazar van de Voorde (A) Gouden Ster 36 Herman Egbertszoon Wolff (A) Brack 18 Gerrit Polanen VOC Maarseveen 78 Jan Jacobszoon de Reus Burnt by fireship
The 2nd (Zeeland) Squadron
Ship Guns Captain Notes (Z) Hof van Zeeland 58 Johan Evertsen (M) Klein Hollandia 54 SbN (Rear-Admiral) Johan de Liefde (Z) Utrecht 50 Cornelis Evertsen the Younger Burnt (Z) Middleburg 46 Jacon Adriaanszoon Pens (Z) Wapen van Zeeland 36 Bastiaan Tuyneman (Z) Delft 34 Jan Banckert Captured by HMS Leopard & Bredabecame HMS Delft (Z) Zeelandia 34 Simon Blok Captured by HMS Centurionbecame HMS Zealand (Z) Schakerloo 29 Jan Krijnssen (M) Prins Maurits 53 Marinus de Clercq (M) Dordrecht 46 Jacob Cleydyck (M) Wapen van Utrecht 36 Christiaan Eldertsen (M) Delft 36 Jacob van Boshuisen (M) Schiedam 25 Adriaan Solderwagen VOC Oranje 76 Bastiaan Senten Sunk (M) Lapende Hert (yacht) 8 Pieter Wijnbergen (Z) Dieshouk (yacht) 6 Jan Pieterszoon Tant
The 3rd (Maas) Squadron
Ship Guns Captain Notes (M) Groot Hollandia 68 Laurens Davidszoon van Convert (A) Oosterwijk 68 Vice-Adm Dirck Schey (A) Stavoren 48 Vice-Adm Nicolaas Marrevelt (A) Hilversum 58 Albert Mathijszoon Captured by HMS Bristolbecame HMS Helverston (A) Zuiderhuis 50 Joost Verschuur (A) Doesburg 48 Ysbrandt de Vries (A) Vereenigte Provincien 48 Cornelis van Hogenhoeck (A) Duivenvoorde 48 Hendrik van Tholl (A) Wakende Boei 48 Anthony de Martre (A) Ter Goes 46 Gebrant Boes Sunk by fireship (A) Harderin 38 Lieuwe van Hasevelt (A) Maagd van Enkhuizen 38 Johannes van der Mars (A) Overijssel 36 Jan van Blankenburch VOC Delfland 70 Jeuriaan Jeuriaanse Pod VOC Sphera Mundi 41 Apolonia Poel
The 4th (Friesland) Squadron
Ship Guns Captain Notes (F) Zevenwolden 58 Lieut-Adm Auke Stellingwerf (F) Groningen 40 Vice-Admiraal Rudolf Coenders (F) Prinses Albertina 52 SbN (Rear-Adm) Hendrik Dirkszoon Bruynsveld (F) Oostergo 68 Allart Piersen de Boer (F) Elf Steden 54 Tjerk Hiddes de Vries (F) Westergo 52 Jan Janszoon Vijselaar (F) Omlandia 44 Cornelis Allartszoon Oostrum (F) Klein Frisia 40 Wytse Beyma (F) Postillon van Smirna 40 Barend Hiddes de Vries (F) Hollandia 40 Joost Michielszoon (A) Phesant 38 Jacob Pieteys (A) Ijlst 36 Willem Codde van der Burgh VOC Huis te Zwieten 70 Cornelis Crijnssen de Rechter VOC Mars 50 Heyn Klaaszoon Kat Captured by HMS Assurancebecame HMS Mars VOC Ruijter 18 Jan de Vogel Captured became HMS Horseman; sunk 1667 as blockship in the Thames.
The 5th (Amsterdam) Squadron