Four Days' Battle. The Four Days' Battle was a naval battle of the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
Fought from 1 June to 4 June 1666 in the Julian or Old Style calendar then used in England off the Flemish and English coast, it remains one of the longest naval engagements in history. The Dutch accounts refer to its dates as 11 June to 14 June 1666 using the New Style calendar.
The Dutch inflicted significant damage on the English fleet which lost ten ships in total, with over 1,000 men killed including two vice-admirals, Sir Christopher Myngs and Sir William Berkeley, while about 2000 English were taken prisoner including a third vice-admiral George Ayscue. Dutch losses were four ships destroyed by fire and over 1,550 men killed, including Lieutent Admiral Cornelis Evertsen, Vice Admiral Abraham van der Hulst and Rear Admiral Frederik Stachouwer.
Although the result was a clear Dutch victory, it did not render the English fleet incapable of further action, and it was able to prevent a Dutch attempt to attack and destroy it at anchor the Thames estuary in early July and, after refitting, to defeat the Dutch fleet off the North Foreland on 25 July off the in the St. James's Day Battle. The introduction of sailing ships with a square rig, of a type later called the ship of the line, which were heavily armed with cannon, brought about a gradual change in naval tactics.
Before and during the First Dutch War,
Fought from 1 June to 4 June 1666 in the Julian or Old Style calendar then used in England off the Flemish and English coast, it remains one of the longest naval engagements in history. The Dutch accounts refer to its dates as 11 June to 14 June 1666 using the New Style calendar.
The Dutch inflicted significant damage on the English fleet which lost ten ships in total, with over 1,000 men killed including two vice-admirals, Sir Christopher Myngs and Sir William Berkeley, while about 2000 English were taken prisoner including a third vice-admiral George Ayscue. Dutch losses were four ships destroyed by fire and over 1,550 men killed, including Lieutent Admiral Cornelis Evertsen, Vice Admiral Abraham van der Hulst and Rear Admiral Frederik Stachouwer.
Although the result was a clear Dutch victory, it did not render the English fleet incapable of further action, and it was able to prevent a Dutch attempt to attack and destroy it at anchor the Thames estuary in early July and, after refitting, to defeat the Dutch fleet off the North Foreland on 25 July off the in the St. James's Day Battle. The introduction of sailing ships with a square rig, of a type later called the ship of the line, which were heavily armed with cannon, brought about a gradual change in naval tactics.
Before and during the First Dutch War,
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