Wednesday, October 13, 2004

The storm off the Shetlands in August 1652

This is my first attempt at translating note 1 on page 130 of Vol.II of Dr. Elias' book, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen:

According to the Hollandsche Mercurius, we lost at the Shetlands no more than 4 or 5 ships. In reality, our losses were a lot heavier. Before the storm, Tromp's fleet numbered 92 warships, 1 supply ship, 7 fireships, and 3 galliots. From that, on 5 and 6 August, Tromp collected 40 warships, 1 fireship, and 1 galliot. With captains Balck and De Lieffde came 40 warships, the supply ship, and 1 fireship. Previously, the warship of Captain Pascaert and the fireship of Captain Bondt had separately arrived. So that in total returned 81 warships, 1 supply ship, 3 fireships, and 1 galliot. One galliot was taken by Blake. For the Shetlands 11 warships therefore must have remained (among which included 1 admiralty ship of Amsterdam, the Amsterdam, Captain Barend Dorrevelt, "with people and ship" were lost, and 2 of the defective Friesland admiralty ships, which both as given as "to ahve stranded"), 4 fireships, and 1 galliot.

I want to attempt to determine the lost warships, which I firmly believe included at least several of the ships belonging to the Amsterdam Directors.

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