St. James's Day Battle

The naval St James' Day Battle (also known as the St James's Day Fight, the Battle of the North Foreland and the Battle of Orfordness) took place on 4-5 August 1666 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War and was fought between fleets of England and the United Provinces commanded by Admiral Michiel de Ruyter. (4 August was 25 July—St James' day in the Julian calendar then in use in England). In The Netherlands the battle is known as the Two Days Battle.

Dutch Intentions

After the Dutch had inflicted enormous damage on the British fleet in the Four Days Battle, the leading Dutch politician Johan de Witt ordered Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel de Ruyter to carry out a plan that had been prepared for over a year: to land in the Medway to destroy the British fleet while it was being repaired in the Chatham dockyards. For this purpose ten fluyt ships carried 2,700 marines of the newly created Dutch Marine Corps, the first in history. Also De Ruyter was to combine his fleet with the French one.

Related Topics:
Four Days Battle - Johan de Witt - Michiel de Ruyter - Medway - Chatham - Fluyt - Marines - Dutch Marine Corps

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The French however didn't show up and bad weather prevented the landing. De Ruyter had to limit his actions to a blockade of the Thames. On the 1st of August he observed that the British fleet was leaving port - earlier than expected. Then a storm drove the Dutch fleet back to the Flemish coast. On the 3rd De Ruyter again crossed the North Sea, leaving behind the troop ships.

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