Adnams 'Broadside'
From the back label:
A dark ruby rich beer rich in fruitcake flavours, with a wonderful balance of malt and hop flavours.
Brewer: Adnams , Sole Bay Brewery, Southwold, Suffolk
Alcohol: 6.3% volume.
The beer is brewed to commemorate the Battle of Sole Bay.
The naval Battle of Sole Bay took place 7th. June 1672 and was the first naval battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War. The battle ended inconclusively, with both sides claiming victory.
A fleet of 75 ships, 20,738 men and 4,484 cannon of the United Provinces, commanded by Lt. Admirals Michiel de Ruyter, Adriaen Banckert and Willem Joseph van Ghent, surprised a joint Anglo-French fleet of 93 ships, 34,496 men and 6,018 cannon at anchor in Sole Bay off Southwold, Suffolk.
The Duke of York and Vice Admiral Comte Jean II d'Estrées planned to blockade the Dutch in their home ports and deny the North Sea to Dutch shipping. The Dutch had hoped to repeat their successful raid on the Medway and a frigate squadron under Van Ghent sailed up the Thames in May but discovered that Sheerness Fort was now too well defended to allow the Dutch to pass. The Dutch main fleet came too late, mainly due to coordination problems between the five Dutch admiralties. This delay allowed the English and French fleets to join forces.
The Dutch fleet followed the Allied fleet north, who unaware of this, put in at Sole Bay to refit. On 7th. June the Allies were caught by surprise and got into disarray when the Dutch fleet, having the weather with them, suddenly appeared on the horizon in the early morning. The French fleet, either through accident or design, steered south followed by Lt. Admiral Adriaen Banckert's fifteen Dutch ships. The French ship 'Superbe' was heavily damaged and her captain, des Rabesnières, was killed by fire from Vice Admiral Enno Doedes Star's 70 gun ship 'Groningen'. Total French casualties were about 450.
This left the Dutch vanguard and centre to fight it out with the English, and the latter were hard pressed, as they had great difficulty beating upwind to bring their ships out. The Duke of York had to move his flag twice, finally to 'HMS London', as his flagships 'HMS Prince' and 'HMS St. Michael' were taken out of action. 'HMS Prince' was crippled by Lt. Admiral De Ruyter's flagship 'De Zeven Provinciën' in a two hour duel. De Ruyter was accompanied by the representative of the States General of the Netherlands, Cornelis de Witt who bravely remained seated on the main deck, although half of his guard of honour standing next to him were killed or wounded.
Lt. Admiral Aert Jansse van Nes on the 'Eendracht' first duelled Vice Admiral Edward Spragge on 'HMS London' and then was attacked by the 86 gun 'HMS Royal Katherine'. The latter ship was then so heavily damaged that Captain John Chichely struck her flag and was taken prisoner. The Dutch prize crew however got drunk on the brandy they found aboard and allowed the ship to be later recaptured by the English.
The flagship of Admiral Edward Montagu, 1st. Earl of Sandwich, 'HMS Royal James', was first fiercely engaged by Lt. Admiral Van Ghent's ship 'Dolfijn'. Van Ghent was however killed by shrapnel. Then Captain Jan van Brakel's 60 gun 'Groot Hollandia' attacked 'HMS Royal James', incessantly pounding the hull of the ship for over an hour and bringing her into such a condition that Lord Sandwich considered striking his flag but decided against it because it was beneath his honour to surrender to a mere captain of low birth. He then ordered sloops from other ships to board the 'Groot Hollandia' who's upper deck soon swarmed with Englishmen. Van Brakel was forced to cut the lines and retreat between friendly vessels to drive the boarding teams off. 'HMS Royal James' now drifted away, sinking, and was attacked by several fire ships. She sank two, but a third, 'Vrede', commanded by Jan Daniëlszoon van den Rijn, its approach shielded by Vice Admiral Isaac Sweers 82 gun 'Oliphant', set her on fire. She burnt with great loss of life, Sandwich himself and his son-in-law Philip Carteret drowned trying to escape when his sloop collapsed under the weight of panicked sailors jumping in. His body washed ashore, only recognisable by the scorched clothing still showing the shield of the Order of the Garter.
During the battle the wind shifted, giving the English the weather, and in the late afternoon the Dutch started to withdrew.
Losses were heavy on both sides. The Dutch lost 1,800 men, one Dutch ship, the 'Jozua', was destroyed and another, the 'Stavoren', captured, a third Dutch ship had an accident during repairs immediately after the battle and blew up. The English and French lost two ships and some 2000 men. The people of Southwold had to deal with around 800 injured sailors, not to mention the many bodies which washed up along the shoreline for many weeks afterwards.
The battle ended inconclusively at sunset. Both sides claimed victory, the Dutch with the more justification as the English-French plan to blockade Dutch ports was abandoned.
The fleets met again at the Battle of Schooneveld in 1673.
Adnams 'Broadside'
From the back label:
A dark ruby rich beer rich in fruitcake flavours, with a wonderful balance of malt and hop flavours.
Brewer: Adnams , Sole Bay Brewery, Southwold, Suffolk
Alcohol: 6.3% volume.
The beer is brewed to commemorate the Battle of Sole Bay.
The naval Battle of Sole Bay took place 7th. June 1672 and was the first naval battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War. The battle ended inconclusively, with both sides claiming victory.
A fleet of 75 ships, 20,738 men and 4,484 cannon of the United Provinces, commanded by Lt. Admirals Michiel de Ruyter, Adriaen Banckert and Willem Joseph van Ghent, surprised a joint Anglo-French fleet of 93 ships, 34,496 men and 6,018 cannon at anchor in Sole Bay off Southwold, Suffolk.
The Duke of York and Vice Admiral Comte Jean II d'Estrées planned to blockade the Dutch in their home ports and deny the North Sea to Dutch shipping. The Dutch had hoped to repeat their successful raid on the Medway and a frigate squadron under Van Ghent sailed up the Thames in May but discovered that Sheerness Fort was now too well defended to allow the Dutch to pass. The Dutch main fleet came too late, mainly due to coordination problems between the five Dutch admiralties. This delay allowed the English and French fleets to join forces.
The Dutch fleet followed the Allied fleet north, who unaware of this, put in at Sole Bay to refit. On 7th. June the Allies were caught by surprise and got into disarray when the Dutch fleet, having the weather with them, suddenly appeared on the horizon in the early morning. The French fleet, either through accident or design, steered south followed by Lt. Admiral Adriaen Banckert's fifteen Dutch ships. The French ship 'Superbe' was heavily damaged and her captain, des Rabesnières, was killed by fire from Vice Admiral Enno Doedes Star's 70 gun ship 'Groningen'. Total French casualties were about 450.
This left the Dutch vanguard and centre to fight it out with the English, and the latter were hard pressed, as they had great difficulty beating upwind to bring their ships out. The Duke of York had to move his flag twice, finally to 'HMS London', as his flagships 'HMS Prince' and 'HMS St. Michael' were taken out of action. 'HMS Prince' was crippled by Lt. Admiral De Ruyter's flagship 'De Zeven Provinciën' in a two hour duel. De Ruyter was accompanied by the representative of the States General of the Netherlands, Cornelis de Witt who bravely remained seated on the main deck, although half of his guard of honour standing next to him were killed or wounded.
Lt. Admiral Aert Jansse van Nes on the 'Eendracht' first duelled Vice Admiral Edward Spragge on 'HMS London' and then was attacked by the 86 gun 'HMS Royal Katherine'. The latter ship was then so heavily damaged that Captain John Chichely struck her flag and was taken prisoner. The Dutch prize crew however got drunk on the brandy they found aboard and allowed the ship to be later recaptured by the English.
The flagship of Admiral Edward Montagu, 1st. Earl of Sandwich, 'HMS Royal James', was first fiercely engaged by Lt. Admiral Van Ghent's ship 'Dolfijn'. Van Ghent was however killed by shrapnel. Then Captain Jan van Brakel's 60 gun 'Groot Hollandia' attacked 'HMS Royal James', incessantly pounding the hull of the ship for over an hour and bringing her into such a condition that Lord Sandwich considered striking his flag but decided against it because it was beneath his honour to surrender to a mere captain of low birth. He then ordered sloops from other ships to board the 'Groot Hollandia' who's upper deck soon swarmed with Englishmen. Van Brakel was forced to cut the lines and retreat between friendly vessels to drive the boarding teams off. 'HMS Royal James' now drifted away, sinking, and was attacked by several fire ships. She sank two, but a third, 'Vrede', commanded by Jan Daniëlszoon van den Rijn, its approach shielded by Vice Admiral Isaac Sweers 82 gun 'Oliphant', set her on fire. She burnt with great loss of life, Sandwich himself and his son-in-law Philip Carteret drowned trying to escape when his sloop collapsed under the weight of panicked sailors jumping in. His body washed ashore, only recognisable by the scorched clothing still showing the shield of the Order of the Garter.
During the battle the wind shifted, giving the English the weather, and in the late afternoon the Dutch started to withdrew.
Losses were heavy on both sides. The Dutch lost 1,800 men, one Dutch ship, the 'Jozua', was destroyed and another, the 'Stavoren', captured, a third Dutch ship had an accident during repairs immediately after the battle and blew up. The English and French lost two ships and some 2000 men. The people of Southwold had to deal with around 800 injured sailors, not to mention the many bodies which washed up along the shoreline for many weeks afterwards.
The battle ended inconclusively at sunset. Both sides claimed victory, the Dutch with the more justification as the English-French plan to blockade Dutch ports was abandoned.
The fleets met again at the Battle of Schooneveld in 1673.