The Loss of the Royal George by John Christian Schetky, c 1840

Tate Gallery, London

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On August 29 1782 Royal George, a magnificent 100 gun three-decker, suddenly sunk in the calm waters of Spithead. The catastrophe took lives of Rear Admiral Richard Kempenfelt and around 900 of the ship’s crew. A thorough investigation had identified the cause of the tragedy – corrosion of iron fastenings in the coppered hull. A few years before a comprehensive program of coppering ships was introduced by Charles Middleton, Controller of the Navy, and it had been completed by the end of the American War. But by 1782 it became clear that something was terribly wrong with the method used to fix copper layers to the wooden hull. For instance a report submitted by Captain Lord Robert Manners after the battle of Chesapeake reads:

We felt severely the danger of keeping coppered line of battleships long out without looking at their bottoms, as the Terrible, one of the finest seventy-fours we had, by her exceeding bad state even before she left the West Indies, and by firing her own guns, and the enemy’s shot in the action, was found in so desperate a state that she was ordered to be scuttled and set on fire.

A number of ships sank suddenly a year or two after they had been coppered. The waterproof tarred paper seal placed between layers of copper and the hull was believed to prevent the rotting of timbers. But the iron fittings were the real cause of the corrosion due to the electrolytic effect. At a considerable cost the entire fleet had to be docked, and the iron fittings had been replaced with ones made out of hardened annealed copper.

Source ID: #fghtshpsv2#

The Bombardment of Algiers 27 August 1816 by George Chambers, Senior, ca 1836

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

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The Bombardment of Algiers by the combined Anglo-Dutch force under the command of Sir Edward Pellew has already been described in details in an earlier post. This time I would like to present a view of this battle as painted by George Chambers, Senior.

For his actions Admiral Pellew had been raised to Viscount and several of his friends and associates had subscribed 200 guineas to commission a painting commemorating this victory. The Secretary and Commissioner of the Greenwich Hospital E.H. Locker (a former secretary to Admiral Pellew) had played an important part in awarding the contract to George Chambers, from whom he had previously obtained an oil painting for inclusion into the Naval Gallery at the Hospital.

This painting is George Chambers’ the most important late work and in addition to it the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich has a number of sketches and a preliminary oil study that is also presented in this post.

In the right foreground of the painting a massive bow of the Impregnable, 98 guns, shelters a number of boats armed with carronades. In the left foreground a boat commanded by a lieutenant is about to fire its howitzer.

In the left foreground more boats are seen beside the stern of the Minden, 74 guns. One of these boats is armed with Congreve rockets. The Minden is firing her starboard guns. Behind her is the Superb, 74 guns.

In the left background the Dutch flagship Melampus is seen, starboard side.  In the middle Chambers painted Pellew’s flagship the Queen Charlotte, 100 guns, in a quarter port view. Beyond her one can see a glimpse of the Leander, 50 guns.

The Algerian coastal batteries are under heavy fire from the Anglo-Dutch ships and are covered in flames and smoke. Behind the batteries the masts of Algerian ships in the harbor are seen.

Oil study to The Bombardment of Algiers 27 August 1816 by George Chambers, Senior , ca 1836

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

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Before painting this work George Chambers visited Plymouth where he made sketches of men-of-war. In this preliminary oil study he created the layout for his main work. Although this painting lacks details it has an intense atmospheric impression.

A sketch to The Bombardment of Algiers 27 August 1816 by George Chambers, Senior, ca 1836

The Explosion of the Spanish Flagship in the Battle of Gibraltar April 25th 1607 by Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen, ca 1622

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

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In 1621 the Admiralty of Amsterdam decided to commission a painting commemorating the Battle of Gibraltar that took place in 1607. This battle, in which the Dutch squadron had destroyed the Spanish fleet in the Bay of Gibraltar, was the first major Dutch naval victory in the Eighty Years’ War. This battle had cost the Dutch fleet commander Admiral Jacob van Heemskerk his life. This man was famous for his exploits in searching for the North-East Passage to India and his wintering in Novaya Zemlya in 1596-1597 together with another famous explorer Willem Barents.

This painting depicts an episode of that battle. It is not signed and until 1983 had been attributed to Hendrick Vroom.

In 1621 the head of the Admiralty of Amsterdam Prince Maurice (Mauritz) decided to get a new painting for his newly built residence in the Stadtholder Quarter in The Hague. Initially Hendrick Vroom was contracted to make a draft. Vroom requested an astronomical sum of 6000 florins. The negotiations stalled, and, after Vroom left the meeting, “calling out words of insolence”, it was concluded that the task should also be given to “another good Master in this Art, so that one could decide, who of the two is better and whom the contract is to be awarded”. Two officials travelled to Haarlem and visited there the studios of both Vroom and van Wieringen. The works of the latter made a very good impression and he was asked to make a draft picture “of two ships, eight foot wide and five foot high”.

This story is most likely about a painting in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam that depicts the explosion of a Spanish ship in the Battle of Gibraltar on April 25th 1607, even though its dimensions are not exactly the same. The draft picture had been painted in just one month after the task was given, which must have been between July and August 1621. If it was the draft van Wieringen created to get the contract, he must have been working especially fast probably to impress the Admiralty’s officials with his skills.

The central part of the painting is occupied by two ships, a Dutch warship ramming a Spanish two-decker. The stern of the latter is being consumed by an infernal explosion that is shredding its upper structure, masts, rigging and sails. The tafferel of the exploding ship hosts a carved figure of a bishop and above it flies a banner with an angel with a divine halo around it. One of the ship’s crew members raises his arms to the angel praying for saving his life from the imminent death. His less lucky mates are already in the air thrown up by the mighty force of the blast. This terrifying scene gives the painting a dramatic character. It is impossible to tell exactly the names of these two ships, although it is known that several of the Spanish ships had exploded that day.

Dutch Whalers off a Rocky Coast by Abraham Storck, ca. 1688

Maritiem Museum Rotterdam

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Several Dutch fluyts lying at anchor in northern waters while their crews are hunting whales. The ships are flying Dutch colors with a whale in the middle. The ship in the right is about to hoist a whale up to her gallows. Those are the two massive wooden beams protruding from its stern. They are used to hang whale carcasses while stripping them off blubber.

Another whale is dying in the middle of the painting. It was struck by a harpoon and the whalers are rushing towards it in their boats.

Other whalers have landed on an icy shore and are hunting polar bears with muskets, pikes and long knives. Two walruses are watching the scene undisturbed, but not for long – their tusks are precious trophy.

Paintings dedicated to whalers and their profession were among the most popular during the Dutch Golden Age. This work by Abraham Storck had obviously been so successful that he repeated this scene with minor variations in several of his other paintings. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam acquired such one (albeit of a smaller size) in 1964. Another a bit bigger one was sold at an action in London in 1979. Yet the biggest version (58.2 x 75.4 cm), seen in this post, remains in possession of the Maritime Museum in Rotterdam. The London painting is dated 1688 and the Rotterdam one must have been commissioned at around the same time.

The Dutch Fleet under Sail

by Willem Van De Velde The Elder, 1672

Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy

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‘The Dutch Fleet under Sail’ is believed to be a depiction of the Dutch battle fleet prepared to set sail for the Medway and Sheerness in 1667. This expedition commanded by Admiral De Ruyter resulted in a stunning success. Much of the English navy was destroyed or captured. The Dutch ships that took part in that attack are represented on this painting. At the right is the Witte Olifant (built 1666) easily recognizable by a white elephant on her stern. Further right is the Vrijheid (the Freedom, built 1651, blown up in action 1676). To the left of the Witte Olifant is the Zeelandia with the coat of arms of Zeelandia on her stern. The center of the painting is occupied by the Gouden Leeuw (built 1666), with the image of a rampant golden lion on her tafferel. In the left foreground is the Huis Tijdverdrijf. In the left background the Zeven Provincien is seen. Her stern is decorated with the coat of arms of the seven Provinces of the Republic.

This painting is now kept in Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Italy. It was acquired in 1674 by Cardinal Leopold de Medici who at that time was travelling to Holland accompanied by his nephew Cosimo III, the crown prince of Tuscany. While being in Holland they visited a number of artists’ studios including the one of Willem van de Velde the Elder. The cardinal and the crown prince were captivated by the artist’s work and purchased a number of his paintings and among them “The Dutch Fleet under Sail”. The cardinal paid 325 guilders for this painting. This work has numerous carefully drawn details that can be studied on this high resolution image.

The Eendracht and a Dutch Fleet of Men-of-War before the Wind

by Ludolph Backhuysen (Ludolf Backhuizen), ca. 1670-75

The National Gallery, London

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A Dutch battle fleet and its flagship the Eendracht (Dutch for Concord or Unity) are the subject of this impressive work by Ludolph Backhuysen. The Eendracht was built in 1653 – 1655 in Rotterdam at the Admiralty of de Maze and her construction costs were shared by all seven provinces of the Republic. She had served as a flagship for Admiral Jakob van Wassenaer van Obdam during the Swedish Campaign of 1658-1659 and later participated in the Battle of Lowestoft on June 3^rd 1665 where she blew up causing much disarray among the Dutch thus contributing to the English victory. On this painting she is shown flying a long tricolor wimple indicating the presence of an admiral on board.

The depiction of the Eendracht’s ornate stern here is not accurate. In reality the lion was carved rampant and set within a fence symbolizing the borders of the Dutch Republic that he protected. This inaccuracy suggests that the painting was created after the loss of the Eendracht, probably in the early 1670s. This painting is on display in the National Gallery in London.

Battle of Scheveningen (Slag bij Ter Heide)

The Battle of Scheveningen (Battle of Ter Heide) was painted by Jan Abrahamsz between 1653 and 1666. The flagship of Admiral Tromp, the Brederode and the Resolution under the flag of Monck can be seen in the middle of this painting.

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

By the middle of the 17th Century the tensions rose between the Commonwealth of England and the Republic of the Seven Provinces. Political rivalry, religious strife and most of all economic competition had drawn two protestant countries into decades of bloody conflict known as Anglo-Dutch Wars.

In 1650 the Dutch Republic stood proud. After 80 years of the unprecedented struggle for freedom from the all-mighty Spanish Empire the Seven Provinces had finally got their independence formally acknowledged in Westphalia. By this time the former ragtag fleet of the rebellious “sea-beggars” had become the world’s leading maritime power.

As the disputes heightened and diplomats strove to reach a settlement over the commercial issues, the States-General decided to intimidate the English by voting for an increase of the Dutch navy by not less than 150 ships. The effect of this move was quite the opposite to the expected. The English became convinced of the Dutch intentions on war and started preparing themselves to it.

The final trigger was provided by the long-standing English claim to be saluted everywhere in the “British Seas”. The extent of the “British Seas” was never defined, although it is safe to assume that the Channel and the Dover Straits were implied. The Dutch however stood to their own belief of the “freedom of the seas”. Thus the all-important passage of the Dutch trade shipping to the high seas was at stake. The war became inevitable as a result of several flag incidents that led to a bitter confrontation between the naval forces of the two nations.

One of such incidents took place on May 19th 1652 when Tromp and Blake met off Dover and firing broke out over the issue of the salute. Tromp had instructions from the States-General to yield the salute on the understanding that it was a courtesy not an acknowledgment of any legal jurisdiction. In the time of high tensions such orders proved to be fatal. The English were outnumbered and fought a confused action which still brought them two Dutch prizes. The leadership of the Commonwealth was enraged by what they regarded as a treacherous attack and formally declared war on July 8th.

The next twelve months had seen many actions including some of the scale never seen before. So on 2 June 1653 Tromp with 104 ships met Monck and Deane commanding 105 men-of-war. The encounter ended a disaster for the Dutch who lost 20 ships and were routed. The English navy now mounted a blockade of the Dutch waters causing a standstill in trade and a famine for the common people.

The blockade had eventually been lifted after the victualling had collapsed not being able to maintain such an armada 100 miles off its bases. Tromp used this moment to sail out and unite his fleet on 25 July. He was met by Monck and the two fleets fought on July 31st. The English formed a line to use their artillery superiority and passed four times throught the unformed Dutch fleet. Both sides suffered badly, but the losses for the Dutch were worse.

Tromp was killed by a musket ball on the fourth pass. His last words were said to be: ‘I have done, be of brave heart’.

Another depiction of this battle was created by Willem van de Velde the Elder in 1657. He was present at the action and tried to capture the event as he was sailing in a galliot with his son. Subsequently he was heard as a witness in a dispute about the roles of the different commanders.

Battle of Ter Heide

By Willem van de Velde, the Elder, 1657

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Battle of Sinop (The Day)

By Ivan Aivazovsky

The last major naval engagement of the age of sail (Battle of Sinop) can be seen on this painting by Ivan Aivazovsky. In November 1853 a Russian squadron commanded by Vice-Admiral Pavel Nakhimov (3 84-gun ships) was on patrol off the northern coast of Anatolia. Russian ships approached the Bay of Sinop to check the rumors of the Turks gathering a landing force there. A squadron of 7 Turkish frigates and 5 smaller ships was anchored in the bay protected by 6 coastal batteries. Nakhimov’s force blockaded the port and waited for reinforcements to come. Soon 3 120-gun ships of the line and 2 frigates commanded by Rear-Admiral Novosilsky joined Nakhimov. Fearing that the Anglo-French fleet might reinforce the Turks the Russians decided to attack.

The Russian fleet sailed down to Sinop in two columns. The ships of the line were armed with a new and formidable weapon: the Paixan 68-pounder shell guns, which were especially deadly against wooden warships. On 18 (30) November 12:30 PM the action began. The Russians took position in a crescent along the anchored Turkish ships and started firing. A fierce cannonade from the Turkish batteries and ships inflicted some serious damage on the Russian fleet, but still the Turkish frigates were no match to the shellfire of the bigger guns of the Russian ships of the line.  In slightly more than an hour all the Turkish ships were either destroyed or ran aground. By 4 PM the batteries were silenced as well. Only one Turkish steamer escaped the carnage.

Dutch Ships running down Spanish Galleys off the Flemish Coast, 3 October 1602

By Hendrik Cornelisz Vroom, 1617

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

One of the numerous naval encounters of the Eighty Years War can be seen on this picture. In 1602 the Spanish tried to reinforce their fleet in Flanders with eight galleys commanded by Ambrogio di Filippo Spinola, marquis de los Balbases. The Dutch Vice-Admiral Jacob van Duinenvoorde, Lord of Obham, sailed to intercept him with nine ships, but on reaching the Spanish coast found that galleys had already left. Van Duinenvoorde managed to catch up with the Spanish in the Channel. On October 3 a battle took place. Two galley were run down near Calais and a third ran aground. One reached Calais and the remaining vessel with Spinola onboard reached Dunkirk.

Hendrik Vroom (1566-1640) painted this battle fifteen years after the event. His son Cornelis assisted him and is responsible for many small figures.

The Warship Briele on the Maas before Rotterdam

By Ludolf  Bakhuysen, 1689

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

In the center of this painting is the Brielle, a 50-gun warship sailing by the Admiralty Buildings in Rotterdam. Her stern is decorated with a shield bearing the portrait of William III, Prince of Orange, with arms of England and Scotland on either side. The main mast is flying the flag of the Prince and a splitted pennant. To the right is a VOC yacht (possibly with Princess Mary, the Prince’s wife, on board) firing a salute. Two boats are accompanying the yacht, one of them is under the flag of the States-General. In the background one can see Rotterdam: the western and the eastern New Main Gate to the Leuvehaven, the St. Lawrence Church, City Hall and the old warehouse of the Admiralty.