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41:
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Bearing off
Saldanha Bay Johnstone sighted the Dutch fleet, and entered the bay flying French colors. He then raised the British ensign and opened fire, totally surprising the Dutch. The Dutch could not escape and decided to destroy their ships rather than let them fall into British hands. The Dutch
463:
surprised and captured a hooker (a type of coastal craft), laden with the sails of the captured ships and hidden away behind
Schapin (Schaapen) Island. The Dutch had put the sails on board and hidden the hooker to make seizing the Indiamen more difficult.
1355:
467:
By the end of the day the
British had captured another two hookers, which Johnstone could not easily remove. In order not to leave any marks of "barbarity towards a settlement where our wants had so often been relieved", he gave them back to the Dutch.
433:
cut their cables, loosed their top sails, and drove the vessels on shore. Once this was done they attempted to torch the ships, and the
British, now in their boats, attempted to extinguish the fires. The British were successful, taking as prizes
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391:
and wait for French escort but where they would be concealed from the
British fleet. They were under orders to ground and burn their ships if the British were to appear; however they were not vigilant in their watches.
225:
499:
The
British sent their prizes back to England. Only two reached their destination, and that with difficulty and after some fighting in the English Channel. A French frigate attacked
1256:"Of naval courts martial and prize claims: Some legal consequences of commodore Johnstone's secret mission to the Cape of Good Hope and the "battle" of Saldanha Bay, 1781 (Part 1)"
1360:
218:
211:
361:
582:
Lost on passage to
England; built for the Rotterdam Chamber in 1772; cargo value: ƒ 427,490 (Rotterdam), 353,265 (Delft), and 130 (Amsterdam)
341:
271:
160:
380:
for repairs. As a result, Johnstone found the Dutch settlement well defended when he arrived there in July and decided against an attack.
76:
368:, but the French marine ministry had warned him so he sought to reach the Cape before Johnstone. After an indecisive chance encounter (
259:
724:, which was divided between Johnstone's squadron and the Army under the command of General Sir William Meadows, amounted to £68,000.
537:
Note: inconsistency in the spelling of the Dutch vessels' or their masters' names below reflects inconsistency among the sources.
348:
ships; her own crew destroyed a sixth. Casualties on the Dutch side were minimal if any, and there were no
British casualties.
1325:
1320:
1255:
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399:, intercepted a Dutch merchantmen that had left the bay several days earlier, heading east. The Dutch vessel was the
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were lost in transit to
Britain the captors still benefited from the insurance money. The total prize money for
457:, however, burnt furiously and was left alone. She blew up after very nearly colliding with two of the prizes.
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History and
Ethnography of Africa South of the Zambesi, from the Settlement ... By George McCall Theal
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410:
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In addition to the warships, the following armed transports also shared in the prize money for the
745:
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763:
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were lost in January 1782 as the result of a gale at the mouth of the Channel. The prize crew on
291:
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405:, Vrolyk, master, which had sailed from Saldanha Bay on 28 June carrying stores and £40,000 in
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401:
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had, as a precaution, directed the westbound merchant fleet, laden with goods, to anchor in
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Lost on passage to England; built for the Zeeland Chamber in 1770; cargo value: ƒ657,355
492:, and the princes of the respective families". The Dutch had long held these captives on
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913:, and probably the rest of the squadron as well, shared in the prize money for
530:
The information below on the Dutch vessels captured at Saldhana Bay comes from
1287:
477:
396:
337:
40:
1279:
484:, a boat rowed out to meet the British warships. On board were the "kings of
91:
78:
1356:
Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War involving the Dutch Republic
1248:
The royal navy: a history from the earliest times to the present: Volume 4
1294:
Potgieter, Thean, 'Maritime defence of the Cape of Good Hope, 1779-1803',
376:
on 16 April 1781, Suffren sailed for the Cape while Johnstone remained at
1331:
Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792 (1982)–Hendrik Swellengrebel jr.
1315:
833:
203:
1351:
Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War involving Great Britain
485:
445:
406:
320:
one of the rich Dutch East India Prizes - taken on 30th of January 1782
702:
Burnt; built for the Zeeland Chamber in 1775; cargo value: ƒ 643,543
489:
360:. However, France had learned of his mission, and the French admiral
356:
Johnstone had been directed to capture the Dutch settlement at the
925:
had arrived safely at a British port and had been condemned there.
377:
309:
16:
1781 naval action between Royal Navy and Dutch East India Company
609:
Built for the Amsterdam Chamber in 1778; cargo value: ƒ658,673
527:
disappeared and was believed to have foundered with all hands.
207:
1063:
1061:
1059:
1057:
1055:
1053:
1051:
1017:
The New Annual Register, Or General Repository of History ...,
1117:
The New Annual Register, Or General Repository of History ...
507:
where she was escorted. Also, two French privateers attacked
1303:
The illustrated at the fireside: true South African stories
980:
The London Magazine, Or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer
646:
Gerrit Harmeir, (or Harmeyer), Commodore for the squadron
424:
Johnstone learned of the whereabouts of the Dutch fleet.
658:
Built 1771 for the Delft Chamber; cargo value: ƒ516,911
957:, under d'Auvergne, was part of Johnstone's squadron.
534:, van Niekerk, and Nieuwe Nederlandsche jaerboeken.
364:
frustrated the mission. Suffren was en route to the
523:were able to escape and reached Lisbon in safety.
975:
973:
25:
1080:Nieuwe Nederlandsche jaarboeken, p. 1987-1991
708:The British had insured their prizes so when
219:
8:
1361:Naval battles of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
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1197:
1128:
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496:, but then had moved them to Saldanha Bay.
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732:Warships (per prize money announcements):
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22:
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328:was a naval action that occurred off the
340:warships under the command of commodore
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898:
1321:Battles of South Africa by Tim Couzens
1316:http://www.sawestcoast.com/battle.html
1112:
1110:
1012:
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1008:
1001:. 22 February 1785. pp. 104–105.
953:had sunk a year before. Furthermore,
7:
1250:London: S. Low, Marston and company.
690:Justus van Gennep, (or Van Gennip))
941:(14-gun cutter), under Lieutenant
503:, but she succeeded in getting to
14:
372:), between the two fleets in the
1272:10.17159/2411-7870/2015/v21n2a11
945:, was part of the squadron, not
175:12 warships + 7 armed transports
141:
127:
39:
680:Captured prior to the "battle"
570:Hendrik Steetsel (or Steedsel)
511:, which succeeded in escaping.
1044:, - accessed 17 December 2013.
1:
1150:. 6 November 1784. p. 1.
1019:(October 1781), Vol. 2, p.90.
395:One of Johnstone's frigates,
1233:. 18 June 1785. p. 303.
1170:. 23 July 1796. p. 705.
1103:. 18 June 1796. p. 583.
1213:. 7 June 1785. p. 280.
332:on 21 July 1781 during the
1382:
536:
934:Some sources state that
245:
185:
169:
154:
119:
49:
38:
30:
1254:van Niekerk, JP (2015).
727:
597:Dirk Cornelisz. Plokker
346:Dutch East India Company
180:Dutch East India Company
45:Present day Saldanha Bay
1119:, (1781), Vol. 2, p.89.
921:was paid suggests that
917:. That prize money for
385:Joachim van Plettenberg
982:, Volume 50, pp.503-4.
334:Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
326:Battle of Saldanha Bay
321:
272:Essequibo and Demerara
237:Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
155:Commanders and leaders
33:Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
26:Battle of Saldanha Bay
1246:Clowes, Laird (1897)
397:flying French colours
370:Battle of Porto Praya
313:
186:Casualties and losses
1366:1781 in South Africa
728:Johnstone's squadron
677:Amsterdam to Ceylon
579:Bengal to Rotterdam
943:Philippe d'Auvergne
699:China to Amsterdam
655:China to Amsterdam
633:China to Amsterdam
606:China to Amsterdam
480:captured the Dutch
383:The Dutch governor
88: /
1230:The London Gazette
1210:The London Gazette
1167:The London Gazette
1147:The London Gazette
1129:van Niekerk (2015)
1100:The London Gazette
1068:van Niekerk (2015)
1029:van Niekerk (2015)
998:The London Gazette
476:After the British
374:Cape Verde Islands
322:
1346:Conflicts in 1781
1070:, pp. 406–7.
706:
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362:Bailli de Suffren
358:Cape of Good Hope
330:Dutch Cape Colony
305:
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178:8 vessels of the
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92:33.017°S 17.950°E
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420:on 1 July. From
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336:. A squadron of
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198:1 ship destroyed
196:5 ships captured
161:George Johnstone
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1310:External links
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1298:, Vol 48, No1.
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1266:(2): 392–456.
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532:Lloyd's List
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389:Saldanha Bay
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366:Indian Ocean
355:
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317:Dankbaarheyt
315:
314:Loss of the
282:Saldanha Bay
281:
120:Belligerents
71:South Africa
67:Saldanha Bay
57:21 July 1781
31:Part of the
18:
1225:"No. 12657"
1205:"No. 12654"
1162:"No. 13914"
1142:"No. 12593"
1095:"No. 13902"
993:"No. 12624"
949:. However,
911:Rattlesnake
887:Pondicherry
859:Hoogkarspel
847:bomb vessel
823:(16; sloop)
814:(16; sloop)
811:Rattlesnake
722:Hoogcarspel
642:Hoogcarspel
505:Mount's Bay
501:Hoogcarspel
461:Rattlesnake
451:Hoogcarspel
378:Porto Praya
297:Trincomalee
287:Dogger Bank
95: /
1340:Categories
1288:6233074617
1241:References
879:Resolution
863:San Carlos
686:Middelburg
624:Axellandt
494:Isle Robin
478:Royal Navy
455:Middelburg
352:Background
338:Royal Navy
260:Gold Coast
1280:2411-7870
965:Citations
936:HMS
840:HMS
827:HMS
818:HMS
809:HMS
800:HMS
791:HMS
782:HMS
773:HMS
764:HMS
755:HMS
746:HMS
737:HMS
472:Aftermath
415:HMS
292:Negapatam
1296:Historia
951:Tapaguer
938:Tapageur
867:Porpoise
834:fireship
829:Infernal
748:Monmouth
255:Sombrero
170:Strength
62:Location
883:Manilla
766:Jupiter
714:Honcoop
619:Hencoop
615:Honcoop
555:Voyage
546:Master
525:Honcoop
517:Honcoop
486:Ternate
446:Honcoop
407:bullion
83:17°57′E
80:33°01′S
1286:
1278:
885:, and
871:Raikes
842:Terror
793:Active
775:Romney
558:Notes
490:Tidore
449:, and
428:Battle
417:Active
411:struck
265:Elmina
146:
132:
108:Result
905:Both
893:Notes
855:Paerl
802:Diana
784:Jason
718:Paerl
693:1100
671:1100
649:1100
627:1100
600:1100
592:Paarl
588:Paerl
573:1000
552:Guns
543:Name
509:Paerl
441:Paerl
194:light
1284:OCLC
1276:ISSN
955:Lark
947:Lark
909:and
907:Lark
857:and
820:Lark
805:(28)
796:(32)
787:(36)
778:(50)
769:(50)
760:(50)
757:Isis
751:(64)
742:(74)
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