The naval Battle of the Gabbard, also known as the Battle of Gabbard Bank, the Battle of the North Foreland or the second Battle of Nieuwpoort took place on 2–3 June 1653 according to the New Style of Julian calendar then used in England (12–13 June 1653 New Style) during the First Anglo-Dutch War near the Gabbard shoal off the coast of Suffolk, England between fleets of the Commonwealth of England and the United Provinces. In Dutch the battle is known as the Zeeslag bij Nieuwpoort.

The English fleet had 100 ships commanded by Generals at Sea George Monck and Richard Deane and Admirals John Lawson and William Penn. The Dutch had 98 ships under Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp and Vice-admiral Witte de With, divided in five squadrons. On 2 June 1653 the Dutch attacked but were beaten back because the English employed line-of-battle tactics, making the Dutch pay a high price for attempting to board. The Dutch fleet, consisting of lighter ships, was severely damaged and lost two ships.

On 3 June the English were joined by Admiral Robert Blake, but Tromp decided to try again a direct attack though his ships were practically out of ammunition. A sudden lull however made his ships sitting ducks for the superior English guns. The Dutch were routed, the English chasing them until well in the evening, capturing many Dutch ships. The battle ended with the Dutch losing in total seventeen ships, of which six were sunk and eleven captured. The English lost no ships, but Deane was killed. Tactically this was the worst defeat in Dutch naval history with the exception of the Battle of Lowestoft; strategically the defeat threatened to be disastrous.

The victory meant that the English control over the English Channel, regained by the Battle of Portland in March after it had been lost in the Battle of Dungeness, was now extended to the North Sea.

After the battle the English imposed a blockade on the Dutch coast, capturing many merchant ships and crippling the Dutch economy . The fleets met again on 31 July 1653 (8 August 1653 New Style) at the Battle of Scheveningen.

Ships involved

England

Red Squadron
Van Division

• Triumph 62 (flagship of Vice-Admiral James Peacock)

• Laurel 48

• Bear 46

• Adventure 40

• London 40

• Mary 37

• Heartsease 36

• Hound 36

• Providence 33

• Hannibal 44 (hired merchantman)

• Thomas and William 36 (hired merchantman)

• Anne and Joyce 34 (hired merchantman)
  

Centre Division

• Resolution 88 (flagship of Generals-at-Sea George Monck and Richard Deane)

• Worcester 50

• Advice 42
  

• Diamond 42
  

• Marmaduke 42
  

• Pelican 40
  

• Sapphire 38
  

• Mermaid 26

• Martin 14

• Fortune 10 (fireship)

• Fox 10 (fireship)

• Renown 10 (fireship)

• Golden Fleece 44 (hired merchantman)

• Society 44 (hired merchantman)

• Malaga Merchant 36 (hired merchantman)

• Loyalty 34 (hired merchantman)
  

Rear Division

• Speaker 56 (flagship of Rear-Admiral Samuel Howett)

• Sussex 46
  

• Tiger 40
  

• Violet 40
  

• Sophia 38

• Guinea 34
  

• Falmouth 26

• Phoenix 34 (hired merchantman)

• Hambro' Merchant 34 (hired merchantman)

• Four Sisters 30 (hired merchantman)
  

White Squadron
Expedition 32
Assurance 36
Portsmouth 38
Centurion 42
Assistance 40
Foresight 42
Ruby 42

others
Blue Squadron
Nonsuch 40
Dragon 38
President 40
Amity 36
Convertine 44
Kentish 50
Welcome 40

others

Netherlands

98 ships - of which 6 sunk and 11 captured

See also

• HMS Gabbard of the British Royal Navy was named in honour of the battle.

GabbardGabbard BankCategory:1653 in EnglandCategory:Conflicts in 1653
de:Seeschlacht bei Gabbardfr:Bataille de Gabbardnl:Zeeslag bij Nieuwpoortpl:Bitwa morska na płyciźnie Gabbardpt:Batalha de Gabbard