Battle of Dogger Bank (1696)

The Battle of Dogger Bank is the name of a battle which took place on June 17, 1696 as part of the War of the Grand Alliance. It was a victory for a French force of seven ships over a Dutch force of five ships and the convoy it was escorting.

Battle of Dogger Bank
Part of War of the Grand Alliance
Jean Bart, Mathieu Elias
Date June 17, 1696 Location Dogger Bank, Atlantic Ocean 54.724°N 2.769°E Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Dutch Republic
Commanders and leaders
Jean Bart	Rutger Bucking †
Strength
7 frigates 1 fireship 2 longboats 2 privateers	5 frigates 112 merchant ships
Casualties and losses
31 killed and wounded	Unknown killed and wounded 1,200 captured 4 frigates destroyed 1 frigate captured 25 merchant ships destroyed

The battle

On this date the French privateer Jean Bart found a Dutch convoy of 112 merchant ships, escorted by five Dutch ships near Dogger Bank.

The French had more warships and more cannons than the Dutch. Furthermore, the French crews were very experienced and led by an exceptional commander, so the outcome of the battle was very predictable. But the French had to hurry, because a large English squadron under admiral John Benbow was aware of the French presence and was looking for them.

The battle started on 19:00 h. when Jean Bart on the Maure attacked the Dutch flagship, the Raadhuis-van-Haarlem. the Dutch fought valiantly for three hours until their captain was killed. Then they surrendered and so did the 4 other ships, one after another.

Jean Bart captured and burned 25 merchant ships until Benbow's squadron of 18 ships approached. The French squadron fled towards Denmark. They remained there until July and then slipped through the allied lines into Dunkirk with 1200 prisoners, on September 27.

Ships involved

France

• Maure, frigate, 54 cannons, flagship of captain Jean Bart: 15 killed, 16 wounded.
• Adroit, frigate, 44 cannons
• Mignon, frigate, 44 cannons
• Jersey, frigate, 40 cannons
• Comte, frigate, 40 cannons
• Alcyon, frigate, 38 cannons
• Milfort, frigate, 36 cannons
• Tigre, fire ship
• Saint Jean, long boat
• Deux Frères, long boat
• Lamberly, 8 cannons, privateer
• Bonne Espérance, 6 cannons, privateer

Netherlands

• Raadhuis-van-Haarlem, 44 cannons, flagship of captain Rutger Bucking (killed): captured and burnt
• Comte de Solnis, 38 cannons, captured
• Wedam, 38 cannons, captured and burnt
• ?, 24 cannons, captured and burnt
• ?, 24 cannons, captured and burnt
• 112 merchant ships, of which 25 were captured and burnt

Bibliography

• Jean-Jacques Michaud, "Le Soleil de glace", revue Navires et Histoire, numéro 36, June/July 2006.