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| Skirmish at the Isle of Wight | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Detailed map of the Isle of Wight | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Swedish Empire |
 England | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Martin Tysin |
Richard Owen | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
Leopard Angel Raphael Nelptune Anne-Free Neptune |
Henrietta Maria Roebuck | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
15 ships 10 merchantmen 5 men of war |
~45 men ~3 ships | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown |
8 men 1 ship damaged | ||||||
The Skirmish at the Isle of Wight (Swedish: Skärmytsling vid Isle of Wight) was a short skirmish between Swedish and English ships off the Isle of Wright on May 1 1647. It ended with the Swedish fleet being able to escape the English pursuit, although it was later taken into the Downs on May 3 after being discovered anchored in Boulogne.
Background
editOn May 1 1647, Captain Richard Owen[1] of the Henrietta Maria and Rear–Admiral of the English fleet, having with him the Roebuck and 45 men, met with a Swedish fleet of 15 ships (10 armed merchantment and 5 men-of-war)[2][3][1] near the Isle of Wight. The Swedes refused to lower their flags despite the English ships firing several warning shots. As a result, Owen sent one of his lieutenants to the Swedish Admiral, Martin Tysin, to see what the reason was. Martin cited the orders he had received from Queen Christina of Sweden, who told him not to lower the Swedish flag to any foreign prince or state outside of Sweden itself.[4][5]
Skirmish
editUpon receiving the response from the Swedish Admiral, Owen called upon two nearby English merchant ships for assistance that were heading south. During discussions with the English, Tysin raised his topsail and sailed ahead of Owen, forcing the English into a pursuit before nightfall.[4]
Owen, acting upon his duty as a captain, engaged the Swedish Vice–Admiral ship, firing upon it with broadside at close range. However, his ship was heavily damaged during the exchange, which forced him to withdraw temporarily before resuming his pursuit. The Roebuck, under a commander which had already warned Tysin of impending fighting if he did not comply, fired shots at the Swedish ships before the nightfall forced him to end further engagement. In the engagement, Richard Owen also lost no more than 8 men, with the fighting continuing for six hours.[4][5]
Aftermath
editAfter the engagement, Captain Batten, who was a Vice–Admiral and commander of the English fleet appointed by the parliament was informed of the situation on May 2. He sailed out with several warships, including the St. Andrew, Guardland, Convertine, and the Maryrose, arriving at where the Swedish fleet had anchored near Boulogne on the morning of May 3. After finding the Swedish ships anchored with their flags lowered, and Batten approached and boarded the Swedish Admiral ship.[5][4] The Swedish Admiral, Martin Tysin, was onboard the Leopard. The other Swedish ships in port at the time were the Angel Raphael, the Nelptune, the Anna–Free, and the Neptune.[5][4]
Upon boarding, Batten questioned the Swedish captain about the location of the Rear–Admiral. Initially, the Swedes denied engaging with the English at all, but eventually they admitted to engaging in the battle, mostly because of the strict orders they had received from Christina.[4][5] The Swedes expressed their willingness to die rather than dishonoring their commission. Criticism was directed towards the Rear–Admiral for not targeting the Admiral, despite being in close proximity for several hours. The Vice–Admiral inquired about the Rear–Admiral's actions, learning they had last been seen near Beachy, which he found confusing.[5]
The following day was spent with the gathering of testimonies and copying the commissions, with the Swedish commanders being treated with respect but also held as prisoners aboard Batten's ship. A Council of War was assembled, which decided to escort the Swedish Vice–Admiral and his ship to the Downs.[5]
The English would allow the rest of the Swedish convoy to continue on its journey.[6]
Notes
edit- ^ The Swedish fleet managed to evade the English ships and damaged one of them
References
edit- ^ a b Dictionary of National Biography. Smith, Elder, & Company. 1885.
- ^ Oppenheim, M. (2023-07-09). A history of the administration of the Royal Navy and of merchant shipping in relation to the Navy. Good Press.
- ^ O'Mahoney 2011, p. 100.
- ^ a b c d e f Manuscripts, Great Britain Royal Commission on Historical (1891). Reports. p. 437.
- ^ a b c d e f g B, R. (1647). A true and full relation of the late sea fight, betwixt a squadron of ships belonging to the Parliament of England, and the Queene of Swethlands fleet. University of Michigan.
- ^ Murdoch 2019, p. 3.
Works cited
edit- O'Mahoney, Michael James (2011). THE NAVY IN THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR. University of Exeter. p. 100.
- Murdoch, Steve (2019). 'Breaching Neutrality': English prize-taking and Swedish neutrality in the First Anglo-Dutch War, 1651–1654 (PDF). Routledge. p. 136.