Battle of Texel (1694)

Context

1694. The France is hungry. The corn misses, and not only by the fact of nature; that which exists, the speculators hide it. The king buys Russian and Polish corn well, but the enemies often intercept it, and the Danish and Swedish ships, paid to protect it, do not show any combativeness to defend it, when still they do not sell it.

To starve France is well a conscious goal of war. The rear-admiral de Vries had order to intercept any ship charged with corn going to France, as it will indicate it to Jean Bart " I will say to you only that the rear-admiral said to me that it had received order of prince d' Orange to stop and to send in Holland all the vessels charged with grains which it would find to come in France.")

Involved forces

France

Five Ship S Corsair S and two flute S of load: the Moor , ordered by Jean Bart; Nice the ; Fortunate the ; the Count ; Skilful the ; Jersey ; Portefaix

Holland

Eight warships ordered by the Rear-admiral de Vries on the Prince de Frise .

The combat

Jean Bart receives the orders of going to the front of the Flotte which transports this corn, and convoying it itself. One suspects that the convoy will be attacked.

The June 29th 1694, at three hours of the morning, Jean Bart meets a fleet of sixty veils, which moves towards the island Dutchwoman of Texel escorted by men-of-war. One can thus suppose, without absolute certainty, that the attack already took place, and the flotilla is already captive of the Dutchmen. It is not thus a question more of accompanying it, but of taking it again.

Eight warships Dutch make him escort, adding up 388 guns. Among them, the Prince de Frise , on which fleet the house of the rear-admiral Hidde de Vries in person. Opposite, the French align only 322 guns out of seven ships, including two flutes designed for the transport of weighty and not for the naval action. The imbalance of the forces is obvious.

Will one take the initiative to recapture it? Jean Bart brings together his captains in council of war, index which the company is very risky. All are unanimous: if it proves that the fleet is quite charged with corn, and in this case only, one will take all the risks for the bread of France. De Chamblaye, commander of " the boat longue" , a delicate mission of information undertakes. It passes under the gun of the Dutchmen, of which it wipes all fire, manages to question a merchant, and comes to pay to Jean Bart who this fleet was that of Hecker, that it was intended for Dunkirk; that the day before it had been met by the Dutch squadron, which had seized some by drawing the captains from part of the vessels more consequence and setting up their people their, and thus obliged it to do lot of mileage of Texel.

Under these conditions, the captains are unanimous, the attack is decided, one even will be sharp with it, since the Dutchmen are now with the current of the danger.

Jean Bart nevertheless takes time to transfer a crew corsair on Portefaix, modest freighter, which will carry out with courage the mission d'" occuper" the warship that Dutchmen one moreover it. Jean Bart tells:

not to be not embarrassed by the number, I judged in connection with giving the command of the " Portefaix" with the sior of the Heather, first lieutenant of the " Maure" to occupy one of the vessels which the enemies had of more than us, and made him a crew of 120 men, who were drawn from those of the other flute and the long boat. Time that it was to prepare gave to the enemies that to rise a little with the wind, because we remained always broken down. The " Portefaix" was under the wind of my squadron, that of the enemies will revira, and a part crossed between the flute and us. The sior of the Heather took the party which it owed without being astonished some, made be useful at the same time as me, passed between the second and the third, essuya the broadsides of four with firmness, and will seek its station; I arrived then on the enemies.

The transshipment of 120 men took time, a time that the Dutchmen made profitable.

The Dunkirk Corsaire gives the order of the boarding. It reserves the command of the Moor , and the boarding of the Prince de Frise . That falls well, because the Flagship makes operation towards the Moor , index that of Vries reserved Jean Bart. One thus has hardly to expect frequent rendering without combat which follows the boardings. As for the profit to be expected some, let us speak in: it is of a regular mission and not about a business of caprery. Jean Bart thus expects to be paid by the king when the king has money, and it seldom has some.

Jean Bart makes approach the Prince de Frise . During half an hour, the time of the combat, 600 to 700 men are entretuent on this only ship. On the whole, 300 Dutchmen are killed or wounded; the French have chance: they do not have " que" 3 killed and 27 wounded on the Flagship, 16 killed and approximately 50 wounded on the whole. Two other Dutch ships are approached in the same way, the five others manage to escape. The three Danish and Swedish frigates which were supposed to ensure the protection of the corn convoy assist with the battle of spectators.

Inter alia wounds, the admiral de Vries had a burst eye of a blow of peak whereas it tried to defend the house-admiral. He is led to Dunkirk, where it should be cut down by an arm. The barber the anesthesia with the corsair, of a good glassful of brandy. The horrible operation does not save the unhappy officer, but it estimates that its honor is except, because it was overcome by heroes, and it dies happy, on July 1st 1694, while declaring that it forever be with so beautiful festival.

Here the released corn. The ships impress, all grouped at the entry of the wearing of Dunkirk. No one does not think that it is well little compared to the needs for the country, and fortunately that no one does not think there, because psychology gears down the effects of the battle of Texel, and makes leave the attics corn of the speculators, whose price falls. France is saved famine.

Jean Bart sends his François son to carry to Versailles the news of the victory as well as the house-admiral of unfortunate of Vries. The young man runs, slips on the waxed parquet floor, fall (almost) into the arms from the King, who exclaims while laughing: " Sirs Bart are better sailors than écuyers." Jean Bart is annobli, it is even paid.

Continuations of the combat

The Battle of Texel is, for Dunkirk, its corsairs, and all its inhabitants, a subject of pride particularly justified. The stake was not a territory or a vainglory. It is for the bread of France that one fought, one makes a point of underlining it in the small people which saw with difficulty.

The victory impresses and makes leave corn the attics of the speculators, which gears down its economic importance.

It is also the beginning of an immense respect of the King for Jean Bart and, through him, for Dunkirk.

One can say that it is the battle of Texel which really attaches, by the bonds of the heart, Dunkirk in France, while at the same time this very disputed city had changed hands of multiple times, and than the interests converged only laboriously between the Dunkirk Corsaire and the French maritime authorities.

Notes & References

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