1664-1665: the winter campaign
WINTER OPERATIONS
15
From the archival and methodological viewpoint, in Zeeland we have two series of
parallel sources that can shed unprecedented light on operational detail: unlike
those of the other four admiralties for this period, the Zeeland admiralty resolu
tions - detailing the day-to-day business of naval administration - are complete.43
Moreover, uniquely amongst the Dutch admiralties, we also have the Zeeland
admiralty's financial records in the Zeeland Rekenkamer both annual accounts
and receipts for all items of expenditure. Here, paperwork for even seemingly
trivial items - such as a journey by coach, food and drink at a dinner, or a crew-
member killed on a certain day can all help to define and illuminate events.
After both sides prepared large fleets of 40-50 ships in home waters in summer
1664, a de facto war in Europe started that winter: from late November 1664 the
British openly attacked Dutch trade in the Channel - and (rather unsuccessfully)
the Dutch homebound Smyrna convoy off Cadiz, 29 December. On receiving a
full report on the latter, the Dutch finally declared war on 24 January. Soon after
the Channel attacks, though, and only briefly mentioned in some of the literature,
the Zeelander Cornelis Evertsen the Elder (1610-1666) commanded a winter fleet
based in the Wielings, said to number 26 ships - an appreciable amount both
compared with the previous summer's fleet and in its own right. The force was
composed of an extra 18 warships intended to reinforce the fleet, plus another
eight already allocated to an expedition to be sent to Guinea.44
The Dutch winter campaign took place from late December 1664 through to late
February 1665. After the British attacks in the Channel, the States General quick
ly authorised retaliation: on 11 December (some six weeks before the formal
declaration of war) the admiralties were ordered to send out fast light frigates
against merchant shipping on the English north coast (that is, the north-east
coast), 'or elsewhere'. Removing any doubt as to a de facto state of war now exist
ing, on 23 December British warships were also specified as targets. In answer,
Amsterdam were the first to 'have done their partsending out four ships by
27 December; Zeeland sent out four ships soon afterwards.45
On 13 December (after the usual Committee for Maritime Affairs report and
consultation with the caucus of admiralties' delegates, Haagse Besognes) the States
General ordered the deployment of a winter fleet: it was to be Zeeland-based, in
the Wielings and Vlacke (an inner sheltered anchorage off Rammekens) - surely
because seasonal conditions made this the only suitable fleet rendezvous, as we
shall see. Cornelis Evertsen the Elder was to command until further notice. Just
two naval officers had been in the consultations the Holland flag officers
Cortenaer and Cornelis Tromp.46 On the date of this order Evertsen still held the
rank of Commodore, but by the time of its receipt in Middelburg he had been
promoted to Vice-Admiral as a consequence of his brother Jan's elevation from that
rank to Lieutenant-Admiral; Adriaan Banckert rose to Rear-Admiral.' This was
part of the prominent squabbling over the position of deputy to Obdam (fleet
commander-in-chief) for the coming summer: tit-for-tat promotions of Holland
