Banckert's second sortie
WINTER OPERATIONS
21
Zeeland and Amsterdam were the only admiralties to execute their frigate attacks
in good time. Rotterdam prepared two frigates but these were still in port at the
Brill at the end of January, delayed by drift ice off the Maas. Sea ice here had caused
problems at least as early as 11 January, stopping a WIC ship for Guinea. Perhaps
the Maas itself was unnavigable from Rotterdam to the sea. One or both of the
Rotterdam ships eventually got out in early February: one - actually a light craft,
the yacht Loopende Hart (8, Cornelis Maurico) - took a Scottish ship laden with
wine off Yarmouth on 8 February.76
On 15 January - still before the formal declaration of war - Banckert moved back
into the capital ship Veere (46) and was ordered to sea again - this time with eight
warships: his three original consorts, plus four more that probably included the
Zeelanders Geleijn Pikke Dordrecht46) and Zeeridder (Bastiaan Tuinman now
commanding). Extra hand-arms were stowed in clear expectation of battle.
Banckert sortied from the Wielings on or just before 17 January; he was thought
to be seeking two British warships which had been seen off the Dutch coast.7
Instead, on 17 January the Dutch appeared for a second time off the North
Foreland and again searched neutral shipping: one of the squadron, identified as
36-gun, took and then released a French merchantman. An English fishing ketch
was also taken and her crew -put aboard the Frenchman.78 Later, Pepys spoke with
the French master and thought the Dutch probe was
a strange attempt, that they should come to our teeth God pardon our making them
in our discourse so contemptible an enemy!79
Banckert had made a considerable impression in busy waters that were suppos
edly well-defended, and exposed British over-confidence which itself had been
an essential factor in the escalation to war. De Ruyven reminded the British that
one cannot admire [Banckert's] boldness enough'.80 Downing heard so many
reports of the Zeelanders sending out small squadrons that his correspondence
takes on something of an air of panic; he again warned of raids on the north-east
coast and of the vulnerability of detached warships there, but also of raids into
the Downs and incredibly - even into the Hope, deep in the Thames.81 The
British winter force under Sandwich was still far to the west at Portsmouth; in
their continued absence the Dutch might find more merchant ships very close
nearby, inside the Downs: Pepys wrote to Sandwich that 'it [was] a great [e]scape
that they should not visit the Downs, which they might easily and safely done,
and may yet'.82
It is not yet clear how much trade was then in the Downs, and the Dutch were
unsure of British naval movements. Banckert took another English merchant prize
off the North Foreland (an unnamed Yarmouth ship homebound from Dieppe
with linen and cloth); apparently finding nothing else, and short of beer, water and
with the ships having sprung many leaks, the squadron returned by 25 January.
