Delft
WINTER OPERATIONS
29
Table 4. Zeeland frigates, end December 1665
Matthijssen's squadron:
Jan Matthijssen
Jan Pieterssen Tant
Jan Adriaanssen Blanckert
Abraham Crijnssen
Guns
Seamen
Soldiers
36
132
41
Zeelandia
36
129
29
Vissers Herder
28
90
25
Prins te Paard
16
58
25
Returned damaged; out again:
Dirk Jobssen Kiella Westcappel 24 73 29
Joined soon after:
Adriaan van Cruyningen Goes 30 102 30
In port; aground or delayed:
Willem Marinissen Zeeridder 34 130 40
Jan Crijnssen Schakerloo 30 90 25
The east coast coal trade was the obvious target, and the first battleground was
exactly the same as in the previous winter campaign: Goes and Zntphen took two
prizes off Flamborough Head and ran two more ships ashore on 9 January. Goes
prize was the valuable flyboat Friendship, which was sold for around 2650fl.
Afterwards, both frigates went to the Vlie, where they arrived 12 January, but had
returned to join Banckert in the Wielings (see below) by 19 January; Goes returned
to Veere on 23 January, but this was probably only a brief stay to resupply.'21
In the north, Matthijssen's squadron, now consisting of the four Zeelanders Delft,
Zeelandia, Vissers Herder, and Prins te Paard, took two colliers. Delft and Prins te
Paard each took an English fishing vessel on 15 January.1"' Zeelandia and Vissers
Herder each seem to have taken a prize at the same time.123 Besides Van de Voordes
Zeelandia, it is not clear how many Amsterdam ships were now with Matthijssen's
squadron. New orders were sent to him on 6 January (and also orders, possibly
separate, for the Amsterdammers), but by 20 January Matthijssens ships were over
due and causing some concern: the despatch yacht Dishoek (Gillis Geleijnssen) was
sent to look for him to wait on station for two days off Flamborough Head, and
then return via the North Foreland and Calais.1"'
Meanwhile, now that it was obvious that no more help would arrive from the other
admiralties, on 2 January the Zeelanders ordered a second wave of ships to prepare
with all speed; as with the second phase of the previous winter campaign, these
including three of their capital ships, including the largest: Vlissingen (50),
Dordrecht (49), and the Zeeland flagship Hof van Zeeland (58).125 This once again
shows their willingness to risk their greatest assets in the pursuit of winter opera
tions.
We have seen that at least two Amsterdam frigates joined Matthijssen for the first
phase, and that two more were already in Zeeland. As the second phase prepared,
the issues of use and command of the winter fleet were decided in conference
between the two Amsterdam admiralty delegates present and delegates from the
