Action of 10 August 1695
| Action of 10 August 1695 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 England |
 Swedish Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Unknown |
Erik Ribbing (DOW) Klöfverskjöld | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Mermaid Maidstone |
Wachtmeister | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 4 ships | 1 ship | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
Several killed 1 ship damaged |
3 killed 4 wounded 1 ship captured | ||||||||
The Action of 10 August 1695 refers to a skirmish between a Swedish warship by the name of Wachtmeister and 4 English ships. The skirmish ended with the eventual capitulation of the Wachtmeister.
Background
[edit]On 10 August, while on her way to France with a number of Swedish cargo ships, the Wachtmeister, under the command of Erik Ribbing met four English ships in the Strait of Dover. Consisting of one ship around the same size of the Wachtmeister along with one smaller and two Brigantines.[1][2]
Ribbing was ordered to strike his mizzen sail for "the King of England's ships", and he promptly responded with: "Nej! Vi ha inga sådana order." From the English flagship, a boat was immediately dispatched to the Wachtmeister and an officer came onboard to repeat the English orders but promptly received the same response.[1][3][2]
Upon departure, the English officer hinted tht he would ensure the Swedish topsail was lowered anyway. One of the English warships positioned itself in front of the Wachtmeister, and another one on the quarterdeck to board it. Meanwhile, Ribbing had prepared his ship for battle, but awaited for the English to start, as his orders were only to defend himself and not attack.[1]
Action
[edit]Suddenly, the English frigates, Mermaid and Maidstone, fired two broadsides at the Wachtmeister, followed with as many volleys from their muskets, immediately returned from the Wachtmeister, this action was repeated four times. The English ships mainly aimed at the masts and rigging, particularly the topsails, in an attempt to bring it down, which failed, with the English topsails being destroyed instead.[3] In the end, the Wachtmeisters sails were in tatters. She could no longer be manouvered manually and instead began drifting with the current, leading to the anchor being dropped. During the first English broadside, Ribbing had been mortally wounded by two musket balls, one of which went through his abdomen and lodged itself in his back, with the other one going through his arm, and he was carried down to his cabin. In his agony, he quickly ordered the Swedish flag to be struck and the firing to cease.[1][4]
Not many knew that Ribbing had been shot and that the flag had been struck until a boatswain ran to Lieutenant Klöfverskjöld, who was Ribbing's closest man and commanded the Swedish battey, and quickly informed him of what happened. Klöfverskjöld rushed over to Ribbing's cabin and asked him if the Swedish flag should be hoisted again, to which Ribbing replied: "Ingalunda" (Certainly not) and "Gå till the Downs redd. Det är mina order!" (Go to the Downs ready. That is my order!".[1]
A lieutenant was then dispatched to the Englishmen to inform them that Ribbing wished to go to the Downs, which promptly led to the Wachtmeister being led there by an English officer.[1]
Aftermath
[edit]The following morning after the battle, at three o'clock, Ribbing succumed to his injuries.
Losses
[edit]The losses were as follows:[1][4]
English losses
[edit]- Several killed, including a Lieutenant.
- One frigate heavily damaged.
Swedish losses
[edit]- Three killed, including Ribbing.
- Four wounded, including two non-commissioned officers, one of which died on the same day as Ribbing.
See also
[edit]- Skirmish at the Isle of Wight – 1647 engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
- Anglo–Swedish skirmish (1695) – Anglo–Swedish naval skirmish
- Action of 18 April 1695 – Skirmish between an English ship and a Dano-Swedish fleet
- Stockholm incident – Seizure of a Swedish ship by English ships in 1651
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "256 (Svenska folket genom tiderna / 5. Den karolinska tiden)". runeberg.org (in Swedish). pp. 256–257. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ a b Olmer, Emil (1898). Konflikten mellan Danmark och Holstein-Gottorp, 1695-1700: med särskildt afseende fäst vid Sveriges förhållande till dansamma I. Mars 1695-april 1697 (in Swedish). D. F. Bonniers boktryckeri aktiebolag. p. 78.
- ^ a b "Släkten Ribbing - Ulfsnäsgrenen". www.hhogman.se. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ a b "De svensk-engelska segelstrykningsdispyterna". members.tripod.com. Retrieved 2024-08-31.