The action of 4 February 1781 was a minor naval engagement that occurred on 4 February 1781 off

Sombrero A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the we ...

Anguilla Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...

, between a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

force of two

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colum ...

and one

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

under the command of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie and a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

ship of the line escorting thirty

merchant ships A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are us ...

under the command of

Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarded ...

Willem Krull, and resulted in the capture of all Dutch vessels present by the British. The battle occurred soon after a British expeditionary force under the command of

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

George Brydges Rodney Admiral George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB ( bap. 13 February 1718 – 24 May 1792), was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at t ...

had captured the Dutch colony of

Sint Eustatius Sint Eustatius (, ), also known locally as Statia (), is an island in the Caribbean. It is a special municipality (officially " public body") of the Netherlands. The island lies in the northern Leeward Islands portion of the West Indies, so ...

during the opening stages of the

Fourth Anglo-Dutch War The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War ( nl, Vierde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog; 1780–1784) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, contemporary with the War of American Independence (1775-1783), broke out ove ...

, a conflict resulting from tensions between the

Kingdom of Great Britain The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a Sovereign state, sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of ...

and the Dutch Republic over Dutch support for the

American rebels American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

during the Revolutionary War. The Dutch had been secretly supplying the Continental forces with supplies and munitions, causing the British to declare war on them in 1780, after the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

had managed to secure Dutch recognition of them as a belligerent and allow for

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...

between the two countries. The war consisted mostly of a series of successful British expeditions against the Dutch colonial empire. Rodney was put in command of an expeditionary force with the aim to capture the Dutch colony of Sint Eustatius in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. The capture proved controversial in Britain due to allegations that Rodney enriched himself at the expense of putting his expeditionary force to sea to capture other Dutch colonies. Rodney received

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...

that a convoy of thirty Dutch merchant ships, laden with sugar and coffee had left the harbour a few days ago under the protection of a Dutch ship and made sail back towards the Dutch Republic. A British squadron under Francis Reynolds-Moreton set sail immediately following their direction, and on 4 February, managed to catch up with the Dutch convoy and engage the lone Dutch ship of the line, the ''Mars'', which proved no match for the superior British forces. After thirty minutes of being pounded with a furious cannonade from the British ships, the Dutch rear-admiral, Willem Krull was killed and the ''Mars'' to stroke her colours to the British. The convoy, helpless without their escort, were all easily captured along with their cargo, and brought back to British territory. Reynolds-Moreton would go on to see action in several more naval battles, such as the

Battle of the Saintes The Battle of the Saintes (known to the French as the Bataille de la Dominique), also known as the Battle of Dominica, was an important naval battle in the Caribbean between the British and the French that took place 9–12 April 1782. The Brit ...

and the

Battle of the Mona Passage The Battle of the Mona Passage was a naval engagement on 19 April 1782 taking place in the aftermath of the Battle of the Saintes between Britain and France during the American Revolutionary War. A British fleet under Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hoo ...

, and ended his career as a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for Lancaster from 1784 until 1785, long after the conclusion of both the American Revolutionary War and the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.

Background

Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie

The

was a global conflict between the

and the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

. While the Dutch and the British had been allies since the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

, the Dutch had very much become the junior partner in the

alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

. The

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

had ravaged the territory of the Dutch Republic thanks to the ceaseless fighting on Dutch soil, a problem which repeated itself during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

. The Dutch Republic engaged in no major wars since the conclusion of the War of the Austrian Succession at the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, and allowed their army and navy to deteriorate through lack of funding and experience. Their primary source of wealth, dominion of world trade, was slowly taken over by the British, leaving their treasury weak and their

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

ineffective, and showed to the world their impotency and weakness in regards to global affairs. The war, occurring around the same time with the American Revolutionary War, broke out over British and Dutch disagreements on the legality and conduct of Dutch trade with Britain's enemies in that war. Although the Dutch Republic had not entered into a formal alliance with the United States and their allies, the French and the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, an American ambassador (and future

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

) managed to establish diplomatic relations with the Dutch Republic, making it the second European country to diplomatically recognise the Continental Congress.Winfield (2007), p.222. On the outbreak of the war, British Admiral George Rodney was ordered to lead a British expedition to capture the Dutch colony of St. Eustatius, an entrepot that operated as a major trading centre despite its relatively small size. Rodney was already in the Americas as part of his service against the American rebels, and was ordered to sail into the Caribbean, as the Dutch controlled several territories there. The island was easily and bloodlessly captured by the expeditionary force along with all the merchant ships in the harbour, as the commanding Dutch forces surrendered in the face of the overwhelming British numbers. Rodney received intelligence that a

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

of about thirty merchant ships richly laden with

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

and other commodities had, just before his arrival, sailed from the island for the Dutch Republic under the escort of a Dutch ship of the line of sixty guns. He immediately dispatched two ships of the line, along with a frigate, under the command of Captain Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie in pursuit of them.

Battle

The British forces sailed for a while before sighting the Dutch convoy and manoeuvring their ships to engage the lone Dutch ship of the line, with the intention to force her to surrender from overwhelming firepower. This force consisted of the ''Monarch'' and ''Panther'', along with the frigate ''Sybil''. The ''Monarch'' and its crew had already been engaged at the Battle of Ushant along with other engagements. The ''Panther'' had participated in the successful expedition against Spanish-held

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

in 1762 during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

, and had captured a treasure-laden Spanish galleon. The ''Sybil'' was the one warship to have never have seen action before this engagement. The combined force sighted the Dutch convoy on 4 February, not long after Rodney's capture of Sint-Eustatius. Reynolds-Moreton ordered his ships to concentrate their efforts on the Dutch ship, which quickly became surrounded. Despite the obvious inferiority in the strength of the two forces, Krull ordered his men to run out the guns and respond to the sporadic cannon fire coming from the British ships. The ''Monarch'' sailed and anchored alongside the port side of the ''Mars'' while the ''Sybil'' sailed and anchored alongside the starboard side. The ''Panther'' sailed directly behind the ''Mars'' to rake her from behind.Winfield (2007), p.222. The action began to grow in intensity, as at the same time the merchant ships realised what was developing and attempted to escape. The combined pounding went on for thirty minutes with furious fire coming from both sides, the ''Mars'' refusing to surrender and bravely fighting on against the overwhelming British force, trying to give his merchant ships the time to escape back to the Dutch Republic. After the battle had gone on for half an hour, Krull suffered a fatal injury and with his dying breath summoned his captain, and ordered him to strike the colours of the ship and surrender to the British. The British came aboard to capture the vessel, and then immediately weighed anchor in the direction of the escaping merchant ships. After a brief chase, all thirty of them were bloodlessly captured. Total casualties for the British amounted to just three wounded and none killed, while the Dutch suffered seven wounded and eight killed, among them Willem Krull. With the action concluded, Reynolds-Moreton ordered his ships to sail back to Sint-Eustatius, all thirty-one

prizes A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

safely in tow. The body of Krull was safely preserved during the return voyage.Winfield (2007), p.222.

Aftermath

After a short journey, Reynolds-Moreton arrived back in the

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

of Sint-Eustatius with his prizes. The thirty merchant ships had their valuable cargo brought ashore, and appropriate

prize money Prize money refers in particular to naval prize money, usually arising in naval warfare, but also in other circumstances. It was a monetary reward paid in accordance with the prize law of a belligerent state to the crew of a ship belonging to t ...

was distributed to the crews. The body of Willem Krull, preserved during the voyage back to Sint-Eustatius, was buried in a local cemetery with full

military honors A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...

, in recognition of his valiant conduct during the action. The ''Mars'' was taken into British service as ''Prince Edward'' under Capt. George Pulteney, then Capt. James Macnamara. She sailed to Britain with prizes from St Eustatius, survived the battle with the French escadre of

Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte Count Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte,In the 18th century, spelling could vary and the name is sometimes spelt "Piquet" and "La Mothe" also known as La Motte-Picquet (born 1 November 1720 in Rennes; died 10 June 1791 in Brest) was a Frenc ...

. Later she was fitted as a receiving ship and served in this capacity until sold at Chatham for £680 on 24.3.1802Winfield (2007), p.349. Reynolds-Moreton would go on to see action in several more naval battles such as the decisive British victory at

, again under the command of George Rodney, and the

. He ended his career as a

for Lancaster. The war against the American rebels continued onwards, and after seven long years of conflict without being able to triumph over the Americans, the British decided to recognise the

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

of the United States in the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

in 1783, bringing an end to the war. The Fourth Anglo-Dutch war, however, went far better for the British; the war continued until the British and Americans had made peace, the

Dutch economy The economy of the Netherlands is th15th largest in the world in 2022(in terms of Gross domestic product; GDP) according to Forbes. Its GDP per capita was estimated at $68,572 in the fiscal year 2022, which makes it one of the highest-earnin ...

being severely impacted from the loss of a significant portion of its colonial empire and the disruption of trade from the Caribbean. The Dutch decided to make peace with the British at the same time as the Americans, with all the Dutch colonies that were captured by the British being handed back to the Dutch Republic with the exception of the colony of Negapatman in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

, which was kept by the British. Thanks to the British victories over the Dutch, the Dutch agreed to give the British free trade rights in parts of the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

. Ultimately, the war ended disastrously for the Dutch and exposed the weakness of the political and economic foundations of the republic, setting the stage for further turmoil.

Order of battle

References

Bibliography

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