Battle of Nevis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Nevis |
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| Part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War | |||||||
 Present view of the west coast of Nevis |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Dutch Republic France |
 England |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Abraham Crijnssen Antoine Lefèbvre de La Barre |
Captain John Berry |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 20 warships, 12 transports, 1,100 troops |
11 Ships | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 ships lost | 1 ship lost | ||||||
The Battle of Nevis happened on May 20, 1667. It was a naval battle in the Caribbean Sea near the island of Nevis. This battle took place during the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. English ships fought against a combined fleet from France and the Netherlands. This combined fleet wanted to invade Nevis. The English won the battle, stopping the invasion.
Why the Battle Happened
In early 1667, France joined the Netherlands in their war against England. They decided to attack England's colonies in the Caribbean. The French had already taken parts of St. Kitts, Antigua, and Montserrat. Now, they planned to invade Nevis.
In March, an English ship called the Coronation arrived at Barbados. It had 56 guns and was led by Captain John Berry. The governor of Barbados wanted to save Nevis. So, he gathered more armed merchant ships. He created a group of ten warships and one fireship. Captain Berry was in charge of this group.
Berry took his ships to Nevis. On April 17, he decided to block the French-held part of Saint Kitts. Meanwhile, French Admiral de La Barre was at Martinique. He met with Dutch ships led by Admiral Crijnssen. The Dutch had just taken back Berbice and St Eustatius from the English.
The French and Dutch leaders decided to attack Nevis together. They added 600 volunteers from Martinique to their forces. Two days later, they picked up 500 more people from Guadeloupe. On May 18, their combined fleet sailed towards Nevis.
The Battle Begins
On May 20, 1667, the French and Dutch fleet was seen. They were sailing around the southern part of Nevis. English scout boats quickly warned Charlestown. By 8 a.m., Captain Berry got his ships ready for battle. He knew his fleet was smaller. He had ten large warships, two smaller frigates, and two fireships. His main ship was the Coronation with 50 guns.
The local soldiers on Nevis also got ready. They lined up their defenses along the coast. They also used cannons to help the English fleet.
The French and Dutch ships moved closer to the English line. Soon, the battle started. The French ships became disorganized as they prepared to fight. Admiral de La Barre's ship, the Lys Couronne, tried to fight the Coronation. But the English ships surrounded de La Barre's ship. His ship was badly damaged, and he barely escaped.
The Dutch ships saw the French struggling. They quickly moved in to help. They fired heavily at the Coronation. But the English fireships threatened them. So, the Dutch were also forced to pull back.
During the intense fighting, one English warship was hit. Its powder storage exploded, and the ship sank. Most of its crew were lost. An English fireship destroyed a 30-gun French warship. Another smaller French ship was also destroyed. The French and Dutch realized they could not break through. They knew they had lost the battle.
The fighting ended with both fleets firing from a distance. The English ships still held their position. De La Barre's ship was badly damaged, and he had many injured sailors. He decided to leave and sail towards Saint Kitts by 2 p.m. The Dutch, led by an angry Crijnssen, had to follow him.
What Happened Next
The Dutch Admiral Crijnssen was unhappy with how the battle went. He decided to leave the French fleet. On May 27, de La Barre's fleet went with the Dutch as far as Saint Barthélemy. Some of Berry's English ships chased them towards Martinique.
The English fleet stayed at Nevis. They were not attacked again for the rest of the war. The Battle of Nevis meant that France and the Netherlands stopped working together in the Caribbean. This was bad news for them. Also, the French king, Louis, did not want to send more ships or soldiers to the Caribbean.
Later, the English tried to take back St. Kitts, but they failed. However, more English ships arrived. Rear-Admiral Sir John Harman led these new ships. They reached the West Indies in June. On June 25, they fought de La Barre again at Martinique. The English won a big victory, destroying most of the French fleet in the Americas. This changed the situation. It made sure the English had control in the Caribbean for the rest of the war.
