Capitulation of Saldanha Bay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Capitulation of Saldanha Bay
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Present day Saldanha Bay
Date 17 August 1796 Location Saldanha Bay, Dutch Cape Colony Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	Batavian Republic
Commanders and leaders
George Elphinstone	Engelbertus Lucas
Strength
8 ships of the line 1 frigate 5 sloops	3 ships of the line 4 frigates 1 sloop 6 merchant ships
Casualties and losses
None	3 ships of the line captured 4 frigates captured 1 sloop captured 6 merchant ships captured

The Capitulation of Saldanha Bay was when a Dutch naval force surrendered to the British Royal Navy in 1796. This happened during the French Revolutionary Wars. The Dutch ships were trying to take back the Dutch Cape Colony in Southern Africa.

Earlier, in 1794, France took over the Dutch Republic. The Dutch Republic then became a French ally called the Batavian Republic. Great Britain worried that France might use the Cape Colony to control important trade routes to British India. So, in 1795, Britain sent ships and soldiers to the Cape. They quickly took control of the colony. The British commander, Vice-Admiral Sir George Elphinstone, then made sure the Cape was well-protected.

The Batavian government didn't know the Cape Colony had been captured. They sent a fleet to check on their colonies in the Dutch East Indies. This fleet was led by Rear-Admiral Engelbertus Lucas. The British found out about Lucas's plan before he even sailed.

Why the Cape Colony Was Important

In 1794, the French army took over the Dutch Republic. People in the Netherlands who supported France created the Batavian Republic. This worried Great Britain, who was an ally of the old Dutch Republic. The Dutch controlled many important colonies around the world.

One key colony was the Dutch Cape Colony in Southern Africa. It was located at the tip of Africa. A navy based there could control all the trade routes between Europe and the East Indies. This was especially important for Britain's trade with British India. Britain wanted to make sure France couldn't use the Cape as a naval base.

In March 1795, Britain sent a large force to the Cape. It was led by Vice-Admiral Sir George Elphinstone. They arrived in June and tried to negotiate with the Dutch leaders. When talks failed, Elphinstone attacked Dutch positions in August. British reinforcements arrived in September, and the Dutch colony surrendered.

After taking the Cape, Elphinstone planned to attack other Dutch and French bases. He left a strong British force at the Cape. Meanwhile, the Batavian government decided to send an expedition to the Dutch East Indies. They also wanted to check on the Cape Colony. If it was captured, they would try to take it back, but only if it was easy to do. Rear-Admiral Engelbertus Lucas was chosen to lead this mission. His fleet included three large warships and six smaller ones.

Lucas's Difficult Journey

Lucas's fleet left the Netherlands on February 23, 1796. They planned to sail around Scotland and then south into the Atlantic Ocean. The British knew about Lucas's departure. A small British ship spotted the Dutch fleet and sent a warning to Admiral Adam Duncan.

Lucas managed to avoid the British ships. He sailed to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, arriving on April 13. Another British warship, HMS Mozelle, saw Lucas's fleet near Madeira. Mozelle quickly sailed south to warn the British at the Cape. Lucas saw Mozelle but decided not to attack her.

Lucas stayed in Las Palmas for over a month to get water and supplies. He then sailed to Praia in Cape Verde. His journey was very slow because of calm winds. His ships started running low on drinking water. Many of his sailors became sick with scurvy. This made the crews very unhappy and almost caused a mutiny (when sailors refuse to obey orders).

Lucas decided not to stop for more water. He sailed straight for the Cape. He reached the South African coast on July 26. He didn't know how many British ships were there. On August 6, Lucas decided to anchor his fleet in Saldanha Bay.

The British Trap Lucas's Fleet

The British had been warned about Lucas's mission. Carysfort|1766|6 brought a warning to the Cape in April. Elphinstone had already heard rumors even earlier. He arrived back at the Cape on May 23. He received detailed reports about Lucas's fleet.

The British Navy sent more ships to the Cape. By August, Elphinstone had seven large warships and seven smaller ones. The British army at the Cape also had 9,400 soldiers.

Elphinstone was worried that Lucas might bypass the Cape. He sailed his fleet out to sea to search for the Dutch. A strong storm hit the British ships, causing damage. Elphinstone's flagship, HMS Monarch, lost its main mast. The fleet returned to Simon's Bay on August 12. There, they learned that Lucas's fleet was anchored in Saldanha Bay. Another storm hit on August 13, damaging more British ships.

Lucas had arrived in Saldanha Bay without knowing how strong the British forces were. His ships were low on water, and many sailors were sick. He even took down his ships' sails for repairs, making them unable to move quickly. On August 9, Lucas was warned that a strong British force was nearby. He was told that the local Dutch people would not help him attack the British. Despite this, Lucas sailed deeper into the bay.

Sir James Craig, the British army commander, sent soldiers to Saldanha Bay. They harassed the Dutch shore parties. He also moved local people and their animals away so the Dutch couldn't capture them.

Lucas held a meeting with his officers. They discussed whether to attack Cape Town or leave. By August 16, they decided to sail to Île de France. But Lucas delayed, not wanting to leave his sick men ashore.

As Lucas prepared to sail, Elphinstone's fleet appeared on August 16. Elphinstone sent a letter demanding Lucas surrender. Lucas refused. Elphinstone then led his larger fleet into the bay. He anchored his ships close to Lucas's fleet. Lucas's ships were trapped between the British and the coast.

Lucas immediately raised a flag of truce (a sign of wanting to negotiate). He sent an officer to talk with Elphinstone. Elphinstone gave Lucas time to talk with his captains. But he demanded that the Dutch ships not be damaged. Lucas promised they wouldn't be.

Lucas's officers decided they had no choice but to surrender. They tried to get terms that would allow their officers to go home on two of their ships. Elphinstone refused. By 11:00 PM, Lucas agreed to surrender almost completely. His crews were also openly refusing to fight. The surrender was officially signed the next morning, August 17.

Ships Involved in the Battle

Lucas's Dutch Ships

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Elphinstone's British Ships

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What Happened Next

The British Royal Navy took all the captured Dutch warships. Elphinstone added them to his fleet at the Cape. Elphinstone returned to Britain in October 1796. He was later given the title of Baron Keith for capturing and keeping the Cape Colony.

Most of the Dutch sailors and soldiers were German. Nearly all of them joined the British service. They either joined the Royal Navy or the East India Company. Lucas and the Dutch officers returned to Europe later.

In the Batavian Republic, Lucas's surrender made people very angry. When he returned, Lucas faced a court martial (a military trial). However, Lucas died on June 21, 1797, just before his trial began. The court decided that Lucas was mainly responsible for the surrender. All the other officers were found innocent.

Historians agree that Lucas was right not to fight Elphinstone's fleet. The British had many more ships and men. Elphinstone's ships had more than twice as many men as Lucas's fleet. Lucas had only 1,972 men, while Elphinstone had 4,291.

The Dutch expedition was criticized for not being ready enough. Even though France had promised support that didn't arrive, the Dutch soldiers were too few to seriously threaten the British. One unexpected result of this event was that it stopped a planned British invasion of Île de France. Elphinstone had delayed his invasion to prepare for Lucas's arrival.

The Cape Colony was not attacked again during the war. In 1802, the Treaty of Amiens returned the Cape Colony to the Batavian Republic. But the peace didn't last long. In 1806, during the Napoleonic Wars, the British took the Cape Colony again. This happened after the Dutch were defeated at the Battle of Blaauwberg. The Cape Colony remained part of the British Empire until it became part of South Africa in 1910.