Battle of Solebay

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Battle of Solebay
Part of the Franco-Dutch War and Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Burning of the Royal James at the Battle of Solebay, 28 May 1672 by Willem van de Velde the Younger
Date 6 June 1672 Location Solebay, England Result Dutch victory[1][2][3] Anglo-French invasion of the Dutch Republic prevented
Belligerents
Dutch Republic	England  France
Commanders and leaders
De Ruyter Banckert Van Ghent †	York Sandwich † d'Estrées
Strength
61 ships of the line 14 frigates 32 fire ships 22 smaller ships 4,500 guns 20,700 men[4][5]	80 ships of the line 13 frigates 24 fire ships 28 smaller ships 6,158 guns 35,000-40,000 men[6][5]
Casualties and losses
1 ship destroyed 1 ship captured ≈1,600 sailors killed	4 ships destroyed ≈2,500 sailors killed

The naval Battle of Solebay took place on 28 May Old Style, 7 June New Style^[7][8] 1672 and was the first naval battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War and one of the largest naval battles of the age of sail.

The battle began when the Dutch fleet under Michiel de Ruyter surprised the combined Anglo-French fleet in Solebay (nowadays just Southwold bay), at Southwold in Suffolk, on the east coast of England. The French and English fleets were anchored and largely unprepared for battle. The battle was fierce and despite their numerical inferiority the Dutch managed to get the upperhand, however the battle ended at sunset without a clear victory. Strategically the battle proved to be a clear Dutch victory as the battle prevented a planned allied naval invasion of the Dutch Republic. The battle also boosted the morale of the Dutch population since it was one of the few Dutch military victories during the Rampjaar.