A three-day English Channel engagement of the First Anglo-Dutch War that ended inconclusively, leaving control of the Channel unresolved until the Battle of the Gabbard.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 3 days (18–20 February 1653)
- Calendar (Gregorian)
- 28 February – 2 March 1653
- Conflict
- First Anglo-Dutch War
- English commander
- General at Sea Robert Blake
- Dutch commander
- Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp
- Outcome
- Inconclusive; both sides claimed victory
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the First Anglo-Dutch War, Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp was escorting a large convoy of merchant vessels through the English Channel. The Commonwealth of England sought to assert dominance over these waters, leading the English fleet under General at Sea Robert Blake to intercept the Dutch force.
Over three days from 18 to 20 February 1653, the English and Dutch fleets fought a prolonged naval engagement near Portland in the English Channel. Both fleets suffered considerable damage, and neither side was able to achieve a decisive tactical result, with both subsequently claiming victory.
The battle failed to resolve the contest for English Channel supremacy. Ultimate control was only determined later, at the Battle of the Gabbard, which enabled the English to blockade the Dutch coast. The conflict continued until the Battle of Scheveningen, during which Admiral Maarten Tromp was killed in combat.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Robert Blake.
Side B
1 belligerent
Maarten Tromp.