400 Marine Musketeers repulse 2,000 Dutch - 1667 - The First Battle Honor

Unit/ Formation: Marine Regiments

Location: Great Britain

Period/ Conflict: Second Anglo Dutch War

Year: 1667

Date/s: 2 July 1667

Before they could attack Harwich itself the Dutch needed to neutralise Landguard Fort, the port's outermost line of defence.

The Fort is situated on a spit of land that runs south from Felixstowe across the mouth of the Stour and Orwell estuaries, and was built to protect the anchorage at Harwich, on the opposite side of the estuary.

Originally known as Langer Fort, the first fortifications from 1540 were a few earthworks and blockhouse, but it was King James I who ordered, from 1621, the construction of a square fort with bulwarks at each corner.

In 1667, the Dutch, under Michiel de Ruyter, landed a force of 2,000 men on Felixstowe beach in front of (what is now called) Undercliff Road East and advanced on to the fort, but were repulsed by Nathaniel Darrel and his garrison of 400 musketeers of the Duke of York & Albany's Maritime Regiment and 100 artillerymen with 54 cannons.

Information on the battle derives from the London Gazette.

“The Dutch left the smaller part of their force at the cliffs, while around 1,500 men marched south to attack the fort. De Ruyter had intended to support this attack with naval gunfire, with one squadron operating inside the estuary and one out to sea, but unexpectedly shallow water meant that the attack from the estuary was totally abandoned, while the seaward squadron was only able to fire a few shots at long range. This left the Dutch marines to attack alone.

Two attacks are recorded, the first lasting for 45 minutes and the second for only 15. After that the Dutch marines retreated, leaving their ladders and other equipment behind but taking their dead with them. The Dutch dead were estimated at 150 during the two attacks, but only four bodies were found.

While the Dutch marines had been attacking the fort, the troops at their beachhead came under attack by the local trained bands, commanded by the Earl of Suffolk. This skirmish lasted until 10 in the evening, at which point the marines returned from their attack on the fort.

The Dutch were trapped onshore by low water until around 2am on 3 July, giving 500 regular infantry under Major Legge time to arrive from Harwich.

They may have been involved with some more skirmishing with the Dutch, but no British cavalry arrived, and Legge's men were badly outnumbered, so no significant fighting took place. The Dutch were able to re-embark after 2am, and by 6am their fleet had sailed away from Harwich”.

This was the 1st Battle Honour for both British and Dutch marines. The Dutch marines were formed a little more than a year after the British on the 10th December 1665.

Related Royal Marines 'Dits":

1. The Battle of Soul Bay - First use of the word 'Marine'

References/ Further Reading:

[1] Languard Fort - Website