The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-25
VnEN BRITISH
 FOUGHT DUTCH

<rvat Britain's mastery of the Nttth Sea, recently unsuccessfully di3puted blythe Kaiser's fleet in the titanic battle of the skagerrack, was gained only after a long stuggle with tho Dutch. For years the gallant Dutch sailors and the brave tars of o1GSEngland battled valiantly for su- premacy, victory turning first to one aide and then to the other, but even tna1ly Holland was vanquished and the control of Britain definitely estab- nshed over the waters which divide thb "tfght little isle'' from it's contin- :@ntal neighbors. 's,4;
 It was just two and half cen-, turies ego today, July 25, 1e66, that England gained one of her greatest naval victories over the challenging { Dutch. This decisive engagement vas fought off the mouth of the Thatnes. The British fleet was com-l mAnlded by Monk and Prince Rupert while the destinies of Holland were Al charge of De Ruyter and Van Yromp. The British fleet, in crescent formation. led the attack, and the Dutch resisted with great stubborn. ness. The Dutch. lost twenty-four men of war and 400 seamen, and four admirals. including Van Tromp, were killed. With only seven ships left, De Ruyter fought on until all hope was gone and then contrived to get away with the battered remnant of the fleet.
 This conflict was one of a long ser les between the Dutch and the Eng 1fsh.l and the latter, were not always vfctortou& When the first war for control Of the North Sea began in 1852. the English under Blake de- feated Van Tromp. but the tables were soon turned when the Dutch surprised the English in the Downs, eighty Of their ships engaging half as H1any English vessels. A number of the British craft were taken or sunk. and the Dutch admiral sailed in triumph through the channel, with a broom at the masthead of his flag ship. to denote that he had swept the English from the seas
 Van Tromp's jubilarion did not last long. however. for the following year the English bulldog returned to the fray, and in battle off Portsmouth gained a great victory over the Dutch fleet, taking or destroying eleven men-of-war and thirty mer- chant vessels. Van Tromp, who had 50 lately swept the English from the seas" was the defeated commander, while Blake was the English ad- miral A few months later Van ! Tromp led fleet of nearly hundred ' men-of-war against an English fleet of about the same number of vessels under Blake, Monk and Deane. Again Mars favored the English, and six Dutch ships were captured and eleven sunk while the remainder ran for safety into Calais roads. The seventh {. and last battle of this war resulted in another English victory. It was ' fought off the coast of Holland, and the Dutch lost thirty ships.
 After a period of peace the Dutch ! and English resumed hostilities in z 1865, and great battle was fought off Lowestoff Admiral Opdam led the Dutch fleet, while the Duke o1 York Prince Rupert and the Ear of Sandwich were in command of the English fleet of IA sail. The Dutch were defeated. losing ships and 7,0oC men, while the English lost only one ship and 700 men. Opdam perished In the flames which destroyed his flagship. In 1866 the rival fleets fought an indecisive contest which lasted four days. but in July the Eng. 1ish won a. decisive triumph Int following year De Ruyter surprised the English and captured or destroyed a number of vessels. Between 17S1 and 17S3 England and Holland agair < hattled for naval supremacy and thu Dutch defeated. lost several colonie. ] to the English. Since then, until tho 7 present war. the North Sea has beer
 at peace.
 D. IF. Dillon q O., 1,105 Main street ' final clearauce sale week before in.