Battle of Dogger Bank ( 1781 ) The Battle of the Dogger Bank took place on 5 August 1781 during the Fourth Anglo - Dutch War , part of the American War of Independence , in the North Sea . It was a bloody encounter between a British squadron under Vice Admiral Sir Hyde Parker , 5th Baronet and a Dutch squadron under Vice Admiral Johan Zoutman , both of which were escorting convoys . Background . In December 1780 , Great Britain declared war on the Dutch Republic , drawing it militarily into the American War of Independence . The Dutch had for many years been supplying the Americans , and shipping French supplies to the Americans , in support of the American war effort . The opening of hostilities with the Dutch meant that Britain ' s trade with countries on the Baltic Sea ( where key supplies of lumber for naval construction were purchased ) was potentially at risk , and that the British had to increase protection of their shipping in the North Sea . In order to accomplish this , the British began blockading the Dutch coast to monitor and intercept any significant attempts to send shipping into or out of Dutch ports , and began to protect merchant shipping convoys with armed vessels . The Dutch were politically in turmoil , and were consequently unable to mount any sort of effective actions against the British . The result of this inaction was the collapse of their economically important trade . It was finally decided that a merchant fleet had to be launched . On 1 August 1781 , Admiral Johan Zoutman led a fleet of some 70 merchantmen from the Texel , protected by seven ships of the line as well as a number of frigates and smaller armed vessels . Admiral Hyde Parker was accompanying a convoy of ships from the Baltic when he spotted the sails of the Dutch fleet on the morning of 5 August . He immediately despatched his convoy toward the English coast , and ordered his line to give chase . Zoutman , whose ships had been interspersed with the merchantmen , signalled his line to form in between Parker and the convoy . The ships of Parker ' s fleet were not in the best of condition , since great demands were placed on the Royal Navy by the demands of the war , and all manner of ships were pressed into service , or did not receive necessary maintenance . Some ships were in such poor condition that the number of guns available to fire was reduced from its normal complement . In spite of this , " Berwick " and Parker ' s flagship " Fortitude " , both 74 guns , were both relatively new and in good shape . The Dutch fleet had not seen any significant action due to the British blockade . Battle . With a calm sea and a breeze from the northeast , Zoutman maneuvered his line onto a port tack , heading east - southeast , and awaited Parker , who held the weather gage . The British fleet closed , raggedly at first due to the poor condition of some of the ships . When Parker raised the battle flag shortly before 8 am , the two fleets were about half a musket shot apart . Zoutman then also raised his flag , and opened fire , raking the " Fortitude " with a broadside . Close action ensued , lasting for more than three hours . Around mid - morning the Dutch merchantmen moved away from the action and headed back to the Texel . Around 11 am Parker gave the signal to reform his line , which reformed and limped away from the Dutch . Casualties on both sides were high , considering the number of ships involved . ( Fewer casualties were suffered , for example , in the Battle of the Chesapeake , fought a month later between fleets more than twice as large . ) The British claimed 104 killed and 339 wounded , while the Dutch claimed 142 killed and 403 wounded . There were private reports made that the Dutch casualties were actually much higher , possibly reaching 1 , 100 . The " Holland " sank the same night . Her flag , which was kept flying , was taken away by the " Belle Poule " , and carried to Admiral Parker . Aftermath . Although the Dutch celebrated the battle as victory , their fleet did not leave harbour again during the war and their merchant trade remained crippled . At least one convoy did make it to the Baltic , but it flew under Swedish flags and was accompanied by a Swedish frigate . Parker considered that he had not been properly equipped for his task , and insisted on resigning his command . The battle had no real impact on the general course of the war . Order of battle . The order of battle is provided by Clowes , p . 505 . British ( Hyde Parker ) . Ships of the line : < br > " Berwick " 74 ( Captain John Ferguson ) < br > " Buffalo " 60 ( Captain William Truscott ) < br > " Bienfaisant " 64 ( Captain Richard Brathwaite ) < br > Smaller vessels : < br > " Belle Poule " 36 - gun fifth rate ( Captain Philip Patton ) < br > Dutch ( Zoutman ) . Ships of the line : < br > " Erfprins " 54 ( Braak ) < br > " Admiraal Generaal " 74 ( van Kinsbergen ) < br > " Argo " 40 ( Staring ) < br > " Batavier " 54 ( Bentinck ) < br > " Admiraal de Ruijter " 68 ( Staringh . , Zoutman ' s flag ) < br > " Admiraal Piet Hein " 54 ( van Braam ) < br > " Holland " 68 ( Dedel ) ( later sunk ) < br > Smaller vessels : < br > " Bellona " ( frigate 36 , Docker ) < br > " Dolphijn " ( frigate 24 , Mulder ) < br > " Ajax " ( cutter 20 , van Welderen ) < br > " Eensgezindheit " ( frigate 36 , Boritius ) < br > " Zephijr " ( frigate 36 , Wiertz ) < br > " Amphitrite " ( frigate 36 , von Woensel ) < br >