History
The Krokodil was a yacht of the Dutch West India Company (WIC). The ship was on the roads of the island of Goeree (Gorée in Senegal) in January 1664, when it was unexpectedly attacked by the English commodore Robert Holmes:
"Robert holmes, on the thirty-first of that month having claimed the stronghold of Kabo Verde, on the Island of Goederede, and after that bombarded it, and had forced them to surrender on the first of February, with the yacht the Krokodil. And that the night before he had also taken two small ships, the Vischkorf and the Visscher." (see Brandt under references).
In a declaration in the Amsterdam City Archives, the attack is described. Robert Holmes appeared on the roads of Goeree with two English ships, the Jersey and the Catharina, and with two conquered Dutch ships, the Gekroonde Bril and the Neptunus. The two Dutch ships had been taken earlier near Cabo Verde.
In the afternoon of January 31dst, 1664, Holmes demanded the surrender of the WIC fortress Nassau. This was refused. Then a bombardment started that lasted until sundown. In the dark, the English sailed with small boats towards two ships that were on the roads; the Visser of the WIC and the Viskorf, a privately owned ship. They were both taken. From the fort, heavy gunfire ensued in the darkness. Because of this, the Viskorf was shot on fire and sank. The next day, the garrison surrendered. The walls had collapsed during the last rain season and they were out of gunpowder.
Holmes was surprised by this windfall. His ship had also been heavily damaged and the chance that he could take the fort by force was small. The Dutch lost four ships during the action of Holmes: the Gekroonde Bril, Neptunus, Visser, and the Viskorf. With the surrender, the Krokodil also had to be given over.
The Viskorf sank on the roads and the Visser would later be lost. The rest went over into English service. It is not clear from the sources what became of the Krokodil.
Description
References
- Brandt, Geeraardt (1687)
Het leven en het bedrijf van den Heere Michiel de Ruyter, deel 6
pp 290 - Sonari Dappa
History and Significance of Kunta Kinteh island - Amsterdams notarieel archief, Notaris Hendrik Schaef
ref. no. Inv. nr. 1330 (scan 125)