History
The ship the Medemblick was part of the fleet of the Dutch West India Company (WIC) commanded by Boudewijn Hendricksz. In 124, he was instructed to reinforce the newly conquered Bahia de Todos os Santos (All Saint's Bay) in Brazil. The fleet arrived on May 24th, 1625 at San Salvador de Bahia. Bahia had already retaken and heavily fortified by the Spanish and Portugese.
Hendricksz. split his fleet in two on 1 August 1625. Twelve ships, under command of admiral Veron, went to the African coast with the objective to conquer Elmina. Boudewijn Hendricksz. sailed with 18 ships to the Caribbean.
Attack on Puerto Rico
His new objective was to conquer Puerto Rico. They departed from Brazil on 10 September and got caught in a violent storm. From the fleet, three ships weren lost: the Gele Zon, Gouden Zon and the Vlissingen.
After arriving in Puerto Rico, the fleet entered the narrow bay of San Juan. Once inside, the soldiers disembarked and occupied the city. However, the fort could not be taken. After almost a month, on November 1st, Hendricksz had to retreat and they left the harbor under heavy fire. The Medemblick ran aground during this action and had to be left behind. The ship was shot to pieces.
Return
The (by now depleted) battered fleet sailed on. After a number of minor successes, the new target became the city of Havana in Cuba. However, the city was far too well defended. The fleet sailed past it and sought shelter in the Bay of Cabañas, about 30 km west of Havana. There, Boudewijn Hendricksz died of illness on June 2nd, 1626. Vice-Admiral Adriaen Claesz immediately took command of the fleet. Due to a lack of authority over the crew, mutiny, and looming supply shortages, he found himself forced to abandon the attack on Cuba and return to the Netherlands with the main fleet in July 1626.
Description
WIC chamber: Noorderkwartier
Tonnage: 540 tons, 270 last
Crew: 92 sailors, 34 soldiers
Armament: 8 bronze, 24 iron cannon
| Tonnage | 540 ton (270 last) |
|---|
References
- Laet, J. de (1644)
Historie ofte Iaerlijck verhael..., vol. I, II
pp I, 34; II, 101 - Atlas of mutual heritage