History
The ship Middelburg was lost on the 18th of August 1606 during the Battle of Cape Rachado near the city of Malacca.
It caught fire after being shot by the Portuguese and subsequently sank.
The Battle of Cape Rachado was fought over control and use of the strait of Malacca. This route to the east was important for both the trade of spices between Europe and Asia, but also for the intra-asiatic shipping. The Dutch and Portuguese fought over its control.
In the Battle of Cape Rachado, a Portuguese fleet of 9 and a Dutch fleet of 11 ships.¹
VOC ship Middelburg during battle of Rachado.
Source: Atlas of Mutual Heritage.
Description
Built: Yard Amsterdam 1605
Tonnage: 600, 300 last
Complement: 124
| Skipper | Simon Lambrechtsz. Mau |
|---|---|
| Tonnage | 600 ton (300 last) |
Status
The wreck site of Middelburg was salvaged by S.H. Ong under contract with the National Museum and under supervision of M. Bound during the period of 1995-1997. It was purely a salvage operation, as no archaeological research was performed at the time. The Dutch claim on the ship has not been seen as valid by the Malay government since it is in Malay territorial waters.
All four ships lost at Cape Rachado were found by Gerald Caba of CABACO Marine Pte Ltd, Singapore. They were recovered in 1995 under the supervision of Mensun Bound from Oxford University. The wreckage of Middelburg, São Salvador and Dom Duarte de Guerra's galleon.