History
The 'Prins Willem' was the flagship of WIC Admiral Adriaan Jansz Pater.
WIC in Brazil
In 1630, Recife (Pernambuco) was conquered from the Portuguese. In 1631, the WIC sent a fleet to consolidate the conquests and even expand them. Admiral Adriaan Jansz. Pater was appointed at the head of the fleet.
Spanish Answer
Meanwhile, the Spaniards and Portuguese were not idle. On May 5, 1631, Admiral Antonio de Oquendo left Lisbon with a strong fleet of approximately 20 warships and transport ships for 1,200 soldiers. In August, they arrived in San Salvador de Bahia. The reinforcements were put ashore. Subsequently, the fleet set course north to drive out Recife and the Dutch there.
Soon, the Dutch received word of the arrival of the Spanish fleet. On August 31, Admiral Pater left Recife with 18 ships to intercept the Armada. The Armada was off the Abrolhos (dangerous reefs) when the WIC fleet found them.
The print from ca. 1630 clearly shows the difference in size between the Spanish galleons and the smaller WIC ships. This caused problems during boarding. The Dutch could not easily reach the higher Spanish decks
Battle at the Abrolhos
The 'Prins Willem' and the 'Provincie Utrecht' jointly attacked the much larger Spanish Almiranta 'Santiago de Oliste' and managed to board the ship. However, they did not succeed in boarding it. During the battle, both Dutch ships caught fire. Many crew members jumped overboard, and General Pater also jumped. He drowned either due to the weight of his armor or because he could not swim. The Prins Willem and the Provincie Utrecht were both lost. The 'Santiago de Oliste', heavily damaged, remained afloat. One Spanish ship, 'Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres', was lost.
The victory belonged to the Spaniards. The Spanish reinforcements were put ashore. The sugar fleet could now be safely escorted to Lisbon. But Recife and Pernambuco remained in Dutch hands.
Following the victory, a commemorative medal was struck in 1631. It depicts Philip IV, King of Spain, and an epic battle between Sampson and a Lion.
Accused
After the battle, a number of captains were charged with misconduct. The admiral's explicit order to accost and board the Spanish ships was ignored en masse. The wavering attitude of a number of captains is said to have cost Pater his life
Description
| Tonnage | 1000 ton (500 last) |
|---|
References
- OWIC, Inv. nr. 2 (scan 121)
schepenlijst vloot Pater - Brieven Marten Thijsen