Naval battle near Hel

The 1571 naval battle near Hel took place on July 29, 1571, when ships of the Royal Danish Navy raided the Baltic Sea ports of Puck and Hel, kidnapping eighteen ships of the Privateer Fleet (Polish: Flota kaperska) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and taking them to Copenhagen.

Background

After the Northern Seven Years' War, Polish-Lithuanian and Swedish fleets continued to attack ships which traded with Tsardom of Russia via the port of Narva. Both Poles and Swedes refrained from direct attacks on Danish fleet, while Denmark regarded all raids as piracy. Under the circumstances, Copenhagen decided to undertake activities directed against the Commonwealth.

The Raid

In July 1571, a squadron of eighteen Danish ships under Admiral Frank entered the waters of the Gdańsk Bay. On July 29 near Hel, the Danes destroyed two Polish ships, commanded by Krzysztof Minckenbeck and Bar,[1] after which a Danish landing party penetrated into Hel Peninsula without resistance.

On the same day Danish ships entered the Bay of Puck, where eight Polish ships plus five captured units were stationed near the port city of Puck. The Danes broke the resistance of Polish privateers and captured all ships, taking them to Copenhagen. As a result of the raid, Polish Fleet lost almost half of its units.[2]

Epilogue

In late August 1571, Danish ships again appeared in the Gdańsk Bay. This time Poles had been warned in advance, and all Polish units had left Puck, sailing to the city port of Gdańsk, where they found protection. For two weeks Danish Fleet blocked Gdańsk, demanding that all Polish ships be handed to them. Gdańsk authorities refused to do so, and to punish the city, Danes stopped in the Øresund as many as 34 boats which headed for Gdańsk.[3] Danish victory proved that Polish privateers, although experienced enough to guard the sea coast, were unable to face ships of Danish Fleet.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Co kryją polskie wody ? „Milcząca flota Bałtyku” (What do Polish waters hide? A silent fleet of the Baltic)
  2. ↑ Słońce zaszło w południe (The sun set at middaly). History of the Navy of the Kingdom of Poland, by Michal Lipka
  3. ↑ Słońce zaszło w południe (The sun set at middaly). History of the Navy of the Kingdom of Poland, by Michal Lipka
  4. ↑ Slowianie nad Baltykiem by Marek Toczek. Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej
  • Edmund Kosiarz, Wojny na Baltyku X-XIX w., Wydawnictwo Morskie Gdańsk 1978

See also

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