Willem van der Zan ( Dutch: Willem van der Zaan ) - Major General ( Schautbenacht ) of the Dutch Navy. By order of the General States, he took part in the First and Second Anglo-Dutch War . For outstanding services to the country, he was awarded four times - an honorary golden chain. [one]
| Willem van der Zan | |
|---|---|
| niderl. Willem van der zaan | |
 | |
| Date of Birth | June 29, 1621 |
| Place of Birth | Amsterdam |
| Date of death | March 17, 1669 (aged 47) |
| Place of death | Morocco |
| Affiliation |  Republic of the United Provinces |
| Type of army | fleet |
| Rank |  Schautbenacht |
| Battles / wars | The first Anglo-Dutch war , Second Anglo-Dutch War |
| Awards and prizes | honorable golden chain |
Content
Biography
Willem van der Zan was born in Amsterdam on June 26, 1621. In 1654 he marries Agatha van der Eyck (Agatha van der Eyck 1633-1703). In this marriage, a son was born - Willem van der Zaen Jr. (Willem van der Zaen de Jongere), who also became the captain of the Dutch Navy. Willem van der Zan was killed on March 17, 1669 off the coast of Morocco. Fatal for him was a shot in the chest during the landing on the flagship of the Admiral of the Algerian fleet. He was buried in the Oude Kerk building in Amsterdam , where the Rhombout Verhulst performed a tombstone for him. [2]
Military career
At the age of 15 he entered the service of Admiral Tromp as a young man. [3] By 1652 he rose to the rank of captain. In this title, Willem van der Zan took command of the ship, which participated in the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-1654). In the same battle, his brother, Joris van der Zaan, was killed. At the Battle of Portland , his second brother was killed - (Huybrecht van der Zaan) and Willem van der Zan is appointed captain of his ship called Campen. By 1655 he became a full captain. In 1656 he was appointed commander of the ship Zuyderhuys, where, among other crew members, was his nephew Cornelis van der Zaan (son of the late Huybrecht van der Zaan, who later also became captain). In 1657, Willem van der Zan took part in a naval campaign under the command of Vice Admiral Michael de Ruyter . During this, an event occurred that influenced French-Dutch relations. Willem van der Zan captured the French warship Chasseur, which was engaged in privateering , thereby revealing the secret plan of the French government. After that, the General States of the Republic of the United Provinces awarded him an honorary golden chain. From 1658 to 1660 he took part in hostilities in the Baltic Sea. In 1661, Michael de Ruyterom again called on Willem van der Zahn on a military campaign in the Mediterranean Sea, the purpose of which was to suppress piracy. For the capture of a pirate ship and the liberation of 36 Christian slaves, the General States reward him - the second honorable golden chain. In 1663, he captures another pirate ship and, having freed 21 Christian slaves, receives the third honorary golden chain. By the end of 1664, the Admiralty of Amsterdam appointed Willem van der Zahn interim vice admiral. [four]
From the list of battles
| Title | date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Battle of Cape Dangenness | December 10, 1652 | Willem van der Zan, with the rank of captain, commands the ship “ Prinses Aemilia” (there is a spelling variant - Emilia) [5] . The battle ended with the complete victory of the Dutch fleet. |
| Portland battle | February 28 - March 2, 1653 | Willem van der Zan took command of the Campen ship. The battle ended with the victory of the English fleet. |
| The Battle of Gabbard | June 12–13, 1653 | Willem van der Zan took command of the Campen ship. The battle ended with the victory of the English fleet. |
| The Battle of Oresund | November 8, 1658 | Willem van der Zan took command of the Huys Tijdverdrijf. The victory of the combined fleet of the Republic of the United Provinces and Denmark with Norway over the Swedish naval forces. |
| Four day battle | June 11 - June 14, 1666 | Willem van der Zan took command of the Beschermer . [6] The victory of the Dutch fleet. |
| Battle of St. James | August 4, 1666 | Willem van der Zan took command of the ship " Geloof" [5] . The victory of the English fleet. |
| Raid on Medway | June 19 - June 24, 1667 | Willem van der Zan commanded a cover ship, the Hollandia [5] . The victory of the Dutch fleet. |
Mention
In honor of Willem van der Zahn, the ships of the Dutch fleet were named:
- Hr.ms. Willem van der Zaan (1939);
- Hr.ms. Willem van der Zaan (1991)
Note
- ↑ Admirals of the World - A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present. William Stewart. - McFarland, 2009 .-- S. 103 .-- 341 p. - ISBN 9780786482887 .
- ↑ Willem Van der Zaan . Oude Kerk (Old Church) . findagrave.com.
- ↑ Eric Flint Charles E. Gannon. 1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies. - Baen Publishing Enterprises, 2014 .-- 624 p. - ISBN 9781625792839 .
- ↑ F 829 - HNLMS Willem van der Zaan . Royal Netherlands Navy / Koninklijke Marine - Frigate . seaforces.org.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Dutch Warships in the Age of Sail 1600-1714 - Design, Construction, Careers & fates. James Bander - Seaforth Publishing, 2014 .-- 328 p. - ISBN 9781848321571 .
- ↑ Rif Winfield. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. - Publisher Seaforth Publishing, 2010 .-- S. 35 .-- 384 p. - ISBN 9781783469246 .