Battle of Damme
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Damme was fought on 30 May and 31 May 1213. The success of the English raids ended a threat of French invasion of England.
Damme
is located on the estuary of the Zwyn (now largely silted up), at that time in the county of Flanders
(now in Belgium). It was then the port of the city of Bruges
.
The English knew King Philip II of France
was planning to invade England, at the very least as a way of preventing an English attack on Poitou
. Meanwhile, Philip was in Flanders attacking Count Ferrand of Flanders. King John of England
responded by sending a fleet to Flanders.
This fleet had 500 ships, 700 knights and their attendants, and a large force of mercenaries, under the command of William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury. It left England on 28 May 1213, and entered the estuary of the Zwyn two days later. There it found a huge French armada, 1700 ships heavily laden with supplies and the personal goods of the French barons. Most of the French army was away besieging Ghent
, and so the fleet was only lightly guarded.
The English immediately attacked, seizing 300 ships which were anchored or beached outside the harbour of Damme, and pillaging and burning a hundred more. The next day they attacked the rest of the ships as well as the town itself. This was a little reckless for King Philip had come with his troops from Ghent, and the English barely got back to their ships and away safely. They returned to England with the seized ships and a large booty (the biographer of William Marshal claimed "never had so much treasure come into England since the days of King Arthur").
Not only was a good portion of the French fleet gone, but the harbour of Damme was blocked by debris, so King Philip had the rest of his fleet burned.
Damme
Damme
Damme is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, six kilometres northeast of Brugge . The municipality comprises the city of Damme proper and the towns of Hoeke, Lapscheure, Moerkerke, Oostkerke, Sijsele, Vivenkapelle, and Sint-Rita. On 1 January 2006, the municipality had...
is located on the estuary of the Zwyn (now largely silted up), at that time in the county of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
(now in Belgium). It was then the port of the city of Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
.
The English knew King Philip II of France
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
was planning to invade England, at the very least as a way of preventing an English attack on Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
. Meanwhile, Philip was in Flanders attacking Count Ferrand of Flanders. King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
responded by sending a fleet to Flanders.
This fleet had 500 ships, 700 knights and their attendants, and a large force of mercenaries, under the command of William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury. It left England on 28 May 1213, and entered the estuary of the Zwyn two days later. There it found a huge French armada, 1700 ships heavily laden with supplies and the personal goods of the French barons. Most of the French army was away besieging Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, and so the fleet was only lightly guarded.
The English immediately attacked, seizing 300 ships which were anchored or beached outside the harbour of Damme, and pillaging and burning a hundred more. The next day they attacked the rest of the ships as well as the town itself. This was a little reckless for King Philip had come with his troops from Ghent, and the English barely got back to their ships and away safely. They returned to England with the seized ships and a large booty (the biographer of William Marshal claimed "never had so much treasure come into England since the days of King Arthur").
Not only was a good portion of the French fleet gone, but the harbour of Damme was blocked by debris, so King Philip had the rest of his fleet burned.