Douwe Aukes
Encyclopedia
Douwe Aukes was a Frisian sea captain of the Dutch East India Company
or VOC. The Douwe Aukes class minelayer
and its name-ship the HNLMS Douwe Aukes
were named after him.
on the ships Maastricht and Vrede and in 1641 he was made captain of the 40-gun Vogelstruys of the VOC's Amsterdam Chamber, which was seconded to Michiel de Ruyter
's fleet in 1652 during the First Anglo-Dutch War
(with Aukes thus indirectly becoming a naval officer). At one point during the Battle of Plymouth
he wandered from the Dutch fleet and was almost surrounded by English ships, but Aukes threatened to ignite a powder keg and blow up the ship, rather than surrender. His crew then managed to beat off an English boarding party, almost sink two English ships, badly damage a third and finally regain the main Dutch fleet.
After the war Aukes continued as a VOC captain, being mentioned in a 1657 document as the captain of a koopvaarder trading with the Levant
and in one from 1665 as a merchant in Amsterdam. When Tjerk Hiddes de Vries
was killed in 1666, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War
, Aukes was requested to replace him as lieutenant-admiral in the Admiralty of Friesland
by the States of Friesland, but Aukes declined, being then on the return voyage from India, during which he died. He is buried in Amsterdam's Oude Kerk.
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
or VOC. The Douwe Aukes class minelayer
Douwe Aukes class minelayer
The Douwe Aukes class were minelayers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, named after the naval hero Douwe Aukes.The two ships were built at the Gusto shipyard in Schiedam...
and its name-ship the HNLMS Douwe Aukes
HNLMS Douwe Aukes
HNLMS Douwe Aukes was a minelayer of the Royal Netherlands Navy. She was built in the Gusto shipyard at Schiedam as the lead ship of the Douwe Aukes class, and one of her early commanders was Eugène Lacomblé.-Second World War:...
were named after him.
Life
He was the son of another VOC captain, also called Douwe Aukes. He made several trips to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on the ships Maastricht and Vrede and in 1641 he was made captain of the 40-gun Vogelstruys of the VOC's Amsterdam Chamber, which was seconded to Michiel de Ruyter
Michiel de Ruyter
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter is the most famous and one of the most skilled admirals in Dutch history. De Ruyter is most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century. He fought the English and French and scored several major victories against them, the best known probably...
's fleet in 1652 during the First Anglo-Dutch War
First Anglo-Dutch War
The First Anglo–Dutch War was the first of the four Anglo–Dutch Wars. It was fought entirely at sea between the navies of the Commonwealth of England and the United Provinces of the Netherlands. Caused by disputes over trade, the war began with English attacks on Dutch merchant shipping, but...
(with Aukes thus indirectly becoming a naval officer). At one point during the Battle of Plymouth
Battle of Plymouth
The Battle of Plymouth was a naval battle in the First Anglo-Dutch War. It took place on 26 August 1652 and was a short battle, but had the unexpected outcome of a Dutch victory over England. General-at-Sea George Ayscue of the Commonwealth of England attacked an outward bound convoy of the Dutch...
he wandered from the Dutch fleet and was almost surrounded by English ships, but Aukes threatened to ignite a powder keg and blow up the ship, rather than surrender. His crew then managed to beat off an English boarding party, almost sink two English ships, badly damage a third and finally regain the main Dutch fleet.
After the war Aukes continued as a VOC captain, being mentioned in a 1657 document as the captain of a koopvaarder trading with the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
and in one from 1665 as a merchant in Amsterdam. When Tjerk Hiddes de Vries
Tjerk Hiddes de Vries
Tjerk Hiddes de Vries was a naval hero and Dutch admiral from the seventeenth century. The French, who could not pronounce his name, called him Kiërkides...
was killed in 1666, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
, Aukes was requested to replace him as lieutenant-admiral in the Admiralty of Friesland
Admiralty of Friesland
The Admiralty of Friesland or Frisian Admiralty was one of the five admiralties of the Dutch Republic...
by the States of Friesland, but Aukes declined, being then on the return voyage from India, during which he died. He is buried in Amsterdam's Oude Kerk.