VRIJHEID ship-of-the-line 1782

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aukepalmhof
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VRIJHEID ship-of-the-line 1782

Post by aukepalmhof » Tue Nov 30, 2021 2:14 am

The stamp is designed after a painting made by Thomas Whitcombe, which shows us de Dutch ship-of-the-line VRIJHEID (Freedom) partly dismasted in the battle of Camperdown (Kamperduin), she is the vessel on the left of the painting, showing the Batavian Navy Ensign. The two large warships on the right are most probably HMS VENERABLE and MONARCH.
Built in Amsterdam in 1782, for the Dutch Navy.
Launched as VRIJHEID
Tonnage 1,526 ton (bm) Dim. 180 x 48 x 22 Amsterdamse voet (0,2831m).
Ship rigged
Armament 74 guns some sources give 80 guns.
Crew?
1782 commissioned.
1795 She was transferred to the Batavian Republic, not renamed.

The VRIJHEID did not have a particularly magnificent career.
The VRIJHEID was a Dutch 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the navy of the Dutch Republic, the Batavian Republic, and the Royal Navy. The order to construct the ship was given by the Admiralty of Amsterdam. The ship was commissioned in 1782.
In 1783, a squadron consisting of the ships VRIJHEID, NOORHOLLAND, HERCULES, DRENTE, PRINS WILHELM, and HARLINGEN was dispatched to the Mediterranean to deal with differences that had arisen with Venice. On 2 February 1784, the squadron docked at the coast near the island of Minorca. In the night between 3 and 4 February, a storm blew up which lasted for 48 hours. The VRIJHEID was almost smashed on the rocks and only just managed to stay afloat, while the DRENTE keeled over and sank.

In 1795, the ship was commissioned in the Batavian Navy.

On 11 October 1797 the VRIJHEID took part in the Battle of Camperdown as the flagship of Admiral Jan Willem de Winter. At a certain point, the VRIJHEID was engaged by four British ships, and after heavy fighting, the ship surrendered

The ship was renamed HMS VRYHEID, and from 1798 she served as a prison ship. for French and Dutch POW’s In 1802, she became a powder hulk until she was sold in 1811.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ship_VRIJHEID

The British ships managed to cut the Batavian line (Onslow in HMS MONARCH firstly at the rear passing between JUPITER and HAARLEM and Duncan in HMS VENERABLE in the center, passing between STATEN GENERAAL and VRIJHEID ) and began to attack the Batavians from both sides. Despite the fact that the British had greater firepower, the two Batavian 74s JUPITER and VRIJHEID put up fierce resistance, causing much damage to their respective opponents. Indeed VENERABLE was so damaged that she was forced to leave off the engagement. Even when attacked by four boats simultaneously (HMS TRIUMPH, ARDENT, DIRECTOR, and VENERABLE – the latter coming back around to the other side), VRIJHEID did not surrender until she had lost all three masts. With de Winter’s capitulation, the Batavian fleet surrendered, leaving the British in possession of 11 enemy vessels – DELFT sank on 14 October and MONNIKENDAM was washed up on the beach near West Kapelle.
(John Quilliam was master mate on HMS TRIUMPH during the Battle of Camperdown.)

https://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of- ... 1793-1802/
Isle of Man 2021 L sg?, Scott?
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battle of camperdown by thomas whitcombe.jpg
battle of camperdown by thomas whitcombe.jpg (69.12 KiB) Viewed 476 times
2021 John-Quilliam-in-the-Battle-of-Camperdown (2).jpg
2021 John-Quilliam-in-the-Battle-of-Camperdown (2).jpg (90.83 KiB) Viewed 474 times

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