Dutch Captain: Simon Loncke

Simon Loncke served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He lived from 1635 until 27 March 1676. He was killed in a fight with the redoubtable French privateer Jean Bart. Simon Loncke was a convoy commander in the fight, commanding the small frigate Tholen (18 guns). He was promoted to captain in 1665. According to Mollema, Simon Loncke commanded the Sphaera Mundi (40 guns) under De Ruyter's command. This actually seems to have been in August 1665. According to Frank Fox, he commanded the frigate Visscher (16 guns) in the Battle of Lowestoft. In December 1667, he set sail under the command of Abraham Crijnssen, bound for the Caribbean Sea. He took part in the capture of Suriname and fought in the Battle of Nevis, allied with a squadron from the French West Indies Company. They fought against an English squardron. The French behaved badly and the Dutch escaped without loss. During this period, Simon Loncke commanded the frigate West Cappelle (28 guns). In May 1665, he commanded the frigate Delft in the Battle of Solebay. He also fougth in the Battle of the Texel, where he commanded the Utrecht (50 guns). Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.

2. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.

3. J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.

4. J. C. M. Warnsinck, Abraham Crijnssen de verovering van Suriname en zijn zeeslag op Virginië, 1936.