Dutch squadrons on 12 and 13 June 1653

The question arose as to what the Dutch squadron organization was at the Battle of the Gabbard on 12 and 13 June 1653. Lacking manuscript sources, I was reduced to using Brandt's biography of De Ruyter, with a little supplementary information:

Tromp in the Brederode, squadron admiral
 Gideon de Wildt in the Vrede, squadron Vice-Admiral
 Abel Roelantsz Verboom in the Prinses Louise, squadron Rear-Admiral

Witte de With in the Vrijheid, squadron admiral
 Jan de Lapper in the Phesant, squadron vice-admiral
 Jacob Kleijdijck in the Prins, squadron rear-admiral (Schout-bij-Nacht)

Johan Evertsen, possibly in the Milde Maerten 
       rather than the Hollandia, squadron admiral
 Cornelis Evertsen de Oude in the Zeeuwsche Leeuw, squadron vice-admiral
 Adriaen Nicolaesz Kempen in the Amsterdam, squadron rear-admiral

de Ruijter's and Florissen's squadrons totaled 35 ships

Michiel de Ruijter in the Lam, squadron admiral
 Adriaen Jansz den Oven in the Neptunus, squadron vice-admiral  (Sunk)
 Marcus Hartman in the Gecroonde Liefde,  squadron rear-admiral

Pieter Florissen in the Monnikendam, squadron admiral
 Gillis Thijssen Campen in the Groningen,  squadron vice-admiral
 Claes Bastiaensz van Jaersvelt in the David en Goliat, squadron rear-admiral

I see what I wrote in 2004 about this topic.

The Noorderkwartier ship Samson built circa 1625

The Noorderkwartier ship Samson, built in 1625 or 1627, was a larger ship than the Eenhoorn of 1625. The Samson was variously listed as 240 or 250 lasts. That would be a ship of about 128ft x 30ft x 13ft (or 128ft x 31ft x 12-1/2ft). In 1639, for the Armada campaign that cuminated in the Battle of the Downs on 31 October 1639, the Samson was armed with 32 guns and had a crew of 120 men. Her captain in 1639 was Claes Cornelisz Ham.

A ship of 200 lasts

In a note on page 275 of Vol.I of Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, there is a description of a ship of 200 lasts. The ship was mentioned in a document dated 1630. The dimensions given were 125ft x 29ft x 11-1/2ft x 7ft (the last is the deck height). The dimensions are in Amsterdam feet and pretty much match the dimensions of the Noorderkwartier ship Eenhoorn, built in 1625. The Eenhoorn is usually called a ship of 200 lasts, although one reference gives the size as 220 lasts.

The Onstelde-Zee book

My original thoughts about the Onstelde-Zee book, published in 1654, were that the book was not to be trusted. After learning more, I found that the book's description of the Battle of Portland, which the Dutch call the Three Days Battle, is quite accurate. The book mentions the Prins Willem, when referring to the ship usually called the Prins. The Prins must actually be called "Prins Willem te Paard". The Van de Velde drawing of the Battle of Dungeness calls the ship Prins te Paard, as does a letter from Johan Evertsen from mid-August 1652. The book calls Jacob Cleijdijck's ship Meerman, which is correct. Johannes van Regermorter's ship is correctly called the Leeuwin. Abraham van Campen's ship is called by an alternative name "Poort van Troijen", which is what Johan Evertsen called the ship in mid-August 1652. The more usual name was Arke Troijane. One seeming error is the mention of the Groote Sint Lucas being Sipke Fockes' ship. All indications were that Sipke Fockes still commanded the Sint Maria in the battle and that the ship was not captured, although he was killed. We have no explanation, at this date, for the Groot Sint Lucas.

From 9 June 1652

One thing notable on a page dated 9 June 1652 is the following:

5 die de steden Delff, Rotterdam, Schiedam, @ Enckhuijsen ordinarie equipperden, @ voegen bij s'lants schepen tot bescherminge van de buijssen

In other words, this is trying to cover five ships hired by cities for protection of the fishing busses. These ships were to be part of the fishery protection squadron, along with the ships of the admiralties. Of course, there are only four cities named and there are five ships.