Naval Battles between England and Scotland in the 1500-1600

General naval discussions that don't fit within any specific time period or cover several issues.
zucccchini
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Naval Battles between England and Scotland in the 1500-1600

Post by zucccchini »

Is anyone familiar with the wars between the Scots and the English as far back as the 1500 and 1600? Were there any notable naval battles involving those countries? I have found many general land wars and skirmishes between these two entities but none involve the ocean and inlets that are so much a part of their commerce and life. Thanks
Mostlyharmless
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Re: Naval Battles between England and Scotland in the 1500-1

Post by Mostlyharmless »

I think that the English Navy was generally too strong to be challenged. English ships took part in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547, inflicting serious losses on the left wing of the Scottish army.
zucccchini
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Re: Naval Battles between England and Scotland in the 1500-1

Post by zucccchini »

Thanks for the come back. First of all I know absolutely NOTHING about that period...never was a successful student of history. But, what you are saying is extremely interesting since this particular incident, if you want to call it that, occurred in some sort of inlet...nearly too or in a harbor...four English ships suffered a surprise devastating attack ...probably by privateers. One of the commander's name of the English ship was Stanley ...may have even been just a frigate or boarding boat. He and most of his crew were killed or drowned by cannon fire. It was in salt water, not a river. This whole scenario has been gleaned from ancestor research from very old diaries of the time. Just do not know the exact year (1500 or 1600), or the man's full name. Diaries are privately owned and very tattered and torn. I will research that battle although, I am to assume England won ultimately? :D
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RF
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Re: Naval Battles between England and Scotland in the 1500-1

Post by RF »

Given the land border between England and Scotland and that the English navy was only really created to any size under Henry VIII there was little scope for naval war. At that time what would have been more important than naval combat per se would be the seaborne links between Scotland and its ally against England, France.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
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aurora
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Re: Naval Battles between England and Scotland in the 1500-1

Post by aurora »

The English Navy at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh on the R Esk, near Musselburgh,EDINBURGH in 1547

The English Commander Somerset- could have had little doubt that the Scots would fight a defensive battle–the strength of their position suggested that–yet he could still be confident of victory. Experience in the Italian wars had taught Europe's soldiers that even an enemy in a strong defensive position could be reduced with intensive artillery fire, and Somerset did not lack cannons. Even more important, his navy had taken up a position in the Firth of Forth from which it, too, could assail the Scottish left flank at Musselburgh

Eighty warships accompanied Somerset's expeditionary force, of which the largest, Henry Grace à Dieu, displaced 1,000 tons and carried 50 guns. Each gun was served by a professional gunner, commanding a gun crew that was drawn from the ship's complement of mariner-soldiers. Well able to strike a small, bobbing target on the open sea, the English gunners in the Firth of Forth would have no difficulty hitting the Scots' positions on shore. Moreover, by employing a tactic similar to the cavalry caracole, whereby troopers armed with firearms attacked in column, discharged their weapons and retired to the rear of the column to reload, the English fleet would be able to maintain a sustained bombardment of the Scottish position. A handful of Scottish cannons pointed vainly out to sea to meet that threat, but the lurking menace in the Firth of Forth rendered the position of the Scottish left flank at Musselburgh on the Firth of Forth untenable.
Quo Fata Vocant-Whither the Fates call

Jim
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