Scientists have managed to solve the mystery surrounding the origin of a ship that sank off the coast of England in the 17th century with a cargo of selected Italian marble. As reported by the news server Daily Maila listed shipwreck off the Sussex coast belonging to the Dutch warship Klein Hollandia.
The ship was built in 1656 and owned by the Rotterdam Admiralty. Klein Hollandia participated in all major battles of the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667). In 1672 she was part of Admiral de Haes’s fleet, which was sent to escort a fleet from Smyrna sailing from the Mediterranean across the English Channel to the Netherlands.
Off the Isle of Wight, the ships were attacked by an English fleet under the command of Admiral Holmes. A fierce battle ensued, in which the Klein Hollandia was badly damaged and the ship’s captain, Jan Van Nes, was killed. The English captured the ship, boarded it, but shortly afterwards the Klein Hollandia sank with both English and Dutch sailors on board. This surprise action, carried out by a relatively small English naval force, contributed to the start of the Third Anglo-Dutch War.
The sunken vessel was discovered in 2019. Although it was not known what kind of ship it was, the wreck was given the highest level of heritage protection. The research was carried out by experts from Britain and the Netherlands during the past year. They used evidence recovered from the wreck by professional and volunteer divers, as well as analysis of tree rings from wood samples.
