Experts have found the wreckage of a Dutch warship sunk by the British Royal Navy 350 years ago, after identifying a mysterious wreck off the coast of Eastbourne. Today, the shipwreck will be granted special protection from Britain under UK law, and several centuries ago the Dutch ship sank after causing damage in the Channel. English during the seventeenth century.

The British Navy sank the ship in the Second Anglo-Dutch War

As reported in The Telegraph, experts have revealed that the ship, which is now 100 feet below the surface, is Klein Hollandia which took part in major battles in the Second Anglo-Dutch War before being boarded and destroyed by English forces in 1672.

British and Dutch experts participated in revealing the identity of the sunken ship

Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson said: “The identification of Klein Hollandia offers a glimpse into the 17th century, giving us an opportunity to learn more about the maritime history of this period and reveal the underwater treasures of hundreds of inhabitants.”

“I am very happy that, thanks to this partnership between the UK and the Netherlands, we have been able to solve some of the mysteries associated with this wreck,” he added.

The wreck of the Kleine Hollandia was found through a joint investigation by British and Dutch experts. Their analysis of a detailed cannon provided clues to the ship’s identity. The cannons were written in the name of a master gunsmith, marked as Dutch, and dated 1670, which means the ship must have been It must have fallen after this date.

The year of the Dutch ship

The British Navy targeted the ship as it passed through the English Channel

The ship also came down with a cargo of valuable Carrara marble from Italy, allowing historians to trace fleets that moved out of the Mediterranean near this date, concluding that the ship was part of a squadron commanded by Admiral de Haisey..

Records show that this squadron was attacked by British forces while passing through the English Channel, and that during the engagement the ship was hit Klein Hollandia Badly damaged, it sank before Dutch and British sailors could disembark it.

Today the site is protected by the Conservation of the Wrecks Act 1973, which Lord Parkinson said would allow the UK to guard the site “for future generations to continue research.”“.