Capitulation of Saldanha Bay

Capitulation of Saldanha Bay
Part of the War of the First Coalition
A political cartoon by Isaac Cruikshank mocking the Batavian capitulation
Date 17 August 1796 Location Saldanha Bay, Dutch Cape Colony Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	Batavian Republic
Commanders and leaders
George Elphinstone	Engelbertus Lucas
Strength
8 ships of the line 1 frigate 5 sloops	3 ships of the line 2 frigates 3 sloops 6 merchant ships
Casualties and losses
None	3 ships of the line captured 2 frigates captured 3 sloops captured 6 merchant ships captured

The capitulation of Saldanha Bay was the surrender to the British of a Batavian expeditionary force sent to recapture the Dutch Cape Colony in 1796. In 1794, early in the War of the First Coalition, French troops overran the Dutch Republic which then became a French client state, the Batavian Republic. Great Britain was concerned by the threat that the Cape Colony posed to its trade routes to British India. It therefore sent an expeditionary force that landed at Simon's Town in June 1795 and forced the surrender of the colony in a short campaign. British Vice-Admiral Sir George Elphinstone, then reinforced the garrison and stationed a naval squadron at the Cape Colony to protect it.

The Batavian government, not yet aware of the capture of the Cape Colony, but worried by rumors of British attacks against colonies of the Dutch East India Company (which was about to be nationalised because it was virtually bankrupt), decided to send a Batavian Navy squadron to the Dutch East Indies via the Cape Colony in November 1795 and if necessary recapture the latter. This force comprised three ships of the line and six smaller vessels under the command of Rear-Admiral Engelbertus Lucas Sr. Security regarding the plans was weak and the British knew of the operation before Lucas had sailed.

The British warned Elphinstone, who further reinforced the Cape Colony. Lucas' journey took nearly six months, with his squadron suffering shortages of drinking water leading to a near-mutinous state among his crews. On its arrival at the colony, the Batavian squadron anchored in Saldanha Bay to take on fresh water before deciding to abandon the operation and sail to the French base at Île de France in the Western Indian Ocean.

On 15 August 1796 Elphinstone's larger fleet discovered Lucas' squadron and trapped it in the bay. Aware that resistance would be futile and with his crews in open revolt, Lucas surrendered unconditionally. The ships of the captured Batavian force were taken into the Royal Navy, joining the squadron at the Cape Colony; Elphinstone was later made Baron Keith in recognition of his achievements. The Batavian operation did however force the cancellation of a planned British invasion of Île de France. Lucas faced a court martial on his return to Holland, but died before it began. The main responsibility for the debacle was laid at his feet but his death forestalled a conviction for dereliction of duty. All other officers were acquitted. The Cape Colony was not attacked again before the end of the war in 1802, when the Treaty of Amiens returned it to the Batavian Republic.