Battle of IJsselmeer

The Battle on Skates
Part of the Eighty Years' War

Charge of the Dutch soldiers on skates
Date1572
Location
Haarlem
Result Dutch victory
Belligerents
 United Provinces  Spain
Commanders and leaders
Geuzen Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, 4th Duke of Alba
Strength
unknown unknown
Casualties and losses
Low Many hundreds dead[1]
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Eighty Years' War
Origins – List of battles
1566–1572

Western Europe

  • Beeldenstorm
  • Valenciennes
  • Wattrelos
  • Lannoy
  • Oosterweel
  • Dahlen
  • Heiligerlee
  • Jemmingen
  • Jodoigne
  • Le Quesnoy
1572–1576

Western Europe

European waters
1576–1579

Western Europe

1579–1588

Western Europe

European waters
Ten Years, 1588–1598

Western Europe

  • 1st Bergen op Zoom
  • 2nd Geertruidenberg
  • 2nd Breda
  • 2nd Zutphen
  • 2nd Deventer
  • Delfzijl
  • Knodsenburg
  • 1st Hulst
  • Nijmegen
  • Rouen
  • Caudebec
  • 2nd Steenwijk
  • 1st Coevorden
  • 1st Luxemburg
  • 3rd Geertruidenberg
  • 2nd Coevorden
  • Groningen
  • 2nd Luxemburg
  • Huy
  • 1st Groenlo
  • Lippe
  • 2nd Lier
  • Calais
  • 2nd Hulst
  • Turnhout
  • 2nd Rheinberg
  • 1st Meurs
  • 2nd Groenlo
  • Bredevoort
  • Enschede
  • Ootmarsum
  • 1st Oldenzaal
  • 1st Lingen
European waters
  • 1st English Channel · Flanders
  • Bayona Islands
  • Gulf of Almería
  • 1st Cádiz
  • Azores
1599–1609

Western Europe

European waters
Twelve Years' Truce, 1609–1621

Western Europe

  • Aachen

East Indies

1621–1648

Western Europe

European waters

Americas

East Indies

Peace – Aftermath – Historiography

The Battle of IJsselmeer, also known as the Battle on Skates, was a notable military engagement during which the Duke of Alva dispatched his son, Don Frederick, to seize control of the city of Haarlem. The city was mostly surrounded by water, with ships positioned nearby that had become frozen in with the icy conditions. Upon Don Frederick's arrival, he dispatched a contingent of soldiers to capture these stranded vessels.

However, as these soldiers approached the ships, they encountered a group of armed Dutch forces who were equipped with skates. In response to the Dutch soldiers' advance, they swiftly withdrew while bullets were exchanged between the two sides. The uneven icy terrain proved challenging for conventional foot movement, but the Dutch skaters effectively glided over the ice, avoiding harm, and fired bullets at their adversaries. They skillfully alternated between shooting and retreating, maintaining a tactical advantage.

The outcome of the battle was severe losses for the Spanish forces, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Upon receiving news of this setback, the Duke promptly issued an order for the procurement of seven thousand pairs of skates, presumably to equip his troops for similar icy encounters in the future.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ Goodman, Neville; Goodman, Albert (1882). Handbook of fen skating, by N. and A. Goodman. Sampson, Low. p. 29.
  2. ^ St. Nicholas Volume 19. Scribner & Company. 1892. pp. 244–245.
  3. ^ Hooker, Mark T. (1999). The History of Holland. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 9780313050688.
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