Battle of IJsselmeer
The Battle on Skates | |||||||
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Part of the Eighty Years' War | |||||||
![]() Charge of the Dutch soldiers on skates | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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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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Western Europe
- Beeldenstorm
- Valenciennes
- Wattrelos
- Lannoy
- Oosterweel
- Dahlen
- Heiligerlee
- Jemmingen
- Jodoigne
- Le Quesnoy
Western Europe
- Brielle
- Mons
- 1st Mechelen
- Goes
- Naarden
- Middelburg
- Haarlem
- IJsselmeer
- Alkmaar
- 1st Geertruidenberg
- Leiden
- Delft
- Valkenburg
- Mookerheyde
- Oudewater
- Schoonhoven
- Zierikzee
- European waters
- Flushing
- Borsele
- Haarlemmermeer
- Zuiderzee
- Reimerswaal
- Lillo
Western Europe
- 1st Antwerp
- Gembloux
- Rijmenam
- 1st Deventer
- Borgerhout
Western Europe
- 1st Maastricht
- 2nd Mechelen
- Diest
- 1st Steenwijk
- Kollum
- 1st Breda
- Noordhorn
- Niezijl
- Lochem
- 1st Lier
- 2nd Antwerp
- Eindhoven
- Steenbergen
- Ghent
- Aalst
- 3rd Antwerp
- Arnhem
- Empel
- Boksum
- 1st Grave
- 1st Venlo
- Axel
- Neuss
- 1st Rheinberg
- 1st Zutphen
- 1st Sluis
- 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
Western Europe
- 1st Schenckenschans
- Zaltbommel
- Rees
- San Andreas
- Lekkerbeetje
- Nieuwpoort
- 3rd Rheinberg
- Ostend
- 1st 's-Hertogenbosch
- 2nd Grave
- Hoogstraaten
- 3rd Sluis
- 2nd Lingen
- 4th Rheinberg
- 3rd Groenlo
- European waters
- Dover Strait
- 2nd Sluis
- 1st Cape St. Vincent
- 1st Gibraltar
- Twelve Years' Truce, 1609–1621
Western Europe
- Aachen
East Indies
Western Europe
- Jülich
- 2nd Bergen op Zoom
- Fleurus
- 3rd Breda
- 2nd Oldenzaal
- 4th Groenlo
- 2nd 's-Hertogenbosch
- Meuse (2nd Maastricht, 2nd Venlo, 1st Roermond)
- 5th Rheinberg
- Leuven
- 2nd Schenkenschans
- 4th Breda
- 3rd Venlo
- 2nd Roermond
- Kallo
- 3rd Hulst
- 4th Hulst
European waters
- 2nd Gibraltar
- 2nd Cádiz
- Slaak
- Lizard Point
- Dunkirk
- 2nd English Channel
- The Downs
- 2nd Cape St. Vincent
Americas
- 1st Salvador
- Puerto Rico
- Bay of Matanzas
- Abrolhos
- Trujillo · Campeche
- 1st Saint Martin
- 2nd Salvador
- Itamaracá
- Southern Chile
- 2nd Saint Martin
East Indies
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
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