User:Tinkaer1991/Skirmish near the Bay of Manila

Ambush near the Bay of Manila
Part of the Conflict between Willem Leyel and Bernt Pessart

Map of the Bay of Manila, 1886
DateJune 1645
Location
Unknown (presumable near the Bay of Manila, Phillipines)
Result Indigenous victory
Territorial
changes
Dano-Dutch retreatment from the place
Belligerents
 Danish India
Dutch East India Company Dutch East Indies
Indigenous people
Commanders and leaders
Danish India Bernt Pessart  
Dutch East India Company Unknown mate (WIA)
Unknown
Units involved
Danish India Dend gode Haab Native archers
Strength
Some men Unknown
Casualties and losses
1 dead
2 wounded
negligible

The Ambush near the Bay of Manila (Danish; Angrebet nær Manilabugten), alternatively the Death of Bernt Pessart (Danish; Bernt Pessarts død), was an ambush by the Indigenous peoples of the Philippines, against a combined Dano-Dutch espionaging expeditionary force. The ambush led to the death of former governor and president of Danish India, Bernt Pessart.

Background

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Route of the expedition
Route of Bernt Pessart's escape from Tranquebar (1644-1645)

Rigsadmiral Ove Gjedde, by Karel van Mander IIIBernt Pessart's regime led to a financial crisis for the Danish East India Company.[1][2] This damaged the Danish East Indian reputation to such a point that Christian IV of Denmark ordered the arrest of Pessart and sent Willem Leyel to Dansborg to succede him.[3][4][2]

When Pessart was notified if Leyel's arrival, he hastly bought a Portuguese sloop, which he renamed Dend Gode Haab (The Good Hope), and left for Japan.[3][2][5] Though, Dend Gode Haab was intercepted by the Dutch at Malacca and, together with Pessart, brought to Batavia.[3][2] Here Pessart received 10 men and new goods by the Dutch authorities, which then ordered him to espionage on the Spanish Philippines.[3][4][2]

When they reached the Philippines Pessart's Dutch mate, had difficulties finding the Bay of Manila, and accidently entered another nearby bay.[4][6] Though in the hopes to find someone to direct them, they dropped anchor.[3][6] Here they would stay for the next couple of days to gather fresh water, firewood and to repait their sails.[3][4][2]

 
Map of the northern Phillipines (Luzon)

Ambush

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They remained for a week; but on the seventh day Pessart went fishing with a boat and some of the men and caught three large fish.[3][6] While preparing the fish, some natives came out of the nearby woods and shot at Pessart and his men.[4][2] Pessart, the Dutch mate and a Laplander were all shot.[3][4] Pessart managed to get out to the boat, where he and the Laplander were dragged up, while Pessart gasped: Help me up, or i am a dead man![6] The boat only had one oar, though they still managed to get out to ship, Dend Gode Haab.[3] When Pessart got onboard on Dend Gode Haab he was already dead,[2] and was subsequently burried on a small island nearby.[4][6]

Aftermath

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Since the captain was dead, Michel Evertsen took command and decided to continue to Manila, where they would succesfully sell their goods and gather information in the local fortifications.[3][4] Though in Manila, one of Pessart's slaves broke out and informed the local commander about the espionage.[3][6] In response, the Spanish administration would confiscate Dend Gode Haab and imprison its crew.[3][4]

Afterwords the new governor of Tranquebar, Willem Leyel, would try to get the Danish seamen out of captivity, but seemingly without prevail.[3][4][6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wellen, Kathryn (2015). The Danish East India Company's War against the Mughal Empire, 1642-1698 (PDF). Royal Netherlands Institute for Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies. pp. 447–448.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "B. Pessart - www.foreningen-trankebar.dk". 123hjemmeside.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bredsdorff, Asta (2009). "Leyel arrives". The Trials and Travels of Willem Leyel. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Søhistoriske Skrifter (PDF) (in Danish). Vol. XXI. Copenhagen: Handels- og Søfartsmuseet Kronborg. 1999.
  5. ^ "Den danske tropekoloni i Trankebar". www.aerenlund.dk. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Leyel, William (1644). Rentekammerafdelingen: Willum Leyels arkiv (1639 - 1648). Danske Kancelli.