April Events of the American Revolution: Paul Revere's Ride and Battles of Lexington and Concord

From the American Battlefield Trust April 2022 calendar.

APRIL 12, 1776

**  Halifax Resolves, North Carolina.  First colony to authorize its delegates to vote for independence.

APRIL 18, 1775

**  Revere and Dawes ride.

APRIL 19, 1775

**  Battles of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts

APRIL 19, 1782

**  Netherlands recognizes American independence

APRIL  27, 1777

**  Battle of Ridgefield, Connecticut

APRIL 25, 1781

**  The Battle of Hobkirk's Hill, South Carolina

--Cooter

Ten World Engineering Marvels-- Part 4: Netherlands and Da Subways

9.  NETHERLANDS NORTH SEA PROTECTION WORKS

With parts of their country below sea level, a system of floodgates, storm surge barriers and dams to prevent flooding and claim land from the sea, Netherlands constructed this.

The project began in 1927 with the construction of a 19-mile long dike, decades of land reclamation followed.

10.  NEW YORK AND BOSTON SUBWAYS

Horse-drawn carriages clogged the streets (and left behind certain droppings) and then there were the elevated trains with their soot, so leaders in Boston and New York took another way to solve the problem.  And that was to go underground.

Boston opened its subway in 1897 and New York City  seven years later.

--CootSubs

The Speedwell-- Part 4: A Veteran of the War Against Spain and the Spanish Armada

From Wikipedia.

The Speedwell was a 60 ton pinnace that was, along with the Mayflower, supposed to transport the Pilgrims to America.  A vessel of the same name and size had traveled to America 17 years before the Pilgrims as the flagship of the first expedition of Martin Pring.

It was built in 1577, under the name Swiftsure, as part of English preparations for war with Spain and participated in the fight against the Spanish Armada.  During the Earl of Essex's 1596 Azores expedition and served as the ship of his second in command, Sir Gelli Meyrick.  After the war with Spain ended, she was decommissioned in 1605, and renamed the Speedwell.

Captain Blossom, a Leiden, Netherlands Separatist, bought the Speedwell in July 1620.  They then sailed to Southampton under the command of a Captain Reynolds.  There, they met a second ship named the Mayflower,  which had been chartered by merchant investors (again, Captain Blossom).

The Speedwell was already leaking badly at this time.

The two ships lay at anchor in Southampton for almost two weeks while the Speedwell was being repaired.   The group had to sell some of their supplies and food to cover costs and port fees.

--Cooter

What Was the Speedwell?-- Part 1

From "Mayflower: Birth of America."

The Separatists (Pilgrims) were actually supposed to journey to America in two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell.  So, what happened to the Speedwell. Why is it not well-known, like the Mayflower?

The Pilgrims in Leiden, Netherlands had purchased their own ship to make the voyage.  It was named the Speedwell.  Just 50-feet long, it was considered safe enough  to make the dangerous voyage across the Atlantic.

They also hired a captain for it.  Sadly, both the ship and captain proved untrustworthy.

The Pilgrims left the Netherlands and sailed to the English port of Southampton tom meet up with another ship that was hired by the London investors in the proposed colony.  From there, they were to sail across the Atlantic.

That other ship was the Mayflower, under the command of Christopher Jones.

So, What Happened to the Speedwell?  Why Has It been Overlooked in History?  --CootAtist

The Dutch Navy in World War II

Since I really didn't even know there was a Dutch Navy in the war, I went to good old Wikipedia and did some more research.

After the fall of the Netherlands to German forces, the Royal Netherlands Navy had headquarters in London. Their duties consisted primarily of escorting troop transports at Dunkirk and D-Day as well as convoy duty in the North Atlantic.

During the war, the Dutch navy suffered heavy losses, especially in operations against the Japanese in the colony of the Dutch East Indies and the Battle of Java Sea.

Dutch Naval forces in Asia were virtually annihilated during Japanese operations against the Dutch East Indies in February and March 1942. During that time, the Dutch lost twenty ships (including their only two light cruisers) and 2500 killed.

The submarine K XVI which was just found, was sunk near Borneo on Christmas Day 1941.

During the early days of World War II, Dutch submarines sank more Japanese ships than the entire British and US navies together, earning Dutch Admiral Conrad Helfrich the nickname "Ship-A-Day Helfrich."

So, There Was a Dutch Navy in World War II. --Cooter

Dutch World War II Submarine Found Off Borneo

From the October 26th Borneo Post.

And, I didn't even know the Netherlands had submarines during the war.

Sports divers found the wreck of the HR. MS. KXVI, missing since Christmas Day 1941 with a crew of 36, after receiving a tip from a local fisherman.

The 1,000 ton submarine was part of an Allied fleet tasked with stopping the Japanese invasion of what was then called the Dutch East Indies. It had torpedoes the Japanese submarine hunter Sagiri the day before and sunk itself Dec. 25th by a Japanese submarine.

That brings to six the number of Dutch subs sunk during the war that have now been found. Only one, the HR. MS. 0 13, remains, sunk somewhere in the North Sea.

A Little Known Aspect of the War. --Cooter