Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, early modern

Holmes's Bonfire

Holmes's Bonfire was a naval engagement fought on 20 August 1666 in what is now Netherlands. It was part of Second Anglo-Dutch War, which ran from 1665 to 1667. The recorded result: English victory. Recorded strength: 8 ships against 2 ships; 150 merchant vessels.

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Raid of Admiral Robert Holmes on Vlie 1666
Raid of Admiral Robert Holmes on Vlie 1666. Harmen de Mayer (attribution), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought20 August 1666
WhereNetherlands53.361N, 5.216E
OutcomeEnglish victory
BelligerentsEnglandagainstDutch Republic
Casualties and losses6 killed; 24 woundedand2 ships destroyed; 140 merchant vessels destroyed
Part ofSecond Anglo-Dutch War1665 to 1667

Where it sits in Second Anglo-Dutch War

Conquest of New Netherland, 1664Battle of Barbados, 1665Battle of Lowestoft, 1665Battle of Vågen, 1665St. James's Day Battle, 1666Four Days' Battle, 1666Holmes's Bonfire, 1666Battle of Nevis, 1667Raid on the Medway, 1667Battle of Martinique, 1667Battle of Landguard Fort, 1667Capture of Cayenne (1667), 1667Recapture of Fort Zeelandia, 166716641667Holmes's Bonfire, 1666
13 placed engagements of Second Anglo-Dutch War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date20 August 1666
PlaceNetherlands
53.361N, 5.216E
KindNaval engagement, early modern
Strength8 ships2 ships; 150 merchant vessels
Casualties and losses6 killed; 24 wounded2 ships destroyed; 140 merchant vessels destroyed
Holmes's BonfireHolmes's BonfireBattle of the AfsluitdijkBattle of BoksumAction of 24 October 1798Battle of TexelBattle of TexelBattle of the AfsluitdijkBattle of TexelAmsterdamHaarlemGroningenZwolle100 km53.361N, 5.216E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1666

Holmes's Bonfire is one of 1,470 engagements of the 17th century in the atlas and one of 237 in present-day Netherlands.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1981397, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Holmes's Bonfire, revision 1382695086, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.