UKDIVING
Reaching out to wreck researcher and previous deputy Receiver of Wreck , Becky Austin and to the Dutch historic ordnance expert Nico Brink quickly yielded a possible identity – the Klein Hollandia . A Rotterdam warship carrying 44 guns , on its way back from the Mediterranean when it sank in a relatively unknown battle in March 1672 .
Another interesting feature on the wreck is a pile of mostly square cut flat tiles to the west of the stone block . There appear to be hundreds of them , although so far no-one has counted them . In 2020 , the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands ( RCE ) funded a survey by the NAS , including the recovery of two of these cut stone tiles for analysis by Historic England experts . Analysis identified the stone as being marble from the Apuan Alps quarries close to Carrara , Italy , home to some of the finest marble . Small fragments of fine ceramics have also been found , recovered , and conserved . These also appear to be of 17th century Italian origin . So , all the evidence is pointing towards a Dutch warship , carrying cargo from Italy , lost in the English Channel off Beachy Head sometime after 1670 . �
A diver examines the galley floor
PHOTO : MARTIN DAVIES
History
The Battle of the Smyrna Convoy
The Klein Hollandia was involved in all major sea battles in the Second Anglo-Dutch War between 1665 and 1667 . In 1672 , the ship was part of the squadron of Admiral de Haese to escort the Smyrna fleet while sailing from the Mediterranean into the English Channel , en-route for the Netherlands . At the Isle of Wight , the fleet was attacked by an English squadron under Admiral Sir Robert Holmes .
A fierce battle broke out , resulting in the Klein Hollandia being damaged severely . The commander of the ship , Jan Van Nes was killed . The ship was captured and boarded by the crew from HMS Gloucester , but shortly thereafter the Klein Hollandia sank with the loss of 150 sailors – both Dutch and English . This provocative and surprise action , which became known as the Battle of the Smyrna Convoy , took place before the official start of the Third Anglo-Dutch War , but now there was no turning back . England declared war on the Dutch Republic a few days later on the 17 March 1672 . The war would last until February 1674 .
A site under threat
In April 2021 , extensive trawl damage to the site was documented by NAS divers , which led to a joint decision by the RCE and Historic England to support further investigations of the wreck .
Although the site has been designated as a protected wreck site , there is no guarantee that threats such as looting , fishing or damage by natural causes ( such as shifting sandbanks or erosion ) can be prevented . With the obvious risks that the wreck faces , we are working with RCE and Historic England on a project to forensically mark the high value objects on the seabed . This new form of technology makes objects traceable and is an exciting step forward in the protection of vulnerable underwater archaeological sites .
I would like to thank everyone that has been involved in the work on the wreck , especially the finders Dave Ronnan , Tom Stockman and Graham Owen , and thank the regular dive team members Sara Hasan , Martin Davies and Jon Parlour . Seventy-eight divers , many of them BSAC members have helped so far and have contributed so much to our understanding . Thanks also to researcher Becky Austin and the late and great 17th century historian Frank Fox . Finally , thanks to Bexhill Museum ( where the artefacts are being curated ); the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands and Historic England for their grant support .
There is still so much more to do on site , so in 2023 we plan to continue to dive the wreck with our members from Our W with Dave Ronnan . If you would like to join a trip or have a private group whole boat charter , then please do contact me on mark @ nauticalarchaeologysociety . org
Dedication
This article is dedicated to Sylvia Pryer , whose ashes were onboard Our W when the wreck was discovered . Those of us who knew Sylvia believe she guided us to it .
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