Professional Seamen: A Strategic Resource during the Scanian War,1675–1679

On 1 July 1677, the Danish navy won a decisive victory over a superior Swedish fleet in the bight of Koge. This success was partly due to trained seamen, who had been recruited in Amsterdam and manned the Danish men-of-war. Another professional seaman was the admiral Cornelis Tromp, who had been employed by the Danish king, not only for his skill and talent as a naval commander, but also because his very presence in Baltic waters had a deterrent effect on the Swedes. This article assesses these experienced seamen and argues that they were skilled craftsmen, who were just as important a resource for the success of a navy as big ships and heavy guns. So important, in fact, that the naval authorities were willing to pay relatively high wages to secure the expertise of professional seamen.