Qualla: Battle of Damme https://qualla.com/battle-of-damme en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:06 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/u/1/4/k/battle-of-damme-wp/hero-small.webp Qualla: Battle of Damme https://qualla.com/battle-of-damme Battle of Damme: Introduction https://qualla.com/battle-of-damme/ Photo credit James Grant, Public domain. The English sailors could not believe their luck. On May 30, 1213, Earl William Longespee led his fleet into the estuary of the Zwyn expecting to support his Flemish allies. Instead, he found the entire French invasion armada at anchor, hundreds of ships laden with wine, bacon, pay chests, and the personal treasures of French barons. Most of the crews were ashore, pillaging the Flemish countryside while King Philip II besieged Ghent. Within two days, the English had captured 300 ships, burned another 100, and sailed home with such plunder that chroniclers declared 'never had so much treasure come into England since the days of King Arthur.' The Battle of Damme ended France's immediate hope of invading England and became celebrated as the first great naval victory in English history.

Read more: Battle of Damme on Qualla

Image: James Grant | Public domain

]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/1/4/k/battle-of-damme-wp/u147-battle-of-damme-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Battle of Damme: A Pope's Intervention https://qualla.com/battle-of-damme/ Photo credit James Grant, Public domain. King John of England had lost nearly all his French territories by 1204 and spent years scheming to recover them. By 1212, both John and his nephew Otto, the Holy Roman Emperor, were locked in disputes with Pope Innocent III. John's refusal to accept the Pope's candidate for Arch...

Read more: Battle of Damme on Qualla

Image: James Grant | Public domain

]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/1/4/k/battle-of-damme-wp/u147-battle-of-damme-a-popes-intervention.mp3 0:06 2 full Battle of Damme: The Fleets Assemble https://qualla.com/battle-of-damme/ Photo credit James Grant, Public domain. Medieval naval warfare relied on two types of vessels. Galleys, adapted from Mediterranean designs, were highly maneuverable and effective for raiding. Cogs, the merchant ships of the era, had deep hulls and high sides that made them floating fortresses when fitted with wooden fi...

Read more: Battle of Damme on Qualla

Image: James Grant | Public domain

]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/1/4/k/battle-of-damme-wp/u147-battle-of-damme-the-fleets-assemble.mp3 0:06 3 full Battle of Damme: Slaughter in the Estuary https://qualla.com/battle-of-damme/ Photo credit James Grant, Public domain. Damme sat on the estuary of the Zwyn, serving as the port of Bruges and one of the most important commercial harbors in Europe. When Longespee's 700 men-at-arms and their fleet of fighting ships entered the estuary on May 30, they initially mistook the French vessels for Flemish ...

Read more: Battle of Damme on Qualla

Image: James Grant | Public domain

]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/1/4/k/battle-of-damme-wp/u147-battle-of-damme-slaughter-in-the-estuary.mp3 0:06 4 full Battle of Damme: A King's Fury https://qualla.com/battle-of-damme/ Photo credit James Grant, Public domain. When Philip learned of the disaster, he abandoned the siege of Ghent and force-marched his army to Damme. He arrived on June 2 to find English ships still looting and burning his fleet almost at will. Suspecting treachery from crews recruited from recently-lost English territorie...

Read more: Battle of Damme on Qualla

Image: James Grant | Public domain

]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/1/4/k/battle-of-damme-wp/u147-battle-of-damme-a-kings-fury.mp3 0:06 5 full