Most of us will be aware that 2005 was the bicentenary of Admiral Horatio Nelson’s magnificent victory over the French at Trafalgar on October 21 1805. Yet it was, in many ways, the Suffolk Coast which made Nelson’s supremacy possible, for some 150 years earlier the English navy gained invaluable lessons during what are known as the Anglo Dutch Wars.

These were a series of three vicious naval wars sparked off initially by Oliver Cromwell’s protection of the herring fleets and the insistence that English ships were saluted at sea by foreign boats. At the start of these wars ships were ‘captained’ by Generals-at-Sea whose fighting experience had been principally on land. By the end of the wars in 1674, the term ‘Admiral’ and the division of Vice, Rear and Full Admirals were in full use. Although vessels were less efficient than the later broadside ships, in many ways these battles were a precursor to those leading to Trafalgar. The development of signalling by flag and gun and the use of fleet tactics - the Fighting Instructions, a milestone in naval tactics and drawn up by Robert Blake when recovering from wounds received in the Battle of Portland - would help enable actions to involve sometimes more than 90 ships per side.

The first battle off the Suffolk Coast was in 1653. The Dutch navy had put to sea with a fleet of 98 warships and six fireships (boats carrying combustible materials, set alight and sent to float freely amongst enemy ships in order to destroy them) and at dawn on June 2, Admiral Tromp sighted the English fleet near the Gabbard, a sandbank off Orfordness. The action lasted for seven hours after which the Dutch withdrew, having lost three ships.

The battle was renewed at noon the following day and the English General-at-Sea, George Monck, having been reinforced by a squadron of 18 ships commanded by Blake, instituted The Instructions. The Dutch were put into disarray, retreated and were pursued by the English until nightfall. The result was a decisive victory for the English.

The Second Anglo Dutch War was a result of two incidents: the first in 1663 when the English captured two Dutch posts in West Africa ( because the Dutch were underselling the English in the slave trade), and the second was the taking of New Amsterdam (re-named New York) in 1664. These victories led to The Battle of Lowestoft (actually about 40 miles south-east of Lowestoft) which was fought on a massive scale between an English fleet of 109 ships, led by James, Duke of York - hence New York - the future James II, and a Dutch fleet of 103 ships. These two fleets engaged at 4am on June 3 1665 and very quickly the battle degenerated into a massive melee. Gradually, the English gained the advantage but the Dutch managed a clever withdrawal to the Texel and Maas estuary. They had lost 32 ships and around 4000 dead. The English on the other hand got away lightly, losing just one ship and 283 killed.

The Battle of Solebay was the opening battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, 1672-74. On the evening prior to the battle, Admiral Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich (Pic), urged the Duke of York to take the fleet to sea to avoid the risk of being surprised by the Dutch whilst at anchor on a lee shore in Solebay (Southwold Bay). The advice was not taken and the Dutch fleet, commanded by Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, did appear and attacked Sandwich's unsupported squadron in the bay. Sandwich, in the 'Royal James', 100 guns, was heavily engaged with the squadron of Admiral Van Ghent, who sent in two fireships.

The 'Royal James' sank them both but a third fireship, commanded by Jan van de Rijn, grappled the English flagship and set her ablaze. When she was engulfed by the flames Sandwich tried to escape by boat, but it was swamped by people who jumped into her with him and he was drowned.