The Dutch relied more heavily on fourth rates because shallow waters and a porous boundary between East Indiamen and warships favored intermediate hulls. That ambiguity could make a convoy's true fighting strength difficult to judge until an attacker had committed. Delft served against Barbary pirates, was initially disarmed after the French conquest of the Dutch Republic, and was then reactivated by the Batavian Republic for war with Britain. Her usual 54-gun fit combined 24-pounders on the lower deck, 12-pounders above, and lighter guns on the quarterdeck and forecastle. She fought so fiercely at Camperdown in 1797 that the Royal Navy later applied her name to the captured 64-gun Hercules. Although Delft struck and sank while under tow, her performance made the smaller ship the more prestigious prize.
Chapter · 50:38-56:29
Delft showed why fourth rates suited Dutch naval conditions
Dutch geography, decentralized admiralties, and the overlap between merchant and naval fleets made fourth rates especially useful for convoy protection and fleet combat.