Edward, 1st Viscount Hollens
| Edward de Martinden, 1st Viscount Hollens KGCmV | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 18 May 1630 Valksland, Fallen Isles |
| Died | 12 August 1679 (aged 49) Aboard HMNS Gracious Andrew off Cross St Callen, Kingdom of Caledonia |
| Resting place | Valksland Maritime Cathedral |
| Title | Viscount Hollens, Baron Emmonport |
| Nationality | Frankenlischian (Fallen Islander) |
| Residence | Emmonport Castle |
| Offices | Lord High Admiral of Frankenlisch |
| Successor | Edmund, 2nd Viscount |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Elizabeth Verey |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Frankenlisch |
| Branch | Royal Frankenlischian Navy |
| Years of service | 1650-79 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Battles/wars | Eighteen Years' War Savenheim Expedition, Siege of Krenelburg |
Edward de Martinden, 1st Viscount Hollens, KGCmV, was a Frankenlischian military officer and nobleman who fought during the Franko-Caledonian Wars. Though primarily a naval officer he was also involved in leading land-based campaigns, such as the Siege of Krenelburg. De Martinden rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and was appointed Lord High Admiral of Frankenlisch for his service in the second half of the 17th century. His twenty-nine years of service saw him become a hero of the Frankenlischian navy and his death at the Battle of Cross St Callen in 1679 was widely viewed as a tragedy for the Kingdom of Frankenlisch.
Early Life and Family
Edward de Martinden was born on the 18th of May 1630 on the island of Valksland, the second-largest of the Fallen Isles and part of the Kingdom of Frankenlisch. He was the second child of Sir Enock de Martinden and his wife Elizabeth, his elder sister was Beatrice de Martinden. Sir Enock was a prominent Fallen Islander merchant and privateer who had fought in the Siege of Featherwick and raided Wolfswooder shipping on behalf of the Frankenlischian government and the Vista River Company. Edward was born while his father was away on an expedition and Sir Enock did not see his son until his second birthday.
As was common for the children of wealthy families, Edward was sent away to study while still very young. He attended a boarding school on Valksland from his sixth birthday until aged ten. He was unable to get into Falscraf as he did not have the appropriate patronage to waive the entry exam and instead attended Gestoria School until he was fifteen. A charismatic and popular boy, Edward did not exceed academically despite being described as intelligent by his contemporaries. Edward decided not to continue his education and instead became an apprentice aboard one of his father's ships.
Vista River Company
Edward de Martinden's first ship was the caravel Stephen of Daerenden, captained by a cousin of the family. In August 1645, the ship was contracted by the Vista River Company to carry a cargo of Frankenlischian-made longbows to supply a company of the King of Vladimirska's guardmen. The round trip took three weeks and de Martinden did not distinguish himself on the routine voyage. An aging ship, the Stephen of Daerenden was relegated to coastal duties, mostly ferrying coal and seafood. Surviving sections of the ship's log note that de Martinden briefly took command in December of 1646 when the captain fell ill.
For his brief stint in command of Stephen of Daerenden, de Martinden was promoted to become Second Mate aboard the Merchant of Valksland which was commanded by his father. The ship was fluyt-built in the style which had become popular in the Fallen Isles and used by the Vista River Company to carry heavy loads swiftly from Frankenlisch to Vladimirska. De Martinden sailed with his father aboard Merchant of Valksland for two years, making ten trips between Frankenlisch and Vladimirska in that time. He served in a variety of roles and quickly came to learn much about sailing and command of a ship from his father and the other officers. During this time, de Martinden lost an ear in a battle with Wolfswooder privateers who attacked the convoy he was sailing with near Savenheim. De Martinden distinguished himself in the battle and it was his first step towards embarking on his naval career.
Sir Enock attempted to keep his son from joining the navy by giving him command of his own ship, the privateer Abbess which was tasked with escorting Frankenlischian merchant convoys. De Martinden spent four months from June to November of 1649 in command of Abbess. He was wounded in a battle, again with Savenheim privateers, on 7th November and returned to Frankenlisch to recouperate. He stayed with Sir Edmund Verey, the Chief Victualler for the Navy, and his family. Verey was familiar with the de Martindens as they were good business partners. Sir Edmund and Sir Enock had met several times and were good friends. It was during his time staying with the Vereys that de Martinden was convinced to seek a career in the navy. This was partly a result of Sir Edmund Verey's influence and also to impress Verey's second daughter, Elizabeth, whom de Martinden had become very close to.
Earl of Valksland
In March 1650, de Martinden was comissioned into the Royal Frankenlischian Navy as an officer aboard HMNS Earl of Valksland. Captain Sir Seyward Forett was in command at the time and under his direction the ship (a line-ship of 64 guns) was directed to join an expeditionary fleet under Admiral Lord Northing. Northing's Savenheim Expedition was a punitive expedition intended to combat the Wolfswooder privateering that had menaced Frankenlischian trade with western Vionna for years. Though Frankenlisch was not at war with the Wulfsric Monarchy, Wolfswood did not keep a large standing navy and its vast force of contracted privateers were not well-supplied and supplemented themselves by raiding lucrative Frankenlischian trade. Intent on putting a stop to this without starting a full-scale war with Wolfswood, Lord Northing had planned to launch a swift raid on Savenheim with a force of fast frigates and corvettes protected by line-ships. The raid would recapture Frankenlischian merchant ships which had been taken by the privateers and burn a fleet of privateer ships at anchor.
Earl of Valksland was part of the expedition's vanguard squadron under Rear Admiral Lord Waldegrave. De Martinden, holding the rank of Lieutenant, commanded a section of the ship's company and was responsible for the guns mounted around the forecastle. During the voyage to Savenheim, de Martinden was presented with a silver plate by Sir Seyward Forett for winning a gunnery tournament. Waldegrave's squadron, consisting of five line-ships, was tasked with leading the lighter ships into Savenheim and covering them while they made the raid - the main portion of the fleet's heavy ships were tasked with suppressing the port's defences.
The raid on Savenheim commenced on 18th May, two weeks after the fleet set sail. Lord Waldegrave's vanguard squadron led the raid in. Earl of Valksland was the second ship in the line, behind Saint Catherine of 68 guns. Shore fortifications around the harbour hit Earl of Valksland in the hull and rigging but the guns were too light to cause significant damage. In this initial gauntlet, the ship took several casualties, including 9 dead from de Martinden's division. Earl of Valksland and the other ships of Lord Waldegrave's squadron captured the two guard-ships posted to protect Savenheim's large harbour and cleared a path to allow a force of corvettes and small frigates into the harbour. During this time, twelve large warships under Lord Northing's command exchanged fire with the main fort overlooking the harbour to distract the defenders' attention from the light ships.
It was around 3pm when the plan began to unravel. A spirited defence within the harbour by several of the privateer ships led by the Freigraf Auckritz held up the lighter Frankenlischian ships. This action turned from a disruption to a disaster when Sir Hwyfford Daines, commanding the light squadron aboard the frigate Dunwich, was killed by a musket ball. Daines' deputy was Captain Sir Edmund Mockeby of HMNS Pinport but the captain of HMNS Dunwich attempted to assume command of the light squadron himself. The squadron became quickly confused by the presence of two identical command pennants and divided between the two flagships. The confusion gave the Wolfswooders time to prepare more of their ships in the harbour and Auckritz' squadron kept up its dogged action, taking advantage of the division in the Frankenlischian light squadron to isolate ships and engage them away from their comrades. Two corvettes were lost this way and the frigate Wattenbridge was boarded. The line-ship Bishop of Brumley, as the smallest line-ship in Lord Waldegrave's squadron, was sent forward to take command of the light ships and rescue the situation but the addition of a third command pennant only confused the situation further and it was only a half hour before the Frankenlischian light ships began to flee from the harbour with the situation thoroughly in disarray.
Aboard Earl of Valksland, de Martinden and his fellow officers were disgusted by what they perceived to be the cowardice of the light squadron. While Sir Seyward Forett was distracted directing the fire of the port-side guns, the ship's master gunner gave orders for the starboard cannon to open fire on one of the retreating Frankenlischian ships: the corvette Olivia. Some of the gunners refused, including those in de Martinden's division (with his agreement), but several cannon were fired on the corvette which was damaged heavily. Olivia's log reports the loss of twenty-one men killed and wounded when the ship was dismasted by gunfire from Earl of Valksland. This only exacerbated the disaster, and Olivia was nearly captured when, slowed by damage, she was briefly overcome by Savenheimer flyboats. The light squadron was in full retreat with the Savenheimer privateers in full pursuit and de Martinden appealed to Sir Seyward Forrett to react when no orders were incoming from the rest of the fleet. Forrett, to his credit, responded immediately. Earl of Valksland swung about and, still under fire from Savenheim's formidible shore defenses, attempted to lead the vanguard squadron to cover the retreating light squardon. The heavy gunfire from Savenheim's defences kept the squadron at bay and another Frankenlischian corvette, the Lamplighter, was set upon by flyboats and captured. The capture of Lamplighter proved to be the final part of the operation; orders soon after arrived from Lord Northing's flagship, the monolithic City of Frankenlisch, commanding the withdrawal of the entire fleet. The strength of the Frankenlischian fleet in open waters made pursuit by the Wolfswooders impossible and the fleet sailed back to Frankenlisch in ignominy.
Admiralty Reform Board
Upon returning to Frankenlisch, Lord Northing's failure was met with outrage. Northing was relieved of his command and a government Board of Inquiry nearly ordered him imprisoned. He avoided censure for incompetence due to the intervention of several of his officers who defended him. Many of these officers would see severe limitations placed on their advancement in the Frankenlischian navy as a result. De Martinden stayed uninvolved in these antics and soon found himself one of the few officers to actually benefit from the failed Savenheim Expedition. June 1650 saw de Martinden appointed to the Admiralty Reform Board by the new Grand Admiral, Lord Kallistone, who replaced Lord Northing. De Martinden's appointment to the Admiralty Reform Board marked a significant turning point in his career. The board's primary mission was to assess the deficiencies in the Royal Frankenlischian Navy's organization, training, and tactics and recommend reforms to ensure that such disastrous failures as the Savenheim Expedition would not happen again. Though the losses incurred in the expedition were not significant, the Admiralty were keen to prevent a recurrence and officers with personal experience of the issues and practical experience were highly sought-after.
De Martinden, conscious of the impact the Reform Board opportunity could have on his career, accepted the appointment eagerly and threw himself into his work. The diary of Edmund Halidon (a significant naval official of the era) describes de Martinden's ardour as "almost fanatical" and his reforming zeal was viewed with delight by Lord Kallistone's administration and with horror by the traditional officer corps of the Frankenlischian navy. A severe falling-out between the so-called 'Martinden Clique' and the 'Lewistrope Clique' (after Sir Desmond Lewistrope, an influential traditionalist officer) was eventually resolved when Captain Arthur Goading and Captain Milton Saint-Andrew were both killed in a duel over the argument, forcing the Admiralty to intervene. In the aftermath of the scandal, de Martinden was appointed Chairman of the Admiralty Reform Board and duelling was banned between serving Frankenlischian officers.
Under de Martinden's influence, the Admiralty Reform Board was staffed primarily with younger officers with experience of the Frankenlischian navy's shortcomings, many of them had served with Lord Northing's expedition and knew its failures well. Under the auspices of these officers, the board enacted wide-reaching reforms in record time. On 4th November 1650, de Martinden used his influence to ensure Sir Edmund Verey's appointment to the newly-formed Navy Supply Board. A scandal ensued when, soon after, de Martinden was betrothed to Verey's second daughter, Elizabeth, whom he had been romantically pursuing for several years. Traditionalist officers claimed nepotism, but a short inquiry soon exonerated de Martinden.
Over the course of 1651, the Admiralty Reform Board totally overhauled the Frankenlischian Navy's signalling protocols, training methods, supply methods, and administration. Edmund Halidon wrote in December 1651:
Captain de Martinden's reforming talents and zeal are certainly admirable. Within the confines of a year and one half, he and his have made such changes and, one hopes, improvements to our dear Navy that it looks almost irrecognisable. Enough treasury gold has been spent on these improvements to have constructed an entire fleet of battle, fully rigged, crewed, and ready for action. One hopes that Captain de Martinden's 'improvements' are worth the sacrifice of that reinforcment to our current warfleet.