Capture of the Dutch fleet at Den Helder

The capture of the Dutch fleet at Den Helder on the night of 23 January 1795 was a rare occurrence of an interaction between warships and cavalry. A French Revolutionary Hussar regiment came close to the Dutch fleet frozen at anchor in the Nieuwediep, just east of the town of Den Helder. General de Winter arrived at Den Helder with his troops during that night. In February 1795 a massive mutiny broke out among Dutch sailors who had not been paid for nearly a year and believed the old Republic's naval discipline no longer applied. The ships' status was clarified in May 1795 under the Treaty of The Hague, when the Batavian Republic became a French ally.