Our modern-day cruiser the Kent has her own story also as a man-of-war, a notable and interesting historic reputation of her own, to uphold. This summary will give its points, the “battle honours” which the Kent would be entitled to bear on her ship’s flag were our ships authorized to follow the practice of the army in regard to regimental flags.
H.M.S. KENT.
| Blake’s victory over Tromp off Portland | Feb., | 1653 |
| Blake and Monk’s victory off Lowestoft | June, | 1653 |
| Monk’s victory over Tromp off Camperdown | July, | 1653 |
| Blake’s bombardment of Tunis | April, | 1655 |
| Duke of York’s victory off the North Foreland | June, | 1665 |
| Rupert and Albemarle—“The Four Days’ Fight” | June, | 1666 |
| Rupert and Albemarle—“The St. James’s Day Fight” | July, | 1666 |
| Battle off Cape Barfleur and Attack at La Hogue | May, | 1692 |
| Rooke’s battle in Vigo Bay | Oct., | 1702 |
| Capture of a French convoy off Granville | July, | 1703 |
| Battle of Malaga[5] | Aug., | 1704 |
| Siege of Barcelona | Sept., | 1705 |
| Action with Duguay Trouin | April, | 1709 |
| Capture of the French 60-gun ship Superbe | July, | 1710 |
| Sir George Byng’s victory off Messina | July, | 1718 |
| Relief of Gibraltar | Feb., | 1727 |
| Capture of the Spanish 74-gun ship Princessa | April, | 1740 |
| Hawke’s victory off Finisterre | Oct., | 1747 |
| Taking of Geriah | Feb., | 1756 |
| Recapture of Calcutta and bombardment of Chandernagore | Feb., | 1757 |
| Alexandria | Mar., | 1801 |
| Service with Nelson off Toulon | 1803-4 | |
| In the Mediterranean | 1807-12 |
A peculiarly interesting memento of the Kent in connection with one of these battles is in existence. It refers to the part played by the Kent of Charles the Second’s navy just before the battle of June, 1666, “The Four Days’ Fight,” in which Monk, Duke of Albemarle, during Prince Rupert’s temporary absence with a third of the fleet in the Channel, without waiting for Rupert to rejoin, rashly flung his weaker force on De Ruyter with the whole of the Dutch fleet at hand and brought about a general engagement.
The Kent had been sent off on the 27th of May on a scouting cruise between “Blackness” (the old name for Cape Grisnez) and Ostend. Late in the evening of the 30th of May the following letter was handed to the Duke of Albemarle from the captain of the Kent, sent across by a Dutch ketch that the Kent had taken:—
“May it please yr Grace,
“This morning being off Gravelines in chase of a small ship and a ketch belonging to Newport, as they pretend, whom I have sent into the Downs to your Grace, I mett with a Swede who came from Amsterdam on Sunday last in his ballast, bound for Bordeaux, who relates that 75 sayle of the Flemish Fleet sett sayle out of the Texel the 21st present, and 28 more from Zealand, leaving 6 ships behind them, whose men they tooke out to man the rest of the Fleet, & stoode away to the Northwest, which as my duty binds me I have thought fit to acquaint yr Grace with: & humbly kissing your hands I remain
“Yr Grace’s most humble servant to be commanded,
“Thos. Ewens.
“From aboard his Matⁱᵉˢ shipp Kent:
this 30th May, 1666.”