Battle of Sandwich (851)

The Battle of Sandwich in 851 was the first known naval battle in English history. It was a Kentish victory against a Danish Viking fleet.^[1]

Battle of Sandwich
Part of the Viking invasions of England
Painting of the battle by Amédée Forestier
Date 851 Location Sandwich, England Result Kentish victory
Belligerents
Kentishmen	Vikings
Commanders and leaders
Æthelstan	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	More than nine ships
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Nine ships lost

In 851 King Æthelwulf of Wessex scored a major victory at the battle of Aclea over an army drawn from 350 Danish ships. He had appointed his eldest son Æthelstan under-king of Kent, and in the same year Æthelstan and his ealdorman Ealhhere defeated a Danish fleet off Sandwich in Kent.^[1]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded under 851 that: "King Æthelstan and Ealdorman Ealhhere fought in ships, and slew a great army at Sandwich in Kent, and captured nine ships, and put the others to flight.^[2]