Battle of Ramillies their disastrous defeat at Blenheim in 1704, the next year brought the French some respite. The Duke of Marlborough had intended the 1705 campaign – an invasion of France through the Moselle valley – to complete the work of Blenheim and persuade King Louis XIV to make peace but the plan had been thwarted by friend and foe alike. The reluctance of his Dutch allies to see their frontiers denuded of troops for another gamble in Germany had denied Marlborough the initiative but of far greater importance was the Margrave of Baden’s pronouncement that he could not join the Duke
Battle of Orford Ness (1704) Battle of Orford Ness (1704) The Battle of Orford Ness took place between a southbound Swedish convoy escorted by the Swedish warship Öland and an English squadron "some miles" off Orford Ness on 27 July 1704 (Julian Calendar). The English challenged the Swedish convoy to salute them, which the Swedes refused to do, and a four hours' battle ensued. The Swedish commander Gustaf von Psilander was captured, along with his ship, but both were later released, and returned to Sweden. However, the ship Öland went under just north of Denmark while homebound. Psilander survived however, and was later knighted for