Editing Piet Pieterszoon Hein (section)

=== Spanish treasure fleet ===
{{main|Battle in the Bay of Matanzas}}
[[File:Piet Hein arriveert met de Zilvervloot in Holland, 1629 Piet Hein brengt de Zilvervloot binnen, in 't begin van 1629 (titel op object), BI-1997-1407B-17.jpg|thumb|The arrival of Piet Hein in Holland, 1629]]
In 1628, during the eighty years-long Dutch war of liberation from Spain, Admiral Hein, with [[Witte de With]] as his [[flag captain]], sailed out to capture a [[Spanish treasure fleet]] loaded with silver from the Spanish American colonies and the [[Philippines]]. With him was Admiral [[Hendrick Lonck]]. He was later joined by a squadron under Vice-Admiral [[Joost Banckert]], as well as the pirate [[Moses Cohen Henriques]]. Part of the Spanish fleet in [[Venezuela]] had been warned because a Dutch cabin boy had lost his way on [[Blanquilla]] island and was captured and betrayed the plan, but the other half from [[Mexico]] continued on its voyage, unaware of the threat. Sixteen Spanish ships were intercepted and captured: one galleon was taken after a surprise encounter during the night, nine smaller merchants were talked into surrendering, two fleeing small ships were taken at sea, and four fleeing [[galleon]]s were trapped on the [[Cuba]]n coast in the [[Matanzas Province|Bay of Matanzas]].

After some musket volleys from Dutch sloops, the crews of the galleons also surrendered and Hein captured 11,509,524 [[Dutch gulden|guilder]]s of booty in gold, silver, and other expensive trade goods, such as [[Indigo dye|indigo]] and [[cochineal]], without any bloodshed. The Dutch did not take prisoners: they gave the Spanish crews ample supplies for a march to [[Havana]]. The released were surprised to hear the admiral personally giving them directions in fluent Spanish; Hein after all was well acquainted with the region as he had been confined to it during his internment after 1603.

The capture of the treasure fleet was the Dutch West India Company's greatest victory in the [[Caribbean]]. It enabled the Dutch, at war with Spain, to fund their army for eight months (and as a direct consequence, allowing it to capture the fortress [['s-Hertogenbosch]]), and the [[shareholder]]s enjoyed a cash [[dividend]] of 50% for that year. The financial loss strategically weakened their Spanish enemy. Hein returned to the Netherlands in 1629, where he was hailed as a hero. Watching the crowds cheering him as he stood on the balcony of the town hall of [[Leyden]], he remarked to the burgomaster: "Now they praise me because I gained riches without the least danger; but earlier when I risked my life in full combat they didn't even know I existed...". Hein was the first and the last to capture such a large part of a Spanish "silver fleet".