[4] The Third Anglo-Dutch War was launched by the English and French in 1672, but the allies were outmatched by the Dutch forces under Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, who inflicted several defeats.

[6] After the English had withdrawn from their alliance with France, de Ruyter appeared off Martinique on 16 July 1674 with a fleet that included 18 warships, support vessels and 15 troop transports with 3,400 soldiers.

The French were expecting de Ruyter but thought Fort Royal (now Fort-de-France) was impregnable, so had concentrated their forces up the coast at Saint-Pierre.

De Ruyter directed his force to Fort Royal, but was becalmed on the first day, giving the French time for urgent efforts to improve the defenses.

[7] The governor of Martinique Antoine André de Sainte-Marthe arrived to take command at dawn, by which time the French had booms across the harbour mouth and enough men to work the batteries.

[8] Two armed ship were anchored off the fort: the 44-gun royal frigate Jeux under Amblimont and the 22-gun merchantman Saint Eustache.

[9] At the start of the attempted Invasion of Martinique de Ruyter's force was greeted by heavy gunfire when it entered the harbour in the morning on 20 July.

1,000 Dutch troops were landed at 9:00 a.m. but found themselves trapped below high cliffs, exposed to fire from the French batteries and from the two armed ships.

In 1677 Amblimont cruised in the Antilles in the Alycon in the squadron of Admiral Jean II d'Estrées and assisted in the seizure of Tobago.

[13] On 2 May 1687 Amblimont left La Rochelle on the 52-gun Arc-en-ciel in command of a squadron with two other warships, Perle and Profond, and two transports carrying twelve companies of marine troops to combat the Iroquois threat.

[1] Amblimont distinguished himself at the start of the Nine Years' War (1688–97) in a battle where, with four frigates, he attacked five English vessels, sank two, burned a third and took a fourth.