Indische retourvloot (Dutch for Indies return fleet) was the convoy of merchant ships that sailed from the Dutch East India Company’s Asian outposts back to the Dutch Republic carrying spices, textiles, and other valuable cargoes. The fleet’s regular ports of call included the Sultanate of Aceh, a major source of pepper. The source highlights the strategic importance of protecting this fleet during the Dutch–French War, when battles such as Battle of Schooneveld were fought to keep the convoy safe (see 275).
Economic significance for Aceh
The Indische retourvloot provided Aceh with a reliable market for its pepper and facilitated the flow of European goods into the region. Disruptions to the fleet, caused by enemy naval actions, could jeopardise Aceh’s trade revenues and the VOC’s monopoly.
See Also
Source
De geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Korps Mariniers van 1665‑1945, OCR text, p. 275.