Blake urged the upkeep of
the fleet. Two months later, November 30, 1652, Tromp, now restored
to command, suddenly appeared in the Channel with 80 ships and a
convoy behind him. Blake had only 45 and these only partly manned,
but he was no man to refuse a challenge and boldly sailed out to
meet him. It is said that during the desperate struggle--the "battle
of Dungeness"--Blake's flagship, supported by two others, fought
for some time with twenty of the Dutch. As Blake had the weather
gage and retained it, he was able to draw off finally and save his
fleet from destruction. All the ships were badly knocked about and
two fell into the hands of the enemy. Blake came back so depressed
by his defeat that he offered to resign his command, but the Council
of State would not hear of such a thing, handsomely admitted their
responsibility for the weakness of the fleet, and set at work to
refit. Meanwhile for the next three months the Channel was in Tromp's
hands. This is the period when the legend describes him as hoisting
a broom to his masthead.

By the middle of February the English had reorganized their fleet
and Blake took the sea with another famous Roundhead soldier, Monk,
as one of his divisional commanders. At this time Tromp lay off
Land's End waiting for the Dutch merchant fleet which he expected
to convoy to Holland. On the 18th the two forces sighted each other
about 15 miles off Portland. Then followed the "Three Days' Battle,"
or the battle of Portland, one of the most stubbornly contested
fights in the war and its turning point.

In order to be sure to catch Tromp, Blake had extended his force
of 70 or 80 ships in a cross Channel position. Under cover of a
fog Tromp suddenly appeared and caught the English fleet divided.
Less than half were collected under the immediate command of Blake,
only about ten were in the actual vicinity of his flagship, and
the rest were to eastward, especially Monk's division which he
had carelessly permitted to drift to leeward four or five miles.
As the wind was from the west and very light, Monk's position made
it impossible for him to support his chief for some time. Tromp saw
his opportunity to concentrate on the part of the English fleet
nearest him, the handful of ships with Blake. The latter had the
choice of either bearing up to make a junction with Monk and the
others before accepting battle or of grappling with Tromp at once,
trusting to his admirals to arrive in time to