rike the advanced division
under Tromp and maul it severely before the rest of the Dutch could
succor it. Accordingly he boldly headed for the enemy's van. When
Monk attacked he had only about 35 ships in hand, for the rest were
straggling behind too far to help. Thus began the famous "Four
Days' Battle," characterized by Mahan as "the most remarkable, in
some of its aspects that has ever been fought upon the ocean."[1]

[Footnote 1: THE INFLUENCE OF SEA POWER UPON HISTORY, p. 125.]

The fighting was close and furious and in its unparalleled duration
numbers were bound to tell. On the third day Monk retreated to
the Thames, but on being joined by Rupert's squadron immediately
sallied forth to do battle again. On this day, June 4, the Dutch
succeeded in cutting through his formation and putting him between
two fires. Indeed Monk escaped destruction only by breaking through
his ring of enemies and finding refuge in the Thames. The Dutch had
won a great victory, for the English had lost some twenty ships
and 5000 in killed and wounded. But Monk was right in feeling a
sense of pride in the fight that he had made against great odds.
The losses that he had inflicted were out of all proportion to the
relative strength of the two forces. Unfortunately the new spirit
that was coming into the navy of the Restoration was evidenced by
the fact that a number of English captains, finding the action too
hot for them, deserted their commander in chief. On the Dutch side
de Ruyter's handling of his fleet was complicated by the conduct
of Cornelius Tromp. This officer believed that he, not de Ruyter,
should have been made commander of the Dutch fleet and in this
action as in the next, acted with no regard for his chief's orders.

As a consequence of the Four Days' Battle, Dutchmen again controlled
the Channel and closed the mouth of the Thames to trade. The English
strained every nerve to create a fleet that should put an end to
this humiliating and disastrous situation. The preparations were
carried out with such speed that on July 22 (1666), Monk and Rupert
anchored off the end of the Gunfleet shoal with a fleet of about
80 ships of the line and frigates. On the 25th the English sighted
de Ruyter, with a fleet slightly larger in numbers, in the broad
part of the Thames estuary. Monk, forming his fleet in the long
line ahead, sailed to the attack. The action that followed is called
the "Battle of St. James's Day" or the "Gunfleet."