Editing Four Days' Battle (section)

===Fourth day, first engagements===
The 4 June was cloudy with a brisk south-westerly wind. Both fleets had moved east of the Galloper Sand on divergent courses and were out of sight of each other at dawn, but English scouting ships soon found the Dutch to the south. When the main English fleet following the scouts was sighted, de Ruyter called his flag officers together to discuss a new arrangement for their nine divisions, with his own squadron in the van, de Vries (as successor to Evertsen) in the centre and Tromp in the rear.<ref>Fox, p. 252</ref> His intention was to break the English line in three places simultaneously rather than fight in line ahead.<ref>Van Foreest and Weber, p. 18</ref> When the English fleet approached, sailing in a south-easterly direction, the Dutch had the weather gauge and sailed in line abreast in a northerly direction before forming line rather obliquely to the English fleet, so that only the Dutch rear and English van were initially within range of each other.<ref>Fox, p. 253</ref>

As on previous days, the fleets started by passing each other then reversing course.<ref>Fox, p. 254</ref> De Ruyter waited to exploit any gaps that might arise in the English line to carry out his plan of breaking through it, but about 7.30 on the second pass of the fleets, he was forestalled when Rupert's squadron, sailing west, raced for the weather gauge against the leading Dutch ships under Vice Admiral [[Johan de Liefde]] with the ''Ridderschap van Holland'' as his flagship.<ref>Van Foreest and Weber, p. 19</ref> De Liefde's immediate opponent was Vice Admiral Myngs on {{HMS|Victory|1660|6}}. Myngs' attempt to break the Dutch line was opposed by de Liefde trying to break the English one, but Myngs managed to force his division into the middle of de Liefde's ships<ref>Van Foreest and Weber, pp. 19-20</ref> In close-quarters fighting, Myngs was shot and fatally wounded and the disabled ''Victory'' with three ships protecting it was forced to the north.<ref>Fox, p. 254</ref> The ''Ridderschap van Holland'' was partly dismasted and unmanageable, but Rupert (who was intent on breaking the Dutch line) ordered his warships to stay in line and sent a fireship to burn it, although it only succeeded in setting fire to a Dutch fireship. The ''Ridderschap van Holland'' was then sent to port as being too damaged to continue fighting.<ref>Fox, pp. 254-5</ref> Rupert's attempt to break the Dutch line succeeded as {{HMS|Royal James|1660|6}} was larger and more strongly armed than any of de Liefde's ships, and many others of Rupert's and Albemarle's ships followed through the gap it had created, or forced their own way through. However, Tromp's rear squadron broke through Teddiman's blue squadron, throwing it into confusion.<ref>Fox,  p. 256</ref>

Seeing the danger to Teddiman's squadron, both Albemarle and Rupert acted independently to reverse course and attack Tromp with superior numbers. Tromp could not continue on a south-westerly course, as Teddiman's ships were in that direction: he had at most 12 to 14 ships, several of which were small, and could only withdraw to the north. While doing so, two of his ships collided and one the ''Landman'' was burned by an English fireship, which also damaged the ''Gouda'' severely.<ref>Fox,  pp. 256-8</ref> De Ruyter had achieved his objective of completely disrupting the English line by late morning, but his own fleet was also in disorder and so unable to take advantage of the confused English fleet.<ref>Van Foreest and Weber, p. 20</ref>

After Tromp withdrew, gunfire ceased briefly while the disordered fleets tried to rearrange themselves to continue fighting. In the English fleet, Teddiman's rear squadron had first to be brought into line. However, once the English battle line was completed, de Ruyter had at most 35 ships with him, and possibly fewer, to oppose it. Tromp, van Nes (who had decided to chase the four ships from Myngs' former squadron) and de Vries were all some distance away and the English fleet was between them and de Ruyter. The ''Victory'', now commanded by its lieutenant, [[John Narborough]], and its three consorts were attacked by Tromp and van Nes with around 25 ships but managed to manoeuvre to avoid capture and all survived the battle.<ref>Fox,  pp. 258-9</ref> De Vries ignored this contest, and attempted to rejoin de Ruyter.<ref>Fox,  p. 259</ref>

Despite having possibly as few as 32 and certainly not more than 35 ships to fight as many as 48 English ones, de Ruyter had regained the weather gauge while Albemarle and Rupert were attacking Tromp. During the late morning and early afternoon, the two fleets passed and repassed each other. Albemarle made no attempt to keep de Vries from joining the main Dutch fleet, which he did around noon. During the successive passes, the English fleet with superior numbers and heavier guns attempted to close with the Dutch, but de Ruyter prudently kept his ships at such a distance that, on some passes, the English ships, some with their magazines depleted by the previous days' fighting, withheld their fire.<ref>Fox,  pp. 259-60</ref>

De Ruyter's patience was based on the probability that some or all of van Nes and Tromp's 25 ships would return to the main action, which they began to do on the lee side of the English fleet from around 3pm. In response, Albemarle with some 37 ships including Sprague's division from Rupert's white squadron concentrated on van Nes and Tromp while Rupert with around a dozen ships manoeuvred to hold off de Ruyter. Albemarle's intention was to strike a decisive blow before his ammunition and daylight ran out.<ref>Fox,  pp. 260-1</ref>