Editing Four Days' Battle (section)

===Second day, Albemarle's attack===
The morning of 2 June was sunny and warm, with a light south-westerly breeze. At dawn, de Ruyter had only 53 warships under his direct command, as Tromp with twelve others had been separated when night fell. Tromp came into sight soon after dawn but was some miles astern of the rest of the fleet when fighting started. Another twelve Dutch ships had chased the ''Rainbow'' towards Ostend and were missing for most of the day, and others on both sides had returned to port for repairs, leaving de Ruyter and Tromp with 65 ships to face Albemarle's 48.<ref>Fox,  p. 219</ref>

Albemarle made the understandable mistake of believing that the significant reduction in the size of the Dutch fleet in sight was the result of English gunfire, and attempted to destroy the Dutch fleet by a direct attack starting at 6am, initially sailing south in the hope of isolating Tromp, then to the southeast, with the main Dutch fleet moving northwest. At about 7.30, the two fleets began fighting at close range as they passed each other.<ref>Fox,  pp. 219-21</ref> During the morning, in light winds, the two fleets passed and re-passed several times, with ships from each side sometimes breaking through the other's line during these passes: Tromp able to join the rear of the Dutch line during this period.<ref>Fox,  p. 222</ref> Although the English fleet thought these were a reinforcement of new ships, about the same time Albemarle received a message that Rupert and his squadron were returning and would provide welcome assistance when they arrived<ref>Van Foreest and Weber, pp. 13, 15</ref> 
   
The first two passes went badly for the English fleet, with HMS ''Anne'', HMS ''Bristol'' and the hired ''Baltimore'' forced to return disabled to the Thames. After this, at about 10am, the wind died just as the two fleets had separated and they were becalmed for an hour.<ref>Fox,  pp. 223-4</ref> When fighting resumed, de Ruyter in {{ship|Dutch ship|De Zeven Provinciën|1665|2}} crossed the English line which was sailing to the southeast, and gained the weather gauge. His intention was to abandon line ahead tactics and to make an all-out attack on the English, boarding and capturing their ships, and had ordered the red flag to be raised, to signal this intention.<ref>Fox,  pp. 223-4</ref><ref>Van Foreest and Weber, p. 14</ref>