Editing Four Days' Battle (section)

===Second day, Tromp's difficulties===
Before he could attack the enemy line, it became apparent to de Ruyter that Tromp and seven or eight ships of the rear squadron had not gained the weather gauge and were now isolated to the [[leeward]] side of the English red squadron without support, and under attack from ships of that squadron under vice admiral Sir [[Joseph Jordan (Royal Navy officer)|Joseph Jordan]]. It is unclear whether Tromp had not had seen De Ruyter's signal flags or had decided not to follow his orders, but within minutes six of his major ships, including his replacement flagship ''Provincie Utrecht'' had suffered major damage to their masts and were vulnerable to English fireships, which managed to burn his former flagship ''Liefde''. The ''Spieghel'', on which Vice-Admiral [[Abraham van der Hulst]] was killed by a musket shot, was attacked by three English ships of the red squadron and left disabled.<ref>Fox,  pp. 224-5</ref>

However, the remainder of Tromp's ships were saved by de Ruyter who, with Vice Admiral [[Johan de Liefde]], broke through the English blue squadron and drove off the English ships attacking Tromp while the rest of the Dutch fleet under [[Aert van Nes]] headed south, preventing the English blue squadron and the remainder of the red from joining Jordan in attacking Tromp. De Ruyter's careful planning, keeping the centre and rear of the English fleet occupied while he rescued Tromp was in contrast to Berkeley's impetuosity of the previous day.<ref>Fox, pp. 226-8</ref> However, he had taken a considerable risk, as [[George Ayscue]], seeing the de Ruyter and Tromp in a vulnerable position, had turned his white squadron north to try to isolate them. Ayscue was criticised for not pressing the disordered Dutch more closely,<ref>Van Foreest and Weber, p. 15</ref> although his ships were also vulnerable to van Nes who had begun to turn north and could have joined de Ruyter quite quickly if the latter were attacked.<ref>Fox,  pp. 228-9</ref>

Tromp, switching to his fourth ship already, then visited de Ruyter to thank him for the rescue but found him in a dark mood. De Ruyter had been forced to call off his plan for an all-out attack in the English fleet so that Tromp could be rescued, during which time Vice-Admiral van de Hulst and Rear-Admiral Frederick Stachouwer had both been killed. The list of ships leaving the Dutch fleet was growing: the ''Hollandia'' had been sent home together with the ''Gelderland'', ''Delft'', ''Reiger'' ''Asperen'' and ''Beschermer'' in order to guard the three captured English vessels. Now the damaged ''Pacificatie'', ''Vrijheid'', ''Provincie Utrecht'' and ''Calantsoog'' had also to return to port. The ''Spieghel'' had to be towed by the less damaged ''Vrede'' and, the damaged ''Maagd van Enkhuizen'' left next day for the Netherlands.<ref>Fox,  pp. 229-30</ref>

[[File:Four Day Battle - Episode uit de vierdaagse zeeslag (Willem van de Velde I, 1693).jpg|thumb|Willem van de Velde: ''Episode from the Four Day Battle'']]

De Ruyter's fleet, reduced by its losses to 57 effectives, re-formed its line to face 43 English ships, some hardly effective, and both fleets now passed each other three times on opposite tacks.<ref>Fox,  p. 231</ref> On the second pass ''De Zeven Provinciën'' lost its main [[topmast]] and De Ruyter withdrew from the fight to supervise repairs to his ship, delegating temporary command to Lieutenant-Admiral [[Aert van Nes]]. He was later accused of attempting to pass the responsibility for any defeat in the uncertain contest to van Nes, but there was no established rule at that time about when admirals should change ships: Albemarle had remained on the ''Royal Charles'' the previous day when it anchored to refit during the fighting without his conduct being questioned.<ref>Fox,  pp. 206, 231-2</ref> De Ruyter had strict detailed written orders from the States General to avoid unnecessary risks, to prevent a repeat of the events of the Battle of Lowestoft when the loss of the supreme commander had wrecked the Dutch command structure.

Van Nes commanded the Dutch fleet on its next three passes. As it held a leeward position, its guns had greater range which, with its superior numbers, made it clear by the early afternoon that the day's outcome could be decided by attrition.<ref>Fox, p. 232</ref> Some English ships were dreadfully damaged, the merchantman ''Loyal Subject'' and another ship withdrew for their home ports and HMS ''Black Eagle'' (the former Dutch ''Groningen'') raised the distress flag, but it sank from the many below-water shot holes it had suffered before any ships' boats could take off its crew. By 6pm, Albemarle's fleet, reduced to 41 ships still in action, was near to collapse, with many ships badly damaged and with significant casualties, and some with little powder and shot left.<ref>Fox,  pp. 232-3</ref>