Four Days' Battle

Battle context

The Four Days' Battle, fought from 11 to 14 June 1666, stands as one of the longest naval engagements in history and a major action of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The English force of 21,000 suffered approximately 5,000 casualties against Dutch losses of around 2,000, a disparity that indicates a significant English defeat at the hands of de Ruyter's fleet. The battle opened off the Flemish coast and concluded near the English coast, suggesting the Dutch held and pressed the initiative across the four days of fighting. The scale of English losses relative to the Dutch — more than double in casualties despite comparable force sizes — marked one of the most damaging reverses England sustained during the war and substantially affected the naval balance between the two powers in the ongoing conflict.