▁ ▁Edward ▁Sp rag ge ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁journal : ▁ ▁Ru pert ▁repeatedly ▁raised ▁the ▁blood flag ▁and ▁then ▁lower ed ▁it ▁again ▁upon ▁seeing ▁the ▁confusion ▁among ▁his ▁ships , ▁which ▁made ▁a ▁coordin ated ▁attack ▁impossible . ▁De ▁R uy ter , ▁utter ly ▁amaz ed ▁and ▁exc laim ing , ▁" What ' s ▁wrong ▁with ▁this ▁man ? ▁Has ▁he ▁gone ▁mad ▁or ▁what ? ", ▁explo ited ▁this ▁dis array ▁by ▁eng aging ▁from ▁some ▁distance ▁and ▁firing ▁at ▁the ▁al lied ▁m asts ▁and ▁rig ging , ▁sever ely ▁dam aging ▁Ru pert ' s ▁squad ron . ▁The ▁French , ▁when ▁attacked ▁by ▁Ban ck ert , ▁dis eng aged ▁immediately , ▁very ▁susp icious ▁of ▁the ▁b izar re ▁course ▁of ▁events . ▁Only ▁T rom p ▁cl ashed ▁with ▁great ▁f ury ▁with ▁his ▁et ernal ▁enemy ▁Sp rag ge ▁until ▁night fall . ▁ ▁A ▁heavy ▁sea ▁made ▁it ▁impossible ▁for ▁the ▁al lies , ▁though ▁in ▁a ▁le ew ard ▁position , ▁to ▁open ▁their ▁lower ▁gun ports , ▁and ▁strong ▁g ales ▁had ▁driven ▁all ▁three ▁fle ets ▁danger ously ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁coast . ▁Ru pert ▁now ▁des per ately ▁attempted ▁to ▁close ▁with ▁the ▁Dutch ▁to ▁save ▁his ▁fleet ▁from ▁destruction , ▁but ▁they , ▁four ▁miles ▁from ▁the ▁coast , ▁retre ated ▁to ▁save ▁their s , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁ 1 5 ▁June , ▁the ▁dam aged ▁al lied ▁fle ets ▁sa iled