▁this ▁afterwards ▁and ▁def ended ▁himself ▁by ▁claim ing ▁his ▁approach ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁blocked ▁by ▁sho als . ▁This ▁was ▁simply ▁not ▁true ▁and ▁Ru pert ▁knew ▁it . ▁Wh atever ▁his ▁mot ives ▁he ▁turned ▁to ▁the ▁south west , ▁both ▁fle ets ▁bomb arding ▁each ▁other ▁from ▁a ▁distance , ▁the ▁Dutch ▁inferior ity ▁in ▁numbers ▁compens ated ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁their ▁le ew ard ▁position ▁gave ▁their ▁guns ▁a ▁better ▁range ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁proper ▁battle ▁line ▁in ▁the ▁enemy ▁squad ron . ▁ ▁De ▁R uy ter ▁had ▁at ▁first ▁closely ▁followed ▁T rom p ; ▁but ▁becoming ▁aware ▁the ▁French ▁fl ot illa ▁of ▁de ▁Gran ce y ▁had ▁joined ▁Sp rag ge ▁against ▁Ban ck ert , ▁creating ▁a ▁gap ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁line , ▁he ▁suddenly ▁tack ed ▁to ▁the ▁south west , ▁separ ating ▁T rom p ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁fleet . ▁This ▁greatly ▁surprised ▁the ▁French ▁fleet . ▁The ▁French ▁main ▁force ▁of ▁d ' E str ées , ▁both ▁fright ened ▁and ▁delight ed ▁by ▁what ▁it ▁saw ▁as ▁a ▁brilliant ▁man oe uv re , ▁dis eng aged ▁slowly ▁to ▁the ▁north west ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁weather ▁gauge , ▁but ▁like ▁Ru pert ▁didn ' t ▁use ▁this ▁position ▁to ▁attack . ▁This ▁caused ▁De ▁R uy ter ▁to ▁comment : ▁" The ▁De ▁Ze ven ▁Prov inci ën ▁can ▁still ▁insp ire ▁a we ▁among ▁its ▁enemies ". ▁The ▁Dutch ▁centre ▁now ▁moved ▁in