ter ▁accused ▁T rom p ▁in ▁his ▁face ▁of ▁hoping ▁to ▁sab ot age ▁his ▁command ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁a ▁battle , ▁but ▁his ▁fear s ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁unf ounded . ▁T rom p ▁c ared ▁for ▁battle ▁hon ours ▁above ▁all ▁else . ▁ ▁Mich iel ▁de ▁R uy ter , ▁since ▁February ▁ 1 6 7 3 ▁Lieutenant - Ad mir al - General ▁of ▁the ▁conf eder ate ▁Dutch ▁fleet , ▁planned ▁to ▁block ade ▁the ▁main ▁English ▁fleet ▁in ▁the ▁Med way ▁by ▁s inking ▁block ships ▁in ▁its ▁narrow est ▁part , ▁then ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁remaining ▁English ▁squad rons ▁at ▁his ▁le is ure . ▁But ▁the ▁English ▁fleet ▁took ▁to ▁sea ▁in ▁time ▁to ▁prevent ▁this ▁operation , ▁and ▁De ▁R uy ter ▁retre ated ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁May ▁to ▁the ▁Sch o one vel d , ▁the ▁coast al ▁waters ▁at ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁Sch elde ▁River , ▁near ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Wal ch eren , ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁al lies ▁from ▁establish ing ▁the ▁naval ▁superior ity ▁needed ▁for ▁the ▁transport ▁and ▁landing ▁of ▁a ▁force ▁of ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁Army ▁waiting ▁at ▁Y arm outh . ▁The ▁Sch o one vel d ▁bas in , ▁between ▁two ▁sho als , ▁was ▁so ▁narrow ▁the ▁al lies ▁could ▁not ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁their ▁numerical ▁superior ity . ▁There , ▁De ▁R uy ter ▁was ▁joined ▁by ▁T rom p , ▁adding ▁the ▁squad