▁last ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁al lied ▁line , ▁joining ▁Ru pert ' s ▁squad ron , ▁the ▁Dutch ▁started ▁to ▁move , ▁but ▁surprising ly ▁in ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁enemy . ▁This ▁forced ▁Ru pert ▁to ▁attack ▁immediately ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁Dutch ▁from ▁gain ing ▁the ▁weather ▁gauge , ▁before ▁he ▁could ▁form ▁a ▁proper ▁ke el ▁line . ▁ ▁The ▁battle ▁began ▁at ▁no on ▁and ▁last ed ▁for ▁nine ▁hours . ▁Using ▁his ▁superior ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁shall ow ▁waters , ▁De ▁R uy ter ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁man oe uv re ▁his ▁fleet ▁so ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁sho als ▁that ▁the ▁al lies ▁found ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁eng age ▁without ▁ground ing . ▁ ▁Ru pert ▁first ▁made ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁squad ron ▁of ▁Corn el is ▁T rom p . ▁He ▁had ▁now ▁about ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁al lied ▁fleet ▁with ▁him . ▁S ail ing ▁slowly ▁to ▁the ▁n ortheast ▁after ▁some ▁time ▁he ▁reached ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁bas in . ▁This ▁gave ▁him ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁surr ound ▁T rom p ▁from ▁the ▁north ▁with ▁the ▁mass ▁of ▁fr ig ates ▁while ▁simultaneously ▁using ▁his ▁fav ou rable ▁wind ward ▁position ▁to ▁attack ▁him ▁directly ▁from ▁the ▁west ▁with ▁the ▁heavy ▁English ▁ships . ▁The ▁fr ig ate ▁squad ron ▁was ▁now ▁in ▁complete ▁dis array ▁however ▁and ▁could ▁not ▁execute ▁such ▁a ▁complicated ▁man oe uv re . ▁Nor ▁did ▁Ru pert ▁choose ▁the ▁direct ▁attack . ▁He ▁was ▁much ▁critic ised ▁for