The Four Days' Battle was a naval engagement fought from 11 to 14 June 1666 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. It began off the Flemish coast and ended near the English coast, and remains one of the longest naval battles in history.
The Four Days Battle by Abraham Storck
Michiel de Ruyter, commander of the Dutch navy.
George Monck, commander of the English navy
Prince Rupert of the Rhine, commander of the English navy
The Second Anglo-Dutch War, or Second Dutch War, began on 4 March 1665, and concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Breda on 31 July 1667. One in a series of naval conflicts between England and the Dutch Republic, its causes were a combination of political differences and commercial disputes.
The Four Days' Battle, 1–4 June 1666, by Abraham Storck
Ships in Amsterdam harbour, c. 1690; in the second half of the 17th century, Dutch merchants dominated European trade
HMS Sovereign of the Seas, with its architect Peter Pett; built in 1634, it carried over 100 guns, while the largest Dutch ships had a complement of 60 to 70
The Four Days' Battle as depicted by Abraham Storck