Eight of the Batavian Republic's twenty-two available ships of the line were concentrated in Story's squadron, led by the 74-gun Washington and mostly smaller 68-, 64-, and 56-gun ships. Mitchell had roughly seventeen ships of the line immediately available and twenty-six in the invasion fleet, alongside transports, frigates, brigs, and gunboats. His reserves alone could equal or exceed Story's entire battle line, while the British core consisted largely of more powerful 74s. The disparity made battle militarily unattractive, and the use of Orangist flags aboard nominally Dutch vessels made political cohesion even harder.
Chapter · 36:33-40:38
Eight Batavian ships face Mitchell's overwhelming fleet
The Den Helder squadron represented much of Batavian heavy strength but was still outnumbered more than two to one.