De With's authority was already fracturing among flag officers. He dismissed one admiral, nearly removed another, and watched senior officers find reasons to withdraw from service. The crew of Maarten Tromp's former flagship Brederode then refused to let him aboard, called him "Green Cheese," and threatened to fire on his boat while he displayed his commission from the States General. De With had to use the VOC ship Prins Willem, a slower hired merchantman, as his flagship. Blake made the opposite sort of transfer, leaving the powerful but less manoeuvrable Sovereign for Resolution so he could press into the Dutch formation. One fleet resisted its commander before battle, while the other accepted a tactical change of flagship without difficulty.
Notable Point · 21:00-25:32
When a fleet rejects its commander
De With's struggle to retain senior officers and secure a flagship made the Dutch command crisis visible before the fleets met.