De With wanted to concentrate the fleet and destroy the Commonwealth force at anchor in the Downs. De Ruyter instead pointed out that his ships had already spent two months at sea and needed port, while the fleet still had to protect merchant routes. The disagreement exposes a central operational tradeoff: decisive battle promised command of the sea, but convoy protection preserved the commerce for which Dutch sea power existed. De With's declaration that the devil could bring the fleet home also deepened distrust among crews who had lost the more protective Tromp.
Notable Point · 1:12:15-1:14:40
Decisive battle versus the convoy mission
De With sought a fleet-destroying battle, while De Ruyter saw exhausted ships and convoy protection as reasons for a more cautious strategy.