The British line mounted 446 guns and could fire 223 in a broadside. The Dutch line mounted 412 guns, with 206 available on one side. Across the full squadrons, the totals were closer still: 606 guns on 12 British ships against 600 on 13 Dutch ships. Both forces were escorting homeward convoys when they met in the North Sea. Britain held a modest advantage at every paired place in the line, roughly equivalent in total to adding another fifth rate. With so little between the squadrons, ship condition, manoeuvre, crew performance, and command carried unusual weight.
Chapter · 3:29-9:20
Two unusually even fleets meet at Dogger Bank
The convoy escorts were nearly matched, although Britain held a modest gun advantage at each position in the seven-ship lines.