The allied blockade was supposed to protect an amphibious crossing, but political and personal priorities distorted the action. Louis XIV ordered the French squadron to fight without losing ships, a constraint that worked against the risks needed for close fleet cooperation. Spragge, meanwhile, pursued a personal contest with Tromp after promising Charles II that he would kill or capture him. The result was a coalition whose component forces were fighting different battles at the same time.
Chapter · 35:42-37:51
French restraint and Spragge's vendetta
French orders to avoid losing ships and Spragge's determination to defeat Tromp pulled the allied fleet away from its shared strategic objective.