By June 1653 both sides had assembled fleets approaching one hundred warships, but their tactical systems were diverging. George Monck and Richard Deane's Commonwealth force used line-of-battle tactics to beat back Dutch attempts to close and board. When the wind failed and Dutch ammunition ran low, their ships became targets for sustained Commonwealth gunfire, with eleven captured and six sunk in the stated tally. The victory enabled the Commonwealth to impose a blockade, showing how organizational reform after Dungeness changed the operational balance within months.
Chapter · 3:12:24-3:15:24
The Gabbard turns disciplined gunnery into blockade
At the Gabbard, Commonwealth line tactics and ammunition depth punished Dutch attempts to board and enabled a blockade of the Dutch coast.