The Dutch fleet contained many armed merchantmen, while the Commonwealth inherited the great ships built under Charles I's ship-money programme. Tromp warned that his flagship Brederode was the only Dutch vessel carrying more than fifty guns, whereas fourteen Commonwealth ships exceeded that figure. Allowing for heavier English ordnance, he believed roughly fifty enemy ships were more powerful than his own flagship. English ports and harbours helped produce this mismatch, so Dutch numerical confidence concealed a serious disadvantage in hull size and weight of fire.
Notable Point · 16:07-17:10
Why English ports produced heavier fighting ships
Tromp's strategic problem was not merely numbers: English harbours and shipbuilding supported larger, more heavily armed vessels.