Dunkirk privateers made money by attacking Dutch commerce. The Dutch answered with their own commercial vessels assigned to hunt those raiders. Some Dunkirkers then specialized in attacking the Dutch counter-privateers, adding another layer to the contest. De Ruyter earned his early fighting reputation commanding a privateer against these opponents. Commercial incentives shaped both attacks on trade and the forces raised to protect it.
Notable Point · 1:06:32-1:07:56
De Ruyter builds his fighting reputation against privateers
Dutch counter-privateers answered commercial attacks on trade, creating the fighting environment in which de Ruyter first made his name.