The war began by a series of English successes and of Dutch misfortunes.  Early in July, 1652, Blake at the head of sixty ships set sail for the north to intercept the Dutch Baltic commerce, and to destroy their fishing fleet off the north of Scotland.  He left Ayscue with a small squadron to guard the mouth of the Thames.  Tromp meanwhile had put to sea at the head of nearly a hundred ships.  Ayscue succeeded in intercepting a fleet of Dutch merchantmen near Calais, all of them being captured or burnt, while Blake with the main force off the north coast of Scotland destroyed the Dutch fishing fleet and their convoy.  After these first blows against the enemy’s commerce good fortune continued to attend the English.  Tromp was prevented from following Blake by strong northerly winds.  He then turned upon Ayscue, whose small force he must have overwhelmed, but for a sudden change to a southerly gale.  The Dutch admiral now sailed northwards and (July 25) found the English fleet off the Shetlands.  A violent storm arose, from the force of which Blake was protected, while the Dutch vessels were scattered far and wide.  On the following day, out of ninety-nine ships Tromp could only collect thirty-five, and had no alternative but to return home to refit.

Before Tromp’s return another Dutch fleet under Michael de Ruyter had put to sea to escort a number of outward-bound merchantmen through the Channel, and to meet and convoy back the home-coming ships.  He had twenty-three warships and three fireships under his command.  Ayscue had previously sailed up Channel with forty men-of-war and five fireships for a similar purpose.  The two fleets met on August 16, and despite his inferiority of force De Ruyter forced Ayscue to withdraw into Plymouth, and was able to bring his convoy home to safety.

The ill-success of Tromp, though he was in no way to blame for it, caused considerable alarm and discontent in Holland.  His enemies of the States party in that province took advantage of it to suspend the gallant old seaman from his command.  He was an Orangist; and, as the Orange partisans were everywhere clamorously active, the admiral was suspect.  In his place Cornelisz Witte de With was appointed, a capable sailor, but disliked in the fleet as much as Tromp was beloved.  De With effected a junction with De Ruyter and with joint forces they attacked Blake on October 8, near the shoal known as the Kentish Knock.  The English fleet was considerably more powerful than the Dutch, and the desertion of De With by some twenty ships decided the issue.  The Dutch had to return home with some loss.  The English were elated with their victory and thought that they would be safe from further attack until the spring.  Blake accordingly was ordered to send a squadron of twenty sail to the Mediterranean, where the Dutch admiral Jan van Galen held the command of the sea.  But they were deceived in thinking that the struggle in the Channel was over for the winter.  The deserters