Page "Battle of Beachy Head (1690)" Paragraph 14

Delaval's greatly outnumbered blue squadron fought a desperate battle with d ' Estrées in the rear.

Evertsen in the van, however, having lost his second-in-command and many other officers, was forced to withdraw.

The Dutch had maintained the unequal contest with very little assistance from the rest of the Allied fleet ; he left two Dutch ships sunk, one shattered and dismasted vessel captured, and many badly damaged.

Outmatched, Torrington ended the battle late in the afternoon, taking advantage of the tide and the drop in wind ; while his ships dropped anchor, the French – who were not sufficiently alert – were carried off by the current and out of cannon range.