 In the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665 he was second in command in the squadron of Lieutenant-Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, taking over command of this unit when the latter was killed because his flagship exploded.The battle was a heavy defeat for the Dutch and those captains fighting bitterly to cover the retreat of the fleet were seen as heroes, among them Van der Hulst who was promoted on 25 July to Vice-Admiral.In the Four Days' Battle he was second in command in the squadron of Lieutenant-Admiral Cornelis Tromp.