ten o'clock
But three weeks back , the English ships had , for the most part , been crippled seemingly almost beyond repair , but now , with their holes patched , with new spars , and in the glory of fresh paint and new canvas , they made as brave a show as when they had sailed out from the Downs a month previously . They were anchored off the Nore when , late in the evening , the news came out from Sheerness that a mounted messenger had just ridden in from Dover , and that the Dutch Fleet had , in the afternoon , passed the town , and had rounded the South Foreland , steering north . Orders were at once issued that the Fleet should sail at daybreak , and at three o'clock the next morning they were on their way down the river . At ten o'clock the Dutch Fleet was seen off the North Foreland . According to their own accounts they numbered eighty-eight men-of-war , with twenty-five fire-ships , and were also divided into three squadrons , under De Ruyter , John Evertz , and Van Tromp . The engagement began at noon by an attack by the White Squadron upon that commanded by Evertz . An hour later , Prince Rupert and the Duke , with the Red Squadron , fell upon De Ruyter , while that of Van Tromp , which was at some distance from the others , was engaged by Sir Jeremiah Smith with the Blue Squadron .