Battle of Goodwin Sands The naval Battle of Goodwin Sands ( also known as the Battle of Dover ) , fought on 29 May 1652 ( 19 May 1652 in the Julian Calendar then used in England ) , was the first engagement of the First Anglo - Dutch War between the navies of the Commonwealth of England and the United Provinces of the Netherlands . Background . The English Parliament had passed the first of the Navigation Acts in October 1651 , aimed at hampering the shipping of the highly trade - dependent Dutch . Agitation among the Dutch merchants had been further increased by George Ayscue ' s capture in early 1652 of 27 Dutch ships trading with the royalist colony of Barbados in contravention of an embargo . Both sides had begun to prepare for war , but conflict might have been delayed if not for an unfortunate encounter on 29 May 1652 ( 19 May in the Julian calendar then in use in England ) near the Straits of Dover between a Dutch convoy escorted by 40 ships under Lieutenant - Admiral Maarten Tromp and an English fleet of 25 ships under General - at - Sea Robert Blake . Battle . An ordinance of Cromwell required all foreign fleets in the North Sea or the Channel to dip their flag in salute , but when Tromp did not comply because he saw no reason to lower his flag for the English , Blake fired three warning shots . When the third hit his ship , wounding some sailors , Tromp replied with a warning broadside from his flagship " Brederode " . Blake then fired a broadside in anger and a five - hour battle ensued . Aftermath . Both fleets were damaged , but as darkness fell the Dutch fleet withdrew in a defensive line to protect the convoy , and the English captured two Dutch stragglers : " Sint Laurens " , which was taken back by them but not used , and " Sint Maria " , which was abandoned in a sinking condition and later made its way to the Netherlands . Tromp then offered his excuses to Blake and asked for the return of the prize , but this was refused by Blake . War was declared by the Commonwealth on 10 July 1652 . Ships involved . England ( Robert Blake ) . Anthony Young ' s squadron : " President " 36 ( Anthony Young ) " Nightingale " 24 ( Jacob Reynolds ) " Recovery " 24 ( Edmund Chapman ) Robert Blake ' s squadron in Rye Bay : " James " 60 ( flag , Robert Blake , captain John Gilson ) " Victory " 52 ( Lionel Lane ) " Garland " 44 ( John Gibbs ) " Speaker " 52 ( John Coppin ) " Ruby " 42 ( Anthony Houlding ) " Sapphire " 38 ( Robert Moulton , Jr ) " Worcester " 42 ( Charles Thorowgood ) " Star " 24 ( Robert Saunders ) " Portsmouth " 36 ( William Brandley ) " Martin " 12 " Mermaid " 24 ( Richard Stayner ) " Ruben " 26 ( merchantman ) 3 small Nehemiah Bourne ' s squadron in the Downs : " Andrew " 56 ( Nehemiah Bourne ) " Triumph " 62 ( William Penn ) - Ashore during the battle " Fairfax " 52 ( John Lawson ) " Entrance " 44 " Centurion " 36 " Adventuree " 36 ( Andrew Ball ) " Assurance " 40 ( Benjamin Blake ) " Greyhound " 20 ( Henry Southwood ) " Seven Brothers " 26 ( hired merchantman , Robert Land ) The Netherlands ( Maarten Tromp ) . Convoyers : " Groningen " 38 ( Joris van der Zaan ) " Zeelandia " 34 ( Jacob Huyrluyt ) The fleet in The Downs : AD - Amsterdam Admiralty and Directors ' ships , MD - Middelburg Admiralty and Directors , NKA - Noorder - Kwartier Admiralty , RD - Rotterdam Admiralty , VD - Vlissingen Directors Van : " Brederode " 54 ( Maarten Tromp , Admiral , RD ) " Alexander " 28 ( Jan Maijkers , AD ) " Blauwen Arend " 28 ( Dirck Pater , AD ) " Sint Salvador " 34 ( Matheeus Corneliszoon , AD ) " Vliegende Faam " 28 ( Jacob Corneliszoon Swart , AD ) " Arche Troijane " 28 ( Abraham van Kampen , AD ) " Kroon Imperiaal " 34 ( Cornelis Janszoon Poort , AD ) " Valck " 28 ( Cornelis Janszoon Brouwer , AD ) " Prinses Roijaal " 28 ( Maarten de Graeff , AD ) " Neptunis " 34 ( Gerrit van Lummen , AD ) " Sint Matheeus " 34 ( Cornelis Naeuoogh , AD ) " Prins Maurits " 34 ( Nicolaes de With , AD ) " Rozeboom " 28 ( Gerrit Schuyt , AD ) " Engel Gabriel " 28 ( Bastiaan Bardoel , AD ) " Witte Lam " 28 ( Cornelis van Houten , AD ) " Gideon van Sardam " 34 ( Hector Bardesius , AD ) " Sint Francisco " 28 ( Stoffel Juriaenszoon , AD ) " David en Goliad " 34 ( Claes Bastiaenszoon Jaarsveld , AD ) " Elias " 34 ( Jacob Sijvertsen Spanheijm , AD ) " Zwarte Leeuw " 28 ( Hendrik de Raedt , AD ) " Sint Maria " 28 ( Sipke Fockes , AD ) - Captured but abandoned and recaptured " Groote Liefde " 38 ( Bruyn van Seelst , AD ) " Nassouw van den Burgh " 34 ( Lambert Pieterszoon , AD ) " Groote Vergulde Fortuijn " 35 ( Frederick de Coninck , AD ) " Engel Michiel " 28 ( Fredrick Bogaart , AD ) " Vergulde Haan " 30 ( Jan le Sage , MD ) " Goude Leeuw " 30 ( Jacob Penssen , MD ) " Leeuwinne " 30 ( Joannes van Regermorter , MD ) " Sint Laurens " 30 ( Bastiaan Tuynemans , MD ) - Captured " Witte Lam " 32 ( Jan Tijssen Matheeus , VD ) Rear : " Monnikendam " 32 ( Pieter Florissen , Rear Admiral , NKA ) " Wapen van Hoorn " 24 ( Pieter Aldertszoon , NKA ) " Prins Maurits " 28 ( Cornelis Pieterszoon Taenman , NKA ) " Monnikendam " 24 ( Arent Dirckszoon , NKA ) " Wapen van Enkhuizen " 30 ( Gerrit Femssen , NKA ) " Wapen van Alkmaar " 28 ( Gerrit Nobel , NKA ) " Roode Leeuw " 24 ( Reynst Corneliszoon Sevenhuysen , NKA ) " Peereboom " 24 ( Tijs Sijmonszoon Peereboom , NKA ) " Huis van Nassau " 28 ( Gerrit Munth , NKA ) " Alkmaar " 28 ( Jan Warnaertszoon Capelman , NKA ) " Sampson " 26 ( Willem Ham , NKA ) " Stad van Medemblik " 26 ( Pieter Schellinger , NKA )