The Battle of the Gabbard was a naval battle which was fought between the English and Dutch fleets off the Suffolk coast in 1653 during the First Anglo-Dutch War.
Following the Battle of Portland, the English were left in control of the English Channel, leading to an under-equipped Dutch fleet being sent to engage the English in battle and keep the North Sea open. The Dutch attack failed with heavy losses because of the English employing their line-of-battle tactics, which made the Dutch pay a high price for attempting to board. On 3 June, the English fleet of George Monck was joined by Robert Blake, and Maarten Tromp unwisely attempted another attack in spite of his ships running low on ammunition. His ships became sitting ducks for English guns during a lull, and the English routed the Dutch and pursued them well into the evening, capturing many Dutch ships. The defeat was, along with the Battle of Lowestoft, the worst naval defeat in Dutch history.