Forgotten Battle 6

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This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The Raid on the Medway

Intro

The Raid on the Medway was fought in the harbor of the English town of Chatham, from June 19 to June 24, 1667. It was the climatic battle of a highly destructive conflict between two European powers. It was also one of the few times in history that a raid would be the deciding factor of a war. 

Part I

By the turn of the 17th century, many European countries had set their sights on conquering the Atlantic Ocean. Two of them, were England and the Dutch Republic. Both nations had built formidable armadas and had established far-flung colonies across the ocean. With their desires for sovereignty over the best trade routes, war was inevitable.

The first Anglo-Dutch War took place from 1652 to 1654. The English (who had superior cannons) destroyed much of the Dutch fleet in battle. Through the use of privateers, they were also able to inflict severe damage on Dutch merchant shipping. At the battle of Portland Isle, the English successfully sank 12 Dutch ships while only losing three of their own. The First war concluded with the 1654 Treaty of Westminster. This treaty gave the English sovereignty over the colony of New Netherland. 

For a decade, there was peace between the English and the Dutch. However, tensions rose again in the year 1664. The prior treaty had failed to address two major issues. They were, Dutch opposition to the Navigation Acts of 1651, and English objections to Dutch trading monopolies. These coupled with competition over markets in the East Indies meant that war was once again on the horizon.

Part II

The Second Anglo-Dutch War began in the Caribbean in April of 1664. In the first year of the conflict, the English fared much better against the Dutch. At the battle of Lowestoft, the English won a decisive victory. But following this battle, things began to take a different turn. At the Four Days' Battle, the Royal Navy suffered a major defeat. They lost 20 warships while the Dutch only lost 4. Among the dead were two of their best vice-admirals, Sir Christopher Myngs and Sir William Berkeley.

Inspired by his victory, the Dutch admiral (Michiel de Ruyter) attempted to capitalize by destroying the English fleet while it was being repaired. Their first attempt on July 25, 1666 (known as: the St. James' Day Battle), ended in failure. This was followed by a devastating attack on the Dutch town of, West-Terschelling. In this attack, Sir Robert Holmes took eight fireships to the town's harbor and ignited five of them. He sent them into the Dutch harbor where the latter's merchant fleet was docked. Within minutes, the entire fleet (over 140 ships) and the town itself went up in flames. The event is now referred to as, Holmes's Bonfire.

However, England was then devastated by the Great Plague of 1665 (bubonic plague) that ravaged their countryside. This was followed by an equally devastating fire that destroyed much of London. These two tragedies left the English unable to capitalize on their victories and allowed the Dutch to recover and prepare for a raid of their own in June of 1667. 

Part III

Admiral de Ruyter was determined to make the English pay for the devastation caused by Holmes's Bonfire. On June 4, he departed from the Netherlands with 62 frigates, 15 lighter ships, and 12 fireships. Their first target was an English fortress (Sheerness Fort) on the Isle of Sheppey. The main target was the town of Chatham, where the English fleet was anchored in the River Medway. At 5 PM on June 10, the Dutch launched their attack.

A small party of Dutch marines and sailors stormed ashore Sheppey Isle and attacked Sheerness Fort. The fort's garrison was caught completely off guard. Outnumbered and outgunned, they surrendered after less than an hour of fighting. A lone English frigate (HMS Unity) fired a single broadside at the Dutch ships. The latter retaliated by setting a fireship ablaze and sending towards the former. The Unity then retreated up the Medway leaving the Dutch to plunder Sheerness Fort and free to advance up the Medway.

A day and a half later (the sailors spent the previous day looting Sheerness Fort) on June 12, the Dutch set sail in pursuit of the English. Their next target was the fortress called, Upnor Castle. Leading the Dutch attack was a ship-of-the-line called, Vrede (peace). In command of the ship, was Captain Jan van Braakel. After catching up the Unity, Captain van Braakel boarded the ship and captured it. While that was happening, the Dutch fireship Pro Patria attacked the HMS Matthias and set the latter on fire. The Matthias was soon a raging inferno and eventually blew up when the fire reached the powder magazine. Another Dutch fireship went for the English flagship (HMS Charles V). After the ship caught fire, its crew quickly surrendered. After this, the Dutch stopped their advance and regrouped for the final attack.

The next day on June 13, the Dutch ships resumed their advance up the Medway. They easily knocked out the English garrison at Upnor Castle and closed in on Chatham's harbor. They then lit six fireships and sent them toward the English vessels that were still at the docks. Within minutes, ten English ships-of-the-line were set ablaze. The fire quickly spread and engulfed other ships nearby including three heavy vessels. The Dutch then captured the HMS Royal Charles (the pride of the Royal Navy). After this, Admiral de Ruyter decided that they had done enough. The next day, he and the Dutch fleet sailed down the Medway and back to the ocean.

Epilogue

The Dutch raid on the Medway River had inflicted devastating losses on the Royal Navy. The English had lost a total of 45 ships; either sunk, captured, or scuttled. In addition, they had also lost more than 500 sailors and soldiers. The Dutch by contrast, lost between 50-150 sailors and only eight fireships. Even today, it is still considered to be one of the worst defeats in the history of the Royal Navy. 

With the destruction of most of his fleet, King Charles II of England decided to sue for peace. On July 31, 1667, England and the Dutch Republic (along with Denmark and France) signed the Treaty of Breda. In accordance with the terms of the treaty, the Dutch willingly ceded their settlement in New Amsterdam (present-day Manhattan) to the English. The English in turn ceded their territory in the Guyanas, Run Island, and Fort Amsterdam (in present-day Ghana) to the Dutch Republic. However, Charles II remained bitter towards the Dutch for the humiliating defeat on the Medway. It was not long before the Third Anglo-Dutch war (1672-1674) ignited and the battle for control of the seas continued.

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Raid-On-Medway/

https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2019/february/deepest-insult-norman-invasion

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/twisting-the-lions-tail/

https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=1355