Chronology of Events:

The English had already anticipated the need to defend the Medway and Chatham Dockyard from Dutch attack a few months previously, with the installation of the chain across the river, and placing the MATTHIAS and CHARLES V as guardships within the chain.

The Dutch attacked Sheerness on 9/10 June 1667, firing upon the fort and sending landing parties ashore. There were a number of English ships sunk at Sheerness to block the Medway, for example the CROWN AND BRILL and two others .

The chain was reinforced with soldiers in anticipation of an attack on Chatham. The Duke of Albemarle took charge of subsequent events, including directing the ROYAL CHARLES to be taken further up the river.

Three vessels were sunk at the Mussel Bank to stop the Dutch advance, on the morning of 11 June, although this was described as an 'unadvised piece of worke' by one observer. These were:

CONSTANT JOHN fireship

UNICORN fireship

JOHN AND SARAH fireship

To reinforce the blockade at the Mussel Bank further ships were sunk later that day:

BARBADOS MERCHANT fireship

DOLPHIN fireship

EDWARD AND EVE ketch

HIND ketch

(GOOD) FORTUNE dogger

The chain was once more reinforced and the positions of the guardships adjusted on the morning of 11 June, and the UNITY or AMITY moored in support of the CHARLES V and MATTHIAS at the chain.

Later that day the Dutch moved the EDWARD AND EVE to permit access further upriver, but anchored as the tide ebbed.

That night as a result of a Council of War it was suggested that the chain be further reinforced with three more ships early on 12 June:

MARMADUKE Fourth Rate

MARIA SANCTA Fourth Rate

NORWAY MERCHANT mercantile

However, the MARIA SANCTA grounded in Cockham Wood Reach. In the meantime, the Dutch had removed the guns from Sheerness Fort, which was then demolished.

On that morning, aided by an easterly wind and an incoming tide, the Dutch sailed towards Gillingham Reach, where they found their advance party stopped by the chain. As the channel was so narrow, they were forced to sail virtually in single file.

The advance party was led by Tobiasz. in the BESCHERMING, followed by yachts, then the two fireships SUSANNA and PRO PATRIA, leading other fireships. Van Brakel in the VREDE offered to draw English fire to allow the fireships to break the chain, leapfrogging the Dutch vanguard. He then attacked the UNITY and captured her.

The SUSANNA then attempted the chain without success and caught fire;
The PRO PATRIA broke the chain (1179911) and laid aboard the MATTHIAS.

The DELFT following then tried to set the CHARLES V alight but was sunk by the latter's return fire;
The CHARLES V was then attacked by the SCHIEDAM and eventually blew up later that day.

The PROSPEROUS was also fired at the chain.

The ROYAL CHARLES was then captured by the Dutch, whose counter-stern remains in the Rijksmuseum to this day (4). The Dutch then fired the SANCTA MARIA.

On 13 June the Dutch continued their advance upriver with the objective of firing the capital ships and reaching Upnor Castle. Some of their long boats were destroyed in this action

The ROTTERDAM and another fireship attacked the LOYAL LONDON, with two more attacking the ROYAL JAMES and one further fireship attacking the ROYAL OAK.

The VANGUARD was then scuttled near Rochester, and could not be weighed. She was later dispersed.

There is also the loss of a PAUL (ex. Dutch ST PAULUS) during the action.

In the meantime, further ships were sunk in the Thames in case of need:

Blockships sunk at Woolwich, 13 June:

FORTUNE flyboat

GOLDEN PHOENIX, 3rd Rate

HORSEMAN flyboat

HOUSE OF SWEEDS (HOUSE DE SWYTE), 3rd Rate

Sunk at Blackwall: LEICESTER

All were raised in August 1667 and broken up. The WELCOME was also sunk in this location but raised and returned to service,
to be expended 1673 (1) at the Second Battle of Schooneveld (2).

The ROYAL JAMES and the ROYAL OAK were raised and broken up; the LOYAL LONDON was recovered and re-entered service. Many of the other ships remained as obstructions in the Medway, being broken up as late as 1669 or 1670.

In 1876 timbers and a flintlock pistol were recovered when extensions to Chatham Dockyard took place. A piece of timber was made into a box, believed to have come from either the MATTHIAS or the CHARLES V.

Based largely on (5).

Pictorial Evidence:

The disposition of the ships placed to protect the river and afterwards lost was drawn by John Evelyn in a sketch now in the Bodleian Library, and reproduced in (5).

A view of the action over several days is shown in a contemporary Dutch topographical print, looking east from Rochester to Sheerness. (6)

A less reliable topographical painting, made slightly later, looking in the reverse direction, from Sheerness towards Upnor and Rochester, also depicts the action, showing Sheerness on fire and fireships burning up and down the river. The SANCTA MARIA is depicted, albeit not in the correct location. (7)

Interpretation of Location:

The location for this location is essentially arbitrary, an approximate mid-point in the river Medway between Sheerness and Upnor, the bounding points of the action. It is also the approximate location of the defensive chain in the river. (3)

<1> Anderson RC, 1966, Lists of men-of-war 1650-1700, part 1 : English ships 1649-1702 (Archive). SKE56187.

<2> Peter Higginbotham, Higginbotham, Peter. 2000. The Workhouse., http://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=442 > accessed on 08-APR-2014 (Website). SKE53741.