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Landscape record TQ 76 NE 1369 - Raid On The Medway 1667
Summary
The Raid on the Medway took place between 9 and 14 June 1667, as a Dutch squadron under Willem van Ghent, Michiel de Ruyter and Cornelis de Witt attacked the Medway, firing on Sheerness Fort, attacking Queenborough, breaking through the defensive river chain at Upnor, and capturing the ROYAL CHARLES, whose counter-stern survives today in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. In response, the English sank a number of ships as blockships, particularly at the Mussel Bank and the defensive chain between Hoo and Gillingham, intended, in particular, to protect Chatham Dockyard (619303) as an obvious target for the Dutch (as so many were involved, please see individual links for these) but also elsewhere, while Upnor Castle (416743) engaged the Dutch. This attack won grudging admiration from the English for its boldness and the skill of the Dutch in navigating narrow channels and shoals, and returning the way they had come with the ROYAL CHARLES as a significant prize in tow. The Raid on the Medway, known in Dutch as the Tocht naar Chatham, was perhaps the most significant event of the three Anglo-Dutch Wars. It took place during the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-7), following the Battle of Lowestoft (1584087) in 1665, the Four Days' Battle (1583919) and St. James's Day Fight (1584743) in 1666. It was succeeded by further actions around the Thames Estuary in the following weeks, before the conclusion of the war on 31 July with the Treaty of Breda: the Battle of Landguard Fort (1584112), the attack on the Hope (1584207) and the action off Sheppey (1584293).
Location
Grid reference | TQ 7577 6968 (point) |
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Map sheet | TQ76NE |
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
<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.
Sources/Archives (2)
Finds (0)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Record last edited
Jun 14 2024 3:49PM