Raid on the Medway

The Raid on the Medway, sometimes called the Battle of Medway or Battle of Chatham, was a successful Dutch attack on English ships and dockyards that took place in June 1667, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The Dutch, under Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, bombarded Sheerness, went up the Thames River to Gravesend, then up River Medway to Chatham, where they burned four ships, and towed away Royal Charles, pride of the English fleet.

Charles II's fleet had already been reduced to accomodate the restrictions of recent expenditure and the Dutch seized their opportunity well. Sir Edward Spragge learned that a Dutch raiding party had come ashore on the Isle of Grain. (a peninsula where the river Medway in Kent, meets the river Thames). Musketeers from the Sheerness garrison opposite were sent to investigate, as reports were widespread of a Dutch fleet in the the Thames.

The king instructed George Monck, Duke of Albemarle to go to Chatham to take charge of matters and further ordered Prince Rupert to organize the defences at Woolwich, three days later.

Commissioner Peter Pett, at Chatham Dockyard sent a pessimistic message to the Navy Board prompted by the arrival of Van Ghent's squadron off Sheerness. The Dutch fleet carried about a thousand soldiers, and landing parties were dispatched on Canvey Island in Essex and opposite on the Kent side at Sheerness. In letters to the Navy Board Pett lamented the absence of Navy senior officials whose help and advice he believed he needed.

As events progressed two members of the Navy Board, Sir John Mennes and Lord Brouncker, travelled to Chatham, followed on 11 June (Old Style) by the Duke of Albemarle. When Albemarle arrived he reported that he could find only twelve of the eight hundred dockyard men expected.

After raising the alarm on 6 June at Chatham dockyard, Pett seems not to have taken any further action until 9 June when, late in the afternoon a fleet of about 30 Dutch ships were sighted in the Thames, at this point the Commissioner immediately sought assistance from the Admiralty.

The additional command structure was to become unwieldy early on leading to instructions being countermanded by various officers, even conflicting instructions were given, leading to great confusion all round.

The Dutch fleet arrived at the Isle of Sheppey on 10 June, and launched an attack on the incomplete Sheerness Fort. Captain Jan van Brakel in Vrede, followed by two other men-of-war, sailed as close to the fort as possible to engage it with cannon fire. Sir Edward Spragge was in command of the ships at anchor in the Medway and those off Sheerness, but the only ship able to defend against the Dutch was the Unity, a frigate stationed off the fort.

The frigate Unity was supported by a number of ketches and fire ships at Garrison Point, and by the fort where sixteen guns had been hastily placed. Unity fired one broadside at the approaching Dutch, but then, when a blazing Dutch fireship bore down on her, she beat a retreat up the Medway, followed by the English fireships and ketches. The unremitting Dutch assault on the fort led it to be finally abandoned, it having been discovered that some 800 Dutch troops had landed about a mile away. With Sheerness thus lost, Spragge sailed up river for Chatham.

Pett proposed that several small ships be sunk in Upnor Reach near Upnor Castle, presenting another barrier to the Dutch should they break through the chain at Gillingham. The defensive chain placed across the river had been lying practically nine feet under the water between its stages owing to its weight. River defences were hastily improvised with 'blockships' sunk, and the chain across the river was guarded by batteries.

The positions of Charles V and Matthias, formerly Dutch ships, just above the chain were adjusted to enable them to bring their broadsides to bear upon it. The Monmouth was also moored above the chain, positioned so that she could bring her guns to bear on the space between Charles V and Matthias.

De Ruyter advanced up the Medway on 12 June passing Upnor Castle with scant opposition and attacking any ships lying above that point. The following day the whole of the Thames side as far up as London was in a panic and some of the finest vessels in the navy, including Royal James, Loyal London, and the Royal Oak perished while Royal Charles was captured and carried off.

The following day Samuel Pepys wrote of the capture of the Royal Charles, "...which Pett should have carried up higher by our several orders, and deserves therefore to be hanged for not doing it." He later conceded that impression given him by naval captains that "...nothing but carelessness lost the [Royal Charles], for they might have saved her ... if they ... had but boats, and that the want of boats plainly lost all the other ships." On the morning of 11 June the Royal Charles had been moved higher up the river with the help of a pilot but had remained exposed at her moorings for want of the boats and crews Pett needed to remove her, these having been sent on other tasks. Some shipwrights with their boats and crews were allocated to carry out the operation which was ordered by Pett and during the morning of 11 June, with Royal James taken up to a new position just above Upnor Castle.

It was commonly understood that Charles himself was at fault for his failure to prepare the fleet. Pepys wrote "they did in open streets yesterday at Westminster, cry, 'A Parliament! a Parliament!'; and I do believe it will cost blood to answer for these miscarriages."

Significantly upon the following day "Word was brought me that Commissioner Pett is brought to the Tower and there laid up close prisoner which puts me into a fright, lest they may do the same with us as they do with him. This puts me upon hastening what I am doing with my people, and collecting out of my papers our defence" (Pepys). Pett was bailed at £5,000 and deprived of his office whilst those who had ignored his earlier warnings quietly escaped any blame. Pett was thus compelled to defended his own actions and stood alone, discredited for the negligence of others.

The Dutch Admiral De Ruyter had after all captured Sheerness Fort a full two days prior to his invasion of the Medway, having broken through the heavy chain that was strung across the river representing its meagre outer defences.

Pepys wrote "On 13 June, when Dutch frigates and sloops led the Fleet up the river, Upnor Castle was fired upon and the Castle batteries returned the ships' fire. The Dutch lost ten ships, but their advance was not halted and four English ships lying of Upnor Castle were sunk or burnt. The Dutch sailed on towards Rochester, where the inhabitants had fled into the countryside." Pepys visited the Castle on behalf of the Admiralty after the engagement and was forced to concede that the fort had been under gunned and garrisoned.