Raid Medway (1 results)

(Amsterdam, ca. 1750). Engraving by Simon Fokke after Aert Schouman. Ca. 17,5 x 24 cm. From : J. Wagenaar. Vaderlandsche historie. - Depicting on the right side the famous trip to Chatham (June 1667). On the left side is a glorification of Cornelis de Witt, holding a commandostaf and with symbols of the prosperity of land and wealth. The original painting by Jan de Baen in the town hall of Dordrecht was destroyed in 1672. The Raid on the Medway, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War between 12 June to 14 June 1667, was a successful attack. The Dutch, under nominal command of Willem Joseph van Ghent and Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, over several days bombarded and captured the town of Sheerness, sailed up the Thames Estuary to Gravesend, then sailed into the River Medway to Chatham and Gillingham, where they engaged fortifications with cannon fire, burned or captured three capital ships and ten more ships of the line, and captured and towed away the flagship of the English fleet, HMS Royal Charles, the stern of which is still on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The raid was one of the worst defeats in the history of the Royal Navy.