16. A Devastating Blow
To inflict a crushing and humiliating defeat upon England, the Dutch fleet, daring to challenge the English lion in its den, entered the Thames Estuary. Commanded by one of history’s greatest admirals, Michiel de Ruyter, the Dutch bombarded and captured Sheerness at the mouth of the Medway. The attackers then sailed up that river. En route, they overcame a barrier chain stretched across the Medway, which Dutch engineers overcame with ease. They also overcame fortresses along the way, that were intended to protect the English warships anchored at Chatham and Gillingham.
The Dutch reached the anchored English vessels, that were laid up in their dockyards, virtually unmanned and unarmed. The attackers burned three capital ships and ten smaller warships. They also captured and towed away as prizes two major ships of the line, including HMS Royal Charles, the flagship of the Royal Navy, named after the reigning king. In total, England’s Royal Navy lost 13 ships, while the Dutch lost none.
