How the Dutch Humiliated England in the Raid on the Medway

In June 1667, Admiral Michiel de Ruyter led a Dutch fleet that decimated 13 English warships moored in the Medway, marking one of the most significant defeats in English naval history. This assault played a crucial role in concluding the Second Anglo-Dutch War favorably for the Dutch. The English forces, commanded by General-at-Sea George Monck, were ill-equipped due to financial difficulties stemming from the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London. Charles II had docked his heavy warships at Chatham, banking on peace talks. De Ruyter's fleet comprised 62 large ships, 15 smaller ones, and 12 fireships, manned by 17,500 personnel. They breached a defensive iron chain at Gillingham, seizing HMS Royal Charles and destroying Royal James, Royal Oak, and Loyal London. The English suffered the loss of 2 captured ships, 13 destroyed, and 30 scuttled, with 500 casualties, while the Dutch incurred losses of 8 fireships and 50-100 men. The Treaty of Breda confirmed Dutch naval supremacy. The stern of HMS Royal Charles is displayed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. A 2016 film about de Ruyter gained popularity, leading to various reenactments.