More information : Primary Sources:
'Whitehall, June 16 . . . the Enemy taking the advantage of an Easterly Wind and the Tide, which both served them, pressed on, and though their first Ship struck upon the Chain, the second broke through; and notwithstanding a stout resistance, in which our Men shewed infinite courage, with considerable loss to the Enemy, yet they clapt their Fireships aboard the MATTHIAS and the UNITY, that lay at anchor, as a Guard to the Chain, and then upon the CHARLES THE FIFTH, all three of them Dutch Ships, that had been formerly taken from them.' (3)
Pictorial Sources:
A contemporary print of the Raid on the Medway illustrates the action with a key. Although the SUSANNA is not specifically depicted, No.14 shows Capt. Braakel 'sailing over the chain' and the PRO PATRIA at No.15 'breaking the chain into pieces'. (4)
Secondary Sources:
Wednesday 12th June.
The SUSANNA was part of the vanguard of the Dutch advance. In front were three frigates, then the yachts, and two fireships, the SUSANNA and PRO PATRIA, with other fireships and men-of-war following them in turn.
'Meanwhile, as van Brakel was engaging the UNITY, the first of two fireships which had followed the VREDE, and which was called the SUSANNA, sailed up to the chain but failed to break it, and soon afterwards caught fire. The second fireship, the PRO PATRIA, followed close behind the SUSANNA, rode hard at the chain, and broke it.' (1)
Some Dutch fireship wrecks were recorded at Gillingham, which are likely to have been part of the attack on the chain. It is not clear which is which, nor whether they correspond precisely numerically with the ships expended in the attack on the chain. That being said (5), it is recorded in (1) that on 22 September 1669 the following wrecks were sold at auction, thus illustrating their continuing presence in the river:
The bottom of the bigger Dutch fireships at Gillingham, for £11; [note the plural]
The bottom of the smaller Dutch fireship at Gillingham, for £7;
The wreck of a Dutch fireship at Gillingham, for £21.
Those same wrecks were valued lower on 4 October 1669 in a report to the Navy Board:
The bottom of the bigger Dutch fireship at Gillingham, £6;
The bottom of the smaller Dutch fireship at Gillingham, £4;
The wreck of the Dutch fireship at Gillingham, £15.
The name is given as SUZANNA in a Dutch-language source. (2)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss |