Second Anglo-Dutch War. Under the command of Michiel De Ruyter, the Dutch inflict a severe defeat on the English in the Four Days’ Battle, the longest naval battle ever fought. He then attacks the English right in their refuge: the Thames Estuary. In a daring surprise attack, he cuts the Medway Chains and arrives where most of the English fleet is anchored: 15 ships are sunk, 3 burned, and one, the flagship Royal Charles of the entire English fleet, is captured and towed to Holland as a trophy. Its original stern coat of arms is still in the National Museum in Amsterdam. It is the Royal Navy’s worst defeat. De Ruyter is the son of a humble beer stevedore, and this too starkly represents the difference between the English aristocrats and the Dutch bourgeoisie.
