Question: why were the navy ships moored on the river medway
Answer: The Dutch Raid on the Medway during the Second Anglo - Dutch War in June 1667 , called the Journey to Chatham or Tocht naar Chatham by the Dutch ( incorrectly called the Battle of Medway by Medway Council during 350th anniversary ' celebrations ' of the event ) , was a successful and daring attack conducted by the Dutch navy deep upriver targeting the largest English naval battleships at a time when most were virtually unmanned and unarmed , laid up due to lack of funding in the fleet anchorages off Chatham Dockyard and Gillingham in the county of Kent .