1588 – The Spanish Armada
22 galleons and 108 armed merchant vessels sailing up the English Channel to confront 34 warships and 163 armed merchant vessels of the English and Dutch line. What led to 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers to jump into ships on a delightful summer cruise to England? Well, like most acts of history we have religion to thank for getting them off their backsides and on the ships. Spain’s Roman Catholic King, Philip II wanted to overthrow the Protestant Queen of England, Elizabeth I.
Philip had form in trying to get rid of Elizabeth, he had previously supported plots that would have seen Elizabeth’s Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots crowned Queen of England. The purpose of the fleet was to assist the invasion of England, the plan was to defeat or at least deter the English fleet and clear the way for an invasion force to cross from Flanders to the southeast of England.
The English did not play by the rules, the invincible Armada was full of ships carrying gunpowder, the English sent eight fire ships, known as “Hell Burners” into the Armada. This tactic meant the Spanish fleet had to break their formation to avoid catching fire. Once the crescent formation was broken the Armada was vulnerable to attack.
The decisive battle happened on July 29, 1588. The battle only ended because the English ships ran out of ammunition. The English ships were quicker and easier to maneuver, they could get in between the Spanish ships and cause damage. The English were helped by the stubborn nature of the Spanish who wanted to fight by boarding ships rather than through cannon fire.
After the battle, Francis Drake was ordered to follow the Spanish fleet with a larger English fleet being guided by the light at the stern of Drake’s ship. Ever the entrepreneur or pirate (you choose), Drake disobeyed orders and doused his light and headed off to loot the stricken Rosario. Drake’s excuse that he had sighted strange sails and believed them to be Spanish did not wash with the commander of the Triumph who commented:
““Drake’s light we looked for but there was no light to be seen… Like a coward, he kept by her [the Rosario] all night because he would have the spoil… We will have our shares or I will make him spend the best blood in his belly.”
Of course, it would be very un-English to court-martial one of England’s naval heroes especially during a period of national emergency.