3. The Spanish Armada suffered its greatest losses from storms
The Spanish fleet of 130 ships which sailed from Corunna was bound for the French port of Calais, where it was to meet with Dutch troops under the Duke of Parma. En route, it was attacked by English fireships and raiders. Several other engagements occurred between the smaller and faster English ships and the Spanish fleet. A major engagement was known as the Battle of Gravelines, where several Spanish ships were damaged, and five were lost, run aground in the shoal waters. Unable to rendezvous with Parma, the Spanish fleet was forced by contrary winds to sail north, hounded by the British ships. The British pursuit was called off due to low ammunition on most of the vessels.
The fleet sailed along the west coast of Scotland and north of Ireland, where it encountered violent storms, high seas, and predominantly westerly winds. Several of the damaged ships were driven ashore, wrecked. As the fleet attempted to round the north coast of Ireland more ships were lost. Only 67 ships returned to Spain, and less than 10 thousand men survived the expedition. Far more ships were lost to the weather than to English shots and fireships. The Armada had already failed in its mission when it turned for home and encountered the worst of the weather, defeated by the English ships. But it was the weather which destroyed it, preventing another attempt by the Spanish that year.