how does england win the naval battle against the spanish armada

Having spotted the Armada, the first of the chain of beacons were lit, alerting the rest of the kingdom to the impending invasion.Ĭommanding the English force was Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake, ready to take on the Spanish fleet, with around 200 ships. The English defeated the mighty Spanish Armada, under the command of Sir Francis Drake. Storms delayed the fleet travelling to the southern coast of the British Isles, but it finally reached its destination on 19th July this delay had given the English Navy the chance to prepare. Though a fleet had been ready since 1587, English raids on Cadiz saw the departure delayed by a number of months.Ĭarrying 28,000 souls (8,000 sailors and 20,000 soldiers) and 2,500 guns on 130 ships (including 28 purpose-built warships), the Armada was under the command of the Duke of Medina-Sidonia – a man without any military or naval experience. It was on 19th May 1588 that the Armada set off from Lisbon, then part of the Philip’s kingdom. Having had her imprisoned over decades, Mary’s execution in 1587 was the final straw for the Spanish. The Pope’s declaration that English Catholics held no obligation to support their Queen encouraged a series of plots against Elizabeth, hoping to replace her with her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. The Pope, Sixtus V, supported this move, hoping to restore Catholicism to the country, a few decades after the Virgin Queen had been excommunicated, like her father Henry VIII. English raids against Spanish trade, as well as Elizabeth’s support of the Protestant Dutch rebels against the Spanish, saw King Philip II of Spain plan an invasion and conquest of England. Of course, both sides were determined to win, but neither side calculated correctly how the war would eventually proceed.

How does england win the naval battle against the spanish armada