Defeat of the Invincible Armada: place, date, course of battle

Invincible armada was a large military flotilla, created in Spain. It numbered about 130 ships. The flotilla was compiled in 1586-1588. Consider next, in what year the defeat of the Invincible Armada took place. About this later in the article.

goal

Before to tell, why and when there was a defeat of the Invincible armada, it is necessary to describe a situation which occured at that time. Tens of years, English privatiry sank and plundered Spanish ships. This brought tremendous losses to the country. Thus, in 1582 Spain suffered losses of more than 1,900,000 ducats. Another reason for the decision to create a flotilla was to support the uprising of the Dutch by Elizabeth the First - the Queen of England. Philip the Second - the monarch of Spain - considered it his duty to help the English Catholics who fought against the Protestants. In this connection nearly 180 clergymen were present on the ships of the flotilla. Moreover, at the time of recruitment, it was necessary for every sailor and soldier to confess and receive communion. For their part, the insurgent British hoped for victory. They expected that they would be able to destroy the Spanish monopoly trade with the New World, and also spread Protestant ideas in Europe. Thus, both sides had their own interest in this event.

Trip plan

The King of Spain ordered the flotilla to approach the English Channel. There she was to unite with the 30,000-strong army of the Duke of Parma. The troops were stationed in Flanders. By the combined forces they had to pass through the English Channel to the county of Essex. After that, a march to London was planned. The Spanish king expected the Catholics to leave Elizabeth and join him. However, this plan was not fully considered. It, in particular, did not take into account shallow water, which prevented the ships from approaching the shore to take on board the Duke's army. In addition, the Spaniards did not take into account the power of the fleet of England. And, of course, Philip could not even imagine that the defeat of the Invincible Armada would happen.

Command

The leader of the Armada was appointed Alvaro de Bazan. He was rightly considered the best Spanish admiral. He was the initiator and organizer of the flotilla. As contemporaries later said, if he led the ships, then it would hardly have happened the defeat of the Invincible Armada. The year 1588, however, became the last in the life for the admiral. He died on the 63rd year, before the flotilla came out into the sea. Instead, Alonso Perez de Guzman was appointed. He was not an experienced navigator, but he had excellent organizational skills. They allowed him to quickly find a common language with seasoned captains. Thanks to their joint efforts, a powerful fleet was created, which was supplied with provisions and equipped with everything necessary. In addition, the command staff developed a system of signals, orders and combat order, uniform for the entire multinational force.

Features of the organization

As part of Armada there were about 130 ships, 30.5 thousand people, 2 430 guns. The main forces were divided into six squadrons:

1. "Castile".
2. "Portugal".
3. "Vizcaya."
4. Gipuzkoa.
5. "Andalusia".
6. "Levant".

The Armada also included four Neapolitan galleas and the same number of Portuguese galleys. In addition, the fleet included a large number of intelligence vessels, for messenger service and supplies. Food stocks included millions of biscuits, 400,000 pounds of rice, 600,000 pounds of corned beef and salted fish, 40,000 gallons of oil, 14,000 barrels of wine, 6,000 bags of beans, and 300,000 pounds of cheese. Of the ammunition on ships there were 124 thousand cores, 500 thousand powder charges.

Beginning of the campaign

From the Lisbon harbor, the flotilla came out on May 29, 1588. However, in the way it was overtaken by a storm, which drove the ships to La Coruna - a port in the north-west of Spain. There the sailors had to repair the ships and replenish their food reserves. The commander of the flotilla was concerned about the deficit of provisions and the illnesses of his sailors. In this regard, he frankly wrote to Philip that he doubted the success of the campaign. However, the monarch insisted that the admiral should follow the prescribed course and not deviate from the plan. Two months after the parking in the Lisbon harbor, the flotilla reached the English Channel.

An unsuccessful meeting with the Duke of Parma

The Admiral of the fleet clearly followed Philip's orders and sent ships ashore to receive troops. Waiting for a reply from the duke, the commander of Armada ordered to anchor at Calais. This provision was very vulnerable, which was good for the British. That same night, they sent to the Spanish ships 8 set ships with explosives and combustible materials. Most of the captains began to cut the ropes and feverishly tried to escape. Subsequently, a strong wind and a powerful current carried the Spaniards to the north. They could not go back to the Duke of Parma. The next day the decisive battle took place.

The place and date of the defeat of the Invincible Armada

The flotilla was defeated by Anglo-Dutch maneuverable light ships. They commanded Charles Howard. In the English Channel, there were several fighting clashes that ended the battle of Graveline. So, in what year was the defeat of the Invincible Armada? The flotilla did not last long. It was defeated in the same year in which the campaign began - in 1588. Battles in the sea lasted two weeks. The Spanish flotilla failed to regroup. Collisions with enemy ships took place in extremely difficult conditions. Great difficulties created a constantly changing wind. The main skirmishes took place in Portland Bill, Start Point, the Isle of Wight. During the battles the Spaniards lost about 7 ships. The final defeat of the Invincible Armada took place at Calais. Refusing further invasion, the Admiral led the ships northward, across the Atlantic, along the western coast of Ireland. At the same time, enemy ships followed her on a small distance, moving along the eastern shores of England.

Return to Spain

It was very difficult. After the battles, many ships were badly damaged and barely kept afloat. Near the north-western coast of Ireland, the flotilla fell into a two-week storm. Many ships during it crashed against the rocks or disappeared without a trace. In the end, on September 23 the first ships after long wanderings reached the north of Spain. Only 60 ships managed to return home. Human losses were estimated from 1/3 to 3/4 of the number of crews. A huge number of people died of wounds and diseases, many drowned. Even those who managed to return home were practically starving, as all food supplies were depleted. One of the ships ran aground in Laredo, because the sailors did not have the strength to even lower their sails and anchor.

Value

Great losses brought Spain the defeat of the Invincible Armada. The date when this event occurred will forever remain in the history of the country as one of the most tragic. Nevertheless, the defeat did not lead to the immediate fall of Spanish power in the sea. The 90s of the 16th century in general are characterized by quite successful campaigns. Thus, the British attempt to invade the Spanish water area with their Armada ended in a crushing defeat. The battle took place in 1589. After 2 years, Spanish ships defeated the British in the Atlantic Ocean in several battles. All these victories, however, could not compensate for the losses that the defeat of the Invincible Armada brought to the country. Spain has learned an extremely important lesson for itself from this unsuccessful campaign. Subsequently, the country abandoned the hulking and heavy vessels in favor of lighter ships equipped with long-range weapons.

Conclusion

The defeat of the Invincible Armada (1588) buried all hope of the restoration of Catholicism in England. On the involvement of this country in one way or another in the foreign policy activities of Spain was also out of the question. This, in fact, meant that Philip's positions in the Netherlands would deteriorate sharply. As for England, for her the defeat of the Spanish flotilla was the first step towards conquest of the sea. For Protestants, this event put an end to the expansion of the Habsburg empire and the widespread spread of Catholicism. In their eyes, it was a manifestation of God's will. Many people who lived at that time in Protestant Europe believed that only the Celestial intervention helped to cope with the flotilla, which, as one of the contemporaries said, was hard to carry, and the ocean moaned under its weight.