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On This Day...

: 1588

On this day in 1588, The Spanish Armada set sail to conquer England.

Queen Elizabeth I of England was the head of the newly formed Protestant church which gave her many enemies during her reign. Her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, became involved in various plots by Spanish and English Catholics to overthrow Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth also supported the Dutch rebels in the Spanish Netherlands which angered King Philip of Spain even more.
Elizabeth I and her government were preparing for the inevitable war with Spain and one of England’s greatest commanders was tasked with a daring mission. On the 12^th of April 1587, he set sail from Plymouth and headed with a small fleet to the Spanish port of Cadiz. He arrived on the afternoon of the 29^th of April and started his two-day bombardment of Spanish Naval and land forces. The bombardment continued until late the next day by which time he had destroyed thirty-seven Spanish ships and sustained minimal casualties. He continued his assault on the Spanish by capturing their ships along the coast and plundering supplies. Sir Drake’s mission became known as the "singeing of the beard" of King Philip II of Spain. His success delayed Spain from building its fleet but not for long, later that year King Phillip had amassed a naval fleet called the ‘Spanish Armada’.
This fleet of 130 ships, 2,500 guns and 30,000 men was believed to be invincible and was tasked with controlling the English Channel and invading England. But because of the success of Drake’s mission the fleet didn’t set sail until this day in 1588.

On the 21st of July 1588, the mighty Spanish fleet was within range of the smaller English Naval fleet which was under the command of Drake. The Spanish Armada made a seven-mile-long line of ships and was a sight not before seen in Naval warfare, but the English guns had superior range. Under Drakes's command, they began bombarding the ships and over the next few days, the advancing Armada was being pounded by the English Navy. One week after the first shots were fired, on the 28th of July, the Spanish Armada retreated to France and the presumed safety of Calais. But the English followed and sent in ships loaded with explosives which destroyed many more Spanish vessels. The remaining fleet headed for the Netherlands but encountered a small Dutch fleet which forced them to turn back and face the pursuing English. The English continued the assault and the Spanish fleet fled for Scotland. The great Armada returned to Spain by October 1588, via Ireland, but with only half the ships.

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