Research Paper On Spanish Armada
History invisible armada (Spanish armada)
In January 1588, Philip II sent a serious message to the Castile, the assembly in which the representatives of cities gathered: "You know all the business in which I have set for the service of God and increasing our holy Catholic faith and benefit of these kingdoms [...] This requires very large and overspending, because it does not go unless the security of the sea and the Indies and even their own homes. ""Enterprise" to which the king was referring to was nothing less than an invasion of England, aiming to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and finish with the support it provided to the Protestant rebels of Flanders, at war with Spain for some twenty years. For this Felipe II had met in Lisbon a giant armada: 130 warships and transport, with a crew of 12,000 sailors and 19,000 soldiers. Commanding a prestigious Andalusian aristocrat, the Duke of Medina Sidonia was. Their mission was to reach Dunkirk, on the shores of Spanish Flanders, …show more content…
27,000 soldiers embark Spanish troops stationed there and launch the invasion.
In late July 1588, the Navy entered the English Channel. The British were alerted and sent their warships to harass from the flanks. For several days the Spanish fleet sailed while shelling of little consequence succeeded. On 6 August he anchored off Calais, about 40 kilometers from his goal, having lost only two galleons.
The battle in the Canal:
The English, determined to prevent the landing, launched in the early morning of 8 August 8 fireships (burned boats) against the Navy, forcing her to weigh anchor at full speed, causing confusion and dispersion of the fleet. Although no ship caught fire, many lost their anchors and rigging or suffered damage to the rudders, bats or the sails. His maneuvers were very slow, given the large overhead carrying. The next day the scattered units were surrounded by English ships and suffered a major bombardment, which sank five Spanish ships and caused 1,500 deaths.
Spanish galleons might just return fire if they did little damage. As if that were not enough, the morning of August 9 winds and currents had launched the Hispanic fleet off the Dutch coast, while the British watching the spectacle from afar. The situation was desperate. The best infantry in the world was locked in those vessels unable to fight and sentenced to die. Luckily for Spanish, the wind shifted suddenly and the Navy could enter the open sea, but followed the enemy.
The fleet had been saved, but the projected invasion was impossible. Certainly the 'Armada', as the ironically named the inglesa- advertising had not been defeated. There had been no landing or approaches, or melee ... In fact there had been a battle, only gunfire and violent winds, and the fruit of all this was reduced to seven or eight sunken ships and 1,500 deaths mentioned. On the English side, it is estimated that the casualties were a few hundred.
However, in the afternoon of August 9 the wind continued away from the Flemish coast to the ships, and made it impossible to contact thirds should run the invasion. In addition, many ships had breakdowns and generally lacked ammunition to deal with guarantees a squad like English, which could replenish their ports. In this situation, the Duke of Medina Sidonia summoned the captains of the fleet to a council of war to decide what should be done. Such was the disappointment that some even suggested surrender to the enemy; other captains, however, intended to fight to the bitter end: "We returned to the Canal and they execute what our king commanded us." Finally it was agreed that if the wind was blowing against the fleet would undertake the return to Spain. And indeed, the next day, August 10, "the return to Spain across the Armada was published."
Everyone knew that this return would not be easy. To avoid further clashes with the British, the northern route would follow, along the coasts of Scotland and Ireland and then descend to La Coruña. It was not an unknown area for sailors of the time; in fact, the dominant southwest winds were relatively easy to march north. In addition, the August 12 the English fleet, without provisions nor sufficient ammunition, abandoned all persecution, and approximately 114 Navy ships remaining that is, almost all- could move forward without fear of being caught.
The struggle against the elements:
The Spanish fleet was very battered and lacked supplies. From the moment of departure orders rationing, especially drink as much water in barrels was lost shoddy occurred; a few days later was sent to jettison the mules and horses, also to save water. Many sailors had fallen ill. Still, the biggest problem was the weather. With the progress northward temperatures plummeted and the fleet was enveloped in thick mist and threatening storms, in addition to suffering headwinds that slowed their advance.
The ships were able to skirt the Shetland islands, but from September 18, when they were off the coast of Ireland a terrible storm broke. A British officer prominent in Ireland described it as "a terrible gale, a strong storm as had not seen or heard for a long time." The Spanish fleet was completely dispersed. Some sought refuge on the coast to undertake repairs. The situation was desperate sailors. According to the testimony of a Portuguese sailor captured by the English, "every day four or five men starve or die of thirst on the boat. Eighty Twenty soldiers and sailors are sick, and the rest are very weak [...] says that the purpose of Admiral is trying to reach Spain harnessing the wind that comes first. Among the soldiers it is said that, if they return to Spain, never will indulge with English ".
A number of boats, about thirty, shipwrecked off the coast of Ireland between mid-September and throughout October. Obviously shipwrecks affected the most fragile vessels such as freighters, while war galleons, despite having suffered the most during the fighting, endured much better hard journey. Shipwrecks threw hundreds of corpses to the Irish beaches, and even left their mark on the toponymy: a village in County Clare Spanish Point is called the 'out of the Spaniards, "referring to the wrecks of the Navy.
A return without glory:
Those who, overwhelmed by hunger and thirst, they ventured to call at some point of the coast fared no better. The British authorities in Ireland had orders not to leave any Spanish alive, for fear that could encourage the Irish to rebel against British rule. And indeed, English forces and Irish mercenaries spent many Spanish sword, trying not they could receive no support from the local Catholic population. An estimated two thousand sailors died that way. Only the lucky castaways managed to reach Scotland, where they found refuge until they were rescued the next year by Alexander Farnese, who chartered four ships from Flanders.
The ordeal did not end until the ships returned to the Cantabrian ports in a slow trickle, between late September and October.
Some ships, because of the deplorable state in which they were shipwrecked before the Spanish coast. In the end only returned about 70 or 80 of the 130 ships that set sail from Lisbon. Many were under such poor condition that it was impossible to repair and had to be scrapped. Of the 31,000 men who had embarked estimated 20,000 died: 1500 in the fighting, 8,500 shipwrecks and 2,000 killed in Ireland, plus another 8,000 who died during the voyage or to reach port victims disease and the hardships of life on board. The dead included many of the best masters of the time, like Alonso de Leyva, Miguel de Oquendo and Juan Martinez de Recalde, who died shortly after returning. The Duke of Medina Sidonia, sick and depressed, almost secretly broke into his residence in Sanlúcar without going through the court, after referring to Philip II a detailed report on the failed
expedition.
It seems that the famous phrase of the king lamented that he had sent a fleet to fight against men, not against the elements, it is not true. He was, yes, deeply disappointed and even killed, "I ask God to take me to himself for not seeing much bad luck and misery", he came to write his captain and secretary, Mateo Vázquez, when he had some news of disastrous tour return. Philip II had a deep religious convictions and felt legitimized by God in his company; disaster, therefore, fit it with deep sorrow but also with quiet Christian resignation, as divine punishment "for our sins."
In January 1588, Philip II sent a serious message to the Castile, the assembly in which the representatives of cities gathered: "You know all the business in which I have set for the service of God and increasing our holy Catholic faith and benefit of these kingdoms [...] This requires very large and overspending, because it does not go unless the security of the sea and the Indies and even their own homes. ""Enterprise" to which the king was referring to was nothing less than an invasion of England, aiming to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and finish with the support it provided to the Protestant rebels of Flanders, at war with Spain for some twenty years. For this Felipe II had met in Lisbon a giant armada: 130 warships and transport, with a crew of 12,000 sailors and 19,000 soldiers. Commanding a prestigious Andalusian aristocrat, the Duke of Medina Sidonia was. Their mission was to reach Dunkirk, on the shores of Spanish Flanders, …show more content…
27,000 soldiers embark Spanish troops stationed there and launch the invasion.
In late July 1588, the Navy entered the English Channel. The British were alerted and sent their warships to harass from the flanks. For several days the Spanish fleet sailed while shelling of little consequence succeeded. On 6 August he anchored off Calais, about 40 kilometers from his goal, having lost only two galleons.
The battle in the Canal:
The English, determined to prevent the landing, launched in the early morning of 8 August 8 fireships (burned boats) against the Navy, forcing her to weigh anchor at full speed, causing confusion and dispersion of the fleet. Although no ship caught fire, many lost their anchors and rigging or suffered damage to the rudders, bats or the sails. His maneuvers were very slow, given the large overhead carrying. The next day the scattered units were surrounded by English ships and suffered a major bombardment, which sank five Spanish ships and caused 1,500 deaths.
Spanish galleons might just return fire if they did little damage. As if that were not enough, the morning of August 9 winds and currents had launched the Hispanic fleet off the Dutch coast, while the British watching the spectacle from afar. The situation was desperate. The best infantry in the world was locked in those vessels unable to fight and sentenced to die. Luckily for Spanish, the wind shifted suddenly and the Navy could enter the open sea, but followed the enemy.
The fleet had been saved, but the projected invasion was impossible. Certainly the 'Armada', as the ironically named the inglesa- advertising had not been defeated. There had been no landing or approaches, or melee ... In fact there had been a battle, only gunfire and violent winds, and the fruit of all this was reduced to seven or eight sunken ships and 1,500 deaths mentioned. On the English side, it is estimated that the casualties were a few hundred.
However, in the afternoon of August 9 the wind continued away from the Flemish coast to the ships, and made it impossible to contact thirds should run the invasion. In addition, many ships had breakdowns and generally lacked ammunition to deal with guarantees a squad like English, which could replenish their ports. In this situation, the Duke of Medina Sidonia summoned the captains of the fleet to a council of war to decide what should be done. Such was the disappointment that some even suggested surrender to the enemy; other captains, however, intended to fight to the bitter end: "We returned to the Canal and they execute what our king commanded us." Finally it was agreed that if the wind was blowing against the fleet would undertake the return to Spain. And indeed, the next day, August 10, "the return to Spain across the Armada was published."
Everyone knew that this return would not be easy. To avoid further clashes with the British, the northern route would follow, along the coasts of Scotland and Ireland and then descend to La Coruña. It was not an unknown area for sailors of the time; in fact, the dominant southwest winds were relatively easy to march north. In addition, the August 12 the English fleet, without provisions nor sufficient ammunition, abandoned all persecution, and approximately 114 Navy ships remaining that is, almost all- could move forward without fear of being caught.
The struggle against the elements:
The Spanish fleet was very battered and lacked supplies. From the moment of departure orders rationing, especially drink as much water in barrels was lost shoddy occurred; a few days later was sent to jettison the mules and horses, also to save water. Many sailors had fallen ill. Still, the biggest problem was the weather. With the progress northward temperatures plummeted and the fleet was enveloped in thick mist and threatening storms, in addition to suffering headwinds that slowed their advance.
The ships were able to skirt the Shetland islands, but from September 18, when they were off the coast of Ireland a terrible storm broke. A British officer prominent in Ireland described it as "a terrible gale, a strong storm as had not seen or heard for a long time." The Spanish fleet was completely dispersed. Some sought refuge on the coast to undertake repairs. The situation was desperate sailors. According to the testimony of a Portuguese sailor captured by the English, "every day four or five men starve or die of thirst on the boat. Eighty Twenty soldiers and sailors are sick, and the rest are very weak [...] says that the purpose of Admiral is trying to reach Spain harnessing the wind that comes first. Among the soldiers it is said that, if they return to Spain, never will indulge with English ".
A number of boats, about thirty, shipwrecked off the coast of Ireland between mid-September and throughout October. Obviously shipwrecks affected the most fragile vessels such as freighters, while war galleons, despite having suffered the most during the fighting, endured much better hard journey. Shipwrecks threw hundreds of corpses to the Irish beaches, and even left their mark on the toponymy: a village in County Clare Spanish Point is called the 'out of the Spaniards, "referring to the wrecks of the Navy.
A return without glory:
Those who, overwhelmed by hunger and thirst, they ventured to call at some point of the coast fared no better. The British authorities in Ireland had orders not to leave any Spanish alive, for fear that could encourage the Irish to rebel against British rule. And indeed, English forces and Irish mercenaries spent many Spanish sword, trying not they could receive no support from the local Catholic population. An estimated two thousand sailors died that way. Only the lucky castaways managed to reach Scotland, where they found refuge until they were rescued the next year by Alexander Farnese, who chartered four ships from Flanders.
The ordeal did not end until the ships returned to the Cantabrian ports in a slow trickle, between late September and October.
Some ships, because of the deplorable state in which they were shipwrecked before the Spanish coast. In the end only returned about 70 or 80 of the 130 ships that set sail from Lisbon. Many were under such poor condition that it was impossible to repair and had to be scrapped. Of the 31,000 men who had embarked estimated 20,000 died: 1500 in the fighting, 8,500 shipwrecks and 2,000 killed in Ireland, plus another 8,000 who died during the voyage or to reach port victims disease and the hardships of life on board. The dead included many of the best masters of the time, like Alonso de Leyva, Miguel de Oquendo and Juan Martinez de Recalde, who died shortly after returning. The Duke of Medina Sidonia, sick and depressed, almost secretly broke into his residence in Sanlúcar without going through the court, after referring to Philip II a detailed report on the failed
expedition.
It seems that the famous phrase of the king lamented that he had sent a fleet to fight against men, not against the elements, it is not true. He was, yes, deeply disappointed and even killed, "I ask God to take me to himself for not seeing much bad luck and misery", he came to write his captain and secretary, Mateo Vázquez, when he had some news of disastrous tour return. Philip II had a deep religious convictions and felt legitimized by God in his company; disaster, therefore, fit it with deep sorrow but also with quiet Christian resignation, as divine punishment "for our sins."