Today in 1588 England fought the Spanish Armada in the battle of Gravelines, the decisive battle of the invasion, off the coast of Spanish held Flanders. The Armada was first spotted off the coast of Plymouth, and the English harried the ships until the Spanish anchored off the coast of Calais on the 27th of July. They set up in a defensive crescent-shaped position. But then the English sent four sacrificed fire ships into their lines, which scattered the Spanish. In the disarray, the English attacked on the 29th. The wind was in their favor, and they were able to sail out of range. The Spanish lost five ships, 2000 men, and almost all of their ammunition. The English chased the Spanish all the way up above Scotland, and the Spanish were forced to sail around the north of Scotland and return to Spain via Ireland.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com where there are several Armada episodes.
Link:
Armada Month Episode One:
https://www.englandcast.com/2016/01/armada-part-i-the-30-year-road-to-the-battle/