The course of the Armada and events in the Channel
The Spanish ships were first sighted in the English Channel on 29 July 1588. This was the Spanish Armada, a fleet of armed ships sailing towards England in a crescent formation.
Elizabeth was expected to protect her people from this invasion. How did the two sides line up?
| Spain | England | |
| Commanders | The Duke of Medina Sidonia - little experience of sailing and openly warned of his tendency for seasickness. | Lord Howard of Effingham 鈥 little experience of fighting at sea, but Drake and Hawkins were both very experienced. |
| Fleet | 130 ships - 64 battleships, 22 huge galleons and 45 converted merchant ships. | 200 ships - 54 strong, light and fast battleships, and 140 converted merchant ships. |
| Sailors and soldiers | 30,000 men on board the fleet and 20,000 soldiers on land. | 14,000 men on board the fleet and 20,000 soldiers on land. |
| Food supplies | Not fresh 鈥 six months鈥 worth of supplies were stored on the ships. | Fresh food supplied daily. |
| Weapons | 2,000 large cannon 鈥 could fire heavy cannon balls, but only over a short distance and were slow to load. | 200 smaller cannon 鈥 could fire over long distance and were quick to load. |
| Tactics for fighting at sea | Get close so men could board and capture the enemy ships. | Destroy enemy ships by firing cannon at them from a distance. |
| Annual income | 拢3 million. | 拢300,000. Parliament did grant Elizabeth taxes to top this up. |
| Commanders | |
|---|---|
| Spain | The Duke of Medina Sidonia - little experience of sailing and openly warned of his tendency for seasickness. |
| England | Lord Howard of Effingham 鈥 little experience of fighting at sea, but Drake and Hawkins were both very experienced. |
| Fleet | |
|---|---|
| Spain | 130 ships - 64 battleships, 22 huge galleons and 45 converted merchant ships. |
| England | 200 ships - 54 strong, light and fast battleships, and 140 converted merchant ships. |
| Sailors and soldiers | |
|---|---|
| Spain | 30,000 men on board the fleet and 20,000 soldiers on land. |
| England | 14,000 men on board the fleet and 20,000 soldiers on land. |
| Food supplies | |
|---|---|
| Spain | Not fresh 鈥 six months鈥 worth of supplies were stored on the ships. |
| England | Fresh food supplied daily. |
| Weapons | |
|---|---|
| Spain | 2,000 large cannon 鈥 could fire heavy cannon balls, but only over a short distance and were slow to load. |
| England | 200 smaller cannon 鈥 could fire over long distance and were quick to load. |
| Tactics for fighting at sea | |
|---|---|
| Spain | Get close so men could board and capture the enemy ships. |
| England | Destroy enemy ships by firing cannon at them from a distance. |
| Annual income | |
|---|---|
| Spain | 拢3 million. |
| England | 拢300,000. Parliament did grant Elizabeth taxes to top this up. |
Upon the sighting of the Armada, warning beacons were lit. The Spanish fleet sailed slowly up the Channel followed by the English Admiral, Lord Howard of Effingham, Sir Francis Drake and the rest of the English fleet.
During the next few days there were a series of Short, inconclusive battle., but the long-range guns of the English could not inflict any serious damage on the Spanish fleet in its tight crescent formation.