3rd Spanish Armada

Part of the Anglo-Spanish War

Falmouth at the time of invasion

Date

18 October – 15 November 1597

Location

Cornwall, Wales, English Channel

Result

Spanish failure

Storm scattered Armada
Safe passage of English fleet
English defeat Armada remnants

Belligerents

Spain

England

Commanders and leaders

Strength

Fleet:
44 galleons
16 merchant galleons
52 hulks
24 small craft
Troops
9,634 soldiers
4,000 sailors
Total:
140 ships
13,000- 14,000 men

Fleet:
12 ships rising to 120
ships (23rd October)
Troops:
500 (October) rising to
8,000 (November)

Casualties and losses

6 ships captured,
400 captured
Storms
22 ships sunk or destroyed
1,000 dead
Total:
28 ships,
1,500 killed or captured

1 bark sunk
Low

Spanish failure

The 3rd Spanish Armada also known as the Spanish Armada of 1597 was a major naval event that took place between October and November 1597 as part of the Anglo–Spanish War. The armada, which was the third attempt by Spain to invade or raid the British Isles during the war, was ordered by King Philip II of Spain in revenge for the English attack on Cadiz following the failure of the 2nd Spanish Armada months before due to a storm. The Armada was executed by the Adelantado; Martín de Padilla who was hoping to intercept and destroy the returning English fleet under Robert Devereux the 2nd Earl of Essex from the failed Azores expedition. When this was achieved the armada would go on to capture either the important port of Falmouth or Milford Haven and use those places as a base for invasion.

When the Spanish arrived in the English channel however they were dispersed by a storm which scattered their fleet. As a result, some ships did push on, and troops were even landed on the English and Welsh coasts. The English fleet, which had also been scattered by the same storm, were unaware that the Spanish had come to intercept them. The English fleet arrived safely in England with loss of only one ship. As a result, Padilla finally ordered a retreat back to Spain. A number of Spanish ships were captured in action by returning English ships from which valuable information was given about the Armada. Panic in England then ensued partly because the English fleet had been out to sea with the English coast virtually undefended. This caused the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I of England and the Earl of Essex to deteriorate further and instead Charles Howard, the 1st Earl of Nottingham took charge of and immediately sent the English fleet out to hunt the Spanish, most of whom had arrived back at port. Any remaining Spanish ships were rounded up and captured along with their soldiers and crew. Philip took much of the blame for the failure by the Armada commanders particularly Padilla. The Armada was the last of its kind that the Spanish would execute under Philip II before his death.

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Wikipedia