Spanish fleet

“ The English force, although very imposing, was much smaller than the array which Spain had made. As has been stated, the combined fleet consisted of 117 ships, carrying 15,600 men. The Spanish Armada embraced 130 ships, some of them of enormous size, carrying about 30,000 men all told, including “124 volunteers of quality, and 180 monks.” The Spanish expedition attracted the flower of the nobility of the nation, and the English Armada, in like manner, enlisted the sympathy, fired the patriotism, and inflamed the martial ardour of the flower of English chivalry. ”

“ On the 29th of April a Spanish fleet, commanded by Admiral Cervera, and consisting of four armoured cruisers and three torpedo boats and “destroyers,” left port in the Cape de Verde Islands and sailed for West Indian waters.
At the outset it was believed that the Spanish navy was vastly superior to that of the United States, for there were several battle ships of vast tonnage and heaviest [240] armament, and cruisers of greater speed than any possessed by the Americans. ”

“ But the Spanish army never landed in England. When its sails appeared, and it seemed as though it must overwhelm the small English fleet that was opposed to it, Queen Elizabeth on horseback rode among her soldiers, encouraging and cheering them, and urging them to fight to their last drop of blood in defense of their country. But the English fleet, under Sir Francis Drake, put the Spanish ships to flight and sunk a great number of them. And a gale of wind did the rest, wrecking the unwieldy Spanish boats and drowning thousands of Spanish soldiers and sailors. ”

“ The great Spanish fleet sailed north, and capturing on its way a number of English merchantmen, put into Sluys, and prepared to sail back in triumph with the prizes and merchandise it had captured. Knowing, however, that Edward was preparing to oppose them, the Spaniards filled up their complement of men, strengthened themselves by all sorts of the war machines then in use, and started on their return for Spain with one of the most powerful armadas that had ever put to sea. ”

“ Now, when the Jesus and the Minion were gotten two ship-lengths from the Spanish fleet, the fight began hot on all sides, so that within one hour the admiral of the Spaniards was supposed to be sunk, their vice-admiral burned, and one other of their principal ships supposed to be sunk, so that the ships were little to annoy us. ”

“ Another frolicsome adventure of the English sailors was to hang about the rear of the Spanish 'silver fleet' on its way from America to Spain, and when any vessel became separated from her fellows, to fall upon her, remove the precious cargo to their own vessel, and then set fire to the Spanish ship and send her adrift upon the high seas. ”

“ It was known beyond a question that the Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera was hidden within the harbour, not daring to come boldly out while the blockading squadron was so strong, and the first thought of men as well as officers, when these stealthily moving vessels were sighted, was that the Spaniards were making a desperate effort to escape from the trap they had voluntarily entered. ”

“ No. 3 represents the first engagement between the hostile fleets, and also the subsequent sailing of the Spanish Armada up the channel, closely followed by the English, whose ships were so much lighter, that in a running warfare of this kind they had greatly the advantage. The sea is alive too with dolphins and other strange fish, with right British hearts, as it has been said that “they seemed to oppose themselves with fierce and grim looks to the progress of the Spanish fleet.” The view of the coast here is very good ”

“ The first buccaneers sallied out in a small boat and captured a war-ship. From such small beginnings arose a pirate fleet, which, under various leaders, French, Dutch, Portuguese, became a scourge to the Spanish empire overseas. When they had wiped out Spain’s merchant shipping and were short of plunder, they attacked fortified cities, held them to ransom, and burned them for fun, then in chase of the fugitive citizens, put whole colonies to an end by sword and fire. ”

“ With Spain, notwithstanding isolated ship and fleet actions occasionally occurring, warfare had never been serious or continuous, nor had the political interests of the two countries been of such a nature as to bring them into conflict. The union, however, under the sway of Charles V, of the Empire, of Spain, and of the Netherlands, altered, in view of the new attitude assumed by Henry VIII, the pre-existing situation, and here again, besides the Imperial troops, Spanish fleets had to be reckoned with. ”

“ She possessed a more systematically organised navy than any other country having the ocean for a field of action had then, or till long afterwards. Even Genoa and Venice, whose operations, moreover, were restricted to Mediterranean waters, could not have been served by more finished specimens of the naval officer and the man-of-war's man of the time than a large proportion of the military personnel of the regular Spanish fleet. As Basques, Castilians, Catalans, or Aragonese, or all combined, the crews of Spanish fighting ships could look back upon a glorious past. ”

“ So the Spanish Fleet sailed forward, |Plate 8.|this and the best part of the next Day, with a gentle Gale at South-West and by South, the English following them close, and driving them like Sheep before them; and so far was this Invincible Armada from alarming the Sea-Coasts with any frightful Apprehensions, that a great many of the young Nobility and Gentry entered themselves Volunteers, and taking leave of their Parents, Wives, and Children, did, with incredible Chearfulness, hire Ships at their own Charge ”

“ Pirates and privateers multiplied so fast that the sailors of Spain were in danger in whatever waters they sailed. Especially did the foreign freebooters covet the treasure-laden galleons that made annual voyages in fleets to Spain. The French at one time, in the year 1696, lay in wait near Havana to intercept the fleet of that year when it should pass on its way from Vera Cruz to the mother country. They were disappointed, however, for the Spanish authorities, getting notice of this enemy in ambush, delayed the fleet from spring till autumn. ”

“ The Wind then shifted to the South-East, and afterwards to the South-South-West; |Plate 6.|whereupon a Body of English Ships, and several Merchant-Men attacked the Spanish Fleet so sharply to the Westward, that it was all forced to give way. The Lord-Admiral perceiving this, and observing at the same Time the Distress which the Triumph and the five Ships above mentioned in her Company, were in, he ordered some Ships that were then near at hand, to follow him, and to set upon the Spaniards a-fresh ”

“ About four Days after the English Fleet left the Spaniards, they came to an Island in the North Part of Scotland, where they staid not, nor had any Relief: And at this Place the Duke of Medina calling all the Ships together, charged them to make the best of their way for the Coasts of Spain or Portugal, because they were in the utmost Distress for want of Victuals and other Provisions. ”

“ The eighteenth century marked the birth of a real Spanish navy. At the outset, and during the great war which opened the era, there was virtually none at all, but in 1714 Orry took steps, which were later furthered by Alberoni, Patiño, and especially by Ensenada, to develop an effective fleet. In 1761 there were 49 men-of-war (navíos) , 22 frigates, and a number of smaller ships; in 1788, 64 men-of-war, 53 frigates, and 60 boats of other types, with 50,000 sailors, 20,000 infantry, 3000 artillerymen, and numerous officials of the navy department. ”

“ So, too, the control of the sea decided the outcome of the Spanish War. When Sampson’s fleet destroyed Spain’s only battle squadron off Santiago de Cuba, Spain could no longer reinforce her army in Cuba, and surrender was a necessity. Even as this is written Germany’s every sea outlet is closed by the British fleet, so superior in number to the German, and German commerce on the sea is for the time entirely swept away, leaving Great Britain for the moment navally and commercially supreme upon the ocean. ”

“ The number of effective fighting men was probably greater than that of the Spaniards, if we omit the galley slaves; certainly the proportion of sailors to the soldiers was greater in the English fleet; the sailors were far better seamen than those on the Spanish ships, and they had amongst their captains such men as Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher, who had spent their lives at sea. The Spanish ships, if higher and of greater size, and therefore dangerous at close quarters, were unwieldy and undermanned. ”

“ Thomas Gerard, Henry Nowel, Edward Darcy, Thomas Woodhouse, William Harvey, Arthur Gorges, and others; [80] and at the same time, the Justices of Peace in the maritime Counties, as also the Earl of Sussex, Sir George Carey, and the Captains of the Forts and Castles along the Sea-Coasts, sent Ships, Men, Powder, Shot, Victuals, and all kinds of Provisions, for the Relief and Assistance of the main Fleet.
[81] July 27. This Day, towards the Evening, the Spanish Fleet came to an Anchor before Calais; [82] intending for Dunkirk, where they were to join the Prince of Parma’s Forces ”

“ After this Fight there remained of the whole Spanish; Fleet but one hundred and ten, or one hundred and twelve Ships, and those extremely battered and shot through, and having their Rigging much damaged with the Shot.
[106] The next Day, July 30, the Lord Admiral ordered the Lord Henry Seymour, and Sir William Winter to return back with their Squadron into the narrow Seas, to guard the Coasts; as for himself, he resolved to follow the Spanish Fleet, ’till they came as far Northward as the Forth in Scotland, if they bent their Course that way ”

“ It has already been said, when speaking of the American War, that the Spanish Government had endeavoured to form a great fleet by building more ships than it could afford, and had never had money to spend on training officers and men. ”

“ Excepting Drake, no Englishman of the sixteenth century apparently understood how to utilize England’s naval supremacy, hence the frequent approach to success of the Spaniards.
2. In a naval war the operations must be vigorous and drastic, and not wasted upon mere commerce destroying. All England’s privateers and cruisers failed to take a single Spanish treasure fleet. ”

“ The Spaniards, upon this Occasion had great Advantage, since their Ships had Oars, and ours, by reason of a Calm, had no use of their Sails. However, the English galled the Enemy very much with their Cannon and Chain-Shot; but at last, wanting Powder and other Necessaries to continue the Fight, the Lord Admiral sent some Vessels into the next Port for a Supply. In the mean time, a Council of War was held, wherein it was agreed, That the Fleet should be divided into four Squadrons, to be commanded, the first by the Lord Admiral himself in the Ark-Royal ”

“ The riches and the weakness of the Spanish empire, both of them considerably exaggerated in popular opinion, tempted the hopes and the cupidity of adventurers of a different class; and by means of the united stimulus of gain and glory, a numerous fleet was fitted out in the spring of 1589 for an expedition to Portugal, which was equipped and manned almost entirely by the exertions of individuals, the queen contributing only sixty-six thousand pounds to the expenses, and six of her ships to the armament. ”

“ Neither can I imagine that there is any one in the Spanish fleete (Don Bernaldino excepted) that will saye they were lesse then twentie sayle of Shipps when they met the English fleet: And the Spanish Nauy can witnesse that they receiued such store of Bullets from the English fleete, that they were glad to depart, and in despight of them the English Nauie did holde their determined The number of the Spanish Shippes after the fight. ”

“ English shipbuilders had adopted an improved style of naval architecture, having constructed vessels which would sail faster and be more easily handled than those of the older fashion, and—what was of still greater importance—had built them so as to carry more and heavier cannon. Hence, the English fleet, on board of which the number of sailors exceeded that of the soldiers, was in reality—if only it could avoid fighting at close quarters—far superior to that of the enemy.
(p. 462)
The Spanish Armada. ”

“ Spain's list of unarmored cruisers is long, but four of our battle ships or swift, modern, armored cruisers could blow the lot out of the water. In torpedo boats we compare favorably with Spain. In one respect Spain is stronger, that is in her six speedy torpedo boat destroyers. This table accounts for every war ship Spain has, to say nothing of the few antique merchantmen of the Spanish liner company which can be turned into cruisers. ”

“ Those horses must have been Spanish genets born of mares fecundated by a zephyr, for they were fleet as the wind itself, and the moon, which had just risen at our departure to light us on the way, rolled over the sky like a wheel detached from her own chariot. ”

“ The Armada carried besides 21,855 soldiers. [12] The first thing that strikes us is the immense preponderance in tonnage on the part of the Spaniards, and in sailors on the part of the English. This really goes far to explain the result. Nothing is more certain than that the Spanish ships, notwithstanding their superior size, were for fighting and sailing purposes very inferior to the English. It had always been believed that, to withstand the heavy seas of the Atlantic, a ship should be constructed like a lofty fortress. ”

“ The Spaniards proved ignorant of marine evolutions, and the English sailed around them with a velocity which none of their ships could equal, and proved so much better marksmen that nearly every shot told, while the Spanish gunners fired high and wasted their balls in the air. The fight with the Armada seemed a prototype of the much later sea-battles at Manila and Santiago de Cuba. ”