Why was the Spanish Armada defeated?
They failed to gain the windward side of Drakes fleet. Drake purposely established himself behind the Armada and picked of their ships with his smaller more manoeuvrable ships. The Spanish were forced to go all the way around the British Isles to escape only to loose most of their ships on the rocks off Ireland.
A simple theory – the Spanish – thinking they could conquer England made the mistake of making their ships BIG – they thought the size would be stronger and more durable in battle – it turned out they were wrong – The English ships being smaller and easier to manoeuvre, cut inside the Armada – the Armada guns basically could not hit the English ships as they sat to low in the water – the English ships being lower had ample room to shoot the port and starboard sides of the Spanish ships and so they sank – with relatively little loss to English Navy vessels
This is a question that should read how was it defeated and not why… The huge Spanish force sailed up the English channel with the wind behind them and unable to turn about and face the much smaller English fleet that was attacking them from behind.The English fleet could easilly attack then drop back into the friendly ports all along the southern coast line. The Spanish now had only three options,1.drop into a friendly french port and be blockaded in by the English and defeated.2.try to turn and face the English fleet but that was suicidal,or .3 keep on going and try to out run the English,which is what they did,they sailed up the east coast of the Uk ,around Scotland and dowmn the Irish sea and try to get back to spain that way,,The waether turned against them and nearly all the ships were wrecked along the Scottish coast. So a combination of bad luck and bad planning defeated the Spanish.
