Why was the Spanish Armada defeated?
The Spanish were harassed by hit and run attacks by faster English ships, which actually did little to the Armada. The English floated fire ships, lterally combustables laden ships on fire, into the Armada whihc broke it from its crescent formation. The weather and the Spanish retreat northward around England all but destroyed what was left of the Armada.
Believe it or not, the defeat of the Spanish Armada is most strongly linked to a fluke wind. This so called “Protestant Wind” along with well executed strategy and superior artillery led to a resounding English victory. Nearly half of the Spanish fleet was lost while the English navy suffered negligible losses.
Several factors really, the weather being the main one. With more favourable winds the Spanish fleet could have smashed us by sheer weight of numbers. However, they were forced up the Channel, harried by the better gunnery and training of the British ships which, though far fewer in number, nipped in and out of British ports to re-arm and replenish stores. A good analogy would be a pack of Jack Russells yelping and nipping at the heels of a herd of overweight cows. The end of the Armada was sad as hundreds of starving, sick and wounded seamen and soldiers were lost from the Spanish ships as they were driven around the coasts of eastern England and Scotland to be smashed to matchwood on inhospitable shores. Very few made it back. To answer the question, they were well prepared with good ships and good men but they were not trained to the same standards as the British. The weather became atrocious as it can do without much warning and the rest was up to the likes of Drake et al, from all
The Spanish ships were slower and less well armed than their English counterparts, but they planned to force boarding actions if the English offered battle, and the superior Spanish infantry would undoubtedly prevail. Delayed by storms that temporarily forced it back to Spain, the Armada did not reach the southern coast of England until July 19. By that time, the British were ready. On July 21, the English navy began bombarding the seven-mile-long line of Spanish ships from a safe distance, taking full advantage of their long-range heavy guns. The Spanish Armada continued to advance during the next few days, but its ranks were thinned by the English assault. On July 27, the Armada anchored in exposed position off Calais, France, and the Spanish army prepared to embark from Flanders. Without control of the Channel, however, their passage to England would be impossible. Just after midnight on July 29, the English sent eight burning ships into the crowded harbor at Calais. The panicked Sp
Rev is near perfect answer.The English it should be stressed were the finest makers of cannon at that time and could stand back out of range and still hit the Spanish even though they couldn’t hope to match the weight of a Spanish galleons broadside.The English were experienced and confident seaman the majority of personnel on the Armada were soldiers.
