The process of the great British-Spanish naval battle

1580, Plymouth native Frances Drake became the first person to sail around the world by himself. During the three-year voyage, Drake's fleet not only plundered Spanish colonies in South America, but also attacked Spanish ports in Europe. Drake, who came home with a full load, brought 4700 times of profits to investors. As one of the funders, Elizabeth I received a bonus of163,000, which was almost equivalent to the government's annual expenditure at that time.

The noble queen herself came to Drake's ship and solemnly conferred the title of Knight Drake, a professional pirate. The success of compatriots and the encouragement of the Queen have boosted the confidence of the British people to cross the sea, and more and more people have joined the ranks of overseas plunder and trade. )

1588 In July, the "Armada" set out from Lisbon Port. After more than two months' voyage, we sailed near the southwest coast of England in July of February12000, anchored outside Plymouth Harbor, and launched a battle formation. Lord Harald, commander-in-chief of the British fleet, immediately ordered: "The fleet leaves the port and goes against the wind to seize the upper hand of the enemy fleet!"

The British fleet gradually entered the Spanish fleet. The Spanish commander Duke Medina-Sidonia still intends to approach and collide with the British fleet with Spanish naval tactics. As soon as the British fleet entered the range, the artillery roared and fired fiercely at the Spanish fleet, causing a huge water column on the sea.

The "Armada" lined up in several columns and pressed at full speed against the British warships. "Order the fleet to approach the warships at all costs and hook the enemy ships with hooks!" Szidonia, commander-in-chief of Armada, shouted. But British warships always turn around flexibly to avoid Spanish warships, and then kill their opponents with intensive artillery fire. After several hours of scuffle, not only did not a Spanish soldier board the British ship, but also many ships in the "Armada" caught fire with guns, and many officers and men on the warship were killed or injured by more than half. Seeing that his fleet suffered heavy losses, Szidonia decided to leave the battle temporarily, but the British army clung to it and continued to pursue it. The fierce artillery battle lasted all day, and it was not until dusk that the first day of fighting ended. The following week, the British fleet frequently launched small-scale attacks, while the "Armada" was beaten black and blue, and it was in a mess. Being far away from the base, logistical supply is difficult, and shells and food are getting less and less. Szidonia decided to drive the fleet to Calais in the northeast of France, on the one hand, to rest and solve the supply problem, and on the other hand, to wait to meet Balma's troops. However, a British fleet blocked the Dutch sea for a long time, making it impossible for them to meet.

Late at night on the eighth day, there was a strong westerly wind blowing on the sea. After several days of hard work, the soldiers of the "Armada" have fallen asleep. Suddenly, someone woke up the commander-in-chief who was sleeping soundly and reported in a panic: "Report commander-in-chief, there are eight fire dragons on the sea, which are rushing towards our fleet!" Szidonia ran to the deck before he could get dressed. I saw eight fire dragons riding in the west wind, flying straight at the fleet like arrows. After hitting the ship, the salamander flew up and smoke billowed. In an instant, many ships caught fire.

It turned out that this was a battle plan made by the British navy generals after discussion, attacking the Spanish fleet with fireboats. They selected eight ships, coated their hulls with asphalt, filled them with grease and firewood, lit them and sailed into the Spanish fleet.

See this kind of situation, Szidonia hurriedly ordered; "The ship immediately cuts off the anchor cable and takes the road out of the port!" Suddenly, the fleet was in chaos, and the ships fled for their lives, and the fleet lost its unified command. As a result, many ships sank in the collision. Most of the ships that failed to rush out of the port were swallowed up by the flames. It is also difficult for ships that have escaped from the harbor to re-enter the harbor because their two main anchors were cut off in the chaos. In the early morning of the 29th, the anchored fleet was blown to the northeast by the southwest wind, and the formation was very chaotic. The "Armada" is very confident in winning the war, but it has ignored a problem from the beginning-the ocean is a special battlefield, and the moody sea will make naval battles unpredictable. Sure enough, the "Armada" was in trouble as soon as it started. The storm raged in the Atlantic Ocean, and the so-called most advanced "Armada" in the world became vulnerable to the huge storm. The waves rolled up by strong winds made the ship jolt violently, and even the sailors who lived at sea all the year round felt weak and dizzy. So, before the war with the British, the "Armada" returned to the safe haven awkwardly. Rest in the safe haven until July.

Just like land battlefield operations, maritime operations also pay attention to giving opponents a surprise attack. The "Armada" postponed the battle plan to avoid the wind and waves, which created a good opportunity for Britain to fight back. Britain took advantage of this situation to greatly expand its maritime power for more than a month. With the efforts of Lord Howard, the British navy stimulated by war is no longer "a few shabby ships". We have raised 197 warships, all of which have been carefully improved. Although these ships are not as gorgeous as the "Armada", they are far more flexible than Spanish ships in battle.

1588 On the morning of July 22nd, Britain and Spain officially went to war. The weather is very favorable for English ships. With the help of the upper hand position, they quickly escaped the first round of bombardment launched by the "Armada" and launched a fierce counterattack against the "Armada". The Armada realized that the British were much stronger than expected. Due to the lack of research on the operational characteristics of the British navy, the "Armada" fell into panic and the British navy won a great victory in the 22nd naval battle.

The next morning, the northeast wind blew on the sea, which was very beneficial to the "Armada". They surrounded the British warship Triumph with the fastest speed, which caused heavy losses to the Triumph. 14 Armada finally saved some face. Although it was only temporary, the two sides met again on July 25 of that year. But this time, neither Britain nor Spain enjoyed the battle, and both sides lacked ammunition. So the "Armada" sailed to Calais, France, and the British navy quickly returned to Dover, England.

After several days of fierce fighting, Britain and Spain are busy repairing warships and supplying materials. In contrast, it is much more convenient for British ships to replenish. After all, Dover is a port in England. Before arriving in Dover, they can get the necessary materials from other British ports nearby. At this time, the "Armada" is just the opposite. It will go to the French port for supplies, and no port will help it until it reaches Calais. The supply difficulties of the "Armada" created opportunities for the British Navy. As soon as the "Armada" arrived in the waters of Calais, the British navy, which had already completed the replenishment, followed closely.

The "Armada" is in the weakest state and there is a serious shortage of shells. The British navy fired at the "Armada" in training just like shooting at a target, but the "Armada" was helpless. Seeing that the "Armada" was in such a mess, the British decided to make a surprise attack on the "Armada" in the early morning of July 28 of the same year. The British modified eight small boats under 200 tons to make them more aggressive. Then, with the help of the darkness before dawn, we quietly sailed to the "Armada".

These ships are fast and have sailed for the "Armada" at dawn. They suddenly opened fire on the "Armada", which caught the Spanish off guard. In a short time. Some big ships of the Armada suddenly caught fire. Because of the close distance between ships, many ships that were not on fire were in a mess when they saw the fire, so that they ignored the orders and ran away.

As far as naval warfare is concerned, chaos will make a fleet suffer irreparable disasters. The stunned "Armada" retreated hastily. It can't tell the direction, just want to escape from the British attack circle as soon as possible. On the vast sea, this huge fleet rampaged like a headless fly. Instead of going to Calais, which is just around the corner, it fled to Dunkirk. As a result, the Armada is getting farther and farther away from Canada, and it has never been replenished.

This is exactly what the British want to see. The British navy decided not to let the "Armada" live, and all the ships set sail and pursued at full speed. Because the "Armada" had no ammunition, the British navy boldly approached the enemy. The closer to the enemy, the higher the hit rate of British artillery. The fighting lasted until 6 pm, and the wind direction at sea suddenly changed. The British navy gave up the pursuit out of caution, and the "Armada" saved its life. From July 22 to July 28, the "Armada" spent a total of 65,438+10,000 shells, but these 65,438+10,000 shells not only failed to seriously damage any British ship, but also failed to keep their own safety. In the six-day battle, the "Armada" killed or injured nearly 30 people.

The Spaniards don't want to believe that they were defeated by the British at sea. In August, the "Armada" and the British Navy fought again in the northeast waters of Calais. However, even though they were fully prepared, the Spanish still failed to save the fate of defeat. The ships of the "Armada" have large tonnage and heavy loads, which also makes them slow and clumsy. The artillery equipped by British ships has an advantage in range, which allows the British to fire at will outside the range of Spain. The "Armada" tried to repay the kindness of the British Navy, and also carried out fierce shelling on the British Navy, but the British ships were agile and easily escaped the shells. After all, the British navy is still full of energy, but the "Armada" has been bruised all over. On the evening of July 28, this scene was staged again in the waters of Calais: the "Armada" fled in panic ahead, and the British navy pursued it in pursuit. On several occasions, the "Armada" also tried to turn around and fight back against the British.

But this not only failed to hurt the British navy, but also disrupted its formation. During the chase, the Spanish warship l6 was hit hard and sank to the bottom of the sea, while the British warship was only slightly injured. "Continue to attack enemy ships!" Howard, commander-in-chief of the British fleet, issued an order. As a result, the British fleet went ahead at full speed and launched a more violent offensive. In the "rumbling" sound of guns, five large warships of the "Armada" were bombed out of combat effectiveness, and 4,000 officers and men were killed and drowned, while none of the British warships were lost. In the evening, Drake, who was chasing the "Armada", found that his shells had been finished and had to stop chasing. At this point, the great naval battle between Britain and the West, which lasted nearly 10 days, came to an end. The commander-in-chief of the "Armada" saw that the tide had receded and there was no hope of landing, so he had to order the fleet to return. In order to avoid the pursuit of the British fleet, the fleet sailed north, bypassed the northwest coast of England and returned to Spain. On the way, the fleet was constantly attacked by storms and some ships were lost. Thousands of officers and men died of disease and hunger. During the period of 65438+ 10, the fleet returned to Spain, leaving only 53 broken ships.

The whole of Europe is paying attention to this maritime confrontation between Britain and Spain. Since the great naval battle in the summer of 1588, the name "Armada" has become a satire. Spain was forced to put away its arrogance, and Britain began to take the initiative after this war, until 1589 Collonna-Lisbon naval battle during the first expedition.