29 July 2016
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The Spanish Armada and English ships, 1588
On 29 July 1588, the Spanish Armada is defeated by English naval forces at the Battle of Gravelines...
On this day in history, 1588: English naval forces under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake defeat the Spanish Armada off the coast of Gravelines, France (then part of Flanders, in the former Spanish Netherlands) in the Anglo-Spanish War. It is seen as one of England’s greatest military achievements.
The Armada had set sail in May to the Netherlands, to pick up extra troops for the invasion of England, but the Battle of Gravelines scuppered this and saw the depleted Spanish fleet sail north around Scotland, where it suffered severe damage from bad weather and large loss of life. The sea battle provided invaluable seafaring experience for English mariners and was a turning point in naval warfare, with the English sailors using a nimble new design of warship and tactics that won the day.
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