On this day 424 years ago, the most formidable fleet in the world, the Spanish Armada, started sailing from Lisbon, with the aim of invading England. With 151 ships, the Spanish Armada included 8000 sailors and 18000 soldiers. The initial plan was to shepherd an army of 30,000 soldiers from the Netherlands across to England on barges. However, bad weather forced delays, and the Armada did not come within sight of England until 19th July 1588.
Some 55 English ships under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham and Sir Francis Drake set out from Plymouth to confront them, and on the night of 20 July sailed upwind of the Armada ready to attack at daybreak the next day. After a few days of skirmishes, the Armada anchored off Calais, but the army waiting there was not ready. The English attacked again, using the greater manoeuvrability of their smaller ships to advantage, and five Spanish ships were destroyed.
The Armada retreated northwards, pursued by the English, and in September 1588 attempted to return to Spain by going around Scotland and Ireland. By then the Spanish ships had run out of food and water, and many of the ships were wrecked as a result of stormy weather. Only 67 ships and 10,000 men survived to return to Spain. By comparison, total English losses were between 50 and 100 dead and 400 wounded, with no loss of ships, although many thousands subsequently died of typhus and dysentery.