The
Spanish Armada was the fleet that attempted to escort an army from Flanders as a part the Habsburg Spanish invasion of England in 1588, was divided into ten "squadrons" (escuadras)[1] The twenty galleons in the Squadrons of Portugal and of Castile, together with one more galleon in the Squadron of Andalucia and the four
galleasses from Naples, constituted the only purpose-built warships (apart from the four galleys, which proved ineffective in the Atlantic waters and soon departed for safety in French ports); the rest of the Armada comprised armed merchantmen (mostly naos/carracks) and various ancillary vessels including urcas (storeships, termed "hulks"), zabras and pataches, pinnaces, and (not included in the formal count) caravels. The division into squadrons was for administrative purposes only; upon sailing, the Armada could not keep to a formal order, and most ships sailed independently from the rest of their squadron. Each squadron was led by a flagship (capitana) and a "vice-flagship" (almiranta). This list is compiled by a survey drawn up by
Medina Sidonia on the Armada's departure from Lisbon on 9 May 1588 and sent to Felipe II; it was then published and quickly became available to the English. The numbers of sailors and soldiers mentioned below are as given in the same survey and thus also relate to this date.
Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza, commander of the Squadron of Communication (he died during the voyage to England, and was succeeded by Agustín de Ojeda)
Diego de Medrano, commander of the Squadron of Galleys of Portugal
These commanders did not necessarily sail in the capitana (flagship) of the squadron of which they were technically in command. For example, Juan Martínez de Recalde, as second-in-command of the whole enterprise, was aboard Medina Sidonia's flagship São Martinho (or San Martin in Spanish), which also carried the Duke's principal staff officers - Diego Flores de Valdés (chief advisor on naval matters) and
Francisco Arias de Bobadilla [
es] (the general in charge of the fleet's military contingent). In view of this, in the event of the loss of the fleet flagship with its commanders aboard, it was determined by Felipe II that command of the enterprise would then devolve upon Alonso Martínez de Leiva, who commanded the Rata Santa María Encoronada of the Squadron of Levantines.
Twelve ships comprising ten galleons and two zabras (total seamen 1,293; total soldiers 3,330);
São Martinho (48 guns). Known in
Spanish as San Martin and in
English as
Saint Martin. Flagship of the commander-in-chief (Fleet Capitana), the Duke of Medina Sidonia and Maestre Francisco Arias de Bobadilla, the senior army officer. (São Martinho had an overall length of about 180 feet (55 m) with a beam of about 40 feet (12 m). She carried the aforementioned 48 heavy guns on two enclosed gun decks, plus multiple smaller weapons).
São João (de Portugal). (50 guns). Vice-flagship (Fleet Almiranta). Known in Spanish as San Juan de Portugal and in English as Saint John of Portugal. Captained by Recalde (captain of this ship later in the expedition).
São Marcos (33 guns).
São Filipe (40 guns).
São Luis (38 guns).
São Mateus (34 guns). Known in Spanish as San Mateo and in English as Saint Matthew.
Santiago (24 guns).
Florencia (52 guns). The Tuscan-built galleon San Francisco (São Francisco in Portuguese) was appropriated, renamed and integrated within the squadron of Portuguese galleons.[3] Older Portuguese galleons like the São Lucas and the São Rafael had already been withdrawn from service; one was still in the squadron at Lisbon, but was too small and too rotted to accompany the Squadron), and she was substituted by the Florencia.
Ran aground and lost off Flanders, between
Nieuport and
Ostend.
São Mateus (Sp. San Mateo)
galleon
750
Portugal
1579
34
110
286
Ran aground and lost off Flanders, between Nieuport and Ostend.
São Tiago (Sp. Santiago)
galleon
520
Portugal
1585
24
80
293
Returned to Santander
São Francisco (Sp. San Francisco de Florencia)
galleon
961
Tuscany
1585
52
89
294
Returned to Santander
São Cristóvão (Sp. San Cristóbal)
galleon
352
Portugal
1580
20
79
132
Returned to Santander
São Bernardo (Sp. San Bernardo)
galleon
352
Cantabria
1586
21
65
171
Returned to A Coruña
Augusta
zabra
166
Cantabria
1585
13
43
49
unknown
Julia
Zabra
166
Cantabria
1585
14
48
87
unknown
Squadron of Castile
Sixteen ships comprising ten galleons, four armed merchant carracks (naos) and two pataches (total seamen 1,719; total soldiers 2,458); seven of the galleons were built as a class at
Guarnizo in 1583–83.
San Cristobal (36 guns). Flagship of Diego Flores de Valdés (who served as chief-of-staff to Medina Sidonia aboard the São Martinho throughout the campaign, and did not set foot aboard the San Cristobal during the campaign).
Lost off the coast of Desmond — probably at Valentia Island, off the coast of south Kerry Ireland
Santa Catalina
nao
882
Santander
1586
24
134
193
Returned to Santander
San Juan Bautista
nao
650
Santander
1585
24
57
183
Returned to Santander on 7 October 1588
Nuestra Señora del Socorro (or Nuestra Señora del Rosario)
patache
75
Santander
1586
14
15
20
Possibly lost in
Tralee Bay, County Kerry, Ireland.[4]
San Antonio de Padua
patache
75
Santander
1586
12
20
20
Sank off the west coast of Ireland
Squadron of Galleasses of Naples
Four ships (galleasses); the flagship (capitana) of Don Hugo de Moncada was the San Lorenzo; when she was captured by the French at
Calais after a hard fight with the English, Moncada died from a bullet wound.
These powerfully-armed vessels were built for the Neapolitan Navy (probably in Sicily) a decade earlier. Each had 28 oars on each side, but relied on a square-rigged sailing arrangement installed for the 1588 campaign, as they were slow under oars alone. Their armament consisted on six forward-firing heavy cannon in the bows and four similar guns rear-firing in the stern; they also had 20 smaller guns (4- to 12-pounders) mounted in the fore and stern castles, and 20 swivel-mounted light guns on the raised catwalks above the rowers' benches.
San Lorenzo (50 guns). Grounded at
Calais after the Battle of Gravelines. Captured by the French after a hard fight with the English that cost Don Hugo de Moncada his life.
Zúñiga (50 guns). Forced to take refuge at
Le Havre after suffering
rudder damage while trying to return home. It is unclear whether Zúñiga ever returned home. It was last reported silted up at Le Havre after an unsuccessful effort to sail home.
Girona (50 guns). Wrecked 30 October 1588 at
Lacada Point,
County Antrim, Ireland. There may have been as many as 1,295 casualties due to the Girona carrying survivors from Santa Maria Rata Encoronada and Duquesa Santa Ana.
Napolitana (50 guns).
Name
No of Guns
Built at
Year built
Tons
Crew
Oarsmen
Soldiers
Fate
San Lorenzo
50
Naples
1578
380
124
300
248
Grounded at
Calais after the Battle of Gravelines.
Lost driven on to Lacada Point and the "Spanish Rocks'" (as they were known, thereafter) near Ballintoy in County Antrim, Ireland on the night of 26 October 1588.
Napolitana
50
Naples
1581
380
102
300
221
Returned home intact, making landfall at
Laredo, Spain.
Squadron of Viscaya (Biscay)
Fourteen ships comprising ten naos and four pataches (total seamen 863; total soldiers 1,937);
Santa Ana (30 guns: Flagship of Juan Martinez de Recalde, Captain General and second in command of the Armada). Commanded by Nicolas de Isla.
El Gran Grin (28 guns: Vice-flagship). Commanded by Pedro de Mendoza.
Vessel carrying 300 troops and silver plate for the use of noblemen was wrecked or run aground on the coast of
Islay or
Mull. Lachlan sent news of the ship to
James VI at
Stirling Castle. Lachlan Mòr befriended the crew and borrowed two cannon and 100 soldiers to besiege the house of Angus MacAulay, leaving a hostage as a pledge. After this, a man called John Smallet set a fuse made of lint in the gunpowder store and blew the ship up [6] in
Tobermory harbour,
Isle of Mull, Scotland.In October 1588 he gathered a force including 100 Spanish soldiers against
Clan MacDonald of Clanranald and
raided the Isles of
Canna,
Rùm,
Eigg, and "Elennole", and besieged
Mingary Castle, the stronghold of Clan
MacDonald of Ardnamurchan.[7]
Castillo Negro (27 guns). The ship foundered off
County Donegal, Ireland.
Barca de Amburgo (or Barca de Hamburg) (23 guns). The ship sank during a storm south-west of
Fair Isle,
Scotland. Her crew were taken aboard El Gran Grifon and La Trinidad Valencera; both were later wrecked.
Casa de Paz Grande (26 guns).
San Pedro Mayor (29 guns) a crew of 28 mariners and also 113 Soldiers on board, was run aground in
Hope Cove, Devon, on 7 November 1588 one of two hospital ships, the ship was a hulk (cargo). The crew walked to safety from the ship, Sir William Courtney looked after the 140 men
El Sansón (18 guns).
San Pedro Menor (18 guns).
Barca de Anzique (or Barca de Danzig) (26 guns).
Falcon Blanco Mediano (16 guns). Lost on
Connemara coast,
County Galway, possibly near Inish Boffin, on Freaghillaun Rock?, Ireland.
San Andrés (14 guns).
Casa de Paz Chica (15 guns).
Ciervo Volante (18 guns). She was wrecked off the west Irish coast.
AS noted in the above lists 9 Spanish Armada vessels fates are listed as "Unknown". 9 unidentified Armada vessels were reported lost off Ireland:
County Donegal:
Six further ships — unidentified — were wrecked on the Donegal coast:
Two destroyed vessels at
Killybegs (Crews later lost in Girona shipwreck)[9]
one at Mullaghderg:In 1797 a quantity of lead and some brass guns were raised from the wreck of an unknown Armada ship at Mullaghderg in County Donegal.
Two vessels:One at Rinn a' Chaislean.Two miles further south, in 1853, an anchor was recovered from another unknown Armada wreck.[10]
In September 1588 a galleon was wrecked at Tyrawley (modern County Mayo). Tradition has it that another ship was wrecked in the vicinity, near Kid Island, but no record remains of this event. Survivors are reported to have come from a wreck in Broadhaven of another ship, which had entered that bay without masts.
Squadron of Communication
Twenty two Pataches and Zabras (5 to 10 guns) under Don Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza (total seamen 574; total soldiers 479);
Four ships under Diego de Medrano (total seamen 362; total rowers 888; no soldiers);
Capitania (5 guns). Foundered off
Bayonne, France, in the Bay of Biscay.
Princesa (5 guns).
Diana (5 guns).
Bazana (5 guns).
Miscellaneous Caravels ("Round" caravels and Lateen caravels)
São Lourenço
Santo António (1ª)
Nossa Senhora da Conceição (1ª)
Jesus da Ajuda
São João
Santo António (2ª)
A Conceição (2ª)
São Jorge
Nossa Senhora da Assunção
Conceição (3ª)
Santo António (3ª)
Nossa Senhora da Assunção (Nossa Senhora da Conceição (2ª), possibly did not join the expedition beyond Corunna. Only eleven left Lisbon, and possibly about 9 or 10 (?), after the storm, left Corunna).[16]
Pronunciation: /ˈɡæliən/GAL-ee-ən. Etymology: Old Spanish galeón, from Middle French galion, from Old French galie. Date: 1529.
Galleon: A heavy square-rigged sailing ship of the 16th to early 18th centuries used for war or commerce especially by the Spanish. They were the fastest ships built during the 16th century. Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships first used as armed cargo carriers. The full body of the fleet took two days to leave port. A typical Spanish galleon was 100–150 feet in length and 40–50 feet wide.[20]
Galley
Pronunciation: /ˈɡæli/GAL-ee. Etymology: Middle English galeie, from Anglo-French galie, galee, ultimately from Middle Greek galea. Date: 13th century.
Galley: A ship or boat propelled solely or chiefly by oars:
a long low ship used for war and trading especially in the Mediterranean Sea from the Middle Ages to the 19th century;
also : galleass : a warship of classical antiquity — compare bireme, trireme;
a large open boat (as a gig) formerly used in England.[21]
Galleass
Pronunciation: /ˈɡæliəs/GAL-ee-əs. Etymology: Middle French galeasse, from Old French galie galley. Date: 1544.
Galleass: A large fast galley used especially as a warship by Mediterranean countries in the 16th and 17th centuries and having both sails and oars but usually propelled chiefly by rowing.[22]
Urca
"The urcas, supply
hulks, had largely been requisitioned when they sailed into Spanish ports, regardless of their owners' rights and wishes. Baltic made urcas with two lateen mizzen masts were unable to sail close to the wind. They were also no good for fitting fighting 'castles' to. Some urcas came from Hanseatic ports. In all there were twenty three urcas in the fleet."[23]
Zabra
Zabras were small or midsized two-masted sailing ships used off the coasts of Spain and Portugal to carry goods by sea from the 13th century until the mid-16th century; they were well-armed to defend themselves against pirates and privateers.
Patache
A
patache is a type of sailing vessel with two masts, very light and shallow, a sort of cross between a brig and a schooner, which originally was a warship, being intended for surveillance and inspection of the coasts and ports.
Pinaza
The pinaza (
pinnace) is a light boat, propelled by oars or sails, carried aboard merchant and war vessels to serve as a tender.
Caravel
Latin-rigged
Caravel (Lateen Caravel), a highly manoeuvrable sailing ship. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward (beating). Caravels were used especially by the Portuguese for the oceanic exploration voyages during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Square-rigged caravel (Round caravel)
the
Square-rigged caravel is another type of caravel which is a combination of the carrack and the caravel, distinguished from both ships by its combined sails, with four or more masts, usually three with lateen rigged sails and the fore-mast with two square sails, and by its hull design which is narrower and longer (with a sterncastle, forecastle and a galleon design). It is doubtful that the caravels of Portugal in the Spanish Armada - with the assistance mission, support, and transport of provisions and military items - had the size and the heavy weaponry of the other traditional Portuguese large Caravelas de Armada (Square-rigged caravels).
Nao (Carrack)
A three- or four-masted ocean-going sailing ships that are developed from the 14th Century to the 17th Century.
Summary of Armada Make Up
Total Number of Ships Mustered at
A Coruña = 137[24]
Total tons of Shipping at Muster = 58,705
Total people on ships, soldiers & sailors = 25,826 people
Total number of Guns = 2,477
Total Number of Ships Lost/Burned/Missing = to 44[25][26]
Total Number that Failed to Start to leave Coruña = 5
^A galleon of 961 tons, built in Florence for the Tuscan Navy during the 1570s (the only galleon in the Tuscan Navy), and carrying 89 sailors and 194 soldiers.
^Discovering Kerry by T.J. Barrington. Backwater Press, 1976.
ISBN0-905471-00-8
^[1] Resumen del Historial de los navíos portugueses que participaron en la jornada de Inglaterra en 1588, José I. González-Aller Hierro Contra Almirante (r) - Instituto de Historia e Cultura naval - Armada Española (2012)
^Casado Soto, José L.: Atlantic shipping in sixteenth-century Spain and the 1588 Armada, in Rodríguez-Salgado, M. J. and Simon Adams (eds.): "England, Spain and the Gran Armada, 1585–1604". Barnes & Noble, 1991.
ISBN0389209554, pp. 114-117
^Casado Soto, José L.: Atlantic shipping in sixteenth-century Spain and the 1588 Armada, in Rodríguez-Salgado, M. J. and Simon Adams (eds.): "England, Spain and the Gran Armada, 1585–1604". Barnes & Noble, 1991.
ISBN0389209554, p. 116
^Garrett Mattingly rejects old estimations, makes a recount and concludes: "So, lost, at most, 31 ships (not 41), 10 pinnaces at most (not 20), two galleasses (not three), one galley. Total, not more than 44 (not 65), probably five or six and perhaps a dozen less." Mattingly, Garrett: The Armada. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987.
ISBN9780395083666, p. 426.
^Casado Soto, José L.: Atlantic shipping in sixteenth-century Spain and the 1588 Armada, in Rodríguez-Salgado, M. J. and Simon Adams (eds.): "England, Spain and the Gran Armada, 1585–1604". Barnes & Noble, 1991.
ISBN0389209554, p. 116, fate of 8 ships unknown, 3 damaged, 4 lost in combat, 28 lost to weather 5 abandoned before the action
Bibliography
The Spanish Armada, Colin Martin and Geoffrey Parker, 1988. Guild Publishing,
ISBN9780241121252. 2nd (revised) edition 1999.
Hutchinson, Robert (2013). The Spanish Armada. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
ISBN978-0297866374.
The Spanish Armada, Roger Whiting, 1988. Sutton Publishing,
ISBN0-7509-3647-9.
The Spanish Armada, John Tincey, 1988. Osprey Publishing,
ISBN1-84176-028-5.
Armada, Patrick Williams, 2000. Tempus Publishing,
ISBN0-7524-1778-9.
Ireland: Graveyard of the Spanish Armada, T. P. Kilfeather. 1967, Anvil Books.
The Confident Hope of a Miracle, Neil Hanson, 2003.
ISBN0-3856-0451-3.
The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, Garrett Mattingley, 1959. Jonathan Cape.
Armada in Ireland, Niall Fallon, 1978. Stamford Maritime.