The+Tudors

= The Spanish Armada Strikes Again!=

//Last night a fleet of English fireships were sent to meet the Spanish armada in what were going to be a horrendous fight near Calais. Although no Spanish ships were harmed, the attack made the Spaniards panic.//



Eight days ago, on 19. July, the Spanish armada was sighted off the Lizard in Cornwall by some local farmers. Theodor Burnham, the farmer who discovered the armada, has said that the fleet was enormous and probably consists of over 100 ships. Beacons were lit along the coastline in order to spread the warning about the coming enemy. Luckily the English fleet based at Plymouth caught up the warning and did at once take out shore. After several attempts on disrupting the armada's passage the English fleet consisting of eight fireships managed to inflict some damage on the Spanish fleet, but unfortunately they didn’t manage to stop the armada entirely. Since then the people of Britain have wondered when and where the next strike would hit, and yesterday the British people got the confirmation they were waiting for. The Spanish anchored off Calais last night; 27 July 1588. Sources have said that the Duke of Parma and his army had not yet arrived to join the combatants. The English forces used this to their advantage and sent in eight fireships on the night of the 28th. Although no Spanish ships caught fire, the attack made the Spaniards panic and led them to cut their anchor cables and scatter out to sea again to avoid the firing English army. The battle has continued all night long and is still being fought between the two fleets. The battle has gotten the name “the Battle of the Gravelines” by the local citizens, and it is reported that the Spanish fleet are currently being blown dangerously close to the shore. As the fighting seems to continue throughout the day we will be doing our best to keep you updated with the smashing news from the battlefield.