His orders were to sail up the English Channel , join with the Duke of Parma in Flanders , and escort an invasion force that would land in England and overthrow Elizabeth I. Its purpose was to reinstate Catholicism in England, end support for the Dutch Republic , and prevent attacks by English and Dutch privateers against Spanish interests in the Americas.
The Spanish were opposed by an English fleet based in Plymouth. Faster and more maneuverable than the larger Spanish galleons , its ships were able to attack the Armada as it sailed up the Channel. Several subordinates advised Medina Sidonia to anchor in the Solent and occupy the Isle of Wight , but he refused to deviate from his instructions to join with Parma.
Although the Armada reached Calais largely intact, while awaiting communication from Parma, it was attacked at night by English fire ships and forced to scatter. The Armada suffered further losses in the ensuing Battle of Gravelines and was in danger of running aground on the Dutch coast when the wind changed, allowing it to escape into the North Sea. Pursued by the English, the Spanish ships returned home via Scotland and Ireland. Up to 24 ships were wrecked along the way before the rest managed to get home.
Among the factors contributing to the defeat and withdrawal of the Armada were bad weather conditions and the better employment of naval guns and battle tactics by the English. The expedition was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War. The following year, England organized a similar large-scale campaign against Spain, known as the " English Armada ", and sometimes called the "counter-Armada of ", which failed.
Three further Spanish armadas were sent against England and Ireland in , , and , [ 23 ] but these likewise ended in failure. The word armada is from Spanish : armada , which is cognate with English army. England had been strategically in alliance with Spain for many decades prior to England and Spain entering into war. England still had possessions in what today is called Northern France, and Spain was under constant threat. There were many causes of jealousy between the two royal houses over the years, but the French Wars of Religion were the ultimate cause of the alliance breaking between Philip II and Elizabeth I , and this led to war between the two countries.
