Effects of the Invencible Armada trying to return trough the Channel?

Effects of the Invencible Armada trying to return through the Channel?

Alright, I was in the medic, and while waiting I started to read an history magazine that had an article of the "felicísima armada" ... it did not really had nothing new to me, but seeing the map of the path followed, including the many shipwrecks in both Scotland and Irish coasts, made me wonder a bit...

So I was thinking, what if they try to force the return to Spain through the Channel again instead of doing the circumnavigation of the isles?. They had a lot of damaged ships, and crossing unknown coasts with them is not very recommended ( of course that trying to cross an enemy fleet with them it is not too ).

So they decide to try the shortest but dangerous path, what would had happened? this time, IIRC they were downwind, and that was a serious advantage for those ships, but at the same time a disadvantage for the damaged ships, but again if there was shipwrecks they could try to reach the neutral France instead of an enemy coast.

How are their chances to cross it? worse than OTL? better? ...

And what are the reactions of the English? they recognize it as an enemy trying to breakthrough or do they think they are trying for a second round?
 
Last edited:
Given that the English fleet had run out of gunpowder and that the damaged ships were just a few, I see two scenarios:

* They cross unopposed and suffer less casualties than OTL as they do not have to face North Sea storms,
* They realize the English lack gunpowder and attempt to land.
 
Given that the English fleet had run out of gunpowder and that the damaged ships were just a few, I see two scenarios:

* They cross unopposed and suffer less casualties than OTL as they do not have to face North Sea storms,
* They realize the English lack gunpowder and attempt to land.
 
They would have to send the damaged ships to refit in a port, and there are no friendly ports north of Flanders. The only feasable options would be for them to attempt to return to Spain by sailing around Scotland, or to attempt to get past the English to a French port.

The rest of the fleet is running short of provisions and fresh water, thanks to their inferior casks and barrels; they will have to make landfall somewhere to replenish, and England will do fine for that purpose. While they could land troops (they have roughly 17,000 on board), that force will be insufficient to conquer all of England, so the original purpose of the Armada will be defeated.

The original plan called for the Armada to transport the Duke of Parma's army across the channel. Unfortunately for them the Duke did not have access to a deep water port and the Sea Beggars (the Dutch flotilla of shallow draft privateers) prevented him from using shallow draft vessels to transfer his force to the Armada. And without his troops the Spanish did not have sufficient force to conquer England. In the end it did not matter whether the Armada returned via Scotland or the Channel; the English would not be conquered in either case.
 
On the day after the battle of Gravelines, the wind had backed southerly, enabling Medina Sidonia to move his fleet northward away from the French coast. Although their shot lockers were almost empty, the English pursued in an attempt to prevent the enemy from returning to escort Parma. On 2 August Old Style (12 August New Style) Howard called a halt to the pursuit in the latitude of the Firth of Forth off Scotland. By that point, the Spanish were suffering from thirst and exhaustion, and the only option left to Medina Sidonia was to chart a course home to Spain, by a very hazardous route.

From Wiki

After Gravelines they were running. You can't very easily stop and turn round.

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
They would have the winds against them and would have to beat down the east coast of England, with the English harrying them all the way. Even if they broke through the English fleet they would have had a struggle to get to either the Duke of Parma or back to Spain via the channel, their best option was to go north round Scotland.
 
But the English lacked gunpowder. If the Armada had managed to rally and turn back, they would have sailed unoposed. The English could only try to board but that was what they were trying to avoid and the Spanish were seeking.

The problems with the winds would be something different, but suppose they manage to enter the channel and head back to Spain. It is true that 17000 men were not enough to take England. But if they landed those men in Dover and took water for the crews and returned Spain, there was no force in England to defeat them! Maybe they could seize a port, a couple of towns and force England to the table o negotiations: English forces would be removed from the Netherlands and the finantial support would end. The rebelion there would end.
 
Top