page_title: 3rd Spanish Armada
section_title: English fleet arrives
hierarchical_section_title: 3rd Spanish Armada / Execution / English fleet arrives
context_page_description: The 3rd Spanish Armada, also known as the Spanish Armada of 1597, was a major naval event that took place between October and November 1597 as part of the Anglo–Spanish War. The armada, which was the third attempt by Spain to invade or raid the British Isles during the war, was ordered by King Philip II of Spain in revenge for the English attack on Cadiz following the failure of the 2nd Spanish Armada the previous year due to a storm. The Armada was executed by the Adelantado, Martín de Padilla, who was hoping to intercept and destroy the English fleet under Robert Devereux the 2nd Earl of Essex as it returned from the failed Azores expedition. When this was achieved, the Armada would go on to capture either the important port of Falmouth or Milford Haven and use those places as a base for invasion.
  When the Spanish arrived in the English Channel, however, they were dispersed by a storm which scattered their fleet. Even so, some ships did push on and even landed troops on the English and Welsh coasts.
context_section_description: On 23 October the day after the Spanish had ordered a dispersal, leading elements of the English fleet had started to return to Falmouth, Plymouth, and Dartmouth but amazingly had completely missed the retreating Spanish fleet. At one point both fleets English and Spanish were on converging lines with one another. Essex on arrival soon learned from Mountjoy of the situation and both were surprised as each other as to how the English fleet had missed the Spanish. Essex immediately wrote letter to letter to parliament and the Queen in order to salvage the situation. Initially he was invested by the Queen with full powers sent down to him; the channel squadron was ordered to join his flag. The government soon after were impressed by his actions and understandings of the intentions of the Spanish fleet; the capture of Falmouth or Milford Haven or the interception of the English fleet from the Azores. However soon after in one spirited letter by the Queen he was given a back hand by her for his failings in the Azores and the addition of England having been left unguarded. Essex immediately went to Court to explain his actions but was to be met by an icy disapproval from the Queen after which he went home to Wanstead to nurse his misery. Howard of Effingham in Essex's absence was given the command of the fleet to make sure the threat was alleviated.
  A few days later the last of the English had arrived which included Vice Admiral of the fleet Sir Walter Raleigh in the galleon Warspite under commander Sir Arthur Gorges who was swept up round to St Ives. Warspite was heading into the port for repairs but soon sighted a Spanish bark and a pinnace. Gorges intercepted them and after a very brief action captured them both along with the soldiers and crew and then took the prizes into St Ives. Juan Triego, the captain of the pinnace, was interrogated by Gorges and Raleigh; he was forced to give away Spanish plans and dispositions. They also learnt that the Spanish had previously gathered intelligence on the English coast a year before. The captain of the bark, Perez also confirmed the same information. All the other prisoner officers and captains both from St Ives and Milford Haven were interrogated. Detailed information of the strength and organisation of the fleet was obtained, and its formidable size for the first time was clearly understood. The Spanish fleet had come as close as ten leagues from The Lizard, although the danger at this time was still real. Reports from returning English ships from the Azores voyage had seen Spanish ships albeit at long range.
caption: The Earl of Essex
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