Natchitoches populist., 1898-09-16
CAPT. MAHAN ON THE ARMADA
The Great Naval Tactician Discusses
the Cause of the Disasters

Capt. Alfred r. Mahan contributes
to the Century an article on '"The Span
ish Armada" Introductory to longer
paper on the same subject by Williara
Frederick TiltOn, Capt. Mahan says,
among other things:
The Armada entered the English
Channel on July 30, and on the 9th
of August anchored off Calais, having
trayersed the Channel successfully in
week. Three several actions had oc-
Cured. None was decisive; but all
tended generally In favor of the En-
glish, who utilized their advantages Of
speed and artillery to hammer the foe
with their long guns, while keeping out
of range of his muskets and lighter
cannon. The Spanish losses in battle,
by Spanish authority, were six hun
dred killed and eight hundred wound
ed. The English loss, from first to
last, did not reach one hundred. Such
@ discrepancy tells its own tale; but 1t
is to be remembered, moreover, that
men slain means sides pierced and
frames shattered. Shot that fly wide,
or that cut spars, sails, and rigging,
kill comparatively few. With hulls
thus damaged, the Spaniards had to
confront the equinoctial gales of the
Atlantic.
AT Calais, a friendly town, Parma
might possibly join; but there was no
harbor for big ships, and it was un-
reasonable to expect that he, with the
whole charge Of the Netherlands on
his hands, would be waiting there, ig-
norant when the fleet would appear or
whether it would come at all. Medina
Sidonia sent him word of his arrival;
but it could not be hoped that the En-.
glish would allow the fleet to occupy
that unprotected position undisturbed.
The wind being to the westward, they
anchored at q safe distance to wind
ward, and on the night of August Z
sent against the Spaniards eight fire.
ships. The ordinary means of divert.
ing these failing, the Spanish admiral
got under way In this operation the
fleet drifted nearer the shore, and the
wind next day coming out strong from
the northwest and setting the ships
bodily Oh the coast, he, under the ad.
vice of the pilots, stood into the North
Sea. Had Flushing been in their pos
session, 1t might, with good pilots, have
afforded refuge; but it was held by
the Dutch. The enemy's ships, more
weatherly, drew up and engaged again;
while the continuance of the wind, and
the clumsiness of the SpaniardS, threat
ened destruction upon the shoals off
the Flemish coast. The sudden shifting
of the wind to the south saved them
when already in only six or seven faith
oms of water. Here, again, was no
bad luck; nor could it be considered
misfortune that the southerly breeze,
which carried them to the Pentland
Firth, changed to the northeast as they
passed the Orkneys and entered the
Atlantic, being thus fair for their home
ward course
The disasters Of the Armada were
due to the following causes /. The
failure to prescribe the effectual Grip
pling Of the English navy as condi-
ton precedent to any attempt at inva-
sion. 2. The neglect to secure before
hand a suitable point for making the
junction with the army. Combinations
thus intrusted to chance have no right
to expect success. 8. The several ac-
tions with the English failed because
the ships, which could exert their pow
er only close to the enemy, were neither
so fast nor so handy as the latter. Only
those who have the advantage of range
can afford inferlOrity of speed. 4. The
disasters in the Atlantic were due
either to original unseaworthiness, or
to damage received in action, or to bad
judgment In taking unweatherly ships
too close to the shores of Ireland,
where strong westerly gales prevailed,
and the coast was inhospitable.