1-152-472 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

The Spanish Armada which threatened England in July 1588. The ships of the Spanish fleet are shown in combat with British vessels. The Armada, a fleet of 130 ships under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia was intended to protect an invasion force commanded by the Duke of Parma as it crossed the English Channel. Harrassment from the smaller, more manoeuvrable vessels of the British Navy, the use of fireships and unfavourable weather conditions meant that the Armada could not achieve its objective of guaranteeing Parma's barges safe passage across the Channel. Ultimately the Armada was swept up the North Sea and much of it was destroyed in storms around the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. Painting in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England