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| 1583 | Philip II |  |
| 29th Dec Madrid Begins making plans for the Armada on England by gathering plans, maps & intelligence |
| 1586 | Cruz | |
| From the beginning of the year starts mustering ships & men, intended for 1587 |
| 1588 | Baz n, Elvaro de | |
| May The fleet was to be commanded by the highly experienced Elvaro de Baz n, but he died in May 1588, a few months before the sailing date, and Medina Sidonia is appointed in his place |
| 1588 | Perez de Guzman, Alonso | |
| Kent Hopes to march through Kent to London & wait for a Catholic rising |
| Margate Plans to join Parma at the "Cape of Margate" & carry his army from Flanders to England |
| 1588 | Philip II | |
| At the outset Sidonia has 128 warships and 2 converted merchant ships under his command, the plan is to sail through the English Channel and anchor off the coast of Flanders unite with the Duke of Parma's army & invade south east England |
| The Armada is attacked by 200 English ships, assisted by the Dutch navy, in the North Sea at Gravelines , a fire-ship attack drives the Armada ships from their anchorage, and in the ensuing battle the Spanish abandon their rendezvous with Parma |
| The Armada is blown north up the east coast of England and attempts a return to Spain by sailing around Scotland and out into the Atlantic, past Ireland but very severe weather destroys a portion of the fleet, and more than 24 vessels are wrecked |
| The Armada is sent to suppress English support for the United Provinces, part of the Spanish Netherlands, and to cut off attacks against Spanish possessions in the New World and the Atlantic treasure fleets |
| The expedition is supported by Pope Sixtus V, with the promise of a subsidy should it make land |
| May The fleet was to be commanded by the highly experienced Elvaro de Baz n, but he died in May 1588, a few months before the sailing date, and Medina Sidonia is appointed in his place |
| 28th May An army of 30,000 men atands in the Spanish Netherlands waiting for the fleet to arrive, the plan is to land the original force in Plymouth and transfer the land army to somewhere near London, mustering 55,000 men |
| 28th May The Armada, with around 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers, 1,500 brass guns and 1,000 iron guns, sets sail from Lisbon in Portugal, heading for the English Channel |
| 30th May It takes until May 30 for all of the Armada to leave port and, on the same day, Elizabeth's ambassador in the Netherlands, Dr Valentine Dale, meets Parma's representatives to begin peace negotiations |
| 17th July Peace negotiations are abandoned |
| 1588 | Sidonia, Medina | |
| At the outset Sidonia has 128 warships and 2 converted merchant ships under his command, the plan is to sail through the English Channel and anchor off the coast of Flanders unite with the Duke of Parma's army & invade south east England |
| On the day after Gravelines , the wind had backed, southerly, enabling Medina Sidonia to move the Armada northward (away from the French coast), the English pursue the Spanish fleet, to prevent it returning to escort Parma |
| The Armada is blown north up the east coast of England and attempts a return to Spain by sailing around Scotland and out into the Atlantic, past Ireland but very severe weather destroys a portion of the fleet, and more than 24 vessels are wrecked |
| May The fleet was to be commanded by the highly experienced Elvaro de Baz n, but he died in May 1588, a few months before the sailing date, and Medina Sidonia is appointed in his place |
| 28th May An army of 30,000 men atands in the Spanish Netherlands waiting for the fleet to arrive, the plan is to land the original force in Plymouth and transfer the land army to somewhere near London, mustering 55,000 men |
| 28th May The Armada, with around 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers, 1,500 brass guns and 1,000 iron guns, sets sail from Lisbon in Portugal, heading for the English Channel |
| 30th July Dodman Point First sights the English Fleet off Dodman Point |
| 6th Aug Calais Anchors off Calais Roads ready to rendezvous with Parma, as instructed |
| 6th Aug Calais The Armada is attacked by 200 English ships, assisted by the Dutch navy, in the North Sea at Gravelines , a fire-ship attack drives the Armada ships from their anchorage, and in the ensuing battle the Spanish abandon their rendezvous with Parma |
| 7th Aug Dunkirk Informed by from Parma that the "Great Enterprise" is hopeless |
| 7th Aug Dunkirk Parma is trapped in Dunkirk by a shallow harbour |
| 7th Aug The English and Spanish fleets again engage off the coast of Flanders , the English again are more successful |
| 12th Aug Howard calls a halt to the chase in the latitude of the Firth of Forth off Scotland but ut by that point, the Spanish are suffering from thirst and exhaustion, the only option left to Sidonia is to chart a course home to Spain, along the Atlantic |
| 12th Aug Firth of Forth The Spanish fleet sails past the Firth of Forth, and the English cease their pursuit, much of the Spanish fleet is destroyed as it sails around Scotland and Ireland |
