The Sea Devils

In 1587, a small Dutch ship was smashed to pieces on the bottom of the sheer Culver Cliff. According to Sir John Oglander, the wind was so strong that the 5 crew on board were able to walk up the vertical 300 foot cliff with ease, frightening the small number of local militia sentries nearby, who, hearing them shouting in Dutch, thought that they were Sea Devils cursing and casting spells. After the initial shock had worn off, the sailors were cared for in a nearby cottage, before returning to Holland.

The Spanish Armada

The treacherous waters of the Isle of Wight almost claimed the entire Spanish Armada in 1588.

The Size Of The Armada

On 20th May 1588 the Spanish force set sail. It consisted of 128 ships, only 24 of which, the 20 galleons and 4 galleases, were dedicated warships. The rest composed of 4 heavily armed merchant ships, another 40 armed merchantmen, most of which were larger than England's largest ships, and were thus slower and less manoeuvrable, and store ships, known as "hulks". The Armada contained 8,350 sailors, 19,290 soldiers, 2,080 galley slaves and 2,630 large guns with 123,790 cannon balls. The Armada was to rendezvous with the Duke of Parma in the Netherlands, and pick up a further 19,000 soldiers to ship across the channel to invade England.

The English force consisted of 197 ships, most of which were smaller, faster, more manoeuvrable than the Spanish forces. The English force was equipped with culverins, which had a longer range than the Spanish cannon. On the 19th July, the Spanish force entered English waters, and on the 24th July, were off the coast of the Isle of Wight.

The Spanish force under the command of Duke Medina-Sidonia had formed his vessel into a crescent shape, with the unarmed hulks in the inside of the formation surrounded by the armed ships. The English force consisted of Frobisher's squadron nearest the shore, with Hawkins on his right. Right centre consisted of Admiral Howard's squadron, the most powerful, with a large number of merchant ships which wished to fight. Drake's squadron was the most seaward.
By this time, the Spanish were low on powder and shot.

Sidonia planned to round the Isle of Wight and shelter in Spithead, or even Portsmouth Harbour, where the Armada would be able to wait for Parma's forces to be assembled in comparative safety from the weather. Portsmouth Harbour would also offer protection from the English fleet, as the Spanish could deploy their heaviest guns to cover the narrow entrance. Sidonia's reports state that
he intended to capture the Isle of Wight¹ and use it as a base from which to plan further invasions of England.

The Battle Of The Isle of Wight

On the night of the 24th and 25th July, there was no wind, and both forces anchored to counteract the powerful tidal drift. By dawn a slight breeze blew, and the Spanish ship Duquesa Santa Ana, and the Portuguese San Luis of Portugal, had dropped astern to the west of their stations. To take advantage of this, Hawkins and his squadron were towed by their boats to attack the two ships. The Spanish Vice Admiral de Layva, in the La Rata Encoronada, ordered himself towed by the 3 galleasses to challenge Howard. The Ark Royal and Golden Lion fought with the ships for 5 hours, badly damaging the galleases, but received bad punishment. By 10 o'clock, the wind began from the south. Sidonia and the other gallease advanced to assist, and the 6 damaged Spanish ships returned to the centre of the Armada for repair. Howard's squadron returning to formation, this time between Howard and Drake. By this time the fleets had drifted near the entry to the Spithead.

Frobisher used the fast, coastal current to advance on the Spanish ships in the Triumph, and his squadron attacked the San Martin for half an hour. Then the wind changed to the South-West, and his squadron was cut off from the rest of the English fleet. Seeing this, the Spanish Armada headed to trap Frobisher's squadron, all of which, except Frobisher in the Triumph, managed to escape. The Triumph dropped her boats to tow her out of danger, and other ships sent their boats to assist, until there were 11 trying to tow the Triumph out of danger.

Before the Spanish could complete their attack, the wind changed again; the Triumph was able to sail swiftly and surely out of danger, re-joining her squadron.

While the Spanish were still concentrating on the Triumph, Drake and Hawkins, using their combined squadrons and superior knowledge of the waters off the Isle of Wight, combined to attack the Spanish Armada from the South West. The Spanish ships soon bunched together to escape the assault, driving the whole Armada North-East, towards the Owers bank, a treacherous rock bank on the far east of the Spithead. The Spanish ships noticed their danger just in time, and were forced to swing away from the Spithead towards Calais.

With no more safe harbours, as Parma's troops weren't ready, the Spanish plans for invasion had failed. Hawkins, Frobisher, Howard, George Beetson, Roger Townsend and Lord Sheffield were knighted by the Lord High Admiral for their bravery during the Battle of the Isle of Wight.

Shipwrecks Of The Isle Of Wight

• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Ancient And Roman
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Medieval
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: The Hundred Years War
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: The Mary Rose
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: The Spanish Armada
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Treasure, Hazardous
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Sir Robert Holmes
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Assurance, Invincible
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Royal George
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Pomone, Carn Brae Castle
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Clarendon
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Eurydice
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Sirenia, Irex
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Eider, Alcester
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Gladiator, A1
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: The Great War
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Between The Wars
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: The Second World War
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Virginia, Alliance
• Isle Of Wight Shipwrecks: Pacific Glory