The Armada was a large fleet that the King of Spain sent to attack England in the days of Queen Elizabeth. There were more than a hundred ships, so big and tall that they looked like towers on the sea, and they came in a formation shaped like a great half moon.
The great English admiral, Sir Francis Drake, was bowling when messengers came in haste to tell him that the Armada was approaching. He quietly finished his game and then set course to fight against the Spaniards.
His fleet was not as large as the Armada, and the ships were small, but they were light and fast. They met the Armada in the English Channel and sailed around it, attacking every ship that fell out of line and speeding away before the clumsy Spanish ships could catch them. In this way, they did much damage to the enemy.
Then, one night when it was dark and the Spanish ships were quietly anchored, Admiral Drake sent eight burning fire-ships into their midst. In great fear, the Spaniards cut their anchor ropes and sailed out to the open sea, and the English ships pursued them as they fled.
For two days, the English chased the flying Spaniards. Then their gunpowder and shot ran out, and a hard storm broke out, so they had to turn back. The Armada sailed on in the hope of escaping, but the wild storm threw many of their large ships onto the rocks and cliffs of the coast and smashed them to pieces. Only a few, broken and battered, with hungry and tired men aboard, eventually reached Spain again after a long time.
And so, England was saved.
