English ship Revenge (1577) facts for kids
"Sir Richard Grenville's Gallant Defence of the Revenge", print from 1804
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 England |
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| Name | Revenge |
| Builder | Mathew Baker at Deptford Royal Dockyard |
| Cost | £4,000 (£736 thousand today) |
| Launched | 1577 |
| Fate |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Race-built galleon |
| Tons burthen | 440 |
| Length | 140 ft (43 m) |
| Sail plan | Early full-rigged ship |
| Complement | Approx. 260 |
| Armament |
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The Revenge was a famous English warship called a race-built galleon. It had 46 guns and was built in 1577. The Spanish captured it in 1591, and it sank soon after. Revenge was the first of 13 ships in the English and Royal Navy to be given this name.
Contents
Building the Revenge
The Revenge was built in 1577 at the Royal Dockyard, Deptford. It cost about £4,000. The master shipwright, Mathew Baker, designed it.
His "race-built" design was very new and changed how warships were built for the next 300 years. The Revenge was a smaller ship, weighing about 400 tons. This was about half the size of a very large ship like the Henry Grace à Dieu.
What Guns Did Revenge Have?
The guns on ships during this time could change often. Guns might be added, removed, or swapped for different types.
During its last journey, the Revenge was very heavily armed. It carried 20 heavy guns on its main gun deck. These included demi-cannons, culverins, and demi-culverins.
On its upper decks, it had more demi-culverins and sakers. It also had many lighter weapons. These included small, swivel-mounted guns called "fowlers" or "falconets".
Revenge's Important Journeys
Raid on Cadiz (1587)
In 1587, Sir Francis Drake sailed to the Spanish coast. He destroyed many supplies that King Philip II of Spain had gathered for his Armada. Because of this, Spain's plans to invade England were delayed until the next year.
Battle of Gravelines (1588)
_-_Invincible_Armada_(cropped).jpg)
In early 1588, Sir Francis Drake made Revenge his main ship. Many people thought it was the best new ship.
On July 29, 1588, the Battle of Gravelines happened near Calais. The English fleet won a big victory over the Spanish fleet.
The night before, the English sent fire ships into the Spanish fleet. This broke up their tight formation. Revenge led the English ships as they fired their cannons at the Spanish Armada.
Many Spanish ships were badly damaged. Both sides fought until they ran low on ammunition. The damaged Armada had to escape into the North Sea. The English fleet followed them for a while, then returned to port. This ended the threat of a Spanish invasion.
Drake–Norris Expedition (1589)
In 1589, Revenge sailed again as Drake's flagship. This trip was an attempt to destroy the remaining Spanish fleet and invade Portugal. However, the mission failed.
Revenge returned in poor condition. Drake did not capture any prizes, and Queen Elizabeth I was unhappy with him. He stayed ashore until 1595.
Frobisher Expedition (1590)
In 1590, Sir Martin Frobisher commanded the Revenge. They sailed along the coast of Spain. Their goal was to stop the Spanish treasure fleet, but they were not successful.
Captured by Spain and Sinking (1591)
To stop Spain from rebuilding its navy after the Armada, Sir John Hawkins suggested a blockade. English ships would patrol the seas to stop Spanish treasure ships coming from America.
Revenge was on one of these patrols in the summer of 1591. Sir Richard Grenville was its commander.
Spain sent a large fleet of about 53 ships to capture the English ships near Flores in the northern Azores. In late August 1591, the Spanish fleet found the English. Many English sailors were ashore, sick with fever, and their ships were being repaired.
Most English ships managed to escape. But Grenville had many sick men on shore and decided to wait for them. When he finally set sail, he chose to go straight through the Spanish fleet, which was approaching from the east.
The battle started late on August 31. Many Spanish ships immediately attacked Revenge. The Revenge fought back fiercely. For a while, Grenville used clever tactics to avoid much of the enemy's fire. But the Spanish ships surrounded them, and their large numbers began to wear down the Revenge.
As one Spanish ship was beaten, another took its place. This unfair fight lasted for fifteen hours. The English fought off many attempts by the Spanish to board their ship.
The Spanish ship San Felipe, which was three times bigger than Revenge, tried to come alongside to board. After boarding Revenge, San Felipe had to pull away. Seven Spanish boarders died. Another Spanish ship, San Bernabé, then attacked Revenge. The Spanish also lost two ships that night when they crashed into each other.
Another Spanish ship, San Cristóbal, rammed Revenge under its back part. Later, San Bernabé heavily damaged the English warship with cannon fire. Many English sailors were hurt. The English crew kept firing their guns from below deck.
By the morning of September 1, Revenge had its masts shot away. There was six feet of water in its lower part. Only sixteen men out of 250 were not injured. San Bernabé and San Cristóbal were still holding onto Revenge. The San Bernabé's move to grapple the Revenge forced the English gun crews to leave their posts to fight off boarders. This helped the Spanish win.
With the ship badly damaged and surrounded by 53 Spanish ships, Grenville ordered Revenge to be sunk. He said, "Sink me the ship, Master Gunner—sink her, split her in twain! Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain!"
However, his officers disagreed and decided to surrender. They were promised that the lives of the officers and crew would be spared. After holding off dozens of Spanish ships, Revenge finally surrendered. Grenville died two days later from his wounds on the Spanish flagship.
The captured Revenge was badly damaged and never reached Spain. It was lost in a terrible storm off the Azores, along with many Spanish ships. Revenge crashed onto a cliff near Terceira island and broke apart completely.
Between 1592 and 1593, the Spanish recovered 14 guns from the Revenge wreck. Other cannons washed ashore years later. The last weapons were found as late as 1625.
Revenge in Stories
The final battle of Revenge inspired a famous poem. It is called The Revenge: A Ballad of the Fleet by Lord Tennyson. The poem tells the dramatic story of the battle.
See also
- Dainty, considered a sister ship of Revenge
