List of ships of the Spanish Armada facts for kids

The Spanish Armada was a huge fleet of ships sent by Spain in 1588. Their mission was to help an army invade England. The Armada was made up of ten main groups, called "squadrons."

Most of the ships were not built just for fighting. Only twenty galleons and four large galleasses were proper warships. The rest were merchant ships that were armed for the journey. There were also many support ships like urcas (which carried supplies), zabras, and pataches.

Each squadron had a main ship called a capitana (flagship) and a "vice-flagship" called an almiranta. However, the ships didn't always stay in their formal groups once they set sail.

This information comes from a survey made by Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia, who was the main commander of the Armada. He sent it to King Philip II of Spain when the fleet left Lisbon on May 9, 1588.

Who Led the Squadrons?

The Spanish Armada had many leaders for its different squadrons.

• Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia was the overall commander of the entire Armada. He also led the Squadron of Portugal.
• Diego Flores de Valdés was in charge of the Squadron of Castile.
• Hugo de Moncada i Gralla led the powerful Squadron of Galleasses from Naples.
• Juan Martínez de Recalde commanded the Squadron of Biscay.
• Pedro de Valdés was the leader of the Squadron of Andalusia.
• Miguel de Oquendo led the Squadron of Guipuzcoa.
• Martín de Bertendona was in charge of the Squadron of Levantines.
• Juan Gómez de Medina commanded the Squadron of Hulks, or Urcas.
• Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza led the Squadron of Communication, but he passed away during the voyage. Agustín de Ojeda took over his command.
• Diego de Medrano was the commander of the Squadron of Galleys from Portugal.

It's interesting to know that some commanders didn't always sail on their squadron's flagship. For example, Juan Martínez de Recalde, who was second-in-command of the whole Armada, sailed on Medina Sidonia's main ship, the São Martinho.

What Kinds of Ships Were There?

The Armada had many different types of ships. Here are some of the main ones:

Galleons

A Galleon was a large, strong sailing ship from the 16th to 18th centuries. They were used for both war and trade. Galleons were known for being the fastest ships of their time. A typical Spanish galleon was about 100 to 150 feet long and 40 to 50 feet wide. They had multiple decks and carried many heavy guns.

Galleasses

A Galleass was a large, fast warship, especially popular in the Mediterranean Sea. They used both sails and oars. The four galleasses from Naples were very powerful. Each had 28 oars on each side and many guns. They had six heavy cannons at the front and four at the back, plus many smaller guns.

Urcas (Supply Ships)

Urcas were large supply ships, also called hulks. Many of them were taken by the Spanish from other countries' ports. These ships were not good for fighting because they couldn't sail well against the wind and were hard to add fighting platforms to. There were 23 urcas in the Armada.

Zabras

Zabras were smaller or medium-sized sailing ships with two masts. They were used for carrying goods along the coasts of Spain and Portugal. They were also well-armed to protect themselves from pirates.

Pataches

A patache was a light and shallow sailing ship with two masts. They were originally used as warships to patrol coasts and ports.

Pinazas (Pinnaces)

A pinaza, or pinnace, was a small, light boat. It could be moved by oars or sails. Larger ships carried pinnaces to use as tenders, meaning they helped with tasks like carrying messages or supplies to and from shore.

Caravels

A Caravel was a very easy-to-steer sailing ship. They had special "lateen" sails that made them fast and able to sail against the wind. Portuguese explorers used caravels a lot in the 15th and 16th centuries for long ocean voyages. There were also "square-rigged" caravels, which were a mix of caravels and larger ships called carracks.

Naos (Carracks)

A nao, also known as a Carrack, was a large ocean-going sailing ship. They usually had three or four masts and were developed from the 14th to the 17th centuries. Many of the Armada's armed merchant ships were naos.

Ships of the Squadrons: A Closer Look

The Armada had many ships, each with its own story. Here are some examples from different squadrons:

Squadron of Portugal

This squadron had twelve ships, including ten galleons.

• São Martinho (48 guns): This was the main flagship for the entire Armada. It was commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia. It returned to Santander after the expedition.
• São João (50 guns): This was the vice-flagship. It returned to A Coruña but was later burned by Sir Francis Drake.
• São Marcos (33 guns): This ship was wrecked on the coast of County Clare, Ireland.
• São Filipe (40 guns): This ship ran aground and was lost off Flanders.
• Florencia (52 guns): This large galleon was originally from Tuscany. It returned to Santander.

Squadron of Castile

This squadron had sixteen ships, including ten galleons and four armed merchant ships called naos.

• San Cristobal (36 guns): This was the flagship, but its commander, Diego Flores de Valdés, stayed on the São Martinho. It returned to Laredo.
• Trinidad (24 guns): This nao was lost off the coast of Ireland.
• Nuestra Señora del Socorro (14 guns): This patache was possibly lost in Tralee Bay, Ireland.

Squadron of Galleasses of Naples

This squadron had four powerful galleasses.

• San Lorenzo (50 guns): This was the flagship. It ran aground at Calais after the Battle of Gravelines. It was captured by the French, and its commander, Don Hugo de Moncada, died.
• Girona (50 guns): This ship was wrecked off the coast of County Antrim, Ireland. It was carrying many survivors from other wrecked Armada ships, leading to a large loss of life.

Squadron of Viscaya (Biscay)

This squadron had fourteen ships, mostly naos and pataches.

• Santa Ana (30 guns): This was the flagship and was lost off Le Havre.
• El Gran Grin (28 guns): This ship was wrecked near Clare Island, Ireland.
• María Juan (24 guns): This ship was damaged during the Battle of Gravelines and sank two days later.

Squadron of Andalusia

This squadron had eleven ships, including nine naos and one galleon.

• Nuestra Señora del Rosario (46 guns): This was the flagship and was captured by Sir Francis Drake.
• Duquesa Santa Ana (23 guns): This nao was wrecked in County Donegal, Ireland.
• Espíritu Santo (10 guns): This patache was sunk on purpose (scuttled) off Portencross.

Squadron of Guipúzcoa

This squadron had fourteen ships, including ten naos and four pataches.

• Santa Ana (47 guns): This was the flagship and was lost at San Sebastian.
• Nuestra Señora de la Rosa (26 guns): This ship was wrecked off Great Blasket Island, Ireland.
• San Salvador (25 guns): This ship was captured by the English and taken to Weymouth.
• San Esteban (26 guns): This ship was wrecked near County Clare, Ireland.

Squadron of Levantines

This squadron had ten large merchant ships (naos) that were taken by the Spanish.

• La Regazona (30 guns): This was the flagship. It returned to A Coruña but was later burned by Sir Francis Drake.
• Santa María (La Rata Encoronada) (35 guns): This ship ran aground and was set on fire in Blacksod Bay, Ireland.
• San Juan de Sicilia (26 guns): This ship was wrecked or ran aground off Scotland or Ireland. It was later blown up.
• La Trinidad Valencera (42 guns): This ship was wrecked in Kinnagoe Bay, Ireland.
• Juliana (32 guns): This ship ran aground near Streedagh Strand, Ireland.

Squadron of Urcas (Hulks)

This squadron had twenty-three supply ships.

• El Gran Grifón (38 guns): This was the flagship. It was wrecked at Fair Isle, Scotland. Its 300 sailors spent six weeks on the island.
• Castillo Negro (27 guns): This ship sank off County Donegal, Ireland.
• San Pedro Mayor (29 guns): This ship, one of two hospital ships, ran aground in Hope Cove, Devon. Its crew of 140 men safely walked to shore.
• Santiago (19 guns): This ship was wrecked in Hardanger Fjord, Norway.

Squadron of Communication

This squadron had twenty-two smaller ships like Pataches and Zabras. Their job was to carry messages and supplies. Don Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza was the first commander, but he died during the journey.

Squadron of Galleys of Portugal

This squadron had four galleys. Galleys are ships mainly moved by oars. They proved not very useful in the rough Atlantic waters and soon went to safer French ports.

• Capitania (5 guns): This flagship sank off Bayonne, France.

How Big Was the Armada?

When the Spanish Armada gathered at A Coruña, it was a truly massive fleet:

• Total Ships: 137
• Total Weight of Ships: 58,705 tons
• Total People (Sailors & Soldiers): 25,826
• Total Guns: 2,477

Sadly, many ships were lost. About 44 ships were either lost, burned, or went missing during the expedition. Five ships even failed to leave A Coruña at all.

See also

• List of shipwrecks in the 16th century
• Spanish Armada in Ireland
• Hugo of Moncada i Gralla