Is it true the Spanish Armada was defeated because the British raised the Spanish flag in order to fool?

Question

I read this that is how the spanish Armada was defeated, as them thinking was a Spanish ship, were too late to prepare for action, and also that the British looted all Spanish gold ,is how they made their royalty? And the queen of England knighted the pirates for this?

Answer 1

No not true. The armada was defeated partly by the English ships (Drake played quite a small part) but mostly by the weather. They were large square rigged ships very much at the mercy of the wind direction and force. The English fleet made it difficult for them to make a reliable landfall and the wind swept them down the channel and into the North Sea when they had no choice but to sail north and round Scotland and down the Irish coast back to Spain. There is a theory that the Spanish ships were much larger and taller than the English ship which made it more difficult for them to manoeuvre into a good firing position which also added to their difficulties. You must also remember that the way ships fought then was to get alongside and send soldiers onto the opposing ship. The cannons were used as an opening salvo. You did not want to do to much damage to the opposing ship as they real profit was in capturing it and claiming prize money. (which is what Drake was doing in the battle)
Of course any gold on board was also good. I believe some of the captains were knighted for their action. Whether they were pirates or not depends on your point of view. Drake was certainly a privateer which meant he was a private ship owner licensed to attack enemy ships.
I am not sure that any ships were sank in the battle. At the time all the ships were made of wood so difficult to actually sink. Mostly if they were destroyed it would be by fire or hitting the rocks and breaking up which is what happened to a lot of the armarda as it sailed home

Answer 2

I haven't heard this theory. The actual battle was indecisive. The English damaged many Spanish ships but did not sink many. The Spanish fleet lost many ships in a storm on its return journey. The English did raid Spanish ships returning from the New World and took their gold. The gold had, however often been stolen from Native Americans by the Spanish, or mined using slave labour, so the Spanish cannot really get too judgemental on this point. Queen Elizabeth 1 did knight a number of her captains including Francis Drake.

Answer 3

ermm no, the Spanish Armada was defeated because the British were better sailors and tacticians, the British sailors were not pirates but the British Navy, and only they were led by a knight of the realm, so she didn't even need to knight him, he used tactics that had never been used before and sailed his ships between the Spanish ships allowing the British ships to fire broadsides at the Spanish who couldn't train their guns on them. Yes ships captured were spoils of war, but that is was normal at this time, and most of the worse pirates at sea were Spanish

Answer 4

Elizabeth's soldiers set fire to some ships and set them on a course for the Spanish Armada's ships. Many of the Spanish ships were destroyed.

Answer 5

There were no "British" until 1707.

It was the English who fought the Armada.

Answer 6

the tide and wind hindered the spanish. If you read what you say it must have been written by a spaniard

Answer 7

Codswollop. I haven't got the patience to explain.

Answer 8

I hope this is true. I loathe the British naval strength.

Answer 9

Absolute rubbish!!!
I suggest you read up on your history :-)

Answer 10

I have not heard that one before so probably not.