3rd Spanish Armada Spain, the English signed the Triple Alliance with the Dutch republic and France. England had sent an armada the next year under the Earl of Essex and Charles Howard to Cadiz which was captured and sacked. An angered Philip soon after took into consideration the defence of the peninsula. In a wave of revenge after the defeat at Cadiz, Philip II sent out orders for a large armada to do the same to England by way of taking the French port of Brest. Just after they set off however the fleet was obliterated in autumn storms off Cape Finisterre causing
3rd Spanish Armada troops in the West Country. Charles Blount, the 8th Baron Mountjoy was put in command of the English land forces while the few galleons from Chatham were sent to the Cornish and Devon coasts. Although dispersed by a storm they reached Falmouth a few days later, but on arrival had not seen any Spanish ships. At the same time some of the Spanish ships were still a presence off the coast of England; milling about in confusion without being able to make any harbour. Eventually with a wind astern, the order was given by Brochero to head back to Spain