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 eleven ships bearing the flag of Castile hastening back home to Spain. The Spanish ships were too far ahead to be intercepted however so Carew joined Howard with the main fleet to give the news. These two reports meant that the invasion was effectively over; Howard and Raleigh sent the fleet back to Plymouth to report the news to Parliament and court. The only Spanish ship in the area left from the Armada; the 120 ton "Bear of Amsterdam" was still at Aberdyfi. After ten days because of a lack of wind the "Bear of Amsterdam" could not be boarded