Maritime history of England Instructions were issued in 1653 and Sailing Instructions in 1673. During the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) the French fleet was initially stronger than that of the English, but the former was almost completely destroyed at the Battle of Sluys in 1340. Many other sea battles were fought in this period. The Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of Alonso de Guzmán El Bueno, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588. It was sent by King Philip II of Spain to take the Duke of Parma's army from the Spanish Netherlands to a landing
Spanish Armada the anchored Armada to create panic) prevailed.". The expedition was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). The following year, England organised a similar large-scale campaign against Spain, the English Armada or "counter-Armada of 1589", which was also unsuccessful. The word "armada" is from the Spanish "armada", which is a cognate with English "army". Originally from the Latin "armāta", the past participle of "armāre" (to arm), used in Romance languages as a noun, for "armed force", "army", "navy", "fleet". "Armada Española" is still the Spanish term for the modern Spanish Navy. "Armada" (originally from its armadas) was also