by Doug Walker
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Sir Francis Drake’s capture, plunder and dalliance with the Nuestra Señora del Rosario, when he was supposed to be leading the English fleet, caused temporary confusion and gave the Spanish another day to reform their Armada into a “roundel,” or their chosen battle formation.
Even though the bulk of the Spanish formation had held well during the initial attack, some right-wing commanders had deserted their post under English attack.
García, Jose and Francisco were on the quarterdeck, standing near Captain Joao Alvares, when one of six “pataches” drew near and asked to board. When the small vessel was made fast, three individuals clambered over the side and saluted the captain.
They identified themselves not by name, but by rank: A sergeant-major, a provost-marshal and a hangman. The provost handed orders to the captain and said, “This from Armada command. It details the exact position of your vessel in this battle formation. Any captain who leaves his assigned position without authority will be hanged.”
The provost stepped backward and saluted the captain. A puzzled look crossed Alvares’ face. “Surely this is not an accusation. La Anunciada did everything possible to hold position during the bombardment. We are an old plodding merchantman and could do nothing else.”
“No, Captain. There are six pataches. We are visiting every major ship in the Armada to deliver this message. Please note the presence of the hangman. It is, what you might say, to stress the point. No captain is exempt.”
“I understand perfectly. We are a disciplined ship, a tight ship, we will follow Armada orders to the letter.” He returned the salute and the three hastened over the side to continue their rounds.
Alvares stared after them, and García approached him. “To reach Flanders and the waiting troops is imperative,” he said.
“Obviously so,” the captain replied. “There has been talk that the Armada should head directly for the English cost and discharge the thousands of troops and supplies on the nearest protected beach.”
“It might be wise,” García said, knowing that if that was done the English would be unable to stop the Spanish, the English fleet would be useless and the English army almost non-existent. And where it did exist it would be poorly positioned and even more poorly commanded.
“But it would be against the King’s orders, so a form of treason.”
“Exactly,” García replied, knowing there was no escape for the Armada. “I was glad to see the drills made in case of fire ship attack.”
“I took your words to heart. We have buckets of heavy canvas and long lines to raise them to the topsails. Each topman knows his place in case of attack.”
“And my troops will stand by to replenish the buckets and send them aloft. I hope other vessels are also prepared.”
Both the captains and García had scoped out nearby ships and noticed no such preparations despite warnings. “Let us hope for fair winds to Flanders,” Alvares said, “And confusion to our enemies.” Jose and Francisco had been listening intently. They had both become disciplined soldiers, and they contained and hid their fears.
But all was not well. The overall commander, Medina Sedonia, was troubled because no word had come from Parma confirming that his troops were ready for boarding and the brief trip across the channel. He decided to move the Armada to Calais, closer to the link-up position with the Army of Flanders. At the same time he sent an urgent message to Parma via swift pinnace requesting confirmation.
Sanitation and food service aboard English vessels was not of the best, but it put the Spanish fleet to shame. Feeding troops and seamen aboard the ships of Spain was a hodge podge, and with no regular deck swabbing and other cleaning techniques, there was a vile stench rising from most of the vessels.
In making certain La Anunciada was well stocked with provisions and citrus, García also had seen to the ship’s cleanliness, which did not in the least embarrass the captain and crew. His soldiers were divided into regular work parties responsible for clean sweeps above and below decks. Sergeant García, generally accompanied by a cadet, made daily inspections.
Because the Spanish fleet was heavily laden with soldiers and provisions, they lacked both maneuverability and firepower. In contrast the English vessels were built for speed and maximum firepower and had no need to be burdened with either provisions or soldiers in their home waters.
