Drain the Oceans (2018–…): Season 2, Episode 7 - Secrets of the Spanish Armada - full transcript
Draining the ocean near Newfoundland reveals a preserved Basque galleon trading in lucrative whale oil. The Spanish empire relies on powerful ships like this to bring back valuable cargo, like silver and tobacco, from the New World. But when emerging rival England wants a share of this wealth, the Spanish attack. Draining an Armada wreck off the coast of Ireland reveals an extraordinary battle for control.
NARRATOR: The mighty
Spanish Armada
fights the Navy of Queen
Elizabeth during a
bloody campaign
that will echo
through history.
DELGADO: It's a sea battle
that changed the balance
of world power
for 300 years.
NARRATOR: For many centuries
evidence of the Armada
and its shocking fate has
been lying undiscovered
on the sea floor.
Imagine if we could
empty the oceans.
Letting the water
drain away.
To reveal the secrets
of the sea floor.
Now we can.
Using accurate data.
And astonishing technology
to bring light once
again to a lost world.
This time, can these twisted
timbers reveal why two
kingdoms went to war?
GROVE: These ships
provided the vital sea
lines of communication
for the first great
maritime empire.
NARRATOR: Can evidence
from an iconic ship wreck
explain a naval revolution?
And does a mysterious
discovery off the
coast of Ireland
explain the Armada's
grizzly fate?
MARTIN: It is treasure.
All of it.
MARTIN (off-screen): Because
it tells us so much.
NARRATOR: Fiery beacons
spread the warning.
The day of reckoning
has dawned.
The Spanish and
English battle for
command of the seas.
For nine tumultuous days.
When the smoke clears,
a proud empire is humbled and
a new super power is born.
Rivalry between England and
Spain began many years before.
And is shrouded in mystery.
For centuries archaeologists
struggled to find evidence
from this time.
That changes with
a discovery,
not in Europe but two
and a half thousand
miles away in Red Bay.
A remote harbor in the far,
frozen north of Canada.
That opens onto
the wild Atlantic.
Led by clues found in
16th century documents,
maritime archaeologist
Robert Grenier
comes here looking for
evidence of a Spanish ship.
ROBERT (off-screen):
I got in the water.
I could see that there
was something there.
I went down and started
to, to fan with my hands,
moving the, the water.
That clears the, the mud
over what was there.
I could see some faint
lines about, about a
quarter inch thick
but couldn't figure
out what they were.
NARRATOR: If these icy waters
do conceal a Spanish ship
wreck, why would it be here?
Two and a half thousand
miles from home?
Robert assembles a
team to investigate.
They meticulously record
the size and shape of
every piece of wreckage.
And realize that they've found
something extraordinary.
ROBERT (off-screen): We
knew we had something
of great interest,
finding a wreck of that
importance as remote as here.
As far as here.
NARRATOR: Using all the data
gathered by the dive team
it's now possible to
drain Red Bay dry.
To expose
the near complete
remains of a sailing ship.
Her decks have collapsed but
her hull is almost intact.
Robert's first
task is to date it.
Deep inside the drained
wreck a single clue.
Nestled among the timbers.
The delicate fragments
of an hour glass.
It's an incredibly
rare discovery.
Used from medieval times
to measure time on ships.
And there's more treasure.
A compass.
And an astrolabe, a device
for measuring latitude.
Instruments that helped
sailors to use the
stars to navigate.
All commonly found
on European ships in
the 16th century.
ROBERT (off-screen): We
have quite a complete
navigation system.
It was the oldest ever found
on a ship wreck at the time.
NARRATOR: The discoveries
confirm that the wreck is
over 400 years old.
And a closer look at the
ships remains uncovers a
new and remarkable detail.
Removing the collapsed decks
reveals that the entire
length of the hull
is made up of V
shaped timbers.
But these timbers have
not been joined together.
They have been carefully
grown into the perfect shape.
Discovering such a usual
ship building style
gives the team a lead.
And takes them two and a
half thousand miles east,
across the Atlantic Ocean to
Spain and the port of Pasaia.
This bustling town in the
Basque region of Spain
carries on a tradition
of ship building that began
over 500 years ago.
It's here they make
the first vessels that
circumnavigate the globe.
And secure the America's
for their king.
Today Master Builder
Xabier Agote is keeping
the tradition alive.
He and his team are
building a 16th
century Basque Galleon.
Using the materials and
methods of the time.
XABIER: Our Oak forests were
especially managed to provide
the right timbers
with the exact shape
for ship building.
As a result they would
obtain timbers like this
one with a very nice grain
and that was very
necessary to sail across
the Atlantic Ocean
and to reach North America.
NARRATOR: The timbers still
grown and worked in Pasaia
are the exact same design
and shape as those on the
wreck in Red Bay.
Historical records held nearby
at the ancient University of
Oñati complete the story.
A 16th century document
with details of a ship that
sailed to Northern Canada.
Her name was San Juan.
She left Pasaia in 1565.
And never returned.
DELGADO: Finding
archaeological evidence of
Spain's maritime activities,
particularly as it entered
the world stage, is rare.
When we do find those traces
they can be very revealing.
NARRATOR: Discovering the name
of the ship leads to the most
important question of all.
Why would she
cross the Atlantic
to the frozen wastes
of North America?
More clues lie inside
the drained wreck.
The hull is covered in small
thin pieces of timber.
And scattered
around metal hoops.
The broken remains
of barrels.
ROBERT: I passed my hand
over the, the little planks
and it was a greasy deposit.
ROBERT (off-screen): And
I was puzzled by this.
NARRATOR: The San Juan seems
to be a cargo ship packed
with barrels full of grease,
something nearby helps
explain what it is.
Removing the collapsed
decks of the ship,
exposes the fragments of
four smaller crafts.
One of them, a specialized
hunting boat called a chalupa.
ROBERT (off-screen): Never
expected to find a complete
chalupa because normally
they are very quickly
eaten away by the worms.
They vanish.
So to finding, to find
a complete chalupa
like this was amazing.
NARRATOR: Chalupas are
fast and maneuverable.
Specially designed to carry
men wielding harpoons.
Evidence of their prey
is scattered across
the drained sea bed.
Whale bones.
These chalupas are
used to catch whales.
Their blubber is then
processed into oil.
Loaded into barrels
and shipped to Europe.
The full astonishing
story is now clear.
In the 16th century
Red Bay is no quiet
back water.
She's a global center
for whale oil production.
Robert Grenier hasn't
just found a ship wreck.
He's discovered evidence of
one of the first industrial
sites in North America.
ROBERT (off-screen): It
was an important trade.
The provision of whale oil
which was very important
for lighting the houses, soap.
ROBERT (off-screen): This
was the equivalent of
Saudi Arabia of the time.
NARRATOR: The San Juan
carries the whale oil
back to Europe.
Her crew call it liquid gold.
And with good reason.
Each successful trip
nets over $8 million
in today's money.
And 15 ships just
like the San Juan make
this trip each year.
But this is just one tiny
fortune on a continent
packed with treasure.
After Columbus discovers
the America's in 1492,
the Spanish develop a huge
network of trade routes.
With tobacco plantations in
Cuba, sugar from Brazil.
And vast quantities of silver
and gold looted and mined
from Mexico and Peru.
Made possible by forcing
the locals into slavery.
And shipping over more
enslaved men and women
from West Africa.
GROVE: Spain was the
great super power of
the 16th century.
GROVE (off-screen): It
was kept going by a very
large fleet of ships.
These ships are the sinews
of the Spanish empire.
NARRATOR: The trade in
gold and silver alone
is worth $10 trillion
in today's money.
Making Spain one of the
wealthiest and most powerful
countries in Europe.
So rich she guilds her
churches in silver and gold.
All made possible by
ships like the San Juan.
GROVE (off-screen):
Without these ships Spain
would not be rich
and making money was what the
Spanish empire was all about.
NARRATOR: But Spain's
fabulous wealth attracts
greedy rivals.
Ready to muscle in.
Including one with plans
to break Spain's monopoly
on Atlantic trade.
England.
Ruled by Elizabeth the First.
She bans Spanish imports
including whale oil.
And raises the stakes even
higher risking everything
in a showdown
with the world's most
powerful empire.
NARRATOR: It's 1588.
Queen Elizabeth is
making England rich.
With a new policy.
She gives sea captains
a license to attack
Spanish merchant ships.
(explosion)
And steal their cargo's.
Then she takes a healthy
cut of the profits.
One expedition alone makes
her enough money to pay off
the entire national debt.
It's state piracy.
(explosion)
GROVE: English maritime
affairs was dominated
by what I sometimes
call the pirate Mafia.
GROVE (off-screen): Which
began with the queen.
The only way the English
could expand their
maritime activities
was to engage in this kind
of armed robbery at sea.
NARRATOR: The English defend
the policy in the name of
their Protestant religion.
Meaning Philip the
Second of Spain,
protector of the
Catholic faith in Europe
now has two reasons
to settle the score.
Money and God.
His admirals prepare
a massive fleet,
"la grande y
felicisima armada".
"The great and
fortunate armada".
Brimming with confidence and
carried out with the blessing
of the Catholic church,
130 ships set sail.
Among them a flotilla of
the Empires best galleons.
On board, 180 priests.
And 19,000 soldiers, armed
with over 2,000 guns.
For centuries historians
puzzled over King
Phillips plans.
Is he simply out to crush
England's pirates or does
he have something far more
devastating in mind?
800 miles to
the north of Spain.
At Kinnagoe Bay,
along the wild northern
coast of Ireland.
Can a remarkable discovery
cast light on the real
story of the Armada?
When local divers find what
look like ships timbers,
they call in expert marine
archaeologist Colin Martin.
And he immediately
understands their excitement.
MARTIN (off-screen):
What I saw as my head
went under the water
was this enormous
bronze gun.
MARTIN (off-screen): With
the full alms of Philip
the Second of Spain.
And it was almost as though
I'd been transported back
in time 400 years.
NARRATOR: Colin and the
dive team search for more
clues beneath the water.
Carefully logging
every detail.
Archaeologists have
had little chance to
study Armada wrecks.
Could this be one?
By using the dive team's data,
it's possible to see clearly
what lies beneath Kinnagoe
Bay for the first time.
The wild Atlantic
drains away.
Exposing a mass of wreckage.
Ships timbers spread
along the sea floor.
And lost for hundreds
of years, more guns.
MARTIN: Among the finds
were three magnificent
bronze cannons.
MARTIN (off-screen):
All slightly different.
Still lying on the
sea bed very visibly.
NARRATOR: Every canon is
stamped with a unique mark
that records its weight.
MARTIN: These guns were
listed in Spanish documents.
And each one of them
was identified by
its exact weight.
NARRATOR: Comparing the weight
of the recovered guns with
details in the Spanish naval
inventory, reveals the name
of this mystery vessel.
La Trinidad Valencera.
A large Mediterranean
merchant vessel pressed
into service by King Philip.
She's one of the most
important ships in
the Armada.
Armed with 42 guns.
Carrying 281 soldiers
and 79 crew,
weighing 1,100 tons.
One of the biggest
ships in the fleet.
It's an amazing discovery.
And it gives historians
a unique insight into
Philips plans.
At the drained wreck site,
something surprising.
Next to the bronze
canons lie the wheels
of their gun carriages.
They are heavy and unwieldy.
Clearly not designed
for use at sea.
MARTIN: The main
reason we knew that the
guns weren't to be used
in the naval battle was that
they were stowed complete
with their carriages.
MARTIN (off-screen):
These were not ship guns.
They were guns for land
campaigning, siege artillery.
NARRATOR: La Trinidad
Valencera hasn't just
come to shoot it out
in the English Channel.
The canons in her hold point
to a much more ambitious plan.
And the drained sands
of Kinnagoe Bay offer
up another clue.
Half embedded in
the sandy seabed.
MARTIN: This to me
is the most remarkable
and precious thing
that was found on the wreck.
It's a Chinese porcelain
bowl of the Ming Dynasty.
Shipped all the way to
Seville and from there into
the hands of a Spanish
nobleman, who would be taking
it as part of his household
effects to England.
NARRATOR: A status symbol
to grace an elegant home.
Whoever owns it clearly
plans to stay in England.
Along with the siege canons
it's clear evidence that the
Armada has come to invade,
conquer and occupy.
GROVE: Only regime
change would stop the
English engaging
in their piratical raids.
And that was the aim.
NARRATOR: After over
two years of preparation
and eight days at sea,
the Armada nears
the English Channel.
130 Spanish ships including
the mighty Trinidad Valencera.
Their objective is to
storm the beaches of
Southern England.
But first they must
join forces with 27,000
invasion troops,
waiting in Northern France.
The English Commanders know
that if the all-powerful
Spanish Army gets ashore,
King Philip will be
halfway to victory.
To stop him they have
just 60 fighting ships.
A life or death battle
for Queen and country
is about to begin.
How will Elizabeth's
captains fight back?
The answer lies inside
one of the most famous
ship wrecks of all time.
NARRATOR: England's
land army is no match
for the Spanish.
And her fleet is outnumbered.
But her sea captains do have
two things in their favor.
New weapons and
radical new tactics.
Just how radical can be
seen 140 miles away
near Portsmouth.
On board one of the
most famous ship wrecks
ever discovered.
The Mary Rose.
The favorite war
ship of Queen Elizabeth's
father, Henry the Eighth.
She is lost in battle in 1545.
The cause, a mystery
for many centuries.
When she's found
archaeologists uncover a
treasure trove of information
about the English Navy.
From more than 40
years before the
Armada even set sail.
Now the dive teams research
and the underwater scan data
is combined with ongoing
archaeological work after
she is famously raised
from the depths.
Making it possible to
reveal the Mary Rose exactly
as she was first discovered.
As the sea flows away,
it opens a remarkable
window into the past.
The Mary Rose.
Extraordinarily
well preserved.
And buried within her
clues that reveal how the
English are changing
how they fight
sea battles.
Her exposed port side is worn
away to reveal the decks.
Scattered around
long thin chests.
When the dive team opened
them, they make a near
miraculous discovery.
English long bows, one of
the most feared weapons
of the medieval age.
In perfect condition.
HILDRED: So
here they are.
Beautifully preserved.
You can see the condition.
HILDRED (off-screen): I
mean they look new.
They honestly look new.
The only collection of
archery equipment we have
from the medieval period
is here on the Mary Rose.
NARRATOR: The long bows
show that the Mary Rose was
equipped for a traditional
sea battle.
GROVE: In the medieval
period in northern waters,
the classic form
of naval warfare
was to put castles on
basically merchant ships.
These became fortresses
and you put archers
in the, on the castles.
GROVE (off-screen):
And it was very much
a land battle at sea.
NARRATOR: Each archer can
fire up to 12 armor
piercing arrows a minute.
Clearing the way for
soldiers to grapple
and board enemy ships.
For over 1,000 years
this has been the standard
form of naval warfare.
And it's exactly how the
admirals of the Spanish Armada
planned to attack the English.
Their 19,000 elite
troops stand ready to
grapple and board.
But the Mary Rose contains
key evidence that the
English Navy is changing.
And embracing new technology.
Specifically, these.
The Mary Rose is
carrying 91 canons.
15 made of bronze.
HILDRED (off-screen):
We have these finest
cast bronze guns.
This has a bore of about
100 millimeters or so.
So, it would have taken
a shot that would have
weighed up to ten pounds.
This probably weighs
just over a ton.
NARRATOR: Bronze guns are
powerful but a shortage
of the right metal
forces King Henry to adapt.
And it's these other weapons
found on the Mary Rose
that are more significant.
A range of firearms from
canons to hand guns.
All made in a new way.
HILDRED: Here we have
the first attempts to mass
produce a gun in cast iron.
You can see there's
a cast line round it.
But what this is
saying is Henry was A,
trying to come up with
cheaper guns in cast iron.
And B, just to, attempting to
harness the technology.
NARRATOR: As well as
cast iron hand guns,
the Tudors developed
wrought iron canons.
GROVE: They
discovered ways of making
iron that was strong enough
to stand the stresses
of a gun being fired.
And this was a huge
improvement in that
it made powerful guns
a good deal cheaper.
NARRATOR: Each wrought iron
gun is less than a tenth of
the cost of a bronze gun.
Meaning Henry's favorite war
ship can pack a bigger punch.
The Tudor Navy calls their
new iron guns Port Pieces.
The Mary Rose
has 12 of them.
Each one mounted on a small
low-profile carriage.
Easy to reload.
All made to the
same standard.
They require a change
in ship design.
With decks specifically
strengthened to hold
weighty canons.
When the Mary Rose is built
in 1511, records show she
hasn't got a single
Port Piece on board.
But in the drained wreck there
are Port Pieces scattered
across two of her decks.
Evidence that Henry was so
serious about naval gunnery,
he made his ship builders
increase the fire
power and strength of one
of his best warships.
HILDRED: It's on that
brink of change of ships
from being troop carriers
to gun platforms.
HILDRED (off-screen): It
has certainly some of
the most sophisticated
modern weapons of its time.
DELGADO: The gun
changes war at sea.
Ships go from being floating
castles to being vessels
capable of destroying
another ship.
NARRATOR: But embracing
new ideas too quickly
can be dangerous.
When the French attack the
English coast in 1545,
the Mary Rose
sails into battle.
She fires one salvo.
Turns and immediately sinks.
HILDRED: You do get a
number of reports that say
suddenly a wind came up.
She then turned and in
turning was, you know, gust
of wind heeled her over.
NARRATOR: When a ship
heels its side tips
towards the waterline.
That's only a problem if sea
water can enter the ship.
And on board the Mary Rose
there's one very obvious
way that can happen.
GROVE: To put big
guns into ships you had
to put them in the hull.
GROVE (off-screen): And
so the gun port was born.
The problem with gun ports
was how low down in the
ship could you put them?
GROVE (off-screen): If
the gun ports are too
close to the water line
and the ship heels and
sailing ships heel,
because of their sails,
then there's the danger
that water can come in
through the gun ports.
NARRATOR: And at the
drained wreck site a clue.
The gun ports are
clearly visible.
And they are all open.
Piecing together the evidence
what happens is now clear.
The Mary Rose heads into
battle against the French.
Her high castles
packed with archers.
She fires her starboard guns.
She turns to fire from
her port side guns.
A gust of wind
makes her heel over.
Unstable from
so many soldiers, guns and
ammunition, she heels too far.
Water pours into
the open gun ports.
In minutes she capsizes.
Taking all but 30 of her
415 crew to their deaths.
43 years later
as the Spanish Armada
approaches Plymouth,
the English fleet is about to
show that they have built on
the legacy of the Mary Rose.
They ditch hand to
hand combat.
And focus purely on the
firepower of their guns.
Will it be enough to save
England from invasion?
NARRATOR: Plymouth, off
England's south coast.
130 ships of the Armada
come face to face with
England's 100.
As the battle begins the
Spanish try to get close,
looking to board and capture
the English warships.
But Elizabeth's captains
have other ideas.
GROVE: In that piratical
operation the English develop
standoff gunnery warfare.
Concentrating much
more on gunnery.
And knocking the
enemy to pieces.
NARRATOR: It's a test
of English tactics.
If they get too close they
risk hand to hand combat
with an overwhelming force
of Spanish soldiers.
If they stay too far, the
guns will do little damage.
But they have the perfect
ships for the job.
Transformed since the Mary
Rose the castles have gone.
Instead they're
packed with guns.
Sleek and maneuverable.
The fastest war
ships in the world.
DELGADO: The tactics
the English developed as
pirates to come in shooting,
prove effective against
the Spanish Armada.
GROVE: Ships would
charge at each other.
A bit like cavalry.
And then they would fire,
turn, fire again,
move away, reload
and come back.
NARRATOR: Making Elizabeth's
Navy fast enough to hit.
And run.
They fire over 2,000
shots to Spain's 750.
(shouting)
Shattering masts and
tearing holes through
splintered wooden hulls.
Driving the Armada
along the coast.
Two days later there's
a second battle.
75 miles away at
Portland Bill.
It's a critical moment.
And the English take more
risk, they come in closer,
putting themselves at
risk of being boarded.
But this time when they fire,
they cause more damage.
The Spanish have
naval guns too.
Plenty of them.
And one of the biggest
mysteries of the Armada
is why they're not
as effective as
the English guns.
Nearly 400 miles away in
Ireland's Kinnagoe Bay
can the drained wreck
of La Trinidad Valencera
reveal the answer?
Spread across the site
guns for a sea battle
and lots of ammunition.
But how well was it used?
Like many of the ships of
the Armada the Trinidad
Valencera is requisitioned
for war by King Philip.
Such a disparate fleet carries
a huge range of weapons.
MARTIN (off-screen): When
we started to find quite
large quantities of canon balls,
we were struck by the
wide range of calibers,
of diameters of the balls.
NARRATOR: Unlike their
enemy the Spanish have
no standardized guns.
It means in the heat of battle
it can be hard to find the
right shot for the right gun.
So they rely on a
measuring gauge.
MARTIN: You check
against a ball.
And if it goes through just
nicely as this one does,
then you've got the right
shot for this particular gun.
And at the level of the poor
gunners on board the ships,
they were frequently
finding not this, where
they were the right size.
MARTIN (off-screen): But
this where they weren't.
NARRATOR: And the Spanish
captains face other problems.
MARTIN (off-screen): We then
started to look at the way the
Spaniards used their guns,
operated their guns.
We were helped by the
discovery of the
carriages that the ships
had been using to mount
their, their, their, their
guns for sea warfare.
NARRATOR: The gun and
carriage can span 19 feet,
over half the width
of a ships deck.
MARTIN: Spaniards seem
to have had cumbersome two
wheeled carriages
with long trails, which
were quite difficult to
bring in to reload.
NARRATOR: All of this
means that the two sides
fight very differently.
GROVE: The Spanish
tend it would appear,
not to see the gun as
a powerful weapon for
sea born combat.
GROVE (off-screen): Although
they do have guns at sea they
don't fire them very often.
MARTIN: They, the
English were firing twice
as quickly as the Spaniards.
Like having twice as
many guns if you can fire
them in half the time.
NARRATOR: The second battle
lasts over two hours.
The English inflict
the most damage.
But the Armada remains
largely intact.
And its large galleons are
still a powerful threat.
MARTIN: It's extremely
difficult to sink a wooden
ship with canon fire.
You need to batter
away at it.
Insofar as breaking up
the, the, the actual fleet
which held together,
protecting itself, the English
effectively were powerless.
NARRATOR: The Armada
heads to Northern France.
Where 27,000 fresh and well
trained Spanish soldiers await.
Ready to join the fleet
and try to land in England.
Back in Kinnagoe Bay
can the wreck of La
Trinidad Valencera
explain why that
invasion never happened?
NARRATOR: The
Armada drops anchor.
But the troops aren't
ready to board.
So the Spanish are
forced to wait.
Close together in the
face of a gathering storm.
This gives the English an
unexpected opportunity
and they use it to unleash a
terrifying new weapon.
Hell Burners.
Eight of their own ships
packed with explosives,
set on fire and aimed right
at the heart of the Armada.
GROVE: The English
took their opportunity,
sent in fire ships,
caused the Armada
to break formation.
NARRATOR: Now the
English captains can
pick their enemy off
one ship at a time.
At daybreak they pounce.
After the first two
clashes the English know
they can fire at 100 feet
without being boarded.
An advantage they now
exploit to the fore.
Disabling four of
Spain's best Galleons.
And damaging many more.
The battle rages for
nine hours.
Nearly 2,000 Spanish
soldiers and sailors
are left dead or injured.
Their invasion
attempt, over.
Damaged by enemy fire, packed
with injured and dying men.
The surviving ships of the
Armada run for home.
But only 60 ships
will ever make it back.
In Ireland the drained
wreck site of La Trinidad
Valencera reveals
how one of the mightiest
ships of the Armada
ended her days.
The surviving timbers
are scattered and spread
across a rocky reef.
It's a clue that helps to
explain what happened
after the epic battle
against the English.
MARTIN (off-screen):
Well the Spanish Armada
when it failed in
it's objective,
decided to return home
by sailing right round
the top of the British Isles.
NARRATOR: Thrusting the
Spanish into the path
of a new and even more
formidable enemy.
The weather.
Summer storms roar
up the North Sea.
Battering the already
damaged galleons.
To such religious men it
must feel like god himself
has turned against Spain.
But what happened next to
the La Trinidad Valencera
is even more hellish.
MARTIN: She found herself
in a sinking condition.
MARTIN (off-screen): A decision
was made to run for the shore.
NARRATOR: La Trinidad
Valencera heads for
the Irish coast
looking for a safe
place to land.
MARTIN: She grounded
some distance from the
shore on a sandy bottom.
But with her bow
sitting on a reef.
NARRATOR: Almost all
the crew scramble
ashore unharmed.
MARTIN (off-screen): They
marched off heading for the
west coast of Ireland where
they hoped they might make
contact with other Armada ships
that would bring them home.
Unfortunately for them
they were intercepted by a
force of English soldiers.
NARRATOR: What happens
next is savage.
The English start to
execute their prisoners.
Only a lucky few manage
to run to the hills.
Through drowning or
execution over 6,000
men die along these shores.
La Trinidad Valencera is one
of just six Armada wrecks
found off the coast
of Ireland.
The rest, probably up
to 20, have never
been discovered.
What began as a battle
to crush the upstart
English has changed
the global balance of power.
GROVE: The weakness of
the Spanish Empire was its
actual dependence on wealth.
GROVE (off-screen): And
when other powers began to
rise like the Dutch,
like the English,
like the French,
then these powers had much
greater economic depth.
GROVE (off-screen): Spain
loses its sources of wealth
and it's got
nothing to fall back on.
NARRATOR: Within ten
years Spain is bankrupt.
In Red Bay and beyond cargo
ships like the San Juan no
longer hold the monopoly
on new world trade routes.
England with its mastery of
naval gunnery and its fast,
mobile warships is now
the rising force.
DELGADO: In the aftermath
of the Armada these new types
of ships and tactics will
dominate naval warfare for
the next two centuries.
NARRATOR: Within 20
years England establishes
its first successful colony
in the Americas.
English will become
the dominant language
in North America
and much of the world beyond.
And as England becomes Great
Britain, ships controlled
in London will dominate
global trading routes.
Britain will become the
undisputed ruler of the waves.
Until she is finally
eclipsed by her own
colonies, the United States.
A process all triggered
by the fight for the
riches of the Americas.
And the defeat of
the Spanish Armada.
Captioned by
Cotter Captioning Services.
Spanish Armada
fights the Navy of Queen
Elizabeth during a
bloody campaign
that will echo
through history.
DELGADO: It's a sea battle
that changed the balance
of world power
for 300 years.
NARRATOR: For many centuries
evidence of the Armada
and its shocking fate has
been lying undiscovered
on the sea floor.
Imagine if we could
empty the oceans.
Letting the water
drain away.
To reveal the secrets
of the sea floor.
Now we can.
Using accurate data.
And astonishing technology
to bring light once
again to a lost world.
This time, can these twisted
timbers reveal why two
kingdoms went to war?
GROVE: These ships
provided the vital sea
lines of communication
for the first great
maritime empire.
NARRATOR: Can evidence
from an iconic ship wreck
explain a naval revolution?
And does a mysterious
discovery off the
coast of Ireland
explain the Armada's
grizzly fate?
MARTIN: It is treasure.
All of it.
MARTIN (off-screen): Because
it tells us so much.
NARRATOR: Fiery beacons
spread the warning.
The day of reckoning
has dawned.
The Spanish and
English battle for
command of the seas.
For nine tumultuous days.
When the smoke clears,
a proud empire is humbled and
a new super power is born.
Rivalry between England and
Spain began many years before.
And is shrouded in mystery.
For centuries archaeologists
struggled to find evidence
from this time.
That changes with
a discovery,
not in Europe but two
and a half thousand
miles away in Red Bay.
A remote harbor in the far,
frozen north of Canada.
That opens onto
the wild Atlantic.
Led by clues found in
16th century documents,
maritime archaeologist
Robert Grenier
comes here looking for
evidence of a Spanish ship.
ROBERT (off-screen):
I got in the water.
I could see that there
was something there.
I went down and started
to, to fan with my hands,
moving the, the water.
That clears the, the mud
over what was there.
I could see some faint
lines about, about a
quarter inch thick
but couldn't figure
out what they were.
NARRATOR: If these icy waters
do conceal a Spanish ship
wreck, why would it be here?
Two and a half thousand
miles from home?
Robert assembles a
team to investigate.
They meticulously record
the size and shape of
every piece of wreckage.
And realize that they've found
something extraordinary.
ROBERT (off-screen): We
knew we had something
of great interest,
finding a wreck of that
importance as remote as here.
As far as here.
NARRATOR: Using all the data
gathered by the dive team
it's now possible to
drain Red Bay dry.
To expose
the near complete
remains of a sailing ship.
Her decks have collapsed but
her hull is almost intact.
Robert's first
task is to date it.
Deep inside the drained
wreck a single clue.
Nestled among the timbers.
The delicate fragments
of an hour glass.
It's an incredibly
rare discovery.
Used from medieval times
to measure time on ships.
And there's more treasure.
A compass.
And an astrolabe, a device
for measuring latitude.
Instruments that helped
sailors to use the
stars to navigate.
All commonly found
on European ships in
the 16th century.
ROBERT (off-screen): We
have quite a complete
navigation system.
It was the oldest ever found
on a ship wreck at the time.
NARRATOR: The discoveries
confirm that the wreck is
over 400 years old.
And a closer look at the
ships remains uncovers a
new and remarkable detail.
Removing the collapsed decks
reveals that the entire
length of the hull
is made up of V
shaped timbers.
But these timbers have
not been joined together.
They have been carefully
grown into the perfect shape.
Discovering such a usual
ship building style
gives the team a lead.
And takes them two and a
half thousand miles east,
across the Atlantic Ocean to
Spain and the port of Pasaia.
This bustling town in the
Basque region of Spain
carries on a tradition
of ship building that began
over 500 years ago.
It's here they make
the first vessels that
circumnavigate the globe.
And secure the America's
for their king.
Today Master Builder
Xabier Agote is keeping
the tradition alive.
He and his team are
building a 16th
century Basque Galleon.
Using the materials and
methods of the time.
XABIER: Our Oak forests were
especially managed to provide
the right timbers
with the exact shape
for ship building.
As a result they would
obtain timbers like this
one with a very nice grain
and that was very
necessary to sail across
the Atlantic Ocean
and to reach North America.
NARRATOR: The timbers still
grown and worked in Pasaia
are the exact same design
and shape as those on the
wreck in Red Bay.
Historical records held nearby
at the ancient University of
Oñati complete the story.
A 16th century document
with details of a ship that
sailed to Northern Canada.
Her name was San Juan.
She left Pasaia in 1565.
And never returned.
DELGADO: Finding
archaeological evidence of
Spain's maritime activities,
particularly as it entered
the world stage, is rare.
When we do find those traces
they can be very revealing.
NARRATOR: Discovering the name
of the ship leads to the most
important question of all.
Why would she
cross the Atlantic
to the frozen wastes
of North America?
More clues lie inside
the drained wreck.
The hull is covered in small
thin pieces of timber.
And scattered
around metal hoops.
The broken remains
of barrels.
ROBERT: I passed my hand
over the, the little planks
and it was a greasy deposit.
ROBERT (off-screen): And
I was puzzled by this.
NARRATOR: The San Juan seems
to be a cargo ship packed
with barrels full of grease,
something nearby helps
explain what it is.
Removing the collapsed
decks of the ship,
exposes the fragments of
four smaller crafts.
One of them, a specialized
hunting boat called a chalupa.
ROBERT (off-screen): Never
expected to find a complete
chalupa because normally
they are very quickly
eaten away by the worms.
They vanish.
So to finding, to find
a complete chalupa
like this was amazing.
NARRATOR: Chalupas are
fast and maneuverable.
Specially designed to carry
men wielding harpoons.
Evidence of their prey
is scattered across
the drained sea bed.
Whale bones.
These chalupas are
used to catch whales.
Their blubber is then
processed into oil.
Loaded into barrels
and shipped to Europe.
The full astonishing
story is now clear.
In the 16th century
Red Bay is no quiet
back water.
She's a global center
for whale oil production.
Robert Grenier hasn't
just found a ship wreck.
He's discovered evidence of
one of the first industrial
sites in North America.
ROBERT (off-screen): It
was an important trade.
The provision of whale oil
which was very important
for lighting the houses, soap.
ROBERT (off-screen): This
was the equivalent of
Saudi Arabia of the time.
NARRATOR: The San Juan
carries the whale oil
back to Europe.
Her crew call it liquid gold.
And with good reason.
Each successful trip
nets over $8 million
in today's money.
And 15 ships just
like the San Juan make
this trip each year.
But this is just one tiny
fortune on a continent
packed with treasure.
After Columbus discovers
the America's in 1492,
the Spanish develop a huge
network of trade routes.
With tobacco plantations in
Cuba, sugar from Brazil.
And vast quantities of silver
and gold looted and mined
from Mexico and Peru.
Made possible by forcing
the locals into slavery.
And shipping over more
enslaved men and women
from West Africa.
GROVE: Spain was the
great super power of
the 16th century.
GROVE (off-screen): It
was kept going by a very
large fleet of ships.
These ships are the sinews
of the Spanish empire.
NARRATOR: The trade in
gold and silver alone
is worth $10 trillion
in today's money.
Making Spain one of the
wealthiest and most powerful
countries in Europe.
So rich she guilds her
churches in silver and gold.
All made possible by
ships like the San Juan.
GROVE (off-screen):
Without these ships Spain
would not be rich
and making money was what the
Spanish empire was all about.
NARRATOR: But Spain's
fabulous wealth attracts
greedy rivals.
Ready to muscle in.
Including one with plans
to break Spain's monopoly
on Atlantic trade.
England.
Ruled by Elizabeth the First.
She bans Spanish imports
including whale oil.
And raises the stakes even
higher risking everything
in a showdown
with the world's most
powerful empire.
NARRATOR: It's 1588.
Queen Elizabeth is
making England rich.
With a new policy.
She gives sea captains
a license to attack
Spanish merchant ships.
(explosion)
And steal their cargo's.
Then she takes a healthy
cut of the profits.
One expedition alone makes
her enough money to pay off
the entire national debt.
It's state piracy.
(explosion)
GROVE: English maritime
affairs was dominated
by what I sometimes
call the pirate Mafia.
GROVE (off-screen): Which
began with the queen.
The only way the English
could expand their
maritime activities
was to engage in this kind
of armed robbery at sea.
NARRATOR: The English defend
the policy in the name of
their Protestant religion.
Meaning Philip the
Second of Spain,
protector of the
Catholic faith in Europe
now has two reasons
to settle the score.
Money and God.
His admirals prepare
a massive fleet,
"la grande y
felicisima armada".
"The great and
fortunate armada".
Brimming with confidence and
carried out with the blessing
of the Catholic church,
130 ships set sail.
Among them a flotilla of
the Empires best galleons.
On board, 180 priests.
And 19,000 soldiers, armed
with over 2,000 guns.
For centuries historians
puzzled over King
Phillips plans.
Is he simply out to crush
England's pirates or does
he have something far more
devastating in mind?
800 miles to
the north of Spain.
At Kinnagoe Bay,
along the wild northern
coast of Ireland.
Can a remarkable discovery
cast light on the real
story of the Armada?
When local divers find what
look like ships timbers,
they call in expert marine
archaeologist Colin Martin.
And he immediately
understands their excitement.
MARTIN (off-screen):
What I saw as my head
went under the water
was this enormous
bronze gun.
MARTIN (off-screen): With
the full alms of Philip
the Second of Spain.
And it was almost as though
I'd been transported back
in time 400 years.
NARRATOR: Colin and the
dive team search for more
clues beneath the water.
Carefully logging
every detail.
Archaeologists have
had little chance to
study Armada wrecks.
Could this be one?
By using the dive team's data,
it's possible to see clearly
what lies beneath Kinnagoe
Bay for the first time.
The wild Atlantic
drains away.
Exposing a mass of wreckage.
Ships timbers spread
along the sea floor.
And lost for hundreds
of years, more guns.
MARTIN: Among the finds
were three magnificent
bronze cannons.
MARTIN (off-screen):
All slightly different.
Still lying on the
sea bed very visibly.
NARRATOR: Every canon is
stamped with a unique mark
that records its weight.
MARTIN: These guns were
listed in Spanish documents.
And each one of them
was identified by
its exact weight.
NARRATOR: Comparing the weight
of the recovered guns with
details in the Spanish naval
inventory, reveals the name
of this mystery vessel.
La Trinidad Valencera.
A large Mediterranean
merchant vessel pressed
into service by King Philip.
She's one of the most
important ships in
the Armada.
Armed with 42 guns.
Carrying 281 soldiers
and 79 crew,
weighing 1,100 tons.
One of the biggest
ships in the fleet.
It's an amazing discovery.
And it gives historians
a unique insight into
Philips plans.
At the drained wreck site,
something surprising.
Next to the bronze
canons lie the wheels
of their gun carriages.
They are heavy and unwieldy.
Clearly not designed
for use at sea.
MARTIN: The main
reason we knew that the
guns weren't to be used
in the naval battle was that
they were stowed complete
with their carriages.
MARTIN (off-screen):
These were not ship guns.
They were guns for land
campaigning, siege artillery.
NARRATOR: La Trinidad
Valencera hasn't just
come to shoot it out
in the English Channel.
The canons in her hold point
to a much more ambitious plan.
And the drained sands
of Kinnagoe Bay offer
up another clue.
Half embedded in
the sandy seabed.
MARTIN: This to me
is the most remarkable
and precious thing
that was found on the wreck.
It's a Chinese porcelain
bowl of the Ming Dynasty.
Shipped all the way to
Seville and from there into
the hands of a Spanish
nobleman, who would be taking
it as part of his household
effects to England.
NARRATOR: A status symbol
to grace an elegant home.
Whoever owns it clearly
plans to stay in England.
Along with the siege canons
it's clear evidence that the
Armada has come to invade,
conquer and occupy.
GROVE: Only regime
change would stop the
English engaging
in their piratical raids.
And that was the aim.
NARRATOR: After over
two years of preparation
and eight days at sea,
the Armada nears
the English Channel.
130 Spanish ships including
the mighty Trinidad Valencera.
Their objective is to
storm the beaches of
Southern England.
But first they must
join forces with 27,000
invasion troops,
waiting in Northern France.
The English Commanders know
that if the all-powerful
Spanish Army gets ashore,
King Philip will be
halfway to victory.
To stop him they have
just 60 fighting ships.
A life or death battle
for Queen and country
is about to begin.
How will Elizabeth's
captains fight back?
The answer lies inside
one of the most famous
ship wrecks of all time.
NARRATOR: England's
land army is no match
for the Spanish.
And her fleet is outnumbered.
But her sea captains do have
two things in their favor.
New weapons and
radical new tactics.
Just how radical can be
seen 140 miles away
near Portsmouth.
On board one of the
most famous ship wrecks
ever discovered.
The Mary Rose.
The favorite war
ship of Queen Elizabeth's
father, Henry the Eighth.
She is lost in battle in 1545.
The cause, a mystery
for many centuries.
When she's found
archaeologists uncover a
treasure trove of information
about the English Navy.
From more than 40
years before the
Armada even set sail.
Now the dive teams research
and the underwater scan data
is combined with ongoing
archaeological work after
she is famously raised
from the depths.
Making it possible to
reveal the Mary Rose exactly
as she was first discovered.
As the sea flows away,
it opens a remarkable
window into the past.
The Mary Rose.
Extraordinarily
well preserved.
And buried within her
clues that reveal how the
English are changing
how they fight
sea battles.
Her exposed port side is worn
away to reveal the decks.
Scattered around
long thin chests.
When the dive team opened
them, they make a near
miraculous discovery.
English long bows, one of
the most feared weapons
of the medieval age.
In perfect condition.
HILDRED: So
here they are.
Beautifully preserved.
You can see the condition.
HILDRED (off-screen): I
mean they look new.
They honestly look new.
The only collection of
archery equipment we have
from the medieval period
is here on the Mary Rose.
NARRATOR: The long bows
show that the Mary Rose was
equipped for a traditional
sea battle.
GROVE: In the medieval
period in northern waters,
the classic form
of naval warfare
was to put castles on
basically merchant ships.
These became fortresses
and you put archers
in the, on the castles.
GROVE (off-screen):
And it was very much
a land battle at sea.
NARRATOR: Each archer can
fire up to 12 armor
piercing arrows a minute.
Clearing the way for
soldiers to grapple
and board enemy ships.
For over 1,000 years
this has been the standard
form of naval warfare.
And it's exactly how the
admirals of the Spanish Armada
planned to attack the English.
Their 19,000 elite
troops stand ready to
grapple and board.
But the Mary Rose contains
key evidence that the
English Navy is changing.
And embracing new technology.
Specifically, these.
The Mary Rose is
carrying 91 canons.
15 made of bronze.
HILDRED (off-screen):
We have these finest
cast bronze guns.
This has a bore of about
100 millimeters or so.
So, it would have taken
a shot that would have
weighed up to ten pounds.
This probably weighs
just over a ton.
NARRATOR: Bronze guns are
powerful but a shortage
of the right metal
forces King Henry to adapt.
And it's these other weapons
found on the Mary Rose
that are more significant.
A range of firearms from
canons to hand guns.
All made in a new way.
HILDRED: Here we have
the first attempts to mass
produce a gun in cast iron.
You can see there's
a cast line round it.
But what this is
saying is Henry was A,
trying to come up with
cheaper guns in cast iron.
And B, just to, attempting to
harness the technology.
NARRATOR: As well as
cast iron hand guns,
the Tudors developed
wrought iron canons.
GROVE: They
discovered ways of making
iron that was strong enough
to stand the stresses
of a gun being fired.
And this was a huge
improvement in that
it made powerful guns
a good deal cheaper.
NARRATOR: Each wrought iron
gun is less than a tenth of
the cost of a bronze gun.
Meaning Henry's favorite war
ship can pack a bigger punch.
The Tudor Navy calls their
new iron guns Port Pieces.
The Mary Rose
has 12 of them.
Each one mounted on a small
low-profile carriage.
Easy to reload.
All made to the
same standard.
They require a change
in ship design.
With decks specifically
strengthened to hold
weighty canons.
When the Mary Rose is built
in 1511, records show she
hasn't got a single
Port Piece on board.
But in the drained wreck there
are Port Pieces scattered
across two of her decks.
Evidence that Henry was so
serious about naval gunnery,
he made his ship builders
increase the fire
power and strength of one
of his best warships.
HILDRED: It's on that
brink of change of ships
from being troop carriers
to gun platforms.
HILDRED (off-screen): It
has certainly some of
the most sophisticated
modern weapons of its time.
DELGADO: The gun
changes war at sea.
Ships go from being floating
castles to being vessels
capable of destroying
another ship.
NARRATOR: But embracing
new ideas too quickly
can be dangerous.
When the French attack the
English coast in 1545,
the Mary Rose
sails into battle.
She fires one salvo.
Turns and immediately sinks.
HILDRED: You do get a
number of reports that say
suddenly a wind came up.
She then turned and in
turning was, you know, gust
of wind heeled her over.
NARRATOR: When a ship
heels its side tips
towards the waterline.
That's only a problem if sea
water can enter the ship.
And on board the Mary Rose
there's one very obvious
way that can happen.
GROVE: To put big
guns into ships you had
to put them in the hull.
GROVE (off-screen): And
so the gun port was born.
The problem with gun ports
was how low down in the
ship could you put them?
GROVE (off-screen): If
the gun ports are too
close to the water line
and the ship heels and
sailing ships heel,
because of their sails,
then there's the danger
that water can come in
through the gun ports.
NARRATOR: And at the
drained wreck site a clue.
The gun ports are
clearly visible.
And they are all open.
Piecing together the evidence
what happens is now clear.
The Mary Rose heads into
battle against the French.
Her high castles
packed with archers.
She fires her starboard guns.
She turns to fire from
her port side guns.
A gust of wind
makes her heel over.
Unstable from
so many soldiers, guns and
ammunition, she heels too far.
Water pours into
the open gun ports.
In minutes she capsizes.
Taking all but 30 of her
415 crew to their deaths.
43 years later
as the Spanish Armada
approaches Plymouth,
the English fleet is about to
show that they have built on
the legacy of the Mary Rose.
They ditch hand to
hand combat.
And focus purely on the
firepower of their guns.
Will it be enough to save
England from invasion?
NARRATOR: Plymouth, off
England's south coast.
130 ships of the Armada
come face to face with
England's 100.
As the battle begins the
Spanish try to get close,
looking to board and capture
the English warships.
But Elizabeth's captains
have other ideas.
GROVE: In that piratical
operation the English develop
standoff gunnery warfare.
Concentrating much
more on gunnery.
And knocking the
enemy to pieces.
NARRATOR: It's a test
of English tactics.
If they get too close they
risk hand to hand combat
with an overwhelming force
of Spanish soldiers.
If they stay too far, the
guns will do little damage.
But they have the perfect
ships for the job.
Transformed since the Mary
Rose the castles have gone.
Instead they're
packed with guns.
Sleek and maneuverable.
The fastest war
ships in the world.
DELGADO: The tactics
the English developed as
pirates to come in shooting,
prove effective against
the Spanish Armada.
GROVE: Ships would
charge at each other.
A bit like cavalry.
And then they would fire,
turn, fire again,
move away, reload
and come back.
NARRATOR: Making Elizabeth's
Navy fast enough to hit.
And run.
They fire over 2,000
shots to Spain's 750.
(shouting)
Shattering masts and
tearing holes through
splintered wooden hulls.
Driving the Armada
along the coast.
Two days later there's
a second battle.
75 miles away at
Portland Bill.
It's a critical moment.
And the English take more
risk, they come in closer,
putting themselves at
risk of being boarded.
But this time when they fire,
they cause more damage.
The Spanish have
naval guns too.
Plenty of them.
And one of the biggest
mysteries of the Armada
is why they're not
as effective as
the English guns.
Nearly 400 miles away in
Ireland's Kinnagoe Bay
can the drained wreck
of La Trinidad Valencera
reveal the answer?
Spread across the site
guns for a sea battle
and lots of ammunition.
But how well was it used?
Like many of the ships of
the Armada the Trinidad
Valencera is requisitioned
for war by King Philip.
Such a disparate fleet carries
a huge range of weapons.
MARTIN (off-screen): When
we started to find quite
large quantities of canon balls,
we were struck by the
wide range of calibers,
of diameters of the balls.
NARRATOR: Unlike their
enemy the Spanish have
no standardized guns.
It means in the heat of battle
it can be hard to find the
right shot for the right gun.
So they rely on a
measuring gauge.
MARTIN: You check
against a ball.
And if it goes through just
nicely as this one does,
then you've got the right
shot for this particular gun.
And at the level of the poor
gunners on board the ships,
they were frequently
finding not this, where
they were the right size.
MARTIN (off-screen): But
this where they weren't.
NARRATOR: And the Spanish
captains face other problems.
MARTIN (off-screen): We then
started to look at the way the
Spaniards used their guns,
operated their guns.
We were helped by the
discovery of the
carriages that the ships
had been using to mount
their, their, their, their
guns for sea warfare.
NARRATOR: The gun and
carriage can span 19 feet,
over half the width
of a ships deck.
MARTIN: Spaniards seem
to have had cumbersome two
wheeled carriages
with long trails, which
were quite difficult to
bring in to reload.
NARRATOR: All of this
means that the two sides
fight very differently.
GROVE: The Spanish
tend it would appear,
not to see the gun as
a powerful weapon for
sea born combat.
GROVE (off-screen): Although
they do have guns at sea they
don't fire them very often.
MARTIN: They, the
English were firing twice
as quickly as the Spaniards.
Like having twice as
many guns if you can fire
them in half the time.
NARRATOR: The second battle
lasts over two hours.
The English inflict
the most damage.
But the Armada remains
largely intact.
And its large galleons are
still a powerful threat.
MARTIN: It's extremely
difficult to sink a wooden
ship with canon fire.
You need to batter
away at it.
Insofar as breaking up
the, the, the actual fleet
which held together,
protecting itself, the English
effectively were powerless.
NARRATOR: The Armada
heads to Northern France.
Where 27,000 fresh and well
trained Spanish soldiers await.
Ready to join the fleet
and try to land in England.
Back in Kinnagoe Bay
can the wreck of La
Trinidad Valencera
explain why that
invasion never happened?
NARRATOR: The
Armada drops anchor.
But the troops aren't
ready to board.
So the Spanish are
forced to wait.
Close together in the
face of a gathering storm.
This gives the English an
unexpected opportunity
and they use it to unleash a
terrifying new weapon.
Hell Burners.
Eight of their own ships
packed with explosives,
set on fire and aimed right
at the heart of the Armada.
GROVE: The English
took their opportunity,
sent in fire ships,
caused the Armada
to break formation.
NARRATOR: Now the
English captains can
pick their enemy off
one ship at a time.
At daybreak they pounce.
After the first two
clashes the English know
they can fire at 100 feet
without being boarded.
An advantage they now
exploit to the fore.
Disabling four of
Spain's best Galleons.
And damaging many more.
The battle rages for
nine hours.
Nearly 2,000 Spanish
soldiers and sailors
are left dead or injured.
Their invasion
attempt, over.
Damaged by enemy fire, packed
with injured and dying men.
The surviving ships of the
Armada run for home.
But only 60 ships
will ever make it back.
In Ireland the drained
wreck site of La Trinidad
Valencera reveals
how one of the mightiest
ships of the Armada
ended her days.
The surviving timbers
are scattered and spread
across a rocky reef.
It's a clue that helps to
explain what happened
after the epic battle
against the English.
MARTIN (off-screen):
Well the Spanish Armada
when it failed in
it's objective,
decided to return home
by sailing right round
the top of the British Isles.
NARRATOR: Thrusting the
Spanish into the path
of a new and even more
formidable enemy.
The weather.
Summer storms roar
up the North Sea.
Battering the already
damaged galleons.
To such religious men it
must feel like god himself
has turned against Spain.
But what happened next to
the La Trinidad Valencera
is even more hellish.
MARTIN: She found herself
in a sinking condition.
MARTIN (off-screen): A decision
was made to run for the shore.
NARRATOR: La Trinidad
Valencera heads for
the Irish coast
looking for a safe
place to land.
MARTIN: She grounded
some distance from the
shore on a sandy bottom.
But with her bow
sitting on a reef.
NARRATOR: Almost all
the crew scramble
ashore unharmed.
MARTIN (off-screen): They
marched off heading for the
west coast of Ireland where
they hoped they might make
contact with other Armada ships
that would bring them home.
Unfortunately for them
they were intercepted by a
force of English soldiers.
NARRATOR: What happens
next is savage.
The English start to
execute their prisoners.
Only a lucky few manage
to run to the hills.
Through drowning or
execution over 6,000
men die along these shores.
La Trinidad Valencera is one
of just six Armada wrecks
found off the coast
of Ireland.
The rest, probably up
to 20, have never
been discovered.
What began as a battle
to crush the upstart
English has changed
the global balance of power.
GROVE: The weakness of
the Spanish Empire was its
actual dependence on wealth.
GROVE (off-screen): And
when other powers began to
rise like the Dutch,
like the English,
like the French,
then these powers had much
greater economic depth.
GROVE (off-screen): Spain
loses its sources of wealth
and it's got
nothing to fall back on.
NARRATOR: Within ten
years Spain is bankrupt.
In Red Bay and beyond cargo
ships like the San Juan no
longer hold the monopoly
on new world trade routes.
England with its mastery of
naval gunnery and its fast,
mobile warships is now
the rising force.
DELGADO: In the aftermath
of the Armada these new types
of ships and tactics will
dominate naval warfare for
the next two centuries.
NARRATOR: Within 20
years England establishes
its first successful colony
in the Americas.
English will become
the dominant language
in North America
and much of the world beyond.
And as England becomes Great
Britain, ships controlled
in London will dominate
global trading routes.
Britain will become the
undisputed ruler of the waves.
Until she is finally
eclipsed by her own
colonies, the United States.
A process all triggered
by the fight for the
riches of the Americas.
And the defeat of
the Spanish Armada.
Captioned by
Cotter Captioning Services.