English ship Revenge (1577)

The Revenge, built in 1577 by Mathew Baker, Master Shipwright, was to usher in a new style of ship building that would revolutionize naval warfare for the next three hundred years. A comparatively small vessel, measuring 500 tons, being about half the size of the the Henri Grace à Dieu Revenge was rated as a galleon, she carried 46 guns ranged along both sides of her gun deck.

Sir Francis Drake and the Spanish Armada.

In 1587, Drake was instructed to destroy the fleet which Spain, under Phillip II was constructing, causing Phillip to delay his plans until the following year before attempting his invasion.

In early 1588, Drake moved his flag from the Elizabeth Bonaventura to the Revenge, which was considered by far to be the best of the new ships.

On Monday, July 29, 1588 the Battle of Gravelines (named after a Flemish town near Calais), was concluded as one of the fiercest and most decisive battles engaged in during these years.

At the outset of the conflict, 'Revenge' proved worthy of her reputation. Following the Revenge at the head of the line, the English fleet engages their broadsides into the confused Spanish Armada, chasing it into the North Sea close to Edinburgh, where further persuit was considered unnecessary.

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In 1589, the Revenge again put to sea as Drake's flagship, in what was to be a failed attempt to invade Spanish controlled Portugal. With the ship in an unseaworthy condition, and without any prizes to his credit Drake fell out of favour with the Queen Elizabeth and was kept ashore until 1594.

The Revenge came to her end in a glorious but bizarre episode that has became something of a legend. In order to impede a Spanish naval recovery after the Armada, Sir John Hawkins proposed a blockade of the supply of treasure being aquired from Spanish America by a constant naval patrol designed to intercept Spanish ships. The Revenge was on such a patrol in the summer of 1591.

The Spainish had dispatched a stronger fleet of some 40 ships intent upon the capture of the English at Flores in the northern Azores. On 7th of September, the Spanish fleet came upon the English while repairs to the ships caused the crews, many of whom were suffering an epidemic of fever, to be ashore. Most of the ships managed to slip away to sea, but the Revenge became trapped in the harbour.

Overwhelming force was immediately brought to bare upon the ship, which put up a gallant resistance. The San Phillip, a vessel three times her size, tried to come along side for the spaniards to board her, but was beaten off. The battle continued all night into the following day, but steadily became more desperate.

After an assurance of proper conduct, and having held off dozens of Spanish ships, the Revenge at last surrendered, becoming the only English ship to be captured by the Spaniards in that war. The captured Revenge never reached Spain, becoming a wreck, she sunk along with most of the Spanish fleet in a dreadful storm of the Azores.

Revenge was cast upon a cliff next to the island of Terceira, where she broke up completely.

Ref orig research: Robert G. Albion, 1978.