A large naval and military force that Philip II of Spain sent to invade England at the end of May 1588. It consisted of 130 ships, carrying about 8000 sailors and 19,000 infantrymen, under the command of the inexperienced Duke of Medina Sidonia. The Spanish fleet was delayed by a storm off Corunna, and was first sighted by the English naval commanders on 19 July, then harassed by them with long-range guns, until it anchored off Calais. Unable to liaise with an additional force from the Low Countries led by Farnese, its formation was wrecked by English fireships during the night and as it tried to escape it suffered a further pounding from the English fleet before a strong wind drove the remaining vessels into the North Sea and they were forced to make their way back to Spain round the north of Scotland and the west of Ireland. Barely half the original Armada returned to port.