0:00:11 > 0:00:18In the summer of 1588, England stood alone against the greatest superpower the world had ever seen.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25A vast Spanish invasion fleet, the mightiest ever assembled,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28was sweeping towards the Channel,
0:00:28 > 0:00:33and the only thing that stood between the invaders and the conquest of England
0:00:33 > 0:00:35were the ships of the Royal Navy.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Together with my son Dan I'll be tracing day by day
0:00:40 > 0:00:44the massive struggle that took place in these very waters.
0:00:44 > 0:00:51For a week the future of the British Isles depended on the bravery and skill of the English sailors.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55None of them had ever fought a battle on this scale before.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Faced with this overwhelming force,
0:01:01 > 0:01:06they had to use new tactics and new technologies to outwit the Spanish.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11They pushed themselves and their ships to the limit.
0:01:11 > 0:01:18I'll be exploring how the opposing commanders used very different strategies,
0:01:18 > 0:01:23and how chance played a key role in deciding the fate of both sides.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28And I'll be finding out just how effective their weapons were.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40And trying out the revolutionary sailing techniques that swung the battle.
0:01:40 > 0:01:47The skill of the English, the agility of the boats - we had never encountered anything like that.
0:01:49 > 0:01:55For the Spanish, it was a religious crusade against an island of heretics and pirates.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01For the English, it was a battle for survival against the might of a Spanish armada.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23In 1588,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Spain was busy assembling a vast fleet, an armada.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Spain was the largest superpower on Earth,
0:02:36 > 0:02:42and this armada would be the greatest concentration of naval power ever assembled.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Its purpose - to invade and conquer England.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Spain was Catholic and wanted a Catholic world.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10Spain's King Philip II was a man driven by religious obsession.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16For him, empire building was about extending the power of the Catholic Church.
0:03:16 > 0:03:22Standing in his way was Protestant England, led by heretic Queen Elizabeth.
0:03:22 > 0:03:28It is the duty of every Catholic to make sure that Queen Elizabeth is killed.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32They are a barbarous, savage race...
0:03:33 > 0:03:36..who need to be brought into line,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38who need the grace of God.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43And God willing, we will drive them into the seas and show them that grace.
0:03:43 > 0:03:50But the conflict between England and Spain wasn't just about religion.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Spain's empire spanned half the globe
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and it controlled all the riches of the New World.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05England wanted a share, but was kept out by force.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09For years, Elizabeth had fought back,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13sending out her sailors to raid Spanish treasure ships.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22Then relations between the two countries edged even closer to all-out conflict.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46Here, in Flanders, the Spanish army was already fighting its own religious war.
0:04:46 > 0:04:4930,000 troops were scattered throughout the region,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53defending fortified towns like this one from the Protestant rebels.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58To the fury of the Spanish, England sent troops to help the Dutch rebels.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06To the Spanish king this was the final straw.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08England was now taking Spanish gold,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12insulting its religion and interfering with its wars.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Enough was enough.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19It was time to sort out this irritating little country once and for all.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Philip's plan was to mount an ambitious combined operation
0:05:25 > 0:05:29using his army in Flanders and the fleet he was assembling.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33This massive armada would sail all the way from Spain
0:05:33 > 0:05:37packed with soldiers and naval firepower.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43Its task would be to sail right up the English Channel to its narrowest point here between Dover and Calais,
0:05:43 > 0:05:48and there it would meet up with that Spanish army in Flanders
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and escort it across to England.
0:05:50 > 0:05:56Philip hoped that this combined force would be unstoppable.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00This was to be a military operation on an unprecedented scale.
0:06:00 > 0:06:08The Armada would have to carry over 20,000 men and their weapons and supplies 1,000 miles
0:06:08 > 0:06:10and then launch an invasion.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Philip had to find the right man to lead the Armada,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17but he chose a most unlikely candidate.
0:06:19 > 0:06:25The man he picked was the Duke of Medina Sidonia.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29From the little that's known, this is what he might have looked like.
0:06:29 > 0:06:35He was one of the richest noblemen in Europe but he was not an experienced naval commander.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37In fact, he had never fought at sea.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Even Medina Sidonia's own mother didn't think he was up to the job.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46He did everything he could to get out of it.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51He even complained to the king he got seasick and caught colds at sea.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53But Philip wouldn't hear of it.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57To him, more important than experience was social standing,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and Medina Sidonia had plenty of that.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Anyone who doubted that Medina Sidonia was the right man was soon silenced.
0:07:12 > 0:07:18In no time at all, every port in Spain was buzzing with activity.
0:07:20 > 0:07:26People were galvanised into action by their new commander's efficient organisation.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34In a few months, supplies were stockpiled, weapons were issued and crews assembled.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38On board the ships, the men were blessed
0:07:38 > 0:07:42to make sure that God would smile on this enterprise.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49People were not allowed blasphemy or gambling on board.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52We were all confessed and absolved before leaving.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55We were prepared for death, to fight for what was right.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I was happy to do God's work,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00to serve my country.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05To the Spanish, this wasn't just an invasion force.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07It was a religious crusade.
0:08:07 > 0:08:14The Spanish Armada was now a reality. All that was needed was the order to sail to England.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38Queen Elizabeth had got word from her spies that an attack was imminent.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43She knew that England's only hope lay in her navy.
0:08:44 > 0:08:50So in May 1588 she scraped together every ship she could find
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and ordered the main force here to Plymouth.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Just as well.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Even as the ships were assembling, the Armada set sail from Spain.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12The Spanish Armada was a breathtaking military force.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Medina Sidonia had gathered 130 ships.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24The fleet carried 7,000 sailors and nearly three times as many soldiers.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34Never before had the world seen such a concentration of naval power.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And it was heading straight for England.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58Along the southern coast of England, people waited nervously for the arrival of the Spanish invaders.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03In the villages, men prepared to fight with any weapons they could lay their hands on.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06In huts like this, and all along the Cornish coast,
0:10:06 > 0:10:11lookouts stared out to sea, waiting for the first signs of the invasion fleet.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Then on Friday 29th of July,
0:10:15 > 0:10:21the watchers spotted a forest of masts and sails looming on the horizon.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The Spanish Armada had reached the British coast.
0:10:28 > 0:10:34The only thing that now blocked the path of the Armada were the ships of the Royal Navy.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And the man in charge, on his flagship Ark Royal,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40was Admiral Lord Howard.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Lord Howard was a natural-born leader,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49but like his counterpart Medina Sidonia,
0:10:49 > 0:10:54he'd got the job more through family connections than through experience.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56He was the Queen's cousin.
0:10:56 > 0:11:02But the English were not exactly short on seamanship. Second in command was Sir Francis Drake.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Drake was very different from Howard.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Born the humble son of a farmer,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12he had become the greatest sailor in England.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15He was deeply feared by the Spanish
0:11:15 > 0:11:19for his frequent raids on their ships and ports,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23but his own men respected, even loved him.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27One of the great things about Drake is all men are equal on his ship.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31He's willing to put himself shoulder to shoulder with the next man,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34to stand next to you and burn his hands on the rope.
0:11:34 > 0:11:41Sir Francis Drake, er, rightly... gets my respect, every bloody time.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46The country's future now depended on these two commanders and the men they led.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50They were eager to set out to sea to fight the Spanish,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54but there was something that stood in their way.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01When the Armada was spotted,
0:12:01 > 0:12:06the wind was blowing inland and the tide was flooding in.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11I'm in the middle of the narrowest point of Plymouth harbour at the moment,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14straining away against about a 2- or 3-knot tide.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It must have been incredibly frustrating for them
0:12:17 > 0:12:21knowing that just a few miles away at sea was the Spanish Armada
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and they couldn't get to grips with them, because they were stuck here.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34There was nothing Drake or Howard could do
0:12:34 > 0:12:40but calmly finish their famous game of bowls and wait for the tide to turn.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45But their calm belied the danger of the situation.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50The English ships were trapped while the enemy drew nearer.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00The Spanish now had an extraordinary opportunity - to launch an attack on the English
0:13:00 > 0:13:04while they were still vulnerable here in Plymouth harbour.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09It might have won them a quick victory, and some Spanish officers argued fiercely for it.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12But Philip's orders had been clear -
0:13:12 > 0:13:16do not engage the enemy unless absolutely necessary.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21The fleet's task was to keep heading for Calais to meet up with that Spanish army in the Netherlands.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24So the Armada sailed on,
0:13:24 > 0:13:30ignoring what might have been an opportunity to strike a decisive blow.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34They weren't intent on causing damage while we were anchored.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Indeed they waited while the tides became more favourable to ourselves.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42And that is something I shall never understand to this day,
0:13:42 > 0:13:47other than being a man of faith, I suppose that God smiled on us that day.
0:13:47 > 0:13:54It was only as the tide turned that evening that the English had their chance to take the initiative.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59They headed out of Plymouth Sound here to face the enemy.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Here is the English coast,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04from Plymouth right the way along into Cornwall.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08The westerly wind was blowing the Armada, here, steadily eastwards.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13Drake and Howard, coming out of Plymouth harbour here,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16decided to split their forces.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Howard's plan was to take the main body of the fleet out to sea,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24whilst Drake was to head westwards along the coast.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Their aim was to get to the west of the Spanish Armada.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34This was critical because the wind was blowing from the west,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and if they could get round to this side,
0:14:37 > 0:14:43then they would have the all-important advantage of having the wind behind them.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47But to get to that position they had to sail into the wind,
0:14:47 > 0:14:52and sailing into the wind was very tricky, and it still is.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01Now the trouble about sailing into the wind - the wind's coming almost straight off my bow now -
0:15:01 > 0:15:03is that you can't go straight at it.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06If you do, the sail just flaps helplessly and you stop.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09So, you go off the wind, each side of the wind,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and you zigzag, you tack, as it's called into the wind.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16So here we go now, we're on one tack...
0:15:16 > 0:15:20and to go up there into the wind, I've got to go through like this.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Imagine this in a great big square-rigged sailing ship -
0:15:24 > 0:15:28it would take a long time to get the yards and sails around.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Sailing with the wind behind you is much easier.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36There's two major advantages to going downwind.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40It's pretty much the quickest way of sailing, you're going very fast,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44and you've got a lot of control over the direction of the boat.
0:15:44 > 0:15:50You can go that way, you can go that way, you can go any way you want. It's a very flexible way of sailing.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55The advantage of having the wind behind you becomes clear in a race.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58I'm heading into the wind.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Dan is sailing with the wind.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05First to the buoy wins and I've got a head start.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Hooray, we're off! And the big race has begun.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13I've the wind behind me so technically I can go straight from A to B.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18I can head straight for the mark. Dad's got to zigzag the whole way.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Zigzagging to windward.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Come on, Dan, I'm going to beat you yet!
0:16:24 > 0:16:28No, you won't, Dad. Even with that head start you can't beat me.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Well, I'm going to have to try another tack, that's all.
0:16:32 > 0:16:38There you go. Zigzagging into the wind is a terrible way of having to race someone.
0:16:38 > 0:16:45- And look at him - he's almost at the buoy already. ..All right, you win!- Ha-ha-ha!- Ha-ha(!)
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Oh, dear.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50It's clear the boat going downwind can go faster and straighter.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53You zigzagging all around and going slowly, it wasn't fair.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59The whole strategy of every battle at sea was to fight for the position on the windward side of your enemy.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04That way you had what they call the weather gauge of it, you were actually able to control the battle.
0:17:05 > 0:17:11Sailing into the wind is hard work, even on a modern sailboat.
0:17:11 > 0:17:17On the huge square-rigged galleons of the time it required great skill and co-ordination.
0:17:19 > 0:17:26But if the English were to gain that vital position, they would have to use their expertise
0:17:26 > 0:17:30to tack westwards into the wind and slip past the Spanish fleet.
0:17:37 > 0:17:43All the next day the Spanish continued heading east towards the meeting point with their army.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47The lookouts strained to catch sight of the English fleet,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50expecting them to appear somewhere in front of them.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Then at dawn on Sunday 31st, two days after they'd arrived,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56they finally spotted them,
0:17:56 > 0:18:01but to their shock and amazement the English ships were now behind them,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and worse still, they were getting ready to attack.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09The scene was now set for the first battle of the conflict.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22The wind was blowing steadily from over here, from the west,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and the two squadrons of the English fleet
0:18:25 > 0:18:31had zigzagged into the wind to get it behind them, giving them an advantage over the Spanish.
0:18:31 > 0:18:37The English fleet numbered just 55 ships, including the 11 in Drake's squadron.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45The Spanish fleet was more than twice that size, over 120 ships.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48They'd now formed into a prearranged battle formation,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51a huge crescent two miles across.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56At each haul of the crescent were two big fighting squadrons,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59huge galleons, these, of up to 50 guns each.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02In the centre, Medina Sidonia himself,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05commanding more big fighting ships,
0:19:05 > 0:19:12whilst all around them, the less well armed supply ships, protected within that close-packed crescent.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15It was an effective defensive formation,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17almost impossible to break up.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21And the Armada had another advantage -
0:19:21 > 0:19:24each vessel was loaded with soldiers,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26as many as 350 on a single ship.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30The Spanish fought in the age-old traditional way -
0:19:30 > 0:19:35they took grappling hooks like this, then they hurled them across at enemy ships,
0:19:35 > 0:19:40dragged the ships together and then would leap across and fight it out hand-to-hand on the enemy decks.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45In this kind of fighting the Spanish had a massive advantage - their huge ships bristling with soldiers.
0:19:45 > 0:19:51The English, with their smaller ships and smaller crews, liked to keep their distance,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55and instead battered their enemy into submission with their guns.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59The two sides weren't only using different tactics,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02they also sailed in very different formations.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10This is like the Armada would have been -
0:20:10 > 0:20:14tightly packed, difficult for the British to get in and fire broadsides -
0:20:14 > 0:20:20but equally very difficult for US to fire broadsides because we only shoot each other up.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Also not very manoeuvrable, because if I turn or they turn
0:20:23 > 0:20:27we'll hit each other, and a lot of collision went on inside the Armada.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32The English had to be manoeuvrable to keep clear of the Spanish grappling hooks,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34so they tried something new.
0:20:34 > 0:20:40They went in line astern, one after the other, so the leader could control where everybody went.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50It also meant that the guns, which are all down the sides of the ships,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54could all fire at once against the Spanish, much more effective.
0:21:01 > 0:21:08The English hoped that their line formation would enable them to run rings around the Armada,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12whilst the Spanish hoped that their defensive formation
0:21:12 > 0:21:15would enable them to withstand any attacks.
0:21:20 > 0:21:27The English commanders were about to find out if their new battle plan would outwit the Spanish.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36Now with the wind behind them, the English could put this new strategy into action
0:21:36 > 0:21:39in a ferocious two-pronged attack on the Armada.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Howard now swung around,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44aiming to attack the southern haul of the crescent
0:21:44 > 0:21:48using the English line astern formation.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53Meanwhile Drake was going to concentrate his attack on the northern tip.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58The two commanders knew the fate of England was in their hands.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04As each ship turned to face the Armada,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07the English sailors hoisted up every sail they could
0:22:07 > 0:22:12and used the favourable wind to carry them headlong into battle.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Heave! Heave! Heave!
0:22:44 > 0:22:48As they approached the giant Spanish ships for the first time,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52they realised just how powerful their adversary was.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59MEN SHOUT
0:23:03 > 0:23:09But this was an enemy they had to defeat or England would fall.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Below decks the gunners loaded the cannons ready for firing.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28At last the Armada was just a quarter of a mile away.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31The Ark Royal was leading the attack
0:23:31 > 0:23:35and the Spanish ships were now within range of its cannons.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38The order was given to fire.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06Down here on the cramped gun decks the noise would have been unbelievable.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13The well-trained English fired broadside after broadside,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15firing and reloading continuously.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24No amount of preparation prepares you for the noise and the sweat
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and the fear and the sound.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37You're more an animal than a man,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41you just keep going, you keep going...
0:24:41 > 0:24:43until someone tells you to stop.
0:24:45 > 0:24:51Following one after another, the English were able to outmanoeuvre the Spanish
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and bring their guns to bear on the ships of the Armada.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01And all the while,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05the English kept their distance to avoid being boarded.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Their strategy was working.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19For the Spanish this was a major blow.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23They couldn't get close enough to use their grappling hooks,
0:25:23 > 0:25:28and whilst most of the Spanish ships were protected by their tight formation,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32the ships at the tip were on the receiving end
0:25:32 > 0:25:35of wave upon wave of English cannon fire.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38What was amazing was the...
0:25:39 > 0:25:43..the skill of the English, the...agility of the boats.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47We had never encountered anything like that before.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Finally the English pulled back,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57triumphant that not a single one of their ships had been boarded.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00But despite firing over 2,000 cannonballs,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03they failed to sink a single Spanish ship.
0:26:07 > 0:26:14We'd as yet been unable to cause any real damage to the Spanish Armada ourselves.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18We HAD hit them, of course, but not hard enough.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26The Armada was still intact and as powerful as ever.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33The English had done nothing that day to dent the invasion plan.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40For some reason the English cannons simply weren't doing enough damage.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Right, let's load this thing.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13OK, here's the charge... nice and gently.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- I'm going to ram it down.- How long would this take on a ship?
0:27:16 > 0:27:20They could do it pretty quickly with a trained crew.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24- I think you'd get a round away in a minute.- About a round a minute?- Yeah.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Then the next thing to go in would be the shot.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- Weighs about 3lb?- 3lb of cast iron.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35And they went up to, oh, ten times that size.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37- There she goes.- There it is.
0:27:37 > 0:27:43To stop it falling out we put in the top wad, which on a ship would be old rope. Here we're going to use straw.
0:27:43 > 0:27:49- Because when the ship rolls, we don't want the ball...- The shot falling out, it keeps it in.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50You give that a good tap home.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55Get ready for priming. I'm pricking a little hole in the cartridge inside.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00That releases the powder so that when you light it, the powder goes off and the ball spurts out the end?
0:28:00 > 0:28:04- That right.- There you go - physics. - But the gun hasn't yet been aimed.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Right, OK, let's go left a bit...
0:28:07 > 0:28:09ah, a little more...
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Too much, back a tiny shade... yeah, that's it, that's spot-on.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18'For safety, we went to set the cannon off remotely from a very reinforced bunker.'
0:28:18 > 0:28:22See the thickness of the roof which we'll be under?
0:28:22 > 0:28:28Right, now, I'm going to take money on this hitting the very, very centre of the target.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31I'll offer you 5-1 on. How about that?
0:28:31 > 0:28:35No, I'm not a betting man, but I think you're going to hit it.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Five, four,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39three, two,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42one, fire.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49- Whoa! Nice! Straight through. - We hit it.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52- We aimed well, Dan. - Yeah, well done, Dad.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- Let's go and have a look.- Good.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07If we can manage this here, why didn't the English do more damage?
0:29:07 > 0:29:10You can make a 3-inch-diameter hole in the side of a ship
0:29:10 > 0:29:16but that won't sink a ship because it's easily fixable. It'll cause casualties and may disable it,
0:29:16 > 0:29:20but to actually sink a ship you have to pepper the side of the boat.
0:29:20 > 0:29:26- The Spanish running around with a big plug, shoving it in...- Taking casualties but plugging the holes.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30And ships not sinking, even though peppered with holes like this.
0:29:30 > 0:29:36No. We imagine shells that rip the side out of a ship, but all that's doing is making a little hole.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44On that first day of battle the English sailors kept their distance.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49But that meant only the occasional cannonball hit its mark,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52and so at the end of that day
0:29:52 > 0:29:56the Armada sailed on virtually unscathed.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03After seven hours of fighting, neither side had done decisive damage to the other.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07The worst damage the Spanish suffered, they'd done themselves.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11In the chaos of battle, two of their ships had collided.
0:30:14 > 0:30:21Rather than break up its formation, the Armada continued towards its ultimate goal.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24One of the disabled ships was left behind.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30At night, Drake was charged with following the Spanish ships
0:30:30 > 0:30:32with his lantern lit to guide the fleet.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35But then he did something quite outrageous.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39He couldn't resist the lure of Spanish treasure.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41So he snuffed out the lantern
0:30:41 > 0:30:45and slipped off to loot the crippled ship.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48And that was something to be proud of.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50We kept a ship from the Spanish
0:30:50 > 0:30:54and it was laden with gold, let me tell you.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59It was a profitable night for Drake, but the rest of the English fleet paid a heavy price.
0:30:59 > 0:31:05Without his lantern to guide them, they got scattered, and by dawn they were in complete disarray.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08It took them a day to re-form
0:31:08 > 0:31:13and the Armada continued its relentless voyage eastwards.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20The English had to catch up with the Spanish or else all was lost.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Fortunately they had something that would help them -
0:31:25 > 0:31:28the design of their ships.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32It's the shape of a ship that determines how effective it is at sailing -
0:31:32 > 0:31:36the sleeker the vessel, the more manoeuvrable it is.
0:31:42 > 0:31:48Spanish ships were built very high out of the water. They were very top-heavy and cumbersome.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52They were ready to take lots of men and supplies - floating fortresses.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55The English ships were faster, more manoeuvrable.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58They'd taken the traditional galleon design and made it sleeker.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07With their faster ships, the English set off in pursuit of the Armada,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11and after a day of hard sailing, they caught up with them.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20It was now Tuesday 2nd August, five days after the Armada had arrived.
0:32:20 > 0:32:26Medina Sidonia had led his ships as far as this - Portland Bill in Dorset.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30People watching here would have seen the ships clearly out to sea there.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35This was the scene of a second fierce battle.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48Once again the Spanish formation held firm.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Once again the English failed to make any impact.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59I do remember at that time feeling frustrated and somewhat concerned,
0:32:59 > 0:33:03because we had done our damnedest to get in there and have a go
0:33:03 > 0:33:06but still that bloody armada kept sailing on.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Hardly troubled it, it appeared.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12But in fact Medina Sidonia was very concerned.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16He'd been expecting to get word from the Spanish troops in Flanders
0:33:16 > 0:33:21to confirm that they were prepared for the invasion,
0:33:21 > 0:33:25but he'd heard nothing. He was now at a critical point in the voyage.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27He was approaching the Isle of Wight
0:33:27 > 0:33:31and he still didn't know whether the army in Flanders was ready.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37It's a quirk of English geography that there are many big harbours west of the Isle of Wight
0:33:37 > 0:33:41but none at all beyond it to the east on this stretch of coast.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45So once past this point, there was no place for the Armada to shelter,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47not even in Flanders itself.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49If the Spanish sailed on,
0:33:49 > 0:33:54they'd be taking a gamble that the army was all set to go.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Medina Sidonia's safest option
0:33:59 > 0:34:03was to occupy the Isle of Wight and make it a temporary base.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11This would be an easy task for his troops,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15and he could then wait there, safe in the shelter in the Solent,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18until he got word that the army was ready.
0:34:25 > 0:34:31The English knew they had to stop the Spanish from getting into the Solent at all costs,
0:34:31 > 0:34:36but that day, unlike today, there was another problem - there was no wind at all.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38The English didn't let that deter them.
0:34:38 > 0:34:44They put small boats like this into the water and dragged their big galleons into battle.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Go for it, Dan, come on, heave-ho!
0:34:47 > 0:34:49That's it, you're pulling us along.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54- I'm not sure I'm going too fast here.- She's moving.
0:34:54 > 0:35:00I can see why the rowers are on a high carbohydrate diet. I feel like the need for a doughnut.
0:35:00 > 0:35:06- I don't want to break it to you, but I think we're going slightly backwards.- I know.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11Later that morning, the wind at last picked up.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14Now the real battle could commence.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18The two fleets were here, just south of the Isle of Wight.
0:35:18 > 0:35:24The Armada seemed to be heading for the sheltered waters just around the corner in the Solent, here,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27where they could seize the Isle of Wight.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31The English had just hours in which to stop them.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Howard and Drake had decided
0:35:34 > 0:35:38to split the English fleet into four separate squadrons
0:35:38 > 0:35:42to give them maximum freedom to fight independently.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Drake took his squadron south.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48Another squadron attacked the Armada from the north.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53But this attack did little damage to the Spanish.
0:35:53 > 0:36:00The two remaining squadrons then joined the fierce melee heading for the centre of the Spanish crescent.
0:36:02 > 0:36:07But through the dense gun smoke the English could see the Armada
0:36:07 > 0:36:12drifting ever closer to the vulnerable entrance to the Solent.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15The campaign was now to take a decisive turn.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Drake made a brilliant move.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20He'd already led his ships out to sea.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22He now appeared from the open sea
0:36:22 > 0:36:25and brought his firepower to bear
0:36:25 > 0:36:29on the ships of the southern tip of the Spanish formation.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34Medina Sidonia saw this and sent reinforcements southwards to their defence.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Drake had distracted the Spanish commander at the critical moment.
0:36:44 > 0:36:51Instead of turning into the sheltered waters of the Solent, the Spanish Armada found itself heading
0:36:51 > 0:36:55for one of the most treacherous hazards of the English Channel -
0:36:55 > 0:36:58the dreaded sandbanks of the Owers.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03English sailors had left the Armada with no choice.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07To avoid running aground on the Owers,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11the Spanish had to turn away from the Isle of Wight into the open sea.
0:37:13 > 0:37:20For the time being, the Spanish had been prevented from setting foot on British soil.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23For Medina Sidonia the die was now cast.
0:37:23 > 0:37:31For better or worse, the Armada was set on a one-way course towards Flanders to meet up with the army.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34It all went according to the Spanish plan.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39They could still launch a joint invasion in a matter of days.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01Here in Flanders the army of Spain was still fighting Dutch Protestant rebels.
0:38:01 > 0:38:07They were ready to break off their land war and gather together for the invasion of England
0:38:07 > 0:38:11as soon as they heard that the Armada was getting close.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15But they would need at least a week to complete their preparations,
0:38:15 > 0:38:20so it was vital that they got advanced warning of the Armada's arrival.
0:38:30 > 0:38:36In fact, Medina Sidonia had been desperately trying to get a message to the army
0:38:36 > 0:38:39ever since he arrived off Cornwall eight days earlier.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43But communication at sea was very unreliable.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49He had no idea whether his messages had actually got through.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51On Saturday 6th of August,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54the Armada was finally nearing its destination.
0:38:54 > 0:39:00Despite all the best efforts of Drake and Howard, it had sailed the entire length of the English Channel
0:39:00 > 0:39:04without losing a single ship to those English guns,
0:39:04 > 0:39:09and now it was in the Straits of Dover, the narrowest part of the Channel,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13and within 25 miles of that Spanish army in Flanders.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Medina Sidonia was still hoping
0:39:16 > 0:39:21that the 30,000 Spanish troops would be ready and waiting on the coast.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27But they were nowhere near ready.
0:39:27 > 0:39:33In fact, word had only just reached the troops of the Armada's progress.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36They started gathering as fast as they could,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40but the preparations would still take days.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43This was disastrous news for Medina Sidonia.
0:39:43 > 0:39:50It would mean the Armada waiting around in the open sea at the mercy of the elements and the English.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53It was a naval commander's worst nightmare.
0:39:53 > 0:40:00But from the point of view of the English sailors, the situation looked equally desperate.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04For all they knew, the Armada was about to be joined by the troops
0:40:04 > 0:40:06for the final assault on England.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10We were all completely and utterly exhausted.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14We'd all been awake for near enough a week,
0:40:14 > 0:40:19with hard sailing and fighting on a daily basis,
0:40:19 > 0:40:23and now the Armada had reached its destination,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27and it seemed we had but hours to achieve...
0:40:27 > 0:40:32what we hadn't been able to achieve in a week.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36It was their last chance to destroy the Spanish fleet.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40So far the Armada's tight formation had proved immune to attack
0:40:40 > 0:40:44and somehow the English had to find a way to break it up.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47So on Sunday 7th of August,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Drake and Howard met to plan their attack.
0:40:50 > 0:40:57And they decided to use a weapon that struck fear into every sailor on a wooden ship -
0:40:57 > 0:40:58fire.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09On the night of August 7th,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13English sailors prepared eight full-sized ships for sacrifice.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16They loaded them with barrels of tar.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19They even put two cannonballs in each cannon
0:41:19 > 0:41:23so that when the flames reached the powder they would explode at random.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27The moon was full that night, which meant the tide would run strong.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32At midnight, the English sailors set the ships alight
0:41:32 > 0:41:37and let the wind and tide carry them right into the middle of the Spanish fleet.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45As the fire ships drifted towards the Armada, the Spanish raised the alarm.
0:42:02 > 0:42:08It was like a storm of fire coming towards us. You could feel the heat and it was coming closer and closer.
0:42:11 > 0:42:17The terrified soldiers desperately tried to haul the burning boats out of the way.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20We would...clear one boat...
0:42:20 > 0:42:24divert it away from the Armada, and another would follow.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28We would clear that and another would follow and we'd clear that one,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31and another would follow and another behind that. It was relentless.
0:42:39 > 0:42:45Most of the ships simply cut their cables and abandoned their anchors in the mad rush to escape.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49In the confusion the Spanish ships were scattered far and wide.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53There were several collisions and one even ended up grounded.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Even though not a single Spanish ship actually caught on fire,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00the fear was enough to achieve the required objective.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04By the morning, the Spanish Armada was in disarray.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10At last the Spanish formation was broken,
0:43:10 > 0:43:15its ships spread along the coast of Gravelines, north of Calais,
0:43:15 > 0:43:20an area of treacherous sandbanks and shallow waters.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23The Spanish were now in a perilous position.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Their armada was scattered
0:43:25 > 0:43:29and it was the ideal time for the English to strike.
0:43:29 > 0:43:36But Drake suddenly discovered that Howard and more than 20 English ships had completely disappeared.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38Incredibly, at this critical moment,
0:43:38 > 0:43:43Howard had shown that he too had a deep piratical streak
0:43:43 > 0:43:47and they'd gone off to loot a Spanish ship that had gone aground.
0:43:50 > 0:43:55Once again, the greed of the English cost them valuable time.
0:43:55 > 0:44:01While Howard chased after Spanish booty, Drake led the rest of the English fleet
0:44:01 > 0:44:08into a conflict unlike any that had been fought before, the Battle of Gravelines.
0:44:08 > 0:44:15What followed was a frantic struggle which both sides knew would decide the fate of the Armada.
0:44:15 > 0:44:20The Armada had been scattered by the fire ships and was spread out along the coast,
0:44:20 > 0:44:24only Medina Sidonia's flagship and four others
0:44:24 > 0:44:28had managed to stand their ground here.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31They bore the brunt of Drake's first attack.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49For over an hour, Medina Sidonia held back the English onslaught,
0:44:49 > 0:44:52giving the rest of the Armada time to reform.
0:44:57 > 0:45:03Finally, Howard returned from his private looting expedition and joined in the attack,
0:45:03 > 0:45:09but, by now, 50 of the Spanish ships had formed their own defensive crescent
0:45:09 > 0:45:16and Drake sailed on to attack it, realising this main body of Spanish ships had to be broken.
0:45:18 > 0:45:25Drake decided to take an enormous risk - he led his ships much closer than in any of the previous battles.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29Soon, they were in amongst the ships of the Armada.
0:46:03 > 0:46:08The experience for those on board would have been different from the other battles.
0:46:08 > 0:46:14The ships were so close either side could fire muskets and even hurl abuse at each other.
0:46:14 > 0:46:21One English ship came so close to a Spanish ship, an English sailor jumped aboard, but was killed.
0:46:29 > 0:46:35We were so close we could hear the Spanish talking, and then we knew we were in musket range.
0:46:45 > 0:46:50But, by getting near, the English were at last able to hit the Armada
0:46:50 > 0:46:55with shot after shot, doing terrible damage to the ships and their crews.
0:46:58 > 0:47:05The Spanish were suffering huge numbers of casualties as the English ships pounded them from close range.
0:47:10 > 0:47:16Below decks on the Spanish ships, cannonballs smashed through the hull meaning death for anyone in the way,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20and sending splinters the size of daggers flying through the air.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42The deck just ran red with blood,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45every...every moment
0:47:45 > 0:47:50it seemed that someone was crying with pain,
0:47:50 > 0:47:53screaming with agony.
0:47:57 > 0:48:03Whilst the English were blasting away, the Spanish guns were only managing to fire about once an hour,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07but what slowed them down was lack of experience.
0:48:10 > 0:48:16These guns are complicated to fire and the Spanish ships had more priests on board than gunners.
0:48:16 > 0:48:22Instead, it was the job of the soldiers to fire the guns, but they had no experience fighting at sea.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26So, for most of the battle, the Spanish couldn't even fight back.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30It was...horrific
0:48:30 > 0:48:33and...
0:48:33 > 0:48:35I remember praying to God
0:48:35 > 0:48:39and thinking that would be my last moment.
0:49:25 > 0:49:31After eight hours of fighting, the English were running out ammunition.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38We'd fired so much and done so much damage
0:49:38 > 0:49:44that, by the end of the battle, we were grabbing anything - using chain instead of cannonballs,
0:49:44 > 0:49:47loading anything we could get our hands on.
0:49:55 > 0:50:00Around four in the afternoon, the English fired their last shots
0:50:00 > 0:50:05and were forced to pull back, hoping they'd inflicted fatal damage on the Spanish.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17The Spanish fleet was in tatters.
0:50:17 > 0:50:23Over 600 Spanish were dead, many hundreds more were badly wounded.
0:50:23 > 0:50:29One Spanish ship had been sunk, two driven ashore and the rest severely damaged.
0:50:29 > 0:50:35And now the wind was blowing them helplessly towards the treacherous sandbanks of Flanders.
0:50:41 > 0:50:47With the English fleet hovering out to sea and the wind pushing the Armada onto the sandbanks,
0:50:47 > 0:50:52there was a hush on the ships and everyone's attention was on one man.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56He was in charge of throwing a line into the water to measure the depth.
0:50:59 > 0:51:04If the ships went aground, it would be certain death, either by drowning
0:51:04 > 0:51:08as the ship broke up in the surf or at the hands of the English.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12As the sandbanks drew nearer, the depths got more threatening.
0:51:12 > 0:51:1560 feet, 50 feet
0:51:15 > 0:51:23and then 40 feet. The biggest Armada ships needed about 30 feet of water. Destruction was moments away.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33On board ship, the priests took final confessions.
0:51:33 > 0:51:38Most of the sailors couldn't even swim. Death seemed inevitable.
0:51:41 > 0:51:47Just as the ships were on the point of being wrecked, the wind changed - it came round to the south west
0:51:47 > 0:51:50and blew the Armada out into the North Sea.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53They believed they'd been saved by the will of God.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03The wind may have saved the Spanish from the sandbanks,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06but it drove them away from their army.
0:52:06 > 0:52:11Philip's plan to conquer England and return it to the Catholic fold had failed.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17For the Royal Navy, it was an astonishing achievement.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24Drake and Howard had taken on the most powerful nation on Earth and won.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31But for the Spanish, the story was to take a final devastating turn.
0:52:36 > 0:52:42The Spanish sailors now had only one aim - to get home.
0:52:42 > 0:52:48The English were blocking the Channel, so the Armada's only route home was round Scotland and Ireland,
0:52:48 > 0:52:53and circling back to Spain. It was a long and arduous journey.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Soon supplies were running low.
0:52:55 > 0:53:01By the time the fleet arrived off Ireland, men were dying from hunger and thirst.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Conditions on board must have been horrific.
0:53:04 > 0:53:08You would hear moaning, people dying around you all the time,
0:53:08 > 0:53:13the stink of sweat, of death - there was a smell of death in the air.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16Some of the ships,
0:53:16 > 0:53:19one in particular, had no water, no food - nothing.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23It was a terrible disaster.
0:53:36 > 0:53:41It was the weather that dealt the final blow to the Armada.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45Many of the surviving ships were caught by fierce storms
0:53:45 > 0:53:48as they crawled down the west coast of Ireland.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55The broken ships and weakened men were no match for the elements -
0:53:55 > 0:53:58they were too poorly equipped to cope.
0:54:01 > 0:54:09Dozens of ships were wrecked, thousands of sailors were drowned and, of those who did get ashore,
0:54:09 > 0:54:15many were robbed by the locals, and the rest were captured, and then butchered by English soldiers.
0:54:22 > 0:54:29Only the nobles were spared, kept prisoner until they could be sold back to Spain.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33Everything I once owned is gone.
0:54:37 > 0:54:45I...I look at myself now... I look around this room and I feel I have lost everything.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59Only a third of the men came back alive.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03Medina Sidonia himself almost died of dysentery,
0:55:03 > 0:55:08his second-in-command died of shame only days after he arrived home.
0:55:08 > 0:55:14The Armada was worse than a failure - it was a national tragedy.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28The English sailors fared little better.
0:55:30 > 0:55:37They'd risked everything, fighting heroically for England and suffering less than 100 deaths.
0:55:40 > 0:55:46But now that they'd served their purpose, the English Crown seemed to lose interest in them.
0:55:46 > 0:55:54Instead of being rewarded as England's saviours, they were kept on board where disease spread fast.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58Officially, they were there in case the Spanish returned,
0:55:58 > 0:56:02but many suspected it was so they didn't have to be paid.
0:56:02 > 0:56:08Weakened by hunger and illness, the English sailors were dying by the day.
0:56:08 > 0:56:13I heard that the Lord Chancellor is happy for us to die,
0:56:13 > 0:56:17because the more of us die, the less he'll have to pay.
0:56:17 > 0:56:22I've been willing to give my life
0:56:22 > 0:56:27and now I'm told that my life is worth little or next to nothing.
0:56:28 > 0:56:33The men's commanders, Drake and Howard, did what they could -
0:56:33 > 0:56:36Howard even pawned his silver, but it wasn't enough.
0:56:36 > 0:56:43It is said that, of the men who fought the Spanish Armada, only half were alive a year later.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48It was a tragic end for the men of the Royal Navy,
0:56:48 > 0:56:53but, for England, the defeat of the Armada was a turning point,
0:56:53 > 0:56:58a triumph that will become legendary.
0:56:58 > 0:57:05England had defended its faith, and to this day Britain remains a Protestant state.
0:57:05 > 0:57:12The coming centuries would see Spain decline and Britain taking a turn as Europe's leading power.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15The Royal Navy would play a central role
0:57:15 > 0:57:20in winning Britain an empire greater than any the world had ever seen,
0:57:20 > 0:57:25and it all began with the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45In the next programme, 350 years ago,
0:57:45 > 0:57:50a battle was fought that would shake the British monarchy to its core.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52It was a turning point in a civil war
0:57:52 > 0:57:56that had ripped the country apart for three years.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00The battle is seen by many as the birthplace of British democracy,
0:58:00 > 0:58:03but it was a birth that was drenched in blood -
0:58:03 > 0:58:06blood shed on the battlefield of Naseby.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd