1 00:00:06,282 --> 00:00:09,975 NARRATOR: The mighty Spanish Armada. 2 00:00:10,010 --> 00:00:15,049 Fights the Navy of Queen Elizabeth during a bloody campaign 3 00:00:15,084 --> 00:00:17,672 that will echo through history. 4 00:00:17,707 --> 00:00:20,054 DR. DELGADO: It's a sea battle that changed the balance 5 00:00:20,089 --> 00:00:23,816 of world power for three hundred years. 6 00:00:23,851 --> 00:00:26,819 NARRATOR: For many centuries evidence of the Armada 7 00:00:26,854 --> 00:00:31,203 and its shocking fate has been lying undiscovered on the sea floor. 8 00:00:34,206 --> 00:00:38,935 Imagine if we could empty the oceans. 9 00:00:38,969 --> 00:00:42,042 Letting the water drain away. 10 00:00:42,076 --> 00:00:44,837 To reveal the secrets of the sea floor. 11 00:00:45,838 --> 00:00:48,427 Now we can. 12 00:00:48,462 --> 00:00:51,154 Using accurate data. 13 00:00:51,189 --> 00:00:55,055 And astonishing technology. 14 00:00:55,089 --> 00:00:58,886 To bring light once again to a lost world. 15 00:01:02,372 --> 00:01:08,654 Can these twisted timbers reveal why two kingdoms went to war? 16 00:01:08,689 --> 00:01:12,141 PROF. GROVE: These ships provided the vital sea lines of communication 17 00:01:12,175 --> 00:01:15,075 for the first great maritime empire. 18 00:01:15,109 --> 00:01:21,840 NARRATOR: Can evidence from an iconic ship wreck explain a naval revolution? 19 00:01:21,874 --> 00:01:25,947 And does a mysterious discovery off the coast of Ireland. 20 00:01:25,982 --> 00:01:29,848 Explain the Armada's grizzly fate? 21 00:01:30,780 --> 00:01:32,126 DR. MARTIN: It is treasure. All of it. 22 00:01:32,161 --> 00:01:33,955 Because it tells us so much. 23 00:01:49,385 --> 00:01:52,871 NARRATOR: Fiery beacons spread the warning. 24 00:01:52,905 --> 00:01:55,805 The day of reckoning has dawned. 25 00:01:55,839 --> 00:01:59,843 The Spanish and English battle for command of the seas. 26 00:02:02,915 --> 00:02:05,884 For nine tumultuous days. 27 00:02:05,918 --> 00:02:09,543 When the smoke clears 28 00:02:09,577 --> 00:02:15,065 A proud empire is humbled and a new super power is born. 29 00:02:28,389 --> 00:02:33,808 Rivalry between England and Spain began many years before. 30 00:02:33,843 --> 00:02:36,156 And is shrouded in mystery. 31 00:02:36,190 --> 00:02:40,781 For centuries archaeologists struggled to find evidence from this time. 32 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:43,818 That changes with a discovery, 33 00:02:43,853 --> 00:02:49,962 not in Europe but two and a half thousand miles away in Red Bay. 34 00:02:53,034 --> 00:02:56,866 A remote harbor in the far, frozen north of Canada. 35 00:02:58,902 --> 00:03:01,560 That opens onto the wild Atlantic. 36 00:03:10,017 --> 00:03:14,159 Led by clues found in sixteenth century documents, 37 00:03:14,194 --> 00:03:16,989 maritime archaeologist Robert Grenier 38 00:03:17,024 --> 00:03:20,786 comes here looking for evidence of a Spanish ship. 39 00:03:24,652 --> 00:03:26,861 ROBERT: I got in the water. 40 00:03:26,896 --> 00:03:32,004 I could see that there was something there. 41 00:03:32,039 --> 00:03:38,148 I went down and started to fan with my hands, moving the water. 42 00:03:38,183 --> 00:03:42,325 That clears the mud over what was there. 43 00:03:43,947 --> 00:03:48,987 I could see some faint lines about a quarter inch thick 44 00:03:49,021 --> 00:03:53,888 but couldn't figure out what they were. 45 00:03:53,923 --> 00:03:59,929 NARRATOR: If these icy waters do conceal a Spanish ship wreck, why would it be here? 46 00:03:59,963 --> 00:04:02,897 Two and a half thousand miles from home? 47 00:04:06,004 --> 00:04:08,834 Robert assembles a team to investigate. 48 00:04:11,941 --> 00:04:17,222 They meticulously record the size and shape of every piece of wreckage. 49 00:04:18,948 --> 00:04:22,779 And realize that they've found something extraordinary. 50 00:04:24,643 --> 00:04:27,922 ROBERT: We knew we had something of great interest, 51 00:04:27,957 --> 00:04:33,169 finding a wreck of that importance as remote as here. 52 00:04:33,203 --> 00:04:34,964 As far as here. 53 00:04:38,381 --> 00:04:42,005 NARRATOR: Using all the data gathered by the dive team 54 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,768 it's now possible to drain Red Bay dry. 55 00:04:56,848 --> 00:05:00,852 To expose the nearly complete remains of a sailing ship. 56 00:05:04,994 --> 00:05:10,827 Her decks have collapsed but her hull is almost intact. 57 00:05:17,282 --> 00:05:23,012 Robert's first task is to date it. 58 00:05:23,046 --> 00:05:27,913 Deep inside the drained wreck a single clue. 59 00:05:28,845 --> 00:05:31,020 Nestled among the timbers. 60 00:05:33,056 --> 00:05:36,059 The delicate fragments of an hour glass. 61 00:05:39,925 --> 00:05:42,065 It's an incredibly rare discovery. 62 00:05:43,170 --> 00:05:46,794 Used from medieval times to measure time on ships. 63 00:05:48,762 --> 00:05:50,350 And there's more treasure. 64 00:05:51,558 --> 00:05:54,871 A compass. 65 00:05:54,906 --> 00:05:59,462 And an astrolabe, a device for measuring latitude. 66 00:05:59,497 --> 00:06:04,018 Instruments that helped sailors to use the stars to navigate. 67 00:06:04,053 --> 00:06:08,989 All commonly found on sixteenth century European ships. 68 00:06:09,023 --> 00:06:11,992 ROBERT: We have quite a complete navigation system. 69 00:06:12,026 --> 00:06:15,098 It was the oldest ever found on a ship wreck at the time. 70 00:06:21,139 --> 00:06:26,420 NARRATOR: The discoveries confirm that the wreck is over four hundred years old. 71 00:06:26,455 --> 00:06:32,219 And a closer look at the ships remains uncovers a new and remarkable detail. 72 00:06:37,189 --> 00:06:41,884 Removing the collapsed decks reveals that the entire length of the hull 73 00:06:41,918 --> 00:06:44,887 is made up of V shaped timbers. 74 00:06:46,716 --> 00:06:49,857 But these timbers have not been joined together. 75 00:06:49,892 --> 00:06:53,136 They have been carefully grown into the perfect shape. 76 00:06:54,759 --> 00:07:00,903 Discovering such a usual ship building style gives the team a lead. 77 00:07:00,937 --> 00:07:04,493 And takes them two and a half thousand miles east, 78 00:07:04,527 --> 00:07:09,774 across the Atlantic Ocean to Spain and the port of Pasaia. 79 00:07:18,507 --> 00:07:22,683 This bustling town in the Basque region of Spain carries on a tradition 80 00:07:22,718 --> 00:07:26,756 of ship building that began over five hundred years ago. 81 00:07:26,791 --> 00:07:31,796 It's here they make the first vessels that circumnavigate the globe. 82 00:07:32,935 --> 00:07:35,800 And secure the America's for their king. 83 00:07:41,046 --> 00:07:46,362 Today Master Builder Xabier Agote is keeping the tradition alive. 84 00:07:46,396 --> 00:07:51,954 He and his team are building a sixteenth century Basque Galleon. 85 00:07:51,988 --> 00:07:54,750 Using the materials and methods of the time. 86 00:07:58,236 --> 00:08:03,379 XABIER: Our Oak forests were especially managed to provide the right timbers 87 00:08:03,413 --> 00:08:06,900 with the exact shape for ship building. 88 00:08:06,934 --> 00:08:12,388 As a result they would obtain timbers like this one with a very nice grain 89 00:08:12,422 --> 00:08:17,531 and that was very necessary to sail across the Atlantic Ocean 90 00:08:17,566 --> 00:08:20,534 and to reach North America. 91 00:08:24,331 --> 00:08:28,784 NARRATOR: The timbers still grown and worked in Pasaia are the exact same design 92 00:08:28,818 --> 00:08:32,753 and shape as those on the wreck in Red Bay. 93 00:08:40,899 --> 00:08:47,768 Historical records held nearby at the ancient university of Oñati complete the story. 94 00:08:47,803 --> 00:08:53,843 A sixteenth century document with details of a ship that sailed to Northern Canada. 95 00:08:53,878 --> 00:08:59,711 Her name was San Juan. 96 00:08:59,746 --> 00:09:04,336 She left Pasaia in 1565. 97 00:09:04,371 --> 00:09:06,131 And never returned. 98 00:09:07,995 --> 00:09:10,757 DR. DELGADO: Finding archaeological evidence of Spain's maritime activities, 99 00:09:10,791 --> 00:09:15,796 particularly as it entered the world stage, is rare. 100 00:09:15,831 --> 00:09:19,317 When we do find those traces they can be very revealing. 101 00:09:22,078 --> 00:09:26,876 NARRATOR: Discovering the name of the ship leads to the most important question of all. 102 00:09:26,911 --> 00:09:31,709 Why would she cross the Atlantic. 103 00:09:31,743 --> 00:09:34,815 To the frozen wastes of North America? 104 00:09:40,821 --> 00:09:44,756 More clues lie inside the drained wreck. 105 00:09:44,791 --> 00:09:49,934 The hull is covered in small thin pieces of timber. 106 00:09:49,968 --> 00:09:53,938 And scattered around metal hoops. 107 00:09:53,972 --> 00:09:57,217 The broken remains of barrels. 108 00:09:58,528 --> 00:10:04,396 ROBERT: I passed my hand over the little planks and it was a greasy deposit. 109 00:10:05,397 --> 00:10:06,744 And I was puzzled by this. 110 00:10:10,333 --> 00:10:16,926 NARRATOR: The San Juan seems to be a cargo ship packed with barrels full of grease, 111 00:10:16,961 --> 00:10:19,826 something nearby helps explain what it is. 112 00:10:23,933 --> 00:10:26,936 Removing the collapsed decks of the ship, 113 00:10:26,971 --> 00:10:30,733 exposes the fragments of four smaller crafts. 114 00:10:33,011 --> 00:10:37,498 One of them, a specialized hunting boat called a chalupa. 115 00:10:38,776 --> 00:10:41,951 ROBERT: Never expected to find a complete chalupa because normally 116 00:10:41,986 --> 00:10:44,954 they are very quickly eaten away by the worms. 117 00:10:44,989 --> 00:10:46,956 They vanish. 118 00:10:46,991 --> 00:10:51,823 So to finding, to find a complete chalupa like this was amazing. 119 00:10:51,858 --> 00:10:54,308 NARRATOR: Chalupas are fast and maneuverable. 120 00:10:54,343 --> 00:10:58,347 Specially designed to carry men wielding harpoons. 121 00:10:58,381 --> 00:11:03,145 Evidence of their prey is scattered across the drained sea bed. 122 00:11:07,977 --> 00:11:11,878 Whale bones. 123 00:11:11,912 --> 00:11:16,123 These chalupas are used to catch whales. 124 00:11:16,158 --> 00:11:18,850 Their blubber is then processed into oil. 125 00:11:18,885 --> 00:11:22,371 Loaded into barrels and shipped to Europe. 126 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,826 The full astonishing story is now clear. 127 00:11:28,860 --> 00:11:33,244 In the sixteenth century Red Bay is no quiet back water. 128 00:11:33,278 --> 00:11:36,834 She's a global center for whale oil production. 129 00:11:36,868 --> 00:11:40,182 Robert Grenier hasn't just found a ship wreck. 130 00:11:40,216 --> 00:11:46,602 He's discovered evidence of one of the first industrial sites in North America. 131 00:11:46,636 --> 00:11:48,742 ROBERT: It was an important trade. 132 00:11:48,777 --> 00:11:55,542 Provision of whale oil which was very important for lighting the houses, soap. 133 00:11:57,302 --> 00:12:01,513 This was the equivalent of Saudi Arabia of the time. 134 00:12:05,276 --> 00:12:08,762 NARRATOR: The San Juan carries the whale oil back to Europe. 135 00:12:08,797 --> 00:12:12,973 Her crew call it liquid gold. And with good reason. 136 00:12:13,008 --> 00:12:17,840 Each successful trip nets over eight million dollars in today's money. 137 00:12:17,875 --> 00:12:23,087 And fifteen ships just like the San Juan make this trip each year. 138 00:12:23,121 --> 00:12:28,506 But this is just one tiny fortune on a continent packed with treasure. 139 00:12:29,852 --> 00:12:34,857 After Columbus discovers the America's in 1492, 140 00:12:34,892 --> 00:12:39,828 the Spanish develop a huge network of trade routes. 141 00:12:39,862 --> 00:12:45,178 With tobacco plantations in Cuba, sugar from Brazil. 142 00:12:45,212 --> 00:12:51,771 And vast quantities of silver and gold looted and mined from Mexico and Peru. 143 00:12:51,805 --> 00:12:55,222 Made possible by forcing the locals into slavery. 144 00:12:55,257 --> 00:12:59,779 And shipping over more enslaved men and women from West Africa. 145 00:13:04,818 --> 00:13:08,201 PROF. GROVE: Spain was the great super power of the sixteenth century. 146 00:13:08,235 --> 00:13:11,756 It was kept going by a very large fleet of ships. 147 00:13:11,791 --> 00:13:15,346 These ships are the sinews of the Spanish empire. 148 00:13:17,072 --> 00:13:22,318 NARRATOR: The trade in gold and silver alone is worth ten trillion dollars 149 00:13:22,353 --> 00:13:24,493 in today's money. 150 00:13:24,527 --> 00:13:29,912 Making Spain one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in Europe. 151 00:13:29,947 --> 00:13:35,918 So rich she guilds her churches in silver and gold. 152 00:13:35,953 --> 00:13:39,611 All made possible by ships like the San Juan. 153 00:13:45,445 --> 00:13:48,310 PROF. GROVE: Without these ships Spain would not be rich 154 00:13:48,344 --> 00:13:53,867 and making money was what the Spanish empire was all about. 155 00:13:53,902 --> 00:13:58,527 NARRATOR: But Spain's fabulous wealth attracts greedy rivals. 156 00:13:58,561 --> 00:14:00,840 Ready to muscle in. 157 00:14:05,914 --> 00:14:12,058 Including one with plans to break Spain's monopoly on Atlantic trade. 158 00:14:12,092 --> 00:14:13,542 England. 159 00:14:14,508 --> 00:14:17,477 Ruled by Elizabeth the First. 160 00:14:17,511 --> 00:14:21,757 She bans Spanish imports including whale oil. 161 00:14:21,791 --> 00:14:26,935 And raises the stakes even higher risking everything in a showdown 162 00:14:26,969 --> 00:14:29,765 with the world's most powerful empire. 163 00:14:33,942 --> 00:14:36,082 NARRATOR: It's 1588. 164 00:14:36,116 --> 00:14:39,844 Queen Elizabeth is making England rich. 165 00:14:39,879 --> 00:14:41,846 With a new policy. 166 00:14:41,881 --> 00:14:48,025 She gives sea captains a license to attack Spanish merchant ships. 167 00:14:48,059 --> 00:14:49,854 [explosion] 168 00:14:49,889 --> 00:14:52,650 And steal their cargo's. 169 00:14:52,684 --> 00:14:57,241 Then she takes a healthy cut of the profits. 170 00:14:57,275 --> 00:15:03,903 One expedition alone makes her enough money to pay off the entire national debt. 171 00:15:03,937 --> 00:15:06,560 It's state piracy. 172 00:15:06,595 --> 00:15:10,012 [explosion] 173 00:15:10,047 --> 00:15:11,772 PROF. GROVE: English maritime affairs was dominated 174 00:15:11,807 --> 00:15:14,706 by what I sometimes call the pirate Mafia. 175 00:15:14,741 --> 00:15:16,329 Which began with the queen. 176 00:15:16,363 --> 00:15:19,746 The only way the English could expand their maritime activities 177 00:15:19,780 --> 00:15:23,163 was to engage in this kind of armed robbery at sea. 178 00:15:24,958 --> 00:15:30,930 NARRATOR: The English defend the policy in the name of their Protestant religion. 179 00:15:30,964 --> 00:15:33,967 Meaning Philip the Second of Spain, 180 00:15:34,002 --> 00:15:40,422 protector of the Catholic faith in Europe now has two reasons to settle the score. 181 00:15:40,456 --> 00:15:43,252 Money and God. 182 00:15:43,287 --> 00:15:45,979 His admirals prepare a massive fleet. 183 00:15:46,014 --> 00:15:48,948 "la grande y felicisima armada". 184 00:15:48,982 --> 00:15:51,847 The great and fortunate armada". 185 00:15:51,881 --> 00:15:56,817 Brimming with confidence and carried out with the blessing of the Catholic church, 186 00:15:56,852 --> 00:15:59,924 one hundred and thirty ships set sail. 187 00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:05,481 Among them a flotilla of the Empires best galleons. 188 00:16:05,516 --> 00:16:08,760 On board, one hundred and eighty priests. 189 00:16:08,795 --> 00:16:14,974 And nineteen thousand soldiers, armed with over two thousand guns. 190 00:16:16,216 --> 00:16:20,289 For centuries historians puzzled over King Phillips plans. 191 00:16:20,324 --> 00:16:25,432 Is he simply out to crush England's pirates or does he have something far more 192 00:16:25,467 --> 00:16:28,228 devastating in mind? 193 00:16:32,094 --> 00:16:34,441 Eight hundred miles to the north of Spain. 194 00:16:37,203 --> 00:16:41,448 At Kinnagoe Bay, 195 00:16:41,483 --> 00:16:43,968 along the wild northern coast of Ireland. 196 00:16:48,938 --> 00:16:54,461 Can a remarkable discovery cast light on the real story of the Armada? 197 00:16:54,496 --> 00:16:59,535 When local divers find what looks like ships timbers. 198 00:16:59,570 --> 00:17:04,402 They call in expert marine archaeologist Colin Martin. 199 00:17:04,437 --> 00:17:08,165 And he immediately understands their excitement. 200 00:17:08,199 --> 00:17:11,996 DR. MARTIN: What I saw as my head went under the water 201 00:17:12,031 --> 00:17:15,793 was this enormous bronze gun. 202 00:17:15,827 --> 00:17:20,315 With the full alms of Philip the Second of Spain. 203 00:17:20,349 --> 00:17:25,009 And it was almost as though I'd been transported back in time four hundred years. 204 00:17:28,909 --> 00:17:34,674 NARRATOR: Colin and the dive team search for more clues beneath the water. 205 00:17:34,708 --> 00:17:38,988 Carefully logging every detail. 206 00:17:39,023 --> 00:17:43,855 Archaeologists have had little chance to study Armada wrecks. 207 00:17:43,890 --> 00:17:45,305 Could this be one? 208 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:52,105 By using the dive team's data, it's possible to see clearly 209 00:17:52,140 --> 00:17:56,696 what lies beneath Kinnagoe Bay for the first time. 210 00:18:00,700 --> 00:18:03,012 The wild Atlantic drains away. 211 00:18:04,738 --> 00:18:06,706 Exposing a mass of wreckage. 212 00:18:10,744 --> 00:18:14,438 Ships timbers spread along the sea floor. 213 00:18:14,472 --> 00:18:18,683 And lost for hundreds of years, more guns. 214 00:18:21,203 --> 00:18:25,207 DR. MARTIN: Among the finds were three magnificent bronze cannons. 215 00:18:25,242 --> 00:18:26,829 All slightly different. 216 00:18:26,864 --> 00:18:31,834 Still lying on the sea bed very visibly. 217 00:18:31,869 --> 00:18:36,874 NARRATOR: Every canon is stamped with a unique mark that records its weight. 218 00:18:36,908 --> 00:18:39,739 DR. MARTIN: These guns were listed in Spanish documents. 219 00:18:39,773 --> 00:18:44,813 And each one of them was identified by its exact weight. 220 00:18:46,366 --> 00:18:50,232 NARRATOR: Comparing the weight of the recovered guns with details in the Spanish naval 221 00:18:50,267 --> 00:18:55,444 inventory, reveals the name of this mystery vessel. 222 00:18:57,895 --> 00:18:59,552 La Trinidad Valencera. 223 00:19:05,144 --> 00:19:11,253 A large Mediterranean merchant vessel pressed into service by King Philip. 224 00:19:12,151 --> 00:19:16,189 She's one of the most important ships in the Armada. 225 00:19:16,224 --> 00:19:18,950 Armed with forty-two guns. 226 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:24,715 Carrying two hundred and eighty-one soldiers and seventy-nine crew, 227 00:19:24,749 --> 00:19:27,476 weighting eleven hundred tons. 228 00:19:27,511 --> 00:19:30,203 One of the biggest ships in the fleet. 229 00:19:30,238 --> 00:19:32,481 It's an amazing discovery. 230 00:19:32,516 --> 00:19:37,728 And it gives historians a unique insight into Philips plans. 231 00:19:44,873 --> 00:19:48,704 At the drained wreck site, something surprising. 232 00:19:48,739 --> 00:19:53,709 Next to the bronze canons lie the wheels of their gun carriages. 233 00:19:53,744 --> 00:19:55,711 They are heavy and unwieldy. 234 00:19:55,746 --> 00:19:59,888 Clearly not designed for use at sea. 235 00:19:59,922 --> 00:20:02,511 DR. MARTIN: The main reason we knew that the guns weren't to be used 236 00:20:02,546 --> 00:20:07,930 in the naval battle was that they were stowed complete with their carriages. 237 00:20:09,691 --> 00:20:11,900 These were not ship guns. 238 00:20:11,934 --> 00:20:17,285 They were guns for land campaigning, siege artillery. 239 00:20:18,838 --> 00:20:22,911 NARRATOR: La Trinidad Valencera hasn't just come to shoot it out 240 00:20:22,945 --> 00:20:24,671 in the English Channel. 241 00:20:24,706 --> 00:20:29,814 The canons in her hold point to a much more ambitious plan. 242 00:20:33,922 --> 00:20:38,237 And the drained sands of Kinnagoe Bay offer up another clue. 243 00:20:40,722 --> 00:20:44,277 Half embedded in the sandy seabed. 244 00:20:50,525 --> 00:20:54,287 DR. MARTIN: This to me is the most remarkable and precious thing 245 00:20:54,322 --> 00:20:56,496 that was found on the wreck. 246 00:20:56,531 --> 00:21:00,707 It's a Chinese porcelain bowl of the Ming Dynasty. 247 00:21:00,742 --> 00:21:06,782 Shipped all the way to Seville and from there into the hands of a Spanish 248 00:21:06,817 --> 00:21:12,685 nobleman, who would be taking it as part of his household effects to England. 249 00:21:14,238 --> 00:21:17,586 NARRATOR: A status symbol to grace an elegant home. 250 00:21:17,621 --> 00:21:21,728 Whoever owns it clearly plans to stay in England. 251 00:21:24,144 --> 00:21:30,358 Along with the siege canons it's clear evidence that the Armada has come to invade, 252 00:21:30,392 --> 00:21:32,912 conquer and occupy. 253 00:21:35,915 --> 00:21:40,437 PROF. GROVE: Only regime change would stop the English engaging 254 00:21:40,471 --> 00:21:42,231 in their piratical raids. 255 00:21:42,266 --> 00:21:43,819 And that was the aim. 256 00:21:45,476 --> 00:21:49,756 NARRATOR: After over two years of preparation and eight days at sea, 257 00:21:49,791 --> 00:21:52,069 the Armada nears the English Channel. 258 00:21:53,173 --> 00:21:58,662 One hundred and thirty Spanish ships including the mighty Trinidad Valencera. 259 00:22:00,629 --> 00:22:04,875 Their objective is to storm the beaches of Southern England. 260 00:22:04,909 --> 00:22:10,777 But first they must join forces with twenty-seven thousand invasion troops, 261 00:22:10,812 --> 00:22:12,814 waiting in Northern France. 262 00:22:14,816 --> 00:22:20,477 The English Commanders know that if the all-powerful Spanish Army gets ashore. 263 00:22:20,511 --> 00:22:23,238 King Philip will be halfway to victory. 264 00:22:24,791 --> 00:22:29,727 To stop him they have just sixty fighting ships. 265 00:22:29,762 --> 00:22:33,835 A life or death battle for Queen and country is about to begin. 266 00:22:36,941 --> 00:22:39,875 How will Elizabeth's captains fight back? 267 00:22:39,910 --> 00:22:45,225 The answer lies inside one of the most famous ship wrecks of all time. 268 00:22:52,888 --> 00:22:58,825 NARRATOR: England's land army is no match for the Spanish. 269 00:22:58,860 --> 00:23:01,069 And her fleet is outnumbered. 270 00:23:05,038 --> 00:23:08,870 But her sea captains do have two things in their favor. 271 00:23:08,904 --> 00:23:12,080 New weapons and radical new tactics. 272 00:23:16,256 --> 00:23:22,021 Just how radical can be seen one hundred and forty miles away near Portsmouth. 273 00:23:22,055 --> 00:23:26,197 On board one of the most famous ship wrecks ever discovered. 274 00:23:27,923 --> 00:23:31,582 The Mary Rose. 275 00:23:31,617 --> 00:23:37,726 The favorite war ship of Queen Elizabeth's father, Henry the Eighth. 276 00:23:37,761 --> 00:23:40,867 She is lost in battle in 1545. 277 00:23:40,902 --> 00:23:44,733 The cause a mystery for many centuries. 278 00:23:46,839 --> 00:23:51,913 When she's found archaeologists uncover a treasure trove of information 279 00:23:51,947 --> 00:23:53,777 about the English Navy. 280 00:23:53,811 --> 00:23:59,990 From more than forty years before the Armada even set sail. 281 00:24:00,024 --> 00:24:05,685 Now the dive teams research and the underwater scan data is combined with ongoing 282 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,621 archaeological work after she is famously raised from the depths. 283 00:24:10,656 --> 00:24:16,834 Making it possible to reveal the Mary Rose exactly as she was first discovered. 284 00:24:19,803 --> 00:24:25,809 As the sea flows away, it opens a remarkable window into the past. 285 00:24:30,607 --> 00:24:32,988 The Mary Rose. 286 00:24:33,023 --> 00:24:35,612 Extraordinarily well preserved. 287 00:24:38,269 --> 00:24:42,929 And buried within her clues that reveal how the English are changing 288 00:24:42,964 --> 00:24:45,691 the way they fight sea battles. 289 00:24:46,657 --> 00:24:51,110 Her exposed port side is worn away to reveal the decks. 290 00:24:51,144 --> 00:24:56,115 Scattered around long thin chests. 291 00:24:56,149 --> 00:25:01,845 When the dive team opened them, they make a near miraculous discovery. 292 00:25:01,879 --> 00:25:06,401 English long bows, one of the most feared weapons of the medieval age. 293 00:25:10,647 --> 00:25:12,131 In perfect condition. 294 00:25:20,898 --> 00:25:23,763 DR. HILDRED: So here they are. 295 00:25:23,798 --> 00:25:25,972 Beautifully preserved. You can see the condition. 296 00:25:26,007 --> 00:25:29,355 I mean they look new. They honestly look new. 297 00:25:29,389 --> 00:25:34,256 The only collection of archery equipment we have from the medieval period 298 00:25:34,291 --> 00:25:36,845 is here on the Mary Rose. 299 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,573 NARRATOR: The long bows show that the Mary Rose was equipped for a traditional 300 00:25:40,608 --> 00:25:44,266 sea battle. 301 00:25:44,301 --> 00:25:46,993 PROF. GROVE: In the medieval period in northern waters, 302 00:25:47,028 --> 00:25:48,754 the classic form of naval warfare 303 00:25:48,788 --> 00:25:51,998 was to put castles on basically merchant ships. 304 00:25:52,033 --> 00:25:58,108 These became fortresses and you put archers in the, on the castles. 305 00:25:58,142 --> 00:26:01,214 And it was very much a land battle at sea. 306 00:26:03,665 --> 00:26:09,740 NARRATOR: Each archer can fire up to twelve armor piercing arrows a minute. 307 00:26:09,775 --> 00:26:13,882 Clearing the way for soldiers to grapple and board enemy ships. 308 00:26:16,885 --> 00:26:21,649 For over a thousand years this has been the standard form of naval warfare. 309 00:26:24,859 --> 00:26:30,381 And it's exactly how the admirals of the Spanish Armada planned to attack the English. 310 00:26:34,903 --> 00:26:39,874 Their nineteen thousand elite troops stand ready to grapple and board. 311 00:26:45,811 --> 00:26:51,644 But the Mary Rose contains key evidence that the English navy is changing. 312 00:26:52,714 --> 00:26:54,992 And embracing new technology. 313 00:26:55,890 --> 00:26:59,410 Specifically, these. 314 00:26:59,445 --> 00:27:03,691 The Mary Rose is carrying ninety-one canons. 315 00:27:03,725 --> 00:27:06,728 Fifteen made of bronze. 316 00:27:06,763 --> 00:27:09,213 DR. HILDRED: We have these finest cast bronze guns. 317 00:27:09,248 --> 00:27:12,182 This has a bore of about a hundred millimetres or so. 318 00:27:12,216 --> 00:27:16,013 So, it would have taken a shot that would have weighed up to ten pounds. 319 00:27:16,048 --> 00:27:19,672 This probably weighs just over a ton. 320 00:27:19,707 --> 00:27:23,365 NARRATOR: Bronze guns are powerful but a shortage of the right metal 321 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,161 forces King Henry to adapt. 322 00:27:26,196 --> 00:27:31,442 And it's these other weapons found on the Mary Rose that are more significant. 323 00:27:32,409 --> 00:27:37,690 A range of firearms from canons to hand guns. 324 00:27:37,725 --> 00:27:42,350 All made in a new way. 325 00:27:42,384 --> 00:27:46,665 DR. HILDRED: Here we have the first attempts to mass produce a gun in cast iron. 326 00:27:46,699 --> 00:27:49,150 You can see there's a cast line round it. 327 00:27:49,184 --> 00:27:50,841 But what this is saying is Henry was 328 00:27:50,876 --> 00:27:53,948 A, trying to come up with cheaper guns in cast iron. 329 00:27:53,982 --> 00:27:58,193 And B, just attempt to harness the technology. 330 00:27:58,228 --> 00:28:03,509 NARRATOR: As well as cast iron hand guns, the Tudors developed wrought iron canons. 331 00:28:06,754 --> 00:28:10,585 PROF. GROVE: They discovered ways of making iron that was strong enough 332 00:28:10,619 --> 00:28:12,829 to stand the stresses of a gun being fired. 333 00:28:12,863 --> 00:28:17,972 And this was a huge improvement in that it made powerful guns 334 00:28:18,006 --> 00:28:20,181 a good deal cheaper. 335 00:28:23,736 --> 00:28:29,431 NARRATOR: Each wrought iron gun is less than a tenth of the cost of a bronze gun. 336 00:28:34,713 --> 00:28:39,614 Meaning Henry's favorite war ship can pack a bigger punch. 337 00:28:40,822 --> 00:28:46,172 The Tudor Navy calls their new iron guns Port Pieces. 338 00:28:46,207 --> 00:28:49,797 The Mary Rose has twelve of them. 339 00:28:49,831 --> 00:28:56,665 Each one mounted on a small low-profile carriage. 340 00:28:56,700 --> 00:28:58,771 Easy to reload. 341 00:28:58,806 --> 00:29:01,670 All made to the same standard. 342 00:29:01,705 --> 00:29:04,777 They require a change in ship design. 343 00:29:04,812 --> 00:29:08,712 With decks specifically strengthened to hold weighty canons. 344 00:29:17,997 --> 00:29:23,831 When the Mary Rose is built in 1511, records show she hasn't got a single 345 00:29:23,865 --> 00:29:27,386 Port Piece on board. 346 00:29:27,420 --> 00:29:33,081 But in the drained wreck there are Port Pieces scattered across two of her decks. 347 00:29:33,116 --> 00:29:37,016 Evidence that Henry was so serious about naval gunnery, 348 00:29:37,051 --> 00:29:39,743 he made his ship builders increase the fire 349 00:29:39,778 --> 00:29:43,643 power and strength of one of his best warships. 350 00:29:46,750 --> 00:29:51,720 DR. HILDRED: It's on that brink of change of ships from being troop carriers 351 00:29:51,755 --> 00:29:53,722 to gun platforms. 352 00:29:53,757 --> 00:29:58,762 It has certainly some of the most sophisticated modern weapons of its time. 353 00:29:58,797 --> 00:30:01,834 DR. DELGADO: The gun changes war at sea. 354 00:30:01,869 --> 00:30:04,837 Ships go from being floating castles to being vessels 355 00:30:04,872 --> 00:30:07,495 capable of destroying another ship. 356 00:30:12,155 --> 00:30:16,711 NARRATOR: But embracing new ideas too quickly can be dangerous. 357 00:30:16,745 --> 00:30:22,821 When the French attack the English coast in 1545, the Mary Rose sails into battle. 358 00:30:23,856 --> 00:30:26,721 She fires one salvo. 359 00:30:26,755 --> 00:30:29,172 Turns and immediately sinks. 360 00:30:30,829 --> 00:30:34,177 DR. HILDRED: You do get a number of reports that say suddenly a wind came up. 361 00:30:34,211 --> 00:30:39,872 She then turned and in turning was, you know, gust of wind heeled her over. 362 00:30:39,907 --> 00:30:44,843 NARRATOR: When a ship heels its side tips towards the waterline. 363 00:30:44,877 --> 00:30:49,813 That's only a problem if sea water can enter the ship. 364 00:30:49,848 --> 00:30:55,336 And on board the Mary Rose there's one very obvious way that can happen. 365 00:30:58,857 --> 00:31:02,757 PROF. GROVE: To put big guns into ships you had to put them in the hull. 366 00:31:02,791 --> 00:31:04,759 And so the gun port was born. 367 00:31:08,763 --> 00:31:14,631 The problem with gun ports was how low down in the ship could you put them? 368 00:31:15,874 --> 00:31:20,464 If the gun ports are too close to the water line and the ship heels and sailing ships heel, 369 00:31:20,499 --> 00:31:23,433 because of their sails, then there's the danger 370 00:31:23,467 --> 00:31:26,332 that water can come in through the gun ports. 371 00:31:27,299 --> 00:31:30,647 NARRATOR: And at the drained wreck site a clue. 372 00:31:30,681 --> 00:31:33,961 The gun ports are clearly visible. 373 00:31:33,995 --> 00:31:36,653 And they are all open. 374 00:31:40,795 --> 00:31:44,903 Piecing together the evidence what happens is now clear. 375 00:31:46,145 --> 00:31:49,459 The Mary Rose heads into battle against the French. 376 00:31:49,493 --> 00:31:51,806 Her high castles packed with archers. 377 00:31:56,673 --> 00:31:58,640 She fires her starboard guns. 378 00:32:05,130 --> 00:32:08,374 She turns to fire from her port side guns. 379 00:32:09,686 --> 00:32:12,620 A gust of wind makes her heel over. 380 00:32:13,897 --> 00:32:19,903 Unstable from so many soldiers, guns and ammunition, she heels too far. 381 00:32:19,938 --> 00:32:23,148 Water pours into the open gun ports. 382 00:32:24,425 --> 00:32:26,979 In minutes she capsizes. 383 00:32:28,636 --> 00:32:33,744 Taking all but thirty of her four hundred and fifteen crew to their deaths. 384 00:32:37,403 --> 00:32:43,582 Forty-three years later as the Spanish Armada approaches Plymouth, 385 00:32:43,616 --> 00:32:49,415 the English fleet is about to show that they have built on the legacy of the Mary Rose. 386 00:32:49,450 --> 00:32:51,693 They ditch hand to hand combat. 387 00:32:51,728 --> 00:32:56,560 And focus purely on the firepower of their guns. 388 00:32:56,595 --> 00:33:00,599 Will it be enough to save England from invasion? 389 00:33:05,604 --> 00:33:08,331 NARRATOR: Plymouth, off England's south coast. 390 00:33:08,365 --> 00:33:14,647 One hundred and thirty ships of the Armada come face to face with England's one hundred. 391 00:33:14,682 --> 00:33:18,306 As the battle begins the Spanish try to get close, 392 00:33:18,341 --> 00:33:21,689 looking to board and capture the English warships. 393 00:33:21,723 --> 00:33:24,450 But Elizabeth's captains have other ideas. 394 00:33:28,937 --> 00:33:34,633 PROF. GROVE: In that piratical operation the English develop standoff gunnery warfare. 395 00:33:34,667 --> 00:33:37,601 Concentrating much more on gunnery. 396 00:33:37,636 --> 00:33:38,878 And locking the enemy to pieces. 397 00:33:45,851 --> 00:33:50,614 NARRATOR: It's a test of English tactics. 398 00:33:50,649 --> 00:33:54,411 If they get too close they risk hand to hand combat 399 00:33:54,446 --> 00:33:57,725 with an overwhelming force of Spanish soldiers. 400 00:33:57,759 --> 00:34:02,626 If they stay too far, the guns will do little damage. 401 00:34:02,661 --> 00:34:05,181 But they have the perfect ships for the job. 402 00:34:08,115 --> 00:34:14,742 Transformed since the Mary Rose the castles have gone. 403 00:34:14,776 --> 00:34:18,642 Instead they're packed with guns. 404 00:34:18,677 --> 00:34:21,680 Sleek and maneuverable. 405 00:34:21,714 --> 00:34:23,854 The fastest war ships in the world. 406 00:34:31,207 --> 00:34:35,728 DR. DELGADO: The tactics the English developed as pirates to come in shooting, 407 00:34:35,763 --> 00:34:38,731 prove effective against the Spanish Armada. 408 00:34:43,943 --> 00:34:45,773 PROF. GROVE: Ships would charge at each other. 409 00:34:45,807 --> 00:34:46,912 A bit like cavalry. 410 00:34:46,946 --> 00:34:50,122 And then they would fire, turn, fire again, 411 00:34:50,157 --> 00:34:54,540 move away, reload and come back. 412 00:34:54,575 --> 00:35:01,168 NARRATOR: Making Elizabeth's Navy fast enough to hit. And run. 413 00:35:06,414 --> 00:35:11,971 They fire over two thousand shots to Spain's seven hundred and fifty. 414 00:35:18,185 --> 00:35:22,810 Shattering masts and tearing holes through splintered wooden hulls. 415 00:35:22,844 --> 00:35:27,021 Driving the Armada along the coast. 416 00:35:27,055 --> 00:35:31,370 Two days later there's a second battle. 417 00:35:31,405 --> 00:35:34,166 Seventy-five miles away at Portland Bill. 418 00:35:35,961 --> 00:35:37,411 It's a critical moment. 419 00:35:42,001 --> 00:35:46,592 And the English take more risks They come in closer, 420 00:35:46,627 --> 00:35:49,595 putting themselves at risk of being boarded. 421 00:35:51,942 --> 00:35:53,565 But this time when they fire. 422 00:35:57,914 --> 00:35:59,709 They cause more damage. 423 00:36:01,952 --> 00:36:04,162 The Spanish have naval guns too. 424 00:36:04,714 --> 00:36:06,612 Plenty of them. 425 00:36:06,647 --> 00:36:10,823 And one of the biggest mysteries of the Armada is why they're not as effective 426 00:36:10,858 --> 00:36:14,033 as the English guns. 427 00:36:14,068 --> 00:36:19,487 Nearly four hundred miles away in Ireland's Kinnagoe Bay can the drained wreck 428 00:36:19,522 --> 00:36:22,697 of La Trinidad Valencera reveal the answer? 429 00:36:25,735 --> 00:36:30,188 Spread across the site guns for a sea battle and lots of ammunition. 430 00:36:33,432 --> 00:36:34,744 But how well was it used? 431 00:36:39,335 --> 00:36:44,132 Like many of the ships of the Armada the Trinidad Valencera is requisitioned 432 00:36:44,167 --> 00:36:46,411 for war by King Philip. 433 00:36:46,445 --> 00:36:52,210 Such a disparate fleet carries a huge range of weapons. 434 00:36:52,244 --> 00:36:56,800 DR. MARTIN: When we started to find quite large quantities of canon balls, 435 00:36:56,835 --> 00:37:01,736 we were struck by the wide range of calibres, of diameters of the balls. 436 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:09,330 Unlike their enemy the Spanish have no standardized guns. 437 00:37:09,365 --> 00:37:15,716 It means in the heat of battle it can be hard to find the right shot for the right gun. 438 00:37:15,750 --> 00:37:18,891 So they rely on a measuring gauge. 439 00:37:18,926 --> 00:37:22,930 DR. MARTIN: You check against a ball. 440 00:37:22,964 --> 00:37:26,761 And if it goes through just nicely as this one does, 441 00:37:26,796 --> 00:37:30,109 then you've got the right shot for this particular gun. 442 00:37:30,144 --> 00:37:32,560 And at the level of the poor gunners on board the ships, 443 00:37:32,595 --> 00:37:39,015 they were frequently finding not this, where they were the right size. 444 00:37:39,049 --> 00:37:42,708 But this where they weren't. 445 00:37:42,743 --> 00:37:48,369 NARRATOR: And the Spanish captains face other problems. 446 00:37:48,404 --> 00:37:52,615 DR. MARTIN: We then started to look at the way the Spaniards used their guns, 447 00:37:52,649 --> 00:37:54,133 operated their guns. 448 00:37:54,168 --> 00:37:59,587 We were helped by the discovery of the carriages that the ships 449 00:37:59,622 --> 00:38:05,593 had been using to mount their guns for sea warfare. 450 00:38:06,974 --> 00:38:11,358 NARRATOR: The gun and carriage can span nineteen feet 451 00:38:11,392 --> 00:38:14,775 Over half the width of a ships deck. 452 00:38:14,809 --> 00:38:18,710 DR. MARTIN: Spaniards seem to have had cumbersome two wheeled carriages 453 00:38:18,744 --> 00:38:24,785 with long trails, which were quite difficult to bring in to reload. 454 00:38:24,819 --> 00:38:30,687 NARRATOR: All of this means that the two sides fight very differently. 455 00:38:30,722 --> 00:38:33,483 PROF. GROVE: The Spanish tend it would appear, 456 00:38:33,518 --> 00:38:38,730 not to see the gun as a powerful weapon for sea born combat. 457 00:38:38,764 --> 00:38:43,286 Although they do have guns at sea they don't fire them very often. 458 00:38:45,046 --> 00:38:51,432 DR. MARTIN: They, the English were firing twice as quickly as the Spaniards. 459 00:38:58,405 --> 00:39:02,719 Like having twice as many guns if you can fire them in half the time. 460 00:39:06,689 --> 00:39:11,452 NARRATOR: The second battle lasts over two hours. 461 00:39:11,487 --> 00:39:14,352 The English inflict the most damage. 462 00:39:14,386 --> 00:39:17,251 But the Armada remains largely intact. 463 00:39:17,285 --> 00:39:20,599 And its large galleons are still a powerful threat. 464 00:39:21,773 --> 00:39:27,537 DR. MARTIN: It's extremely difficult to sink a wooden ship with canon fire. 465 00:39:27,572 --> 00:39:30,333 You need to batter away at it. 466 00:39:31,990 --> 00:39:37,754 Insofar as breaking up the actual fleet which held together, protecting itself, 467 00:39:37,789 --> 00:39:42,759 the English effectively were powerless. 468 00:39:42,794 --> 00:39:45,141 NARRATOR: The Armada heads to Northern France. 469 00:39:45,175 --> 00:39:51,906 Where twenty seven thousand fresh and well trained Spanish soldiers await. 470 00:39:51,941 --> 00:39:55,910 Ready to join the fleet and try to land in England. 471 00:40:00,812 --> 00:40:04,781 Back in Kinnagoe Bay can the wreck of La Trinidad Valencera 472 00:40:04,816 --> 00:40:08,682 explain why that invasion never happened? 473 00:40:16,759 --> 00:40:18,623 NARRATOR: The Armada drops anchor. 474 00:40:18,657 --> 00:40:21,004 But the troops aren't ready to board. 475 00:40:23,421 --> 00:40:26,562 So the Spanish are forced to wait. 476 00:40:26,596 --> 00:40:31,290 Close together in the face of a gathering storm. 477 00:40:31,325 --> 00:40:34,949 This gives the English an unexpected opportunity 478 00:40:34,984 --> 00:40:39,402 and they use it to unleash a terrifying new weapon. 479 00:40:39,437 --> 00:40:40,230 Hell Burners. 480 00:40:45,373 --> 00:40:48,100 Eight of their own ships packed with explosives, 481 00:40:48,135 --> 00:40:52,277 set on fire and aimed right at the heart of the Armada. 482 00:40:56,143 --> 00:40:57,558 PROF. GROVE: The English took their opportunity, 483 00:40:57,696 --> 00:41:00,285 sent in fire ships, 484 00:41:00,319 --> 00:41:03,668 caused the Armada to break formation. 485 00:41:03,702 --> 00:41:07,016 NARRATOR: Now the English captains can pick their enemies off 486 00:41:07,050 --> 00:41:09,087 one ship at a time. 487 00:41:09,121 --> 00:41:11,399 At daybreak they pounce. 488 00:41:16,543 --> 00:41:21,099 After the first two clashes the English know they can fire at a hundred feet 489 00:41:21,133 --> 00:41:22,756 without being boarded. 490 00:41:22,790 --> 00:41:26,104 An advantage they now exploit to the fore. 491 00:41:30,073 --> 00:41:33,525 Disabling four of Spain's best Galleons. 492 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:35,665 And damaging many more. 493 00:41:39,117 --> 00:41:41,015 The battle rages for nine hours. 494 00:41:44,674 --> 00:41:49,921 Nearly two thousand Spanish soldiers and sailors are left dead or injured. 495 00:41:53,165 --> 00:41:55,513 Their invasion attempt is over. 496 00:42:02,934 --> 00:42:08,560 Damaged by enemy fire, packed with injured and dying men. 497 00:42:08,595 --> 00:42:13,358 The surviving ships of the Armada. Run for home. 498 00:42:13,392 --> 00:42:18,121 But only sixty ships will ever make it back. 499 00:42:24,162 --> 00:42:28,822 In Ireland the drained wreck site of La Trinidad Valencera reveals 500 00:42:28,856 --> 00:42:34,586 how one of the mightiest ships of the Armada ended her days. 501 00:42:34,621 --> 00:42:39,315 The surviving timbers are scattered and spread across a rocky reef. 502 00:42:39,349 --> 00:42:43,699 It's a clue that helps to explain what happened after the epic battle 503 00:42:43,733 --> 00:42:44,562 against the English. 504 00:42:49,014 --> 00:42:50,360 DR. MARTIN: Well the Spanish Armada 505 00:42:50,913 --> 00:42:53,674 when it failed in it's objective, 506 00:42:53,709 --> 00:42:56,677 decided to return home by sailing right round 507 00:42:56,712 --> 00:42:59,577 the top of the British Isles. 508 00:42:59,611 --> 00:43:01,717 NARRATOR: Thrusting the Spanish into the path 509 00:43:01,751 --> 00:43:04,582 of a new and even more formidable enemy. 510 00:43:11,796 --> 00:43:13,591 The weather. 511 00:43:16,732 --> 00:43:19,666 Summer storms roar up the North Sea. 512 00:43:21,357 --> 00:43:23,773 Battering the already damaged galleons. 513 00:43:25,637 --> 00:43:30,815 To such religious men it must feel like god himself has turned against Spain. 514 00:43:37,580 --> 00:43:42,585 But what happened next to the La Trinidad Valencera is even more hellish. 515 00:43:45,277 --> 00:43:48,246 DR. MARTIN: She found herself in a sinking condition. 516 00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:51,836 A decision was made to run for the shore. 517 00:43:51,870 --> 00:43:55,633 NARRATOR: La Trinidad Valencera heads for the Irish coast 518 00:43:55,667 --> 00:43:57,358 looking for a safe place to land. 519 00:44:01,639 --> 00:44:05,228 DR. MARTIN: She grounded some distance from the shore on a sandy bottom. 520 00:44:05,263 --> 00:44:09,025 But with her bow sitting on a reef. 521 00:44:09,060 --> 00:44:12,580 NARRATOR: Almost all the crew scramble ashore unharmed. 522 00:44:12,615 --> 00:44:17,655 DR. MARTIN: They marched off heading for the west coast of Ireland where they hoped 523 00:44:17,689 --> 00:44:22,729 they might make contact with other Armada ships that would bring them home. 524 00:44:22,763 --> 00:44:29,667 Unfortunately for them they were intercepted by a force of English soldiers. 525 00:44:30,702 --> 00:44:33,429 NARRATOR: What happens next is savage. 526 00:44:34,568 --> 00:44:36,674 The English start to execute their prisoners. 527 00:44:45,165 --> 00:44:49,031 Only a lucky few manage to run to the hills. 528 00:44:53,691 --> 00:45:00,042 Through drowning or execution over six thousand men die along these shores. 529 00:45:01,181 --> 00:45:05,633 La Trinidad Valencera is one of just six Armada wrecks 530 00:45:05,668 --> 00:45:08,671 found off the coast of Ireland. 531 00:45:08,706 --> 00:45:13,745 The rest, probably up to twenty, have never been discovered. 532 00:45:13,780 --> 00:45:17,887 What began as a battle to crush the upstart English has changed 533 00:45:17,922 --> 00:45:20,614 the global balance of power. 534 00:45:20,648 --> 00:45:26,551 PROF. GROVE: The weakness of the Spanish Empire was its actual dependence on wealth. 535 00:45:26,585 --> 00:45:33,075 And when other powers began to rise like the Dutch, like the English, like the French, 536 00:45:34,283 --> 00:45:37,735 then these powers had much greater economic depth. 537 00:45:37,769 --> 00:45:42,601 Spain loses its sources of wealth and it's got nothing to fall back on. 538 00:45:42,636 --> 00:45:46,571 NARRATOR: Within ten years Spain is bankrupt. 539 00:45:47,848 --> 00:45:53,543 In Red Bay and beyond cargo ships like the San Juan no longer hold the monopoly 540 00:45:53,578 --> 00:45:55,649 on new world trade routes. 541 00:46:00,067 --> 00:46:04,347 England with its mastery of naval gunnery and its fast, 542 00:46:04,382 --> 00:46:08,213 mobile warships is now the rising force. 543 00:46:08,248 --> 00:46:10,733 DR. DELGADO: In the aftermath of the Armada these new types 544 00:46:10,768 --> 00:46:15,531 of ships and tactics will dominate naval warfare for the next two centuries. 545 00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:26,507 NARRATOR: Within twenty years England establishes its first successful colony 546 00:46:26,542 --> 00:46:28,199 in the Americas. 547 00:46:28,233 --> 00:46:31,616 English will become the dominant language in North America 548 00:46:31,650 --> 00:46:34,653 and much of the world beyond. 549 00:46:34,688 --> 00:46:38,278 And as England becomes Great Britain, ships controlled 550 00:46:38,312 --> 00:46:42,834 in London will dominate global trading routes. 551 00:46:42,869 --> 00:46:49,289 Britain will become the undisputed ruler of the waves. 552 00:46:49,323 --> 00:46:55,813 Until she is finally eclipsed by her own colonies, the United States. 553 00:46:57,021 --> 00:47:02,612 A process all triggered by the fight for the riches of the Americas. 554 00:47:02,647 --> 00:47:05,926 And the defeat of the Spanish Armada. 555 00:47:05,961 --> 00:47:06,789 Captioned by SubTitlePro LLC