08-07-2024 - On This Day in Insane History

On the 7th of August in the year 1588, the English Navy engaged a mighty fleet off the coast of Spain that would change the course of a nation. Led by Lord Francis Drake, the "Sea Dogs" of Queen Elizabeth numbered just 127 ships against the 130 ships of the Spanish Armada. What ensued was one of the strangest battles in naval history.

A thick morning fog blanketed the Channel, hiding both fleets from view. Then, a mysterious phenomenon occurred - every compass aboard the English ships went haywire, spinning this way and that. Try as they might, the masters and pilots couldn't get a proper bearing. Had Divine Providence addled their senses to even the odds?

With visibility near zero, the English ships drifted about like phantoms on an unknowable sea. Terrified, the Spanish admirals ordered a retreat rather than engage some spectral enemy. As the Armada fled north in disarray, the fog gradually lifted - revealing the entire English fleet had wandered within firing range. A few well-placed shots was all it took to send the mighty Spanish scurrying with their tails between their legs.

While science later determined this "fog of war" was likely caused by a magnetic anomaly, Queen Elizabeth took it as a sign from on high. Thanks to the heavens interfering with iron and lodestone, the little island nation secured its independence that day. Some say if you listen closely off Dover, you can still hear the compasses spinning - proof God himself is an Englishman.