Tom also participated in the Cadiz raid in 1587
Drake in his famous "Golden Hind" the "lion" captain Tom, and 8 more English vessels sailed from Plymouth, England on April 12, 1587, towards Cadiz, south Spain, arriving there in the late afternoon before Cadiz on April 29th, surprising the Spanish Navy, entering boldly into the big harbor full of Spanish vessels preparing to invade England.
Drake attacked part of the Spanish shipping military and civilians, while other ships including the "Lion" of Tom devastating the harbor and sinking many vessels.
The total of sinking vessels amounted to 37 vessels.
He also cannoned the harbor and its facilities, in the center while Tom and other English captains destroyed, burned, and sack the left and right anchoring vessels.
The Spanish were surprised and panicked and gave very little resistance.
Drake's vessels sustained very light losses.
This heroic and unique action became famous as the "singeing of king Phillip II of Spain beard" which was enormously successful.
After the successful action, Drake called Tom to his ship and ordered him to sail towards Lisbon and then north and visit harbors along the way to Cape St. Vincent, to capture ships and destroy supplies being sent to Lisbon for the Spanish Armada.
The same orders were given to the rest of the English Captains.
Tom felt happy, he was going to act independently.
Sailing from Cadiz he had the luck to meet with a merchant ship named, St. Mary, she had 6 guns, still, under the impression of Drake's action in Cadiz, she ran away.
Using a favorite wind and her better speed she over howled the Spanish vessel, which put some fight but after a better English shooting which damaged her sails she capitulated.
She was a little fine vessel, but Tom's orders were to destroy her.
He sent her crew with a boat to the shore took her supplies and sank her.
A day after that the "Lion" met with a Spanish warship accompanying 4 merchantmen.
Tom decided to attack the 5 Spanish vessels alone, knowing that his superiority in speed and gunnery would enable him to succeed.
He engaged the warship first.
It developed in favor of the "Lion, the Spanish showing poor gunnery.
While engaging her Tom saw that he became close to one of the merchant ships. Turning to the right suddenly using her full broadside of 10 guns on her left side, she succeeded in putting the vessel on fire, while the ponderous Spanish warship tried to catch her, but Tom ordered his crew to sail forward, reaching the second merchantman, trying to escape, the swifter English warship caught with her and destroyed her with another broadside.
The 2 other merchantmen behaved wisely, separating from each other they sailed in opposite directions, while the Spanish warship arrived and a duel began between the two vessels, which was short. The "Lion" being swifter succeeded in shooting a broadside before the Spanish did the same.
The result was heavy damage to the Spanish including two masts down which crippled her, while Tom's vessel suffered some small damage with some of her crew dead.
Tom didn't stop but leaving the crippled Spanish warship to crawl back to the closest harbor, then he continued to the right giving chase to one of the remaining merchantmen, but the time that elapsed while engaging the warship, enabled the merchantman to escape.
Looking at the other merchantman he saw it escaping while the distance between them was too great.
Deciding to let her be, he put an entry in the ship's log that two merchantmen were destroyed while a Spanish warship crippled.
Assuming his sailing north searching for more victims.
The day turned into the night but he didn't encounter more Spanish vessels.
Looking at his map he saw that he was not far from Faro harbor in the south of Spain, he decided to pass the night near that harbor, in order to trap a vessel or vessels coming out of the harbor.
The night was stormy and Tom ordered his crew to shorten sails, in order to overcome the storm.
When morning came he had to beat his way back to Faro harbor, reaching a mile's distance he saw a convoy emerging from the harbor, 5 merchantmen and 2 warships, one in front of the convoy and the other behind it.
Shortening sails, he decided to engage the rear warship.
Immediately signals passed between the Spanish warships and the merchantmen.
All the Spanish vessels increased their speed, while the rear warship 20-gun vessel changed her direction sailing towards the "Lion".
"Trying to engage me while the convoy escape, no way," thought Tom.
Raising all her sails using the eastern wind, she sailed quicker than the Spanish man of war, overhauling the last merchantman, which panicked and left the convoy in order to escape the "Lion".
Tom left her and overhauled the last vessel in the convoy, passing near the slow and panicked vessel he gave her a full broadside which set her on fire, leaving her alone, and continuing after the third merchantman, when his first officer told him to look behind, he saw the rear warship shortening the distance between them with its guns run out at the same time the second warship approached him by tacking all the time.
Looking at his first officer he said, "tack so we will pass at the right side of that merchantman, then after destroying her we disengage the convoy,"
The first officer looked at him amazed "Aren't you going to engage the two warships?"
"Our orders are to damage and destroy as much of the enemy vessels, not to be a stupid hero, do as I ordered you,"
The first officer obeyed reluctantly, and the "Lion" tacked and sailed along the right side of the merchantman away from the two warships, giving her the "Lion" s broadside and destroying her, then left the crippled convoy to fend for itself.
Signaling to the first officer to come to his cabin he put the second officer in charge of the ship.
Entering into his cabin with the first officer, he turned to him,
"It's the first and last time you disobey me or discuss with me in time of the battle, do you understand Richard, you know well the dire consequences, dismiss,"
The first officer was frightened knowing that the captain could try him and hang him for what he had done.
He murmured "You are right captain, thank you for not punishing me, but warning me, it wouldn't happen again,"
With that, he left the cabin ashamed.
"Assume your duties first officer" he ordered the man, then went to the bridge, looking around he saw the remaining Spanish vessels running away.
YOU ARE READING
The magic yellow stone - book 8 -Tom and Francis Drake fight the Armada - 3.
Historical FictionThe series "The magic yellow stone" tells the story of a 16 years old English named Tom, who had found a magic yellow stone on the ground where he took a sleep, while being om tour to Rome, Italy with his Parents and his sister Helen 15 years old. T...
