Drake Assaults Cádiz (April 29, 1587)

Dr Adam Norten's Travel Channel
Drake’s attack on Cádiz, 1587

Referred to as the “singeing of the beard” of King Philip II of Spain.

In 1585 the tension between the England and Spain erupted into the Anglo-Spanish War of 1585–1604. Philip II ordered the arming of a great military fleet, which was to become known as the Invincible Armada, and it was hastily assembled in the Spanish port of Cádiz and in the Portuguese port of Lisbon with the objective of invading England.

Queen Elizabeth gave the English privateer, Sir Francis Drake, an outstanding leader of previous naval expeditions, the command of a fleet whose mission was to inspect the Spanish military preparations, intercept their supplies, attack the fleet and if possible the Spanish ports.

Read the complete article on Wikipedia.

Read this article in Weapons and Warfare that includes useful maps and images.