<P> In the Spanish Netherlands , 30,000 soldiers awaited the arrival of the Armada , the plan being to use the cover of the warships to convey the army on barges to a place near London . All told , 55,000 men were to have been mustered , a huge army for that time . On the day the Armada set sail , Elizabeth 's ambassador in the Netherlands , Valentine Dale , met Parma 's representatives in peace negotiations . The English made a vain effort to intercept the Armada in the Bay of Biscay . On 6 July negotiations were abandoned , and the English fleet stood prepared , if ill - supplied , at Plymouth , awaiting news of Spanish movements . The English fleet outnumbered the Spanish , 200 ships to 130 , while the Spanish fleet outgunned the English -- its available firepower was 50 % more than that of the English . The English fleet consisted of the 34 ships of the Royal Fleet ( 21 of which were galleons of 200 to 400 tons ) and 163 other ships ( 30 of which were of 200 to 400 tons and carried up to 42 guns each ) , 12 of these were privateers owned by Lord Howard of Effingham , Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake . </P>
<P> In the Spanish Netherlands , 30,000 soldiers awaited the arrival of the Armada , the plan being to use the cover of the warships to convey the army on barges to a place near London . All told , 55,000 men were to have been mustered , a huge army for that time . On the day the Armada set sail , Elizabeth 's ambassador in the Netherlands , Valentine Dale , met Parma 's representatives in peace negotiations . The English made a vain effort to intercept the Armada in the Bay of Biscay . On 6 July negotiations were abandoned , and the English fleet stood prepared , if ill - supplied , at Plymouth , awaiting news of Spanish movements . The English fleet outnumbered the Spanish , 200 ships to 130 , while the Spanish fleet outgunned the English -- its available firepower was 50 % more than that of the English . The English fleet consisted of the 34 ships of the Royal Fleet ( 21 of which were galleons of 200 to 400 tons ) and 163 other ships ( 30 of which were of 200 to 400 tons and carried up to 42 guns each ) , 12 of these were privateers owned by Lord Howard of Effingham , Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake . </P>
how many english ships fought the spanish armada
how many english ships fought the spanish armada
200
200