On this day...... 7 August

1588: Following the inconclusive gunnery duels of the previous week, Lord Howard of Effingham, commanding the English fleet, launched a fireship attack on the Spanish Armada, anchored off Calais.  Eight fireships descended on the Armada.  Although they did little damage in themselves, the Armada scattered in haste, cutting their anchors.  The Portuguese squadron maintained its discipline, but the rest of the Armada lost its vital cohesion, and any chance of winning the battle.  The threat of invasion had passed.

1900: Two soldiers from the 17th Lancers were ambushed by Boers as they scouted near a British picket.  One of their horses was shot dead, and its rider thrown and badly injured.  His companion, Sergeant Lawrence, put the injured man on his own horse and sent him to ride to safety.  He himself then retreated on foot for two miles, all the time holding the Boers off with his carbine until other cavalry rescued him.  Lawrence received the Victoria Cross.

1915: On Gallipoli, as the British consolidated the new beach-head at Suvla Bay, the Australian Light Horse attacked at Nek, suffering appalling casualties.  Private Keysor of the 1st New South Wales Battalion won the Victoria Cross for throwing back at the enemy two grenades which landed in his trench, then following up over the next couple of days with effective bombing attacks of his won.  The New Zealand Brigade had captured Chunuk Bair ridge, and the first New Zealand VC of the war went to Corporal Bassett, a signaller, who worked in the open under heavy fire to lay telephone lines back from the new position to headquarters.  Elsewhere on the peninsula, Lieutenant Forshaw of the Manchester Regiment held a position against continual fierce Turkish counter-attacks for two days.  He was also awarded the Victoria Cross.

1940: The Luftwaffe continued only to probe British air defences with reconnaissance missions and minor attacks.  The day's events are recorded on the RAF's Battle of Britain website.

1944: A company of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, commanded by Captain Jamieson, succeeded in establishing a bridgehead across the River Orne in Normandy.  The position became the immediate focus for counter-attacks by the 12th SS Panzer Division, which attacked with Tiger and Panther tanks.  Two of the three British tanks supporting Jamieson were knocked out, but he and his men held on for 36 hours, repelling seven attacks.  Jamieson suffered two wounds, but refused to be evacuated until the position was safe.  He received the Victoria Cross.