Battle of Lake Maracaibo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Lake Maracaibo |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Venezuelan War of Independence | |||||||
 Painting by José María Espinosa Prieto (1796–1883). |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Gran Colombia |
 Spain |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 José Prudencio Padilla |
 Ángel Laborde |
||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 44 killed (8 officers) 164 wounded (14 officers) |
1 brig-schooner destroyed 437 captured (69 officers) |
||||||
The Battle of Lake Maracaibo was a very important naval battle. It happened on 24 July 1823, on Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo. This battle was fought between two groups: the Republicans and the Royalists.
The Republicans were fighting for independence from Spain. Their fleet was led by Admiral José Prudencio Padilla. The Royalists were loyal to the King of Spain. Their fleet was commanded by Captain Ángel Laborde.
The Republicans won this battle. It was the very last battle of the Venezuelan War of Independence. It was also a key part of the larger Spanish American wars of independence. The Republican ships were part of the armed forces of Gran Colombia, a large country led by Simón Bolívar.
Contents
Why Was This Battle Important?
The Battle of Carabobo in 1821 is often seen as the main battle for Venezuelan independence. However, some historians say the Battle of Lake Maracaibo was also crucial. If the Royalists had won, Spain might have tried to attack Republican forces again.
Because the Royalists lost, Spain did not send more soldiers to Venezuela. This defeat made Spain finally accept that Venezuela was independent. Even so, Spain did not officially recognize Venezuela as a new nation for over ten years.
Today, 24 July is a special holiday in Zulia State in Venezuela. It is also the birthday of Simón Bolívar. Because of this, 24 July is celebrated as Navy Day in both Venezuela and Colombia.
The Battle Begins
Before the battle, both sides prepared their ships and crews. Admiral José Prudencio Padilla led the Republican fleet. Captain Ángel Laborde led the Royalist forces.
The two fleets had a few small encounters first. Then, the Republican fleet went to the port of Moporo. They stayed there for the first half of July. On 17 July, Captain Laborde offered friendship to Padilla, but Padilla said no. Both commanders then spent days getting ready for the big fight. They gathered supplies and trained their sailors.
On the afternoon of 23 July, the Royalists moved their ships. They anchored them in a line near the west coast of the lake. Meanwhile, the Republicans sailed until evening. They lined up their ships on the east side of the lake. They slowly moved towards Punta de Piedra.
The Main Attack
On 24 July, at sunrise, Admiral Padilla called his ship commanders. He gave them his final instructions. He even visited each ship to encourage his crews. He wanted them to be brave and excited for the attack.
At 10:40 AM, the wind changed direction. Padilla waited for the wind to be just right. At 2:00 PM, Padilla ordered his ships to move. At 2:20 PM, he gave the signal to sail. He wanted all his ships to attack the enemy at the same time.
The Republican ships moved quickly towards the Royalist fleet. The Royalists were still anchored, waiting. Admiral Padilla led the southern part of the Republican fleet. Captain Nicholas Joly led the northern part. They planned to cut off the Royalists' escape route.
At 3:04 PM, the signal was given to approach the enemy. At 3:45 PM, the Royalist ships started firing their cannons. But the Republican ships kept moving forward without firing. They waited until they were very close. When the ships were almost touching, the Republicans began to board the Royalist ships. This close-quarters fighting decided the battle.
Aftermath of the Battle
The Republican attack was very strong. Many Royalist ships were destroyed. Others were captured. Some Royalist sailors jumped into the water to escape. One ship, the brig-schooner Esperanza, exploded. Only three small schooners managed to get away. They found safety near the Fort (Castle) of San Carlos.
The Republicans had some losses. Eight officers and 36 crew members were killed. Fourteen officers and 150 crew members were wounded. The Royalists had more casualties. Sixty-nine officers and 368 soldiers and sailors were taken prisoner.
After the battle, Admiral Padilla ordered his fleet to anchor where they had fought. Soon, he moved to the Port of Altagracia to fix the damaged ships. Captain Laborde, the Royalist commander, managed to escape. He sailed to Puerto Cabello and then to Cuba.
This fierce battle lasted about two hours. It led to talks between the Republicans and the Spanish leader in Venezuela, Francisco Tomás Morales. On 3 August, Morales was forced to give up all remaining Spanish ships. He also handed over the City of Maracaibo, the Fort of San Carlos, and the Fort of San Felipe in Puerto Cabello. All other places held by the Spanish were also given up. The last Spanish forces left Venezuela on 5 August.
See also
In Spanish: Combate naval del Lago de Maracaibo para niños
