Bombardment of Punta Sombrero facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bombardment of Punta Sombrero
Part of the Mexican–American War
USS Dale (right) and USS Libertad (left) burning Alerta (center) off Loreto, Mexico.
Date October 31, 1847 Location Punta Sombrero, Mulege, Baja California Sur, Mexico Result United States victory, Mexican shore batteries silenced.
Belligerents
United States	Mexico
Commanders and leaders
Tunis Craven	Unknown
Strength
1 schooner Libertad	1 shore battery
Casualties and losses
schooner damaged	unknown

The Bombardment of Punta Sombrero was a naval battle that took place during the Mexican–American War. It happened on October 31, 1847. This event was an American naval attack. It was a response to a Mexican attack on a United States Navy warship.

Why the Battle Happened

After a battle in a place called Mulege, a new American ship was ready. This ship was a schooner (a type of sailing ship) named Libertad. Lieutenant Tunis Craven took command of the Libertad. He then sailed north into the Gulf of California.

The Libertad was likely armed with three or four cannons. These cannons had been taken from Loreto by the crew of USS Dale. The Libertad's main job was to stop messages from getting through. These messages were from the Mexican soldiers in Mulege to other towns and forts.

Reports said that people in Mexican coastal towns were scared. This was because the Libertad kept showing up near their homes. Nothing happened until October 31. On that night, Lieutenant Craven saw a Mexican merchant schooner. It was anchored in Mulege at 10:00 pm.

Craven did not know it at the time. But the Mexican schooner was protected. It had a strong artillery battery (a group of cannons). This battery was at the entrance of the anchorage on Punta Sombrero. There were also several riflemen guarding the cannons.

The Attack Begins

The American Lieutenant moved his ship closer. But the Mexican cannons saw the attack coming. They immediately started firing. Lieutenant Craven later described how the fight began:

"I heard no sound ashore, but the passing of the sentry's call, till about half-past ten o'clock, when bang! bang! bang! they commenced from every direction. I jumped out of my bed, seized my gun and fired at the group nearest me, which I could only discern by the flashes of their guns."

The Libertad was well-armed and ready. It quickly stopped trying to capture the merchant ship. Instead, it began firing its guns at the Mexican cannons. One of its guns was a pivot gun. This type of gun can turn in many directions. It was set up quickly after the fighting started.

The Mexicans were in a good defensive spot that night. The moon was rising behind the American ship. This made the Libertad easy to see. It was silhouetted against the sky. This made the night battle harder for the Americans. Craven told his men to fire at where they saw the most Mexican forces.

Craven reported that the Mexicans kept firing cannonballs steadily. Most of them flew over the Libertad or just missed its front. The fighting lasted about two hours. Slowly, the Mexican cannons fired less often. They were mostly quiet by 11:00 pm. By 12:00 midnight, everything was quiet again.

What Happened Next

No Americans were hurt that night. The Libertad had only minor damage. Its sails and ropes were slightly damaged. But the ship was otherwise fine. We do not know how many Mexicans were hurt. It was too dark for the Americans to see.

Lieutenant Craven decided not to send a landing party ashore that night. Instead, he sailed to meet the USS Dale near Guaymas. However, he arrived too late to join the Bombardment of Guaymas.