Chilean torpedo boat Colo Colo facts for kids
Colo Colo in 1880
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Chile |
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| Name | Colo Colo |
| Namesake | Colo Colo |
| Builder | Yarrow & Company, Poplar |
| Yard number | 476 |
| Launched | 1880 |
| Commissioned | 1880 |
| Out of service | 1885 or 1915 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Colo Colo-class torpedo boat |
| Displacement | 5 t / 30 t |
| Length | 14.63 m (48 ft) |
| Beam | 2.44 m (8.0 ft) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 12.5 knots (14.4 mph; 23.2 km/h) |
| Armament |
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The Colo Colo was a small, fast warship called a torpedo boat. It was built for the Chilean Navy in 1880. This ship played an important role in the War of the Pacific. It helped in the blockade of Callao and even patrolled Lake Titicaca during the final part of the war.
Contents
What was the Colo Colo?
The torpedo boat Colo Colo was built in 1880. It was made by a British company called Yarrow Shipbuilders in Poplar, England. Its building number was 476. It was part of a group of ships known as the Colo Colo-class class. Another ship in this class was the Tucapel.
The Colo Colo class ships were designed to defend ports. They were small enough to be carried by bigger ships to where they were needed. They could even be changed into passenger ships if required.
Ship Details
The Colo Colo class torpedo boats had hulls made of steel. They were about 14.63 m (48 ft) long and 2.44 m (8.0 ft) wide. Their weight, or how much water they pushed aside (called displacement), was between 5 and 30 tons. The hull was made of strong, galvanized steel. It had special supports to help lift the boat onto a larger ship's deck. The front of the boat was straight, and it had a tall, wavy chimney.
These boats were powered by a steam engine. This engine used steam from a boiler to turn a single propeller. The Colo Colo could reach a top speed of 12.5 knots (14.4 mph; 23.2 km/h). Its engine produced about 60 ihp (45 kW) of power.
The ships carried two Hotchkiss guns for shooting. They also had two 14-inch spar torpedoes. These were torpedoes attached to a long pole that could be used to hit enemy ships. The front of the boat was also made strong enough to ram (crash into) other ships of similar size.
Because they were built to be very light, like all torpedo boats, they had a thin steel plate covering them. This gave some protection to the steam engines and the crew. However, these boats were quite narrow, which made living on board difficult for the crew.
Colo Colo's Service
The Colo Colo arrived in Valparaíso, Chile, in 1880. It came with the Tucapel and a larger torpedo boat called Fresia. The Colo Colo and Tucapel arrived in pieces and were put together in Chile. These ships, and others built in Britain, came to Chile during the War of the Pacific. Chilean buyers had to find clever ways to get around Britain's rules about not taking sides in the war.
When Colo Colo started service in 1880, it was given the number 2 in the Chilean Navy's torpedo boat fleet. It was one of the newest and most modern torpedo boats helping the Chilean fleet that November.
Blockade of Callao
During the naval part of the war, Colo Colo took part in the blockade of Callao. It worked with other torpedo boats like Tucapel, Fresia, and Guacolda. Their job was to patrol, explore, and fight Peruvian boats. On December 6, a young officer named Gaspar García Pica, who was in charge of Colo Colo, showed great bravery. In the early morning, torpedo boats from both sides met and started fighting. Larger Chilean ships and Peruvian shore cannons soon joined the battle. The fight lasted about an hour before both sides pulled back.
After the blockade of Callao ended, on February 12, 1881, Colo Colo and the other torpedo boats returned to Valparaíso. They were no longer needed there. Colo Colo and Tucapel were loaded onto a steamship called Pisagua. The Fresia and Guacolda were pulled by the same ship.
Lake Titicaca Mission
In November 1883, Colo Colo was sent to patrol Lake Titicaca. This was one of the most unusual and less known naval missions of the war. By this time, Chilean forces had taken the city of Arequipa and the lake port of Puno. They needed to control Lake Titicaca, which connected Peru and Bolivia. Also, Peruvian boats on the lake were bothering and spying on the Chileans in Puno. It was also important to put pressure on Bolivia, which might still help Peru.
So, the Chilean leaders decided to send Colo Colo to the lake. The torpedo boat was taken apart at the port of Mollendo. Then, it was carried by train to Puno. There, it was put back together and started its job patrolling Lake Titicaca. First Lieutenant Angel Custodio Lynch Irving commanded the boat with twenty-six crew members.
Having the Colo Colo on the lake stopped communication and military use of this route. Peruvian boats hiding nearby surrendered to the Chilean forces. The presence of the torpedo boat also helped convince the Bolivian government to sign a peace treaty with Chile in 1884. With this mission, Colo Colo became the first foreign warship to sail on the highest navigable waters in the world. This showed that the Chilean Navy could support its land forces in unusual ways.
After its mission on the Altiplano (high plains), Colo Colo returned to Chile. It was carried on a larger ship back to Valparaíso. Later, it helped with mapping the sea. In 1885, Colo Colo was taken apart in Valparaíso. However, some information suggests it might have been removed from service around 1915, along with the Tucapel.
See also
- List of decommissioned ships of the Chilean Navy
- Torpedo boats in the War of the Pacific
