First Battle of Topolobampo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Battle of Topolobampo |
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| Part of the Mexican Revolution | |||||||
 Tampico in 1908. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Constitutionalists |
Huertistas |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Hilario Malpica | Navio Torres | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1 gunboat | 2 gunboats | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| none | none | ||||||
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The First Battle of Topolobampo was a sea battle during the Mexican Revolution. It was special because no one was hurt, and it was one of the few naval fights of the revolution. This small battle happened near Topolobampo, Mexico.
It involved three gunboats. Two belonged to the Mexican Navy, and one had rebelled to join the Constitutionalists. The battle took place on the morning of March 4, 1914. It was the first fight in a series of sea battles in the Gulf of California.
Background
The Guaymas Mutiny
On February 22, 1914, something important happened near Guaymas. Around 8:00 PM, a mutiny began on the Mexican Navy gunboat Tampico. A mutiny is when sailors or soldiers rebel against their officers.
Half of the officers and crew were on shore leave. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hilario Rodríguez Malpica, the second-in-command, and three other officers started gathering the remaining crew. This group of sailors then went to their captain and took him into custody.
Lieutenant Malpica, who now led the rebels, told Captain Manuel Azueta that he planned to sail the Tampico to join the Constitutionalists. There are different stories about why Malpica decided to mutiny, but none are confirmed. The Tampico started moving and aimed to head west.
Just then, the government's gunboat Guerrero, led by Captain Navio Torres, appeared in front of the Tampico. Malpica steered the Tampico straight towards the Guerrero. He hoped to crash into it and sink it. But the Tampico's steering system broke down. This forced the ship to turn around and head for Topolobampo in Sinaloa.
The rebels moved the Tampico's old captain to a regular cargo ship, the SS Herrerias. This ship took him to Mazatlán, which was still controlled by the government. The Tampico made it to Topolobampo. This port became its main base for the sea battles that followed. Since the Tampico didn't have enough sailors, twenty-five rebels from Sinaloa were sent to become sailors on the ship.
The Battle Begins
Captain Navio Torres was embarrassed that the Tampico had escaped and joined the rebels. So, he took the Guerrero and another gunboat, the Morelos, towards Topolobampo. They thought they would find the Tampico there.
The Guerrero arrived on March 2. It anchored outside the harbor and waited for the Morelos, which arrived the next day. The Tampico was not in sight. It seemed to be on a mission against government forces somewhere else. So, the two gunboats waited in Topolobampo Bay until the next morning.
On March 4, they saw the Tampico as it came into the narrow waterway. The Guerrero was immediately told to start moving. The Morelos followed behind the Guerrero.
Seconds after pulling up its anchor, the Guerrero opened fire. It shot from about 9,000 yards away with its main guns. A running battle began. The Tampico didn't stop to fire until it passed Shell Point. Once past it, the Tampico started shooting back. It used its two 4-inch guns and one 6-pounder gun at the Guerrero. The Tampico had another 6-pounder gun, but only one was used in this battle.
When the Guerrero received fire, Captain Torres ordered his ship to move. He wanted to get into position for a broadside attack. A broadside means firing all the guns on one side of the ship at once. The Guerrero fired its six 4-inch guns, but none of its shots hit their target. At this time, the Morelos was about 800 yards to the side of the Guerrero when it also started shooting.
The ships continued to exchange gunfire for some time. But in the end, no hits were made by either side. They were firing at each other from about 8,000 to 9,000 yards away.
The Guerrero had better weapons than the Tampico. The Guerreros guns were in much better condition. This gave them a longer range than the Tampicos guns. This difference would be very important in later battles. It gave the government forces a clear advantage over the rebel gunboat.
Eventually, the Tampico headed for the safety of Topolobampo's port. It entered past the sandbar, and the fighting stopped. The gunboat Guerrero anchored outside the sandbar again. It started a naval blockade, trying to stop ships from entering or leaving. The Morelos left for Guaymas to get coal and supplies. It would return a few days later.
Aftermath
During the entire battle, none of the shots fired hit their targets. Reports say the Tampico fired much more accurately than the other two gunboats. One of its shots landed 50 yards short of the Guerrero. Another went 50 yards over, and one more just missed the Guerrero's side.
The Guerrero fired about twenty shots that morning. The Morelos fired about seven, and the Tampico fired fourteen. On March 13, the Tampico would test the government blockade again. This led to another sea battle where no one was hurt, known as the Second Battle of Topolobampo.
