José Ferrándiz y Niño facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Ferrándiz
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José Ferrándiz (1907)
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| Born | 1847 Seville, Andalusia, Spain |
| Died | 1918 Madrid, Spain |
| Service/ |
Spanish Navy |
| Years of service | 1855–1918 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
José Ferrándiz y Niño (born in 1847, died in 1918) was an important Spanish soldier and politician. He became a high-ranking officer, a vice admiral, in the Spanish Navy. He was born in Seville and passed away in Madrid.
A Teacher and a Sailor
José Ferrándiz was a teacher at the Floating Naval School. This school was located on an old frigate ship called the Asturias in Ferrol.
Later, he was part of a group of ships led by Rear Admiral Manuel De La Camara. Ferrándiz was in charge of a group of destroyer ships. These included the Audaz, Osado, and Proserpina. This group was sent to the Philippines during the Spanish–American War. However, they were stopped in Port Said, Egypt. There was a problem getting permission to refuel their ships. Because of this, they never reached their destination.
In 1903, José Ferrándiz became a Capitán de Navío (which is like a captain in the navy). At the same time, he was chosen to be the Minister of the Navy. This was during the first government of Antonio Maura. He held this important job again from 1907 to 1909.
During his time as Minister, he created a very important law on January 7, 1908. This law is often called Ferrandiz's Law. Its main goal was to build a brand new group of ships for the Spanish Navy. This was needed after the Spanish–American War, which had not gone well for Spain.
Ferrandiz's Law allowed for the building of many new ships, including:
- 3 large battleships, each weighing 15,700 tons. These were the España-class battleship class ships.
- 3 smaller destroyers, each weighing 350 tons. These were the Bustamante-class destroyer class.
- 4 gunboats, each weighing 800 tons. These were the Recalde-class gunboat class.
- 24 torpedo boats, each weighing 180 tons. These were the T-1-class torpedo boat class.
- 4 ships for carrying fuel (tankers).
- 1 tugboat.
- Barges to carry ammunition and coal.
- 1 transport ship, the Almirante Lobo.
He also made sure that the shipyards in Cartagena and Ferrol were updated and improved. He ordered the building of a new dry dock. A dry dock is a special area where ships can be built or repaired out of the water. This new dry dock was big enough for ships up to 20,000 tons, which was perfect for the new España class battleships.
Becoming a Politician
Besides his work in the Navy, José Ferrándiz also became a politician. He was elected as a senator for Lérida in 1903. Then, in 1907, he was elected as a senator for Málaga. In 1909, King Alfonso XIII made him a senator for life, meaning he would hold the position for the rest of his life.
