José Romero y Fernández de Landa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids José Romero y Fernández de Landa
Born	(1735-05-27)27 May 1735 Huelva
Died	5 August 1807(1807-08-05) (aged 72) Madrid
Other work	Naval engineer

José Romero y Fernández de Landa (1735–1807), often known as Romero Landa, was a very important Spanish naval and army officer. He was the first official naval engineer and ship designer for the Spanish Navy. He created many powerful warships, including two-deck and three-deck ships of the line in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Some of his ships fought in famous battles like the Battle of Cape St Vincent and the Battle of Trafalgar.

Romero Landa also wrote an important book in 1784. It was called Reglamento de maderas necesarias para la fábrica de los baxeles del Rey. This translates to Rules for the wood necessary for building the King's ships. The book gave detailed rules for the types and sizes of wood needed to build the King's ships. It covered everything from the ship's body to its masts and sails, for ships with 100, 74, 64, and 34 guns.

The Life of a Ship Designer

José Romero Landa began his career in the military on May 27, 1752. He joined the Regimiento de Dragones de Edimburgo as a company commander. In 1754, he moved to the navy. He became an 'alférez de fragata', which is like an ensign. He then commanded a company of Marines in Ferrol.

Cover of the Reglamento de maderas necesarias para la fábrica de los baxeles del Rey by Romero Landa (1784)

On November 1, 1765, Romero Landa started working at the shipyard in Guarnizo. He worked under the famous ship designer Francisco Gautier. In October 1770, a new group was formed called the Cuerpo de Ingenieros de Marina (Marine Engineers Corps). He was one of the few officers from the regular military to join this new engineering group.

He was promoted to frigate captain. Then, he was named Commandant of the Engineers and Engineer General. On January 28, 1786, he rose to the top rank of Engineer General of the Fleet. This made him the most important naval engineer in Spain.

Warships Designed by Romero Landa

Romero Landa designed many different types of warships. These ships were very important for the Spanish Navy. They included large ships of the line and smaller, faster frigates.

112-Gun Ships

These were some of the largest and most powerful warships of their time. They had 112 cannons!

Plan of a Santa Ana class 112-gun ship

74-Gun Ships

These ships were also very strong and important for naval battles. They carried 74 cannons.

64-Gun Ships

These three ships were based on his 74-gun designs. They were slightly smaller but still powerful.

Frigates

Frigates were smaller and faster ships. They were often used for scouting or protecting convoys.

Plan of a 34-gun frigate

Romero Landa's Ships at the Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a very famous naval battle in 1805. Five of the ships designed by Romero Landa fought in this important battle:

• Santa Ana (a huge 112-gun ship)
• Príncipe de Asturias (another 112-gun ship)
• San Ildefonso (a 74-gun ship)
• Monarca (a 74-gun ship)
• San Leandro (a 64-gun ship)

See also

In Spanish: José Joaquín Romero y Fernández de Landa para niños