Second Battle of Topolobampo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Second Battle of Topolobampo |
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| Part of the Mexican Revolution | |||||||
 A map of Topolobampo and Topolobampo Bay. Shell Point is visible, west of Topolobampo, sticking out into the Gulf of California. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Constitutionalists |
Hueristas |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lieutenant Hilario Malpica | Captain Navio Torres | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1 gunboat | 2 gunboats | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| none | none | ||||||
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The Second Battle of Topolobampo was a naval fight that happened during the Mexican Revolution. It took place in March 1914. During this time, a rebel ship, called a gunboat, tried to break a blockade near Topolobampo, Sinaloa, in Mexico. A blockade is when ships stop other ships from entering or leaving a port.
The rebel ship managed to push the government's ships farther away. However, it could not completely end the blockade. No one was hurt in this battle.
What Happened During the Battle?
On March 13, 1914, at 8:50 AM, a rebel gunboat named Tampico began its attack. It was led by Lieutenant Hilario Malpica. The Tampico was heading towards two government gunboats, the Guerrero and the Morelos. These government ships were commanded by Captain Navio Torres.
As soon as the Tampico was seen, the two government ships quickly started moving towards it. The Guerrero fired the first shots at 9:00 AM. It used its six 4-inch guns. Just like in an earlier battle, the Tampico fired its own guns. It shot two 4-inch guns and one 6-pounder gun at the Morelos. The first shot landed about 20 yards too short. None of the other shots hit the Morelos.
The Guerrero and Morelos followed the Tampico for a while. Then, the Morelos stopped to fire back. After shooting, the Morelos turned around and sailed away. None of its shots hit the Tampico.
As the Morelos retreated, the Tampico kept firing. An American cruiser called the USS New Orleans was watching the battle. It ended up in the direct path of the Tampicos shots. Lieutenant Malpica realized he might hit a neutral ship. So, he changed the Tampicos target to the Guerrero.
Captain Torres, on the Guerrero, also turned his ship around and sailed away. It seemed he was afraid of the Tampico's guns. The USS New Orleans also moved to a safer spot to continue watching.
After the Battle
The Tampico then sailed back to a safe area. The two government gunboats anchored farther south than they were before. All the shooting stopped by 9:12 AM. The Guerrero had fired 13 shells, the Morelos fired 9, and the Tampico fired 6. The ships were about 9,000 to 10,000 yards apart. No ship was hit by any of the shots.
Officers from the USS New Orleans wrote in their log that the Tampico's shooting was much better. It was more accurate than the Guerrero or Morelos.
In the end, Lieutenant Malpica and the Tampico could not completely end the government's blockade. However, the Tampico did force the Guerrero and Morelos to stop their attack. This was a small victory for the Tampico. The government ships still kept up their blockade of Topolobampo.
The Morelos left for Altata on March 30. This was one day before the Third Battle of Topolobampo. In that battle, the Tampico was sunk. The Guerrero continued to maintain the blockade.
