Spanish gunboat General Concha facts for kids
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|} The General Concha was a special type of small warship called a gunboat in the Spanish Navy. It was also known as a "Third Class non-armored Cruiser." This ship played a role in the Spanish–American War near San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Cañonero General Concha (Crucero no protegido de Tercera Clase) |
| Namesake | General Concha |
| Builder | Naval shipyard Esteiro at Ferrol, Spain |
| Way number | Shipyard order Nr. 169 |
| Laid down | 1 May 1882 |
| Launched | 28 November 1883 |
| Fate | Wrecked 11 June 1913 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | General Concha-class gunboat |
| Displacement | 524 tons |
| Length | 48.76 m (160 ft 0 in) |
| Beam | 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in) |
| Draft | 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power | 600 hp (450 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2-shaft, compound reciprocating, 2 boilers |
| Sail plan | light schooner rig |
| Speed | 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) |
| Complement | 98 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Notes | 80 tons of coal (normal) |
Building the General Concha
The General Concha was built at the Esteiro naval shipyard in Ferrol, Spain. It had a strong iron hull and a single funnel for smoke. It also had a simple schooner sail rig. This ship was the first of four gunboats ordered by Admiral Francisco de Paula Pavía y Pavía, who was the Minister of the Navy.
The ship's design was created in Spain. Its keel (the main bottom part of the ship) was put in place on May 1, 1882. The ship was then launched into the water on November 28, 1883. It had a powerful 600 horsepower engine with two boilers, built in Barcelona.
The General Concha was first armed with three large 120 mm "González Hontoria" guns. These were quite heavy for a gunboat, which is why it was sometimes called a "Cruiser, Third Class." It also had three smaller machine guns. Later, after 1899, its weapons were changed to four faster-firing 42 mm Nordenfelt guns and two 25 mm Maxim machine guns.
The ship was named after Don Juan Gutiérrez de la Concha, a Spanish Navy Brigadier. He was a governor and explorer of Patagonia in 1779.
Life at Sea
After it was ready for duty, the General Concha was sent to the Spanish colony of San Juan, Puerto Rico. There, it mostly patrolled the coast until the Spanish–American War started in April 1898.
Battles in Puerto Rico
The U.S. Navy started a blockade (blocking ships from entering or leaving a port) of San Juan on June 18, 1898. A few days later, on June 22, the General Concha, along with the cruiser Isabel II and the destroyer Terror, sailed out to challenge the blockade. This led to the Second Battle of San Juan.
Two American ships, USS St. Paul and USS Yosemite, moved in. A short gun battle followed, but the Spanish ships quickly turned back. The Isabel II and General Concha were not very fast, only reaching 11 knots. The Terror tried to launch a torpedo to help them escape but was badly damaged by gunfire from the St. Paul. Still, all three Spanish ships managed to return safely to San Juan.
A few days later, on June 28, the General Concha, Isabel II, and gunboat Ponce de León left port again. They wanted to help a Spanish merchant ship, the Antonio López, which was trying to bring important war supplies into San Juan. The American ship Yosemite stopped the Antonio López and made it run aground on nearby reefs.
The General Concha arrived first and fought Yosemite, trying to stop the Americans from interfering with the rescue of the supplies. The three Spanish warships exchanged long-distance gunfire with St. Paul, Yosemite, and the cruiser USS New Orleans. Neither side managed to hit the other during this fight.
After the War
After the war, the General Concha went back to Spain. Its weapons were updated again to four rapid-fire 42 mm Nordenfelt guns and two 25 mm Maxim machine guns. It was then sent to the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. Its job there was to stop piracy and the illegal movement of weapons by local groups.
The Shipwreck
On June 11, 1913, the General Concha sailed from Almuñécar, Granada, in Spain, heading to Alhucemas, a Spanish base on the Moroccan coast. The ship's captain was Don Emiliano Castaño Hernández.
As the ship got closer to Morocco, it ran into very thick fog. Even though it slowed down, the crew couldn't see the coast. Around 7:40 AM, about five miles from its destination, the ship hit rocks hard near the cove of Busicú. The ship was stuck among the rocks, with its front pointing towards the shore.
The front parts of the ship, including the engine room, quickly filled with water. The crew tried to free the ship, but it was stuck fast. They also sent a small boat to Alhucemas to get help and to take a passenger, Colonel Basterra, to safety.
Soon, local rebel groups realized the ship was in trouble. They started shooting at the General Concha from the nearby cliffs. The crew had to fight back while also trying to fix the damaged front of the ship. During this time, some crew members were hurt or lost their lives. The ship's doctor, Don Manuel Quignon, bravely helped the wounded, even though he was exposed to the gunfire.
Later, the attackers tried to board the ship from the front, which was partly underwater. They managed to capture some crew members. However, in the back of the ship, an officer named Don Rafael Ramos Izquierdo gathered about 20 to 25 remaining crew members. They fought back, forcing the attackers to leave the ship. But the rebels took 11 crew members with them as prisoners.
The ship's commander, D. Emiliano Castaño, was badly wounded and died. Officer Izquierdo then took command of the ship and the remaining crew. The rebels stopped their direct attack but kept some snipers on the cliffs. They sent a message to the ship, offering to exchange the prisoners for the ship. The Spanish officers did not accept, as the ship was already too damaged to be saved.
Finally, at 5:00 PM, Spanish rescue ships, the gunboat Lauria and the steamer Vicente Sáenz, arrived. They took the remaining crew members to safety. The General Concha was left as a wreck.
See also
In Spanish: General Concha para niños
