Peruvian Navy Monitor 1870-1881
BAP Atahualpa was a peruvian monitor, ex-USS Catawba acquired in 1868, taking part in the Peruvian Civil War and Pacific War, scuttled in 1881.
Development
Armada Peruviana 1865
Back in 1865, the Peruvian Navy was a hotchpodge of wooden bricks and schooners, with its three main combat vessels being the 1850 screw Frigate Apurimac, and later Corvettes America and Union, ex-Confederate vessels ordered in France and resold to Peru in 1865. However its neighbours were already looking at acquiring armoured ships, so the parliament vote the procurement of new armoured ships as well. This procurement led to the construciton in Britain of two ships, the small central battery ironclad Independencia anf the turret ironclad Huascar, both launched in 1865.
Acquisition of USS Catawba
The last procurement came from another opportunity: In 1867, with the American civil war over and many ships in the mothballs, there were opportunities. A Peruvian delegation learned about the selling of monitors from the Canonicus class returned to their original builders, and after inspecting USS Catawba, returned by the US Government to Alexander Swift & Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, decided to acquire the ship. Negociations during she was laid up concluded successfull and she was sold oto the Peruvian Government on 13 April 1868. Renamed BAP Atahualpa, she was recommissioned in 1870 (more detailed below).
USS Catwaba (after the Catawba River, North Carolina) was originally laid down at Alexander Swift & Co. as a Canonicus class monitor in 1862. She was launched on 13 April 1864, commissioned on 7 June 1865 after much delays by multiple changes ordered to integrate battle experience such as new turrets and pilot houses with 10 inches (254 mm) armour and swapping holding bolts by rivets, draught deepened by 18 inches (457 mm) for more buoyancy, the turret moved away for better balance and new deck armor.
Plus there was the low depth of the Ohio River prevented her moving from Cincinnati by December 1864 to complete fitting out, until March 1865 for her final outfitting at Mound City in Illinois, but she was placed in ordinary and moved to a deep-water berth opposite Cairo by mid-1865. She saw no combat action and was moved to New Orleans in May 1866. In August 1867 she was returned to Swift & Co. and retained in good shape in case she could not be sold. When she was acquited, the company started to refit her for Peruvian service.
Design of the class
Hull and general design
Atahualpa was a Canonicus class monitor identical to her sisters (this was a class of nine wartime vessels started in 1862, completed 1864-65). However given the lack of standardization at the time, each yard delivered a different ship and USS Catawba was no exception, being among the last completed. In her case, she displaced 2,100 long tons (2,100 t) and 1,034 tons Tons burthen for an overall length of 225 ft (69 m), a beam of 43 ft 3 in (13.18 m) and a draft of 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m). Apart the changes decribed above, she had a single turret located forward with a pilot house built above, tall air intakes and a rear funnel. She was also given two masts and was rigged as a schooner with two jibs, two spankers and a square sail forward.
Powerplant
Like other Canonicus ships, Atahualpa was powered by a two-cylinder horizontal vibrating-lever steam engine, developed by Ericsson, the man that already developed USS Monitor. Also called half-trunk engine, it was a development of the conventional trunk engine by John Ericsson. Developed for Monitors as the latter wanted its own small, low-profile engine. Basically the two horizontal cylinders were placed back to back in the middle of the engine, working two “vibrating levers” by means of shafts and additional levers rotated a centrally located crankshaft. However they were later supplanted by other types. This engine drove one propeller from steam produced by four horizontal fire-tube boilers designed by Stimers. Output was 320 ihp (240 kW) for a top speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). She carried 140–150 long tons (140–150 t) of coal.
Protection
Gun turret: 10 in (250 mm)
Waterline belt: 5 in (130 mm)
Deck: 1.5 in (38 mm)
Pilot house: 10 in (250 mm)
Armament
Her unique turret had two independent smoothbore, muzzle-loading, 15-inch (381 mm) Dahlgren guns, mounted each fixed, in front of its own port. Each gun weighed approximately 43,000 pounds (20,000 kg) and they were able to fire a 350-pound (158.8 kg) shell up to 2,100 yards (1,900 m) at +7°. That was quite a solid volley against any opponent.
⚙ specifications |
|
| Displacement | 2,100 long tons (2,100 t), 1,034 tons tbm |
| Dimensions | 225 ft x 43 ft 3 in x 13 ft 6 in (69 x 13.18 x 4.1 m) |
| Propulsion | Ericsson Vibrating-lever steam engine, 4 × fire-tube boilers 320 ihp (240 kW) |
| Speed | 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) |
| Range | Unknown |
| Armament | 2 × 15-inch (381 mm) Dahlgren smoothbore guns |
| Protection | Turret 10 in (250 mm), belt 5 in (130 mm), deck 1.5 in (38 mm), pilot house 10 in (250 mm) |
| Crew | 100 officers and enlisted men |
Career of Atahualpa
In October 1867, an agent for Swift & Co. negotiated a deal with Peru to purchase Catawba and sister, for a million dollars apiece. At the time, Gideon Welles was Secretary of the Navy, and indicated the company could repurchase the pair if refunded by government’s building costs but reversed later his decision while it was debated by the Congress. The latter was solved with a cost fixed by a board of officers to the highest competitive bid on appraised value, which was at $375,000 on 11 April 1868 when signed by the Peruvian. Yes still, she was not delivered, and instead started a refit.
Catawba was renamed Atahualpa (after the last Inca Emperor) and prepared for her lengthy trip to Peru around Cape Horn. Swift & Co. added a breakwater at the bow and stepped two masts with a fore-and-aft rig in addition of the engine, with extra closures on all deck openings and the turret, possibly its base was also waterproofed.
Meanwile the US Gvt. negotiated with Great Britain over compensation for losses by British ships sold to the Confederacy (Alabama Claims). Peru meanwhile had been involved in the Chincha Islands War in 1864–1866. Negotiations between the parties over the issue delayed departure of the monitors until January 1869. Peru bought also the steamers Reyes and Marañon for towing them.
While off Pensacola, Florida, machinery breakdowns forced them to wait 30 days for repairs. Later off Key West and Bahamas, they became separated in heavy weather. Atahualpa sailed to Great Inagua (Bahamas) for coal supply, which the officers paid themselves. Both off St. Thomas (Virgin Islands) both were reunited and sailed to Pachitea. Oneota was towed and almost upon arrival, renamed Manco Cápac but she accidentally rammed and sank in the storm. And later while entering by night Rio de Janeir on 15-16 September, Manco Cápac ran aground. She was refloated later but spent much time in repair. Both sailed again with the steam corvette Unión, reached the Strait of Magellan on 29 January 1870, and reache the other side at Callao on 11 May.
Atahualpa was towed from Callao to Iquique and from 11–22 May 1877, defended that port from the rebel ironclad Huáscar (Peruvian Civil War). Next she saw action in the War of the Pacific with Chile from 1879. Atahualpa was in Callao. On 11 December 1880, she started firing at Callao from of up to 4 miles (6.4 km). Atahualpa sortied to face her, escorted by a tug, and started an inconclusive long-range duel with the Chilean fleet, scoring no hit. On 16 January 1881, her crew was forced to scuttle her to prevent capture by the Chileans advancing into Iquique. Postwar she was salvaged and became a storage hulk until broken up sometime in the 1900s.
Read More/Src
Books
Romero, Fernando (1984), Historia Marítima del Perú. Tomo VIII, Volumen 2. Lima. Instituto de Estudios Histórico Marítimos del Perú.
Vegas, Manuel (1929), Historia de la Marina del Perú: 1821 -1924. Lima. Talleres Gráficos de la Marina.
Castañeda Martos, Alicia (1991), Viaje de los monitores Manco Cápac y Atahualpa desde el Atlántico al Pacífico 1868-1870. Lima, 1991.
Dirección General de Intereses Marítimos.
Links
geocities.ws
LOS MONITORES AMERICANOS, LA HISTORIA DEL ATAHUALPA Y EL MANCO CAPAC
warshipsresearch.blogspot.com
es.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org