Ironclad Huascar - Guide 057 - Special
Summary
TLDRThe 'Huáscar', an ironclad warship of the Peruvian and Chilean navies, had an eventful history. Originally an experimental turret ship, it was armed with powerful guns and a ram bow. Despite initial setbacks, it saw action in the Peruvian Civil War and the War of the Pacific, where its armor was its strength. The ship changed hands multiple times, was involved in the first combat torpedo launch, and was eventually captured and repaired by Chile. It served until a boiler explosion in 1897, was later restored, and can now be visited as a heritage ship in Chile.
Takeaways
- ⚓ The Huascar was an ironclad turret warship serving both Peruvian and Chilean navies.
- 🛠️ Built in the 1860s, the Huascar had a 4.5-inch thick belt of armor and a 7.5-inch thick armored turret.
- 🔫 The ship's armament included twin 10-inch guns, smaller 40-pound guns, a 12-pound cannon, and a Gatling gun.
- 🚢 Equipped with a ram bow, the Huascar could reach speeds of 12 knots.
- ⚔️ The Huascar saw action in various conflicts, including the Peruvian civil war and the War of the Pacific.
- 🛡️ Despite its armor, the ship faced significant challenges and damages during battles, especially against newer Chilean ironclads.
- 👨✈️ Captain Grau was the Huascar's most renowned commander, serving during significant naval engagements.
- 🌊 The Huascar was captured by Chilean forces and served in the Chilean navy after the Battle of Angamos.
- 🔄 The ship was involved in multiple civil wars and changed hands between government and rebel forces.
- 🏛️ The Huascar is now a heritage ship and can be visited in Talcahuano, Chile.
Q & A
What was the HMS Warrior's significance in the context of the Musca's design?
-The HMS Warrior was the first true ironclad warship, and its design influenced the Musca, which was an early ironclad turret ship, one of the many experimental warship types in the 1860s.
What were the Musca's primary weapons?
-The Musca was armed with a single twin turret carrying a pair of 10-inch guns, also known as 300-pound guns, a pair of smaller 40-pound guns, a 12-pound cannon, and a Gatling gun.
Why was the ram bow considered a vital weapon on the Musca?
-The ram bow was considered vital because, at the time, the thickest armor appeared almost invulnerable to gunfire, and the ram could be used to inflict damage on enemy ships.
What was the Musca's speed and how did it compare to other ships of the time?
-The Musca had a speed of 12 knots, which was not the fastest but was considered respectable for a ship of its type during that era.
Why did the Peruvian Navy name the ship Huascar?
-The Peruvian Navy named the ship Huascar after the penultimate ruler of the Inca Empire, following a tradition of naming ships after significant historical figures.
What was the first action Captain Grau saw on the Huascar?
-Captain Grau's first action on the Huascar was during the Peruvian civil war when the ship was seized by rebels and operated against government shipping.
How did the Huascar's armor perform during its engagement with the British Navy?
-The Huascar's armor performed well, keeping out all incoming fire from the faster but unarmored British ships, despite being hit repeatedly.
What was significant about the attempted sinking of the Huascar by HMS Shah using a torpedo?
-The attempted sinking marked the first combat torpedo launch in the world, although it missed its target.
What was the outcome of the Battle of Angamos for the Huascar?
-In the Battle of Angamos, the Huascar's armor was finally penetrated by the latest British guns and armor-piercing shot from the Chilean ships, leading to Captain Grau's death and the ship's capture.
How did the Huascar's involvement in the War of the Pacific impact the conflict?
-The Huascar's raids on shipping and ports delayed the Chilean campaign by about half a year, as they couldn't guarantee supply or support for their troops with the Huascar operating unchecked.
What was the final fate of the Huascar?
-After a boiler explosion in 1897, the Huascar was decommissioned and later brought back into service as a submarine tender and then a heritage ship. It can now be visited in the port of Talcahuano, Chile.
Outlines
🛳️ HMS Cusco: The Ironclad Warship's Eventful Journey
The HMS Cusco, originally known as the Musca, was an early ironclad turret ship with a rich history. Designed in the 1860s, it was based on Confederate ironclad ram ships and featured a 4.5-inch armor belt, a 7.5-inch armored turret, and a 3-inch armored conning tower. Armed with 10-inch guns, smaller 40-pound and 12-pound cannons, and a Gatling gun, the ship also had a ram bow for combat. Despite its impressive specs, the Cusco had a tumultuous career, including being stuck in a French port and colliding with its own ironclad. It saw action in the Peruvian Civil War, where it fought against government shipping and engaged with the British Navy. The ship's armor proved resilient, but its speed and armament were insufficient against faster, unarmored British ships. The Cusco also participated in the War of the Pacific, where it faced off against Chilean warships, demonstrating the effectiveness of its armor but also its limitations in combat.
🗡️ The Battle of Angamos and the Cusco's Final Years
In the decisive Battle of Angamos, the Cusco faced Chilean ironclads armed with armor-piercing shot capable of penetrating its once-thought invincible armor. Despite a valiant effort by Captain Grau, who was killed in the battle, the Cusco was heavily damaged and eventually captured by the Chileans. Repaired and repurposed, it served in the Chilean Navy until a boiler explosion in 1897 led to its decommissioning. The ship was later recommissioned as a submarine tender and then preserved as a heritage ship. Interestingly, even in the 1940s, amidst advanced naval technology, the Cusco was still listed in Jane's Fighting Ships as a coastal defense ship. By the 1950s, it was retired and restored to its 1897 condition, where it can now be visited in the port of Talcahuano, Chile. The video concludes by inviting viewers to comment with suggestions for future ship reviews.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ironclad
💡Peruvian and Chilean Navies
💡Turret Ship
💡300-pound Guns
💡RAM Bow
💡War of the Pacific
💡Captain Grau
💡Battle of Angamos
💡Armor-Piercing Shot
💡Boiler Explosion
💡Heritage Ship
Highlights
The Huascar is an ironclad warship with a very eventful life, exemplifying the phrase 'may you live in interesting times'.
Launched in 1865, the Huascar was an early ironclad turret ship, one of many experimental warship types in the 1860s.
Designed based on two small ironclad turret ram ships built for the Confederacy, seized by the British for violating neutrality.
Equipped with 4.5 inch armor belt, 7.5 inch armored turret, 3-inch armored conning tower, and powerful weaponry.
Armed with 300-pound 10-inch guns, 40-pound guns, 12-pound cannon, Gatling gun, and a RAM bow.
Not the fastest ship at 12 knots, but had respectable speed for its time.
Commissioned into the Peruvian Navy in 1865 under the name Huascar, after the Inca ruler.
Career started with mishaps like getting stuck in a French port and hitting its own ironclad.
Missed the war against Spain in 1866 due to delays and arrived too late.
Captain Grau took command in 1868, becoming the longest-serving and most renowned Peruvian naval officer on the ship.
Saw action in the Peruvian civil war, seized by rebels, fought the Royal Navy, and survived a torpedo attack.
Involved in the War of the Pacific between Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, delaying Chilean campaign.
At the Battle of Angamos in 1879, the Huascar's armor was finally penetrated by Chilean armor-piercing shot.
Captain Grau was killed, and the Huascar was captured and repaired for Chilean Navy service.
The capture of the Huascar allowed the Chilean army to advance and eventually win the war.
Served in another civil war in Chile, was renamed 'Revolution' after the rebels won.
Retired in 1897 after a boiler explosion, later restored and served as a submarine tender and heritage ship.
In the 1950s, still listed by Jane's Fighting Ships as a coastal defense ship despite being outdated.
Now preserved and can be visited in the port of Talcahuano, Chile.
Transcripts
this is the five-minute guide to the
ironclad huis car a warship of the
Peruvian and Chilean navies the Cusco is
one of those ships that exemplifies why
the phrase may you live in interesting
times can be seen as both blessing and
curse she had a very eventful life but
you might not have actually wanted to
serve aboard her especially if you
happen to be a captain now the musca
started life as an early ironclad turret
ship keeping in mind that the first true
ironclad the hms warrior had only been
ordered five years previously the ship
was one of many experimental warship
types in the 1860s not as large or as
capable as an ocean-going battleship
like the warrior but still substantially
more ocean capable than most of the
monitor type vessels used in the
American Civil War her design was
actually based on two small ironclad
turret ram ships that the Laird company
had built for the Confederacy before
they were seized by the British
government for violating the British
Empire's neutrality in that particular
war she was ordered in 1864 and equipped
with a 4.5 inch thick belt of armor a
7.5 inch thick armored turret and a
3-inch thick armored conning tower now
as for weapons we'll hand you over to a
regular narrator the ship was armed with
a single twin turret carrying a pair of
10-inch guns at the time guns were more
usually rated by the weight of shot they
used so most documents called them
300-pound guns a pair of smaller
40-pound guns a 12 pound cannon and a
Gatling gun completed the ranged
armament thank you very much now the
ship was also equipped with a weapon
that was thought to be vital at the time
given that the thickest armor appeared
to be almost invulnerable to any gonna
float this was the RAM bow which was
also armored at 12 knots the ship was
not the fastest thing afloat but its
speed was respectable upon completion in
late 1865 she commissioned into service
of the Peruvian Navy under the name of
Huascar the penultimate ruler of the
Inca Empire like the Georgia Saveur of
half a century later her career started
somewhat poorly getting stuck in a
French port for a month then
accidentally hitting one of her own
sides other ironclads the corvette
independent
yeah and then various neutral countries
refused her from their ports having
eventually made it across the Atlantic
and needing a month of repairs in Rio
amongst other minor dramas she ended up
arriving just too late for the war
against Spain that she'd actually been
ordered for in 1868 captain Grau took
command he would go on to be the ship's
longest-serving commander and the most
renowned Peruvian naval officer she
would see her first action a decade
later when the peruvian civil war kicked
off when she was seized by rebels and
operated against government shipping she
ended up fighting the Royal Navy when
her activities began to affect British
trade now this degenerated into a little
bit of a slap fight as the British ships
were faster but unarmored Corvettes they
hit the Wasco repeatedly but the armor
did its job keeping out all incoming
fire meanwhile the few guns the Wasco
had proved incapable of hitting these
circling British ships and its speed was
insufficient to let the ship actually
rammed the Royal Navy the most
interesting part of the battle was HMS
Shah attempting to sink the Wasco with a
torpedo this was the first combat
torpedo launch in the world it missed
and both sides sailed away in the
darkness a couple of days later the
ships are ended back to the government a
couple of years later the War of the
Pacific broke out in with Chile on one
side and Peru and Bolivia on the other
Chile was significantly stronger on
paper but the Peruvian Navy sent the
crossguard to raid shipping and ports to
which the Chileans didn't actually have
any answer and the entire campaign was
therefore delayed by about half a year
since they couldn't guarantee supply or
support for their troops with the Wasco
running around unchecked and so on the
21st of May 1879 the Battle of equi quay
took place and the US car and
independencia were facing off against
two Chilean warships again the armor of
the GWACs car proved unbreachable but
the Chilean ships had positioned
themselves in front of a Peruvian town
so any missed shots would kill their own
countrymen so the Coast Guard instead of
Ram to the Corvette esmeralda several
times which sent it to the bottom
the Esmerelda's captain tried to board
the worse car but he wasn't heard giving
the order over the noise of battle and
was shot
unaccompanied on the deck of the Wasco
with the main battle over the ship
rescued the surviving enemy crew
unfortunately for the Peruvian Navy the
independencia tried to chase down the
other Chilean ship and ended up getting
stuck on a rock with the Wasco having to
rescue the crew and then destroy the
stricken ship however the chileans had
got quite fed up of this affair and
ordered their own new ironclad ships and
as with almost all exported ironclad
vessels of this period these also came
from England six Chilean vessels would
then engage the crossguard at the Battle
of anga Maz the two new Chilean frigates
were armed with the latest British guns
and armor-piercing shot and these
finally proved capable of penetrating
the cross car's armor whilst their own
nine-inch belt armor was capable of
resisting the Peruvian fire despite a
valiant struggle captain Grau was killed
and the ship steadily filled with more
and more holes until it was on the verge
of sinking however at this point the
Chilean warships boarded and captured
the vessel towing it back to port and
repairing it for service in the Chilean
Navy with Aguas car captured the Chilean
army could at now advance and would
eventually go on to win the war the
cross Garzon pot wasn't over however the
Peruvian government had attempted to
replace its losses by buying a number of
X US Navy monitors including the USS on
a oder
which they renamed manco capac after the
lost in Kerala to actually fight the
Spanish although this ship was one of
the later us monitor designs with
15-inch Dahlgren guns the cross car was
from a similar period of design history
and although the huskers new commander
was also killed the two ships battled
each other without causing significant
damage on either side much like the
earlier engagement of the USS Monitor
and the CSS Virginia 10 years down the
line and the ship was involved in yet
another civil war this time in Chile and
was again on the rebel side the Chilean
government however was overthrown and
since the rebels had won it was promptly
renamed a revolution instead of a
rebellion the crossguard would stay in
service until 1897 when a boiler
explosion resulted in her
decommissioning until 20 years later
when she was brought back into service
as a submarine tender and then a
heritage ship hilariously in nineteen
49 in the era of jet fighters missiles
and 16-inch naval guns the ship was
still listed by Jane's fighting ships as
a coastal defense ship by the 1950s
however she was finally retired and
gradually repaired and rebuilt to her
earlier 1897 condition and she can now
be visited in the port of talcahuano in
Chile that's it for this video thanks
for watching if you have a comment or
suggestion for a ship to review let us
know in the comments below
Browse More Related Video
History From the Archives Episode 3: VICTORIA, The ship that circumnavigated the world
The real story behind Archimedes’ Eureka! - Armand D'Angour
Adelbert Ames: From Gettysburg to Mississippi (Lecture)
Draw my Life de Isabel Allende | Biografía de Isabel Allende
How the Suez Canal changed the world - Lucia Carminati
Russian Revolution | Bolshevik Revolution | World History | General Studies | UPSC
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)