50. The Pacific Alliance (1866)
50. The Pacific Alliance (1866)
Admiral Nuñez ordered to cease the bombardment of Valparaiso and prepare to engage the incoming Philippine navy.
Spanish Order of Battle
The Spanish fleet facing the Philippine navy composed of 1 ironclad, Numancia, with roughly the same firepower, size and tonnage to the original version of Cebu class ironclads, 5 screw frigates and 1 corvette, 1 armed merchant vessel plus several support ships.
Philippine Order of Battle
The Philippine fleet composed of 6 ironclads (2 batteline ironclads and 4 ironclad corvettes) - HMS Borneo, HMS Luzon and 4 Cagayan Class - HMS Cagayan, HMS Ilocos, HMS Pampanga, HMS Camarines. HMS Luzon was upgraded with new cannons, 120-pounder Whitworth rifled cannon. They were accompanied by 4 Screw Frigates and several support ships.
The Battle of Boracay versus the Visayan Galleon made the Imperial Navy realize the 68 pounders were not sufficient versus any ironclad. Philippine navy tested several weapons in 1862. The Navy tested several cannons against a 4.5-inch wrought iron plate, the 7-inch Armstrong gun performed the worse penetrating only 1-2 inches of the plate. The 68-pounder penetrated only 2-3 inches. The 70-pounder Whitworth cannon went thru the plate. All test were done at 200 yards. The 120-pounder Whitworth cannons can even penetrate HMS Warrior’s 4.5 inches wrought Iron plate at 600 yards.
The Borneo class is a large oceangoing ironclad made to fix armor deficiencies of Cebu class. She is a central battery ironclad with all the weapons located amidships. The weapons were reduced to 24 120-pounder Whitworth cannons located inside the box battery. The foremost and aftermost guns could be traversed to fire to within a few degrees of the line of the keel through recessed embrasures in the battery walls. The central battery, magazine and machinery were heavily armored up to 13 inches wrought iron. Tropical wood armor backing was reduced to 9 inches. Both the Bow and stern were armored. The stern was angled in such a way it deflects incoming artillery fire away from the rudder. The bow is armored with 6 inches of wrought iron angled to deflect artillery fire that Borneo class is going to ram. In order to save on weight, the rest of the ship is unarmored heavy relying on water tight compartments. The two Borneo class were laid down in 1863.
Double bottom, full rig sails, watertight bulkheads, speed of the ship, balanced rudder and ventilation of Cebu class were retained. The coal bunkers or range of the ship was increased to 4,000 nautical miles while cruising at 10 knots.
The Cagayan Class ironclad is an iron hulled and ironclad corvette. It was meant to replace the Guam Class before the war with a ship design based on Captain Coles turret design. It is slower than the Guam class at 12 knots with roughly the same tonnage at around 3,700 tons. It is armed with a single twin turret 120-pounder Whitworth cannons. They can fire ahead and aft 15 degrees of the line of keel. It has a stern chaser, of the same cannon and caliber, either on or under her poop.
The Philippine Imperial Fleet is being led by Admiral Guillermo Tejero.
Admiral Tejero
The Battle of Valparaiso began with long range fire by the Philippine fleet engaging farther than the effective range of the Spanish fleet.
Outnumbered and outgunned, Admiral Nuñez ordered his fleet to ram the Philippine fleet. He wants to even odds rather than fight the larger Philippine fleet in artillery duel especially since his fleet used 3 hours of ammunition bombarding Valparaiso.
The Spanish fleet formed a V formation or arrowhead formation, with the smallest ships on the back.
Admiral Tejero ordered the Philippine fleet into a line abreast.
The Philippine fleet crossed the Spanish fleet’s T.
After heavy fire, one Spanish frigate, Resolucion, was hit on the engines and blew up. The armed merchant Paquete de Maule was disabled and dead on the water.
A Philippine screw frigate took 10 shots from the Spanish, one of the shots killed her captain.
Spanish frigate Villa de Madrid took 40 heavy shells, losing her mainmast and losing her engine propulsion.
HMS Cagayan was hit by a heavy shell below the waterline but remained afloat.
The Spanish Ironclad Numancia tried to ram HMS Ilocos. But HMS Ilocos was able to dodge the Spanish Ironclad.
HMS Ilocos then counter rammed the Spanish Ironclad. The impact tore off HMS Ilocos’ stem and bowspirit. The Spanish ironclad laid heavy fire using his 68pounders against HMS Ilocos. HMS Ilocos’ mainmast and funnel went into the sea.
Both ships, HMS Ilocos and Numancia, preparing for another ram backed off from one another.
HMS Luzon ramming the Spanish ironclad Numancia
HMS Borneo fired on Spanish screw frigate, Reina Blanca, which demasted it and set the Spanish frigate on fire.
HMS Camarines and a Philippine screw frigate focused on Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Triunfo. Several shots from Philippine ironclads hit the Spanish frigate below the waterline. The Spanish screw frigate struck her colors and sank three minutes later.
HMS Pampanga and another Philippine screw frigate engaged the Spanish frigate Berenguela.
The remaining Philippine screw frigate engaged the Spanish corvette Vencedora.
Admiral Tejero seeing the Spanish Ironclad trying to attempt another ram against the smaller Philippine ironclad, ordered his flagship HMS Luzon to ram the Spanish Ironclad.
HMS Luzon conducted a good impact ramming. This put a 15 feet hole below the Spanish Ironclad’s waterline. The Spanish ironclad, Numancia, struck her colors but eventually sank.
Admiral Nuñez died during the battle. The Philippine fleet by the end of the battle had three damaged frigates and 2 damaged ironclads. Spain lost 1 Ironclad, 2 frigates. Philippines captured 3 Spanish frigates and 1 Corvette. The armed merchant Paquete de Maule, which was captured by Spain from Chile, was returned to Chile. The Spanish Auxiliary ships were also captured.
The surviving Spanish sailors were rescued or captured. They were all handed to Chile as prisoners of war.
Admiral Nuñez ordered to cease the bombardment of Valparaiso and prepare to engage the incoming Philippine navy.
Spanish Order of Battle
The Spanish fleet facing the Philippine navy composed of 1 ironclad, Numancia, with roughly the same firepower, size and tonnage to the original version of Cebu class ironclads, 5 screw frigates and 1 corvette, 1 armed merchant vessel plus several support ships.
Philippine Order of Battle
The Philippine fleet composed of 6 ironclads (2 batteline ironclads and 4 ironclad corvettes) - HMS Borneo, HMS Luzon and 4 Cagayan Class - HMS Cagayan, HMS Ilocos, HMS Pampanga, HMS Camarines. HMS Luzon was upgraded with new cannons, 120-pounder Whitworth rifled cannon. They were accompanied by 4 Screw Frigates and several support ships.
The Battle of Boracay versus the Visayan Galleon made the Imperial Navy realize the 68 pounders were not sufficient versus any ironclad. Philippine navy tested several weapons in 1862. The Navy tested several cannons against a 4.5-inch wrought iron plate, the 7-inch Armstrong gun performed the worse penetrating only 1-2 inches of the plate. The 68-pounder penetrated only 2-3 inches. The 70-pounder Whitworth cannon went thru the plate. All test were done at 200 yards. The 120-pounder Whitworth cannons can even penetrate HMS Warrior’s 4.5 inches wrought Iron plate at 600 yards.
The Borneo class is a large oceangoing ironclad made to fix armor deficiencies of Cebu class. She is a central battery ironclad with all the weapons located amidships. The weapons were reduced to 24 120-pounder Whitworth cannons located inside the box battery. The foremost and aftermost guns could be traversed to fire to within a few degrees of the line of the keel through recessed embrasures in the battery walls. The central battery, magazine and machinery were heavily armored up to 13 inches wrought iron. Tropical wood armor backing was reduced to 9 inches. Both the Bow and stern were armored. The stern was angled in such a way it deflects incoming artillery fire away from the rudder. The bow is armored with 6 inches of wrought iron angled to deflect artillery fire that Borneo class is going to ram. In order to save on weight, the rest of the ship is unarmored heavy relying on water tight compartments. The two Borneo class were laid down in 1863.
Double bottom, full rig sails, watertight bulkheads, speed of the ship, balanced rudder and ventilation of Cebu class were retained. The coal bunkers or range of the ship was increased to 4,000 nautical miles while cruising at 10 knots.
The Cagayan Class ironclad is an iron hulled and ironclad corvette. It was meant to replace the Guam Class before the war with a ship design based on Captain Coles turret design. It is slower than the Guam class at 12 knots with roughly the same tonnage at around 3,700 tons. It is armed with a single twin turret 120-pounder Whitworth cannons. They can fire ahead and aft 15 degrees of the line of keel. It has a stern chaser, of the same cannon and caliber, either on or under her poop.
The Philippine Imperial Fleet is being led by Admiral Guillermo Tejero.
Admiral Tejero
The Battle of Valparaiso began with long range fire by the Philippine fleet engaging farther than the effective range of the Spanish fleet.
Outnumbered and outgunned, Admiral Nuñez ordered his fleet to ram the Philippine fleet. He wants to even odds rather than fight the larger Philippine fleet in artillery duel especially since his fleet used 3 hours of ammunition bombarding Valparaiso.
The Spanish fleet formed a V formation or arrowhead formation, with the smallest ships on the back.
Admiral Tejero ordered the Philippine fleet into a line abreast.
The Philippine fleet crossed the Spanish fleet’s T.
After heavy fire, one Spanish frigate, Resolucion, was hit on the engines and blew up. The armed merchant Paquete de Maule was disabled and dead on the water.
A Philippine screw frigate took 10 shots from the Spanish, one of the shots killed her captain.
Spanish frigate Villa de Madrid took 40 heavy shells, losing her mainmast and losing her engine propulsion.
HMS Cagayan was hit by a heavy shell below the waterline but remained afloat.
The Spanish Ironclad Numancia tried to ram HMS Ilocos. But HMS Ilocos was able to dodge the Spanish Ironclad.
HMS Ilocos then counter rammed the Spanish Ironclad. The impact tore off HMS Ilocos’ stem and bowspirit. The Spanish ironclad laid heavy fire using his 68pounders against HMS Ilocos. HMS Ilocos’ mainmast and funnel went into the sea.
Both ships, HMS Ilocos and Numancia, preparing for another ram backed off from one another.
HMS Luzon ramming the Spanish ironclad Numancia
HMS Borneo fired on Spanish screw frigate, Reina Blanca, which demasted it and set the Spanish frigate on fire.
HMS Camarines and a Philippine screw frigate focused on Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Triunfo. Several shots from Philippine ironclads hit the Spanish frigate below the waterline. The Spanish screw frigate struck her colors and sank three minutes later.
HMS Pampanga and another Philippine screw frigate engaged the Spanish frigate Berenguela.
The remaining Philippine screw frigate engaged the Spanish corvette Vencedora.
Admiral Tejero seeing the Spanish Ironclad trying to attempt another ram against the smaller Philippine ironclad, ordered his flagship HMS Luzon to ram the Spanish Ironclad.
HMS Luzon conducted a good impact ramming. This put a 15 feet hole below the Spanish Ironclad’s waterline. The Spanish ironclad, Numancia, struck her colors but eventually sank.
Admiral Nuñez died during the battle. The Philippine fleet by the end of the battle had three damaged frigates and 2 damaged ironclads. Spain lost 1 Ironclad, 2 frigates. Philippines captured 3 Spanish frigates and 1 Corvette. The armed merchant Paquete de Maule, which was captured by Spain from Chile, was returned to Chile. The Spanish Auxiliary ships were also captured.
The surviving Spanish sailors were rescued or captured. They were all handed to Chile as prisoners of war.