Alto Uruguay Flotilla

Alto Uruguay Flotilla
Flotilha Naval do Alto Uruguay
A photo of Alagoas near Humaitá, River Paraguay, 1868. (National Library of Brazil.)
Active	1866 – 1906
Country	Empire of Brazil First Brazilian Republic
Branch	Imperial Brazilian Navy Early Republican Navy
Type	Flotilla
Garrison/HQ	Itaqui
Commanders
Notable commanders	Estanisláo Przewodowski

The Naval Flotilla of Alto Uruguay was a flotilla based in Itaqui and operating in Brazil from 1866 to 1906.

In 1874, it became involved in the so-called Alvear Conflict, in which it fired on the neighboring Argentine city of Alvear.

Origins

Main articles: Battle of Riachuelo, Battle of Paso de Mercedes, and Battle of Paso de Cuevas

The flotilla was established in 1866 by the Brazilian Empire in Itaqui during the Paraguayan War, in order to prevent Paraguayan invasions of Rio Grande do Sul. It included the Pará-class monitors Alagoas and Rio Grande, as well as some smaller wooden ships. The command of the flotilla was briefly abolished in 1871, being combined with that of the Rio Grande do Sul Flotilla. In 1872, however, Estanisláo Przewodowski, a native of Bahia and of Polish origin, was appointed commander of the flotilla. ^[1]

In 1874, Pamphilo Manoel Freire de Carvalho, a medical lieutenant-captain who had come to the aid of a wounded Brazilian in the nearby Argentine town of Itaqui de Alvear, was assaulted by two healers of Italian origin in front of the local police, who did not react. ^[2] Przewodowski, in reaction, repeatedly asked the Argentine authorities to hand over the aggressors. Seeing no reaction, he ordered on June 22 that both flotilla monitors execute hourly bombardments against the city's outposts, until, at the fourth firing, a committee of Alvear residents went to Itaqui to negotiate a ceasefire, which Przewodowski granted. ^{[3] [4]}

The flotilla was terminated in 1906.

Ships

From 1866 to 1879, the Flotilha Naval do Alto Uruguay was composed of: ^[5]

Gunboats
Greenhalgh Vidal de Negreiros Tramandahy
Monitors
Alagoas [6] Rio Grande [7]

See also

• Paraguayan War
• Montevideo Naval Division

References

Citations

1. Instituto Geográfico e Histórico da Bahia 1907, pp. 162–163.
2. Instituto Geográfico e Histórico da Bahia 1907, pp. 163–164.
3. Meira 2009, pp. 220–221.
4. Soares 1995, pp. 224–225.
5. "Almanak da Marinha" (PDF). Município Neutro. 1879. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
6. Gratz 1999, p. 147.
7. Gratz 1999, p. 157.

Bibliography

• "Estanisláo Przewodowski". Revista do Instituto Geographico e Historico da Bahia. 13 (32). Instituto Geográfico e Histórico da Bahia. 1907.
• Meira, Antônio Gonçalves (2009). "O Bombardeio de Alvear". Revista Marítima Brasileira. 129 (4/06).
• Soares, Eduardo Alvares de Souza (1995). "Oficial da marinha dá nome a Teatro". Revista Marítima Brasileira. 115 (10/12). Rio de Janeiro: Serviço de Documentação da Marinha. ISSN   0034-9860.
• Gratz, George A. (1999). "The Brazilian Imperial Navy Ironclads, 1865–1874". In Preston, Antony (ed.). Warship 1999–2000. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-724-4.