Spanish gunboat Callao

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Flag of Spain (1785-1873 and 1875-1931).svg Spain
Name:Callao
Namesake: Callao, a seaport city in Peru
Builder: Manila Ship Company, Cavite, Philippines
Launched: 1888
Completed: 1888
Commissioned: 1888
Fate: Captured by U.S. Navy 12 May 1898
Notes: Served in U.S. Navy as USS Callao 1898–1923
General characteristics
Class and type: Samar-class
Type: gunboat
Displacement: 208 tons
Length: 119 ft 0 in (36.27 m)
Beam: 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
Draft: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Installed power: 250 hp
Propulsion: 2-shaft, 2 boilers
Speed: 9.7 knots
Complement: 35 officers and enlisted
Armament:
  • 1 × 3.5 in (87 mm) breech-loading gun
  • 1 × 37 mm Gatling gun
Armor: none
Notes: Coal 32 tons

Callao was a Samar-class gunboat of the Spanish Navy which served in the Spanish fleet from 1888 to 1898 and fought in the Spanish–American War.

Gunboat naval watercraft designed for bombardment of coastal targets

A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.

Spanish Navy Naval warfare branch of Spains military

The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, the most famous being the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and the first global circumnavigation by Magellan and Elcano. For several centuries, it played a crucial logistical role in the Spanish Empire and defended a vast trade network across the Atlantic Ocean between the Americas and Europe and across the Pacific Ocean between Asia and the Americas.

Spanish–American War Conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States

The Spanish–American War was fought between the United States and Spain in 1898. Hostilities began in the aftermath of the internal explosion of USS Maine in Havana harbor in Cuba, leading to U.S. intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. U.S. acquisition of Spain's Pacific possessions led to its involvement in the Philippine Revolution and ultimately in the Philippine–American War.

Contents

Callao was captured by the U.S. Navy in 1898 and commissioned into U.S. service. For her characteristics and career in U.S. service, see USS Callao (YFB-11).

Callao was a gunboat of the United States Navy which fought in the Spanish–American War and served in the U.S. fleet from 1898–1923.

Technical characteristics

Callao was built at Cavite, the Philippines, by the Manila Ship Company, [1] intended for colonial duty in the Philippines. She was both launched and completed in 1888. She had two masts and a steel hull, and was unarmored. [2]

Cavite Province in Calabarzon, Philippines

Cavite is a province in the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the Calabarzon region on Luzon island. Situated 21 kilometres (13 mi) southwest of Metro Manila, it is one of the most industrialized and fastest growing provinces in the Philippines. Its population of 3,678,301 (2015) makes it one of the most populated provinces in the country.

Philippines Republic in Southeast Asia

The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital city of the Philippines is Manila and the most populous city is Quezon City, both part of Metro Manila. Bounded by the South China Sea on the west, the Philippine Sea on the east and the Celebes Sea on the southwest, the Philippines shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Vietnam to the west, Palau to the east, and Malaysia and Indonesia to the south.

Operational history

Callao spent her Spanish Navy career on colonial duties in the Philippine Islands. When the Spanish–American War began in April 1898, she was at sea on a cruise around the island of Luzon. Her crew was unaware that war had been declared or that the Spanish Navy squadron of Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron had been destroyed by the U.S. Navy's Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey in the Battle of Manila Bay eleven days earlier when, on 12 May 1898, Callao steamed into Manila Bay en route the harbor. [2]

Luzon largest island of the Philippines

Luzon is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. It is ranked 15th largest in the world by land area. Located in the northern region of the archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as well as Quezon City, the country's most populous city. With a population of 53 million as of 2015,, it is the fourth most populous island in the world containing 52.5% of the country's total population.

Asiatic Squadron

The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron were primarily involved in matters relating to American commerce with China and Japan, though it participated in several conflicts over 34 years of service until becoming the Asiatic Fleet in 1902.

George Dewey United States Navy admiral

George Dewey was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained the rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War.

When Dewey's ships sighted the inbound gunboat, cruiser USS Raleigh got underway to investigate. When it became apparent that Callao was a Spanish ship, Raleigh, cruiser USS Baltimore, and protected cruiser USS Olympia opened fire on her. [3]

Cruiser Type of large warships

A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.

USS <i>Raleigh</i> (C-8)

USS Raleigh (C-8) was a United States Navy protected cruiser of the Cincinnati class, commissioned in 1894 and in periodic service until 1919.

USS <i>Baltimore</i> (C-3) protected cruiser

The fourth USS Baltimore (C-3) was a United States Navy cruiser, the fifth protected cruiser to be built by an American yard. Like the previous one, Charleston, the design was commissioned from the British company of W. Armstrong, Mitchell, and Company of Newcastle. Baltimore was an all-around improvement on Charleston, somewhat larger with more guns, thicker armor, and better machinery.

Taken utterly by surprise, Callao's crew at first mistook the American ships for Montojo's squadron and the gunfire for target practice by Montojo's ships, but quickly realized that they were under attack and hopelessly outgunned. They struck their colors and surrendered to Raleigh. They were quickly paroled ashore at Cavite, and it was later rumored that the commanding officer of Callao was sentenced to death by Spanish authorities for not fighting back against the American ships. [2]

Callao was immediately put into American service, and was officially commissioned into the U.S. Navy on 17 July 1898 [4] as gunboat USS Callao.

Notes

  1. ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905, p. 167
  2. 1 2 3 The Spanish–American War Centennial Website: Gunboat Callao and The Spanish–American War Centennial Website: Spanish 2nd-Class Gunboats
  3. ↑ The Spanish–American War Centennial Website: Gunboat Callao
  4. ↑ Per The Spanish–American War Centennial Website: Gunboat Callao and the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, although Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905, p. 167, and The Spanish–American War Centennial Website: Spanish 2nd-Class Gunboats both claim the commissioning date was 2 July 1898

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References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .

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