Aquanef: Pacific War 1879: Naval Strengths of the Militarists

Some time ago I was lucky enough to find a 1906 copy of Sir William Laird Clowes' book "Four Modern Naval Campaigns" in a charity shop. This is a treatise on what was then the modern art of naval warfare, and looks in detail at the campaign surrounding the Battle of Lissa in 1866, as well as three separate South American conflicts spanning 1879 to 1894.

This is obviously where I drew my inspiration from when deciding where to set the Nemo versus the Militarists campaign, and it has been a mine of information on the vessels employed at the time and their capabilities, as well as having a lot of scenario-worthy detail on the various engagements.

Laird Clowes set out to examine the likely shape of a future Naval conflict for Britain, give that she herself had not had any recent major surface engagements "since the introduction of modern factors, such as steam, armour, high powered guns, the Ram, the Torpedo and the Electric Light".

In describing the Pacific War of 1879, he himself drew upon a number of sources, including the work of Lt. Theodorus B.M. Mason U.S.N. , as well as both French and Spanish accounts; he hoped to: "set forth some significant, though, I fear, still neglected lessons concerning the potentialities and limitations of the Ram in action" and to demonstrate "the immense importance, especially in armoured craft, of superior speed".

His conclusions make fascinating reading, but he makes no mention of the involvement of submarine craft and their potential, (Booo!) although there are some details given on torpedo craft and the various incarnations of their weaponry.

From his descriptions then, here is a breakdown of the naval strengths in armed shipping of Peru and Chile (Bolivia had no navy) at the start of their fight over the mineral and nitrate rich Atacama Desert:

PERU:

Huascar:

Barque-rigged Ironclad Turret Ship, (1865) 1,130 tons

Speed: 11knots (approx)

Armament: 2 x 10" Muzzle Loaders, 2 x 40pdr ML, 1 x 12pdr ML, 1 Gatling gun

Armour: Sides 4.5", Turret from 5.5 to 7"

Independencia:

Ram equipped Armoured Frigate, (1864) 2,004t

12kt

1 x 250pdr ML, 3 x 150pdr ML, 12 x 70pdr ML

4.5" on the waterline and the central Battery; this had an additional 10" of teak backing

Mano Capac:

Ironclad Monitor (Formerly the USS Oneota), (1866) 2,100t

6kt

2 x 15" Smooth Bore Breech Loaders

5" laminated armour on sides, 10" on turret

Atahualpa:

Ironclad Monitor (Formerly the USS Catawba), (1866) 2,100t

6kt

2 x 15" SBL

5" laminated armour on sides, 10" on turret

Union:

Wooden Corvette, (1864) 1,150t

12kt

2 x 100pdr ML, 2 x 70pdr ML, 12 x 40pdr ML

Pilcomayo:

Wooden Gun Vessel, (1864) 600t

10kt

2x 70pdr ML, 4 x 40pdr ML (later changed to Breech Loaders)

Chalaco:

Steamer Transport, (1873) 1,000t

11kt

2 x 40pdr ML

Limenia:

Paddle Transport, (1865) 1,163t

12kt

2 x 40pdr ML

Laird Clowes also mentions that Peru employed Herreshoff type Spar Torpedo Boats, and also had access to some Lay Automobile Torpedos; cable deploying 12.5kt speed, which carried 90lb of Dynamite.

CHILE:

Almirante Cochrane:

Ram equipped Ironclad Battleship, (1874) 3,560t

11kt

6 x 9" ML, 1 x 20pdr ML, 1 x 9pdr ML, 1x 7pdr ML, 1 x 1" Nordenfeldt

9" Iron Belt, Battery 8", Iron Deck of 2 to 3"

Blanco Encelada:

Ram equipped Ironclad Battleship, (1874) 3,560t

11kt

6 x 9" ML, 1 x 20pdr ML, 1 x 9pdr ML, 1x 7pdr ML, 1 x 1" Nordenfeldt

9" Iron Belt, Battery 8", Iron Deck of 2 to 3"

O'Higgins:

Wooden Corvette, (1866) 1,670t

10kt

3 x 7 ton ML, 2 x 70pdr ML, 4 x 40pdr ML

Chacabuco:

Wooden Corvette, (1866) 1,670t

10kt

3 x 7 ton ML, 2 x 70pdr ML, 4 x 40pdr ML

Esmerelda:

Wooden Sloop, (1854) less than 1,000t

3kt

14 x 40pdr

Magellanes:

Iron and Wooden Gun Vessel (1874) 772t

11kt

1x 7 ton ML, 1 x 64pdr ML 1x 25pdr ML

Covadonga:

Gunboat (1854) less than 700t

8kt

2 x 70pdr ML

Abtao:

Iron and Wooden Corvette (1854) 1,050t

6kt

3 x 150pdr ML, 3 x 30pdr ML

Chile also employed a number of Spar Torpedo Boats, and both sides made use of civilian transports and coastal vessels, often up-gunned with ancient muzzle-loaders, as well as Gatling and Nordenfeldts where available.

So, quite a range of shipping, some of which will no doubt provide fodder for the depredations of armoured submersibles, but also others that might just give a better account of themselves. Laird Clowes is at great pains to point out the limitations of Ram attacks when employed against fast ships that are capable of maneuvering: perhaps Nemo won't have it all his own way, after all.......