USS Catawba (1864)

USS "Catawba" was a "Canonicus"-class monitor built for the American Civil War; but completed too late to see action in that conflict. To finance the Reconstruction era of the United States, "Catawba" was sold to Peru for use in the Chincha Islands War.Alden, John D., CDR USN "Monitors 'Round Cape Horn" "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" September 1974 pp.78-82]

Construction and Sale

"Catawba" was launched 13 April 1864 by Alexander Swift and Co., Cincinnati, Ohio and completed on 10 June 1865. The vessel was accepted by the United States Navy in June 1865 and placed in ordinary until early in 1868 when she was resold to her builders. Alexander Swift and Co. put the "Catawba" up for sale to any country interested in buying her. The Peruvian government acquired her on 2 April 1868 for a price of $400,000 US. Though the selling of the "Catawba" and her sister the "Oneota" violated a treaty the United States had signed with Spain, the sale was allowed to proceed. Alexander Swift and Co. had to pay fines that equalled nearly ⅓ of the total sale amount.

BAP Atahualpa

She was renamed "Atahualpa", after the Emperor Atahualpa, the last ruler of the Inca Empire. A few months later, Captain Juan Guillermo More brought a Peruvian Navy crew to the United States to bring the ship to Peru. The monitor sailed from New Orleans, La. in early January 1869 arriving in Peru in June 1870.

The "Atahualpa" deteriorated quickly in the Pacific. When the War of the Pacific with Chile was declared in 1879, she was in very poor condition. In May 1879, the "Atahualpa" was to sail from Callao to Arica. However, her engines broke down and the monitor had to be towed back to Callao, were she remained.

On 11 December 1880, the Chilean fleet staged off Callao and started firing at the port at ranges of up to 6.5 kilometers. The "Atahualpa", escorted by a tug, carried out a long range battle with the Chilean fleet. On 16 January 1881, her crew was forced to scuttle the "Atahualpa" to prevent her capture by advancing Chilean forces. The "Atahualpa" was raised that same year, used as hulk, finally discarded around 1910 and presumably scrapped.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c4/catawba-i.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Catawba"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/catawaba.htm navsource.org: USS "Catawba"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/monitors/catawba.htm hazegray.org: USS "Catawba"]