Spanish cruiser Castilla

"Castilla" was an "Aragon"-class unprotected cruiser of the Spanish Navy that fought in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.

Technical Characteristics

"Castilla" was built at Cadiz, Spain. Her construction as an armored corvette with a central battery ironclad design began in 1869, with plans to give her 890 tons of armor and 500 mm (19.7 inches) of armor at the waterline. In 1870, her design was changed to that of an unprotected cruiser or wooden corvette, and, after political events delayed her construction, [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] and [http://www.spanamwar.com/spanwoodenbcruisers.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: Spanish Wooden Cruisers] ] she finally was launched in this form in 1881 [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] claims the launch year was 1879, but [http://www.spanamwar.com/spanwoodenbcruisers.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: Spanish Wooden Cruisers] and "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ship 1860-1905", p. 383, set the year as 1881] and completed in 1882. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] ] Her original conception as an armored ship and the change to an unarmored one during construction left her with an overly heavy wooden hull that was obsolescent by the time of her launch. [ "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905", p. 383 ]

She had two funnels and was rigged as a barque. ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905", p. 383 ] Her machinery was maufactured at the naval shipyard at Ferrol. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] ] The original main battery of Armstrong-built 8-inch (203-mm) guns was obsolescent when she was completed, and were quickly replaced with more modern Krupp-built guns, with the 5.9-inch guns mounted in sponsons. [ "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905", p. 383 ] Designed for colonial service, she was never intended to fight the kind of heavily armed, armored, steel-hulled warships she would face in the Battle of Manila Bay. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] ]

Operational History

"Castilla" was commissioned in 1882. She spent her early years in Spanish waters as a part of the Spanish Navy's Instructional Squadron, making several courtesy visits to Mediterranean ports. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] ]

In 1890, "Castilla" was sent to the Philippines to reinforce the Asiatic Squadron. During the first two years of the Philippine Revolution in 1896-1897, referred by colonial Spaniards as the "Tagalog Revolt", "Castilla" patrolled to intercept contraband destined for the Philippine insurgents and supported Spanish Army forces fighting ashore in Cavite Province on Luzon. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] ]

When the Spanish-American War broke out in April 1898, "Castilla" was part of the squadron of Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón in Manila Bay. At 1100 hours on 25 April 1898, "Castilla" and five other ships of the squadron set out for Subic Bay, where Montojo hoped to take advantage of minefields and shore batteries in the likely event of an attack by U.S. Navy forces on his squadron. During the voyage, "Castilla" began to take on water through her propeller shaft housing. Her machinery and boilers had been in such poor shape that she was capable only of low speed already, and the only method of stopping the flooding -- plugging the hole with concrete -- immobilized her propeller shaft, leaving her to rely on sails or towing for propulsion. Montojo's flagship, unprotected cruiser "Reina Cristina", took her under tow. [ Nofi, p. 69-70; [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] ]

made a quick trip to Manila to procure small craft, such as lighters, small boats, and barges, to be tied up alongside "Castilla" to protect her wooden hull from hostile gunfire. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/donjuanaustria.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Don Juan de Austria"] ] "Castilla" also was sandbagged along the side exposed to enemy fire. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] ]

. [ Nofi, p. 20 ]

rendered assistance to "Castilla" under enemy fire. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/donjuanaustria.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Don Juan de Austria"] ]

Hit by five 8-inch (203-mm) and 6-inch (152-mm), twelve 5-inch (127-mm), and about 33 smaller shells, "Castilla" soon sank, a total loss, having suffered 23 to 25 men killed and 80 wounded during the battle. [ [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"] ]

Notes

ee also

*Battle of Manila Bay
*Patricio Montojo y Pasaron

References

*Chesneau, Roger, and Eugene M. Kolesnik, Eds. "Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905." New York, New York: Mayflower Books Inc., 1979. ISBN 0831703024.
*Nofi, Albert A. "The Spanish-American War, 1898". Conshohocken, Pennsylvania:Combined Books, Inc., 1996. ISBN 0938289578.

External links

* [http://www.spanamwar.com/castilla.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Castilla"]
* [http://www.spanamwar.com/dojuanaustria.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: "Don Juan de Austria"]
* [http://www.spanamwar.com/spanwoodenbcruisers.htm The Spanish-American War Centennial Website: Spanish Wooden Cruisers]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/spain/spsh-ag/castilla.htm Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center: Online Library of Selected
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