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135-719: Huáscar is an ironclad turret ship owned by the Chilean Navy built in 1865 for the Peruvian government . It is named after the 16th-century Inca emperor , Huáscar . She was the flagship of the Peruvian Navy and participated in the Battle of Pacocha and the War of the Pacific of 1879–1883. At the Battle of Angamos , Huáscar , captained by renowned Peruvian naval officer Miguel Grau Seminario ,

270-476: A torpedo , with less vulnerability to quick-firing guns. The armament of ironclads tended to become concentrated in a small number of powerful guns capable of penetrating the armor of enemy ships at range; calibre and weight of guns increased markedly to achieve greater penetration. Throughout the ironclad era navies also grappled with the complexities of rifled versus smoothbore guns and breech-loading versus muzzle-loading . HMS  Warrior carried

405-469: A breech, adopted by the French in 1873. Just as compellingly, the growing size of naval guns and consequently, their ammunition, made muzzle-loading much more complicated. With guns of such size there was no prospect of hauling in the gun for reloading, or even reloading by hand, and complicated hydraulic systems were required for reloading the gun outside the turret without exposing the crew to enemy fire. In 1882,

540-502: A ceremonial division commanded by Rear Admiral Luis Uribe , Huáscar brought the bodies of the officers of the Esmeralda from their graves at Iquique to a new burial place at Valparaíso. These were the same officers killed on Huáscar 's deck at the Battle of Iquique; Rear Admiral Uribe had been the executive officer aboard Esmeralda and a survivor of the battle. Huáscar participated in

675-443: A claim to the title of the first ironclad warships but they were capable of only 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) under their own power: they operated under their own power at the Battle of Kinburn, but had to be towed for long-range transit. They were also arguably marginal to the work of the navy. The brief success of the floating ironclad batteries convinced France to begin work on armored warships for their battlefleet. By

810-403: A colorful port city. In becoming a World Heritage Center, Valparaíso is tasked with maintaining its cultural heritage, through the maintenance of its historic infrastructure, like its Ascensores . On 13 April 2014, a huge brush fire burned out of control, destroying 2,800 homes and killing 16 people, forcing President Michelle Bachelet to declare it a disaster zone. In early February 2024,

945-462: A duel with the Peruvian monitor Manco Cápac while participating in the bombardment of the city –where her new commander Manuel Thomson was killed– and she also aided in the blockade of Callao. After the war, in 1885 and 1887, Huáscar was renovated, including renewal of boilers, new screw design, and all-new steam engines to move the gun and artillery turrets. In May 1888, as part of

1080-467: A few houses and a church. On some occasions she was attacked by English pirates and privateers, such as Francis Drake with his ship Golden Hind in 1578 and later his cousin Richard Hawkins with his ship Dainty in 1594. Drake's sack of Valparaíso gave origin to the legend about Cueva del Pirata . In 1810, a wealthy merchant built the first pier in the history of Chile and the first during

1215-564: A few rounds. Smoke and the general chaos of battle only added to the problem. As a result, many naval engagements in the 'Age of the Ironclad' were still fought at ranges within easy eyesight of their targets, and well below the maximum reach of their ships' guns. Another method of increasing firepower was to vary the projectile fired or the nature of the propellant. Early ironclads used black powder , which expanded rapidly after combustion; this meant cannons had relatively short barrels, to prevent

1350-578: A historic confrontation, against each other at the Battle of Hampton Roads in Virginia . Their performance demonstrated that the ironclad had replaced the unarmored ship of the line as the most powerful warship afloat. Ironclad gunboats became very successful in the American Civil War. Ironclads were designed for several uses, including as high-seas battleships , long-range cruisers , and coastal defense ships. Rapid development of warship design in

1485-430: A huge brush fire burned through Valparaiso and central Chile, killing at least 131 people. Valparaíso is located in central Chile, 120 km (75 mi) to the north west of the capital Santiago . Valparaíso, like most of Chile, is vulnerable to earthquakes. Before the earthquake of February 27, 2010 , which measured 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale , the last catastrophic earthquake to strike Valparaíso devastated

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1620-525: A major educational and entertainment hub, with four large traditional universities , and several large vocational colleges . While the city is well-known for its artisans and bohemian culture , it is also famous as the home of several highly-regarded music festivals and other artistic events. The largest, and arguably most iconic, is the annual Viña Del Mar International Song Festival (often simply called "Viña" or "Viña Del Mar"). Typically held in March, in

1755-588: A meteor trail was visible from Quillota to Valparaíso, seen as a religious experience for much of the population. In 1826, the Royal Navy Great Britain established a South America Station in Valparaíso to maintain British naval interest in the region. It would remain until 1837, when it was relocated to Esquimalt, British Columbia . 12 September 1827 saw the establishment of El Mercurio de Valparaíso ,

1890-463: A minor collision with the ironclad Independencia on 28 February, refusal of service by neutral countries, a month of repairs at Rio de Janeiro , insubordination by Independencia 's commander and the capture and sinking of the Spanish brigantine Manuel . When she finally arrived in port at Ancud in allied Chile to join the rest of the combined fleet on 7 June, it was too late for her to participate in

2025-539: A mixture of 110-pounder 7-inch (178 mm) breech-loading rifles and more traditional 68-pounder smoothbore guns. Warrior highlighted the challenges of picking the right armament; the breech-loaders she carried, designed by Sir William Armstrong , were intended to be the next generation of heavy armament for the Royal Navy, but were shortly withdrawn from service. Breech-loading guns seemed to offer important advantages. A breech-loader could be reloaded without moving

2160-424: A movement away from the ships mounting many guns broadside, in the manner of a ship-of-the-line, towards a handful of guns in turrets for all-round fire. From the 1860s to the 1880s many naval designers believed that the ram was again a vital weapon in naval warfare. With steam power freeing ships from the wind, iron construction increasing their structural strength, and armor making them invulnerable to shellfire,

2295-611: A period of ten years, but the United Kingdom soon managed to take the lead in production. Altogether, France built ten new wooden steam battleships and converted 28 from older ships of the line, while the United Kingdom built 18 and converted 41. The era of the wooden steam ship-of-the-line was brief, because of new, more powerful naval guns. In the 1820s and 1830s, warships began to mount increasingly heavy guns, replacing 18- and 24-pounder guns with 32-pounders on sailing ships-of-the-line and introducing 68-pounders on steamers. Then,

2430-406: A recently-refurbished, 40,000-capacity amphitheater , "Viña" is one of the biggest annual economic boosts to the region, as the event usually sells-out completely, and thousands of attendees and workers will travel to and stay in the city and metro area. In addition to showcasing numerous performers of many styles, and awarding various prizes, the internationally-televised and live-streamed festival

2565-483: A result, during the opening months of the war, the ground invasion was delayed for almost six months until the Chilean fleet could find and stop Huáscar . On 21 May 1879 Huáscar led the lifting of the Chilean blockade of Iquique . During the Battle of Iquique , the Chilean captain of the corvette Esmeralda , Arturo Prat , was killed on Huáscar' s deck. After sinking the corvette by repeated ramming, Huáscar rescued

2700-446: A serious blow to the region's shipping- and port-based economy. By the 21st century, the port of San Antonio had surpassed Valparaíso in trade volume ( TEU ) handled, leading to the questioning of its traditional moniker of Puerto Principal ("principal port") of Chile. Between the years of 2000 to 2015, the city experienced a recovery, attracting artists, tourists, and cultural entrepreneurs, who settled after they were attracted by

2835-418: A speed of 12 1/4 knots. Her foremast is fitted with tripods; she carries two 300-pounders in one turret." And "...the "Huascar" class of 1865 fitted with a hurricane deck; she was one of six different classes designed and built by Messrs. Laird Brothers , to whom the credit for their great success is due. She can fire right ahead from her 300-pounders, and aft within 15 degrees of the line of keel, but would have

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2970-421: A standard pattern and designated as battleships or armored cruisers . The ironclad became technically feasible and tactically necessary because of developments in shipbuilding in the first half of the 19th century. According to naval historian J. Richard Hill : "The (ironclad) had three chief characteristics: a metal-skinned hull, steam propulsion and a main armament of guns capable of firing explosive shells. It

3105-412: A state of flux. Many ironclads were built to make use of the naval ram , the torpedo , or sometimes both (as in the case with smaller ships and later torpedo boats), which several naval designers considered the important weapons of naval combat. There is no clear end to the ironclad period, but toward the end of the 1890s, the term ironclad dropped out of use. New ships were increasingly constructed to

3240-424: A stern chaser either on or under her poop ." The British magazine Engineering described it: "She is an armour-clad monitor built by Messrs. Laird Brothers, of Birkenhead, in 1866...... She is 190 ft. in length between perpendiculars, 35 ft. in extreme breadth, and 19 ft. 9 in. in depth of hold. Her builder's tonnage is 1101, and indicated horse power 1500. Her draught of water is 15 ft. 6 in., and her maximum speed

3375-554: A survivor of this attack, would retire to Portersville, Indiana , and request changing the name to Valparaiso , commemorating the only naval battle he ever lost. By 2 August 1820, the Liberating Expedition of Peru sailed from Valparaíso. At 10:30 pm on the evening of 19 November 1822, Valparaíso experienced a violent earthquake that left the city in ruins; of the 16,000 residents, casualties included at least 66 adults and 12 children, as well as 110 people wounded. The next day,

3510-467: A tense situation that led to serious violence on 12 May. There were protests and the burning of the CSAV offices and several people were shot and killed. All this prompted intervention by the state. This protest was important for the future of Trade Unionism in the country. That same year, electric trams were introduced. The 1906 Valparaíso earthquake caused severe damage throughout the city on 16 August, which

3645-485: A total of 287, anchored in its port. The British settled on Cerro Alegre (Mount Pleasant) and Cerro Concepción. The Association of Voluntary Firemen was created in 1851, a telegraph service to Santiago was operating by 1852, and Chile's first telephone service was set up in 1880. The British Hospital was founded in 1897, and the British Arch, Arco Británico , was erected in 1911. However, by 1895, Italian immigrants exceeded

3780-501: A violent earthquake. Valparaíso has a very mild Mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csb ). The summer is essentially dry, but the city is affected by fogs from the Humboldt Current during most of the year. In the winter, rainfall can occasionally be extremely heavy when a powerful frontal system crosses central Chile, but frequency of such rains varies greatly from year to year. Monthly average temperatures vary just around 6°C between

3915-504: A wooden hull. Encouraged by the positive reports of the iron hulls of those ships in combat, the Admiralty ordered a series of experiments to evaluate what happened when thin iron hulls were struck by projectiles, both solid shot and hollow shells, beginning in 1845 and lasting through 1851. Critics like Lieutenant-general Sir Howard Douglas believed that the splinters from the hull were even more dangerous than those from wooden hulls and

4050-601: Is one of the Pacific Ocean 's most important seaports. Valparaíso is the capital of Chile's second most-populated administrative region and has been the Chilean Navy headquarters since 1817, as well as being the seat of the Chilean National Congress (since 1990). Valparaíso played an important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century when it served as a major stopover for ships traveling between

4185-481: Is only when all three characteristics are present that a fighting ship can properly be called an ironclad." Each of these developments was introduced separately in the decade before the first ironclads. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, fleets had relied on two types of major warship, the ship of the line and the frigate . The first major change to these types was the introduction of steam power for propulsion . While paddle steamer warships had been used from

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4320-425: Is protected by 5 1/2-in. armour plating upon a teak backing of 14 in. The sides are protected by armour plating 4 1/2 in. thick amidships, tapering to 2 1/2 in. at the extremities, which is also worked upon a teak backing of 14 in. There is an armoured pilot tower of hexagonal form abaft the turret from which the ship is worked in action; and the openings in the deck are protected by 2-in. iron plates that are shipped in

4455-487: Is said to be 12 knots when her boilers are in good condition, and the bottom is clean. Her usual speed under good working conditions is probably not more than 10 1/2 to 11 knots. She is propelled by a single screw. The Huascar is a rigged two-masted vessel, the foremast being upon Captain Cole's tripod principle. Her freeboard, or height of deck above water, is about 5 ft. She carries two 300-pounder Armstrong guns in one turret, which

4590-527: Is typically headlined by superstar musicians, from both the Spanish- and English -speaking worlds. Some older works starting with Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna (1869) claim that Valparaíso was within the range of the Chango people , but clear evidence for this is lacking. The Bay of Valparaíso's first ethnically identifiable population were Picunche natives, known for their agriculture. Spanish explorers, considered

4725-506: The 1891 Chilean Civil War between government and congress. Undergoing major maintenance work at the onset of the war, she was seized and towed out of Valparaíso by the rebel-leaning navy, and readied for action within three days. Commanded by Captain José María Santa Cruz , she participated in the takeover of the port city of Taltal by the rebels, ran escort duty for convoys and protected rebel-held ports. She returned once more to

4860-646: The Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Straits of Magellan . The area experienced rapid growth during its golden age as a magnet for European immigrants, when the city was known by international sailors as "Little San Francisco " and "jewel of the Pacific ". Notable acquisitions from this golden age include Latin America 's oldest stock exchange , the continent's first volunteer fire department , Chile's first public library , and

4995-428: The Battle of Sinop , spelled the end of the wooden-hulled warship. The more practical threat to wooden ships was from conventional cannon firing red-hot shot, which could lodge in the hull and cause a fire or ammunition explosion. Some navies even experimented with hollow shot filled with molten metal for extra incendiary power. The use of wrought iron instead of wood as the primary material of ships' hulls began in

5130-529: The Dissidents' Cemetery . Football (soccer) was introduced to Chile by English immigrants ; and the first private Catholic school in Chile, Le Collège des Sacrés Cœurs ("Sacred Hearts College") and its accompanying Sacred Hearts Church , by French immigrants . Immigrants from Scotland and Germany founded the first private secular schools ( The Mackay School and Die Deutsche Schule , respectively). Immigrants formed

5265-580: The Gloire and her sisters had full iron-armor protection along the waterline and the battery itself. The British Warrior and Black Prince (but also the smaller Defence and Resistance ) were obliged to concentrate their armor in a central "citadel" or "armoured box", leaving many main deck guns and the fore and aft sections of the vessel unprotected. The use of iron in the construction of Warrior also came with some drawbacks; iron hulls required more regular and intensive repairs than wooden hulls, and iron

5400-674: The Greater Valparaíso metropolitan area, including the neighbouring cities of Viña del Mar , Concón , Quilpué and Villa Alemana , is the second largest in the country (951,311 inhabitants). According to the 2017 census of the National Statistics Institute , the commune of Valparaíso spans an area of 401.6 km (155 sq mi) and has 296,655 inhabitants (144,945 men and 151,710 women). Of these, 295,918 (99.8%) lived in urban areas and 737 (0.2%) in rural areas . The population grew by 7.49% (20,673 persons) between

5535-643: The Maritime Heritage Award on the Chilean Navy for its restoration of Huáscar . Huáscar is berthed at the port of Talcahuano, Chile. The Talcahuano Naval Base and Shipyards were devastated by the 2010 Chile earthquake and the resulting tsunami ; although Huáscar was at the base then, she survived with no apparent damage and reopened to visitors in March 2011. Huáscar is one of the few early-ironclad-era warships still afloat. Huáscar remains highly regarded in both Peru and Chile, being considered as

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5670-546: The Peru-Bolivian Confederation , considered a turning point of Chilean public opinion and the purpose of the war. By 1851, the first fire brigade in the country was formed. The next year potable running water became available, as well as the first telegraph service in Latin America, between the city and Santiago . It would be another four years before streetlights, with 700 gas lanterns, were installed. In 1861

5805-505: The Senate , the commune is represented by Francisco Chahuán ( RN ), Kenneth Pugh ( RN ), Isabel Allende (PS), Juan Latorre (FA), and Ricardo Lagos Weber ( PPD ) for the 2018–2026 term, as part of the 6th senatorial constituency (Valparaíso Region). The Chilean Congress meets in a modern building in the Almendral section of Valparaíso, after relocation from Santiago during the last years of

5940-572: The Straits of Magellan and Cape Horn . It gained particular importance supporting and supplying the California Gold Rush (1848–1858). As a major seaport, Valparaíso received immigrants from many European countries, mainly from Britain , Germany , France , Switzerland and Italy . German, French, Italian and English were commonly spoken among its citizens, who founded and published newspapers in these languages. Valparaíso found maritime competition with Callao (Perú). Both cities sought to be

6075-532: The armor-piercing shell was developed. Valpara%C3%ADso Greater Valparaíso is the second-largest populace in the country, as well as the second-largest city in the Greater Valparaíso metro area (behind Viña del Mar ). Valparaíso was named originally for Valparaíso de Arriba , in Castile-La Mancha , Spain . It is located about 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Santiago , by road, and

6210-516: The " Laird ram "s. She was built for a price slightly more than £ 81,000, and launched in Birkenhead on 7 October 1865. Commanded by Peruvian-Chilean Captain José María Salcedo, a naval officer in service of the Peruvian government, who had supervised construction on behalf of the Peruvian Navy she left for Peru on 20 January 1866 on a trip that saw some trouble: a month-long wait at Brest ,

6345-549: The 1830s onward, steam propulsion only became suitable for major warships after the adoption of the screw propeller in the 1840s. Steam-powered screw frigates were built in the mid-1840s, and at the end of the decade the French Navy introduced steam power to its line of battle . Napoleon III 's ambition to gain greater influence in Europe required a sustained challenge to the British at sea. The first purpose-built steam battleship

6480-658: The 1830s; the first "warship" with an iron hull was the gunboat Nemesis , built by Jonathan Laird of Birkenhead for the East India Company in 1839. There followed, also from Laird, the first full-sized warship with a metal hull, the 1842 steam frigate Guadalupe for the Mexican Navy . The latter ship performed well during the Naval Battle of Campeche , with her captain reporting that he thought that there were fewer iron splinters from Guadalupe ' s hull than from

6615-423: The 1880s has been criticized by historians. However, at least until the late 1870s, the British muzzle-loaders had superior performance in terms of both range and rate of fire than the French and Prussian breech-loaders, which suffered from the same problems as the first Armstrong guns. From 1875 onwards, the balance between breech- and muzzle-loading changed. Captain de Bange invented a method of reliably sealing

6750-410: The 2002 and 2017 censuses. Residents of Valparaíso are commonly called porteños (feminine: porteñas ), spanish for "port dweller". As a commune, Valparaíso is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council , headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. Since 14 November 2024, the mayor's position has been vacant. For the 2021–2024 term,

6885-528: The 81-ton, 16-inch guns of HMS  Inflexible fired only once every 11 minutes while bombarding Alexandria during the Urabi Revolt . The 102-long-ton (104 t), 450 mm (17.72 inch) guns of the Duilio class could each fire a round every 15 minutes. In the Royal Navy, the switch to breech-loaders was finally made in 1879; as well as the significant advantages in terms of performance, opinion

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7020-537: The British Admiralty agreed to build five armored floating batteries on the French plans. The French floating batteries were deployed in 1855 as a supplement to the wooden steam battle fleet in the Crimean War . The role of the battery was to assist unarmored mortar and gunboats bombarding shore fortifications. The French used three of their ironclad batteries ( Lave , Tonnante and Dévastation ) in 1855 against

7155-724: The British to equip ships with muzzle-loading weapons of increasing power until the 1880s. After a brief introduction of the 100-pounder or 9.2-inch (230 mm) smoothbore Somerset Gun , which weighed 6.5 long tons (6.6 t), the Admiralty introduced 7-inch (178 mm) rifled guns, weighing 7 long tons (7 t). These were followed by a series of increasingly mammoth weapons—guns weighing 12 long tons (12 t), 18 long tons (18 t), 25 long tons (25 t), 38 long tons (39 t) and finally 81 long tons (82 t), with caliber increasing from 8 inches (203 mm) to 16 inches (406 mm). The decision to retain muzzle-loaders until

7290-503: The British, and both the Italians and Germans were in larger numbers by 1907. By 1920, both the Italians and Spanish outnumbered the British, and the primary British community within Chile resided in Santiago. International immigration transformed the local culture from Spanish origins and Amerindian origins, in ways that included the construction of the first non-Catholic cemetery of Chile ,

7425-607: The Confederacy ;– especially in Russia, the only country to openly support the Union through the war. Only CSS Stonewall was completed, and she arrived in Cuban waters just in time for the end of the war. Through the remainder of the war, ironclads saw action in the Union's attacks on Confederate ports. Seven Union monitors, including USS  Montauk , as well as two other ironclads,

7560-594: The Crimean War, Emperor Napoleon III ordered the development of light-draft floating batteries, equipped with heavy guns and protected by heavy armor. Experiments made during the first half of 1854 proved highly satisfactory, and on 17 July 1854, the French communicated to the British Government that a solution had been found to make gun-proof vessels and that plans would be communicated. After tests in September 1854,

7695-664: The Hospital Carlos Van Buren in 1912. The golden age of Valparaíso's commerce ended after the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. Shipping shifted to the canal as captains sought to avoid the risks of the Strait of Magellan. The port's use and traffic declined significantly, causing a decline in the city's economy. The opening of the Panama Canal was one of the most critical events in the shaping of Valparaío's economy. Since

7830-813: The National Customs Service, the National Fish and Aquaculture Ministry, the Ministry of Culture and the Barracks General of the Chilean Navy are sited in the city. In addition to the capital of the Valparaíso Region hosts the Regional Administration and government. In 2003, Valparaíso became an UNESCO World Heritage Centre . This title was awarded to Valparaiso for its unique urban form, as well as its clear maintained historical background as

7965-758: The National Steamship Company and Chilean Steamship Company, the South American Steamship Company was created as a national response to the increasing dominance of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company in 1872. In 1880 the Chilean Telephone Company was formed by Americans Joseph Husbands, Peter MacKellar, James Martin, and the US consul Lucius Foot, the first official telephone company in the country. Three years later on

8100-550: The Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso has a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, embodying a rich architectural and cultural legacy. Valparaíso is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Since its status as a World Heritage Site, Valparaíso has made several changes to its urban fabric in the process of maintaining its cultural heritage. Landmarks include: Although technically only Chile's sixth largest city, with an urban area population of 295,918 (296,655 in municipality ),

8235-482: The Peruvian government. On the 6 May, two of de Piérola's supporters, Colonel Lorranaga and Major Echenique, boarded the Huáscar at the port of Callao while the captain and executive officer where ashore. Some of the ship's officers on board were part of the plot and persuaded the crew to join their cause. Now in rebel hands, the Huáscar put to sea with Luis Germán Astete in command. Other Peruvian naval ships present in

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8370-872: The Seafarers. Fire of the South American Company. Assault on the printing press of El Mercurio . Fire of the Malecon. Attitude of the Authority. The troops arrived from Santiago. The calm is restored. Meetings in the Municipality. It reaches an Arrangement. The Court of Appeals. The city in State of Siege. The twentieth century began with the first big protest of dockworkers, Chile on 15 April 1903, due to complaints by dockers about their excessive working hours and demands for higher wages, requests that were ignored by employers, creating

8505-624: The Talcahuano and Concepción area, including: Between 1971 and 1972, a second restoration phase was undertaken at the Chilean Navy's drydock in Talcahuano: the hull was completely repaired, and engines rebuilt according to original blueprints obtained in England. Since then, a strict maintenance program ensures survival and preservation for future generations. In 1995, the World Ship Trust conferred

8640-423: The Union, but they were adequate for their intended use. More Western Flotilla Union ironclads were sunk by torpedoes (mines) than by enemy fire, and the most damaging fire for the Union ironclads was from shore installations, not Confederate vessels. The first fleet battle, and the first ocean battle, involving ironclad warships was the Battle of Lissa in 1866. Waged between the Austrian and Italian navies,

8775-421: The World Monuments Fund declared Valparaíso's unusual system of funicular lifts (steeply inclined carriages) one of the world's 100 most endangered historical treasures. In 1998, grassroots activists convinced the Chilean government and local authorities to apply for UNESCO world heritage status for Valparaíso. Valparaíso was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking

8910-461: The armored frigate New Ironsides and a light-draft USS  Keokuk , participated in the failed attack on Charleston ; one was sunk. Two small ironclads, CSS  Palmetto State and CSS  Chicora participated in the defense of the harbor. For the later attack at Mobile Bay , the Union assembled four monitors as well as 11 wooden ships, facing the CSS  Tennessee , the Confederacy's most powerful ironclad, and three gunboats . On

9045-403: The barrel itself slowing the shell. The sharpness of the black powder explosion also meant that guns were subjected to extreme stress. One important step was to press the powder into pellets, allowing a slower, more controlled explosion and a longer barrel. A further step forward was the introduction of chemically different brown powder which combusted more slowly again. It also put less stress on

9180-462: The battle pitted combined fleets of wooden frigates and corvettes and ironclad warships on both sides in the largest naval battle between the battles of Navarino and Tsushima . The Italian fleet consisted of 12 ironclads and a similar number of wooden warships, escorting transports which carried troops intending to land on the Adriatic island of Lissa. Among the Italian ironclads were seven broadside ironclad frigates, four smaller ironclads, and

9315-419: The broadside-firing, masted designs of Gloire and Warrior . The clash of the Italian and Austrian fleets at the Battle of Lissa (1866), also had an important influence on the development of ironclad design. The first use of ironclads in combat came in the U.S. Civil War . The U.S. Navy at the time the war broke out had no ironclads, its most powerful ships being six unarmored steam-powered frigates. Since

9450-421: The bulk of the Navy remained loyal to the Union, the Confederacy sought to gain advantage in the naval conflict by acquiring modern armored ships. In May 1861, the Confederate Congress appropriated $ 2 million dollars for the purchase of ironclads from overseas, and in July and August 1861 the Confederacy started work on construction and converting wooden ships. On 12 October 1861, CSS  Manassas became

9585-401: The city (Pedro Montt) was laid and Plaza O'Higgins was created; a hill was removed to allow the passage of Colon Street. The damaged Edwards mansion was demolished and in its place, the present Cathedral of Valparaíso was built and, among many other works, this gave shape to the Almendral Valparaíso area. In 1910, the port expansion work of the city, which ended in 1930, began. A long breakwater

9720-512: The city in August 1906 , killing nearly 3,000 people. Other significant earthquakes to affect the city were the 1730 Valparaíso earthquake and the 1985 Algarrobo earthquake . Because of Valparaíso's proximity to the Peru–Chile Trench , the city is vulnerable to earthquakes. The Peru–Chile Trench stores large amounts of energy for a very long time and sometimes ruptures after short intervals in

9855-534: The city's hillside historic districts. Today, many thousands of people visit Valparaíso each month, from Chile and abroad, to enjoy the city's labyrinth of cobbled alleys and colorful buildings. The Port of Valparaíso still continues to be a major distribution center for container traffic, copper , and fruit exports. It also receives growing attention from cruise ships that visit during the South American summer. Most significantly, Valparaíso has transformed itself into

9990-401: The colonial era. In its place today, stands the building of El Mercurio de Valparaíso. The ocean then rose to this point. Reclamation of land from the sea moved the coastline five blocks away. Between 1810 and 1830, he built much of the existing port of the city, including much of the land reclamation work that now comprises the city's commercial centre. In 1814, the naval Battle of Valparaíso

10125-625: The communal council has the following members: Within the electoral divisions of Chile , Valparaíso is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Andrés Celis ( RN ), Hotuiti Teao (Ind./ EVOP ), Luis Sánchez ( REP ), Tomás Lagomarsino (PR), Tomás de Rementería (PS), Camila Rojas (FA), Jorge Brito (FA), and Luis Cuello (PCCh) for the 2022–2026 term, as part of the 7th electoral district, together with Juan Fernández , Isla de Pascua , Viña del Mar , Concón , Algarrobo , Cartagena , Casablanca , El Quisco , El Tabo , San Antonio , and Santo Domingo . In

10260-695: The conflict. Under Captain Lizardo Montero, Huáscar prepared at Valparaíso to participate in a late 1866 expedition to fight the Spanish fleet in the Philippines . However Montero, with several other Peruvian officers, objected to plans for Rear Admiral John R. Tucker –formerly a commander of Confederate warships during the American Civil War – to command the fleet, and requested to be relieved. Captain Salcedo took back command of Huáscar , but

10395-506: The coolest and the warmest month, from 17 °C (63 °F) in January to 11.4 °C (52.5 °F) in July. Snowfall occurs rarely in the highest parts of the city. In winter, strong winds can lead to wind chill temperatures below freezing. Nicknamed "The Jewel of the Pacific", Valparaíso was declared a world heritage site based upon its improvised urban design and unique architecture. In 1996,

10530-523: The critics and ordered that the four iron-hulled propeller frigates ordered by the Tories be converted into troopships . No iron warships would be ordered until the beginning of the Crimean War in 1854. Following the demonstration of the power of explosive shells against wooden ships at the Battle of Sinop , and fearing that his own ships would be vulnerable to the Paixhans guns of Russian fortifications in

10665-563: The day was that wrought iron begins to become brittle at temperatures below 20 °C (68 °F). Many of the tests were conducted at temperatures below this while the battles were fought in tropical climates. The early experimental results seemed to support the critics and party politics came into play as the Whig First Russell ministry replaced the Tory Second Peel Ministry in 1846. The new administration sided with

10800-654: The defenses at the Battle of Kinburn on the Black Sea , where they were effective against Russian shore defences. They would later be used again during the Italian war in the Adriatic in 1859. The British floating batteries Glatton and Meteor arrived too late to participate to the action at Kinburn. The British planned to use theirs in the Baltic Sea against the well-fortified Russian naval base at Kronstadt. The batteries have

10935-447: The dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet . Although congressional activities were to be legally moved by a ruling in 1987, the newly built site only began to function as the seat of Congress during the government of Patricio Aylwin in 1990. Major industries include tourism, culture, shipping and freight transport. Approximately 50 international cruise ships call on Valparaíso during the 4-month Chilean summer. The port of Valparaíso

11070-538: The dominant port on the Pacific Coast of South America during the period of time known as the High Trade (1880–1930). The British community , La Colonia Britanica , prospered in Valparaíso between the 1820s and 1920s. Firms such as Antony Gibbs & Sons , Duncan Fox, and Williamson-Balfour Company were doing business in the town, which had become a significant trading center by 1840, with 166 British ships, out of

11205-525: The early 1930s Huáscar was taken in hand for reconditioning as a heritage ship. Recommissioned in 1934, Huáscar was now armed with two 8-inch guns, three 4.7 inch guns and four 47 mm guns. It now wore the flag of the Port Admiral at Talcahuano. As late as 1949 she was listed in Jane's Fighting Ships as a coast defense ship ; the photograph of Huáscar in that year's edition dated from 1938. When she

11340-431: The end of the 1850s it was clear that France was unable to match British building of steam warships, and to regain the strategic initiative a dramatic change was required. The result was the first ocean-going ironclad, Gloire , begun in 1857 and launched in 1859. Gloire ' s wooden hull was modelled on that of a steam ship of the line, reduced to one deck, and sheathed in iron plates 4.5 inches (114 mm) thick. She

11475-457: The expedition was eventually cancelled. In February 1868, Peruvian naval officer Miguel Grau took command of Huáscar and would remain in command until 1876, becoming her longest-serving commander. His long years aboard the ironclad would prove very valuable later and he would also become Peru's most renowned naval officer. Huáscar participated in Nicolás de Piérola 's 1877 attempt to overthrow

11610-422: The explosive conversion of a solid propellant into gas. This explosion propels the shot or shell out of the front of the gun, but also imposes great stresses on the gun-barrel. If the breech—which experiences some of the greatest forces in the gun—is not entirely secure, then there is a risk that either gas will discharge through the breech or that the breech will break. This in turn reduces the muzzle velocity of

11745-578: The first shell guns firing explosive shells were introduced following their development by the French Général Henri-Joseph Paixhans . By the 1840s they were part of the standard armament for naval powers including the French Navy , Royal Navy , Imperial Russian Navy and United States Navy . It is often held that the power of explosive shells to smash wooden hulls, as demonstrated by the Russian destruction of an Ottoman squadron at

11880-527: The first European discoverers of Chile, arrived in 1536, aboard the Santiaguillo , a supply ship sent by Diego de Almagro . The Santiaguillo carried men and supplies for Almagro's expedition, under the command of Juan de Saavedra , who named the town after his native village of Valparaíso de Arriba in Cuenca Province , Spain. During Spanish colonial times, Valparaíso remained a small village, with only

12015-624: The first ironclad to enter combat, when she fought Union warships on the Mississippi during the Battle of the Head of Passes . She had been converted from a commercial vessel in New Orleans for river and coastal fighting. In February 1862, the larger CSS  Virginia joined the Confederate Navy, having been rebuilt at Norfolk . Constructed on the hull of USS  Merrimack , Virginia originally

12150-549: The first of December, Concepción funicular opened, the first of many hydraulic systems. After the country's independence and its consequent openness to international trade, Valparaíso became an important port of call on trade routes through the Eastern Pacific. Many immigrants settled there, mostly from Europe and North America, who helped include Valparaíso and Chile in the Industrial Revolution sweeping other parts of

12285-588: The first tram company was formed, mostly using horses or mules to draw them, and fully established over the next few years. In 1852, British shipping company Williamson, Balfour & Cía was established in Valparaíso to handle trade in the region. Taking advantage of the total lack of defenses, a Spanish fleet commanded by Casto Méndez Núñez bombarded the city during the Chincha Islands War in 1866. Chilean merchant ships were sunk, except for those vessels whose captains hoisted foreign flags. A merger of

12420-552: The first use in combat of the newly invented self-propelled torpedo which, at the time, had just entered limited service with the Royal Navy . Huáscar surrendered to the government after almost one month in rebel hands. Huáscar participated in the War of the Pacific (1879–1883), initially in the service of Peru. Once again under the command of Captain Grau, she became famous for daring harassment raids on Chilean ports and transports. As

12555-498: The first volunteer fire-fighting units (still a volunteer activity in Chile). Their buildings reflected a variety of European styles, making Valparaíso more varied than some other Chilean cities. On 18 August 1906, a major earthquake struck Valparaíso; there was extensive property damage and thousands of deaths. The Chilean doctor, Carlos Van Buren, of U.S. descent, was involved in the medical care of earthquake victims. He later established

12690-434: The gun, a lengthy process particularly if the gun then needed to be re-aimed. Warrior ' s Armstrong guns also had the virtue of being lighter than an equivalent smoothbore and, because of their rifling, more accurate. Nonetheless, the design was rejected because of problems which plagued breech-loaders for decades. The weakness of the breech-loader was the obvious problem of sealing the breech. All guns are powered by

12825-535: The heaviest calibers of gun ever used at sea. HMS  Benbow carried two 16.25-inch (413 mm) breech-loading guns , each weighing 110 long tons (112 t). A few years afterwards, the Italians used 450 mm (17.72 inch) muzzle-loading guns on the Duilio class ships. One consideration which became more acute was that even from the original Armstrong models, following the Crimean War, range and hitting power far exceeded simple accuracy, especially at sea where

12960-413: The insides of the barrel, allowing guns to last longer and to be manufactured to tighter tolerances. The development of smokeless powder , based on nitroglycerine or nitrocellulose, by the French inventor Paul Vielle in 1884 was a further step allowing smaller charges of propellant with longer barrels. The guns of the pre-Dreadnought battleships of the 1890s tended to be smaller in caliber compared to

13095-526: The late 19th century transformed the ironclad from a wooden-hulled vessel that carried sails to supplement its steam engines into the steel-built, turreted battleships, and cruisers familiar in the 20th century. This change was pushed forward by the development of heavier naval guns, more sophisticated steam engines, and advances in ferrous metallurgy that made steel shipbuilding possible. The quick pace of change meant that many ships were obsolete almost as soon as they were finished and that naval tactics were in

13230-445: The line, but was determined that the first British ironclad would outmatch the French ships in every respect, particularly speed. A fast ship would have the advantage of being able to choose a range of engagement that could make her invulnerable to enemy fire. The British specification was more a large, powerful frigate than a ship-of-the-line. The requirement for speed meant a very long vessel, which had to be built from iron. The result

13365-399: The main naval armament by the ram. Those who noted the tiny number of ships that had actually been sunk by ramming struggled to be heard. The revival of ramming had a significant effect on naval tactics. Since the 17th century the predominant tactic of naval warfare had been the line of battle , where a fleet formed a long line to give it the best fire from its broadside guns. This tactic

13500-606: The melée which followed both sides were frustrated by the lack of damage inflicted by guns, and by the difficulty of ramming—nonetheless, the effective ramming attack being made by the Austrian flagship against the Italian attracted great attention in following years. The superior Italian fleet lost its two ironclads, Re d'Italia and Palestro , while the Austrian unarmored screw two-decker SMS  Kaiser remarkably survived close actions with four Italian ironclads. The battle ensured

13635-408: The newly built Affondatore  – a double-turreted ram. Opposing them, the Austrian navy had seven ironclad frigates. The Austrians believed their ships to have less effective guns than their enemy, so decided to engage the Italians at close range and ram them. The Austrian fleet formed into an arrowhead formation with the ironclads in the first line, charging at the Italian ironclad squadron. In

13770-399: The oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world, El Mercurio de Valparaíso . In 2003, the historic quarter of Valparaíso was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The twentieth century was unfavorable to Valparaíso, as many wealthy families abandoned the city. The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, and the associated reduction in ship traffic, dealt

13905-556: The oldest circulating newspaper in the Spanish language worldwide. In May 1828, a constitutional convention began regular meetings in the church of San Francisco . By August 9, the Constitution of the Republic of Chile was fully drafted and disseminated. On 6 June 1837, Minister Diego Portales was shot at the port outside of Baron Hill on suspicion of promoting conspirators who opposed

14040-427: The openings for skylights or hatchways. The Huascar is an iron-built vessel, and at the time she was built was most perfect in all the appliances of defence, and in her internal arrangements." Huáscar was ordered by the Peruvian government from the British shipbuilder John Laird Sons & Company in 1864 for the war against Spain . Laird House had extensive experience of these advanced ships, designing and building

14175-466: The popularity of the ram as a weapon in European ironclads for many years, and the victory won by Austria established it as the predominant naval power in the Adriatic . The battles of the American Civil War and at Lissa were very influential on the designs and tactics of the ironclad fleets that followed. In particular, it taught a generation of naval officers the (ultimately erroneous) lesson that ramming

14310-483: The port of Iquique, this time to bombard the port city held by government forces. After almost eight months of fighting, the war ended with the government's surrender. Huáscar continued serving the Chilean Navy until a boiler explosion in 1897 at the Talcahuano military harbour resulted in her decommissioning. Partially repaired, she later served as the first submarine tender in the Chilean Navy from 1917 to 1930. In

14445-547: The port, such as the Atahualpa were in a state of disrepair and unable to pursue. The ship was used to harass, sabotage and disrupt government forces and shipping lanes. During these actions foreign shipping was also affected, leading to British intervention. On 29 May 1877, she fought the inconclusive Battle of Pacocha against two British vessels, the frigate HMS Shah and the corvette HMS Amethyst , commanded by Admiral Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey . This battle saw

14580-498: The ram seemed to offer the opportunity to strike a decisive blow. The scant damage inflicted by the guns of Monitor and Virginia at Hampton Roads and the spectacular but lucky success of the Austrian flagship SMS Erzherzog Ferdinand Max sinking the Italian Re d'Italia at Lissa gave strength to the ramming craze. From the early 1870s to early 1880s most British naval officers thought that guns were about to be replaced as

14715-422: The rivers, the first two of which differed from the ocean-going monitors in that they contained a paddle wheel ( USS  Neosho and USS  Osage ). The Union ironclads played an important role in the Mississippi and tributaries by providing tremendous fire upon Confederate forts, installations and vessels with relative impunity to enemy fire. They were not as heavily armored as the ocean-going monitors of

14850-421: The ships of the 1880s, most often 12 in (305 mm), but progressively grew in length of barrel, making use of improved propellants to gain greater muzzle velocity. The nature of the projectiles also changed during the ironclad period. Initially, the best armor-piercing projectile was a solid cast-iron shot. Later, shot of chilled iron , a harder iron alloy, gave better armor-piercing qualities. Eventually

14985-518: The slightest roll or pitch of the vessel as 'floating weapons-platform' could negate the advantage of rifling. American ordnance experts accordingly preferred smoothbore monsters whose round shot could at least 'skip' along the surface of the water. Actual effective combat ranges, they had learned during the Civil War, were comparable to those in the Age of Sail—though a vessel could now be smashed to pieces in only

15120-449: The smaller USS  Galena . The first battle between ironclads happened on 9 March 1862, as the armored Monitor was deployed to protect the Union's wooden fleet from the ironclad ram Virginia and other Confederate warships. In this engagement, the second day of the Battle of Hampton Roads , the two ironclads tried to ram one another while shells bounced off their armor. The battle attracted attention worldwide, making it clear that

15255-481: The supply lines needed for the invasion of Perú, the Chileans committed every possible unit to hunt down Huáscar . On 8 October 1879 Huáscar was captured by the Chilean Navy under the command of Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas at the Battle of Angamos , during which Rear Admiral Grau and 32 of her crew of 200 were killed. After the Battle of Angamos, Huáscar entered the service of the Chilean Navy. At Arica she fought

15390-467: The survivors, then continued pursuit of a fleeing enemy ship, the Covadonga . During the next 137 days Huáscar not only evaded confrontation with the enemy fleet, following orders from the Peruvian government, but made the coast insecure for Chilean transport ships. Her biggest prize was the Chilean gunned transport Rímac with 260 men of the cavalry regiment "Carabineers of Yungay". Determined to secure

15525-418: The tests partially confirmed this belief. What was ignored was that 14 inches (356 mm) of wood backing the iron would stop most of the splinters from penetrating and that relatively thin plates of iron backed by the same thickness of wood would generally cause shells to split open and fail to detonate. One factor in the performance of wrought iron during these tests that was not understood by metallurgists of

15660-596: The tomb of the Peruvian Admiral of the Fleet Miguel Grau and the Chilean Captains Arturo Prat and Manuel Thomson. 36°42′19.7″S 73°6′41.1″W  /  36.705472°S 73.111417°W  / -36.705472; -73.111417 Ironclad An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship protected by steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad

15795-554: The turn of the 21st century, shipping has increased in the last few decades with fruit exports, opening the Chilean economy to world commerce, and larger-scale, Post-Panamax ships that do not fit the Panama Canal. On 28 March 1814, the USS Essex was defeated by British frigates Phoebe and Cherub during the War of 1812 , leading to the deaths of 58 US Marines. Captain David Porter ,

15930-428: The weapon and can also endanger the gun crew. Warrior ' s Armstrong guns suffered from both problems; the shells were unable to penetrate the 4.5-inch (114 mm) armor of Gloire , while sometimes the screw which closed the breech flew backwards out of the gun on firing. Similar problems were experienced with the breech-loading guns which became standard in the French and German navies. These problems influenced

16065-554: The western front, the Union built a formidable force of river ironclads, beginning with several converted riverboats and then contracting engineer James Eads of St. Louis , Missouri to build the City-class ironclads. These excellent ships were built with twin engines and a central paddle wheel, all protected by an armored casemate. They had a shallow draft, allowing them to journey up smaller tributaries, and were very well suited for river operations. Eads also produced monitors for use on

16200-556: The wooden warship was now out of date, with the ironclads destroying them easily. The Civil War saw more ironclads built by both sides, and they played an increasing role in the naval war alongside the unarmored warships, commerce raiders and blockade runners. The Union built a large fleet of fifty monitors modeled on their namesake. The Confederacy built ships designed as smaller versions of Virginia , many of which saw action, but their attempts to buy ironclads overseas were frustrated as European nations confiscated ships being built for

16335-563: The world. This created a different city with civil, financial, commercial and industrial institutions, many of which still exist today. All this resulted in a population increases. The city reached more than 160,000 inhabitants in the late nineteenth century, making it necessary to use the steep hills for more houses, mansions and even cemeteries. The lack of available land caused the city authorities and developers to reclaim low lying tidal marshland (polders) upon which to build administrative, commercial and industrial infrastructure. The Strike of

16470-594: Was a conventional warship made of wood, but she was converted into an iron-covered casemate ironclad gunship, when she entered the Confederate Navy . By this time, the Union had completed seven ironclad gunboats of the City class , and was about to complete USS  Monitor , an innovative design proposed by the Swedish inventor John Ericsson . The Union was also building a large armored frigate, USS  New Ironsides , and

16605-419: Was at that time the heart of the Chilean economy. The damage was valued at hundreds of millions of pesos of the time, and human victims were counted at 3,000 dead and over 20,000 injured. After the removal of the debris, reconstruction work began. This included the widening of streets, culverting and covering streams, (Jaime and Delicias – creating the avenues Francia and Argentina respectively). The main street of

16740-665: Was built, along with piers and docking terminals. The Imperial German East Asia Squadron engaged the British West Indies Squadron on 1 November 1914 at the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Valparaiso, sinking two British cruisers. After the battle the East Asia Squadron stayed in Valparaiso Harbor before continuing to the Falklands. Chile's legislature along with other institutions of national importance like

16875-490: Was captured by the Chilean fleet and commissioned into the Chilean Navy. Today Huáscar is one of the few surviving ships of her type. She has been restored and is a memorial ship anchored in Talcahuano , Chile . Huáscar is the second oldest armored warship afloat after Warrior , and the oldest monitor afloat. Captain Cowper Coles , wrote of Huáscar : "...as a sea-going vessel of 1,100 tons, 300-horse power, and

17010-551: Was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells . The first ironclad battleship, Gloire , was launched by the French Navy in November 1859, narrowly preempting the British Royal Navy . However, Britain built the first completely iron-hulled warships. They were first used in warfare in 1862 during the American Civil War , when ironclads operated against wooden ships and, in

17145-487: Was fought offshore of the town, between American and British ships involved in the War of 1812 . After Chile's independence from Spain (1818), beginning the Republican Era , Valparaíso became the main harbour for the nascent Chilean navy, and opened international trade opportunities that had been formerly limited to Spain and its other colonies. Valparaíso soon became a desired stopover for ships rounding South America via

17280-463: Was more susceptible to fouling by marine life. By 1862, navies across Europe had adopted ironclads. Britain and France each had sixteen either completed or under construction, though the British vessels were larger. Austria, Italy, Russia, and Spain were also building ironclads. However, the first battles using the new ironclad ships took place during the American Civil War, between Union and Confederate ships in 1862. These were markedly different from

17415-450: Was propelled by a steam engine, driving a single screw propeller for a speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). She was armed with thirty-six 6.4-inch (160 mm) rifled guns. France proceeded to construct 16 ironclad warships, including two sister ships to Gloire , and the only two-decked broadside ironclads ever built, Magenta and Solférino . The Royal Navy had not been keen to sacrifice its advantage in steam ships of

17550-466: Was recommissioned in 1934, Huáscar was the oldest vessel of the Chilean Navy . Between 1951 and 1952, work was undertaken with the aim to completely restore her to her 1897 condition, when she finished her service in the Chilean Navy, and declare her a shrine to the glory of both the Peruvian and Chilean navies. She became a floating museum and a memorial, displaying many objects and relics recovered from Navy warehouses or donated by private citizens from

17685-409: Was swayed by an explosion on board HMS  Thunderer caused by a gun being double-loaded, a problem which could only happen with a muzzle-loading gun. The caliber and weight of guns could only increase so far. The larger the gun, the slower it would be to load, the greater the stresses on the ship's hull, and the less the stability of the ship. The size of the gun peaked in the 1880s, with some of

17820-489: Was the 90-gun Napoléon in 1850. Napoléon was armed as a conventional ship-of-the-line, but her steam engines could give her a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), regardless of the wind conditions: a potentially decisive advantage in a naval engagement. The introduction of the steam ship-of-the-line led to a building competition between France and Britain. Eight sister ships to Napoléon were built in France over

17955-418: Was the best way to sink enemy ironclads. The adoption of iron armor meant that the traditional naval armament of dozens of light cannon became useless, since their shot would bounce off an armored hull. To penetrate armor, increasingly heavy guns were mounted on ships; nevertheless, the view that ramming was the only way to sink an ironclad became widespread. The increasing size and weight of guns also meant

18090-427: Was the construction of two Warrior -class ironclads; HMS  Warrior and HMS  Black Prince . The ships had a successful design, though there were necessarily compromises between 'sea-keeping', strategic range and armor protection. Their weapons were more effective than those of Gloire , and with the largest set of steam engines yet fitted to a ship, they could steam at 14.3 knots (26.5 km/h). Yet

18225-423: Was totally unsuited to ramming, and the ram threw fleet tactics into disarray. The question of how an ironclad fleet should deploy in battle to make best use of the ram was never tested in battle, and if it had been, combat might have shown that rams could only be used against ships which were already stopped dead in the water. The ram finally fell out of favor in the 1880s, as the same effect could be achieved with

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