Shipbucket

To commemorate the 21st of May, anniversary of the Battle of Iquique and Naval Glories day for the Chilean Navy, I decided to throw a thread with all the ships named Esmeralda that served in said Navy.
The Esmeralda name carries a lot of tradition with it due to the circumstances of the vessels so named.

Esmeralda I, 1791.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmeralda_(1791)
One of the six Spanish "Mahonesa" frigates, built in Mahón, on the Baleares islands, she was captured by Lord Thomas Alexander Cochrane and a team of Chilean sailors in the then Spanish port of Callao, and put into service for the Chilean navy as Valparaíso during the independence wars.
Sadly, few sources on her survive, mostly paintings, and I cannot gather enough courage to attempt to draw her yet. The search for sources thus continues.


Esmeralda II, 1855.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmeralda_(1855)
Prat's Esmeralda is without a doubt Chile's most iconic ship due to her part in the Battle of Iquique and subsequent immortalizing by the Chilean propaganda, raised by the navy to a symbol of glory and duty and depicted since in children's schoolbooks, seaside artisan's crafts and even TV shows, this obsolete ship was in bad need of a reboilering and was no match for Ironclad Huáscar, which she nevertheless faced during that fateful 21st of May of 1879. Never minding the feats that Schooner Covadonga, skippered by Carlos Condell, pulled off that day, Esmeralda's resting place is marked with a buoy, a land-based replica of her has been built in Iquique and the 21st of May is celebrated every year as the Navy's most important commemoration.


This drawing, by Dicc93, was uploaded to the BaseNaval forum years ago. Sadly, the user has been inactive in this forum and another related forum for 2 years now, and I have not been able to contact him, so his depiction of Esmeralda II is used without permission until I can contact him. Hopefully this will draw his attention .


Esmeralda III, 1884.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Izumi
For this ship I've prepared an extract from Castagneto and Lascano's Buques de Guerra Chilenos since the ship is more obscure:
As soon as news were known in Chile about the sacrifice of Prat and his crew on the 21st of May in Iquique, two initiatives emerged: raising a monument to these men and acquiring a ship to replace the sunken corvette Esmeralda.
The gunboat or cruiser Arturo Prat was ordered that same year, 1879, and launched in 1881. Nevertheless, it was determined that due to her lack of speed and protection, she did not gather the characteristics required by the Navy. On the other hand, as it was under embargo while the War of the Pacific lasted, paying for her upkeep in England meant a hefty expense for the government. Finally, this ship was sold to the Empire of Japan, where it received the name of Tsukushi.
As well as commemorating a feat and replacing the vaccum left by the old Esmeralda, there was the evident need for a truly modern warship, in light of the recent conflict with Perú: "More than once it was felt the lack of a fast ship, that could, at will, give or evade combat, serve as an aviso, menace convoys or introduce dismay in enemy warships".
After new negotiations, the ship destined to replace Prat's corvette was also christened as Esmeralda. This cruiser was of a totally new type, so much so that in the beginning she was also called a gunboat, for a lack of a better concept to explain her characteristics. She was built at the british yards of Elswick, belonging to Sir William George Armstrong, prestigious artillery maker, and designed by another distinguished name in contemporary naval circles, George Wightwick Rendel.
The chilean order was a ship of 2950 tons, with a maximum theoretical speed of 18.3 knots and a crew of 300 men. Her armament consisted of two large 10 inch (254 mm) pices, placed on the centerline, stem and stern, six 6 inch (152 mm) pieces set on the sides, two 3 inch (76 mm), five 1-pdr (37 mm) and three torpedo tubes. Her two main guns were housed in traversing barbettes, this means, within protected parapets, but not completely enclosed.
Their sole appearance was innovative, with two masts lacking any sails, two large smokestacks and their main artillery within barbettes over the deck, which was completely protected by a horizontal plate 1 inch (25 mm) thick, with a maximum of 2 inches (50 mm). Due to this, she was considered a "protected cruiser", designation that was to become generic. Although her design was criticized for lacking protection and a double bottom in exchage for speed, this was compensated by damage control arrangements, throughout a novel compartmentation system. In summary, Esmeralda was a worldwide pioneering warship:
"The ship's and machinery's peculiar constitution, together with the armament disposition, has made Esmeralda a new type of ship within the Navy's nomenclature. So thorough has been the success with which trascending innovations have been introduced with this gunboat, that it marks without a doubt important progress in the science of naval construction".
The fact that confirmed the wisdom of this acquisition, which marked a new course, were the diverse orders for ships of similar characteristics from Italy, Great Britain, the United States, China and Japan. These ships would become generically known as Elswick type cruisers, a class with over twenty examples, holders of some of the essential characteristics of cruiser construction that would be projected towards the twentieth century.
The new Esmeralda arrived in Chile on October 1884 and a few months later, in April of 1885, she was given her first important mission. Under the command of Captain Juan Esteban López, she headed for Panama, colombian province which found itself in the midst of a revolution, in order to "show the flag" or have her presence felt. With this kind of behaviour, also known as "gunboat policy", eventual threats to national interests were prevented, like distruptions to commerce through the ithsmus, and a balance was struck against american naval assets, which had disembarked on the panamaian atlantic coast. Soon thereafter, on the way back, she laid anchor in Guayaquil in order to bring tranquility to Ecuador, which was also found plunging into intestine revolts, and where an american intervention was feared.
A characteristic of this era of transition, in which mixed propulsion was still relied upon, was the fact that this cruiser was put in reserve with a skeleton crew of 64 men, in 1888. The reason was that, since she carried no sails and was unable to move without raising steam, keeping her active was too expensive.
Upon the emergence of the political crisis that devolved into the civil war of 1891, Esmeralda joined the sublevated squadron and operated from the ports in the north of Chile. On February 19th of that year, she supported with her artillery, together with Blanco Encalada and Huáscar, the takeover of Iquique and developed a fruitless persecution of the balmacedist auxiliary cruiser Imperial, on the 10th of March.
In April, Esmeralda received the mission to escort the transport Itata, which carried a cargo of armament for the congress faction from San Diego, California. The cruiser was to await for her in mexican waters but was unable to follow Itata on her return trip, due to a lack of coal, for which she had to remain in Acapulco. On her side, the transport was chased and almost captured by the american cruiser USS Charleston, due to violating neutrality laws, which sparked an international incident.
On June 9, Esmeralda presented herself in Valparaíso with part of the fleet to support a coup that, finally, didn't take place. There was only an exchange of fire with the coastal forts. In August, already on the final campaign of the war, she formed part of the escort to the convoy that drove the revolutionary army's landing on Quintero. Then, she returned to Valparaiso bay and on the 21st, during the battle of Concón, protected the advance of her side's troops while they crossed the Aconcagua river. Her last notorious involvement in this conflict was during the intense artillery duel with the Callao fort in Viña del Mar, during the morning of the 23rd, previous step to a land battle that finally didn't come to pass.
By the end of October of 1894, the chilean government received an advantageous offer from it's ecuadorian peers, which offered to buy Esmeralda for 220,000 pounds, more than double her original cost. With the conditions being convened, business was done quickly and the cruiser set sail on the 8th of December from Valparaíso flying ecuadorian flag. However, on February 1895, she appeared on japanese waters with said country's ensign. This was the result of a ploy orchestrated by the US firm J.S. Morgan & Co., in charge of acquiring warships for the japanese navy at any cost, in light of the war situation with China. Throughout document and telegram falsification, the sale to Ecuador was only a simulation with the objective of fooling international neutrality laws. This covert negotiation generated an international scandal, without impeding that Chile received payment for Esmeralda on a timely manner.
Renamed Idzumi (和泉, Izumi) in japan, she was too late to participate in the decisive operations of the Sino-Japanese war (1894-95), although a decade later, during the conflict with Russia, this cruiser became known for being the first japanese ship to spot Admiral Rozhestvensky's fleet, on the eve of the battle of Tsushima on the 27th of May, 1905.

Sorry for the wall, here's the ship already:

As arrived in chile in 1884.


With a white bottom as seen on some dry dock photos, probably painted red at some point, there's at least 1 picture that would suggest her hull ended up red.


In Japanese service during the Russo-Japanese war, already refitted and regunned.


Esmeralda IV, 1896.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_c ... lda_(1895)
And another wall because I bet you'll never find this info anywhere else :
From Buques de Guerra Chilenos:
One more among the perfectioned Elswick type cruisers, built at the Armostrong Mitchell & Co. shipyards of Newcastle-on-Tyne. Her contract was signed on the 15th of May of 1895, with a modification on the 18th of July, related to her armored belt, the addition of Quick Firing guns and the speed she should attain. Together with Blanco, she's an example of the strategic planning of the construction of the chilean fleet, at a time in which cruisers were relied upon, due to the results of the Sino-Japanese war (1894-95). In said conflict, the japanese cruisers had stood out, although the importance of the chinese battleships would be undervalued, due to crew and command problems. Due to this, the basic formula was to combine, in a single cruiser type ship, firepower and speed. The design of this one, Esmeralda (IV) had both and, at its time, her entry into service marked a milestone, just like it had happened with her namesake in 1883, only that the last one, for her pioneering characteristics, eclipsed her successor to posterity.
The Esmeralda (IV) displaced 7,020 tons, her speed of 23.5 knots made her the fastest ship of her time, with the exception of destroyers and torpedo boats, and her protection consisted of an armoured belt 152 mm (6") thick. Her armament consisted entirely of Armstrongs Whitworth quick firing guns: two 203 mm (8") pieces in armoured shields 130 mm (5") armouring, sixteen 152 mm (6") guns with 114 mm (4.5") shields, eight 13-pounder guns, ten 6-pounders, four Maxim machine guns and three torpedo tubes.
Her hull was launched on the 14th of June of 1896 and sailed towards Chile as part of rear admiral Luis Alberto Goñi's squadron. At her time, she caused certain upheaval within naval circles and praises were not witheld for her. The british publication Maritime Revue affirmed that the new type of cruiser invented with Esmeralda (III) had reached a zenith with Esmeralda (IV), which could be considered "the most notorious warship in the world". This specially due to her enormous fire weight of 157,490 ton-meters/minute, "superior to all cruisers and battleships in the world, in service, building or projected until the present", so it concluded that "within our own cruisers we have nothing as complete as the Esmeralda". This was all within the context that the chilean ship compared favourably, at least in some aspects, with much larger and more expensive cruisers, like the british Powerful class, conceived as a reply to the russian cruisers of the Rossiya class. Her own constructor, Lord William George Armstrong, had not ommited to highlight during her launching ceremony, the exceptional aggressive power of the chilean cruiser compared to her size. At the same time, the most prestigious naval yearbook of the time reafirrmed all of the above by concluding that the new chilean ship was "one of the most powerful cruisers in the world".
Esmeralda was part of the squadrons ready for the crisis moments with Argentina, in 1898 and 1901. First, in the Light Division, and in the second conflict, in the division commanded by Admiral Goñi. Precisely, when these tense conjunctures were left behind and the debate opened for the renewal of the fleet, the cruiser acquisition policy in general and the Esmeralda one in particular were questioned:
"Nobody can deny that Esmeralda is not a battleship; but nobody can say that it's a useless ship for the role it was destined for.
The truth in all of this is that we truly lack ships and that it's necessary to acquire battleships; but in good time leave Esmeralda and the other cruisers in peace, which will jauntily perform the role assigned to them in a maritime war.
¿Will not Esmeralda be a good cruiser flagship to form a flying division?"
She was part of the squadrons of 1902-04 and 1906. In December of 1907 she was sent to Iquique, due to the ongoing nitrate strike that culminated in the infamous Domingo Santa María school massacre.
In May of 1910, she sailed together with O'Higgins to Buenos Aires to take part in the celebrations commemorating the May Revolution centennial. In August of that same year she embarked president Pedro Montt and took him to Panama, where he took a steamship to Germany. The head of state travelled to Europe to receive medical treatment, vain attempt, for he passed away in Bremen on the 16th of August. Despite national mourning, the centennial celebrations had to take place and Esmeralda took part in them, integrating the grand warship quadrilateral formed in Valparaiso bay for the naval review of the 14th of September, 1910.
She was also refitted that year, her boilers were renovated and four of her 152 mm (6") pieces were landed.
She formed part of the fleets organized in 1906, 1910 and 1913. The next year, after the start of the first world war, she was sent to Iquique and Mejillones to overlook the interned german merchants in said ports.
On the 20th of March of 1915, she arrived at Cumberland bay together with Zenteno, within Juan Fernandez island, with the mission of picking up the survivors of SMS Dresden, which had scuttled their ship after fighting three british cruisers. The german sailors were taken to Valparaiso to then become interned at Quiriquina island.
She also formed part of the fleets of 1916 and 1917 to 1920. On this last year, she sailed to the extreme south, where she linked up with battleship España to commemorate the fourth centennial of the discovery of the strait of Magellan. In latter years, she stopped forming part of the Navy's main formations.
She was decomissioned in 1930 and her hull was sold in 1933. The navy's traditional Esmeralda name would suffer an interruption until the entry into service of a frigate christened with this name in 1946.

From Warships for Export by Peter Brook:
General
The design history outlined in the Yard Report book is not entirely clear. In November 1894, a tender was submitted to Chile for a 4800 ton sheathed cruiser with a speed of 23-23.5 knots, with the same armament as Blanco Encalada or if required 2 extra 6" (152 mm) guns. In May 1895 the tender was accepted but the size of this ship had grown to 6000 tons. Two months later, the Chileans asked Armstrongs to consider the possibility of altering the ship to a belted cruiser. The design submitted was for a vessel with a 6" (152 mm) armour belt, 7 ft (2.134 m) wide and 330 ft (100.584 m) long: six extra 6" (152 mm) guns were to be added and the ship was to be lengthened by 28 ft (8.534 m). This modified design was ordered, but Armstrong's strongly advised that the ship be completed as originally contemplated, and that Chile should in addition order a second vessel, an armour-clad of 7000 tons which could be delivered in 15 months; the Chileans asked for the vessel already ordered to be continued as a belted cruiser to be completed in 13 months.
Sir William White, DNC, strongly criticized Esmeralda by observing that "on paper she will appear a formidable rival to the new cruisers with her reputed speed of 23 knots, partial belt of 6 in armour, and armament including two 8 in, sixteen 6 in and other guns. But this speed is not one realised except for short periods and her sustained sea speed would undoubtely be much less than that of our cruisers, probably 2-3 knots less. Her partial armour belt is of fictitious protection and there is only shield protection to the guns".
The 8 in (203 mm) guns had automatic breech opening gear: there was a central hoist for powder only and in the rear of the guns there was a handworked tube for supplying shells or powder. One original feature was the installation of blast shields at the ends of the superstructure deck, to protect the crews of the 8 in (203 mm) guns from the effects of the four 6 in (152 mm) guns mounted above them. This seems to be the first appearance of blast shields, which were a prominent feature in cruisers and destroyers built during and after World War One. These four 6 in (152 mm) guns were removed in the 1910 refit, and at the same time fire controls were fitted, the lower platform on the foremast becoming a roofed top and another mounted low on the mainmast.
Carrer
After her gun trials were complete, Esmeralda departed from Plymouth in March 1897. Her life was uneventful and she was discarded in 1929.

So yeah, all flash and the poor girl could never prove herself, maybe for the best.

As arrived in Chile in 1896.


And here's her as seen during world war 1, after the refit that landed four of her 6" guns and added fire control arrangements. You can spot her like this in a famous picture of the German East Asia squadron at Valparaíso in 1914.

Esmeralda V, 1946.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMCS_Glace_Bay_(K414)

She was originally HMCS Glace Bay, K 414, and was bought together with 2 more River class frigates, Covadonga and Iquique in 1946 for rather cheap, unarmed, and were armed in Chile with a mixture of weapons, apparently this did not include a Hedgehog until later in their carreers.


After she got renamed Baquedano, with an enclosed charthouse and finally with her Hedgehog back.

Esmeralda VI, 1953.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmeralda_(BE-43)
The wiki article will do a better job than me, so try that. Also, the ship is currently in active service, if you live near a busy port, keep an eye out for her!


Fortunately for my wrist, Esmeralda VI has already been beautifully depicted by Gunship and is in the archive!

That's it for the Chilean Esmeraldas for now, I appreciate those who commented on Discord and as always I appreciate your comments on my drawings.

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Hello Charguizard

That Esmeralda IV is real eye candy! Great!!!

Greetings
GD

I completely concur with GD - FANTASTIC work Charguizard. I LOVE that raked bow on the Esmeralda Charguizard

Jolly WELL DONE my old fruit

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My artwork is posted here: https://www.deviantart.com/adenandy/gallery/all

Great, very nice drawings. Waiting for the next (Ohiggins, Blanco Encalada, Chacabuco)

indeed very good looking ships from this era that doesent present the mainstream of our artists intresses.

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"

I second our fellow users. And Esmerala 4 is the best of the lot.

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Sources and documentations are the most welcome.

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Charguizard your drawings are fantastic, Esmeralda IV is my favourite.

I voted Blanco Encalada, if she is anything like Esmeralda IV, it will look awesome.

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An excellent set of drawings, be they be by Charguizard, the 3rd Esmeralda or the 4th Esmeralda, or the other ships so beautifully drawn.
This is an interesting thread and I do hope that Charguizard will add more of the Chilean navy ships.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

First of all thank you everyone for the encouraging comments, I can't say it isn't nice to post when you're getting this kind of attention. Indeed I have to agree with the general consensus here, when I first saw Esmeralda IV a couple of years ago I fell absolutely in love with the thing, so it was from then my objective to depict her somehow in as much detail as possible.
But as I draw, I've become very fond of ships big and small too, I hope to keep getting some of these obscure ships to you.

By now I've finished Esmeralda V, ex HMCS Glace Bay, which I post here and will add to the OP now.


Thanks once more and if the voting keeps going like it is, I might follow some time later with O'Higgins.

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Hatsuyuki-class Escort Ships . . . <3

This is a neat idea to have all the Esmeraldas in one post. The Esmeralda 3 & 4 look especially fine and your 5th is a great update of the old River Class drawing.

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